In Her Mind (Mountain High Valley Low ) (18 page)

Sounds of cheer floated through the trendy restaurant as I watched my wife-to-be glide smoothly through the sea of invited guests. My mother definitely outdid herself in planning this wellorganized rehearsal shindig, or dinner, I should say. I watched Lexie work the crowd, smiling and thanking people for coming. The curve of her shoulders radiated under the dim lights. Her warm, pretty smile decorated her face with a graceful presence. She surely knew how to work a crowd. The thought of almost not making it to this moment made me shake my head to rid my mind of the alternate possibilities.

I was so wrapped up in watching my woman, I almost forgot about the conversation I was having with my boys. Acting as if I had been listening all along, I joined in with the latest laugh.

“What the hell you laughing at?” Jeff called me out. “You,” I said, still trying to fake it.
“Man, you haven’t heard a word I said,” Jeff noted and

laughed.
“I was listening,” I said unconvincingly.
“Then what did I say?”
The gig was up and we all knew it. Cam and Jeff busted out laughing. All I could do was laugh with them. They knew the deal.

“Damn, man. Nobody’s going to take her. She’s already wearing your ring and she’s going home with you tonight. You don’t have to watch her like a hawk. I’ll admit, she’s looking pretty good tonight, but she’s all yours, man,” Cam said, trying to stick it to me.

The guys continued to laugh and poke fun at me for being absorbed by Lexie’s essence until Jeff’s cell phone rang and he excused himself. Lexie sashayed past the table where I sat with Cameron, stealing my focus once again. The soft material of her silky sundress gently caressed the curve of her hips with each nimble step. Her gait was fluid and sensual.

All I could think of was what I wanted to do to her when we got back home. I wanted the party to be over, then remembered that Lexie wanted to wait until our wedding day before we joined bodies in ecstasy again. She said something about building up anticipation and making our wedding night extra special. After processing the fact that I wasn’t going to get none for a couple of days, the rest of what she said went in one ear and out the other. As fine as she looked tonight, the last thing I wanted to hear from her was “wait until Saturday.” Two more days, at this point, seemed like an eternity.

Cameron’s phone rang, also, and he excused himself from the table. His exit didn’t faze me at all because I still wasn’t listening to anything he said. He could have sounded like Charlie Brown’s mother and I wouldn’t have known. Every now and then, I just responded with a “Yeah!” I kept my gaze glued to the lady of the hour and my thoughts were infused with ideas about how I could make her abandon her silly little plan of holding out until the wedding.

I stood from the seat I had been glued to all evening, resting my bum leg, and slid closely behind her. Her skin, swathed in an aromatic melody of fresh flowers, sent a sensual signal to my loins, causing my manhood to react. I wrapped my arms around her from behind and pulled her in close enough for her to feel my growing manhood against her round backside.

“Oh, Brian. You better stop. We have a restaurant full of people up in here tonight,” she said with a coy smile. “Besides, we agreed to wait, remember?”

“You agreed to wait,” I said, pulling in a little closer. “That was all your idea, not mine,” I reminded her, then rubbed my manhood against the soft roundness of her ass again.

