OBSESSED WITH TAYLOR JAMES by Toye Lawson Brown

beau.”
    They shook hands with Edward saying, “Ah, so you are her
next victim.”
    Mario raised his eyebrow. “Victim….am I missing…”
    “I’m kidding, man.  Taylor doesn’t keep ‘em around long. 
When we actually meet one of her boyfriends, we never see ‘em again, except for
that white boy who has been around forever.”
    “Edward, not now,” Taylor pleaded.
    He asked.  “So what do you do, Mario?”
    “I’m an attorney.  I work with Taylor.”
    “Wow.  That gotta be weird working with her all day and
keeping it clean.”  Edward leaned in close to Mario.  “I heard Taylor is really
a freak…you better watch her.”
    Taylor put her hands on her hips. “Hello, I’m standing
right here and can hear you, Edward!”
    Edward hugged her. “I’m playing, Sis.  I know you are
strictly professional on the job.  No hall closet activity for you,” he said
winking his eye.
    She turned to Mario.  “You see why I hesitated to bring
you?”
    “Its fine, Taylor,” he said slipping an assuring arm
around her waist giving her a squeeze.
    Then it happened.  Uncle Vernon spotted them. “Hey, what
do we have here?  Taylor James is that you?”
    “Hello, Uncle Vernon,” she answered dryly.
    He picked her up and swung her around.  Taylor had to
hold the hem of her dress down to keep from flashing her underwear. “Uncle
Vernon, put me down, please.”
    “You used to like it when I picked you up and swung you
around.”
    “I was eight, Uncle Vernon.  I’m a little too old for
that now.”
    He laughed loudly. “Give the girl a law degree and she
thinks she’s grown.”  He stopped laughing when he saw Mario.  “Hold the horses!
Who is this dude?”
    Taylor stuttered. “Um, Uncle Vernon, this is Mario
Infante.  He is a friend of mine.”
    “Well, well, well.  Just how friendly are you with my
niece, Mr. Infante?  What kind of name is that?  Are you Asian or Mexican?”
    Mario extended his hand. “Actually, I’m Puerto Rican,
sir. And I’m very friendly with your niece.”
    “Huh, she did always like your kind.  But you must do
very well.  Nice clothes, expensive jewelry…you ain’t the head of some drug
cartel are you?”
    “Uncle Vernon!” Taylor and Sabrina said in unison. Edward
shook his head laughing.
    “Unfortunately, I have to earn my money the honest way;
I’m an attorney,” Mario answered.
    “Oh hell that ain’t honest.  Y’all thieves with the law
behind you. You ain’t a tax lawyer are you?”
    “Why? Are you behind on your taxes?  I have friends at
that the IRS that might be interested in talking to you. “Vernon is your name,
right?”
    Vernon looked around the room. “Well, gotta go; the wife
is calling me.  Y’all have fun,” he said walking away.
    “Wait, don’t go—Uncle Vernon, I have a few more questions,”
Mario called after him laughing.
    Taylor turned to him with a grin on her face. “How did
you do that?  We have been trying to make him speechless for years.”
    “I have a gift, for getting rid of annoying people.”
    Taylor’s parents entered the party center and joined the
foursome. Ernst James kissed his daughters on the cheeks and shook Edward’s
hand. “Hello, my beautiful girls.”
    “Hi, Dad,” Taylor said hugging her father.  “Hi, Mom,”
she said hugging her next.
    Mrs. James hugged her daughter in return. “Hi, honey. 
Where is Dillon?  He usually accompanies you to family events.”
    Sabrina took Edward’s hand bopping to the old school beat
of George Clinton’s Atomic Dog .  “Come on, baby.  I want to get my
groove on.”
    Taylor grabbed for her sister’s arm, but she was fast in
getting away.  She put on a smile turning to her mother.  “Mom, you know Dillon
is busy.  But, I want you both to meet Mario Infante.  He is very special to
me,” she said unconsciously parting her lips.
    Mario refused the traditional handshake and hugged the
attractive woman. “Es un placer en conocerte, Mrs.