forward, cracked the door and peered into the room, whispering, “Pulling me into Raven’s love life when you can’t manage your own.”
“And what’s your point, caller?”
“Arrrrgh!” she said, shaking her head. “They’re not in the conference room! They must’ve slipped past when I turned my back. Damn! Damn! Damn!” She started pacing again. “Come to think of it, we’d best keep your girlfriend a secret from your mother just now. I’m not sure she can handle another shock. And where are we going, anyway?”
“How about one of Simeon’s restaurants? I get an employee discount.”
She stopped pacing. “I come all the way to New York and you want to be cheap!”
“Hey! I have to watch every dime,” he countered. “It was my lawyer who put me on a budget.”
Her stomach rumbled at the array of delicious snacks in the boardroom she’d missed out on. Food had been the last thing on her mind at the time. “Is Simeon’s food any better than his music?”
“It serves the purpose. Eat, drink, and major trips to the bathroom. So I guess the answer’s…no.”
Ava’s tummy grumbled in protest. “I want something with a New York flair that will stick to my ribs, not to everything else.”
“How about Amy Ruth’s? They serve up good, old-fashioned soul food.”
“That’ll work, but I’ll meet you downstairs. I don’t want Pierce to see us together—he might suspect something.”
Eric released a long, weary sigh.
“And you’re using protection, right?”
He choked out, “Aunt Avie, I’m not—”
“Boy, don’t mess with me!”
“Yes,” he said in a defeated tone. “ When we finally get to that point, we’ll use protection.”
She placed a single hand over her heart. “This trip is giving me entirely too much to worry about.”
“Don’t say that! I’m being careful! We’re taking things slow. And I love this woman.”
Woman being the operative word. This chick could probably run rings around Eric—who was a hopeless romantic, through and through. “You’ve only known her for what, three months?”
“You knew you were in love with Uncle Carlton the first day,” he said smoothly.
Aw hell! Ava rolled her eyes as she left the window and stormed back to the elevator. “That’s different.”
“How?”
“Well, well, it’s…it’s…it just is!”
Eric laughed, and Ava knew she’d lost that argument. “She’s special.”
“This is moving much too fast.” Ava finally said. “You need to be dating more girls.”
“Can I help it that I don’t have a player’s bone in my body?” Eric asked seriously. “Remember that pep talk you gave me before I left for New York?” His voice took on a light, feminine tone. “ ‘Remember that every girl you meet is your mother, me, or your grandmothers. They are queens. Even if they’ve somehow forgotten who they are, don’t forget who you are.’ ”
Damn! Word for word. Ava couldn’t argue with that either.
“Marie’s a queen and doesn’t know it. Other guys haven’t made her feel that way. I do,” he said proudly, and she could picture him standing tall with his little chest stuck out.
The words almost brought fresh tears to Ava’s eyes. Eric was the exact opposite of his mother. Where Raven pushed love away at every opportunity, Eric wanted love, welcoming it with open arms and a pure heart. And that could be dangerous on all counts. Ava would reserve judgment on whether this Marie woman loved Eric or his money, in spite of what he’d said.
She brushed away a tear. “I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes, Eric. I’ll send your mother a text message to let her know what’s going on. She might not mind at this point.”
“Thanks, Aunt Avie.”
“ Don’t thank me,” she grumbled. “You’ll wish you had dinner with your mother when I get through with you.”
❤ ❤ ❤
Ava stepped off the elevator into the circular marble lobby and headed toward Eric and the young woman standing a few
“And what’s your point, caller?”
“Arrrrgh!” she said, shaking her head. “They’re not in the conference room! They must’ve slipped past when I turned my back. Damn! Damn! Damn!” She started pacing again. “Come to think of it, we’d best keep your girlfriend a secret from your mother just now. I’m not sure she can handle another shock. And where are we going, anyway?”
“How about one of Simeon’s restaurants? I get an employee discount.”
She stopped pacing. “I come all the way to New York and you want to be cheap!”
“Hey! I have to watch every dime,” he countered. “It was my lawyer who put me on a budget.”
Her stomach rumbled at the array of delicious snacks in the boardroom she’d missed out on. Food had been the last thing on her mind at the time. “Is Simeon’s food any better than his music?”
“It serves the purpose. Eat, drink, and major trips to the bathroom. So I guess the answer’s…no.”
Ava’s tummy grumbled in protest. “I want something with a New York flair that will stick to my ribs, not to everything else.”
“How about Amy Ruth’s? They serve up good, old-fashioned soul food.”
“That’ll work, but I’ll meet you downstairs. I don’t want Pierce to see us together—he might suspect something.”
Eric released a long, weary sigh.
“And you’re using protection, right?”
He choked out, “Aunt Avie, I’m not—”
“Boy, don’t mess with me!”
“Yes,” he said in a defeated tone. “ When we finally get to that point, we’ll use protection.”
She placed a single hand over her heart. “This trip is giving me entirely too much to worry about.”
“Don’t say that! I’m being careful! We’re taking things slow. And I love this woman.”
Woman being the operative word. This chick could probably run rings around Eric—who was a hopeless romantic, through and through. “You’ve only known her for what, three months?”
“You knew you were in love with Uncle Carlton the first day,” he said smoothly.
Aw hell! Ava rolled her eyes as she left the window and stormed back to the elevator. “That’s different.”
“How?”
“Well, well, it’s…it’s…it just is!”
Eric laughed, and Ava knew she’d lost that argument. “She’s special.”
“This is moving much too fast.” Ava finally said. “You need to be dating more girls.”
“Can I help it that I don’t have a player’s bone in my body?” Eric asked seriously. “Remember that pep talk you gave me before I left for New York?” His voice took on a light, feminine tone. “ ‘Remember that every girl you meet is your mother, me, or your grandmothers. They are queens. Even if they’ve somehow forgotten who they are, don’t forget who you are.’ ”
Damn! Word for word. Ava couldn’t argue with that either.
“Marie’s a queen and doesn’t know it. Other guys haven’t made her feel that way. I do,” he said proudly, and she could picture him standing tall with his little chest stuck out.
The words almost brought fresh tears to Ava’s eyes. Eric was the exact opposite of his mother. Where Raven pushed love away at every opportunity, Eric wanted love, welcoming it with open arms and a pure heart. And that could be dangerous on all counts. Ava would reserve judgment on whether this Marie woman loved Eric or his money, in spite of what he’d said.
She brushed away a tear. “I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes, Eric. I’ll send your mother a text message to let her know what’s going on. She might not mind at this point.”
“Thanks, Aunt Avie.”
“ Don’t thank me,” she grumbled. “You’ll wish you had dinner with your mother when I get through with you.”
❤ ❤ ❤
Ava stepped off the elevator into the circular marble lobby and headed toward Eric and the young woman standing a few
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