Trouble Down The Road. Bettye Griffin

the moment on film.

      “I’d be happy to snap a picture so that you can get in it,” a deep voice offered.

      She turned to see a tall man who appeared younger than most of the ones in attendance, standing beside her. She recognized him as the escort of the woman in the daring white dress, herself young. “That’s very kind of you. I think I’ll take you up on it.” She handed him the camera.

      “It only seems right for you to be in the picture with your sisters and…aunt, maybe?”

      She chuckled. Lisa would certainly not be happy to learn that this man thought they were aunt and niece. “The one on the right is actually my daughter.”

      “You don’t say!”

      She nodded, and still smiling, went to stand on Devon’s right as Lisa and Paige shifted so that Lisa was on the outside.

      Suzanne quickly found Derrick, who agreed to take Kenya home “as soon as I finish my plate.” She rolled her eyes. Every time she’d seen her brother this evening he had a plate in his hand. Anyone would think he’d never seen food before.

      She next looked for her mother, but found her dancing with an older gentleman, the father of Brad’s friend Calvin Braxton, who was visiting his son from somewhere up north.

      She’d just have to fill her mother in on what was happening later. In the meantime, she wanted to know how things went between Brad and Ernie. Her eyes scanned the area, first recognizing that Flo danced with Darrell Canfield, then saw Brad talking with Lisa.

      Suzanne’s jealousy meter soared. She knew Brad and Lisa retained no romantic feelings for each other, but nevertheless, it annoyed her to see them talking alone. It still stung that Brad seemed to know about Paige and Gregory but had said nothing to her. This latest development only compounded the ever-present feelings of inadequacy Suzanne felt because Lisa was a degreed professional while she’d barely passed high school. Much of the time she found comfort in the fact that she and Brad had a nicer home and more money than Lisa and Darrell, but tonight she experienced no such solace. Being surrounded by Lisa, a pharmacist; Micheline, a multilingual paralegal; and other professional women like Liloutie Braxton, a corporate recruiter, made her feel like nothing more than a girl from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks who through her connection to Paula Haines had metamorphosed into an excellent hostess.

      Paula came up beside her and gently tapped her upper arm. “It’s ten after twelve. How do you feel about rolling out the cake now?”

      “Yes, that’s fine.”

      “I hope Brad’s lungs are in good shape. I can’t believe you had fifty candles put in it.”

      Suzanne shrugged. “Well, it’s a sheet cake.” They shared a laugh. “I’ll go over to Brad now and try to hold him in the same spot.”

      “Perfect. I’ll go help light the candles. It’ll probably take three of us to get it done quickly.”

      Suzanne walked over to where Brad stood with his first wife. “Did everything go all right with Ernie?” she asked.

      “Yeah, perfectly. I talked to him around the side of the house. He’s sulking at the bar.” He grunted. “Of course, anyone with any sense would just leave.”

      Suzanne looked at Lisa, so pretty and elegant. “Did Ernie act inappropriately with you, Lisa?”

      “He didn’t get a chance to. Every time I saw him coming I moved.”

      “Smart girl,” Brad commented.

      Suzanne kept a smile plastered on her face. She hated to be reminded about how smart Lisa was.

      Darrell returned, playfully dancing around Lisa, bumping her butt with his. “Dance with me, baby.”

      They headed toward the center area where people were dancing. Suzanne stayed with Brad and chuckled at Darrell’s antics on the dance floor. He’d clearly had enough alcohol to be a little tipsy, and at one point Lisa stopped dancing and merely stared at him incredulously, her hands on her hips and her chin lowered to her chest.

      At that moment the music suddenly stopped, and the male lead singer picked up the microphone. “We interrupt the music for an important announcement.” He raised his left hand behind him, obviously signaling the band. They began to play the Happy Birthday song as one of the waiters wheeled the large sheet cake, its top flaming with candles inserted around the edges, outside, bringing the cart to a stop in front of Brad. The guests joined the band in singing birthday wishes to Brad, and people immediately began laughing and buzzing about the large number of candles on it.

      “At times like this I’m glad I don’t smoke,” Brad quipped. He took a deep breath, leaned forward, and blew out the candles, not in one breath, but he only needed two.

      Suzanne applauded with the others. She spotted Paula looking hungrily at a brawny young waiter. She knew Paula preferred younger men, but this was pushing it, even for her. This young man looked like he was still in his twenties.

      Brad impulsively gathered her in a hug, first kissing her lightly on the mouth, then holding her for a prolonged moment. When they finally parted Suzanne couldn’t help the way her eyes automatically sought out Micheline, wanting to make sure she’d witnessed the exchange of affection. Standing next to Errol, her hands applauding, it was a cinch she had. She might appear outwardly as happy as everyone else, but Suzanne didn’t believe it for a second.

      She noticed with dismay that all the men standing within a few yards of Micheline were discreetly checking out her backside, and Suzanne’s stomach did a little leap. She’d always been the one the male guests stole glances at when they thought their wives weren’t looking.

      Her looks and sex appeal made up a large portion of what attracted Brad to her in the first place, and what kept him satisfied, but she was getting older. What would happen if she lost them? Would she lose Brad, too?

      “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

      Flo looked confused. “I don’t get it. What’s going on, Ernie? The party is nowhere near over. They’re just about to cut the cake.”

      “They’re a bunch of snobs here. I just don’t feel like being bothered.”

      Flo hesitated. It was true that she wasn’t enjoying the party as much as she would have liked, and she knew she’d chosen the wrong dress. But Ernie certainly seemed to be having a good time. She didn’t understand why he wanted to leave all of a sudden. Didn’t he realize this was their chance to get back in with Suzanne and Brad?

      “Are you coming?” he asked impatiently, his words punctuated by the smell of alcohol on his breath.

      “You want to just leave without saying good night to Suzanne? She’s our hostess, Ernie? And what about Gregory?”

      “It’ll be better if we just slip out. Gregory will just assume we couldn’t find him to say good-bye.”

      “What’s this all about, Ernie?”

      He sighed. “I’m trying to spare your feelings here, Flo, but if you insist on knowing…I overheard a couple of people cracking on your dress. Under the circumstances, I really think it’s best we leave, while I’m still able to control my temper. If I hear somebody make another nasty crack, I might forget myself and knock them out.”

      Flo gasped. It stung to know that people were making fun of her, but it would be even worse if Ernie got into a shouting match or, worse, came to blows at the home of their hosts. She’d made a terrible mistake in her choice of wardrobe, and the impression had been set in stone. “All right,” she said dejectedly. “Let’s go.”

      Chapter 7

      Suzanne worked in the kitchen, trimming fat from a thick ribeye steak and placing it in a long shallow dish for marinating, where other steaks already soaked in teriyaki-flavored liquid. Her mother kept her company, perched on a bar stool facing the kitchen,