"I'm getting too old for these so called barbeques. Today's bingo night and I'm feeling lucky."
I let my gran complain through out the whole drive to aunt Joanne's house. She really loved the new old people's home she stayed in. And I literally had to drag her out of it.
"Gran, complaining won't save you."
"Well someone should, because I see you hate me."
"Oh, c'mon. You know there's no other woman that comes before you."
"I wish there was. That way you won't have to concentrate so much on me."
"That's not happening anytime soon. It's only you and me against the world."
"Enough with that, boy."
I frowned at what she said as the mansion came into view and I parked among the many cars.
A bunch of kids were running around. And the familiar scent of a hearty barbeque filled the air, probably sourcing from the back yard.
I turned to her, still frowning. Had she forgotten that I was a...
"I know you're not a man, you raccoon." She smacked my arm with a scowl on her face.
I sighed in relief at knowing she hadn't lost her sense.
"I'm not that old, silly...but I forget sometimes."
She saw the worry on my face and she grinned.
"It's not age. It's just that sometimes you look so much like your father. I still don't understand why you can't find a nice girl to settle down with."
"I'm only 25, gran," I said, squeezing her hand.
"And I'm more than triple of that. What if I suddenly..."
"Hey...hey, there's no need to go into such a topic. You still have many more years ahead of you. And still as beautiful as ever." I winked at her and would have probably seen a blush if she wasn't caramel skinned like me.
"Oh stop, you good for nothing. Now let's get this over with."
"Yes, ma'am." I saluted seriously and made her laugh.
Getting out of the car, I went round and opened the door for her.
But when I accidentally banged the door too hard, I thought about fierce green eyes and cascading waves of lustrous dark hair.
What the hell? Where did that come from?
Gran must have seen the scowl on my face when she asked what was wrong.
"Nothing, gran. Just remembered something."
We walked around the many cars and avoided the running kids. Immediately we opened the front door, another bunch of kids ran out, almost colliding into us.
"Silvia!" a voice I recognised as Christina's grandmother said. She rushed towards us with excitement.
But I remembered how she didn't care for my lifestyle. So I wasn't surprised when she hardly acknowledged me before taking gran away.
"Shayne!"
At least someone was happy to see me.
I turned to see Christina's younger sister, Abigail running at top speed towards me.
"Bestie!" I said as she jumped and I held her in mid air.
She shrieked and giggled when I span her around.
"Okay. That's enough. I want some love too." I looked at aunt Joanne, as beautiful as ever, as she came towards us.
It had only been a little more than a couple of months when I last visited, but she looked so happy to see me.
I put Abigail down and Joanne wrapped her arms around my neck, which she'd always explained she loved to do because it made her feel less shorter.
"Why, don't you look dashing." She looked me up and down before turning to Abigail. "Sweety, go tell your father Shayne's here."
As the ten year old sped off, Joanne curled her arm around mine and led me through the house.
"I'm sorry I wasn't around to see you yesterday when you dropped off Christina."
"That's okay. I had somewhere else to be anyways."
She nodded her head slightly as we approached the kitchen. The delicious aromas torturing my empty stomach.
"How's the moving going?"
"Faster than I expected actually. The studio had already been set by the time I arrived."
"Really? So all you have to deal with is your apartment?"
"That, and trying to drag gran out of her new playground to get here."
"She's here? When I called her in the morning, she didn't seem so excited about coming."
"I just had to land my special Shay charm and she caved." I finished with my signature smirk and she hit my arm.
These women of mine loved to hit me, huh?
"Greet your aunties while I go see your gran."
And with that, Joanne slightly pushed me into the kitchen and sneaked off.
Crafty woman.
The few good aunts came and embraced me, while the others just watched and continued cooking.
Then the comments began.
"You got more tatoos," Aunt Lisa said.
"You couldn't even try to hide them," Aunt Mia said.
"You got more attractive," Aunt Yolanda said, and according to the disapproval on her face, it wasn't a compliment.
The slap on my back made me turn to see uncle Ken grinning at me.
Saved by the Ken.
We hugged each other like old buddies, uncle Ken's booming laughter filling the kitchen.
"Why don't we leave these women to their own business, which has nothing to do with you." He raised his thick eyebrows at them, before leading me out into the large and fancy back yard.
Friends and family were everywhere.
The basketball court was already occupied by more than a dozen of some of my cousins. Most of them from the hood. And probably way older.
The wide pool filled with most of my nephews and nieces. A lot of my uncles surrounded the barbeque. And the old timers surrounded the unlit fire place.
Friends—judging by the different shades of their skin—looked every bit like family as everyone else.
Then I saw Christina with some cousins I'd grown up with. They stood next to the sound system, probably debating on what songs to play.
Uncle Ken led me to the barbeque where I greeted my uncles from all sides of the family.
I loved my uncles because they never judged me. If they did, then they hid it too well.
We talked for a bit, but I later excused myself. A lot of hugs and waves on the way, but I made it to where my homegrown cousins stood.
The whole bunch of them covered me with hugs and fist pumps and high fives. Those who didn't shook my hand and explained to be friends or new members of the family.
"Glad you could make it," Christina said as she handed me a soda.
"What would make me so special as not to come amongst everyone else?"
"You're super busy. I mean I was shocked you'd already opened the studio. And I bet you have some killer club to...Ah, Olivia is here."
Olivia?
And then I saw her. The green-eyed brunette.
Only this time, she was as composed as the first time I had laid eyes on her. Disciplined even as she stood between a classy couple that were probably her parents.
That white summer dress did terrible things to my imagination. The cute and high pink wages on her feet bright enough to attract attention.
I discovered that not only my attention had been captured. Several eyes were scanning her.
I was shocked to find myself feeling a pang of jealousy. But I didn't blame them.
She was beautiful.
And I wanted her.
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