A/N: More reactions are ahead to the newlyweds. Antonio "Tony" Jones face claim is Jamie Foxx. Please forgive all my mistakes. I am trying to work on several chapters at one time to get them finished before I return to work to keep up with daily posts but if I can't I will finish this by the weekend. I own nothing as always ...
Ten
Sam
"Melinda is still upset about the divorce after all these years. She hasn't remarried because she is still in love with me, and I would have remarried her but after befriending Roz, she is no longer the woman I proposed to thirty years ago," Tony whispers to me a couple of hours later. "The only mistake I made after divorcing her is marrying Roz, who's even worse than Melinda. Roz was the opposite of Melinda when I met her. My ex-wife was a needy housewife and Roz was an independent attorney who never lost a case. I thought with her I would have a relationship like Heathcliff and Clair Huxtable. Boy was I wrong. She makes Melinda look like an angel." He looks behind him as both his ex-wives cook in the kitchen. "The two are friends only to spite me, and I regret the day they ever met."
Just as he says his last words, they both laugh. That's probably how the friendship started, but that's not why they've remained friends. I won't tell him that though.
Mercedes is on the other side of the room talking to Junior, but she looks over and smiles at me. My wife has the prettiest brown eyes I have ever seen. She also has a cute little nose, too. It's like a perfect little button in the middle of her face. I've always known her plump lips were nice, but since I've tasted them, they're beyond nice. They're perfect.
I raise my glass to her, and she does the same.
My phone keeps going off in my pocket. And I don't have a problem ignoring it. My dad woke me up this morning at six with the news that he found out I got married. He seems excited about it, and I'm not sure why. I wonder if he thinks I did this because of his advice. I didn't, but if he thinks that's the case, I will let that be another thing he is delusional about.
I didn't marry Mercedes because of his words. I married her for my daughter. Jessica deserves the best and that is Mercedes. She is the only woman I ever would have married. She's not impressed by guys with money, and she wanted nothing to do with me at first.
Besides, Mercedes is gorgeous, and I've always been physically attracted to her. From the first time we met at the hotel where she used to work, I noticed her, and as judgmental as she's been toward me, she's always liked my daughter once she saw her.
Eight months ago:
"I would have sworn the building would have disintegrated into ash the moment he walked through the doors," she whispers to Tina. They're both standing at the front of the church, right in front of the altar. I have my back turned to her while I talk to the minister who will be baptizing Jessica, but I know the 'he' she's gossiping about is me. I don't know how I can offend someone so much simply by breathing.
"Why would you say that?" Tina asks.
"Because churches and whores have never been a good combination. Haven't you ever read the bible before?"
After hearing her last statement, Reverend Pendergrass turns and eyes her before he walks away. Mercedes doesn't notice.
"Girl, stop," Tina says with a giggle. "Sam really is a sweetheart."
"Sweetheart my big black ass," she whispers. "Do you know what he said to me when he saw me here today? He pretended he didn't know me and said that the mental asylum was located further down the street. Then he—"
I tune her out. I remember what I said, and it was good to see the expression on her face. But what I don't understand is why she's even here. I didn't invite her, but I know who did.
I give Tina a look of disapproval. I make sure her husband doesn't see me do it. Mercedes sees me, and I narrow my eyes at her.
"I think everyone is here," I say to Tina. I plan to do everything in my power to ignore my uninvited guest. After the ceremony, I planned to take everyone to lunch at a local restaurant, but Tina and Mike decided to throw a reception at their place instead because Tina felt the restaurant was too impersonal as well as too public a place for so many rich and famous people. What she didn't say was she was afraid that my Sammyfans would find out and make an embarrassing appearance.
When they first suggested hosting the reception, I almost broke down in tears. It's the first time anyone has ever volunteered to throw me a party. I accepted, but now I realize in accepting their generosity, I'm stuck with Mercedes. If we had gone with my idea, I'd tell her she's not invited if only to piss her off. She inches closer, and I freeze. She looks at the baby in my arms who is fast asleep. Jessica is dressed in a frilly white dress that Tina bought for her. She told me that it's customary for the godmother to supply the dress for the baby. She not only got a dress but shoes and a matching headband too.
