Mistaken Identity

"Oh shit," Denise said.

"Oh shit, what? You know something."

"Oh shit," her sister repeated. "I don't believe he did this."

"What is he doing? What is going on, Denise? You know something I don't know."

"Oh shit."

Angrily, Dana spat, "Quit saying that!"

Denise huffed and she could hear her sister breathing heavily. "Can you leave? Can you get out of there?"

"How, Denise? We drove the limousine down here. He's outside of the bathroom door waiting for me."

A knock on the door assured her that he was still out there. "D, are you okay?"

In her most pleasant voice, trying to sound happy, she said, "I'm great, Jerome. I'll be out in a moment." Getting back on the phone after turning on the water facet, she whispered, "What the hell is going on, Denise? What the hell have you gotten me in?"

"Okay, listen closely, Dana. I thought I could get the wedding postponed about a week ago when I admitted to Jerome that I hadn't gotten my birth certificate and turned in our papers in Michigan in enough time to get married. He refused to listen and said that we'd just do the ceremony for show and then go down to Toledo later on a run."

"A run?"

"You know, a Toledo run. Where you can get married in like twenty-four hours? He'd invited the whole NFL and some really big celebs to the ceremony we had today, so I just figured hey what the hell, we wouldn't go down till afterwards and I'd just stall until later."

"So why the hell did I have to participate in the ceremony this morning, Denise?"

"I told you, Dana,. I'm in love with someone else, and he couldn't bare me walking down that aisle to Jerome."

"He was at the wedding?"

"Yes, Dana!" Denise said exasperated. "He told me if I walked down that aisle, he'd tell Jerome the truth, so I had to do this. I had to use you. I don't want to lose him."

"And you don't want to lose Jerome, either?" Dana was confused and frustrated. "This is some fucked up shit, Denise. You're having your cake and eating it too."

"You owe me!"

"Enough with the owing, Denise. What the hell am I doing in Toledo with your supposed husband?"

"Like I said, Dana. I thought this would take place later. Jerome's always an 'I'll-do-it-later' man. Always." Denise huffed. "I could just call you in about five minutes when you're probably at the alter and say there's some kind of family emergency."

"That would work," Dana agreed, calming down a little. "Do ten minutes and don't be late."

Denise promised. "And I'm sorry for all this mess, Dana. When you get back here, we'll figure everything out."

Dana washed her faced and applied just some lipstick and gloss. Turning off the water, she took a deep breath and stared at her deep cinnamon eyes and her flushed caramel smooth complexion. This was really not happening to her.

Tucking the phone in her bra to keep it close, she opened the door to the bathroom, he was sitting by the door looking a bit worried.

Jerome stood as she stepped out. He had the veil from the car draped over a wrist. Standing up to him like this away from the crowd at the ceremony where they were all alone, she felt drawn to remember that first night they were together. He seemed so enchanted by her and he kept telling her how he thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

'I feel like I've waited my whole life for you, D,' he said that night before she allowed him to lean down and kiss her softly and then take her under a big oak tree in the park.

He kissed her right now, in the present and it still felt like they were under the big oak tree, hidden by the traffic, in the dim evening of a Detroit summer.

"I know what you're thinking about," Jerome said, lightly playing his fingertips over her cheek.

"What?" she asked.

"Our first time."

She blushed as he took her hand and kissed her wrist.

"I always think of that night, D," he admitted.

The older man cleared his throat at a doorway to announce his presence. Neither had heard him come in, because they were so consumed with each other.

"It's time, Mr. Lott, but are there rings for this ceremony? I'd like to look over them before I bless them."

Jerome still had her hand clutched and looked down at their rings. "Yes, we have our rings." He took his off.

Dana patted her chest nervously where she had jammed her cell phone.

He took her hand again and tried to pull her ring off, but it wouldn't budge. She tried as well, but it seemed pretty much lodged on.

"Let me try again," he said, gently getting her finger, extending it and wrapping those thick lips around the base of it, while his tongue massaged her skin, wetting it.

They never broke eye contact and she found herself becoming aroused yet again. Damn, her attraction for him. Damn, what this sexy ass man could do to her libido!

The ring slipped off easily, but they almost forgot about the purpose too zoned into one another.