She let out a quick breath then looked around to make sure no one could figure out what was happening.
“Babe,” she said breathlessly and pressed her body back against me, “we are in a public place with lots of people, including my mother and yours.”
“So!”
She released a delicate laugh but I could tell she was affected. If I kept this up, I’d surely get me some once we got back home.
“Brian, I can’t believe you.”
My hands were crossed in front of her, so I lowered them to her ample bosom and discreetly caressed her breasts. To the rest of the room it just looked as if I was hugging her from behind.
“See what you make me do? Now, how are you going to make me wait? I’m an injured man,” I said, playing up my injuries from the car accident. “I need you to help me relieve my pain,” I whispered in her ear. Lexie cleared her throat several times. “Don’t they have a basement in here?”
“Yes, they do, Brian,” she said in a voice that sounded like she was ready to give in. I was counting on the fact that we had been irresistible to one another since the first day we explored each other’s bodies.
I placed several lingering wet kisses along her neck.
“There’s a coatroom down there, too, isn’t there?”
“Yes, Brian,” she said, curving her sexy neck, inviting me to plant more kisses on her warm, chocolate-colored flesh.
“Can you meet me there in a few minutes?” I prodded.
“Hmmm,” she moaned. “No, Brian,” she tried to sound collected. “We can’t. We have way too many guests. Someone might catch us.”
“That’s when the fun starts,” I said, whispering warm air into her ear.
Her sweet, girl-like giggle sent another signal to my manhood. She turned her body and we stood face-to-face. Heat rose where our bodies connected, even in the midst of the jolly atmosphere surrounding us. Everyone seemed to fade away, leaving Lexie and me to a singular existence, consumed by our desire for one another. I pressed my lips against hers, staying long enough to savor the moistness of her lips, before pushing the tip of my tongue through the small opening at the center of her pucker. Suddenly I felt myself being snatched back to reality by a flustered Cameron, who was pulling on me to get my attention.
“Man, what the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you see me talking to my lady?” I scoffed.
Lexie stepped back, creating space between us and bashfully wiping away the moisture left on her lips. She composed herself and took me by the hand as Cameron tried to whisper in my ear.
“What!” I yelled. “Man, you got to be kidding me!” I shook my head at the news flash Cameron had just reported. I turned to Lexie, lifted her chin, and touched her lips to mine. “I’ll be right back. I need to take care of something real quick.”
Lexie’s demeanor changed immediately.
“What’s going on, Brian?”
“I’ve got it under control. Continue to enjoy your pretty little self and tend to our guests,” I said, trying to make the potential problem appear to be no big deal.
“Just tell me what’s happening, Brian,” she demanded.
“Let me handle this, Lex!” I said with finality.
“Fine. Go handle it. Whatever it is, don’t let it ruin our dinner,” she said, stepping back and surrendering the situation to me by way of her uplifted hands.
I limped out the door behind Cameron. What awaited my attention on the other side immediately sent a fresh new wave of pain knocking at my temples. If felt as though my concussion had returned on cue.
“Get out of my way. Don’t touch me. I need to speak to Brian. It’s about his son. Can you please move out of my way?” Looking completely frazzled, Shelly ranted as Jeff tried tirelessly to block her from the entrance of the restaurant.
I stepped up as quickly as my injured leg would allow and relieved Jeff, taking over like his wrestling partner in a tag team match. Now I was standing before Shelly, blocking her from moving any closer to the entrance. I looked back to make sure no one else came out of the restaurant then silently signaled for Jeff and Cameron to watch the door while I ushered Shelly farther away from the entrance.
“Shelly, what’s the problem now? I’m in the middle of something very important here.” Then I thought about it. “How did you even know where to find me?”
Shelly’s expression was blank.
“Brian, I really need to talk to you. I need your help.” Shelly pushed the words out of her mouth as if they weighed her tongue down.
“Well, now is not the time. I’ll come by your apartment later if it’s that important. Where’s Brice? Is he okay?” “He’s fine. He’s in the car sleeping. Brian, I can’t wait until later, I need to talk to you now. You have to help me. I have no one to turn to. My husband, my mother—everyone has turned their backs on me. I need you now, more than ever. I need you, Brian.”
“Shelly, I don’t see how I can help you. You need to speak to your family to work things out. I want to see Brice. Is he okay?” I asked again, trying to change the subject. “Do you need for me to watch him or something?”
“No, Brian. I need you to take care of both of us. I can’t go back to my place because I know my father may come looking for me there. Brice and I need a place to stay. We need to stay with you for a while.”
My head snapped back so fast I nearly broke my neck. Shelly was really losing her mind. I was getting married in two days. How was I supposed to house my Fiancé’s evil nemesis? When I thought of Brice, it put me between a rock and a hard place.
“Where’s Brice?” I pretended I didn’t hear what she had just said.
“In the car. Brian, what are you going to do? I need a place to stay.”
I sighed and raked my face with my hands. What was I supposed to do and how would I explain this to Lexie? I couldn’t leave Shelly stranded in the street with my son. I also needed to get back into that restaurant before Lexie came out looking for me. Jeff and Cameron nodded, indicating that the coast was still clear, but their expressions begged for me to wrap this scene up as quickly as possible.
“Look, Shelly…first of all, let me see Brice.” I wanted to make sure he was in the car.
Frantically, she scurried to the car to show me Brice sleeping soundly in the backseat.
“Okay, listen. Go to my old apartment. You can stay there for tonight. I have someone staying there right now, but I’ll let her know that I have an emergency. I’ll come by later and we’ll work something out.”
“How am I supposed to get in? I don’t have your key,” she said.
“I’ll meet you over there and let you in. I don’t have the key with me.” As I said that, I wondered just how I was going to pull that off.
Shelly closed in on me and hugged me so quickly I didn’t have an opportunity to protest. I heard a commotion behind me but couldn’t find solid enough footing to pry myself from her grasp due to my injured leg.
“Thank you, Brian. I knew I could count on you. I’ll explain everything when you get there,” she said before planting a huge kiss on my half-open mouth. She giggled, then jumped into the car in the blink of an eye.
“Brian! You want to explain to me what the hell is going on right now?” Lexie asked, walking toward me hastily. The grace that formerly painted her face had been replaced by fire that danced in her eyes, and a different kind of heat radiated from her being. Behind her stood Brooke, her sisters, and our mothers, all with their eyes on me.
The high-pitched shriek of Shelly’s tires against the asphalt violently commanded everyone’s attention, but only for a brief moment. I stood there, wondering just how much the small audience had witnessed.
I faced Lexie, and as I peered into her incensed eyes, one nagging question plagued me. How the hell did Shelly know where to find me?