"Mr. Evans," someone whispers, "we're all set for streaming if you want to double-check to make sure your other guests can log in."
I attempt to hand Tina the baby, so I can call my father to make sure he can see and hear, but Mercedes intercepts and holds her arms out.
"Let me hold her," she orders. "I like babies."
"Really? Even one that belongs to me?" I tease, but I slide Jessica into her arms. My baby girl doesn't move. Normally, she only likes to sleep in my arms or on my chest.
"The fact that she belongs to you only means she needs me more." She looks down at Jessica and gently rocks her. She makes little cooing sounds and says, "You're so cute, I could eat you up."
"Isn't that what the witch in Hansel and Gretel said?" I ask. She ignores me, and I walk to a secluded part of the church. My father answers my call right away.
"Hey, Son," he says into the camera. He looks nice in the new suit I sent him. "I can see and hear just fine." He smiles as if that's some great feat. A great feat would be if he came here and joined me in person. That would be a miracle, but the Rapture will happen before my dad voluntarily leaves his house and comes and supports me in anything.
"Okay. I just wanted to make sure. We're gonna get started soon."
"I'm so proud of you, son," he says. I don't know if that's a result of his therapy, but he says he's proud of me every time we talk, and I hate it. The last thing I want or need from him is praise of any kind. It's too little too late.
"Well, if that were true, you think you'd—" I hold my sharp words and take a deep breath. There's no point in making him feel bad. All that does is make me feel worse. "Thanks, Dad. That means a lot."
He exhales and smiles sadly. "I can't wait to see the two of you at Thanksgiving. It's going to be really nice this year. I ordered a little turkey onesie for Jessica already."
Instead of rolling my eyes like I want, I force a fake smile on my face and say, "Yeah. Me too. I'll talk to you later." Thanksgiving with my father is the last thing I need, but my schedule allows it this year, and I haven't been able to come up with an excuse not to spend it with him. Besides, every time I tell him I can't visit, I have to deal with the hurt and sad look in his eyes.
I end the call, turn around and almost bump into Jake Puckerman. I also notice that Mercedes is within hearing range, and I wonder if she heard any of the conversation with my dad. I've noticed she's a nosey little thing, always lurking around wherever I am, probably looking for more ammo to judge me.
Jake claps me on the back. "I am proud of you man." We've become friends since I became a single father. He was in the same situation as me before he met his wife, and he knows how hard it is juggling our job while being a single parent to an infant. Lucky for him, he found someone who not only loves him but his son. Now they're married and have another son. There's a big part of me that wants what he has. I just can't figure out how to get it.
"Thanks." I shrug as if the compliment is no big deal, but it means everything to me on a day like today. "Though I don't know why Tina invited her?" I point to Mercedes, who is still close enough to hear. The minute I point at her, she looks and narrows her eyes at me. I grimace at her and he grimaces back.
What have I done to deserve this? A dead mother. Abandoned by my dad's wife. A deadbeat father that I've been taking care of since I was nine, who might have well been dead for all the good he's done for me. And this rude woman at my baby's christening ceremony who is giving me attitude when I need today to go well for my daughter.
"Well you are making her best friend your baby's godmother," Jake says. "This is an important day for Tina, too, so of course she would want her mom and best friend here as well. You know Marley has volunteered to watch Jessica for you whenever you need, even though you made Mike and Tina godparents over us," he teases.
Then he says, "You're a good dad, and you're doing the best you can. And that is all that matters today, bro."
"Thanks man. That means a lot coming from you."
He leaves and returns to his family.
Mercedes is still eavesdropping and still holding my daughter, and she doesn't look the least bit embarrassed about it.
