Page 23 of The Best Man Wins

“What was wrong with Mama’s breakfast?” Ray defends. He’s still smiling, but there’s this sharpness in his tone I haven’t heard before.

“Nothing, honey, it was just…all artery clogging. Bad for your blood pressure.”

“This conversation is bad for my blood pressure,” Mandy groans loudly, and she and Ray share a laugh.

This is taking a bad turn. Sure, bringing worlds together is hard, but I’m not about to let the bridesmaid party—let alone the bride and groom—divide over an argument about counting calories.

“Cynthia can eat the frosting, Candace can eat the cake,” I problem solve and then quickly change the subject. “So. You said the three of you went to school together?”

“Yes, we met at Columbia. We worked hard and played hard, didn’t we?” Candace says.

“What about you?” Cynthia points her fork at Ray and Mandy. “How do you two know each other?”

It seems I’m not the only one who is getting a weird vibe from the pair. They look at each other like they’re both waiting on the other to answer.

“Well,” Ray finally starts, “I think we mostly always knew each other. Mandy grew up right down the road. She’s like a sister to me.”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Lena says and gets a laugh.

“Speaking of siblings,” Cynthia pipes in. “Cora, dearest, where’s that troublesome brother of yours?”

“Braxton?” Cora squishes her cake piece on her plate. “He’s around. Somewhere. Doing whatever Braxtons do.”

“But the bridesmaids are all here.” Candace and Cynthia laugh at their own joke.

I feel a nagging curiosity tingling in my chest. I try to push it down and focus on the cake (it’s really sinfully sweet), but then my big mouth gets the better of me. “Does Braxton have a reputation?”

“Oh, please,” Candace sighs. “He was practically our sorority’s mascot. Everyone got a ride on Braxton West at one point or another, if you know what I mean.”

“Not everyone,” Cora shoots back.

“No, you’re right,” Candace says. “We avoided that honey trap, didn’t we?”

“Speak for yourself, dear,” Cynthia murmurs under her breath, just as I’m passing the plate over of chocolate cake over. I lose my grip at her comment, and the plate nearly flies out of my hands. I catch it, but not soon enough. A square of chocolate cake, topped with creamy, dark frosting, topples off the plate and lands directly on Cynthia’s stark white blazer.

Cynthia cries out bloody murder, and the table lapses into silence. “My Ralph Lauren!” she screeches. “Do you know how much this costs? It’s ruined!”

“I’m sorry,” I stammer, “I’m so sorry—”

“Aw, put a sock in it!” Mandy laughs. “It’s just cake! See?” With that, she grabs a handful of lemon cake and throws it across the table when it hits—

The bride-to-be. It smashes into her hair and rolls down her dress.

For a second, everyone, even Cynthia, is quiet.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Mandy groans. “That was meant for Ray, not you.”

Cora picks the white frosting out of her hair and screws her eyebrows together. “Top score for creativity,” Cora says. “But if I were you, I’d go with the red velvet cake. It does much more damage.”

With that, she picks up a square of red velvet between her manicured nails and rubs it on Ray’s chest, all over his nice shirt.

“Hey!” Ray barks. “I like this shirt!”

“Now it’s handsome and delicious.” Cora grins and sucks the frosting off her finger.

“Sonofa…” Ray throws a square of cake back at her, and Cora yelps with laughter.

“I want in!” Lena says.

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