24. I Want To Know What Love Is
There is no right person out there, just find someone from the left and bring him/her to the right.
Saturday
It was one of Sam's best friends stag night, Ryder, Matt, and he had planned on giving Will the time of his life, he lived quite a sheltered life despite being a history teacher he'd never conjured up an adventurous spirit, his tank top type jumpers were a dead giveaway to his idea of adventure. He was getting married in ten days, to a girl called Emma, she wasn't someone they were used to, but if she enjoyed Will's company enough to say yes she deserved kudos.
It was only two hours into the party, and Will had already struck off the bar crawl, turned his nose up at the lap dancing, which they knew he would, and now they were trying to get him to take a single bet at the local casino "Come on, there are no naked girls, you don't have to drink, no loud music, there's nothing wrong with the place" Ryder laughed at Will's face
"I hate gambling" Will shook his head in denial
"And here we are hosting a damn stag do" Ryder snapped
"So don't gamble, just watch" Matt told him, cutting his eye at Ryder, it was clear everyone was pissed at the way the night was turning out
"Ten minutes" Will warned, stepping in, everyone quietly cheering at getting a result
Within minutes they were stood at the bar, drinks were being ordered, cash was being exchanged for chips and they were getting ready to have a bit of a night. Twenty minutes in and Will shocked everyone by asking for a shandy, the jeering at the roulette table had lit a fire in his belly, within the hour he was passing over cash for chips and knocking back shots like everyone else. "These are the last ones" Sam held the last few chips up an hour later "And I'm putting them on red" he announced
"It's going to be black" Will told him
"Red" Sam laughed
"If it's red I'll… I'll do whatever it is you choose next" Will laughed
"Deal" Sam laughed putting all the chips on red
All four stood with bated breath waiting for the wheel to stop, Will focusing on black while Ryder, Matt and Sam demanded red "Yes" Ryder raised his hands in the air when the small ball ended up on red "Strip club please"
"We'll do the first wacky thing that comes up" Sam announced as they left the casino, and rowdily walked down the stretch
"What about this?" Will laughed looking at the darkly lit fortune teller's gruesome grotto type establishment
"You don't believe in that stuff do you?" Sam asked
"We don't have to believe in it, we're having fun" Ryder reminded them pushing the shop door open
"Yeah, I'm up for it, I already know my future" Will laughed pushing the door open before they could discuss it anymore
"I guess the decisions been made" Matt followed him in, Sam reluctantly followed them
"Come in" the woman called, they stood looking around wondering where she was
"This is freaky" Sam whispered his eyes widening at the young, pretty, dark haired, brown eyed woman walking towards them, he didn't believe in all this, but he could easily believe in her on a cold night.
"Hello" Ryder's eyebrows threatened to meet in the middle with his surprise
"Someone is getting married" she looked at Will, Sam rolled his eyes, there were only two reasons a group of guys would be out on the town, either it was a birthday of something to do with a damn wedding she'd had a lucky guess "And someone wants proof" she looked at Sam smiling "Take a seat" They all rummaged about trying to find the furthest or nearest spot "Tea anyone?" she smiled again at them all shaking their heads "Okay, who's first?"
