Page 9 of Father of the Bride

As he made his way down the back stairs, with Davion and his crew behind him, he tried to shake off the shock and uneasiness he'd felt at seeing Miss Sunnecia Johnson again. Here. In his home. Looking even more beautiful than she did the day she broke his heart.

What are the odds?he wondered as he flipped on the recessed lights in his man cave. Whistles sounded behind him as the space came alive and his guests got a good look at the spectacle.

It was a cliche, for sure. Full bar, pool table, 85-inch flat screen and comprehensive surround sound with conspicuous subwoofers in every corner of the spacious room. The whole thing had been his Drew and Vince’s idea, but he’d been enjoying it since the contractors finished it the year before.

“What does this nigga do, again?”

Mark ignored Orion’s attempt to whisper to Davion. The man was…unpolished. Not unlike the man Mark was a long time ago. Before the money. Before the refinement. Before he got his heart broken.

“Anybody want a drink?” Mark asked casually, already reaching for tumblers.

Orion nodded. “You got Hennessey?”

Mark walked behind the massive bar. “Of course.”

Orion slid onto a barstool like he owned the place. “Yeah, lemme get that, and some water. Gotta stay hydrated.”

Mark looked to Davion’s brothers. “What about you guys? You two old enough to drink?”

Legal, but barely, Sylvan and Amari laughed at that.

“They’ll have what I’m having,” Orion declared with a grin, his arms stretched out across the bar like he was claiming his territory. “These are my mini-mes. Proud of these boys.”

“You should be,” Mark agreed as he poured. “I’ve gotten to know Davion. You raised a fine young man.”

Orion straightened, lifting his chin. “’Preciate you saying that.”

Mark didn’t miss the way Davion’s smile faltered, or the sharp cut of his eyes away from his father. A flash of tension, gone in a second.

“So, Orion, what do you do?”

“Financial advisor at Merrill Lynch.”

Mark nodded. “Nice. Where’d you get your MBA?”

Orion scratched his chin at the question, then did that thing men do when they’re ashamed of the answer.

“Well, you know, I applied at a bunch of places. Took courses. Got some certs. You know how it is.”

Mark poured himself a scotch and said nothing, letting the silence do its work.

This wasn’t the kind of conversation Mark usually started. He didn’t have the energy for the dick-measuring contests anymore. But something about Orion made him want to dig deeper. He couldn’t help himself. He had to know this man. Everything about him. This was the man Sunny chose. The man she started a whole family with.

The curiosity was killing him.

Orion launched into a monologue about his portfolio of clients, his grind, his hustle, and other bullshit Mark half-listened to as he poured the rest of the drinks. But every time he said the wordsmy ex-wife,Mark’s head popped up like a puppy who heard the wordtreats.

He slid a glass across the bar to Drew, then another to Vince. “Cheers, gentleman.”

That first sip of scotch burned so good. Mark watched his most interesting guest over the rim of his glass, studying the way Orion chugged his Hennessey, slurping so fast, a few drops escaping the rim and landing in his beard. It was ridiculous. Mark wondered if Sunny found that attractive.

“You know what’s funny?” Mark said. “I was supposed to be the next Johnny Cochran, let me tell it. Got accepted to law school and everything.”

Orion quirked an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“I did a semester and realized I was in the wrong profession.” Mark let out a rueful chuckle. “Biggest regret of my life.”

Over at the pool table, Sylvan’s ears perked up.

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