Hot Christmas Nights (21 page)

Chapter 15

T
he quaint, century-old white frame church was located a short distance from the center of town, surrounded by towering snow-covered evergreens. The first thing Brooklyn saw as the limo parked was a huge Christmas wreath with dark green leaves and bright red holly berries decorating the door. She stepped out of the car and noticed how quiet and serene the surroundings were. The sun was shining brightly, causing the snow to sparkle like diamond dust.

This is a perfect day for a wedding,
Brooklyn thought as she made her way inside.

She marveled at how elegantly the church was decorated. Lavender silk organza bows were tied around the edges of the wooden pews that lined the center aisle. Floral arrangements of white and lavender roses in huge crystal vases were placed on white columns near the altar. There was also a unity candle in a sterling-silver holder with a silver lighter behind the altar.

“Good morning. Are you ready for your solo?” Mr. Vance, the pianist, asked as Brooklyn neared the front of the church.

“Good morning, Mr. Vance. I certainly am. I can’t wait. Am I the first one here?”

“No, Pepper is in the bridal suite. Come on. I’ll show you where it is.” Mr. Vance led Brooklyn through a wooden door adjacent to the choir loft and down a short carpeted hallway.

As they were walking, Brooklyn tripped on a piece of the carpet that was a bit tattered. “Oops.” She held on to the wall to break her fall.

“Be careful. This church is old and well used. Underneath that carpet where you almost fell is a trapdoor. During the days of slavery, this church was part of the underground railroad.”

“Oh, wow! I love hearing facts about those times. It’s so interesting to me.”

“If you have time tomorrow, I can give you a tour of the entire church and show you the tiny crawl space where the slaves hid.”

“That would be awesome. Can I bring a guest?” she asked, thinking that Landis would probably enjoy the tour, as well.

“Of course, bring whomever you like.”

“If I can make it, I’ll call the church and let you know.”

“Not a problem, I’ll be here either way. Here’s the bridal suite. The bridesmaids will be dressing in the room across the hall.”

“Thanks, Mr. Vance.”

Brooklyn opened the door and went inside. The room was filled with antiques. A mahogany vanity table and mirror were near the far wall, and a cranberry velvet chaise longue was positioned opposite the vanity table. Brooklyn looked around the room and saw Pepper’s wedding dress hanging on a hook behind the door, but she didn’t see her friend.

“Pepper, where are you?”

No answer.

Brooklyn put her dress and purse on the chaise longue, crossed the room and knocked on another door, which she assumed was the bathroom. “Pepper, are you in there?”

Brooklyn put her ear to the door and could hear sniffles. She turned the knob and slowly opened the door. Inside, Pepper was sitting on the edge of an old-fashioned claw-foot tub with her head held down.

“What’s the matter?” Brooklyn asked, rushing over to her friend.

Pepper raised her head, revealing her tearstained face. “I can’t do this,” she said, in a soft whisper.

“What? Why are you crying?”

“I don’t think I can marry Michael.”

“Why? He’s the love of your life.”

“I know but…” A flood of tears stopped her words.

Brooklyn reached for a tissue and handed it to Pepper. “You’re not making any sense. Just the other day, you said that you knew you were going to marry Michael the first time you laid eyes on him.”

Pepper wiped her face and blew her nose. “I’m scared, Brooklyn. What if the marriage doesn’t work? What if the sex fizzles out and he cheats? What if—”

Brooklyn promptly cut her off. “Look, Pepper, there are no guarantees in this life, but what you and Michael have is the real deal. You guys have already built a life together. You’ve been together since college. Now don’t you think that if the relationship was doomed to fail, it would have fallen apart years ago?”

Pepper held her hands in her lap and rubbed them together. “I guess you have a point.”

“Of course I do. You’re just nervous, that’s all. I’m sure most brides get the jitters before they march down the aisle, which is understandable. This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life.”

“That’s what scares me. Suppose I’m making the wrong decision.”

Brooklyn sat down next to Pepper and put her arm around her friend. “The wrong decision would be for you
not
to marry Michael. The happiness and sheer joy I’ve seen from you two over the years is inspiring. I don’t have a crystal ball, but if I had to guess, I’d say in years to come, you two will be celebrating your golden anniversary in this church surrounded by your children and grandchildren.”

A smile began spreading across Pepper’s face. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely! Now stop all this crying and let’s get you dressed. We have a wedding to attend.”

They both stood up, and Pepper hugged Brooklyn tight. “Thanks for being my friend and snapping me back to reality. I had a momentary meltdown, but I’m back now! Where’s my dress? I’m getting married!”

Brooklyn helped Pepper with her hair and makeup, and then into her white, beaded Vera Wang gown. She then slipped on her maid-of-honor dress and refreshed her makeup.

Once they were all dolled up, the two friends stood in front of the mirror and admired their reflections.

“Wow! You look stunning,” Brooklyn said.

“So do you. Wait until Landis sees you. I’m telling you that man is likely to propose today, you look so good.”