The older man had to clear his throat again and Jerome guided her into a chapel, near the back of the house.

As they stood in front of the alter, Jerome took her veil and moved in close to her to help put it on. Again his gentleness amazed her.

"You're so big," she noted out loud, not meaning to.

He frowned. "I'm only three hundred, D. There are other guys on the team bigger than me."

"I mean, you seem bigger from this morning."

Looking seriously at her, he said, "I didn't see you this morning."

Catching her mistake, she said obviously, "Yes, you did. The ceremony, silly."

He relaxed a little.

Dana wondered had he tensed thinking he had gotten caught cheating on Denise.

"That was only a couple of hours ago and our ceremony started at eleven. That's considered afternoon." He adjusted her veil once more and moved it over her face. "This time I want to see your face. I think this idea was perfect, D."

Annoyed at the reminder that they were standing in front of an alter and her phone had yet to ring, she thought she could pick an argument with him. "Why do you just call me, Dee and not my whole name?"

A secret smile graced his lips. "I've called you, D since the day I've met you. Don't you remember?"

She remembered now and whatever argument she was going to pick left her thoughts.

There was a clock right behind the old man's head, and all she could do was watch it. She couldn't even be bothered with the preparation the old man and Jerome spoke about.

"I'm a big fan of your skills, Mr. Lott," the old man said. "I watch your games all the time. I never miss one."

Jerome smiled proudly. He looked almost just as happy as he looked after a great orgasm. Denise was right. To crush him now would probably devastate his career.

"There's only one more paper you have to sign and we can began the ceremony, Mr. Lott." The old man placed a paper on the table in front of them.

Three people came in the room and helped the old man prepare for the ceremony. All the while, the three people also admired Jerome Lott.

Dana took a quick look at the paper and gasped. Her name was on the paper. Not Denise's. Her sister had turned in Dana's birth certificate. Not her own. Did she think Jerome wouldn't see this? Denise had been preparing to dupe Jerome the whole time. The plan to use Dana in her place must have come later before Denise thought of the plan to use Dana's name to falsify the wedding. Damn Denise!

"Usually I have the papers signed afterwards," the old man stated, but while you're putting your John Hancock down Mr. Lott, I thought you wouldn't mind signing some other things for an autograph too, cause I know you'd be too busy later with this pretty lady." He handed Jerome the pen first and Dana just wanted to scream.

'Ring phone, ring!'

Jerome quickly signed the paper, not even looking it over, and then turned and signed some autographs paraphernalia for the old man. Two of the witnesses brought items for Jerome to sign too, while the old man turned to her.

"I do need to verify your identification, ma'am," the older man said.

Dana hurriedly jammed her hand in her purse and found her ID. The old man took more than a moment to look at it and then handed her the pen just as Jerome was about to look over her shoulder at the paper.

She scribbled her name and handed the old man the paper and the pen before Jerome could see whose name she was writing.

The old man looked at the signature and then handed her back her identification, which she shoved into her purse. Looking at the clock, she noted it was nine minutes since the phone conversation.

Jerome took her hand and the old man began to speak the words that would bind them to her.

"Do you, Jerome Lott, take BEEP-BEEP-BEEP as your lawfully married wife?"

The phone had rung and Dana almost screamed in joy.

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

"I do," Jerome said sincerely.

"And do you BEEP BEEP BEEP take Jerome Lott to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

She dug the phone out her bra and looked down at the display. It was Denise's phone.

"It's my sister," she told Jerome and put the phone to her ear, "Hello...Umm..Dana?"

There was no answer. The line had gone dead and she was just left with nothing on the other end.

Jerome took the phone and put it in his pocket. Dana started to protest, and he said, "If its important, she'll call back. I'm sure she's just worried about you not being at the reception, but she'll understand once we get back, love. You can call and explain everything."

Dana didn't know how to respond and the phone was not ringing, no matter how much her subconscious willed it. If she finished this ceremony that was going to be a whole lot of explaining to do!

"Please finish," Jerome told the older man.

"We're just waiting for her," the old man said.

"Waiting for what?" Dana snapped annoyed as seconds passed and there was no phone ringing.

