Toy's Story (37 page)

Prayer really does change things. Less than a week later the victim in Jamar’s carjacking case was healthy enough to identify his assailant. Dorian and I held our breath as we anxiously awaited the results of the picture lineup given to him in his hospital bed. Tyson texted me the moment that it was official, Jamar was not the assailant. Apparently the picture lineup included photos of Jamar and five other African American males. The victim immediately waved the pictures away and stated that he was not in any of the pictures. Turns out, the assailant was a middle aged white male. Thank God for small blessings.

The District Attorney’s office promptly dropped all charges against Jamar and he was ecstatic. Still, he wasn’t as happy as I was when I discovered that Jamar had registered for online college courses. He was serious about opening a Footlocker franchise. Jamar and I had a deal. I had more than enough resources to help Jamar secure a franchise, but Dorian spoke to Logic who insisted upon paying for the franchise and Jamar’s education to assure that Jamar had a fighting chance at a new start.

Overwhelmed and left speechless again by Logic’s unselfish generosity I could only ask Dorian to thank Logic for me. I knew he did it for me. Hell he barely even knew Jamar. I felt like a total ass for not calling him and thanking him myself, but I couldn’t. I didn’t trust myself to resist him. My heart still beat in synchrony with Logic’s heart. Every time I closed my eyes images of our brief but intense affair haunted my spirit. Try as hard as I could I just couldn’t make it stop and unfortunately neither could my love for Tyson.

With Jamar now in the clear Tyson saw no reason to postpone setting a date for our wedding.
Tyson
immediately
took charge of planning the wedding and hired an expensive wedding planner. Within seventy two hours
of my astonishing break up with Logic
I was scheduled to be married in three months.
My head was swimming and I was having a very difficult time grasping the fact that I was actually getting married, let alone the fact that I was getting married in ninety days.

I watched spellbound as Tyson, the wedding planner, her assistant and a caterer discuss
ed
wedding themes, colors, locales, food and music. Stunned like a deer caught in headlights I was powerless to stop them.  Within less than two hours all was settled and the only thing I apparently had to do was show up. Oh my God! This shit is real. I’m going to be Mrs. William Branford Tyson
.

It was only when I heard that they planned to invite the Obamas that I came out of my emotionally induced coma.  “I’m sorry, but did you just say that you were adding the Obamas to the guest list? As in President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, are you serious?” I asked absolutely dumbfounded.

“Why, yes. Your fiancé is a major political figure in DC with national political aspirations. It would just be rude not to invite President and Mrs. Obama.
I mean they are right here in DC.
” Shannon the wedding planner quickly responded. “Why is there a problem?”

I looked at Tyson
who hands down was one of the most handsome men on the planet and I couldn’t believe that we were engaged. I looked at my gorgeous engagement
ring
, yet I couldn’t wrap my mind around any of this wedding bullshit. Apparently he knew instantly that I was becoming overwhelmed.

“Look, why don’t we finalize the guest list next week when we meet?”

“Sure, but there’s still so much to do with so little time to get it done
…
”

“
Yes, I realize that. Do what needs to be done. Money’s not an issue.” Tyson said as he took my hand in his and gently kissed it.

“Zatoya do you think we can touch bases about your dress and your bridal party in the next day or two?”
Shannon asked.

I looked at Tyson whose stunning steel blue eyes pleaded with me to simply say yes. “Of course. How about Wednesday? That will give
me
a chance to talk with my friends and pick my bridesmaids.” I smiled although I’d rather eat dead crabs on a hot summer day than to meet with her
condescending ass
again. “And please do get an invitation out to the Obamas
right away
, so that they will have time to consider our request
.”

“Perfect
!
The Mayor and the Governors of Maryland and Virginia are on the guest list as well. This will definitely be a wedding to remember.” She beamed, while the caterer and her assistant nodded in agreement.

Tyson was ecstatic that I was onboard without a fight. “I love you.
Tell me that this is what you want.
” He said as his eyes wildly searched min
e
to see if I had somehow had a change of heart.

“I love you too.” I said as I reached out and hugged his neck tightly. “If this is what you want then t
his is what I want
. I’ll do whatever you want
, because I love you
.” I whispered in his ears.

He looked deep into my eyes again before entangling me in a passionate kiss as he waved for the wedding planner and her entourage to get the hell out.

Now I know at this point some of you, who will remain nameless are screaming, “Hold the hell up! How is this trick just going to forget about Logic like he never existed? This silly bitch has straight up lost her damn mine!”

You’re right! I had straight up lost my damn mine. It wasn’t that I didn’t think about Logic. Hell, I wished I could stop thinking about him. The truth is I would actually be doing somersaults and back flips if I was marrying Logic in ninety days, but I wasn’t. If you recall I asked Logic to marry me and to date I still hadn’t received and answer. Now I could pretend that he just needed some more time, but he could have said that. At least I would have known that he was seriously considering my proposal.  Yet Logic said absolutely nothing, which means that I probably would not have liked the answer that he gave me.

I told you that I was twenty eight years old. Even though I’m an independent woman, taking care of shit on my own, I still want the husband, the kids and the house with a white picket fence. Try as hard as I could, I just could not convince myself that that would be an option with Logic Hart. Well, at least not within the near future. For some reason the second that Tyson produced that ring and indicated that he wanted to marry me my biological clock started to tick so loud that I couldn’t even think straight.

