“It was, wasn’t it!” She shrieked.
“Oh, mija. You are gorgeous. Amijay is going to cry.” Dru and Blue’s mom walked into the room. Marli tensed at the sight of Ms. Natalie. They hadn’t had the best relationship since the DNA debacle. Ms. Natalie wasn’t too fond of Marli allowing her to believe that she had two new grandsons when she didn’t. They weren’t mean to each other, but they weren’t friendly either.
“Hey, Ma.” Kay greeted her mother-in-law as they embraced each other in a hug.
“I’m going to be the one in tears. Have you seen him, Ma? How does he look?” Kay kissed her cheek.
“Like your husband, you won’t get me to snitch. No, no, mija,” Ms. Natalie replied. The ladies giggled as they stared at each other, everyone taking in the beauty of the day.
“I found the tissues!” Loretta entered the room, waving a box of Kleenex. Marli smiled at her mom as she burst into tears again at the sight of Kay and Ms. Natalie embracing.
“Oh, where is that damn photographer? He should be capturing moments like these,” Loretta complained through her sobs.
“Marli, can you go look for him? We need pictures of the bridal party,” her mother demanded. Marli didn’t protest. She knew there was no use going against her mother. Backing out of the dressing room, she headed down the hall in search of the photographer. There were a few places he could be, but Marli figured she’d start with Dru’s dressing room. Knocking on the door, Marli waited for someone to answer. She could hear the commotion die down before the door was snatched open by one of Eight24’s artists, Tez.
“Sup, girl. You at the wrong room, ain’t you?” he greeted. Marli didn’t say anything as she pushed past him, walking into the room. She didn’t think twice about barging into a room full of superstars or anyone not being dressed. She was on a mission. If she didn’t retrieve the photographer, she knew her mom would throw a fit.
“Damn, girl. You rude!” Tez shouted as he shut the door behind her. Marli stopped, glancing around the large room.
“Who was it…” Dru appeared from behind a door. His words trailed off as he noticed her. Their eyes locked on each other, and suddenly, her mother’s words played in her head. That man loves you. For the first time, she saw it. As she stared at him all dressed up in his tan tux, the love in his eyes radiated straight through her. It froze her in place, wiping her memory of why she’d come there in the first place.
“Sup, sis. What’s going on? Kay ain’t getting cold feet, is she?” Blue joked, shaking her from her trance.
“Um, I was looking for the photographer.” She darted her eyes away from Blue. “But I see he not in here, so I’m a head out!” She attempted to turn on her heels, but Blue’s voice halted her.
“Naw, he just left, but try texting him,” he called out.
“A text, yeah… Why didn’t I think of that?” The words rushed out of her mouth. She was discombobulated by the realization of Dru’s feelings for her. Blue turned his head left to right, looking in between her and Dru. He knew something was going on.
“Yeah, shoot him a text. I’ll text you the number.” Marli nodded her head, once again turning on her heels to leave, and once again, she was stopped by Blue’s voice.
“Aye, sis, how she look?” Marli turned around to face her brother-in-law. A huge smile plastered across her face. The fact that he was anxious to see the woman he’d been married to for five years was cute. Marli thought for the first time that maybe she and Dru could have a love that pure.
“You’re going to need a tissue.” She watched as Blue nodded his head and patted his pockets.
“Aye, somebody get a nigga a tissue or something.” Blue looked around the room. Marli smirked as she turned on her heels to leave the room. She didn’t want to have to be in Dru’s space longer than she needed to be.
“I’ll walk you out.” Dru’s voice came from behind once she reached the door. His hand beat her to the doorknob. If Marli thought she wouldn’t fall and make a fool of herself, she probably would take off running.
“Damn, you clean up nice,” he whispered in her ear as they stepped into the empty hallway. The warmth of his breath absorbed into her neck and went straight to her vagina. He was making it hard for her to concentrate. Marli took a step back, only for Dru to follow her.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.” She swallowed, attempting to silence her rapidly beating heart.
“That eye fuck you just gave me in there says differently.” He licked his lips.
“What do you want, Dru?” She folded her arms across her chest as she rolled her eyes. Maybe her attitude would get him to leave, to stop staring into her soul the way that he was.
“Let’s start over. Unblock my damn number. I need to have access to your pussy.” It was a demand, one that made the seat of her panties wet and her blood pressure rise. Marli had only blocked his number because he’d blocked hers. It was silly, and it made no sense, but those were the types of games Marli and Dru played.
“I… don’t…” She couldn’t complete her sentence. Dru touched his finger to her lips, silencing her.
“You heard what I said. Unblock my damn number. Number shouldn’t be blocked anyway.” He backed away from her without saying anything else. She couldn’t do anything but stand there and stare at his fine self as he opened the door and walked back into the dressing room.
I do believe you’re in trouble, Marli thought as she headed down the hall. Removing her phone from her boobs, she saw the text from Blue with the photographer’s number. Clicking the number, she texted the photographer before going to Dru’s contact and unblocking his number.
Eight
Dru
“You want us to act like we ain’t see that?” Blue greeted Dru as soon as he re-entered the room. By the way everyone had been staring at his and Marli’s interaction, he knew it was coming. Most of the people in this room knew he didn’t speak to Marli, and he tried to put on a front in front of them, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t ignore her beautiful ass standing there in that tight purple dress that showcased all her damn curves. She’d been on his mind since he’d left her this morning. He wanted to text her, he had, but he realized that his number was blocked. So, when she came busting her thick ass into the dressing room, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Looking around the dressing room, Dru noticed all eyes were on him. Their nosy asses were waiting for him to disclose his business. Dru looked at all of them with the same blank face he always wore. Everyone in that room knew he wasn’t discussing his personal life.
“I don’t know what you talking about, nigga.”
“You don’t know anything about what Marli was doing in the pool on your lap last night?” Blue smirked, causing Dru to cough. Flashbacks of him and Marli in the pool outside their room flashed in his head, her wet pussy slapping up and down on his dick. It was the highlight of his night. He wasn’t even surprised that someone had seen them.
“Yeah, we saw you. Y’all rooms right across from ours.” Blue laughed.
“Again, man, I don’t know what you talking about,” Dru repeated with a slight giggle. He wasn’t about to confirm nor deny anything until he knew for sure what he and Marli were doing.
“Yeah, OK. Max gon’ whup yo’ ass about his baby mama.” The room burst into laughter, but Dru didn’t find anything funny. Max was a fucking non-factor as far as he was concerned. The nigga had ample time to claim his fucking family, and his ass had failed to do that.
“I ain’t worried about that nigga.” Dru dismissed the conversation as Tez attempted to pass Blue a blunt. Dru shook his head as he snatched the blunt from his brother’s hands.
“Naw, bruh. Sis ain’t about to be mad at me ’cause yo’ ass standing up there high,” he stated as he inhaled the smoke into his lungs.
“Man, come on. My nerves bad.” Blue couldn’t even get the sentence out without laughing.
“You already married to her, bruh. Remember, after only three days of knowing her. You weren’t high then!” Dru snickered.
