They were setting the table when Rashad strolled in with Yolanda, his girlfriend. Honey noticed her latest ensemble.Cold weather never seemed to matter to Yolanda’s hoochie ass. She was wearing a red leather miniskirt with matching jacket and knee-high black suede boots, highlighting ruby-red lips and eighteen inches of weave. But even with her outrageous getup, she was a sweet girl. Honey hadn’t had a chance yet to find out how importantYolanda really was to her brother, but she had her suspicions. Yolanda knew Rashad saw other women, and she seemed okay about that. Although for one month straight she was the only one he had brought to their mother’s for dinner.
“Hey, Honey,” Yolanda called from several feet behind.
Honey flashed a warm smile. “What’s up, girl?”
Catching her off guard, Rashad came up behind her and scooped her off the floor. “What’s up, sis?”
Honey squirmed in his arms. “Put me down, Rashad,” she demanded between giggles.
He slowly lowered her to her feet and planted a kiss on the back of her neck. After quickly looking around, he asked, “Where’s Lavell?”
Honey glanced over her shoulder and mumbled, “Who?” before swiftly moving back to the kitchen.
Following her into the room, Rashad stopped long enough to plant a kiss on his mother’s cheek before movingto the counter to stand next to Honey. He tilted his head, his smile taunting. “Lavell ... the guy you brought to dinner last Sunday?”
Honey cleared her throat and murmured, “He couldn’t come.” Refusing to meet his eyes, she quickly moved to the refrigerator in search of salad dressing.
“He couldn’t come, or you didn’t invite him?” Rashad now stood beside the refrigerator door with his hands folded across his chest. Grinning, he shook his head ... little sister was at it again.
Shaquil was removing silverware from a drawer. Listening to the exchange, he couldn’t resist teasing and chimed in, “She probably broke the man’s heart.”
Honey closed the refrigerator and shifted her gaze from one to the other. They were baiting her. If her mother wasn’t in the room, she would have cursed both of their mothafuckin’ asses out. “No,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.
“Then what?” Shaquil asked, nudging Rashad in the shoulder. Their eyes locked with a mutual grin.
How she hated being put on the spot. But this time, she wouldn’t give them what they wanted. She placed several bottles on the counter and gave her brothers a sidelong glance.
Rashad stepped forward and playfully poked her in the side. “What gives this time?”
Honey responded with a look of annoyance.
Shaq wagged his hand, then chuckled, knowing she had no intention of explaining. “How many does that make this year, sis? Three? Four? And it’s only February.”He made tsking sounds with his tongue and gave her a sly wink. “At this rate, you’re gonna beat last year’s record.”
His antagonizing voice flustered her, and she was on the verge of exploding. Hands on her hips, she slanted an irritated glance over at him and said, “Shut up, Shaq!” Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that the others were watching and waiting for the answer she refused to provide. Why couldn’t they just leave her the fuck alone? Was it that hard for them to understand that her priorities were different? That her career came first? A man and his dick was the last thing she needed.
Shaquil turned around and leaned against the counter with his ankles crossed. “Are you ever gonna settle down?” His question was serious, but his tone was teasing.
Honey’s lips flattened. “Marriage isn’t meant for everyone.” She moved over to the sink and reached for a dish towel.
“Apparently,” he dryly noted.
She twirled on her heels, her eyes shooting daggers. “Unlike you, I’m not afraid to sleep alone at night.”
“Ha, ha!” Rashad chuckled, bending at the waist. “She got you, bro.”
Yolanda tried unsuccessfully to stifle a grin, and even Helen snickered.
“Funny,” Shaq said, pretending to be annoyed that his sister had brought up the fact that as a child he’d been afraid of the dark.
Tequila was dividing her attention between putting food in serving dishes and listening to her nosy husband.Serves him right. After lowering a pot into the sudsy dishwater, she walked up behind Shaquil and placed a comforting hand on the center of his back. “We don’t have that problem anymore.” She cupped her mouth as if she were telling a secret and pretended to whisper. “I bought him a night-light.” Then she turned and kissed his parted lips before exiting into the dining room, leaving her husband wearing an embarrassedexpression.
Yolanda whipped around in front of the cabinet and quickly brought a fingertip to her lips, causing Honey to chuckle. Rashad was cracking up so hard he fell against the refrigerator.
Helen was used to her children picking on each other. With a hand planted on a lean hip, she moved towardthe refrigerator and found Rashad blocking her way. “Boy, move! I need to get the butter.” Taking note of his mother’s stern expression, he sobered quickly and moved out of her way. She opened the door and reached inside. “I don’t know why the three of you pick on each other so much.”
Shaquil looked flustered. “Why you cracking on a brotha?”
Honey saw the flash of Shaquil’s grin before he tried to conceal it. Thank the Lord for sisters-in-law. “Why’re you in my business?” she countered.
As he rested his elbow on the counter, Shaquil’s mouth lifted in a boyish grin. “All I meant was, you need to at least give us some warning. As soon as I get attached to one of your friends, you give the brotha the boot.”
That did it. Honey flung the towel at his head.
“Hey!” Shaquil ducked, his eyes holding amusement.“Give a brotha a break!”