"Will" Matt, volunteered his friend to the woman, looking at Sam puzzled as he hissed at him for giving Will's name away
"Which would you prefer?" she pointed at the tarot cards and classic crystal ball "Or I could just read your palm" she held her hand out, smiling at Will grabbing her hand
"Palm" he seemed super relaxed sitting back in the armchair ready for whatever was coming
"Long life" she smiled "Happy, with a child" she studied his hand "A son"
"Just one?" he asked satisfied with his reading
"You'll be grateful for that one, there'll be a struggle to get him here, but he'll be worth it"
"A son" Will smiled "I've heard enough" he pulled his hand away and got up
"Me next" Matt jumped in the hot seat "You don't need to tell me I'm the handsome one" he laughed
"Your wife thinks you're a tool" the woman smiled looking around the room at his friends laughing
"But she's in love with this tools tool" he laughed it off
"There have been hard times" she looked up at him pointing to the cards, and the ball before offering her hand, smiling when he offered his hand "I think this third time is going to be it for you two, a girl this time"
"Seriously" Matt sat forward, there was no way she could have known that, only he and his wife knew about the miscarriages, the others looked at each other wondering what they'd missed in that delivery
"Yes" she nodded laughed watching him jump in the air with joy "You're next" she looked at Sam
"I'm fine" Sam waved her off
"This is the first thing Will's agreed to you can't back out now" Ryder egged him on
"Come on Sam" Matt encouraged him
"Okay" he rolled his eyes walking towards the chair "I'll have the cards, be different" he sat down hard
"Shuffle them" she picked them up and handed them to him, Sam picked them up and shuffled them, staring at her while he did so, he was so set against all this propaganda "Deal three cards out" she instructed "Ace of cups" she smiled "Empty" she looked at him "You've given up so many times"
"On?"
"Love" she looked into his eyes before looking back down at the card "But that's just a guard you cover yourself with" she tapped the next card "Because this tells me you dream of inner happiness, and pray for your dreams to come true" she tapped the next card "This is what's going to stop you from seeing what's in front of you" she frowned "You're moody, judgemental" she looked into his eyes "But your true love, your dream, is out there, and she'd everything you're not"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean" Sam stood up puzzled
"My turn" Ryder pushed him out the way to sit down "I'll have the ball" he turned to smile at his friends "Tell me something I don't know"
"You need to ask a question about something you want to know" she picked up the clear crystal ball
"When am I going to die?"
"Nothing is that accurate" she smiled closing her eyes to concentrate on the vibes, everyone sat in silence waiting "I see you with children around you, grey hair, a woman who still in love with you, yes you'll live for a while yet, but I can't see the day"
"So, basically you're a fake" Ryder looked at her "Come on let's get out of here" he called to his friends
"Sam" the woman called after him "The letter J seems to be important for your future"
"Is that it, the letter J?" Sam looked at her, pathetic written all over his face, before shutting the door behind him
"I need a drink" Will announced, they didn't have to hear that twice they went into the next bar
"Find us a table, I'll grab some drinks" Matt looked around the busy bar telling everyone, watching them walk off to do as he'd asked, he arrived at the table a few minutes later informing them it was table service with a blond stood behind him
"Evening gentlemen my name's Jade and I'm your waitress for the evening, or till whenever" she smiled tapping her pen on the pad she had on the tray
"J" Ryder looked at Sam smiling, suddenly the mission was for Sam to meet his Miss perfect, they were ordering drinks before the one on the table was even touched, their conversations with the waitress getting more personal with every visit, Sam was borderline embarrassed
"So, my friend's kind of shy" Matt looked up at the woman smiling, pointing at Sam "He could do with your number"
"He could?" she smiled shyly at Sam "And I would" she bit her bottom lip seductively, looking at him "But you see that man over there?" she pointed at the bartender "He's my very protective husband, and I don't think you could survive his jealous" she bent down to speak to them "He has a rifle behind the bar"
"Time to go" Will sobered up as he jumped up "Let's get out of here"
"That's the last time I take any notice of freaking fortune tellers, we could have been killed" Ryder hissed as they rushed down the strip
"I think it's time for home" Will announced "I've had much too much to drink"
"Lightweight" Matt laughed, holding his hand out to stop a cab, their night was finished at Sam's house, with a night cap before everyone fell asleep talking
Thursday
The final fitting for their suits, the guys turned up at the tailors ready, Will was already on tender hooks they were worried as to whether he'd actually make it to the actual day without bursting a blood vessel, he'd been more involved in the preparations than any of them had ever seen a man get.
"Just pull this in about two inches" Will looked at Ryder's jacket sleeve covering his hand up to his knuckles "And the collar on that one doesn't lay right" he pointed at Sam's jacket "When will they be ready?"
