head. The other men hurriedly stuffed their mouths, like they were pretending not to hear or see anything.
“So,” Nikki began, “you don’t think this Shay person, as you call her, is good enough for Brian?”
“And you are?” Angie jumped in.
Shannon couldn’t respond to their questions, because when Marcus made his comment, she remembered that he’d referred to Shay as his cousin at Dave and Buster’s. Uh-oh , she thought.
“Let me handle this,” Julia said to her sister and best friend. Reggie bowed his head in prayer.
“Shannon, you give yourself way too much credit. You’re not special at all and you’re not too bright either. LaShay Hampton is a very intelligent young woman, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Stanford and is now working on her Master’s at Harvard, so you see she and Brian are very much on the same level. The reason Brian has never brought Shay home to meet us is because this is her home and we are her family. You, on the other hand, are an unwanted guest and I would appreciate it if you would leave.”
The dining room was completely quiet. Even Josiah was still.
Shannon held her head down as Brian stood and waited for her to get up. Before she could leave the room, Julia stopped her. “Let me give you some free advice. Don’t ever talk bad about someone to his or her mother; you’ll lose every time.” Shannon’s confusion must have showed on her face, because Julia explained. “LaShay Hampton is my daughter.”
The entire ride back to her apartment, Brian didn’t say one word to Shannon.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that Julia is her mother,” Shannon pleaded.
“Get out of my car, Shannon. I told you Shay was none of your business.”
“What about us?”
“Shannon, there is no us. Good-bye.”
She knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere with Brian at that moment, but tomorrow was another day. She had all night to figure out how to get back into Brian’s good graces. “Good night , Brian,” she whispered and closed the door.
He drove off before she made it to the door of her apartment building, not caring if she was safe or not.
Chapter 20
Shay gave herself one last look -over before she answered the door. She took her time admiring her toned body in the full-length mirror, knowing the visitor wasn’t anyone but Jason and he would wait for her all night. Since they’d shared dinner three weeks ago, they’d begun studying together and had gone to the movies a couple of times. Jason was easy to talk to and when she wanted company he was always available. An attraction to Jason was still missing, which made him a safe replacement for Brian. She could enjoy his company without an emotional attachment.
Shay missed Brian so much at times she would cry herself to sleep, aching to be near him. It wasn’t the sex that she craved. She missed the friendship they’d shared since the day they met. Whenever something good happened in her life, Brian was always the first person she would call after her mother. He was always excited for her and encouraged her in everything. If she were down about something, he would do little things like cook her favorite meal or take her on a drive up the California coastline just so she could take her mind off her problems. On a few occasions, she’d dialed his number to tell him about her progress in the program, but changed her mind on the first ring. It was better this way. If she were going to recover and move on with her life without Brian as the center, it was best to go cold turkey.
“I wished I’d realized how much I love you, before I messed everything up,” she mumbled to his graduation picture she kept on her nightstand while outlining his face with her fingertips. Jason buzzed again. Shay set the picture of the man she loved down and went to open the door for his substitute.
“Hey, you. You look nice tonight,” Jason referred to her black pantsuit.
“Thank you . Let me get my coat.” Shay
“So,” Nikki began, “you don’t think this Shay person, as you call her, is good enough for Brian?”
“And you are?” Angie jumped in.
Shannon couldn’t respond to their questions, because when Marcus made his comment, she remembered that he’d referred to Shay as his cousin at Dave and Buster’s. Uh-oh , she thought.
“Let me handle this,” Julia said to her sister and best friend. Reggie bowed his head in prayer.
“Shannon, you give yourself way too much credit. You’re not special at all and you’re not too bright either. LaShay Hampton is a very intelligent young woman, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Stanford and is now working on her Master’s at Harvard, so you see she and Brian are very much on the same level. The reason Brian has never brought Shay home to meet us is because this is her home and we are her family. You, on the other hand, are an unwanted guest and I would appreciate it if you would leave.”
The dining room was completely quiet. Even Josiah was still.
Shannon held her head down as Brian stood and waited for her to get up. Before she could leave the room, Julia stopped her. “Let me give you some free advice. Don’t ever talk bad about someone to his or her mother; you’ll lose every time.” Shannon’s confusion must have showed on her face, because Julia explained. “LaShay Hampton is my daughter.”
The entire ride back to her apartment, Brian didn’t say one word to Shannon.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that Julia is her mother,” Shannon pleaded.
“Get out of my car, Shannon. I told you Shay was none of your business.”
“What about us?”
“Shannon, there is no us. Good-bye.”
She knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere with Brian at that moment, but tomorrow was another day. She had all night to figure out how to get back into Brian’s good graces. “Good night , Brian,” she whispered and closed the door.
He drove off before she made it to the door of her apartment building, not caring if she was safe or not.
Chapter 20
Shay gave herself one last look -over before she answered the door. She took her time admiring her toned body in the full-length mirror, knowing the visitor wasn’t anyone but Jason and he would wait for her all night. Since they’d shared dinner three weeks ago, they’d begun studying together and had gone to the movies a couple of times. Jason was easy to talk to and when she wanted company he was always available. An attraction to Jason was still missing, which made him a safe replacement for Brian. She could enjoy his company without an emotional attachment.
Shay missed Brian so much at times she would cry herself to sleep, aching to be near him. It wasn’t the sex that she craved. She missed the friendship they’d shared since the day they met. Whenever something good happened in her life, Brian was always the first person she would call after her mother. He was always excited for her and encouraged her in everything. If she were down about something, he would do little things like cook her favorite meal or take her on a drive up the California coastline just so she could take her mind off her problems. On a few occasions, she’d dialed his number to tell him about her progress in the program, but changed her mind on the first ring. It was better this way. If she were going to recover and move on with her life without Brian as the center, it was best to go cold turkey.
“I wished I’d realized how much I love you, before I messed everything up,” she mumbled to his graduation picture she kept on her nightstand while outlining his face with her fingertips. Jason buzzed again. Shay set the picture of the man she loved down and went to open the door for his substitute.
“Hey, you. You look nice tonight,” Jason referred to her black pantsuit.
“Thank you . Let me get my coat.” Shay
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