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I was eating at RageefreakingMcKinnon’s mansion.Ragee McKinnon!And he had a celebrity ensemble at his holiday dinner. Torifriggin’McNabb and her family were here. I accidentally walked in on her breastfeeding in Ragee’s office, having mistook Ragee’s instructions for the powder room. Of course, it was awkward as hell. I couldn’t stop apologizing. She was so gracious, unhurried when she told me it was okay. Her husband was tall, meeting her lengthy stature. They looked damn good together. She had been retired for some years now, but still looked super fit.
How?
Trent Bailey, from theConnecticut Kings, was here with his family, too. His wife, Jade, was beautiful. Tobias once told me we favored. I could see why he would say so considering both our heights and complexions. Jade worked well against her husband’s height and weight, being so petite. I noticed her throwing her weight into him a time or two, Trent’s body not effected by the intrusion at all. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel, and mine were a light color, too. She was gorgeous, and so was Trent. It was cool, telling people I’d seen him play live, and now, I was sharing a Thanksgiving meal with him and his family.
Wow!
Yes, I’d known he and Tobias were colleagues. Tobias practically revived Ragee’s musical career, although he said all the time, the credit shouldn’t go to him exclusively. Tobias and I had been platonic friends for well over a year before our first kiss. He’d wanted me sexually, as I had him, but we honored the friendship before going where our flesh seemed to have “needed” to be. Over the past three years, we talked and talked.
There was very little I didn’t share with him once I’d grown to trust Tobias. And he’d shared a lot with me. He spoke about how his friendship with Raj had deepened once they worked on their first, full album collaboration. Tobias had mentioned Raj’s wife, Wynter. He’d shared how she was a budding writer with growing success, and how they’d adopted three boys a while ago. I’d even seen Ragee backstage at two of his concerts last year, and the year before, had been in hisCheckerboardclub, in the main room with him, at the same time. But being in his home, watching his chemistry with his wife, their children, and friends, was a different phenomenon. So, maybe I was being weird.
I clenched his big hand intertwined with mine over his hard thigh. Since arriving, the only time Tobias was not touching me in some form was when I used the bathroom before dinner. His hands cupped mine, threaded with my fingers, often were in my hair, on my waist, shoulders, or lower back. Shamefully, I reveled in each second of his aggressive touch.
I grinned his way. “I’m eating.” Then I crossed my eyes, stuck out my tongue, and lifted a cheek.
Predictably, Tobias laughed then shook his head. “I got something to put in those deep dimples.”
I whispered back just as low, “Oh, you’vegotsomething to make these dimples disappear, but you playin’.”
I realized the inappropriateness of that statement just as it left my mouth and froze. Tobias’ reaction mirrored mine for seconds long until his eyes softened into slits. “You wanna elaborate on that?”
With food in my mouth, my jaw collapsed. Did I mean that? Yes. I absolutely wanted to taste Tobias, but could never be bold enough to broach the subject. However, it seemed I just had.
“What’re y’all whispering about over there?” Raj asked from the top of the table. We were in the middle, to his left side, him to our right.
He’d been holding court with the table, talking politics, sports, and generally catching up with his guests. I’d been a fly on the wall, feeling an outer-body phenomenon that began before the star-studded dinner. I was with Tobias. Just the thought of it dispersed butterflies in my stomach. I was crazy. Out of my damn mind. I’d just awakened in my bed this morning, only looking forward to a successful apartment search. Then I was completely blindsided by Kelly-Ann’s beef with me.
I spoke to Scott on the plane. He and his cousin had returned to the house, and I wasn’t there. He was able to piece together what happened. I told him I was fine, and that I’d be accessible to him. I needed some alone time, but was honest when telling him I wasn’t alone. He needed to know that. Scott empathized with me more than I wanted him to. I hated that for him. My life had been my mess to sort. Once again, I assured him I would be fine, and he would, too. He made me promise to check in with him later.
“Menophilia,” Tobias answered, casually reaching for his tumbler.
The handsome, brawny, bearded man at the end of the table, closest to Raj, choked on his food. Simultaneously, Wynter’s eyes burst wide. I was confused as Raj peered at me briefly.
“Oh, shit,” the effeminate man, sitting across from us, toward the left, murmured and blinked his darkly, lined eyes as he gazed at Tobias. He wore black crushed velvet that fit like it was made for him, with aChanelbrooch pinned to the lapel of his jacket.
Ragee’s brows furrowed. “What about it?”
Yeah. What about it?
“Just laying parameters for our impending marriage. Lennox asked about the good ol’ Rusty Trombone. I told her I’d have to ask you abouttha—”
The bearded guy next to Raj’s chair pushed back from the table. Wynter collapsed dramatically into her chair. Raj hung his head.
The effeminate man enunciated, “Fuck!” His pronounced cheeks high.
Across from us, Trent murmured, “Shit…”
Tori’s husband covered his mouth. Tori appeared as confused as me. Unbothered, Tobias forked a piece of baked salmon into his mouth. I caught when he tossed a cheeky wink toward Ragee down the table.
“Oh, we doing that tonight? In front of my pastor?” Raj gestured toward the man trying to clear his throat and recover from Tobias’ cryptic words.
He’s a pastor?
Hedidpray over the food—and quite impressively…eloquently for a metro-sexually styled man. His wife was tall and well-proportioned with big, wild, wooly hair. The style worked for her. It told of Nubian vibes with her rich, mocha complexion. These were real-life great-looking couples.
I wanna be one…
My attention returned to Tobias, who still played placid to the ruckus he’d caused amongst the adults at the table. “Bishop knows what time it is,” he thickly returned before feeding himself again.