"Within the hour" she replied
"We'll be back" Will told her walking towards the door to leave the shop "I can't go back without the suits, Emma will have a fit" he told the others "In here" he stepped inside a café, everyone rolling their eyes at his choice
"So, you don't fancy a beer?" Sam asked
"She'd smell it on my breath"
"Don't tell her, have a damn mint" Ryder
"Is that your advice, start lying to your wife to be?" Will looked at him disgusted "And you're planning on getting married some day?"
"It's a damn beer" Ryder snapped
"It's a damn lie" Will hissed
"Guys" Sam butted in "What do you want to drink?"
"Usual" Ryder snapped
"Four expressos please" he ordered, they grabbed their drinks and sat down
"Excuse me" Ryder interrupted the two women sitting in the booth behind the "Is that brown sugar?" the woman nodded confirmation that it was, and handed it over "Thanks…" he sat waiting for a response, Matt and Sam sat looking at each other, the man was relentless
"Jenna" she smiled "And this is my wife Emily" she smiled at the dark skinned woman sat opposite her
"Nice to meet you Jenna, Emily" he turned back at his friend's wide eyed for making contact with another J named person "Maybe she's bi-sexual" he whispered
"Get a grip" Sam laughed, watching Ryder be excessive with the sugar
Ryder spent most of the afternoon getting on everyone's nerves, his relentless attempts to get Will to lie to Emma, his persistence in trying to get Sam hooked up with anyone with a J anywhere in their names, and his constant snapping at Matt because he was on a high about the baby news, made them all edgy. The hour the seamstress had promised had turned into four hours, which meant they'd spent the whole afternoon and now some of the evening getting the suits adjusted. It was nearly 8pm by the time the suits were finally bagged up and handed to them, of course by this time they were all ratty, especially with Ryder
"Just shut the fuck up" Matt pushed him as they came out of the suit shop with their garment bags over their shoulders
"Don't tell me to shut up" Ryder pushed him back
"Guys" Will, and Sam shouted at the same time
"You want some of this?" Ryder stepped up to Matt
"Guys" Sam stepped between them, stumbling as the two guys went into battle, they all fell out of the shop door and into the street, Sam fell in the gutter having stubbed his toe on his way down
"Are you alright?" a female voice asked, his head trying to get focused as he smiled embarrassed
"Yeah, sorry, are you?" he asked shocked having realised he might have disturbed her on his way down
"Here let me help" she started picking his suit carrier up off the floor "I think you need to help your friend" she stood up looking at the two guys around still rolling the floor
"Yeah" he quickly got up and set about helping Will separate the two men "Guys" he waded in pulling Matt away by his neck "Calm this shit down, you nearly made me knock over a woman"
"Did her name begin with J?" Ryder asked, running as Sam let Matt go, the man had learned nothing
Will picked up their suits and made his way back to the car, clearly he'd had enough of the guys "Do you want a lift back?" he asked Sam
"You grab Ryder, I'll talk to Matt" Sam told him calling Matt back
"I'll take him but I'm dropping him home, I've had enough of his shit" Will told him
"Whatever, we just need to split them up for a while, I feel like I'm back at school" Sam grabbed Matt's shoulder as he got to him "We need to talk" he handed Will his garment bag and walked off with Matt, watching Will making a call to Ryder
"Let's get a drink" Matt suggested, they ended up on one of the rougher bars, but it was quiet, so Sam let it ride "So what's up?" he asked once they'd attracted the barman's attention and made their order.
