I scooped up some mac and cheese. “What’s up?”
“What are you doing here?” She drummed her fingernails on the bar top.
I ate another steak tip and tipped my head toward Taylar, who was still making her rounds. “You already know.”
Alaiya nodded. “Say less. Taylar is definitely a boss.”
“Boss-y,” I corrected.
“You couldn’t have said no?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But she’s had me wrapped around her finger since she flashed that first toothless grin in my direction.”
“That’s cute.” She stared at me. Through me, really. “I guess I won’t judge you then.”
I smirked. “Was that where this was going?”
“I don’t know,” she mused.
“Taylar wanted a more mature crowd,” I explained between bites. “Tried to convince me to take a chance.”
Her face lit up finally, and she giggled. “You must be theZaddyI heard about.”
Now, that smile?Fuck. It was blinding, really. Breathtaking. And again, I was spellbound, captivated by her.
Or I’m losing my mind.
She leaned back, searching my face. “I can see why they think that.”
For a brief moment, I stared into those expressive dark brown eyes before my gaze dropped to the curve of her nose, then finally her mouth. “Can you?”
Clearing her throat, she looked away and smoothed her hands over her lap. “Of course. Reminds me of back in the day. All the girls on the block chasing after you.”
“They didn’t catch me, though,” I joked.
“If I recall, some of them did. I still remember Shaunie walking down the middle of the street with that bat, threatening to set KiKi’s house on fire for daring to speak to you at the bowling alley.”
I groaned. “That was a hot-ass mess,” I agreed. Shauniewas a lifetime ago. It had taken a while, but she’d finally met and married some guy from Texas. She’d been living down south for a decade. “I never fucked with KiKi.”
“Sure?” she asked, lifting a questioning brow. “’Cause the streets were talking.”
Waving a dismissive hand her way, I grumbled, “Yeah. Always making up bullshit.” I forced myself to focus on my plate again. I bit into my last tender steak tip. “This was good as hell.”
Alaiya flashed a satisfied grin. “Des did her thing, huh?”
An overwhelming sense of pride shot through me at her admission and a smile tugged at my lips. “On her own?” I asked.
Alaiya was a devoted, dedicated mother to her only daughter, Desiree. It was obvious that she’d raised a capable, talented, intelligent young woman who’d also become a valuable part of my team. “Des” had worked her way up from part-time employee to manager of two of my properties. Her innovative ideas had been integral to my bottom line. Recently, she’d been added to my rotation of chefs responsible for curating cannabis-infused breakfast at each of The Leaf Lodge locations. I trusted her with my business, but I also encouraged her to follow her own dreams. And it wasn’t that long ago that she’d come to me, business plan in hand, asking for my input on her new catering business.
“With a little help from my cousin,” Alaiya replied. “Duke helped her with the menu and helped her shop. He also played sous chef today.”
I glanced at the entrance to the kitchen. “Is she still here?”
“You know she’s a perfectionist.” She sighed. “She won’t come out. Keeps insisting she’s where she needs to be.”
“Tell her I need her to bring me a pan of this cornbread to work tomorrow.” I bit into a piece. It tasted more like dessert than bread—soft, moist, and buttery.
She scratched the back of her neck. “That was actuallyme.” She held her finger up to her mouth. “My contribution to the evening.”
