Chapter 1
"I'd like to make a toast," Brian shouted over the chatter of the slightly intoxicated wedding guests.
The night that they had all been waiting for had finally arrived. Aaron Corbin and Kelly Reddick were finally making it official. She was stunning in her traditional but not-so-traditional wedding dress, and he was every woman's fantasy as he stood in his tailor fitted tuxedo beaming at his new bride. Their new life together was going to be perfect.
Brian waited patiently for the noise to die down before continuing with the speech he had been practicing all week.
"I would like to raise a toast to my best friend, mentor... my brother Aaron and his beautiful wife, Kelly. May God smile upon your marriage and grant you many blessings. He couldn't have brought two more perfect people together. May all your days be happy and all your kids look like Kelly, cuz man, you are one ugly mother fu...,"
"Brian!" Chantel yelled.
"Oh," Brian laughed, "my bad, Mrs. C! Anyway, congratulations, man. I love you."
The audience applauded uncertainly, as they looked around at each other. The band broke out into jazz rendition of "Ribbon in the Sky" to ease the tension, and Aaron shot Brian a look of warning as he made his way to Kelly's side.
"May I have this dance?" he asked kissing her hand softly.
"But of course," she responded gliding gracefully into his arms.
"So how does it feel to officially be 'Mrs. Aaron Corbin'?" he whispered in her ear.
"I've been waiting for this day for a very long time," she responded with a smile.
"You ready to blow this popsicle stand and start our honeymoon?"
"I thought you'd never ask. Let's say our goodbyes first and then we'll go."
"Ok."
Taking Aaron by the hand like the social princess that she was, Kelly took the lead as they worked the room and said their goodbyes. When they finally made it into the limousine, Kelly slid into Aaron’s arms and kissed him deeply.
“I love you, Aaron Corbin, and this is the happiest day of my life,” she said.
He smiled back at her and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. Just as he opened his mouth to say the words that he knew she was waiting to hear, the blare of his cell phone cut him off. A guilty look crept across his fax as he reached into his lapel to grab the phone and check the display.
“I’m sorry baby, I have to take this call,” he apologized.
Before Aaron could connect the call, Kelly swiftly snatched the phone out of his hand, disconnected the battery, and threw the handset and battery in opposite directions.
“Wait a minute!” Aaron yelled.
“Wait my ass!” Kelly retorted, “This is our wedding night and I want your undivided attention. You promised me that you would not conduct any business until we got back from our honeymoon, and I’m holding you to that!”
“Ok, ok,” he laughed, “a promise is a promise. So, what are you going to do to keep me busy in the meantime?”
“Oh…you ain’t said nothing but a word,” she replied seductively, as she slid into his lap and began to do all the things that once again confirm for him that this was indeed the woman that was destined to be his wife.