"I know it's not you, and everyone's pissed at Ryder's attitude, he's obviously got something going on he doesn't want to talk about right now, but Will's getting married in two days, we know he's freaking out and you guys going for each other isn't helping the way he's feeling at the moment"
"You're right I didn't do anything, that nobs been giving it all day because I'm married, he's not going to stand there and diss my wife and watch me do nothing about it"
"I get that but…" Sam looked down the bar at the woman he'd knocked earlier, he must have been staring hard because she eventually looked over at him "Hi" he smiled waving
"What the hell was that?" Matt looked behind him to see what had taken Sam's attention so intensely
"I think I just got a vibe" Sam looked at him before looking back at the girl
"She's nice" Matt raised his eyebrows "Go" he encouraged him "Dude go" he pushed him off the stool
Sam had managed to fling out all his insecurities in the twelve or so steps it took to get to where the woman was "Hi" he smiled
"Hi" she smiled you haven't come to throw something at me again have you?" she laughed
"No" he laughed "I came to buy you a drink to say sorry"
"It's fine" she held a $100 note up "They've got this" she turned to look at the rowdy crowd of people in the booth, he knew the kind of guys she was with, they were the life and soul of the party, the kind that parted the sea when they walked into a room, the two other girls sitting in the midst of them looked like they really didn't want to be there. This girl he was talking to however, seemed comfortable in their company, dominant almost
"Okay" he smiled "Sam"
"Mercedes" she smiled at him "Nice to meet you"
"You too" he turned and walked back over to Matt aware that if those guys decided to get nasty on him, he couldn't handle it.
"What happened?" Matt asked when he got back
"She's with that crowd" he nodded at the rowdy bunch
"Oh" Matt rolled his eyes "Bad move dude, Shane and his guys are ruthless"
"They look it" he watched Mercedes buy her drink and re-join her friends, he was trying to work out which one she was with, unsure why he was still checking her out, but knowing there was definitely a vibe. They spent the evening passing glances at each other, watching the room in between and sharing a smile when they caught each other watching
"Sam was it?" she suddenly appeared at the bar
"Yeah" he smiled watching Matt pretend not to notice she'd turned up "This is Matt one of my best friends"
"Nice to meet you" she smiled "I actually came over because I've thought about it and it was pretty messed up of me not accepting your apology, so I thought I'd say yes to that drink"
"Sure" he called the bartender "What can I get you?"
"Southern comfort and Red please"
"You heard the lady" Sam smiled at the bartender, he couldn't resist any longer he had to ask the question "So your significant other, does he mind you being brought drinks by strangers?"
"I don't have a significant other" she looked back at the crowd she was with "One of them is my big bro, he's protective sometimes"
"Brother" Sam's eyebrows raised at the good news
"Yeah" she rolled her eyes "Any minute now" she lifted her hand ready for it
"Jones" the man woofed across the room, she held her hand up in acknowledgement of his noise but made no effort to move
"Jones?" Sam looked at her wondering why she'd said her name was Mercedes
"He's just rude" she turned and cut her eye at the biggest guy of the group, he laughed and carried on paying attention to the girl laying all over him, Sam assumed he was her brother "When I act out of character, or I do something he doesn't like, he likes to remind me that I'm my father's daughter, we have the same mom" she leaned in to whisper in Sam's ear "I quite like being called Jones"
So, is it Jones or Mercedes?"
"If you're planning on loving me it's Mercedes" she laughed "But if you're making love to me I'd like to try Jones out"
"Mm" he smiled "That was a trick answer"
"Your choice"
"You're not going to believe this Mercedes Jones" he laughed
"Try me" she laughed, sitting on the chair the other side of him ready to start their conversation
He sat telling her about the fortune teller and her predictions for him "So let's test this out" he smiled at her not laughing at him "Blue or Green?"
"Oh" she screwed her face up "Neither, it has to be purple or red for me"
"Okay" he frowned "Expresso or cappuccino?"
"Herbals all the way" she laughed "We're not doing well are we?"
"Actually, we are" he smiled
"R&B or Trap?"
"Born and brought up on Country music I'm afraid, not that I listen to any one genre, but if we're talking about love, it has to be country"
"That's a shame" she frowned
"Was that a deal breaker?"