“It’s a bit too soon for that, but I wouldn’t be opposed to receiving a little robin’s-egg-blue box next Christmas,” Brooklyn said, blushing. She glanced at her diamond Cartier watch. “It’s showtime. Mr. Vance should be waiting for me at the piano. I’ll see you out there.”

“Okay, and thanks again, Brooklyn, for everything.”

“Don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for.”

Brooklyn exited the suite and returned to the sanctuary. She stood at the edge of the doorway and peered out. The wooden pews were now filled with guests. Mr. Vance was playing an old spiritual song as the minister, Michael and Landis made their way to the altar.

A knot formed in Brooklyn’s throat the moment she laid eyes on Landis. The black tuxedo he wore accentuated his broad shoulders and fit his body as if it were tailor-made. He was the epitome of style and class. His face was smoothly shaven, and his hair was cut to perfection. Brooklyn’s insides warmed at the mere sight of him. She was totally in love with Landis and was excited about their future together.

Suddenly, the fear that had struck Pepper had reared its ugly head again, but this time it was aimed at Brooklyn. She began doubting whether or not what she and Landis shared was a real connection or just hedonistic sex.

Stop it right now!
she admonished herself. As she was thinking, she heard Mr. Vance play her cue to approach the piano.

Brooklyn took a deep breath, arched her back and strutted over to the antique mahogany piano. She could feel all eyes on her. She glanced over at Landis, and he was staring at her with a dreamy expression. Watching the love in his eyes was all Brooklyn needed to ease her doubts.

Mr. Vance played “Ave Maria” while she belted out the lyrics in Italian, giving a stellar performance. Once the song was over, everyone clapped as if they were at an intimate concert. Brooklyn bowed her head and walked down the side aisle to the back of the church where the rest of the wedding party waited.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen were paired off and ready to make their entrance. Once they heard Mr. Vance play a rendition of the Carpenters’ wedding song, they began marching toward the altar.

Brooklyn was the maid of honor and didn’t have an escort. As she made her way down the aisle, she kept her eyes on Landis. It was as if she were marching straight to him.

After the flower girl did her job of tossing the lavender rose petals along the runner, Mr. Vance switched songs and began playing the “Wedding March.” Everyone stood and welcomed the bride as she waltzed in on her father’s arm.

The ceremony was short and sweet, with the minister reading from 1 Corinthians and then asking the “do you take” questions. Once the vows were recited, unity candle lit and rings exchanged, a small boy dressed in a tiny tuxedo came ambling down the aisle with an old-fashioned broom that was decorated with lavender and white bows. He put the broom near the altar and returned to his seat.

“Pepper and Michael have decided to jump the broom in celebration of their ancestors,” the minister announced.

Michael took hold of Pepper’s hand. Pepper gathered her dress and they jumped the broom into the land of holy matrimony. The guests cheered and clapped.

“I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Redmond!”

Michael engulfed his bride in a tender hug and they kissed passionately before making their way to the narthex to receive their guests.

Chapter 16

T
he exclusive country club was ensconced on an incline overlooking the Bridgehampton Golf Club. Pepper’s parents had been members for over twenty years and had reserved the private ballroom for their only daughter. Uniformed servers passed hors d’oeuvres—stuffed shrimp, crab cakes, prosciutto and melon—and flutes of champagne during the cocktail hour before the sit-down dinner was served. The Grecian-style ballroom had multitiered crystal chandeliers, Roman columns, a black-and-white-checkered floor and an antique mural painted on one of the walls. A quartet was playing standard jazz songs as the guests mingled.

“Well, I did it! I’s married now!” Pepper exclaimed, holding out her ring finger and mimicking a character from the
The
Color Purple.

Brooklyn took her hand and inspected the diamond-encrusted wedding band. “Wow! This is a beauty. Michael did good.”

“He sure did. My husband is the best!”

“Listen to you, using the H-word,” Brooklyn teased.

“One day, hopefully soon, you’ll be married to Landis and saying,
my husband
this
and
my husband
that
.
It surely sounds better than saying,
my boyfriend
.”

Brooklyn tapped her flute against Pepper’s. “I’ll drink to that.” Brooklyn glanced around the room. “Where are the guys? I haven’t seen much of Landis since we arrived.”

“Michael and the groomsmen are on the patio smoking cigars.”

“In this weather?”

“Yep. Michael wanted to have a moment with the guys before dinner and before the after-dinner festivities began. After we have our first dance, cut the cake and toss the bouquet and garter, Michael and I are out of here. We’re heading back to the city and spending the night in the honeymoon suite at the Waldorf. In the morning, we’re catching a flight to Bora-Bora. I didn’t know where we were going on our honeymoon until a few minutes ago. Michael wanted to surprise me.”

“That’s a wonderful surprise.” Brooklyn gave her friend a big hug. “Pepper, I am so happy for you.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll have your big day soon enough.”

As they were talking, Brooklyn’s cell phone buzzed. She opened her beaded evening bag, took out the phone and looked at the screen. The screen indicated that she had a new text message.

“My mom is trying to get my attention. Excuse me. Let me see what she wants,” Pepper said.