Jerome tightened the grip on her hand and edge closer. "D, we're waiting for you to answer the question."

Dana's breath was caught in her throat as she stared up in Jerome's eyes. She just had to stall for time. Playing dumb, she asked, "W-What question?"

Her sister's supposed to be husband didn't seem the least annoyed or upset as he chuckled a bit and calmly asked, "Do you want to marry me?"

Part 9

In the back of Dana's head, she could hear Denise's voice repeating, 'We don't want to hurt him. We don't want to hurt him.'

"Do you or don't you, girl?" One of the witnesses impatiently asked.

Jerome put a hand up to hush the crowd and leaned in to her ear. "I love you, D."

She whispered back as tears welled up in her eyes. "I know."

"And I'm going to give you the world and protect you from everything bad."

"I know." The tears were now running down her face. This magnificent man was too good for her sister.

"From this day forward, it'll just be you and me. No one else. From this time forward, we'll make each other happy. I can't live without you." Wrapping those burly arms around her small waist, he pulled her body tightly against his. Though her head only came to his chest, he curved his body so his head was still on the side of her face.

How she had always wanted to hear a man say those wonderful words to her and hold her close like this forever.

Kissing her neck and cheek like a sweet caress, he said, "Marry me, D. Say I do, please."

"I do."

Again he didn't wait for the permission to kiss her. And Dana responded with just as much passion despite how her heart was feeling. Lawd, the man was irresistible. How could Denise be in love with him?

They barely got the rings back on before he was sweeping her up and he carrying her out the chapel and up some stairs.

"Where are we going?" Dana questioned.

"Our suite. This is a hotel too." He quickly kissed her, effortlessly continuing to carry her down a long hallway and up another bank of stairs until they came to some double doors.

Jerome didn't put her down until they were inside of the room.

"Shouldn't we get back to the reception, Mr. Lott?" she asked, trying not to sound agitated.

"Everyone except your sister and mother knew we weren't going to be there for the party. That reception was really just for the public and to raise some money for my youth athletic foundation, remember, Mrs. Lott?"

She pretended that she did and smiled liking the fact that he called her that.

"I'll go get our bags out the car, while you get showered and changed. I know you're tired." Gently pecking her cheek, he caressed her lips and chin forcing her to look up into his beautiful brown eyes. "Marrying you today was the best thing in my life, D."

"Ditto."

"Say it," he ordered.

Looking confused, she asked, "What?"

"You know what I want to hear."

'No, I don't, cause I'm not who you think I am,' her thoughts screamed. "Refresh my memory, Jerome, please."

"Say I love you. You know I love to hear that from your lips."

Dana thought that was so simple from a man who looked so complicated. "I love you, Jerome."

A bright smile graced those lips and all his teeth showed. "Do you really, D?"

It felt so good to say, "Yes, I do." Lying about her feelings for him came too easily. 'Maybe because they are close to the truth?' she asked herself.

Jerome was about to leave to go get the bags, but when she called his name, he instantly halted at the door.

"Can I have my phone back? I want to make sure my mother's okay and not worried about me."

"Sure," he said and handed her the phone.

When he was gone, she called Denise's cell phone, but it immediately went into voicemail as if it were off. On the third time, Dana left a voice message. Including a number to the hotel/chapel they were staying at, which she retrieved from the nightstand's matchbook.

Just as she hung up the phone, Jerome came in the room quicker than she thought it would take to get all the bags. Had he run to the car and back with all their bags?

"You haven't started your shower yet?"

He was being nothing but nice to her and she just didn't know how to take it. How could she pretend to be Denise around him when she didn't know how Denise was around Jerome?

Obviously Denise didn't act like her true self around him, because that would mean Dana should have been bitchy and snappish all the time, which she hadn't. So however she was acting it must be right because Jerome hadn't said a thing. "I'm sorry," she said.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, D. I just figured you were waiting for me to join you."

Blushing, she rolled her eyes heavenwards at his playfulness. She went into the bathroom and started warming up the water and getting it a nice temperature.

It had been a long day and she did just want to lie on a real bed and fall back to sleep for a while. Removing the wedding dress, she wanted to toss it in the garbage, but didn't. Instead, she laid it over a stool in the room and relieved herself.

