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The disgust surging through my veins dies at the sight of Steven escorting my sister into the establishment. With an upturned nose, she moseys over.
“When you said drinks with the guys,” she adopts a snooty tone, “I assumed you meant a classy establishment. Nevertheless, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone out for drinks withmyhusband.”
Maybe she doesn’t saymyhusband as if Steven is her precious. Maybe her tone doesn’t fluctuate at all but I smile. “Steven, you supported my relationship earlier. I appreciate that.”
“No problem,” he says.
“That’smy hubby, isn’t he the best?” Gabriella slinks over his arm.
“Your husband is the best,” I reply in a singsong tone. “It’s such a shame. I’ve envied you, Steven. How you handled the Matson case and still enjoyed the Fourth of July in Maui, was it?”
A flush of embarrassment whispers across Steven’s cheek. “I botched that one, Gina. You fixed it. But no, we missed the Fourth of July on my family’s island because I . . . ahem, was just handed that assignment.”
Just like at the dinner table on Thanksgiving, eyes are ping-ponging between the two of us. Geraldine licks her lips, waiting for the bomb to drop. Zane is ever knowing, and Santino doesn’t attempt to reprimand me. Although Gabriella runs a soft hand across her neck, a subtle implication of how I need to “help a sistah out.”Namely my own.
Insensible to Gabriella’s desire, I chew my lip. “Gabby, you’re holding out on me! How did you get the tropical island glow? Refresh my memory. You had it during the conversation where you insisted on helping me with alove connection.I just assumed that was residual happiness from your vacay?”
“Gabriella.” He turns to her. “When I’m in the city working with your family, you spend most of the time with your parents. That was a fake tan?”
Geraldine sniggers. “Black people paying for tans?”
While my oldest sister is piecing the puzzle together, I feign ignorance. “Oh, darn, Steven, you didn’t go on vacation? You usually return beet red. Gabby, where did you get that tan? Santino and I are going on vacation. I need aglow uplike that, darling.”
“No!” Steven snarls. “We missed the vacation on the Fourth with my family! Gabby was home with your mom, Little Stevie, and little . . . Wait? Gabby, you saidthose peopleasked us to go on vacation with them right before the Fourth? You leftmy fucking kidswith your mom!”
“No—I—”
“You came home on July 3rd! The same night I returned from the city,” his voice carries clear across the room.
I grab Santino’s hand and nudge my chin to the exit while eyeing Geraldine. Her lips purse when Zane encircles her waist and drags her away.
“I’m a smut columnist!” She retorts as the door to the bar closes, while the bar manager asks my sister and her husband to keep it down. “If Steven leaves her and takes those kids. . .! Woah, I will be in the States with a big ol’ bag of popcorn watching Gabriella move from her mansion of a home. Little Stevie, who is 103 . . . Shit, how old is he?”
“Probably 1031 days. Geraldine, I haven’t the slightest idea.” I chuckle.
“That little boy is her pride and joy. Baby girl? Not so much.” Geraldine stalls. “We should go back inside and watch.”
“Okay, Terry McMillan Junior,” I snort. “I have no idea if that will play out in your favor. But while you give us a long ride back to the city, I’m sure Santino and I can offer you a lil’ something for your fans.”
“Gina,” Santino growls.
I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell me we will be traveling for hours and no touching?”
Santino pulls me against him, his mouth tickling across my ear as he whispers, “Remember the night I took you home after you first had dinner with Ma?”
Geraldine eyes us suspiciously. “What did he say?”
My core rises as I recall howSantino could touch me,but I was banned from touching him.
Santino heads off with Zane to get the car. Licking my lips, conspiracy abound, I tell my sister, “All he said was . . .”
She’s waiting on bated breath for something juicy as I lean in close to whisper, “Merry Christmas.”
Thank you
Thank you for reading! This has been a tumultuous year, which prompted me to attempt my first romantic-comedy. Let me know if it was an epic success or a just as epic failure in the form of a review ;)
Have a blessed holiday season and know that Jesus is the reason for the season.
