Page 5 of Candid Moments
“If not now, then when Cor-ne-li-us?” I snap.
The music gets lower and the dim lights brighten. The sound of a woman clearing her throat over a microphone grabs everyone’s attention. When I look up, the same face that appears in most of the pictures with Cornelius is smiling at the crowd. The glasses are gone but it’s definitely the short, cinnamon sista from the pictures. The goofy ass smile on his face also confirms it.
“Blue, white!” she chants. “Blue, white!”
“Polar Bears fight with all our might!” the room responds back, including Mr. Cornelius.
“Welcome to the McCook High ten-year class reunion. I’m pretty sure most of you know me but if you don’t, I’m Maddox Greene. The glasses are gone and my hips finallyspread,” she says then laughs. Most of the crowd joins in too. I roll my eyes at how hard he’s laughing. “It’s been ten years and things have changed. I see you. But anyway, let’s get started. Right now, everyone’s bingo card should be full. We have changed but not too much that recognition is hard. If your card is full, please turn it in at the table.” She points to a table at her right. “If it isn’t, get up and fill them up. Let’s go polar bears. Mingle, fill out your cards, eat, and drink up.”
As she waves her hands, the DJ starts the music back up. When I turn to Cornelius, he’s already out of his seat and making a beeline to the middle of the dance floor. There’s a small crowd around Maddox and he joins the fold.
“They were couple goals back then,” Blondie says to the other lady, confirming my thoughts.Cornelius and Maddox did date back then.Part of me feels like she’s intentionally speaking loudly for my benefit.
“Them two plus Cleo and Andre. I really thought they would end up together. Cleo is here somewhere and she has two kids with Andre. I heard they are divorced though and Andre didn’t make it tonight,” her friend divulges.
“Wow! I wonder what happened.”
“No telling, girl.”
“Well, I really want the tea on Maddox and Cornelius. What happened to them? You know they are both in Crescent Falls.”
My suspicion that her loud voice is for my benefit is confirmed when her messy ass turns and stares at me. When she smirks, I grace her with a beautiful smile. I refuse to let her see me pressed. After ignoring her, I take a sip from mysangria then wave a server over. The one who approaches has salad and charcuterie cups on her tray. I grab one salad and two charcuterie cups. I love brie and olives and the charcuterie cups have both in them.
As I enjoy my bite of brie, I glance back at the dance floor and notice Maddox and Cornelius are no longer there. My eyes quickly scan the room but I don’t spot either of them.Where did they go?To be sure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me, I scan the room again and still don’t see him. So I grab my phone and dial him. No answer.Seriously.
Frustrated, I pop the remainder of the brie bite into my mouth then bite two of the olives off of the skewer. Then, I gulp down this too fruity sangria and stand. I was sick of looking at the smirk on Blondie’s face anyway.
I head toward the dancefloor first, just in case I missed him in the sea of dancers. I didn’t, so I walk through the wall of high cocktail tables. Each has a few people standing around them, enjoying their drinks, food, and conversations. When I pass the second group of tables, my phone vibrates in my hand. I glance at it and see it’s him so I answer.
“Hey. Where are you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” he says, not really answering my question.
“Corey? Where are you?”
“I’ll figure something out,” a woman says in his background.
“Corey!” I yell then raise my hand as an apology when a group of people glare at me. The woman continues to mumblein the background but I can’t make out her exact words over the music. I pick up my pace, then briskly charge toward the door with my phone pressed close to my ear. He and the woman are talking but I can’t hear clearly. “Corey. Corey,” I repeat but he’d obviously dialed me by accident. “Shit,” I utter. I’m so busy trying to make out their conversation that I’m not paying attention to where I’m going. I’m immediately aware when I collide with a muscular frame. “Dammit,” I yell as my phone falls from my hand on impact. It lands on the floor. A familiar scent tickles my nose and I look up to see him, the man from earlier. “Sorry,” I apologize before scanning the floor for my phone.
We spot my phone at the same time but he’s closer to it and quicker. Before I can reach for it, he cranes down and scoops it up. “Here you go,” he says and I graciously take it. “We keep bumping int—”
“I’ve missed you too,” the woman on my phone says clearly, cutting him off. It appears that either he or I accidentally pressed my speaker during the exchange. Just before I turn the speaker off, he stops me with his words.
“Maddox?” he asks. “You know her?”
“No. Just saw her tonight, but apparently she knows my boyfriend. He pocket-dialed me and it appears they are together.” I shrug. “Let’s go over here,” I suggest but he doesn’t move.
“Just hang up,” he insists and I just stare at him for a moment.
He can’t be serious!
My curiosity is too piqued for that and I need to know what the hell those two are talking about. So I take my phone offspeaker and press it to my ear as he pulls his out to make a call. I assume he’s calling Maddox because when he ends his call, his handsome face is contorted. He looks as frustrated as I feel.
Since he wanted me to end the call, I journey away from him and the loud ballroom. As soon as I’m in the small hall by the restroom, I journey to the back corner and sit in one of the two chairs. I’m the only one back here so I place my phone back on speaker and just in time too. Soft moans and groans emit from my phone.
“Mm, Cornelius. Bayy-bee,” she moans and my face burns with rage.
He’s cheating on me. He brought me to this cold ass town in February and he has the nerve to be fucking cheating.