Seeing Shelly’s arms wrapped around my soon-to-be husband right outside of our rehearsal dinner sent my emotions into a tailspin. The evening was progressing fabulously until she showed up. I didn’t utter a single word to Brian on the way home. After a few unanswered questions, he got the picture and quieted any attempt at a conversation. His frustration mingled with the stifling tension, making the air inside the car unbearably thick.

Abruptly, I swung into an available space in front of our apartment, jumped out of the car, and entered the building. Brian took his time getting to the apartment. Despite his injuries, I wasn’t concerned about helping him. However, I did leave the apartment door open for him after tossing the car keys onto the nearby console table. By the time Brian reached the bedroom, my tear-stained face was buried in my pillow behind locked doors.

“Lexie, let me in,” Brian called softly through the crevice of the door. I didn’t answer. “Come on, Lex! We need to talk. I know you are upset, frustrated even, but we have to deal with and get past this.”

Brian continued to coax me into action until I began to feel sorry for him. The moment I opened the door, he grabbed me and held me close, depositing kisses along the top of my head. Refusing to return the sentiment, I kept my arms fastened to my sides as tears welled in the corners of my eyes. Unable to contain my emotions, my body shook and heavy tears rolled down my face like boulders. Brian held me tighter, whispering sweet, sincere repentance in my ear.

