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“I know.” He grabbed his glass of water again, eyes faltering. “I’m working on it.”
Chapter 6
Part II cont’d
April | Present Day
Under the exhaust fan over the stairs leading to the rolling room, I watched her long neck as Witherspoon stretched over six steps, one leg hiked higher than the other while she pulled from her stick. Holding my phone in my hand, I’d abandoned the conversation I’d been in with Ava on one text thread and Man on another. Everything this chick did fascinated me.
Witherspoon decided on a cigar over dessert. I was cool with that. Today was about her. I told her we could have her dessert to-go. John had put in the order. When we finished her question session in the dining room, we walked up the same staircase we were hanging out on now while she enjoyed her cigar made in the roller’s room. After learning her options from the torcedor—a term among lots I learned when getting into the business—Witherspoon settled on aMauve-infused Maduro wrapped stick. It smelled amazing, like her.
Her eyes were low, hair half on the stair and her shoulder. Being stretched out, I peeped her belly. Her cute single ab was hilarious and tempting at the same damn time. Her high heels wore like second feet for her, and her agile body was a treasure like none other.
“I’m in a restaurant, smoking aMauve-infusedPor el Amor del Amor—or…” she paused. “Is this a real restaurant or a winery…or a cigar factory?”
When her heavy eyes hit me, I laughed. “All of the above, kinda.”
“What does that mean?” Witherspoon’s laughter was breathy and…uncontrolled.
Tipsy and somewhat influenced by the premium cigar, she was still free—carefree. She could have run out of here like a bat out of hell when I got real with her about my past, but like a G, she’d stayed. Her body language told it all. Her spirit was free around me. Still.
I went back to my text, trying to type as I explained. “It was originally a vineyard.”
“Right.Château Blevin’s.”
I hit send on the text message. “True that. Then the heads of both companies decided to do a land-share and profit split deal. Then, I guess, someone came up with the idea of using this building for a small, exclusive restaurant.”
Witherspoon’s attention traveled a few feet away to the area we’d just eaten in. “That place looks like it could fit six tables. I wonder why there’s only one table tonight.”
“Hmm.” Was my response to that last point. “The dining room seats eight. The place is consistently sold out.”
Witherspoon blew outMauve-infused smoke. “Wonder what happened tonight.” She scoffed, gazing lazily my way. “I guess they found out the two therapy patients were coming and canceled.” She found that funny. And I foundthathilarious. Then she spit out a hard ass titter. “I remember when we were like eight or nine, my best friend, Becky’s, dad rented out the bowling alley for her birthday and hadKFCcater it. Shizu and I were hot with envy, man! But her mom, Mrs. Robinson, was livid, thinking it was the cheesiest, low-class thing to do.” She howled in laughter.
“That’s crazy.” Her humor felt good.
“Yup.” She tapped her stick in the ashtray near my boot. “And then at my other best friend, Shizu’s, birthday party, her father rented out the skating rink and hadB-Way Burgercater it. Mrs. Kato was fine with it, but Shizu and Becky were hot. He totally stole Mr. Robinson’s idea!” She cracked the hell up. “I think I was the only person perfectly content at both parties because I thought it was bad ass to buy out the whole facility like that, you know.” She took a pull from her stogie.
“Word? Y’all parents did things like that all the time?”
She shook her head. “I had a great childhood, but not mine. My mom held all of my events at our house. She kept them intimate and on the property. She once said she had my father buy the right lot and built the perfect amount of amenities to hold all of our celebrations on the property. It never got boring.” With her eyes closed, she took from her stick again then blew it out masterfully. “In so many ways, I’m like my mom with that elegant simplicity for events. It’s like your estate. You can have your wedding out there—if it’s small—your baby showers and kids birthday parties. You have space on both sides of the veranda back there.” Then her brow line went tight. “Damn. It feels so sad to bring up those events in your life.”
“Sad?”
“Yeah, because I won’t be a part of them.”
“Why wouldn’t you?” I was confused as hell. It’s not like I was moving.
“Because your wife wouldn’t want the woman who took your post-lockup virginity at any of her events!” Witherspoon fell out laughing again.
I shook my head. “Leave it to you women to think so far down the line.”
“Well, according to your rigid timetable, you’ll be married by the end of the year.”
Damn…
That shit did sound sad. But why? I wanted a wife. I wanted kids, too. But that meant no Witherspoon.
“What?” her soft tone pulled me out of my head.
