Page 2 of The Dating Prohibition
“Girl, your mom has known since you started wearing all that eyeliner in middle school,” Kendra chuckled. “And that mulberrylipstick? You thought you were serving. You’d hit ’em with the duck lips and hands on your hips anytime someone tried to takea picture.”
Lani groaned. “Shut up, there’s a difference between duck lips and a smize.And thought?Bitch, I was stuntin’ on them hos.”
Kendra could practically hear the hair flip on the other side of the line. “Mmmkay, well, back to what I was saying. I couldbe at your place hearing sex-foolery, but instead I’m up under Logan...again.” Thankfully there was a main floor between Kendra’s unit and her brother’s bedroom, so she was absolved from having to hearhissexcapades, but still.
“Well, but it’s only temporary, and besides, the savings is good for you while you’re still in the planning stages of openingup your own spot.”
“Why must you be reasonable?” Kendra whined. Everything Lani said was true, but the closer she got to the bistro locationthat Logan and his wife, Shonda, were opening together, the more Kendra’s stomach performed a Simone Biles–level floor exercise—oneof those extra good ones that would eventually be named after her because no one else could perfect it the way she could.
“One of us has to be reasonable, so suck it up, buttercup. Now, what’s your ETA?” Lani was resistant to Kendra’s shit—shehad a no-nonsense approach to pretty much everything and didn’t believe in coddling unless she needed it herself. It didn’thelp that, as cousins born two weeks apart, they’d been best friends since they shared a playpen. Lani knew all of Kendra’stactics.
“I’m about to park. Give me a minute or two to gather myself, and then I’ll be in.”Well, maybe five minutes.
“Bet. Oh, and be careful when you walk in here, Keke—Stanley just waxed the floors.”
“Noted.” Kendra steered her car into the first open parking spot. “I’ll be in there in a few.”
“’Kay, bye.”
The phone disconnected, and Kendra took a deep breath.What is awaiting me inside?She cursed herself for not asking who all would be present to help put the finishing touches on the restaurant before itsopening in a few days. As she closed her eyes to meditate, her phone rang again. She jabbed at the button on her steeringwheel. “We literally just hung up, Lani.”
“Well, don’t sit out in your car forever either. Someone already mentioned that they saw you pull up.”
Kendra rolled her eyes, kissing her teeth. “Get off my phone, ma’am. I need a sec.”Leave me be!
Lani dropped her voice to a gruff whisper. “Bring yo’ ass in here, ho. Acertain someonebeen askin’ about you.” She drew out the last word teasingly. “Take a fuckin’ hint,” she whispered through gritted teeth.
Kendra’s face scrunched up as her head tilted, her mind racing to run through the list of everyone she expected to be presentin these final days of prep before the big launch. “Who?”
“Mr. Big and Sexy, the chocolate drop himself.”
Huh?Kendra blew out a breath loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Cousin, that description applies to half of the brothasin the DMV. Can you be more specific?”
“If you don’t carry your behind on... You know what? We don’t have time for this.” Lani’s hushed tone changed to a loudcall. “Hey, look, y’all. I think that’s Keke’s car right there!” Voices in the background converged into a jumble drownedout by a peal of villainous laughter.
I’m gonna kill her.“Lani!” Kendra snapped as the call disconnected.So much for a moment of peace.She inhaled deeply, exhaling through her mouth before wiping the scowl from her face and climbing out of the car into a light breeze that made her pull her coat lapels closer to her neck. She flung her tote bag over her shoulder as she crossed the narrow side streetto enter the front door of the brightly lit restaurant with a giant banner and the wordPALATEset between a set of cutlery. “Here we go,” she muttered.
As Kendra stepped onto a narrow welcome mat just inside the glass door, which had been propped open to allow in the sharpalmost-spring air, the scents of fresh paint and oranges wafted toward her. She peered around the dining room in search ofthe chocolate drop Lani was hinting about, making eye contact with her brother, Logan, and her sister-in-law, Shonda, whoseface brightened as she headed toward the end of the bar to show some love. “Hey, you made it!”
“Yeah, I... whoa shit!” Kendra took one step forward and slipped, fully expecting to be met with the well-polished lacqueredhardwood when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and righted her, the warmth of a large hand imprinting the small ofher back as her legs wobbled. “Right, careful with the floors... Thanks,” she laughed with embarrassment.
“Been a long time, Kenny,” a gravelly baritone voice caused her head to jerk upward. His sturdy six-foot frame drew closer,holding her against his hip so that she could steady herself. The scents of smoky oud and tobacco emanated from his skin.
Kendra gulped as her eyes widened.Damn, he got even finer.BJ Stephens glowered at her curiously, the same way he had when they were teenagers, and Kendra’s cheeks warmed as she tookin his smooth umber skin. She’d never seen him in jeans and work boots before, but the look suited him.
“Hey, B, long time. How you been?” She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck as his wound around her waist. As she turnedher head to peck his cheek, he moved slightly and her lips landed at the angle of his jaw, just below his ear, his closely-groomedbeard soft against her skin. Her eyes bulged as she stepped back, unsure whether he’d think she tried to kiss his neck onpurpose.Clumsy and awkward . . . we’re off to agreat start.She made space between them, willing her cheeks not to broadcast her embarrassment. She cleared her throat before lookingup at him.
BJ’s dark, spectacled eyes trained on her, his expression unreadable. “Good. But you’re the one who’s been gone. How wereyour travels? Last I heard, you were cooking your way through Asia and Europe.”
Kendra beamed, nodding. “I loved every minute of it. Apprenticed under a few chefs, caught up with a few cousins when I hitThailand and the Philippines. Collected a ton of cooking techniques and recipes. Made some new friends and gave a few lessonson Creole cooking.”
“You didn’t make new friends at the expense of old ones, I hope.” The corners of his mouth twitched, drawing Kendra’s attentionto his full lips. It always took a lot to make BJ smile. A laugh was even more rare but craveable. As long as Kendra had knownher brother’s best friend, she never was good at reading him. Once in a while, he’d allow his face to show his playfulness,but most of the time, his underwhelmed, almost gruff expression remained constant. Joy, pain—even annoyance—were less commonexpressions than the general grumpy-observer vibe he gave off. But behind the prickly mask was an intelligent, loyal, goodhuman who often put others before himself.
“Never that,” she laughed. They’d known each other for over two decades—ever since her family had relocated from New Orleans to the nation’s capital. Kendra had been in middle school, and Logan was just about to start high school. He met BJ his first day of classes, and they became fast friends after almost coming to blows over the attentions of the same girl. Logan had brought BJ home for some of Momma’s cooking to make amends, and the rest was history—Momma won over many hearts with her Creole family recipes, and BJ’s wasno exception. Logan had been lucky. Truth be told, BJ would have whooped his ass.
BJ was a gym rat to the core, but as focused as he was on macros to build muscle mass, he made two exceptions without question:Momma’s cookin’ and good whiskey. As he solidified his place within the family’s inner circle, he’d always been the one tomediate Kendra’s arguments with her brother—a dependable voice of reason who wasn’t quick to pick sides.
Kendra and Logan never fought physically—Momma would never allow that—but Kendra would cut to the white meat with her words,and when she went low, Logan went straight to the depths of hell. “You still enjoying the professor life? I heard you wereawarded tenure while I was out of the country. Congratulations are in order! I was really excited to hear the news. You’veworked so hard to get to this place.”