“You two leave your sister alone,” Helen scolded, ending any further discussion. “Honey has plenty of time to settle down. She’s still young.” She removed the country-style apron from around her waist and moved to take a seat at the kitchen table.
Honey was grateful for her mother’s intervention. She was used to her brothers nagging about her personallife. Usually she ignored them, but for some reason,today she had taken it personally. “Thanks, Mom.” She flashed her a loving smile.
Rashad laughed and flicked his sister’s nose. “My bad. You know I got nothin’ but love for you.”
Honey waved his hand away, then, carrying the salad dressings, moved through the archway heading to the dining room. Shaq followed, saying, “Sorry, sis.” When she purposely ignored his apology, he came up behind her, tickling her under the arm.
Honey was extremely ticklish and flinched, trying to push her brother away. “Stop, Shaq!” she said, laughingand dancing away to avoid being goosed.
“No, not until you accept my apology.”
She dropped the bottles onto the dining room table and dashed for the living room, her brother chasing her. Honey waved her arms, her efforts useless. She was laughing so hard her sides hurt.
“Say it, sis,” he ordered as he tickled her under both arms.
“All right, all right!” Honey fell onto the couch and gave him a shove. This time, he stopped. She placed her palm against her chest and panted. “I accept your weak-ass apology.”
Shaq leaned over and planted a wet one on her forehead.Looking down at her flushed face, he said, “I only want to see my little sista happy.” He then turned and went back into the kitchen, stopping along the way to swat his wife across the behind for her tall tale.
After getting her breathing under control, Honey went to help. As she entered the dining room Rashad appeared, carrying a steaming bowl of beans. He placed it on a pot holder at the center of the table. “Everything’sready.”
“Good. I’m starved,” Honey said, then walked into the kitchen, picked up some serving dishes, and carriedthem out to the dining room. The table was beautifullydecorated with her mother’s favorite china and an old ecru tablecloth that her grandmother had crocheted w
hen Honey was a little girl. She missed Grandma Dee.
The doorbell chimed as Honey placed a basket of rolls on the table, and she went to the living room to answer it. She opened the door and found a handsome old gentleman standing before her with straight black hair liberally streaked with gray, dressed in a white shirt and tie.
“May I help you?” Honey asked with a warm smile.
“I’m here to see Helen.”
His eyes were friendly, and Honey’s curiosity got the better of her. She raised her brow, but before she could find out his name, Helen stepped into the room.
“George, you made it!” she exclaimed from behind Honey. She moved past Honey, took her guest by the hand, and pulled him into the room. “This here’s my daughter, Honey. Honey, I would like you to meet my friend George.”
Honey extended her hand, accepting his firm handshake.
“The pleasure is all mine,” he said in a pleasant voice.
Honey watched her mother take George by the hand again and lead him into the dining room where the othershad gathered. Honey entered just in time to see the surprised expressions on everyone’s face, especially her brothers.
“Let’s eat,” Helen announced. Tequila yelled for Marcus to join them, then the family formed a circle around the table and held hands as Helen said grace.
As usual, dinner was fabulous. George was sitting to her mother’s right with eyes gleaming with admiration. When had Mom sought male company? Honey wondered. She wasn’t mad or anything, just surprised. Damn, Mama’s gettin’ her freak on. It had never dawned on her that after all these years her mother was probably lonely too. Since Curtis Love had walked out on his family when Honey was five, Mom seemed to have resentedmen. Never once had Honey seen her date anyone.Mom had sacrificed so much for them, and had once told her that her children were all she ever needed. Now that they were all grown with lives of their own, Honey knew that was no longer true.
Glancing at George out of the corner of her eye, she wondered how long the relationship had been going on, and suddenly felt envious. Helen had lived a long, hard life, but maybe Honey was the only one that thought her life had been hard. Her mother had worked over thirty-five years as a maid while raising three children,doing the kind of work her children were ashamed of. But never once had Honey heard her mother complain.When her brothers were old enough they found part-time jobs, and against their mother’s wishes they contributed to the household income. Honey had shared a room with her mother until junior high, when they were finally able to move to a larger apartment. By high school, Mom was finally able to purchase the home where she still resided. She was a proud woman and even now, when her children tried to give her money, she refused it, saying she didn’t need it. Maybe she didn’t, but they still used Christmas and her birthday as an excuse to shower her with the luxuries they believed she deserved.
Rashad and Shaquil took turns asking George his life history, while the women ate and listened. When the questions became too damn personal, Helen put an end to their interrogation and announced that George would be a regular at their Sunday meals.
Shaquil exchanged a long look with his brother beforeturning to Honey. “You know, sis, when you do find yourself another date, we’re gonna have to buy Mom a new dining room table. It seems like the last chair has been taken.” His statement earned him an elbow to the ribs from his wife.
“You’re a real comedian,” Honey replied dryly, and rolled her eyes with annoyance. Shaquil never could leave well enough the fuck alone. Then she turned to Marcus, who was sitting to her left, and draped an arm around his neck. “I don’t need a date as long as I have this little sweetheart.” She lowered her lips to kiss the top of his head.