Quickly, she got in the shower and scrubbed her body all over with the sweet smelling honey-milk soap. When stepping out the shower, she realized Jerome had come in there and removed the wedding dress and replaced it with a thick robe and a black bag. Inside were feminine toiletries of Denise's. Expensive lotions, perfumes and makeup.

Things Dana usually went to the dollar store and bought, but items where Denise would spend no less than a hundred dollars on.

Dana enjoyed the way the more expensive lotion actually moisturized her skin and how the perfumes and body butter smell clung to her body making it a sensual playground for nose.

Exiting out the bathroom, Dana's nose was graced with the smell of delicious home cooked fried chicken, green beans, and macaroni and cheese.

"I know you hate soul food, D, but this was what they were serving downstairs. I'll go out and find something else."

She shook her head, but then remembered Denise would have expected him to. "It's our wedding night. We shouldn't be apart," she said explaining her actions.

He looked relieved. "You eat while I take my shower and we'll lay down together."

Her brow rose wickedly at the thought of being in a bed fully naked with Jerome.

"Just sleep," he insisted reading her thoughts. "I know how you only like it once a day, D. I said I will always respect your wishes when I married you." He grabbed a guest robe and went into the bathroom.

As soon as the shower started, she felt comfortable to run over to the table where the food was. There was an empty plate beside her full plate, which indicated that he had already eaten.

Dana had to wonder as she gobbled down the food, what other stipulations had Denise enforced upon the man. And how much did he love Denise to bend over backwards for her? Although Jerome seemed the dominate one in the relationship, it seemed that his weakness was his love for Denise.

Instead of drinking the wine provided, she found some water in the small guest refrigerator.

Denise was the drunk. Dana hated alcohol, but she hoped Jerome wouldn't insist anything to drink. There was a bar in the room, fully stocked and it didn't look as if he had gotten anything off of it.

She turned the lights low and used the matches to light the candles around the room. It was just eight in the evening and the sun had yet to set, so she drew the curtains to give the room a little more intimacy. Going through the bags, she found two CD cases in his items. They were the same design, but they had different letters on the front. She waved this off and figured it was because of what they contained. When she found a CD she liked, she put the case back and hoped he wouldn't mind that she had gone through his items.

When he came out the bathroom, she gasped, as all he had draped around his waist was a towel. This was the actual first time she had seen his body – all his body – ever in her life and she couldn't begin to describe how astounding his body was cut. Muscles bulged from every inch of him and not one centimeter of fat was on his body. Gawd, he was a black Adonis that should be admired and adored.

Dana could easily do this.

"Stop looking at me like that, D," he chuckled. "I said we were going to sleep."

He removed the towel and her eyes widened. Even flaccid his darkened shank hung at least eight inches. Her mouth had begun to water and as he approached the bed, she timed it just right to fall to her knees and engulfed him in her mouth.

"D-Damn-" Again, he was lost for words as the tip of him pressed into the back of her throat. The velvety skin felt good on her tongue as she withdrew and then plunged right back down vibrating her tongue knowing it was driving him crazy.

"Did you pick up some tips from your bridal shower, D? Cause you never-" He stopped what he was saying yet again as her mouth released him and suckled both orbs in her mouth. Her tongue tenderly laved the skin past the orbs near his nether and then she licked from that region all the way back to the tip of his shaft.

This time as she swallowed him, she didn't stop her oral manipulation until he was gripping her shoulders, throwing his own head back and releasing deep down her throat. Even then she continued to suckle him until the spasms died down.

"You didn't have to, D," he panted as she stood up.

"I wanted to, Jerome."

He pushed the robe off her shoulders and carried her to the bed. As he cuddled behind her, he pulled her body in the crook of his. They spooned quietly enjoying the proximity of each other until they both fell asleep.

* * ***

The most sensational feeling overcame her and she moaned in glory as her body exploded in the best orgasm she could have ever experienced in her sleep.

Opening her eyes suddenly, she looked down only to meet those wicked brown eyes. His mouth was attached to her moist aperture and his tongue and fingers were busily bringing her back to arousal. That didn't take long and soon she found herself clutching the sheets, biting her lip and moaning her pleasure.