"Why are you following me around?" I look down at her. She's in a black pantsuit. She has an emerald shirt underneath it. Her hair is straight and up in a ponytail, and her lipstick is red. She is shaped like a nineteen-fifties pin up model. I'd die before admitting this to anyone, but she looks pretty. More than pretty. "And why are you here? I don't remember inviting you. Are you here to try and hook up with one of my teammates? Today is about Jessica. This is not about you hooking up with a baseball player."
She does nothing but gush about Azimio Adams and Phil Lipoff, two of my teammates. They're both here, but she's holding my baby and following me around instead of gushing over them. I can't stand her judgmental attitude, and I hate that she's so beautiful, especially in that outfit. If she were ugly, I could deal with her better. Not only that, but she always smells good, too.
"Following you around? Are you mistaking me for a Sammyfan? Don't flatter yourself, Whorevans. I'm here because Reverend Pendergrass says it's time to begin the ceremony and since I am holding your daughter, he suggested that I tell you this." She looks into my eyes, and I think she wants to say more, but she doesn't. She walks away, and I follow her to the altar. The pants fit just right around her ass. I don't even care that we're in a church. All I can think about is taking her inside one of the empty rooms and stripping her down to see what's underneath that sexy suit.
I grin sheepishly when I get to the altar and Reverend Pendergrass smiles at me and gestures for me to take my spot. Mercedes hands Jessica to Tina, and I stand next to the Changs.
Mercedes sits in the front pew as if she's family. She pulls out her phone and starts to record. If it was anyone else, I'd stop the ceremony and ask that she put the phone away, but I leave her alone knowing she is doing this for her best friend not to put on social media.
She might dislike me, which makes it hard to tolerate her presence, but I will try to because of Mike and Tina. I also try and do my best to pay attention to the words the reverend is saying, but my mind wanders and so do my eyes. They land on her again. She's holding the phone but looking over it and at the altar. She looks up and our eyes catch.
I wait for her to scowl or to mouth something crude, but she doesn't. She holds my stare. Jessica finally lets out a cry when the reverend touches her, and Mercedes looks away from me to my baby.
From where I'm standing, I see Mercedes whispering shh, but my daughter screams for the rest of the ceremony. Once Reverend Pendergrass finishes, I take a very unhappy Jessica away from her godmother. It's past her naptime, and I try my best to rock her to sleep, but she won't settle down. I take a seat on the front pew next to Mercedes.
"Let me try," she says.
"I've got it. She's my kid," I say in dismissal.
"I'm good with babies. Come on." She holds out her arms, and I reluctantly relent and gently place Jessica in them. I wait for her wails to escalate, but the opposite happens. They become quieter until they stop completely. Mercedes sings a soft lullaby to Jessica, who is transfixed by her. She smiles at Mercedes, who smiles back.
She looks at me with a smug look on her face. "See? I told you. I'm good at this."
"Why are you at my kid's christening?" I ask her.
"Tina invited me."
"But that still doesn't explain why you're here when you proclaim to detest me."
"Go over there and tell her and her husband how you don't want me here. I dare you," she says.
"But why would you come?" I really want to know the answer.
She flares her nostrils and says, "Because I like babies, and I need to make sure the good Lord doesn't punish this baby because she's yours."
I look at my daughter, who smiles when she sees me, and I run my hand over her head, careful not to disturb the headband that Tina insisted she wear.
"God and nobody else is going to punish her. She's going to have everything I didn't have."
Maybe the idea began to form in my subconscious about giving Jessica a mother on the day of the christening. Whenever it was, it got us here with the best possible woman to fulfill that role in my daughter's life. Jessica is now part of a family.
"You and I will get along fine," Tony says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I'll have you two over next weekend for dinner. It will just be the four of us. I look forward to being your father in law and grandpa to your baby girl."
Mercedes–Smut Alert
It has been two days since I married Sam Evans. And the time has flown by. Living in his apartment is an adjustment for me even though I have had my family bring over more of my belongings. It's an adjustment because I've never lived away from my mother before. I feel sad for her being in the house alone. I think Junior is going to move in with her because with Granny not likely to return home, she will need someone in the house, so she doesn't feel abandoned.
