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Davis rushes over to help guide her out of harm’s way while Mason juggles the bowls before rearranging them back on the shelf.
“You okay, Grams?” Davis asks, looking her over for signs of injury.
“Oh, I’m so clumsy with these bad eyes of mine. Never mind me.” Davis is still fussing over her. But she shrugs away from him and arrows in my direction, wearing a slick grin. “So…what are you boys talking about today?”
That grin tells me she already heard everything she needs to hear. But she’s still digging for more dirt.
“Nothing,” I spit out before my asshole brothers throw me under the bus as usual. I plant a kiss on Sparkle’s head and quickly hand her off to her father. Then, I take Grammy by the arm. “Come on, Grams. Let’s get you to the community center. You’re late for your French class again.”
The guys suppress their laughter as I usher Grams out of the bakery.
“Bye,virginia,” Jasper singsongs after me and I launch a roll of paper towels at him, smacking him in the chin.
Right before the door shuts behind me, I hear the rest of the guys echoing him. “Bye,virginia.”
“Dearie, why are they calling you ‘Virginia’?” Grammy blinks curiously at me.
Oh, hell no, we’re not having this conversation.
“Careful, Grams. Watch your step.” I guide her around a pothole in the parking lot and open the car door for her.
I manage to direct the conversation as I drive her to her meetup and she’s distracted enough with text messaging her friends that she doesn’t try and ask me about Nadia.
At the community center, the women are knitting up a storm at one table, while the men are on the other side of the room, slumped in their chairs with their mouths agape and a deck of playing cards scattered across the table in front of them. I get Grammy settled with her girlfriends and find myself a seat on a bench in the hallway. No sign of Nadia today—not that unusual—but I still hold out hope that she’ll make an appearance.
The old ladies gossip as they wait for their French instructor to show up. They don’t seem to notice that their voices are carrying out the door.
“Did you hear about the Children's Charity Gala?” I hear my Grammy ask.
Uh-oh.
“No.What about it? Who wants my money now?” I think that’s Delores.
“Don’t worry about your money. That’s all coming to me when you die first.” I suppress a chuckle. I’m pretty sure that’s Nadia’s grandma speaking. I scoot across the bench to get a look inside the room.
“Newsflash—she changed her will, heifer,” Liam’s Yaya breaks the news to Nadia’s grandmother. “George convinced her to leave it all to him.”
The look of betrayal on Nancy’s face could burn the building to the ground.“But I’m the one taking you to your doctor’s appointments. I even took you to your colonoscopy last week. Don’t I deserve a little something as a ‘thank you’?”
Delores brushes her off. “You get my friendship until death. That’s plenty.”
Grammy interrupts the back and forth arguing. “Can it, you two,” my grandmother snaps. “Harry and Nadia are going to the gala. Together!”
A collective gasp rings out across the table. The room lights up with excitement.
I poke my head through the doorway and hear Delores ask. “Who’s your source?”
Grammy sits there, preening. “I have my ways, and I’m not willing to disclose them at this time. What matters is…they are going together.”
Nadia’s granny is overflowing with excitement. “This is good! This is good! We really need to make sure this is a big night for them.”
Of course, Grammy is onboard. “This is their big shot at love. If they would just have sex, they’ll see they are meant to be together.”
“But how do we make sure they have sex?” Nancy asks. “Light candles and throw rose petals?”
“Yes to the candles and petals!” I hear someone holler. “Brilliant idea.”
Delores butts in. “No. Stupid idea. How would we even make sure they go home together? I say we go with the ylang ylang essential oil. It’ll have them all over each other before they even make it to the front door.”
