Page 10 of Gin & Jewels
I put the cobbler on a plate and turned to see all eyes were on me, waiting for me to confirm that I would take this young lady under my wing in the City of Sin. “Yeah, I mean, everything you need to see is on The Strip. Not really much to show you besides just walking around.”
As I sat in the empty chair at the table, I felt my mother’s heated glare on me. “What?”
“You can’t let her wander around by herself.”
“She shouldn’t go to Vegas by herself,” I countered and stuck a sweet bite into my mouth.
“I wasn’t going to,” Holly confirmed. “If I ever go, I’m sure it would be with friends.”
“You’ll have fun. There’s a lot to do.”
“Anything in particular?” she questioned.
I could still feel my mother’s gaze on me, and because I was a gentleman, andespeciallybecause I wanted to make my mom happy, I said, “Actually, how about tomorrow for lunch we go to Dovie’s for a bite, and I can give you a list of things to check out?”
“I’d like that.” Holly beamed.
All the women were smiling again. I could get through one lunch and humor my mother, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to be the next tofall, even if my mom did want grandkids as soon as possible.
The next day, I walked to Mary’s house to take Holly to lunch. When Holly opened the door after I’d knocked, she was dressed in short shorts and a tight, bright yellow tank top with spaghetti straps that barely held up her tits. She had on a good amount of makeup, and her hair was curled. I preferred a woman who didn’t feel the need to cover up her face or try too hard to impress me. My dates always made sure to wear a shit-ton of makeup because they thought they needed it.
“You look beautiful today,” I stated, turning on my charm.
Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”
She closed the door, and we walked down the street toward my rental car. “I hope you’re hungry,” I said, opening the passenger door for her to slide in. “Dovie’s serves big portions.”
“Starving.”
I nodded as I closed the door, then rounded the hood to get into the driver’s seat. I liked a woman who could eat. On my dates, the women were usually too nervous to eat even when they wanted to meet at a restaurant and have aproperdate before going back to their hotel room. After a few drinks, they’d calm down but not enough to eat the food they’d ordered. I actually found it hilarious because there was nothing to be nervous about. We both knew I would take the lead and make it a good night. It was why I was hired, right?
After starting the engine, I pulled away from the curb. “Is this your first time in Nashville?” I asked, even though we were technically on the outskirts.
“No, I used to come here all the time growing up.”
“And now you’re back visiting your grandma?”
“I’m actually a student at Tennessee State. I came here for a week or two to try to find an off-campus place to live when I start back in the fall.”
“Can’t live with Mary?”
“I could, but that’s my last resort. I don’t want to be the one girl living with her grandma while everyone else is having parties at their place every weekend.”
I grunted softly. I felt as though I was starting to get too old for partying, and the thought of a college party actually made my stomach turn. A lot of my dates wanted to go clubbing, so Ihadto dance and shit, but my idea of partying at thirty-one was a steak dinner out with the guys to followed by a little gambling—like we had for Vinny’s bachelor party—or drinks down on Fremont Street.
Fuck, I was starting to sound like an old married guy.
“I get that,” I said, driving into the small parking lot. Dovie’s was a little silver restaurant that served delicious southern comfort food. As we walked up the steps to enter, I noted the Help Wanted sign in the window. I had to tell my mother about the sign since Dovie’s was my favorite place to eat when I was in town. Well, besides my mother’s cooking, of course.
She made the best chicken and dumplings I’d ever had.
When Keith stole my money,I thought I would get my revenge sooner rather than later, but it had been four years, and I hadn’t been able to get my money. In fact, I was certain it was gone just like his share was spent as if it was pennies instead of thousands of dollars.
I tried to stay out of Keith’s way, acting more like roommates than brother and sister. We had our moments, especially on the anniversary of our parents’ deaths when we seemed as though we still had love for one another. I did love him, though—of course, I did; he was my brother. I just also hated the way he’d turned out. He cared more for his friends than he did about me, and sometimes I wondered how our lives would be different if our parents hadn’t gone out that night.
Keith had his best friend, Micky, move in as well as another friend and his girlfriend. We had a full house, but I was the one keeping the lights on because I still paidallthe bills for the house plus food. I fucking hated it, but I had no other options.
I wasn’t able to attend college like I had planned to after I graduated high school, and I had no money to buy the house outright from Keith—not that he would ever allow that. I didn’t have money to hire an attorney either, and I couldn’t just leave because I had nowhere else to go. I didn’t have close friends to turn to because I’d pushed everyone away after my parents’ deaths and hadn’t made any new ones. If I let Keith have the house, I would let my mom down because I knew how much she’d loved the house, and Keith andhisfriends would run it into the ground if it weren’t for me.
