Blaze’s head slanted to the side. “Oh, so you’re doing charity work for the holiday. I get it. Next time, just write a check.” She shrugged. “At least you won’t be in the city by yourself. Loso isn’t going up north either. We’re leaving the same weekend as his parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary party. I wish we had known before we booked our trip.”
“Loso being in the city doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. He probably has a list of hos he’s ready to knock off while his besties are away.” A memory lifted my brows. “Let me stop. He’s not so bad. I called him last Saturday, and he drove almost an hour to set things straight for me.”
Stevie pressed her back against the sink. “Where were you? Why didn’t you call your brothers?”
I explained what went down a week prior, leaving both ladies looking at me sideways.
“What’s the problem?” I quizzed.
Stevie giggled and shook her head while Blaze’s hazel eyes examined me.
“Oh, hell no.” I shook my head, catching their drift. “I know what you two are thinking, and you’ve got it wrong. Loso has been in my life since I was like eleven. There has never been anything special between us.”
Blaze smirked. “You’re doing all the talking, Princess.”
“And we can dead it. Aside from Loso being my brother’s best friend, he’s a whore.”
“You act like somebody is telling you to settle down with the nigga. You can’t lie and say the weight loss doesn’t look good on him. You better sit on his lap. Christmas is around the corner.”
“Loso has always been handsome, but he’s not my type.” I paused. “Well, I don’t really have a type, but I know he’s not it.”
Stevie walked around the kitchen island then sat next to me. “Though I don’t believe you and Loso are a match made in heaven, dating isn’t a bad idea. Maybe a little romance could help you relax. You’ve been tense ever since you started the program.”
“Ugh. I know. This semester has been more . . . eventful than any other.” I sighed. “It’s not anything I can’t handle. I just need to do better with time management.”
“Since we’re on the subject of school, have you decided what you’re going to do with your second degree?”
“No,” I whined. “I love that my school offers a specialized program for event planning, but I’m still on the fence. Don’t get me wrong, I love throwing parties for the club. I’ve even started booking clients a few times a month. I think I’m just tired of being the helper. I want to be the boss.”
In the last three years, I organized everything from baby showers to events for the city of Silk Hills. Some days, I was content with planning social events, and others, I wanted to expand my business. I tried to remind myself that I didn’t need to rush to settle on a career plan, but I overthought that part of my life like everything else.
“Anyway.” My voice dragged. “Even though y’all don’t feel bad about leaving me, don’t be stingy with the pictures. I want to see my babies in the snow.”
“Then maybe you should bring your ass up north with your family,” Shiloh replied, entering the kitchen with a boxof Christmas ornaments spilling over the top. “I don’t like the thought of you being alone for the holiday.”
“This ain’t an episode ofHome Alone. I’m twenty-seven. Besides, you guys will be back a few days after Christmas. You have to if you’re going to collect your trophy for having the best lights on the block.”
He kissed the sweet lady he namedBluethen focused on me. “Sis, you saw my lights. These white boys can try, but they not fucking with me. For one, I’m richer than them, plus, I’m black. Anything I do has more flavor, baby.”
“You did amazing, Shiloh, but don’t you think the black Santa Claus on the roof is too much?”
“Yeah. That’s the point.” He winked.
From my seat, I watched his chest swell as he ran down his plans to buy a second Christmas tree. My brother had been a menace in the streets, had taken a bullet to the chest, and now, he was fawning over his wife and holiday decorations. The change was refreshing to witness, especially knowing how many times I almost lost him.
“Let’s get back to what I was saying before you changed the subject,” he declared. “You should be able to join us in Polar Pointe once your little session is over.”
“I could.” My voice fragged. “But I don’t want to drive or fly alone. During the holidays, traffic and airports are insane.”
Shiloh’s light brown gaze burned into me as he slowly nodded his head. “Yeah. Okay. Whatever, Essen. If you change your mind, there’s room for you at the house.”
“I’ll remember that.”
The holiday season always put my brother in a chipper mood, and I wanted it to stay that way. On the regular, Shiloh wasn’t a tyrant who demanded perfection, but he read my body language like he earned credit for clocking my moods. He had been that way since we were kids, and I would go mute after my momdropped me off with our dad’s mother. Shiloh wouldn’t be able to relax until he knew I was comfortable.
“All right, family,” I called out while abandoning my seat. “I’m going to go before the golden girls come down here tripping. I promised they could spend the night next weekend, but if they see me, they may convince me to take them today.”
Shiloh sucked his teeth. “Don’t talk about my kids.”