“I’m so tired, Brian! I’m tired!” I managed to say through thick sobs. “I feel like this is never going to end.”
“I didn’t want to ruin our gathering, Lexie. That’s why I went outside. I didn’t know she was coming and I didn’t want her to cause a scene. I don’t even know how she knew we were there. When—”
I placed my index finger gently on his full, chocolatecolored lips. Instantly, he stopped speaking, sighed, and set his gaze toward the ceiling. His explanation had no bearing on what I was feeling. I knew who the culprit was. My faith in Brian hadn’t waned as a result of Shelly’s most recent violation; I just didn’t want to hear anymore. Nor was I about to let her win. Long ago, I decided that I wasn’t going to lose out on what was mine. It was time for me to face Shelly, woman to woman.
“Give me your phone,” I told Brian. His bewildered expression told me that he didn’t know where this was going. “I need to speak to Shelly.” Brian’s eyes grew wide. “It’s time.”
Cautiously, he reached into his pocket but kept the phone in his hand.
“What are you going to say to her, Lex?”
“Only what she needs to hear from me. This is beyond you, and it’s time for me to handle her like a woman should.”
“But, Lexie…” Brian paused, still holding his phone hostage. I could tell he was uncertain about handing it over to me. I wiped the lone tear creeping down my face with the back of my hand and swallowed hard. Slowly, I wrapped my fingers around the hand holding the phone and carefully extracted the instrument from his doubtful grasp.
“I need to do this,” was all I said before stealing away from his embrace. Step-by-step, I moved away from him, preparing my mind for the inevitable encounter. Brian remained grounded in place with his eyes fixed on me as I paced the living room, assembling my thoughts for the dreaded conversation. Once I was confident in my approach, I searched the contact list in Brian’s cell phone to find Shelly’s number. Her information populated the small screen. I took a deep breath and fingered the
SEND
button for a few beats before holding it down long enough to initiate the call.
“Brian, how come you didn’t come yourself? I…” Shelly began rambling the moment she answered the phone. “Shelly, this isn’t Brian, It’s Lexie,” I said evenly. At the realization of my voice, Shelly’s rambling gave way to terse silence. “We need to talk right away. Where can we meet right now?” She still didn’t respond. “I can come to you. It’s not a problem.” I was surprised by my own coolness as a blanket of calm swept over me.
“Well, I’m staying at Brian’s apartment right now. So I guess you can come meet me here. Of course you know where it is.” I looked over at Brian as she spoke. Our eyes met and his begged for understanding. I blinked away the sting, signaling the onset of a fresh batch of tears, then told Shelly that I would be right there.
Upon ending the call, I steadily handed Brian back his phone, retrieved his car keys, and left. Anticipating my arrival, Shelly opened the door before I could complete a full series of knocks.
“Come in, Lexie,” Shelly instructed, and walked back into the apartment as if she lived there. “What did you want to talk about? Oh, and please keep it down. My son had a very eventful day and I don’t want to wake him. A big commotion will scare him and it will be hard for him to fall back asleep.”
Brice was sprawled on the couch, fast asleep. Chocolatebrown, oversized pillows sat piled on the floor, and the television was tuned to a program that was exposing intimately personal details about some celebrity’s private life. Shelly milled about as if Brian’s apartment truly was her home. I imagined she was trying her best to make me feel as though she was used to being there. She obviously wanted to show me that she was at home in Brian’s space. I sat on the loveseat opposite the couch where Brice rested. A loud noise emanated from Brian’s old bedroom. I assumed it was Lori trying to give us space.
“Shelly, I’m not here for any type of commotion and I’ll be quick.” It appeared as though my easy composure made her uneasy. She held her arms as if she felt cold and exposed. “I must admit, I’ve been approaching this whole thing very wrong.”
“With Brian?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes. I realize you and Brian have some history. Most importantly, you have Brice.” Shelly’s posture straightened and her ears perked up. I had her full attention. “I’m not here to compete with you because there is no competition.” Shelly revealed a slight smile. “With Brice in your lives, the two of you will be a part of each other’s lives for years to come.”
“Lexie, I tried to tell you that before,” Shelly said confidently.
“Let me finish, Shelly,” I said, holding my palms up to her. She started getting antsy again, but it was clear that she thought she had the upper hand. “I don’t want to fight with you or Brian, and I don’t want to get Brice caught up in the middle of a lot of mess.” Shelly was nodding in agreement with every remark. “Brian loves his son and I respect that. I would never stand in the way of the two of them. Brice deserves his father and Brian deserves his son.” A smug smile spread across Shelly’s face as she continued to hang on to my every phrase. “Stepping out of this entire scenario has crossed my mind many times over the past month or so. And, I must admit, several times I came dangerously close to doing just that. Many of our encounters angered me and I basically only dealt with you in frustration. But today I realized that perhaps that wasn’t the best approach.”
“Lexie, I see where this is going and I’m glad you are finally coming around,” Shelly continued her confident roll. I smiled.
“You are exactly right. I’ve come around. And between you and Brian, I’ve finally made a decision. I’m not going to argue anymore. I’m no longer going to be aggravated and allow myself to be caught in the middle. Brian told me that he doesn’t want to be forced to choose between me and his son because being a good father is important to him. So I won’t force him.” Shelly was smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Here’s what I think.” Shelly leaned in to hear clearly. “After Brian and I get back from our honeymoon, the four of us should get together and talk about raising Brice together.”
Shelly’s smile fell into a frown and she twisted her lips at me.
“What? You came here to tell me that you want us to get along better? Do you think that’s going to make the problems go away?”
“Well, honestly, at first I just wanted you to go away. But I don’t necessarily want that anymore. Brian wanted me to stay, so I promised him that I would. Therefore, it only makes sense to find a way to make the situation more pleasant for all of us since we are going to be a part of each other’s lives for a long time. As long as we act like grown, reasonable women, things should turn out fine.” Shelly’s face twisted and she narrowed her eyes at me.
“I don’t think that will work. I’m not interested in being friends with you, Lexie. What I’m interested in is you leaving Brian. It’s because of you that he can’t focus on me and his son, and I don’t like having to compete.”
I swallowed hard to keep down the vile words that were creating a lump in my throat. Determined not to lose my composure, I chuckled and took a deep breath to shake the intense urge to jump on her back and beat her in the top of her head.
“Well, unfortunately for you, that’s not going to happen. But what will happen is that I am going to be your son’s stepmother.” I watched Brice’s back rise and fall as he slept peacefully, then smiled at Shelly.” Besides, I think I’m going to enjoy getting to know the both of you better,” I said, then got up to leave. Shelly’s face transformed into a full-fledged scowl and she examined me intently as I stood.
“You know what?” I said, turning back in the doorway. “I almost think it would be a good idea for you to bring Brice to the wedding. Let me know if you feel up to it.”
Shelly looked at me as if she wanted to slap me. She hissed and flipped her honey-streaked tresses before slamming the door in my face.