I have been procrastinating unpacking my belongings, and I look at all the totes and suitcases that I dragged into the closet and decide I'm not going to unpack them until tomorrow. Sam comes into the bedroom after putting Jessica in her crib. He begins to undress as soon as he steps in the room. His chest is completely hairless. Just the way I like it. He might be on the thin side, but his body is hard and taut. He runs his hands over his head, sighs, and drops himself on the bed.
"My dad wants to meet you," he says. He now has both hands covering his face. "If you can get some time off, I'd like to go for a couple of days next week." From the tone of his voice, I'm sure that's the last thing he wants to do ever.
I first got the impression he had issues with his dad on the day of the christening. He sounded annoyed, and he was about two seconds away from going off on him, but he reined himself in.
"Two questions and how you answer them determine whether or not I will go with you. "Are the two of you close?" I ask. "And will your dad have a problem with me?"
"Why on earth would my dad have a problem with you?" he stands and finishes stripping down to his boxers.
"Because I am black and he lives in the South right in MAGA land," I add, but my eyes don't leave those boxer briefs.
"My dad has enough issues and MAGA better not be one of them. Trust me, politics and race are the last things on his mind." He pulls off the boxers. "He would never care about your skin color, and if he did, I'd tell him to piss off. His grandchild is half black, and I assure you he knows this."
"What issues does your father have?"
He looks down at me and says, "You'll find out about them soon enough, but I promise, he will be so excited to meet you. Why don't you come get in the shower with me?" He lifts the hem of my maxi dress over my head and drops it to the floor.
While I remove my bra, he slowly rolls down my panties. His hand travels back to the apex of my thighs. He strokes the tip of my clit, and I shiver with need. His other hand covers my ass.
"You have the best butt I have ever seen, and my friends have always said I am an ass man," he says and cups both cheeks with his big hands, leans down, and gives me a passionate kiss. The kiss is slow, and I open my mouth to him.
He guides me directly into the bathroom and into the shower that's big enough to fit half a dozen people. The showerheads come on before I have time to put on a shower cap. He never stops kissing me, so I can't protest. Besides, I'm way too lost in his kiss to speak.
"Sam," I moan. "Slow down. I'm still tender down there." I tell him when he drops to his knees and begins to please me orally.
He continues to eat me out like he is a starving man, and I enjoy every second of it. After I climax, he stands up. Then he spins me around. "Bend over," he says. If this was any other scenario, I'd tell him to stop ordering me around, but right now, my body is craving penetration, so I obey.
I put my palms to the wall and stick my ass out. He grips my hips and slides in.
"Oh you feel so good, so deep," I tell him.
The sound of my voice must have triggered something in him. He's no longer as gentle. He continues to give me deep strokes, but he increases his speed and soon, I'm flying over the edge again and calling out his name in wild abandonment.
He pulls out while I'm still flying high, and I feel a warm, thick liquid on my butt cheeks. He rubs his cum into my skin.
I stand on shaky legs and face my husband. He looks down at me.
"So, now that you have had sex for the second time, tell me I was right about the sex between us being amazing," he says, and I kiss him instead of letting him know he was right. I love everything my new husband has done so far in pleasing me. He actually makes me crave sex more than before and if I wasn't tender. I would have him make love to me again and again.
I stare out the wall of windows overlooking the quiet suburban area and wonder how I got here. While Sam checks on Jessica, I make us a parfait with the peaches, bananas, berries, and whipped cream in these fancy glasses that he has. He comes out in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, and I feel myself lusting after my husband again because he has a big dick and knows how to use it oh so well.
"I got us a snack." My words seem to surprise him. I hold the glass out to him and he walks slowly to me.
"For me?" he asks as if he's not the only other person here. I nod at him, but he stands there for a few more seconds before taking it from me. "Thanks."
"So, what do you want me to do here as your wife?"
