instead of waiting until we were back in the city.
You know she’s greedy. LOL
Mo had a meeting with a client this afternoon and since she didn’t like driving long distances alone, I was her plus one. Not to the meeting, I sat in the car and worked on some reports on my tablet while she handled her business. Then, because we were in Destine and I knew we wouldn’t have to wait for a table since Fabian’s sister managed the casino, we stopped.
Fabian:I’m sure LeLe’s taking good care of you.
Me:And she is.
LeLe and I met when Fabian brought me here for the first time, three weeks after we started dating. It was ol’ school R&B night with cover bands doing all the hits from the 90’s to the 2000’s and I had a great time. We exchanged numbers that night because LeLe said if her brother was introducing her to awoman, that meant it was serious. I hadn’t believed her then but look at me now. I glanced at my ring again and smiled.
I loved wearing it every day now. Loved not having to pull out my purse and fish it out of the velvet pouch just to look at it and be reminded of the love Fabian and I shared.
“Hey y’all still doing good over here?”
Fabian spoke LeLe up as she walked up to the table and dropped down into the booth beside me.
“These wings are fuckin’ fire,” Mo said, picking up her napkin to wipe her hands. Then, she waved said hand over her mouth. “I mean that shit literally. Whew, chile.”
LeLe and I chuckled as Mo reached for the new margarita.
“Nah, you just wanted an excuse to finish off another drink.” I knew I was gonna have to drive home or this girl was gonna kill herself and anybody with the bad luck to be on the road near her.
“Shine ain’t no slouch in the kitchen. That’s why we pay him the big bucks,” LeLe said. “Y’all know the girls are about to come out.”
I glanced down at my phone again to see it was just after nine. “Oh, damn. We’ve been here longer than I thought.”
“Yaayy! That’s what we want when people walk through these doors. Stay, drink, eat and drink some more. Or go over to the casino and drop all your money there.” LeLe laughed as Mo raised a hand for a hi-five.
“Well, you and your staff make it so easy to do just that,” I said. “I mean they’ve been great tonight.”
“Good, so I don’t have to fire anybody. Especially since I told them you were Fury’s wife. They were probably too scared to give you bad service. That and the way Tor and Stan are over there staring everybody who walks in this direction down.
“I knowwww,” I dragged that word out in a whining voice. “How do you get used to it?”
LeLe shrugged. Her honey blonde knotless braids were pulled up into a messy bun and the gold dress she wore hugged every inch of her curvy body. She and KC looked more alike than Fabian. He had two family photo albums in his closet. That’s where I saw the pictures of all of them when they were younger with their parents. Fabian looked like his father had spit him out, while KC and LeLe favored their mother.
“Girl, I am the youngest and the only girl of two of the most overprotective men you will ever meet. Not to mention my daddy did not play about me. So, I’ve had guards since I was fourteen and started traveling without my mother. And even then, she had guards.”
I groaned.
“I can’t believe you never had them,” she said. “I mean, you’re a?—”
“Don’t say it,” Mo interrupted. “She’s gonna tell you she’s a Mathias now. I’m tellin’ you she’s been disgusting with all this marriage shit. And just last week she was running around here keeping that ring in her purse.”
She slurred those last words, and I rolled my eyes at her drunk ass. “Haters gonna hate,” I said jokingly.
Mo picked up her glass again and waved me off.
She wasn’t wrong though. I felt so much lighter since telling my family about this marriage. I’d spent so many months worrying about how they would react, if they would treat me differently, or if my father would try to kill Fabian. When I asked Fabian about their meeting, he only said that no weapons were drawn and they each left the study breathing. I took that as a good sign.
“Y’all two are so funny,” LeLe said standing up. “Let me get back here. Some of these folks see me sitting down and think it’s time for them to slack off. I’ll come back through but if I don’t make it before you leave, call me tomorrow. We need a spa day.”
“Faaacts!!” Mo slurred again. “That’s exactly what we need.”
LeLe and I shared a look. “Don’t worry, I got her. I’ll drive her car back to the city or we’ll ride with Tor or Stan and have someone bring her car back.”
“Good, ‘cause she’s not gonna make it through another margarita.” LeLe chuckled as she left us and another song came on.