"Is there a deal going on?" she looked at him questioningly "I meant because I'm about to sing" she pointed at the stage "That's what we do" she looked at the girl that was sitting with her brother watching her straighten herself up "Excuse me, a girls got to work"
"Hurry back" he called after her, there was chemistry between them for sure
"Dude" Matt tapped his chest "You're on fire"
"She's really easy to talk to" his eyes refusing to leave her walking away from him, they sat watching the two women performing a rendition of 'Rumors' by Cardi B & Lizzo she was giving it some moves, they both were, the way she was moving on stage said nothing of the woman that was sitting in front of him a few minutes earlier
Mercedes: They hated on me since school, yeah I never thought I was cool, yeah, now me and Cardi, we cool, yeah
I love hoes on poles, yeah (Woo) I am body goals, yeah, this shit from my soul, yeah, black people made rock and roll, yeah
Both: Why you spending all your time trying to break a woman down? realer shit is going on, baby, take a look around
If you thought that I was ratchet with my ass hanging, out, just wait until the summer when they let me out the house, bitch…
"Can you handle that?" Matt asked him wide eyed
"Wrong question" Sam laughed nodding his head to the music
"Right question?"
"Is my name Drake" he laughed
"Is it?"
"Fucking right it is" they both laughed, watching until the performance was finished,
"Sorry about that" she giggled as she got back to him "It's what the boss wants, and tonight he's paying the bills"
"I have a boss too" he laughed watching her jump back up onto the stool to carry on their conversation "Listen, can we meet up somewhere…" he looked around "Quieter, where we can talk properly"
"I've got a busy weekend, but maybe Sunday?"
"Sunday's great around 7pm at Joe's?"
"Perfect" she smiled taking her phone out and passing it to him, smiling as he tapped his number in it "I'll call" she jumped down off the chair to re-join her friends
"I'm waiting" he called after her
"Dude" Matt looked at the woman walking away "You are seriously punching…"
"I know" he laughed "I really need to get my act together"
"J" Matt warned
"I don't know if I believe in all that, but I do know I'm interested and that's not been the case for a long while, in anyone"
"She might be willing, but beware of Shane, he's a tough cookie"
"I hear you, but I think he's a kitten when it comes to her"
He'd spent some time that night smiling at himself, revisiting their conversation and praying there was going to be more, they had nothing in common, if she said left he felt right, but against all that, it felt right.
Saturday
The wedding day came, they stood in front of the alter watching their friend take his vows, Emma was a beautiful bride and to be honest it was clear what Will saw in her, she was truly his other half. The whole day was very traditional, his big brother arrived that morning in time to take on the best man role, finally announcing the first dance, like everyone else Sam was surprised when Mercedes and her friend appeared to sing them through it, they were singings 'Heavenly' by Shirley Murdock a totally different vibe to their last meeting, it was obviously Emma's choice, they caught each other's eyes and smiled several times, he couldn't wait for her to finish
"Pleasant surprise" he walked over to her sat listening to the DJ's music "Friend of Emma's?"
"Yeah we grew up together, and you're?"
"Best friends with the groom" he laughed
"For all the things we don't have in common, we find this to have in common" she laughed
"And of course, the fact that we have nothing in common"
"Does that make for a good fit?"
"Until we find something to have in common, I think it could"
"It would give us enough to talk about, no uncomfortable silences" she suggested
"I wouldn't mind an uncomfortable silence if it was filled with moments like that" he looked at Will and Emma staring into each other's eyes, the love apparent
"Do you think you'll ever…" she nodded at the bride and groom dancing "Find someone to swing to your left?"
"Would someone like you want someone like me swinging to your Right?" he smiled
"I feel myself being talked into another deal here" she giggled
"I think it's the same deal" he smiled taking in her dimples in her cheeks as she smiled "You have a beautiful smile"
"Oh, you have a beautiful everything" she looked into his eyes
"Are we having a moment?"
"I love this song" she stood up "Want to dance?"
"Sure" he got up and grabbed her hand, reaching the middle of the floor before they started dancing, that too they had in common