Page 51 of Meet Me at the Altar

“You didn’t, bro. You came through like a champ on some real G shit. Got your life together and came through and claimed what was yours,” KJ replied.

When the girls finished dancing, my groomsmen and I danced in on T.I.’s “Bring ‘em Out,” but the deejay remixed it with “Let ‘Em Know.”

They screamed as we danced into the tent. I shed my tux jacket, leaving only my dress shirt and suspenders. My boys fell back and let me finish the dance at the end.

“I love you, Mrs. Jones,” I professed as the deejay announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, everyone to your corners of the room. You can watch, and you can glance, but it’s time for the newlyweds to dance their first dance.”

The music slowed down, and we danced to K-Ci and JoJo’s “All My Life.”

“You remembered?” she whispered as her eyes pooled with tears again.

“I keep telling you that I haven’t forgotten anything about you.”

When she was sixteen, and I was eighteen, she told me that she wanted that to be the song she danced her first dance to when she got married. I laughed at the time, and I had told her that she was corny, but I tucked it away in my heart.

“You made fun of me.”

“I was supposed to. We were teenagers, and that shit wasn’t cool back then,” I stated, winking and brushing my lips over hers.

She wrapped her arms around my neck. “This day couldn’t be more perfect, baby. This is my dream wedding and then some. I have one question, though.”

“What’s that?”

“How are you feeling? Your mom and Leon are here. How are you really feeling?”

“Yesterday when I told you I needed to make a run, it was to meet him for brunch. He apologized and owned his shit. Don’t get excited, baby,” I stated when her eyes lit up. “Me and that nigga a long way from besties, but we peaced it out for you and my mama’s sake for today. I don’t wanna talk about that no more. The only thing that I care about is you and me right now. This is our day. Only happy thoughts, okay?” I asked, tilting her chin and kissing her lips again.

We danced slowly to the music and kissed through the entire song. When it ended, everyone clapped for us, and she was ready to dance again, but I pulled her off the floor.

“I want to dance, baby.”

“You will,” I replied and winked as I walked onto the floor with my groomsmen.

The music switched, and everyone started screaming. A slow smile lit my face as Kalli’s eyes widened. Tears sprang to her eyes again, and she clasped her hands over her mouth. “Baby!” She shrieked.

Ne-Yo, one of her favorite artists, danced to the middle of the floor with us, and he sang “One in A Million” to her as we all danced a choreographed routine with him. When we finished, he congratulated us and then left. Everyone rushed onto the floor to dance, and I pulled my wife back into my arms again. It felt good calling her my wife.

“You have outdone yourself, sir.”

“I just wanted to give you a wedding you would always remember and be proud of.”

“As long as you were the one placing the ring on my finger, I would always remember and be proud, Mr. Jones. I love you so much, husband.” She beamed brightly at me.

“I love you more, wife.”

She giggled, and we continued to enjoy the entire reception. When eleven rolled around, we said goodbye to all the older adults, and it was only the thirty-five and under crowd remaining.

Once they cleared out, the lights were dimmed, and the deejay played “Climax “by Usher. I removed my dress shirt, and I wore a T-shirt underneath that read “I belong to Mrs. Jones,” with a picture of Kalli on the front, and on the back, a picture of us that we had taken as teens. Tears rolled down her face when she spotted the T-shirt.

My groomsmen and I danced a sexy number that we created just for the ladies. I was all over my wife, and she was clearly turned on. I could see her nipples poking through her reception dress that she’d changed into earlier.

We made our way back into the house later that night, and she stared at me. “Today was very beautiful. It was a performance from the beginning to the end, an entire production. Thank you for making my dreams come true.” She threw her arms happily around my neck, and delight beamed from within her eyes.

“You made my dreams come true when you agreed to marry me, baby. I will love you for a lifetime.” I scooped her in my arms and carried her over the threshold into the house.

Chapter 19

Kalliope