He takes a big spoonful and stares at me furrowing his brows.
"The most important thing is that you help me with Jessica." He takes another spoonful, grins, and says, "And that you keep satisfying me like you do so well. That's it."
I throw a strawberry at his forehead. It bounces off him and lands on the floor.
"Other than what I already know, what do you want from me, specifically?" I ask him. "Do you want me to quit one of my jobs?"
"You can quit both of your jobs. You don't need to work, I will give you access to my household accounts, but don't spend money unnecessarily. I told you that you can make some improvements to your family's house. Do you think you can take some time off work if you don't quit one or both of them?" he asks. When I nod, he continues, "After we visit my dad, I need to go to Hawaii for a commercial. I'd like you to come with me. It can be our honeymoon."
My jaw almost drops. I've never been to Hawaii, and it's always been on my list of places to visit.
"That sounds good. I am thinking about giving my part-time job a two weeks' notice, but I would like to continue singing. I have been mentoring someone on that job, and I think I can split my time with her, so that I will only perform when I want to. When you have away games, I know that singing at the hotel will be impossible." I am sure Unique is more than qualified to take over for me completely, but I never imagined myself being a stay at home mom. I want to keep working as long as I can because singing is still my passion, and it's not really work when you love what you do.
Sam
"What the hell is going on Evans? Mike asks me before inviting us to enter his home.
I woke up to the constant buzzing of my phone at the same time Mercedes's phone was going crazy. It was like a repeat of the day after we got married, except this time I was fast asleep and Jessica was between us. When I answered the phone without looking, it was to a very angry Mike Chang summoning me and Mercedes to his house immediately.
He gestures for us to come in, and when he does, he takes Jessica from Mercedes and kisses her cheeks. Once he's done, he hands her to Tina, who takes her hand and leads her to the living room. Their dog, Honey, follows. There are several toys on the floor, and Jessica sits and starts to play.
They motion for us to join them in the kitchen. "I said what the hell…" Mike takes a deep breath before continuing. "Is this the so-called surprise you said you had for me? Didn't I tell you not to do anything stupid while I was out of town?"
"Samuel Evans, what have you gotten Mercedes into?" Tina blames me, and I am not surprised that she is loyal to her friend. She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me like she's never done before. She takes Mercedes's arms and looks her over.
"Holy matrimony," I announce.
"Holy matrimony? So, it's true?" Tina asks. I don't know why she's surprised. I confirmed this two hours ago when they called. "Why would you two out of all the people in the world get married?" I open my mouth to answer, but she cuts me off. "Never mind. Come with me, Mercedes." She takes Mercedes's hand and pulls her away.
Once they're gone, Mike arches his eyebrows. "So, Mercedes is who you called me about the other night?"
I grin and nod. "I told you, you'd be pleasantly surprised." He tilts his head and waits for me to say more. Most of his anger is gone now, and I think it was for the benefit of his wife. "I needed help with Jessica. She needs someone to pay for her grandmother's care. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. Everyone wins."
He slowly nods in what I hope is understanding. Then he sighs and stares at the ceiling. He doesn't speak, and neither do I. He pours himself a drink, vodka from the smell of it. It makes my stomach turn. He doesn't offer me one because he knows I am not a drinker.
"Sam," he begins softly, "you can afford to hire all the help you need. There was no need for you to marry Cedes."
"I tried that, and it didn't work. Jessica ended up here with you and Tina or with the Puckermans. I want her to have normalcy. A routine. A family. I don't want her to grow up like I did." I'll never apologize for that.
"What about marrying for love and modeling that type of marriage for your daughter?"
I wave him off. "I told you that isn't for me. Besides, you're only saying that because you're in love. Not everyone needs that. Sometimes a mutually beneficial arrangement works fine, too. A relationship is what two people make of it, and this is what we've decided."
"We? Are you telling me that Mercedes is okay with this?" When I nod he says, "And what about the fangirls?"
