Chapter Twenty-One – There’s Always Time for Brunch
Chapter Twenty-One – There’s Always Time for Brunch
And then, absolutely nothing happened! Likosa kissed me like she would undress me before taking me to bed, and then she pulled away from me. We said an awkward goodnight, and she headed back upstairs, Sire, that traitor, following behind her.
I waited downstairs until I was sure she was in her room for good before doing the secret spy walk to my bedroom. Once inside, I covered my face with my pillow and let out my building frustration in a muffled scream.
After a quick shower, I tossed and turned for most of the night. I should have gone to my pod to hide from the possibility of feeling Likosa nearby, but I didn’t. Oddly enough, knowing she was there was comforting, even if I would have preferred her to be in my bed with me.
The next day, I got up and headed out. Likosa had yet to come out of her room, and I didn’t want to bother her.
No, I didn’t sneak out of my own damn house because I was afraid to face the woman who’d basically shot me down the night before.
I sent her a text as I left the house, telling her I would be back soon.
Less than an hour later, I sat across from the girls, who were just waiting for me to give them some kind of information.
Tayvion sat beneath one of her brunch hats.
This one had a wide, sheer brim so I could still see her eyes, even though it covered half her face.
The tulle flower on top matched the cool blue of her tea-length dress.
She always dressed up for brunch, down to the heels I knew were hurting her feet before she got there.
I sat across from her in black slacks and a tank top. Cadence wore a green tiered maxi dress.
“Okay, Shon, you have your drink. Now, tell us how it went after we left. Were her knees by your ears all night?” Tayvion sipped from her mimosa. “Please tell me you had at least four orgasms!”
“Nothing happened.” I shook my head. “We kissed, but that was it. She went to her room, and I went to mine.”
When neither of them said anything, I continued. “Nothing needed to happen last night. Besides, it was already late, and after everything that happened with Jenna, I didn’t need to muddy the emotional pools anymore.”
“That’s understandable.” Cadence nodded.
“Wait, your witchy boo just moved in with you, and you did…nothing?” Tayvion reached over to tap Cadence on the arm. “There is nothing understandable about that. I think our girl is losing it!”
“It wasn’t the time.” I dropped my eyes.
“But you wanted it to be, didn’t you?” Tayvion continued. “Probably had to rub one out just to get some sleep.”
“Anyway.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Cadence, are you okay? You’ve been quiet.”
“Oh, um…” Cadence sounded as distracted as she looked. She blinked several times, looking between Tayvion and me. “Yeah, sorry. I just haven’t been sleeping well. There’s so much to do. I found a woman who I really want to help with her company, but it’s been more of a struggle than I expected.”
“Why is that?” Tayvion asked. “Maybe we can help you figure out how to approach things.”
“I’m not sure. It’s like she’s resistant to success,” Cadence explained. “Have you ever met anyone like that? They clearly want it and have all the tools to achieve it, but they won’t take any meaningful action. It’s mind-boggling.”
“You mean she wants to succeed, but she does everything in her power to stop it from happening?” Tayvion slowly raised her hand.
“Yep! Not only have I met someone like that, but I was someone like that for a long time. It’s the reason my career stalled.
It was like the idea of reaching the goals I had become a horror story.
Yeah, I wanted it, but what would it mean if I got it?
And what would happen if I got it and then lost it? Oh, that shit was crushing.”
“I did not know you went through that.” I sat forward.
“Because I hid it, and luckily, you honor our requests to leave our emotions a mystery. I struggled with it for years.”
“How did you get over it?” Cadence asked.
“First, it took someone pointing it out to me. Caddy, I couldn’t see it for myself.
My manager at the time pulled me to the side and asked where my drive had gone.
I was on the fast track, one of the people she’d marked for quick advancement, and then it was like I checked out.
After that, I went to therapy to work through what was making me feel that way. ”
“So maybe you should say something to her,” I suggested.
“I’ve been thinking about pointing it out.” Cadence nodded. “But I didn’t want her to think I was crossing a boundary.”
“Crossing a boundary? I mean, aren’t you putting a ton of money and effort into helping this woman succeed?” Tayvion tipped her hat. “She signed up for this; you didn’t force her.”
“True,” Cadence sighed. “Typically, I’m not afraid to speak my mind about things like this. You know, when it’s major corporations with billions on the line, I’m bold. Those old heads are used to it. But this woman, she’s young, and this is her baby. I want to be gentle with her.”
“Yeah, but you also want to help her baby grow so she can be fussing over millions one day, right?” I stuck my neck out.
“Put that gentle stuff to the side and get just as real with her as you would any other day, because no one else is going to treat her like that when it comes to business. Time for her to put up or shut up, because you could be helping someone else right now.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Cadence to a gulp from her mimosa. “I think I just needed an outside perspective. And Tay, I’m sorry you went through that, but I’m happy you got through it.”
“Speaking of things I’ve been going through alone…” Tayvion adjusted her hat and straightened her shoulders, lifting her chin as she prepared to serve some tea for our brunch. “I’ve been seeing someone.”
“Finally!” Cadence cheered. “I thought you would never fess up to it.”
“I know.” I laughed and held my fingers up, pinching the air in front of me. “Child, I was this close to snatching you up and forcing it out of you.”
“Clearly you know.” Tayvion gave me the fakest bashful look ever.
“Yes, but tell us anyway.” I lifted my glass to her. “The floor is yours.”