Helen grunted. “I don’t need another table. I’ve had this one for years. We can always pull up a chair from the kitchen.”
Tequila brought her napkin to her lips briefly before asking, “Any hints for your birthday this year, Mama Love?”
Helen shook her head. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”She allowed her eyes to travel around the table. “I have everything I could possibly ever want right here around this table. What else do I need?”
“A day of pampering,” Honey mumbled.
Helen looked at George, who nodded. Then she turned to look at the others and said, “I do have an announcementto make.”
Honey lowered her fork and looked over at her mother with curiosity.
“I’m going away for my birthday this year.”
“What ... where are you going?” Rashad asked
Helen reached over and grasped George’s hand. “George is takin’ me to Vegas.”
“You? Vegas?” Honey was flabbergasted. Her mother never went anywhere.
Tequila smiled. “What a wonderful idea!” She ignoredthe frown her husband gave her.
Helen observed her children’s stunned expressions. “I know what you are thinkin’. I never go anywhere. But things are gonna be different from now on.”
“I can definitely see that,” Honey mumbled and resumedeating. Everybody was getting some but her. She didn’t even want to think about her mother in bed with George and his ole’ shriveled-up dick.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Shaquil murmured. “Our littlegirl is growin’ up.”
Helen pursed her lips. “Watch your mouth. Don’t forget who still wears the pants in this house.” She paused to reach for another roll. “It’s about time I start enjoying my life.”
“I agree,” Rashad said.
Not saying much else, Honey wore a grin on her face during the rest of the meal.
After dessert, the family moved to the living room. Shaquil and Tequila were curled on the couch together, with Tequila’s head pillowed against her husband’s chest. Rashad and Yolanda were on the love seat; her legs were draped across his lap. Marcus was lying across the floor, head propped up with his elbows, engrossedin a rerun of the Steve Harvey Show. Helen and George insisted on stacking the dishwasher. Honey didn’t argue, assuming the two wanted some time alone.
Honey carried a cup of hot chocolate into the living room. Slipping off her shoes, she curled up in her mother’s favorite recliner and covered her feet with a small blue flannel blanket. Watching the couples together,Honey found her thoughts drifting to Jay. She remembered the Sunday evenings she’d hurried home from her mother’s just so the two of them could watch the Sunday night lineup together. She had never invited him over to dinner because she knew if she had, she wouldn’t ever have been able to get rid of his ass—her family would have taken an instant liking to him.
She shifted in the chair uneasily, not wanting to think about Jay anymore, and listened to the sounds of Shaquil snoring on the couch. Good food did that to you, she thought as she rubbed a palm across her belly. She had eaten too much and would be paying for it in the morning.
A commercial came on, and Honey found her thoughts wandering again. She was still unable to dispense of the memory of seeing Jay’s sexy ass the weekend before.Even though she knew they could never be anything more than friends, she found herself hoping to see him again. She remembered his sweet smile and easy laughter.How she missed sharing moments like this together. She so wanted to hear his voice, maybe even share the rest of the evening with him. How easy it would be to pick up the phone and call him. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t take the chance of him rejecting her when he found out she’d been hiding something from him. It was too damn risky.
Remembering her conversation with Sasha, she now knew Jay was up to something. Why else would he have been asking questions about her? The answer nagged at her heart. Visualizing his devilish smile, Honey anticipateddisturbing quakes in her tranquility. The thought brought a frown to her face. Yep. Knowing Jay the way she did, she believed he had some shit up his sleeve.
Five
Honey pushed open the door and stepped into the dark room. Running her hand along the side of the right wall, she found the switch and flipped it up. The lights overhead flickered before pourin
g into the room. Followingseveral blinks, she glanced around at the dirt, the abundance of repairs needed, and the old furnishings.Honey cussed and said aloud, “I’ve got my work cut out.”
It was a dusty old room with faint reminders of gleaming white walls, now dingy and gray with cobwebshanging from the ceiling. She planned to cover the walls with washed-out mauve paint and murals, courtesy of her cousin Ben, a spray paint artist. She intendedto show the little wannabe gangsta how to put his talent to some other use than on the sides of several city buildings.
She pulled her sweater snug around her. Despite the heavy material, she felt a chill. The snow had finally stopped, and the weatherman had forecast sunshine, with a high near thirty degrees. The room was cold, but there was no point in turning on the heat; she didn’t plan on being there long.
Stepping around an overturned chair, Honey moved toward the left side of the room and envisioned the changes to come. She had plans to knock out the wall separating the two suites, making the salon twice as spacious.
Moving behind the counter, she saw an old industrialstove and grill, covered with years of grease and grime. It was to be removed, and she would purchase a residential stove and refrigerator. Then she could finallyremove the dormitory-sized refrigerator from her office that was taking up needed space. The rest of the kitchen was salvageable, but would require major scrubbing. Drywall would be hung to hide the kitchen from the work area.
Coming from behind the counter, she stepped across the dusty room and spotted something lying on the scuffed floor. She stooped down and picked it up, then dusted it off with the front of her skirt. Staring down at it, Honey smiled and released a cry of delight. It was a lunch menu preserved in a plastic sleeve.
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