“I love you Lex, and if this is our last time until we are officially one, I hope you remember it.”
“I will Chance, I will,” she replied breathlessly. This time she would not cry nor allow feelings of guilt and immorality to overtake her. No, this time she would relish the connectedness she shared with Chance. Alexis was thankful he understood her convictions and was willing to honor them. She hugged Chance tightly around his neck and reminded him just how much she loved him.
“We will be together again soon baby, I promise.”
*****
It had been two weeks since Alexis informed Chance of what she needed from him. It was hard, but he honored her request. Chance was a man’s man and he loved the company of a woman. But he kept his word and hadn’t touched Alexis in that way since the last time they were together. The two of them continued to spend considerable time together. With just two short weeks before the wedding, they had a lot to get accomplished. Seeing Alexis on the regular made it even harder for Chance to reign in his desires and honor the celibacy agreement he made. He loved her, but he wanted to make love to her - plain and simple. No, he didn’t love her for just her body, but having that kind of connection with Alexis made the relationship definitely worth the while.
In preparation for the big day, Chance and his best man, Luke, met at Savvy Formalwear for their final tuxedo fittings. One of the earlier concessions that Chance and Alexis made was on the size of the bridal party. Chance wanted it small and intimate, and Alexis wanted to have a much larger party standing with them on their special day. Chance wasn’t in agreement, and only wanted the man who had stood with him through everything by his side. After copious discussion and some give and take, Alexis agreed to the smaller bridal party. Luke would be the only person standing with Chance - just like he wanted it.
Chance was unusually tense and Luke noticed it right away.
“What’s up bro?” Luke asked as he stood in front of the mirror waiting for the seamstress to finish pinning the cuff of his pants.
“Ah, its nothin,” Chance responded feigning a smile.Luke was not convinced.He’d known Chance since they were teens; getting into trouble on the streets of Atlanta. He knew when there was something not quite right.
“Chance, come on man! You not foolin' nobody, especially yo’ boy. So ‘fess up son. What is it?Cold feet?”
Chance tried to brush it off. He knew he could confide in Luke, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell him what was really going on.
“Nah, not cold feet…more like a cold bed.”The seamstress finished up with Luke and momentarily stepped out of the dressing room; leaving the two friends alone.
“What?Lex stopped putting out or something, dawg?”
“Something like that,” Chance shook his head embarrassed at the admission.
“Aww damn! You for real?” Luke said jokingly, but quickly realized his friend wasn’t laughing with him.
“Yo Luke, that shit ain’t funny man…”
“Wow… word? So how long she been holding out on you?”
“Two long ass weeks man…I don’t think I can take this shit much longer,” Chance shook his head; still finding it hard to believe the predicament he found himself in.
“And you been straight? You been keeping it cool? No side piece?” Luke remembered the good old Chance, and wondered if he had reverted back to his player days considering the drought he was in.
“Naw man, I been keeping it real but it’s hard though. I ain’t gone lie.”
“How much longer ya’ll gotta' do this no knocking boots thing?”
“Two more weeks! Not until after she says I do and get my last name. Only then will we be able to do the damn thing.”
“Sh… you betta' then me. My girl already know, more than 72 hours and I ain’t hit it, she need to be checking her friends cause I’m hitting something!”
Chance didn’t laugh with his friend. He didn’t find the situation funny at all. He was struggling to uphold his promise to Alexis, and Luke talking about the realities of being a man didn’t make it any better.
“That shit ain't funny, man.”
“Sorry dude…I’m just saying…It couldn’t be me,” Luke continued to joke around. “Hell if that situation don’t change, the bachelor party is going to be nuts for real!”
Chance hadn’t given too much thought to the bachelor party. It had been scheduled for months and Luke was responsible for putting everything together. He knew his friend all too well. There would be plenty of half-naked women gunning to replace his bride-to-be. The ratio of women to men would be 3 or 4 to 1 knowing Luke. Feeling the way he was feeling right now, Chance would need just about that many - if not more - to unload the baggage he was carrying.