“Actually, I have two,” I corrected, chuckling when she tried—and failed—to school her face. “Both are part of an expansive real estate portfolio.”
She perked up then, batting her eyelashes and leaning a little closer. Her scowl turned into what I assumed was her version of a seductive smile. “Oh, that’s interesting.”
Amazing how her tone changed once she thought I had some money. Only a few minutes ago, she was ready to douse me in Holy Water and banish me to the altar for my sins.After the not-so-subtle shade she’d thrown, I could’ve taken the opportunity to make her feel like shit by revealing how her father had embezzled money from his church for years and scammed his parishioners out of thousands of their hard-earned dollars so he could purchase a private jet. I wasn’t an asshole, though. At least, not regularly. And only if I cared enough to expend that type of energy. In this case, she didn’t matter enough to go there.
Time seemed to stretch on as Yolanda babbled on about residential and commercial real estate. She didn’t seem to notice that I hadn’t said a word in the last few minutes. I scanned the room, looking for my niece, recognizing several faces from around the way. While some seemed excited to be there, most were undoubtedly counting the minutes until this event was over.
I fired off another text to my niece:
My time is up. I’m out.
Taylar emerged from the back of the building just as the song switched to another old school Christmas classic. But my niece didn’t come save me. Instead, she walked toward the front door to greet another group of women as they entered the lounge. A familiar set of brown eyes locked on mine, and curiosity eclipsed my need to leave in that moment.
Across from me, Yolanda sang along to the song playing through the speakers. She wasn’t the only one either. Apparently, being lonely at Christmas resonated to a lot of the attendees. But my attention was firmly on the woman now exchanging hugs with Tay.
“My father has several homes on the south side that he rents out to his parishioners,” Yolanda boasted. “He’s considered one of the leaders of the community because of his contributions. How do you know him?”
I couldn’t even pretend to care about this conversation anymore. I stood up. “He used to sell crack on our block. Tonight was … an experience. Drive safe. Merry Christmas.”
My original plan was to slip outside while Taylar was preoccupied with other guests, but as I approached the bar, Yolanda caught up with me. “Wait.” She grabbed my arm. “You can’t just accuse my father of being a drug dealer and?—”
“Hi, Yolanda.” Bliss appeared behind me, clipboard in hand and a bright smile on her face.
Where the hell did she come from?
Yolanda sputtered, “Um … Hi. Do I know you?”
“I’m one of the organizers of the event. We spoke on the phone the other day?”
“Oh.” Yolanda nodded. “I remember now. Ms. Young?”
“Exactly. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Bliss asked. “There was a problem with your registration.”
Without another word, Yolanda followed Bliss to the table near the door. Taking that as my cue, I headed toward the back of the building where Taylar was waiting with my coat.
Taylar approached me. “I had a fourth date for you, ya know?”
Sighing, I kissed her brow. “I tried, Jellybean. Yolanda Matthews was the last straw.”
“My bad, Uncle Spencie. Bliss just told her to leave. She lied on her registration form. Apparently, she has three young kids. But on her profile, she indicated that she had no children. Who does that?”
I let out a humorless chuckle. “I guess she’s more like her father than I thought,” I murmured.
Taylar offered me a sad smile. “This event was a bust. Ryker had to break up a fight in the bathroom. Someone’s wife signed up to be matched and got caught.”
My protective instinct kicked in. “Do you need me to handle it?” Because I would—and have—beat the shit out ofanyone who fucked with my family. It wasn’t that long ago that I almost got arrested climbing into a window to get my sister’s daughter out of some dusty-ass nigga’s house. Much to the chagrin of my brother, who was running a re-election campaign defending his state office during that time. I didn’t give a damn though.
Shaking her head, she said, “No. Keon and Ryker handled it.”
“Good.” For the most part, I didn’t have to worry about Taylar. Ryker and Maddox took their big brother roles very seriously. And she was currently engaged to Keon Webb, who I’d known since he was a kid. Standup guy. I knew he would protect her with his life.
“We’re going to have to rebrand next year, though,” she admitted, finally giving me my coat.
I pulled her into a tight hug. “I have no doubt you’ll figure everything out.”
From the time Jellybean was born, she’d been a force to be reckoned with. She’d exceeded expectations in school, at work, and now as the owner of Taylar Made Events. Even without the approval of my brother, she left corporate America behind to invest in herself. And because I’d always encouraged her to take those leaps of faith, I’d invested in her as well. Looking at her now, I couldn’t be more proud of her.
“Do you mind staying a little longer?” she asked. “Bliss and I would love to get your feedback. Plus, I just miss you. I haven’t seen you in a minute.” I eyed her skeptically, and she cracked up. “I promise I won’t try to set you up again.”