“Okay.”

Brooklyn swiped the phone’s screen to reveal the message, which read:

Hey, Landis, got your text regarding a new development regarding Brooklyn. Call me when you get a chance so we can discuss. Malcolm

She was confused. Why was her manager sending a text referring to her as Landis? Brooklyn examined the phone, turning it over and looking closely at the front and back. The phone had scratches and wasn’t as new and shiny as hers.

“This is Landis’s phone,” she muttered.
Our phones fell off the nightstand and
I must have accidently picked up his phone instead of mine.

Brooklyn reread the message. Clearly, Landis was in talks with her manager that she knew nothing about. A sick feeling washed over Brooklyn.
Landis has been keeping a secret and playing me this entire time!
She immediately thought about her ex-boyfriend who had tried to use her to advance his career. Her temper began rising with anger replacing her feelings of disappointment.

“Hey, babe,” Landis said, approaching her.

“Don’t ‘hey, babe’ me. What the fuck is this?” she asked, shoving the phone into his hands.

Landis took the phone. “Uh…I can explain.”

“Save it, Landis. Obviously, you were sexing me up for your own agenda, whatever that is!”

“No, it’s not like that at all…. I was in talks with Malcolm months ago.”

“Yeah, right. Obviously, this is your phone. You must have mine.”

Landis opened his jacket, reached into the inside pocket and took out the phone. He looked at it before handing the phone over to Brooklyn. “This is a total misunderstanding. Please let me explain.”

“You’ve had plenty of time to mention that you’re in talks with my manager, but you chose not to mention whatever you and Malcolm have been discussing.”

“Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, can you please take your seats? Dinner will be served shortly,” Pepper’s mother announced.

Brooklyn turned on her heels and stormed off before Landis had a chance to explain. She had been down this road before, and his deception was hurtful and unacceptable.

During dinner, the wedding party sat together at an elongated table in the front of the room. Brooklyn tried to mask her disappointment and look happy for Pepper’s sake, but inside, she was dying. The man she had given herself to physically and emotionally had betrayed her trust. Landis had had ample opportunity to tell Brooklyn the truth, but he had chosen to remain silent. In her opinion, he was no better than her ex.

After dinner, Brooklyn steered clear of Landis as Pepper and Michael danced the tango for their first dance and cut the multitiered red-velvet cake. She watched her friends bask in marital bliss, and a tear escaped her eye. She was crying for their happiness and the demise of her future with Landis. Brooklyn had mistakenly let her guard down and trusted that Landis had genuine feelings for her, but she had been sorely mistaken.

“Okay, can I have all my single ladies over here? It’s time to toss the bouquet,” Pepper said, waving a dozen white roses as Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” played in the background.

A group of women quickly formed near Pepper, waving their arms, eager to catch the bouquet. Brooklyn stood back and watched them; she didn’t budge.

Pepper looked across the room. “Hey, Brooklyn, get over here!”

Brooklyn shook her head no.

“Come on. Don’t be shy. I’m not throwing this bouquet until you get in line.”

Brooklyn didn’t want to cause a scene. She walked slowly over to where the other women were and stood there, stiff as a statue.

“On the count of three,” Pepper announced. “One…two…three.”

Pepper turned her back, glanced over her shoulder and threw the flowers directly at Brooklyn.

Brooklyn caught the bouquet, but wanted to throw the flowers back at her friend and walk out. But she didn’t. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin Pepper’s big day. She walked back to her chair with the heavy burden of disappointment weighing her down.

Once the women returned to their seats, an attendant brought a chair to the center of the room for Pepper. Michael came and knelt in front of his bride. He proceeded to lift her dress and remove her blue garter with his teeth.

“Okay, single guys, it’s garter time,” Michael said, waving the garter in the air.

Brooklyn watched a group of men, including Landis, come front and center.

Michael counted down to three and tossed the garter. Landis reached up and plucked the lace band out of the air.

“Oh…I think we have our next newlyweds. Brooklyn, can you come here, please?” Pepper asked excitedly.

Brooklyn was mortified. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Landis. Unfortunately, Pepper was unaware of what had transpired between them.

“Come on, Brooklyn,” Pepper said, waving her friend to the front.

Brooklyn rose and walked slowly toward Landis. When she reached him, she stood there with her gaze cast to the floor, avoiding eye contact.

“Brooklyn, please have a seat so that Landis can put the garter on your leg,” Pepper instructed.

Brooklyn took a deep breath. She didn’t want Landis to touch her, but there was no way she could get out of this tradition, so she reluctantly sat down.

Landis knelt in front of her, put the garter in his mouth and slowly eased the sexy material up her leg, all the while staring at her face.

Brooklyn couldn’t deny the sensual sensation running up her spine.
He’s just trying to entice you. Get a grip!
she told herself.

The moment the garter was firmly on her thigh, Brooklyn stood up, smiled politely and excused herself. She rushed into the restroom, locked herself in a stall and let out a flood of tears. She cried for Landis’s deception and the future they would never have.