Page 63 of Father of the Bride

Orion, lounging on one of the leather club chairs, shook his head. “That tux fits fine.”

Davion’s jaw clenched. “It feels tight to me.”

“You’re just in a bad mood,” Orion insisted. “Looking for things to nitpick.”

Mark drank a finger of bourbon, determined not to get involved in the petty bullshit.

“Want one?” he asked Orion, holding up his glass.

He nodded, making his way over to the bar cart.

Amari and Sylvan stood against the wall on their phones while the rest of the guys were in the private fitting rooms.

“I can’t wait for this shit to be over with,” Orion muttered. “No offense to you, Doc. You know how to throw a party. I’m just over this shit.”

Mark gave a nod. He knew more was coming.

Orion took two sips before exhaling loudly. “My ex-wife so fuckin’ dramatic. I swear, she’s gonna be the death of me.”

Mark’s fingers tightened around his glass tumbler.

“Why do you say that?” he gritted, hoping and praying Orion kept it respectful.

“She done flew in a fuckin’ teenager just to make me jealous,” he huffed out, taking another sip. “She’s petty like that.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

Orion lifted a shoulder, his eyes on Davion. “It’s whatever. She ain’t foolin’ me, Doc.” He looked around, then lowered his voice. “I was just in them guts a few days ago.”

Mark’s blood went cold. He felt like the floor had just dropped out from under him.

“She out here playing the scorned woman, meanwhile she’s fuckin’ me on some getback,” he continued. “She acts all high and mighty, but deep down, she’s like all the rest of these birds. Trifling.”

Mark set his glass on the tray. “Don’t do that.”

Orion arched an eyebrow. “Do what?”

“Talk about your ex like that.”

Orion’s face balled up. “Be for real, Doc.”

“Oh, this is as real as it gets,” Mark said through gritted teeth. “That’s some weak ass shit, disrespecting the mother of your kids while they stand five feet away.”

Orion stood, squaring his shoulders. “What’s it to you? You ain’t got a dog in this fight.”

“I respectfully disagree.”

“Yeah, well, all due respect, but it ain’t your place to correct me. I’m a grown ass man. You don’t know meorher.”

Mark chuckled. “I know enough.”

His eyes scanned the room for employees. He didn’t want to make a scene in a place like this, but Sunny’s bitch ass ex-husband was taking him there.

“Ohhhhh. I see.” Orion’s eyes narrowed. “You wanna get at her. You have since day one. I don’t know how I missed that.”

“I bet we could fill a book with all the shit you’ve missed.”

Silence thickened the air around them.

---