Taylor walked over to her big sister and hugged her. “Are you having fun?” Taylor whispered.
“A ball!” Nicole shrieked.
“Where’s Jeffrey?”
“Girl, I don’t know” Nicole responded with a giggle. “I wasn’t lookin’ for his ass.Youlookin’ for his ass?”
Jeffrey Morgan, the water commissioner, was Nicole’s fiancé. He was an overly ambitious politician and definitely not Taylor’s favorite person. To Taylor, he lacked sincerity. There was no smoking gun, but something told her that his intentions where her sister was concerned weren’t the best. But, for now, Taylor would have to rely on him to ensure that her intoxicated sibling got home safely.
“Jeffrey… humph!” Nicole scoffed.
Taylor squinted, studying her sister. She didn’t seem right. There was something about her behavior. Something much more than just simply being drunk.
“You okay, Nic?”
“I’m goooood,” Nicole sang. “I’m having a ball.”
Taylor looked around the room for Jeffrey, but she didn’t see him. “Well, don’t forget that your mother and father are here. So, don’t have too much fun.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll be good,” Nicole assured.
Taylor kissed her sister’s cheek and sat her down in a chair next to hers.
“She ain’t feeling no pain,” Maria chimed.
Maria Mendez was Taylor’s partner before Taylor got benched.
“I know right.” Taylor giggled under her breath.
“You ready for some fireworks?” Maria asked.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Look,” Maria prompted, pointing her chin somewhere behind Taylor.
Taylor turned to see what Maria was referencing.
Fireworks indeed.
Bella entered the restaurant on Dean’s arm. Maria, along with the entire world knew that Bella and Victoria didn’t get along, but what she didn’t know was that there was a shitload of sexual tension between Bella and Victor’s little brother, Lucas, who was now blocking Bella and Dean’s path. Taylor stood to get a better view.
Lucas was donning a scowl, and Dean a smirk. Taylor laughed a bit on the inside when Dean kissed Bella’s forehead and walked in the direction of the men’s room, leaving her alone with Lucas. It was clear that Bella’s plan to discourage Lucas’ advances hadn’t worked when Lucas grabbed Bella’s face and ran his thumb across her cheek.
Taylor could have enjoyed watching her friend squirm a little longer, but the presence of a woman standing, just a few feet away, diverted her attention. She was tall, pretty, and well-dressed. But, for some reason, she seemed to be captivated by Taylor and her small group of friends.
Taylor smiled at the woman and looked around to see who she was with. She appeared to be alone. Taylor’s intention was to walk over and engage the stranger in conversation, but the woman smiled and walked away before Taylor could make her way over to her.
Taylor shrugged it off and turned back to Bella and Lucas, but they were gone too. She said a tiny prayer that Bella would finally let down her guard and allowed herself a little fun. She had a feeling that Lucas Creed could offer her the excitement and passion that she believed her friend so desperately needed.
Taylor thought about all the shit that she was dealing with and decided that she couldn’t fix the world. So, she returned to her seat next to Nicole. Maria and Victoria sat as well. Without waiting for Bella, Victoria began to lay out the details of their spa day.
