Color Blind

Chapter 22

After what only seemed like a few minutes of dancing, but was in actuality a few more songs, the music stopped and the band leader announced that it was time to throw the bouquet. Tia, now back to her usual form, strutted her way to the front of the stage and dramatically pulled out the elegant, medium sized flower arrangement. Looking back over her shoulder, most likely to see where I was standing, she winked at me, and then turned back around to cover her eyes. Not so coincidentally, she all but threw the tulip bouquet right into my hands.

When it was time for the groom to throw the bride's garter, all of the single men came forwards, but everyone could clearly see that no one reached for the garter but Scott. After catching it, he turned around and grinned at me. Then he nodded his head for me to come over to him and as Lafayette sat me in the chair, Scott slowly and seductively pushed the garter a little higher up on my thigh than necessary. No one noticed but Tia and Lafayette. Tia turned red for me, and Lafayette, of course, grinned like crazy.

"Can I take this back off of you later?" Scott whispered lowly into my ear, and then quickly stood up as if he hadn't said a thing.

Blushing, I also stood and followed him off the dance floor.

After another hour or so of dancing, it was time for Tia and Lafayette to go. "You be good to my girl, now," Lafayette, Tia and Scott's moms all said to Lafayette as they kissed him goodbye.

Lafayette's dad only whispered, "That's my girl," as he hugged Tia goodbye and gave her a fatherly pat on the back.

It seemed that no one really had anything to say in support of Lafayette until he went over to Scott. They looked each other in the eye for a long time, then actually hugged, something that I had never seen them do before.

"I'm proud of you, man. That took a lot of guts, really," Scott said as he looked over at Tia. "I can only think of one better." He grinned. "But she's mine."

Lafayette looked a little taken aback, then smiled at us both. Giving me a bear hug and then turning to Tia, who was hugging Scott, he took her hand and started walking towards the door.

"Wait!" she said, then rushed back over to me. After she reached us, though, she just stood there.

"Don't you make me cry," I warned and looked up at the ceiling.

When I looked back her way, all of the love that Tia and I had always had for each other but never expressed passed wordlessly between us. Weddings really do bring out the sappy side of folks. "I..." she stopped, at a loss for words. Suddenly Tia grabbed me and squeezed me until I thought I'd never breathe again. "You'll always be my very best friend." This was the last thing that I expected her to say, and had no response. Then she grinned devilishly and turned to Scott, "When you finally man up and ask my cousin to marry you," she looked slyly over at me, "I want you two to live across the street, ok?"

Scott was oddly agreeable. "Next door...so the kids won't have to cross the street."

Tia grinned at Lafayette, who looked at me and rolled his eyes. I laughed. "Next door," Tia agreed, and then gave us yet another long look. "My two favorite people," she whispered. Then overcome by a second wave of affection, she hugged us again and almost grudgingly let Lafayette lead her towards the door.

Everyone followed them outside and blew bubbles over them as they ran hand in hand towards the limo, and then drove off into the night. Like the rest of the day, the scene was so perfect that they may as well have been riding away in a pumpkin carriage, driven by six white horses. After Tia and Lafayette had completely disappeared from sight, I turned to Scott and realized that everyone else had already gone back inside.