“I promise, Shon, I tried to keep it professional with Evan.” She couldn’t keep the smile from her face when she said his name. “You know, go to the gym, get my workout on, and go home. But it was sabotage from the jump. You should have known when you assigned him to me that he was just my type.”
“You assigned her a vampire as her trainer?” Cadence gasped. “Shon, how could you?”
“No!” I laughed. “Caddy, she trains during the day. How many vampires do you know walk around in the day?”
“Haven’t you heard? Rumor has it, there’s a vampire out there who can actually walk in the sun.”
“Get the fuck out of here!” Tayvion perked up.
“Down, girl. Remember you’re all about Evan now.” I laughed.
“No, but seriously, I just heard about it the other day. My dad was talking to one of his buddies about it. Apparently, there was some big thing that led to vampire infighting, and a few of their top guys died. Everyone thought this day walker would take over, but he hasn’t.
My dad fussed about how the guy was just going around collecting art.
He’s irritated with the use of power—or lack thereof.
Meanwhile, I’m still stuck on the idea that it’s even possible. ”
“Well, damn.” I sat back. “I didn’t know all that, but Evan isn’t a vampire. He’s a shifter.”
“Right, back to Tay and her new boo.” Cadence smiled. “Is he everything you want in a man?”
“Yeah, he is.” Tayvion said dreamily. “And he’s so strong. I mean, the fae don’t like shifters much more than they do vampires, but I don’t care.”
“Is that why you’ve been keeping him a secret?” Cadence asked. “You thought we would judge you?”
“No, of course not.” Tayvion waved her off. “You might poke fun at me, but I know you would never really judge me for it.”
“So, what is it?” I asked. “What made you keep him to yourself for so long?”
“I like him, Shon. Like, really like him. It hasn’t been that long, I know, but this is something special, and I told myself I would wait to tell y’all until I knew if I wanted to take it seriously or not.
” Tayvion shook her head as a small smile lifted her lips.
“I wanted to keep it to myself because we all know how this goes. You find someone you’re interested in, and everything is great…
until you open your mouth and start talking them up.
That’s when the universe reveals about twenty different reasons why you shouldn’t be with them.
Suddenly, your Prince Charming turns into a damn roach! ”
“And?” Cadence leaned in, eyes damn near falling out of her head. “Is he a roach? Do you like him?”
“No, he isn’t.” Tayvion pursed her lips to keep from smiling. “And yeah, I like him. A lot, actually. Which is why I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore.”
“Oh, shit!” I reached across the table and grabbed her arm, lifting it in the air to examine.
“What are you doing?” She snatched her arm away from me.
“Checking for a rash or something.” I laughed at her offended expression. “Aren’t you allergic to commitment?”
“Funny, Shon.” Tayvion threw her napkin at me. “Don’t get me started on you.”
“Well, I’m happy for you!” Cadence clapped. “Both of my girls finding love!”
“Both?” I gawked. “Who the hell is included in this ‘both’? Did you become buddies with the server?”
“Shon, don’t play with us.” Tayvion sucked her teeth. “We all know where this is heading for you and Likosa.”
“You’re both out of your minds.”
“Sure.” Tayvion tapped the table with her nails, which were painted to match her dress. “I mean, of course, love isn’t an option. It’s not like the woman lives with you or something.”
“Maybe you should just lean into this,” Cadence chimed in.
“Excuse me?” I laughed. “There is nothing to lean into. You’re both making something out of nothing.”
“Shon, why are you being so stubborn?” Cadence rolled her eyes. “This isn’t like you.”
“Because it’s easier?” I shrugged. “What can I say? I switched places with Tay. She’s open to love, and I’m shutting the door on all that nonsense.”
“Yeah, girl, take your time.” Tayvion nodded. “Lock that coochie back up!”
“Your French toast.” The server, who neither of us had seen approach, stood next to Tayvion holding a plate. He put down her food, followed by ours, and then walked away.
He was only three steps away when we all fell out laughing.
“I did not see him there!” Tayvion cackled.
“Like I said, Shontae, I think you should give some thought to this. Get to know the woman.” Cadence cut into her salmon.
“Maybe you’ll find out why her presence threw you out of whack to begin with.
So what if you two don't end up together?
That's fine, but at least you'll understand it, and maybe you'll be able to brace for it when it happens again.”
“What makes you think it'll happen again?” Tayvion asked. She had already dug into her eggs and was dancing in her seat with satisfaction.
“I don't know, I just got a feeling.” Cadence winked at me. “Look at this as an analytical process you're trying to understand. You’re just trying to solve a problem. The question: what about Likosa gets so deep under your skin that you’re suddenly anti-commitment?”
“Yeah, I won't make any comments about how I think it's more than just physical attraction.” Tayvion popped another piece of egg into her mouth. “Because I don't want you guys getting on my case.”
“Smart.” I pointed my fork at her and then sighed, dropping my resistance. “Fine, okay? I’ll get to know her.”
“I wish this was like one of those movies where we could see a montage of you guys running through the town, getting to know each other, slowly holding hands, maybe sneaking a kiss here and there.” Tayvion shook her shoulders. “It would be so sweet.”
“You're making me sick.” I threw her napkin back at her. “Cadence is supposed to be the lovey dovey one in the group.”
“Yeah, well, she's busy helping women build their businesses, so I'm taking up that spot for now.” Tayvion took the napkin and dabbed the corner of her mouth.
Just then, I looked down and saw a message from Likosa.
L. Bane: See you soon.
I smiled as I read the message, and that triggered the teasing all over again.
“Let the montage begin!” Tayvion cheered.