CHAPTER 46

 

 

Sherita’s mouth fell open when she stepped into the suite, taking in the lavish, top-floor penthouse. Floor-to-ceiling windows, colors of gold, peach and beige splattered all around. She continued on exploring the place and after stepping into the second bedroom, she saw a dress laid out on the bed.

The dress…

The off-white look of it made the dress appear vintage. Layers of ruffles gave it an elegant, classy feel. This was way too formal for a photographer. How was she going to sprint across the sand to capture priceless moments of couples tying the knot while she was wearing a gown?

“There’s no way I can wear this dress,” she said in a monotone. She rubbed the back of her neck, relieving the stress that settled there.

When she heard knocks at the door, she hurried there to answer, watching Emily walk in.

“Hey, Ri-Ri,” Emily said playfully. “Where’s this dress? Steven was downstairs bragging about how good of a job he did finding one for you.”

“Ugh, it’s in here on the bed,” Sherita said, walking towards the bedroom.

“By all that grunting, I take it you don’t like it.”

“No, I don’t. I’m four months pregnant and have to walk around in this,” she said pointing at the dress as it laid on the bed where she initially found it. She didn’t even pick it up, hold it against her body and twirl in the mirror like most women did when they got a new dress. She’d rather worked in the outfit she had on already – a pair of black tights and a tunic with a comfortable pair of gladiator sandals.

“It’s beautiful, Rita,” Emily said.

“It is beautiful. That’s not the problem. The problem is, I need to move around, snap pictures…the material of this dress…it’s just…this is not a work outfit for me.”

“Rita, you know how meticulous Dante is about business-related functions. Now come on, pep up and try it on at least.”

“I don’t want to try it on. And I feel like I’m going to puke.” Sherita sat on the bed.

Emily sat down beside her, taking her left hand into her right. “Is there anything I can do?”

Sherita shook her head. “No. The nausea comes and goes.”

“Oh, girl don’t I know it. When I was pregnant with Ezra, the first three months kicked my butt. Some days I would be fine and the next, I didn’t want to get out of bed. You’re having two…I can only imagine how strenuous it must be.”

Sherita nodded.

“Are you ready?” Emily asked.

“For what?”

“To be a mother?”

A smile came to Sherita’s face. “I am. I’ve always wanted children…didn’t know I would have two at the same time, but I always wanted them.”

“Me too.”

“Hey, did you feel different when you were pregnant?” Sherita asked.

“Different how?”

Sherita shrugged. “I feel like I’m more emotional.” She smiled and continued, “I don’t ever recall being so sensitive and nurturing.”

“I was the same way. Your hormone level is changing…your body’s changing…it’s natural to feel that way.”

“Good…thought I was losing it for a minute.”

“No, it’s completely normal,” Emily assured her. “Now that I’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about something completely abnormal. Tell me about Desmond.” Emily tried to hold in a laugh, but to no avail. She was so tickled, she leaned forward and had a good belly laugh.

Sherita giggled then said, “You better stop talking about my man like that.” She remembered a time she used to think Desmond was nuts. Now that she knew him, understood him and loved him, she thought the world of him.

“I’m only kidding,” Emily said. “Seriously, though, are you ready to spend your life with a Champion man? Judging by the way he was looking at you and locking lips with you last night, I guess you have no choice but to be ready, huh?”

Sherita’s smile grew, even amidst the nausea. “Yes, I’m ready. I think it’s so funny how I ended up with the very man I said I wouldn’t give the time of day. I guess, deep down, I really did like him.”

“Just as I suspected.”

“You didn’t suspect anything, Em.”

“Oh yes I did. I saw you checking him out a few times.”

Sherita’s eyes twinkled. “I’ve always found him attractive, but he has a certain arrogance about himself.”

“Girl, they all do. Melanie said the same thing about Dimitrius.”

“She did?” Sherita asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yes. She didn’t tell you how Dimitrius walked right up to her and said that he chose her to be the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with?”

“Dimitrius did that?” Sherita asked, surprised.

“He sure did,” Emily said. “I see we have a lot to talk about on our girl nights.”

