“EMERSON!” A PRETTY dark-haired woman steps out from behind the receptionist’s desk and hugs my mom. “I’m so glad you’re back. We have so much catching up to do.”
“Definitely,” my mom says before she turns to me. “Jayla, this is Lisa. She and I went to high school together. Lisa, this is my daughter Jayla.”
“She’s beautiful, Emerson,” Lisa says, taking my hands and giving me a once over.
“And who are these gorgeous ladies?” a smooth voice says beside us.
I look over to see a guy who looks like he’s in his mid-twenties with black hair styled to perfection, dressed in a dark grey tapered button-up rolled up to his elbows and tucked into a pair of dark fitted jeans, a black belt, and black Prada loafers.
“Xavier, this is Emerson, an old friend, and her daughter Jayla,” Lisa introduces.
He smiles, showing off his perfect white teeth before gesturing to my mom and me. “So, which one of these beauties do I get to play with today?” He winks at Lisa.
Lisa smiles. “Xavier is my second-in-command,” she tells us. “Jayla, from now on Xavier will be taking care of you. Whenever you come in here, you only see Xavier.”
I nod and smile at Xavier. “Got it.”
Two hours later my hair is trimmed, my nails are manicured, my feet are pedicured, and Xavier is my new best friend. Love him.
“YOU ARE NOT taking pole dancing classes, Jayla,” Mom argues as she pulls into the parking garage below Mac’s. I don’t really want to take a pole dancing class, but I love to get her going. She makes it so easy.
I turn my head to look out the passenger side window and stifle a laugh. Next door to Lisa’s salon is a private dance studio called Juliette’s. She teaches everything from ballroom dancing to pole dancing. You must be eighteen or have a parent’s consent to participate in her classes. When we walked inside, Juliette’s assistant showed us to the waiting room, which consisted of a couple of sofas and a one-way mirror. Juliette was in the middle of teaching a pole dancing class and I joked that I wanted to take that class. Mom’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
I swear, it’s like she doesn’t know me at all.
We settled for hip-hop classes on Wednesday evenings.
“You’re lucky I even agreed to the hip-hop class.”
Scoffing, I ask, “Why? I’ve seen the way you dance, hoochie mama.”
“Oh, be quiet,” she says and we both laugh.
Mac’s is located in Pelican Cove, at the front of the island between the two drawbridges. There are also other restaurants, bars, shops, boutiques, restaurants, a movie theater, a bowling alley and luxury apartments. Everything is within walking distance.
I pictured Mac’s to look more like a sports bar with memorabilia plastered all over the walls, but it’s nothing of the sort. It’s open and airy, giving off an island feel. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Bay. Tropical fans hang from the high ceilings. The floors are a shiny polished marble; the walls are light and the doors are a heavy wood with palm leaves carved into them. A circular hostess stand made of the same wood and carvings, is positioned in the center of the room, and behind it are two sweeping staircases leading to a second level. The place is extremely upscale.
“JJ!” Willow screeches, wiggling away from Uncle Max to run to me.
“Boo!” I reach down to scoop her up, settling her on my hip before kissing her on the cheek.
“Wook.” She holds up her fingers to show off the nail stickers that I put on her last night.
“Wow! Who put these pretty stickers on your nails?” I ask, feigning shock.
Willow giggles. “You.”
“Wow! I did a good job.” Willow nods and I move to sit down at the table and settle her in my lap. “Uncle Max, this place is amazing,” I say.
“Thanks,” he replies. “But I can’t take all the credit.” He gestures to Mimi. “I’ll show you around after lunch.”
Willow pulls her thumb from her mouth and points to something over my shoulder. “Dat’s Ahpee.”
“Who?” I turn my head to see a girl about my age and height with a gorgeous shade of red hair approaching our table with a pad and a pen. She’s wearing khaki cuffed shorts and a black three-button polo with “Mac’s” embroidered in red on the left side. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun, showcasing her bright green eyes.
“Harper,” Max says before gesturing to my mom and making introductions. “This is my little sister Emerson, my niece Jayla, and this handsome sonofa—”
“Language,” Aunt Jess warns.
“—gun is Bass,” Max finishes.
Harper smiles. “It’s great to finally meet you.”
“Harper is new, but she’s one of our best servers,” Alex adds as he approaches our table.
Harper smiles at the compliment.
“Do you go to Heritage Academy?” I ask.
She nods. “I’m a senior this year.”
“Me, too. Maybe we can hang out sometime. I met a lot of Cole’s friends yesterday, but most of them were guys. They were nice—”
“Yeah, I’ll bet they were,” Dylan chimes in. “Harper hasn’t met Cole yet,” he adds with a smirk.
I snort. “You’re kidding? You guys go to the same school.”
Harper shifts nervously on her feet. “I know who he is, but we haven’t actually met.”
“Oh.” How has this girl managed to stay off Cole’s radar?
Harper takes our drink orders, then hurries off to the kitchen. “How has Cole never noticed her before? She’s gorgeous,” I say to Alex and Dylan.
He will today. Mark my words.
“They don’t have the same friends,” Dylan says. “Harper’s a loner, a bookworm.”
“She’s a nerd,” Aiden chimes in with a laugh. The little shit. Uncle Max and Aunt Jessica are going to have their hands full with that one. He’s thirteen, gorgeous, and a smartass. He’s a younger version of Cole.
“Oh, stop it, you guys,” Aunt Jessica chimes in. “You’re making Cole out to be a shallow jerk. His focus is on football right now, not girls.”
Uncle Max shakes his head. Either Aunt Jessica is delusional or in denial.
Mimi lets out a loud laugh and that’s my cue. I cup my hands over Willow’s delicate ears just as Mimi shakes her head and says, “Jess, honey, he’s an eighteen-year-old young man with the libido of a porn star. His penis is like a GPS permanently programmed to direct him to the nearest willing piece of ass within a five-mile radius.”
The whole table erupts in laughter just as Cole swaggers in and over to our table.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“Co!” Willow wiggles off my lap and hobbles over to Cole.
“Baby girl!” Cole scoops Willow into his arms and hugs her to his chest. “Sorry I’m late,” he announces to the table as he pulls out the empty chair across from me and settles Willow in his lap. “Have you guys ordered yet?”
“Just our drinks. Why are you late?”
“I had something to do.”
“Something or someone?” I joke, just as Harper arrives at the table with our drinks.
“Shut up,” Cole mumbles.
I do my best to keep a blank expression, as does everyone else. Cole is distracted by Willow’s toddler babble until Harper says, “Cole, do you know what you’d like to drink?”
“A fruit punch,” he says and tilts his head to look up at our server. It takes everything I have not to laugh when Cole does a double take. “Who are you?”
Harper narrows her eyes and frowns at Cole’s harsh tone.
I open my mouth but Willow beats me to it. “Dat’s Ahpee, Co.”
Cole chuckles at Willow before he looks back up at Harper. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so rude. Are you new?”
“Yes, but we’ve been going to school together since sophomore year. I’m Harper.” She holds out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Cole.”
“You too, Harper.” Cole smirks, shaking her hand and raking his eyes over her from head to toe. Harper takes our food orders and once again hurries off to the kitchen, with Cole’s eyes locked on her ass like a heat-seeking missile.
“What’d I tell ya,” Mimi says.
Called it.