Page 48 of A Lifetime in 30 Days
“You sure? You can keep my company while I eat,” Vanna said.
“No. No. I’m not gonna be in your way while I’m here, Vannie. I know you’ve got yourself a little boyfriend now, and I don’t want to intrude on y’all’s time.”
“First,” Vanna said with a shake of her head, “Aden’s a forty-two-year-old, six-feet-one-inch-tall man, so there’s nothing ‘little’ about him. And he’s not my boyfriend. We’re just ... ah ... we’re just ...”
“You’re just fuckin’.”
“Granny!” Vanna scolded.
“What? I know what you’re doing. Hell, I’ve been doing it more than half my life,” Granny said. “And doing it is what almost had me catching a charge last night.”
Vanna didn’t know what to say to that, so she just laughed. There was no one like her Granny. Nobody she loved more than this woman, who didn’t know what to say out of her mouth most of the time but had a heart of gold.
Chapter 15
August 19
The pool party had been a great success, the fuchsia bathing suit as enticing as Jamaica had predicted. And the time spent with Aden after the party ... well, that had been quite memorable as well.
So memorable, she was at her desk after lunch on Monday with her body still tingling as she recalled the highlight of the evening.
To be fair, having twenty-six people gathered to celebrate her and frolic around at a hotel pool was a fantastic time. In addition to renting the pool and a room close to it at one of DC’s premier hotels, Vanna had also hired a DJ and a caterer. Light fare had been on the menu—shrimp tostadas, deviled eggs, creamy chicken salad bites, pepperoni pizza bites, and charcuterie cups. Drinks other than punch and water needed to be purchased at the hotel bar near the lobby, but nobody seemed to mind. The highlight of this event was definitely the hotel’s inside pool, since the day had been a sizzling ninety-eight degrees and 85 percent humidity.
“You look amazing,” Aden said when he’d sat on the lounge chair next to hers.
They’d been situated there, facing the top end of the pool, since the start of the party. On her other side were four more lounge chairs where Jamaica, Davon, Ronni, and Croy sat. Granny couldn’t swim and detested the idea of taking off most of her clothes to sit by a poolshe had no intention of getting in. That, from the woman who just last week had lifted her dress, pulled down her panties, and shown her bare ass to two elderly persons and a middle-aged married man with three kids.
“Thank you,” Vanna replied, trying not to blush.
When the first two hours of the party passed, she’d stood and announced she was going for a wardrobe change. Aden had stood as well and offered to get them more food.
“I might have to get you to plan my next birthday,” he said, picking up a chicken salad bite—which was salad and a cucumber slice on top of a Ritz Cracker—and bringing it to his mouth.
She reached over to the plate he’d set on the small table between their chairs and chose a deviled egg. She’d pretty much eaten those and the pizza bites the entire time. Dessert was fruit cups and mini cupcakes from the same baker she was using the entire month. She couldn’t wait for those to come out.
“When’s your birthday?” she asked, before taking a bite of the egg.
“January seventh,” he said.
“Ooohhh, winter activities. Lots of possibilities, but we’d have to do a little travel. A ski trip would be great!” Her mind was already soaring with ideas, and as she talked, he chuckled. “You laughing at me, Mr. Granger?”
“Nah, I’m laughingwithyou, Ms. Savannah. I like hearing you get excited. And I like seeing you smile.”
“Well, she’s been smiling at you a whole lot today,” Jamaica said as she got up to start walking toward the pool. “And now, since you’ve changed into your ‘wet approved’ outfit, let’s get in this water.”
Vanna ignored the wink Jamaica gave at the wordswet approved, recalling her remarks from their swimsuit-shopping trip. “I guess you’re right,” she said. “About the time to get in the pool part. I mean, it is a pool party.”
And because it was, she’d sat for eight hours after work yesterday to get her hair braided. By the time she’d gotten home, she’d beenexhausted and her scalp was on fire, the knotless braids were so tight. Today, they were still tight, but cute as hell as they cascaded down to stop at the small of her back.
By the time the party was over and the last guest had been hugged, thanked for coming, and seen out the door, Vanna was still smiling, and Aden—just as Jamaica had predicted—hadn’t been able to keep his hands off of her.
“One last swim,” he suggested when he stepped close enough to put his hands on her waist.
“It’s almost eleven,” she said. “Somebody from the hotel is bound to come in here soon and tell us it’s time to get out.”
He shook his head. “We’ve got sixteen minutes,” he said. “I checked.”
She chuckled. “You want another swim that bad?”
