Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88225 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“You want anything special?”
“The usual will be fine,” I reply, taking a seat. “I think she’ll like those apple tarts you make. Can you make some of those for her?”
“The ones with the caramel dipping sauce? Sure, no problem. Those go nice with the sage sausage.”
“Sounds great.” I rap my knuckles on the countertop. “I’m headed down to the studio. I want to get something down.”
“No worries, I’ll bring your plate down.”
“Thanks.”
I stand and start to hum to myself as the music fills me. It’s been silent in my head since the day Saga left the tour. Now I can hear the music clearly. The colors are back in my head.
CHAPTER 33
Life Changes
Saga
I can’t help snickering at Isha as she ogles Dwayne as he leaves the kitchen we’re sitting in. She begins to fan her face and shakes her head. When she turns toward me, she pulls a face with her mouth hanging open.
“What?” I ask through my laughter.
“You can laugh all you want, but did you see that? God, he smells so good. How are you that damn big and walk with all that swag?
“Ugh, the man is just comfortable in his skin. And that ass… phew. He’s fine, fine.”
I can only smile. I only have eyes for my husband, but I do know his cousin is an attractive man. I find it funny because I’ve seen the way Dwayne checks her out when he thinks no one is looking.
Isha is very pretty with her natural carrottop and nutmeg skin tone. She has the prettiest hazel eyes that almost give her a cartoonlike appearance. I’ve always admired her wild long curls, although she hates them and keeps them in a gelled-up bun most of the time.
I can totally see why he’s been checking her out. Isha remains fit from work and her personal workouts. Then, my friend also has a welcoming personality. It wasn’t hard to become and remain friends with her.
“Did you find out more about his situation?” I ask.
Dwayne picked her up to give her a ride to the house. I wonder if she pried during the drive. It’s clear something happened between her and Emory, her on-again, off-again boyfriend back in New York.
She hasn’t said anything yet, but I know she will when she’s ready. She’s always been this way. I get the feeling this trip was right on time.
She turns to me with wide eyes. The expression says she has all the tea. Giving me a look as if to say, Can we go somewhere private to talk? she hops up from her stool.
I grab her hand and lead her upstairs, dragging her into the walk-in closet I had been organizing when she arrived. Pushing aside the boxes Bishop had picked up from my sister’s, I take a seat on the floor in the center of the closet. Isha sits cross-legged across from me.
“Okay, so he’s not single single. He’s in the middle of a divorce. He’s a daddy.
“The kids are cute and the proud look on his face as he showed them to me—God, my ovaries were pulsing. He’s a nice guy.”
“But,” I drag out, hearing the word in her voice.
“I think I like him and would like to get to know him,” she murmurs.
I lift a brow because I still hear that but lurking as she speaks. She’s beating around the real issue here. Now that we’re talking, I can see the interest she truly has.
She sighs. “He’s going through a lot. I’m going through a lot.” She scoffs. “I’m not sure I’ve figured my shit out. He’s been so nice to me, but… it’s not like he’s asked me out or anything. He just looks at me like he wants to eat me.”
I burst into laughter and fall over. She shoves at me and pouts. I try to sober up and pull her into my embrace, then rock her back and forth.
“You know you want to be eaten,” I laugh. “Are you thinking about moving?”
I don’t miss that she’s interested in a guy who lives in Cali when she lives in New York. I know Isha and she’s not the long-distance type.
She pulls from my embrace and looks me in the eyes. “I’m just saying. If I did live in California, I wouldn’t mind running into him when he gets his shit settled. He makes cute babies, after all.”
“I would love to have you here. What’s going on with your job?”
She shrugs and looks down in her lap. “It’s time for a change in all areas of my life. My best friend, who never takes chances, stepped out of her comfort zone and it’s paid off. I’m following in her footsteps.
“I’m not going to end up with a rock star, but I could end up happy. I deserve that, right?”
I’m caught off guard when the tears begin to spill onto her cheeks. Her lips tremble and she looks up as if trying not to allow the rest of the tears to fall. I reach for her hands and take them into mine.