Besides, Logic is larger than life. Hell, he’s an NFL Super Star and football royalty.
E
ven I’m in awe of him when he runs out of that tunnel with
that helmet and
uniform on, or
when
I see him on TV. He could have just about any woman he wanted and I knew it. He was handsome, charming and extremely rich. Women threw themselves at his feet constantly.
Yet I was the woman that he came home to every night.

Yes, I was flattered that for a time that woman was me
and I felt blessed
. But I really wasn’t silly enough to believe that without an option for a wedding ring that I would always be the only woman in his life and in his bed. Frankly, I just couldn’t take the chance that he’d someday dismiss me for a younger model. I loved him too much for that and I knew that it would break my heart. So I decided to get out while I still had an opportunity to have most of the things that I wanted out of life.

Yeah I hear you. I knew
that it was
a cop out and
that
I’d look back and wonder what could have been for the rest of my life. Still I was willing to do that as long as I could look forward
to
a life
with a man that I loved. I loved Tyson, though I never wanted to admit it to myself. He was actually my best
friend. I know I said that we were just friends with benefits, but it had developed into a lot more than
that
over the years. The reality of the subject is he was the only real friend that I had.

Please don’t bring Jamar up. Now that was a strictly friends with benefits situation. Quite frankly the only reason Jamar and I were friends, was because we both enjoyed the fringe benefits of our friendship. Tyson and I were different; we connected on so many more levels for so many years. In fact my relationship with Jamar started when I felt that I was becoming too attached to Tyson. I needed a safety net for my perceived fall off the Pretty Boy tree and Jamar was elected.

So with all of that sappy ass shit out of the way let me find some damn Bridesmaids
, so I can find a dress for this damn wedding!
The Obamas? Seriously! Somebody please send me some fuckin help!

~*~*~

“I know this
trick
didn’t call us to be Bridesmaids in her damn wedding after
the
she
shit she pulled
.”
Jade complain
ed
as I opened my condo door and invited her and Queen in.

“Tell me again why I shouldn’t beat her little ass?” Queen asked as she waddled in.

“Probably because your big ass is nine months pregnant.
You couldn’t lift that leg up if Christian asked you to.
” I laughed. “Hello to you two bitches too!” I said as I hugged
and kissed
Queen and then Jade.
“God you’ve gotten fat.”

“Kiss my fat pregnant ass!
I
’ll
have you know that I lift these legs up for my hubby every night and twice on Saturday.
” Queen retaliated.

“Why are you trying to get her started on her damn weight? We won’t get a thing done listening to her whine. I told her that Karma was a bitch and I was her master. She didn’t listen. Look at her
big ass
now.”

“Fuck both you skinny ass heifers!” Queen nonchalantly responded as she waddled into my living and confiscated
a spot on
my comfy chaise lounge
. “
I can’t wait to get back to my normal size.
Whuh, I’m exhausted get me something to drink.”

Jade and I simultaneously burst into laughter. “Oh my God!
When are you due?
Queen you are huge.”

“Any damn second.” Jade laughed as she looked around. “You have a nice condo, I love the view.”

“I bet the view in the kitchen is nice too. So will somebody please get me something cold to drink?”

“Certainly Mye Queen.” I teased
as I pretended to bow
.

“It’s Mye Love,
B
itch. Stop trying to be cute and get me something to drink.”

“I got that baby. Go entertain your friends.” Tyson said as
he
came
up and hugged me from behind before kissing my neck.

“Wait let me introduce you
to
them
. Tyson this is Jade Swann, Dorian’s wife and this is Doctor Mye Love. This is my fiancé William
B
ranford
Tyson
, the District Attorney of Washington, DC
. You can just call him Tyson. These are my Bridesmaids.”

A
broad charismatic smile brightened his face. “Hello ladies. It’s a pleasure to meet both you. Dr. Love, I’ll be right back with your drink.”

“Thank you. At least somebody has some manners in this house.” Queen smiled as she did a quick head to toe scan of Tyson’s finest.

Now Jade and Queen both had the OMG face as they watched my drop dead gorgeous fiancé go into the kitchen and prepare us a pitcher of fresh squeezed lemonade.

“Oh my God! I think I just came.” Jade joked as she fanned herself with a magazine from my coffee table.

“
That man is as fine as hell.” Queen mumbled beneath her breath. “Now I see the
true
dilemma.”

“
Shh.
..” I mouthed.
“
He can hear you.
”

Now yes, you’re right. I was as wrong as a Sunday School Teacher giving lap dances
after church
to make ends meet, but I had no other choice. I haven’t had female friends since high school. Over the past three months Jade and Queen reached out to me and we became friends. Sure I know that they’re Logic’s friends
and they probably couldn’t be trusted.
B
ut I’d like to think that they were now my friends as well. Considering the fact that they didn’t tell me to fuck off when I called them I think they
considered me a friend as well
. Besides I really don’t want to hire actors to pretend to be my girlfriends, but I will do it to ensure that there are bridesmaids at this damn wedding.

“Okay ladies… Here is some
fresh
lemonade and some snacks in case you get hungry. Now I must go, so that you ladies can talk about me freely.” Tyson teased.

“Don’t run off because of us. We’re fairly harmless.
I promise I won’t bite.
” Jade joked.