Sherita nodded. “Being married to successful, interesting men will always give us something to talk about. They are something else.”

“Yes they are,” Emily agreed. “One thing is for certain though.”

“What’s that?”

“Like Melanie said, when a Champion wants you, he wants you and trust me, Desmond Champion loves himself some Sherita.”

Sherita smiled. “Just as much as Dante loves him some Emily. Is he still telling everybody you’re his paradise wife?”

The women laughed.

“Girl, yes. He told Mr. Westwood that when he introduced me to him.”

“That’s so sweet,” Sherita said.

“I heard Desmond used to call you his kryptonite…said you made him weak.”

Cheeks turning a shade of red, Sherita said through a smile, “He didn’t say that, did he?”

“Sure did…even before y’all were married,” Emily confirmed. “That’s why he was avoiding you for so long…’cause you made him weak.”

The women laughed together.

“And now look at you guys,” Emily said. “The woman he was avoiding, who ironically was the same woman who made him weak, turned out to be the best thing he never knew he needed.”

Sherita’s smile widened.

“Now go ahead and put that dress on, girl.” Emily glanced at her watch. “I have to get dressed shortly.”

“Okay.” Sherita took the dress from the bed, heading for the bathroom. She quickly undressed, carefully removing the tag from the three-thousand dollar dress then stepped into it, pulling it up her small frame. She slid the zipper up to secure the dress, then looked in the mirror. It fit her body perfectly, and with the ruffles draped in front of it, you couldn’t see her tiny baby bump. She stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where Emily was waiting. “How does it look, Em?”

Emily’s mouth fell open. “Absolutely amazing.”

Sherita looked at herself in the full body mirror on the bedroom wall. The dress was amazing, so amazing it would make her blend in with the brides. The thought of it made her think about the wedding she never had. She’d taken tons of pictures of other people’s weddings and in the back of her mind, she always knew her time would come eventually, but a courthouse wedding was all she had. There were no pictures. No saved memories. There was nothing special about that day.

She used to imagine how she would feel, walking down the aisle with her eyes locked on her man, marrying him in front of friends and family. Dancing with them. Celebrating love with them. But her happily ever after didn’t happen the way she thought it would. She’d gotten married first (to a man she didn’t love), gotten pregnant shortly thereafter, then fell madly in love. How backwards was that?

She smiled, thinking about it. So what – they didn’t have a wedding. She had Desmond, and that’s all that mattered.

“Now we need to do something to your hair,” Emily said.

“My hair?” Sherita said, looking at her hair in the mirror now. “I just got it done yesterday. What’s wrong with it?”

“Well, first of all, I need to brush the back,” Emily said, taking a brush from Sherita’s purse. “Looks like Desmond has been playing in it again.”

Sherita giggled.

After Emily finished brushing her hair, she said, “And you need a flower or something in it?”

Sherita frowned. “A flower?”

“Yes. Remember, we have to blend in.” Emily took hair pins from her purse, then plucked two white roses from a fake bouquet that was used as décor in the room.

“Then where’s your flower, Em?”

“It’s in my suitcase…putting it on after I get dressed.” Emily finger-combed Sherita’s hair behind her right ear. Then she pinned three roses in her hair, just above her ear. “You like?”

Sherita looked in the mirror. “Yes. It looks nice. Thanks, Em.”

“You’re welcome. Now let me get out of here so I can get dressed.”

“All right, Emily. See you in a few.”

Emily stopped in her tracks, turned back to look at Sherita.

“What’s wrong?” Sherita asked.

“Nothing. I…I just wanted to say that—” She took a breath. “I wanted to say that I’ve appreciated your friendship over the years, Sherita, and I’m so glad you’re my sister-in-law. I’ve always loved you like a sister anyway.”

“Aw, Emily,” Sherita said, briskly walking over to Emily, wrapping her arms around her. “I love you like a sister too.”

When the women separated, Emily dabbed the corner of her eyes with the fold of her index finger. “Okay, let me go. I know Dante’s looking for me. See you in a bit.”

“All right, Emily.”