"I gave her my word that I will be faithful. I mean it. You don't have to worry about that." If I do lose my mind and cheat on her, then she leaves, and my daughter will be hurt. Besides, I can't see myself wanting anyone else, now that I have had the best, but no way am I telling Mike any of this. He tells Tina everything.
"Well, that's one good thing." He eyes me. "You say that you're paying for her grandmother's care."
"Her rehab and a nursing home. She has Alzheimer's." Mike nods again and looks behind me to make sure Tina and Mercedes are not close.
He inches closer and whispers, "What happens when she passes away, and Mercedes doesn't need you to keep your end of the bargain anymore?"
I hadn't thought of that. All I saw was an opportunity, and I took it. "And," Mike continues, "I've known Mercedes for a while. She's a good friend of my wife's, and the two of them are a lot alike. She's not going to put up with any of the bullcrap you've pulled in the past."
Some of my past exploits flash in my mind, but I am a changed man once I found out that Jessica was mine, and I devote my time to her and home. My daughter has had all my focus, and my old life didn't even appeal to me at all to be tempted to go back to my old ways before I even married Mercedes.
"I told you I'm done with that, and I am not tempted to return to that lifestyle." I reminded him just like I have to remind everybody else, apparently, no one fully believes me.
"She's going to want more than an arrangement. She deserves love and happiness. When you get to know her, you will realize just how awesome she is. And other men will see that too, and she'll come to her senses—"
"If she wants more, she can always fall in love with me," I say as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "See? I've got it all figured out."
"Oh, do tell how and why she will want to fall in love with a guy she barely tolerates?" He sits at the kitchen counter and waits. I look around to make sure we're alone before I continue.
"Mercedes has always been on my radar. I have been watching and listening to every word she says, and she was always talking about the kind of guy she was looking for and how he was going to treat her," I whisper.
He nods slowly. "Yeah, and you told her she was delusional and was living in a fantasy more than once. I also remember you accused her of taking hallucinogenic drugs because she actually believed the fairy tales she was talking about. Do I need to remind you that you also told her that she was such a giant pain in the ass that no Prince Charming or even a toad would ever want her."
"Yeah. She really got angry, and I thought she was actually going to stab me with the fork she was holding at the time." My grin turns into a chuckle. "But she only told me to shut my big froggy lipped mouth." I laugh so hard, I snort again. "Anyway, yeah. All that ideal man stuff she's always talking about is my key. I'll treat her the way she wants to be treated. Basically doing the same things you do for Tina and Puckerman does for Marley. I can be romantic."
"Oh yeah, you can be romantic all by yourself, and I'm sure that you needing to call me and asking me how to make love to a woman proves that you are the prince of romance?" he asks me, looking at me as if I have lost my mind.
"I told you that was because I had never made love to a woman before. Besides, I have watched you and Puckerman and know how to pull out her chair, hold her hand, open car doors, and stuff. Buy her whatever she wants. Tell her she looks beautiful and celebrate Valentine's Day by giving her candy and roses and taking her out to eat in a fancy restaurant."
Mike puts a hand to his face and rubs. "It's that easy, huh?"
"Duh. I will be irresistible to her," I grin again. "Look at us. We're best friends now." I slap his shoulder, and he grunts. "And I know you only tolerated me at first, but I wore you down eventually. Now, your wife adores me. too."
"I think it's because of Jessica that my wife tolerates you. And what about your feelings for her, is Mercedes supposed to love you and you only tolerate her?" he asks.
"Don't worry about Mercedes, I'm gonna do right by her, and be the best husband she could ever dream of having."
He stands and hits me on the shoulder. "Yeah, you just make sure you are the best husband while the three of you are playing happy family, and you honor your fidelity pledge and treat her like a queen. If you stuff this up, you know Tina is going to demand that I take Mercedes's side, and you will be the one with the most to lose."
Mike's concerns were pointless. Mercedes is never going to leave me and Jessica. I wouldn't do anything to make her want to leave. I am not my father.