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Twenty-Three
The P.I. and the Influencer
Vannah
Okay, so yesterday hadn’t exactly gone on without a hitch. Byron meeting her uncles, and then Richard being there, was not an expected addition to the already intense setting. But at least they’d gotten past it all without too much drama. Richard hadn’t even attempted to approach or talk to Vannah, and even left early. ThankGod. Now they had the easier uncles to get past and she’d be home free. Though Byron didn’t seem to share her optimism about this being as easy peasy as she was trying to make it seem.
They’d barely been at the restaurant a few minutes when Byron got his first loud dose of the Romero’s. Vannah was still showing him around, and they weren’t even upstairs yet in the banquet room where the party was taking place when she heard the unmistakable wheezing laughter. It was followed up by equally loud and obnoxious snorting.
Both she and Byron turned at the same time toward the stairwell that led to the banquet rooms. Uncle Max was at the bottom holding his wife Aunt Pat’s arm who’d apparently nearly lost a shoe on her way up. Uncle Manny and his wife Aunt Aida were just behind them busting a gut over it.
“That’s why I don’t like stairs,” Manny said through his laughter. “They’re always up to no good.”
More wheezing, as Pat turned to give Manny an unamused look, before shaking her head and finished putting her shoe back on. Max turned back to Manny trying to look annoyed but couldn’t help smirk. “It’s up tosomething, Manny. If you’re gonna make corny ass jokes at least get them right.”
“Still works my way,” Manny protested.
Just then, Max spotted Vannah. “Hey, is that Thing One, or Thing Two? I can never tell.”
Manny turned before Vannah could respond and smiled big at her. “Hey, Sweetheart. How ya doin?” He tapped Max’s arm with disapproval. “What are you, senile? This sweet thing is Vivianna.”
“Nope,” Vannah shook her head. “Vivianna is my cousin. Uncle Sal’s daughter.”
“Ha!” Max scoffed as they all started toward her and Byron. “At least I got the right dad. She’s one of Alex’s twins, ya old goat. I just can never tell them apart.”
“Savannah,” she clarified as she started toward them to meet them. “But my siblings call me Vannah.”
Manny snapped his fingers as they reached her. “See, that’s what I meant.”
“No, you didn’t,” Max said as he leaned over and hugged and kissed her.
While Manny and Max argued about it, Vannah proceeded to greet the rest of them one by one then introduced them to Byron. “Yeah, yeah,” Manny said taking Byron in wide eyed. “Moe told us you was dating Beast’s brother. How ‘bout that?”
Distracted by his wife when she asked Manny to fix something on the strap of her shoe, Max leaned in a little and lowered his voice. “My nephew says he thinks he’s the only one that’s made the connection about your brother and you know . . .” He lowered his voice even more. “The past. He says he’s leaving it that way.”
He winked at them and started up the stairs with his wife. “What’d he say?” Manny asked a bit out of breath after having to bend over. “Nothing,” Max said without turning back. “Just walk.”
Vannah and Byron exchanged confused glances though she did notice Byron tense a bit. He’d openly shared with her about his brother’s shady past and she really hoped that’s what Max meant. That they weren’t going to be holding it against Byron. Smiling, she shrugged squeezing Byron’s hand and hoped this hadn’t made him even more nervous.
They headed up to the party as Manny grilled Byron about his brother’s boxing matches. Vannah was more than grateful now for Byron’s famous brother. Even yesterday the boxing talk had taken precedence over too much more personal questions about their relationship. Neither of these two uncles askedanythingabout it. They were far more interested in Beast and when, notif,they’d get to meet him.
As they entered the packed banquet room, Vannah started her rounds. Table by table, relative by relative, and close friends of the family, she greeted them all, then introduced them to herfriendByron. By the time they were done she was exhausted, but she’d been right. It was far less nerve wracking than yesterday. They finally reached the table where Manny, Max and their spouses were just settling in. They too had also been busy making the rounds.
“We can sit here, or there’s room over by my parents and uncle—” Vannah stopped and smirked when Byron was instantly pulling a chair out at the table with the Romero’s. “Fine,” she said as she sat down on the chair he offered her. “But you still haven’t met Uncle Romero and he’ll be sitting at this table too, no doubt.”
“Yeah, get ready for that one,” Aunt Pat said shaking her head.
Vannah chuckled at Byron’s widening eyes though Pat didn’t elaborate further. Vannah asked about their kids, to which Pat explained they were at her mom’s. Uncle Romero and his wife Izzy arrived with their two oldest. Their younger two were also at Pat’s mom’s since she and Izzy were sisters.
Vannah and Byron were on their feet again to greet them. “I heard about you,” Romero peered at Byron, arms crossed in front of him after the introductions.
“Dad,” his daughter Amanda said in a cautioning tone and he turned to her. “You promised.”
“What? All I said was that I heard about him.” He turned to Vannah this time. “I also heard you’re not staying with your parents this weekend.”
“Romero.” This time it was Izzy interrupting.
He turned to his wife. “Honey, it’s just me, her uncle, making a friendly observation.” He turned back to Byron. “I’m just saying, if this is how it’s gonna be, if this iswhatit is, I’m sure her dads already told you, but look around. This is what you’ll be dealing with should anything go wrong, and baby girl here sheds so much asonetear.”
