Page 26 of Jaeda

“I’m starving. Full transparency, I’ve been too nervous to eat all day.”

“I’m right there with you. If you’re ready, we can head out.”

“I’m ready.”

I gathered my things and finally left the house. My mother was still fussing with my brothers as we descended the front steps. They all stood from their golf carts as we made our way to the car.

I gave a wave as Quaid opened the door to his Genesis G70.

“Have her back at a decent hour!” Deuce yelled.

“Keep your location on!” Smoke added.

Then there was Maceo. “And your hands to yourself!”

“Ain’t no fucking tonight!” Steel added, causing my mother to smack him.

“Go to hell!” I yelled back, climbing into the car.

Quaid laughed at that. Settled in the front seat, I took a deep breath. I was nervous as hell, but I didn’t want it to show. After conversing with this man and our impromptu bookstore and coffee date, I knew I liked him. At one point, my nerves got the best of me, and I almost backed out, but my sister got me together.

“You deserve a good man, Jaeda. Titan talks about this man like he’s a saint. I know y’all don’t care for him, but he’s never been a liar, and he doesn’t fuck with just anybody. If he saysQuaid is a good guy, he’s a good guy. Go out with him. Have a good time. Shit, that might just be your husband, boo.”

Mia had her flaws. We might butt heads and go back and forth, but she was my sister and my best friend. When I told her I was a little scared, she didn’t hesitate to gather me. I told her I was nervous, and she even offered to put aside her differences with Titan and double date with us tonight, to make sure I was comfortable.

While I declined that, because I wasn’t in the mood to have them sour our night with their fighting, I did allow her to help me prepare. She’d been the one to go shopping with me and picked several dresses and shoes for me to choose from.

My style was mostly relaxed fits that comprised graphic tees, joggers, and leggings. I might switch it up with skinny jeans and a cute top with heels or something if I were going out, but this dress . . . I felt so sexy. It was crazy because I knew I was attractive, but I’d never felt sexy.

Quaid climbed into the car and cranked up. Grabbing my hand, he pulled it to his lips and kissed it. I could already tell that I was going to spend this whole night blushing.

We arrived at the restaurant about thirty minutes later.

Titan said I should have had her meet me since I lived in the city, and she lived in the countryside. Essentially, I was moving backwards, but I didn’t care. I wanted Jaeda to have the full first date experience. Although I doubted she’d never been on a date, she’d never been on a date withme.

I pulled up to the valet and climbed out of the car. Rounding the passenger side, I opened Jaeda’s door and extended my hand to help her out. My eyes scanned her frame once again. She looked so damn good tonight. That dress was hugging every single curve so well that it made me jealous.

Then the heels, . . . shit! I might have a little bit of a foot fetish. There was something about a pretty set of feet that did something to me. Jaeda’s feet with the nude-colored polish on her toes in the shoes, . . . major turn-on.

I shook the thought from my head as she linked her fingers through mine. We walked into the restaurant, and I gave the hostess my name. She let us know that our table was ready and to follow her.

After a brief look over the menu, we gave our drink orders to the server before she left the table. Jaeda turned her attention to me.

“Have you been here before?” she asked.

“No. You?”

“A few times. The food is amazing. Take your pick of anything on the menu, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

The server came to collect our drink order, then left us to look over the menu. After a brief discussion of what we wanted to eat, we set the menus aside.

“I’m glad to see you ordered something other than chicken tenders and fries,” Jaeda jested.

I chuckled. “I love food, and I don’t mind trying new things. One thing I’m gonna do is eat.”

“You cook?”

I nodded. “I do. My mother made sure of that. She used it as a way to bond with me since we couldn’t really bond over my actual hobbies.”

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