Chapter 5
Terrance entered the room and looked around. He recognized the faces of many of those present as longtime friends, but knew that Branch’s open-door policy would have gathered folks who were merely acquaintances, too.
Roger, whom they’d both met while still in college, held center stage in one corner. Nita’s younger sister, Monica, now all grown up and looking dangerously close to being a heartbreaker, was all ears as the older, more experienced women in the room spun tales of their last heartbreak or some newly sprouted romance.
Terrance gave a perfunctory wave to all, nodded to those who made eye contact and made his way across the oversized family room. Although one wall held a fireplace framed in stone, the afternoon warmth made it extremely unlikely the hearth would be lit any time soon. Fourteen-foot ceilings with a skylight on either side of the fireplace provided light and an ambiance which elicited banter, laughter and a solid exchange of stories fraught with creativity. And the bride and groom beamed. Legitimately in love, they continued to exhibit behavior which confirmed their absolute belief in one another.
Terrance’s heart beat heavily in his chest as the conversation he’d just ended seasoned his mood. No one had told him he’d have the regrets he now dealt with every day. No one had warned him that he’d have so many memories. And no one could have predicted with any amount of accuracy that in only four short years, it would become necessary to take the final steps to end his marriage.
Terrance’s eyes swept the room uncertainly, timidly, as he unconsciously sought the face of the woman who had garnered his attention earlier. He wanted to get to know Skye better, wanted to find out what made her tick, wanted to know if she was as incredible as she looked. His thoughts were interrupted by a heavy hand pounding on his back which almost made him choke. He turned around quickly, wondering if he’d encountered an enemy in his midst.
“Damn, man, it’s good to see you. Remember the time we were all scouring the streets of Nassau searching for a soul mate for the night?” Lorenzo said, laughter in his voice as Terrance turned toward him.
“Yeah, and you were almost jail bait so we decided to postpone the operation and instead, went out dancing. Man, has anybody told you that you’re really heavy-handed?” Terrance added as he threw one arm around his best friend’s brother in a mock choke hold. The rivalry between the two had been in play since the first day they’d met. Today was no different but for some reason, Terrance felt somewhat awkward. He imagined Skye watching, wondering if she’d think their exchange immature, then figured it didn’t matter since she didn’t know him anyway.
He still hadn’t seen her, but was sure that she was somewhere within the room, was certain that she would perceive the masculine interchange between him and Lorenzo as immature, which immediately made him want to end it.
Lorenzo, on the other hand, had no such qualms about tussling with the man he thought of as his most prominent adversary.
“Man, where the hell have you been for the past couple of years? It sucked that you missed the wedding.” He continued without waiting for a response, as Terrance wondered how he’d managed to remain exactly the same for so long.
“You know, I’m surprised that Branch invited you this weekend. But then, you could always talk your way in or out of anything. I know he was disappointed when you didn’t show up, that’s for sure.”
“My daughter was sick, Lorenzo. You know that. And as for Branch not inviting me, you know he couldn’t do that—I’m his boy.”
Lorenzo nodded in agreement, then hugged Terrance again, confirming the statement. “Oh yeah, I forgot,” he mumbled. This was his brother’s best friend, his favorite adversary and someone whom he’d always envied.
In actuality, Branch had reached out to Terrance at the last minute, insisted he show up and he’d done as he’d been told. In part, he’d made the trip because he really wanted to be there, but in a small way, he’d come because he did feel guilty about not attending the actual wedding.
Branch was aware of the difficulties he’d faced at the time and that was all that really mattered. He continued to make small talk with Lorenzo, his eyes unconsciously scanning the room.
Suddenly, he caught sight of Skye in one of the far corners laughing and talking with a somewhat quiet couple from Washington, D.C. and he swallowed hard. She sat at one end of a long sofa covered in Haitian cotton, one leg tucked under her. The white camisole top, white shorts and sandals she wore made him think of the wedding they were all there to celebrate for the second time. In his mind, the woman who sat across the room looked suspiciously like an advertisement for a bride in an extremely relaxed setting. Her ponytail and sandals reminded him of a casual dress rehearsal.
With an open magazine resting in her lap, she appeared poised and totally at ease. The two young women engaged in conversation to her right seemed oddly out of sync with the picture of serenity she presented. Anyone else in a similar setting would have appeared distant, aloof, incompatible. Skye simply appeared to be engrossed in the enormity of it all, unwilling to commit herself to any one grouping or sampling of those present. Looking up suddenly, her eyes met his across the room and his throat went dry. He swallowed, then tore his gaze away.
This was crazy. Insane. He’d only met her less than an hour ago. So what if she was beautiful? So what if she was apparently single? It didn’t matter, because the ink was not even dry on his divorce papers yet. In his mind, it should be months before he was free to actually pursue another relationship. Emotionally, he was a wreck and he knew it. The thought crossed his mind that this was not to be a relationship, it was merely an attraction, and he immediately relaxed.
Across the room, Skye felt herself warm under Terrance’s watchful gaze. He’d been staring at her from the time he’d entered the room. She knew she should have been flattered, but instead felt unnerved. Her reaction did not really make sense, even to her, so she continued to browse the magazine, though the articles were unintelligible. She looked up after a few moments, allowed her eyes to find him, and realized that he was still watching her. They made eye contact and Skye smiled slightly, not wanting to appear unfriendly.
Terrance needed no further reason to end his conversation with Lorenzo and, after clasping him in a quick breakaway embrace, made his way across the room.
“What’re you drinking?” Terrance called out as he walked toward her with ease. He waited for an answer, then turned toward the small bar their hosts had so thoughtfully set up. It held a full spectrum of spirits, wines and coolers, all encased in a cart which could be wheeled to another location. The wet bar, adjoined by a sink and mini refrigerator, had also been well stocked with ice, lemon slices, olives and two platters of hors d’oeuvres.
Skye watched his approach and wondered how far the flirtation would go. She vowed to be cordial, but careful. If her instincts were right, Terrance spelled trouble with a capital T.
“Oh, I don’t know. How about a wine spritzer?” she asked, wondering how he managed to look so cool, so clean, so calm when her nerves felt on edge just watching him.
“Sure thing—one white wine spritzer coming up. Anyone else want something?” Terrance asked, flashing a broad grin. To the others who were present, exchanging updates on the latest in their daily lives, he appeared his normal friendly self. No one would have suspected the rapid beat of his heart, the determination in his gait or the inner thoughts he repressed.
Skye’s eyes did not waiver as he finished pouring, mixing and adding ice to the drinks he mixed. He walked toward her, toasted her glass quickly and said, “To brides everywhere,” before he took the seat next to her. The statement was not lost on her and she swallowed deeply, taking in too much of her drink, which caused her to choke.
Skye coughed nervously, covered her mouth, then sipped again. She wanted to look at him but felt it would be too risky, so she