“We have all told you to talk to Josh and Savvy about your intentions towards Skai, but you can’t make her want to be with you, Jabarri, no matter how attracted you are to her, and she’s in a relationship.”
“This shit goes beyond attraction, and after what just happened, I know for a fact this is not one sided. And where is her girlfriend? The past couple of times she’s been around, her girlfriend has been absent,” he states vehemently, chest heaving like he’s ran a mile.
“For you! You can’t make her want you or feel the same way you do, Barri. Besides, have you ever talked to her about how you feel? All I ever see you two do when you are together are snap at each other. To her, all you do is pick at and offend her. Why would she respond to you in any other way than how she does?”
“Does it matter that I never told her how I feel?”
“Yes!”
“I don’t want to be attracted to her, Joseph. She is in a relationship, but I can’t help feeling how I feel. I do not want to be the cause of her breaking up with her girlfriend or causing a rift in the family. Most of the time I try to stay away, to avoid her, but there are times it gets the best of me. Like tonight. I know you just saw that! The way she melted into me, how she responded to me.”
“That does not equate to her wanting to be with you. And I’ll tell you this, Jag, Atlas, and Peter went after the women they love. If she is that important to you, do not hide behind the stuff you just said, be straight up and let the chips fall where they may if she’s worth it. But the snapping at her and being an asshole because she seems oblivious to your attraction is unfair. She is not a mind reader, stop treating her like she is.” He looks like he wants to cry, he is so frustrated. “Go take a walk and get yourself together.”
“Fine,” he grits out and damn near rips the door off its hinges storming out of the small ballroom.
We finish with pictures and it’s time for a wardrobe change. Still black but instead of tuxes, we have on black slacks with black shirts and the women wear burnt gold jumpsuits that appear to be more see through than anything else, and Lennox has on an emerald green one. They look gorgeous, Saint sings Billy Ocean’s Suddenly as Peter and Lennox dance their first dance. He has an amazing voice; I wonder why he didn’t try to make it as a singer, he’s that good. We have dinner and speeches, and Peter and Lennox cut their cake. Every table has a mini replica of their wedding cake that’s big enough to feed the people seated at the table. And then we mingle and party. Joyce and I go to the dance floor and I am struck once again with the reality of what I may never be able to do with her again. But if it bothers her, she never shows it as she begins dancing like I’m not in a wheelchair.