Glancing at Nahla’s outstretched hand, Capri kissed her teeth and pulled her in for a hug.
“Girl, bye. I’m a hugger.”
Cannon shook his head but said nothing. Once she released Nahla, Capri said, “It’s nice to put a face to the name finally. I’m Capri, Cannon’s younger sister and business partner.”
Nahla seemed confused when she realized Capri already knew who she was, but understanding washed over her once Capri said ‘business partner.’
“I brought dinner for you guys, and I ordered you the same thing Cane always gets.”
Capri gestured to the unopened food container, and Nahla opened it. She did a little dance as her eyes scanned the plate.
“Girl, steak fromThe Rose Gardenis my favorite. Thanks so much.” Nahla eagerly hopped onto one of the barstools. After saying grace, she dug in. Once she cut the steak, her smile grew wider.
“And it’s cooked medium? A woman after my own heart,” she said before taking a bite.
“Yay! That’s how I like mine, but if you want it cooked more, we could pop it in the oven. Cane gets his well done, and I told him that’s not how it should be done,” Capri said, rolling her eyes.
After swallowing her bite of food, Nahla said, “Exactly. When it’s well done, all the natural flavor is cooked out. I don’t see how people do it.”
“I hope my brother hasn’t been on your nerves. He can be a lot.”
Chuckling, Nahla glanced at Cannon for the first time since she entered the kitchen. “Heisa little extra, ain’t he?”
“Finally, somebody who gets it!” Capri said dramatically. “I’ma give you my number, Nahla. If you ever need rescuing from your rescuer, hit me up.”
With a smirk, Nahla said, “I’m definitely taking you up on that.”
“Y’all can stop talkin’ shit like I ain’t sittin’ right here.”
Both girls glanced at him momentarily.
In unison, they said, “We see you,” before bursting into a fit of giggles. Cannon shook his head as if their little exchange annoyed him, but in all honesty, he was pleasantly surprised.
Nahla and Cap seemed to vibe instantly, and that never happened with his sister andanyone. Capri was all about work and family. She made it her business to keep him and his grandmother straight, and she never made time for herself.
Her social life was nonexistent, and she always said she didn’t have friends, because women wereweird.
Cannon continued to eat silently as he watched his sister and Nahla laugh and talk like they were old friends. Capri didn’t warm up to people easily. Neither did he. But they both seemed to be taken by Nahla. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or badthing yet,butit was nice to see his sister let her guard down for a moment.
Once he and Nahla finished eating, Nahla put her leftovers in the refrigerator before walking over to Cannon. He inhaled deeply, taking her in as she quietly took his empty plate.
“I was gon’ get that,” he said, admiring her body as she stretched over him to grab the water bottles he had finished.
Meeting his eyes with hers, she said, “Now, you don’t have to,” before turning toward the trash can.
With a messy ass smile on her face, Capri said, “I’m gonna turn in for the night. Nahla, it was so good to meet you. I’ll make sure I catch up with you before I leave in the morning.”
Heading over to the sink, Nahla said, “Please do. It was great meeting you too.”
Capri stood from her barstool and winked at her brother before quickly exiting the room. As Nahla washed her hands, Cannon’s phone rang. He saw it was his grandmother and placed it on speaker, before standing and stretching his arms.
“What up, Mama?”
He immediately grinned when he heard her attitude-filled voice. Mama Porter was one of two people who could force a smile out of him.
“Don’t ‘what up, mama’ me, child. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been on a job. My bad for not checkin’ in,” he said as he watched Nahla grab a paper towel and dry her hands.
