Page 26 of Crave

“Only my mom calls me that,” Sandy says to me.

“I heard your sister call you that a few minutes ago.”

“No, you didn’t. She calls me Dee, not Deedee.”

“You’re so beautiful when you’re irritated,Dee,” I say, and Tash nearly chokes into her drink. I lay my hand on Sandy’s lap, only for her to push my hand away.

“Oh, shit, Dee! Jacob Clark’s got game, girl!” Diana says.

“So, have you two kept in touch since the party?” JD asks.

“God, no,” Sandy says, waving towards me with one hand, as she sips her drink with the other.

JD lets out a loud laugh at Sandy’s dismissal.

“This is shaping up to be a good evening. Dee, you and I are going to be great friends too,” he announces.

She turns towards him and smiles, but the waiter interrupts and takes more drink orders.

“Here’s the thing,” I say once the waiter leaves, “I need you ladies to help me out here. The night of the party, Sandy promised me a date, but she’s since reneged.”

“That just ain’t right, Dee. A man this fine deserves a date,” Ebony says.

“Cut her off, Tash.”

But all Tash does is offer Ebony a sip of her own drink instead.

“Dee, if you promised the man a date, you have to live up to your word. An Etienne always pays her debts,” Tash says, borrowing a line from Game of Thrones.

“Oh, please. I did not promise, and if he wanted a date with me, he wouldn’t have left me standing in the middle of the dance floor.”

“She’s got a point, Jake,” Diana says, reaching across the table and giving Sandy a high five. “But the way you were practically fucking him with your eyes tells me you really want to go. Let’s not forget you’ve been on the longest dry spell in the history of the world. I don’t think you’ve had a date this year.”

“You guys are the worst,” she says, but she can’t fully hide her smile. “That’s what I get for telling you my business.”

“Who else are you gonna tell?”

“You know what’s amazing to me?” JD asks. “Jake never mentioned this. Jake’s mom tries to fix me up with every single black woman she meets who’s under forty. Tell me exactly what she said to you when she asked you to stay for the party, Sandy.”

“Actually, she told me she was going to introduce me to you. Her son’s handsome, single, doctor friend. She thought we’d be a great match,” Sandy says as she looks over at JD.

“That’s what I thought, but this guy never mentioned it. I wonder why that is?”

“Because Jake wants to hit that, JD. He’s cock blocking you, son!” Ebony screams.

“We really can’t take her anywhere,” Diana says to Ebony, who gives her the middle finger.

“This is the first time you’ve seen each other since the party? This is just a fortuitous accident?” JD asks, giving me the side eye.

“I guess fate wanted us to meet again, but no. We saw each other last Saturday at the bakery,” I tell everyone.

The waiter comes over then to take our order.

“Get whatever you want, ladies. Diana’s birthday celebration is on me,” I say. All the ladies but one appears to be happy by that declaration.

“I knew I liked you,” Diana says to me.

The girls all start to talk at once about what they’re ordering. I gently lay my hand on Sandy’s thigh again, and when she tries to move my hand, I intertwine our fingers together. She tries to pull her hand away, but I only hold on tighter.

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