Page 50 of Smoke

“Unless what?”

“That girl from the wedding. The one you spent practically the whole reception with. Who’s that?”

“A client, Ma.”

“She’s beautiful, and you two looked good together.”

“Knock it off, Allison.”

She grabbed a dish towel and swatted me with it. “What did I tell you about that?”

I laughed as I moved out of her reach. “You love to abuse me.”

“I’ll beat your big ass. I don’t care if you’re twice my size and weigh more than me. I’m the mama. Anyway, back to this woman. Is she single?”

“Yes, but?—”

“Tell me about her.”

“Ma, ain’t nothing to tell. There’s nothing there?—”

“Bullshit, Devin. A mother knows her child. You’ve never voluntarily spent that much time with a woman you weren’t trying to stick your little thing in. You like her enough to serve her. She made you laugh. Hell, she made you dance. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a woman make you let your proverbial hair down and be completely comfortable and vulnerable. You like that woman. Spare me the denial.”

I pushed off from the counter and went around to the other side of the island to put some space between us. I hated that she had always been able to read my ass so well.

“Hypothetically speaking. Even if I did like her… she’s pregnant.”

My mother spun around. “Really!”

“Yeah. That kinda feels like a violation. I mean, I can’t… you know… with a pregnant woman.”

She rolled her eyes. “Devin, please. Stop thinking with your little head and use the brains you were born with.”

“I’m just saying, Mama. How would that look? Can you seemeplaying stepdaddy?”

“Two words: Alec Proctor.”

Of course she would remind me of my stepfather. The two of them met when I was twelve and got married when I was fourteen. From the beginning, Alec always treated Maceo and I like his kids. We’d never had any beef with him. He came into our lives, set us down, and told us how much he loved our mother and wanted to create a life with her.

My father was there for that conversation, and he made it clear that we were to treat Alec with nothing but respect unless disrespect was warranted. The man claimed us as his sons. He spent quality time with us and developed relationships with us together and individually. I had mad respect for him.

I sighed. “Me and him had a conversation about her. I needed to hear what he had to say about playing stepdaddy.”

“You wouldn’t be playing stepdaddy, Devin,” my mother reminded me. “If you like this woman and want to pursue something with her, you just have to know that her baby is a packaged deal.”

“She has an eight-year-old too.”

“Aw shit.”

The tone of her voice caused me to laugh. She wasn’t expecting that.

“Well, they are both packaged deals. There is nothing wrong with dating a pregnant woman. She’s still a woman. Society is gonna talk anyway. In this world, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You can’t let negative opinions mess up something good for you. Now, I’m not saying go crazy. Just… if you’re interested, be interested. That’s all I’ma say.”

She raised her hands in mock surrender before turning back to the stove. I sat there, letting her words sink in. I didn’t know Romi well enough to say I was fully interested, but I was intrigued… very intrigued. Maybe I would try to learn a little about her during our sessions. Sexual chemistry was the only way I decided if I liked a woman these days, and I was only looking for one thing.

Looking for more than some pussy… that was going to be interesting.

“Are you okay, bossy lady?”

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