Page 38 of Waiting for Friday Night

“You’re seeing things because you’re in love now. Quinton is just being nice to Shania and me. That’s it.”

“I don’t know. I think the man is going to try and lay claim to you.”

A weird shiver went through her at the thought of him laying claim. She shook her head and moved out of Imani’s embrace. “Stop it. You’re just as messy as Kayla. Besides, I’m with Gregory.”

“Gregory isn’t the father of your kid.”

“Girl, stop! Quinton was a donor, that’s all. There’s nothing between us. Just mutual interest in doing what’s right. Now, will you please stop being messy? It’s cousins’ day and I need to set up the board games.”

“Who you calling messy? Miss got my man and baby daddy at the same event,” Imani said with a grin and a laugh.

Halle swatted at Imani, who easily evaded the hit. “Go find something to do and leave me alone.”

Imani continued to chuckle as she blew Halle a kiss and hurried over to help grab the food from Kayla and her sister. Halle shook her head. Quinton liking her? No way. She looked in the direction he’d gone with Zachariah. He was looking her way. She couldn’t read his expression, not with the aviator glasses and the hat he wore shadowing his face. Still, heat spread through her body. Tightening her nipples and sending a shiver down her spine. She spun away before she began to believe the foolishness Imani was spouting.

“The man is going to try and lay claim to you.”

Halle sucked in a breath and looked up from the cards in her hand to the field where the flag football game was about to start. Quinton wore those damn aviator glasses, but she swore he looked her way. She could feel the pressure of his stare just as surely as she could feel the cards in her hands. She quickly focused on the game. Now Imani was in her head with that foolishness.

But what if it isn’t foolishness?

She looked up from the cards again. Quinton’s attention was focused on Shania instead. What if Imani was right and Quinton was interested? She wasn’t interested in him. Not seriously. Sure, he was attractive, confident and good with Shania, but she’d never considered him as a potential dating partner before. She wasn’t going to mess up things with Gregory because Quinton may be attracted to her. She also couldn’t let Quinton get the wrong idea.

“Halle!”

Halle blinked as her cousin Cassidy’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Huh? What?”

“It’s your turn?” Cassidy said, raising a brow.

“Oh, my bad.” She was being a horrible spades partner. Imani quickly grabbed a card and threw it down.

Cassidy groaned while Kayla and her partner, their cousin Mick’s wife, Beverly, cackled with glee. Halle looked down at the table and cringed. She could have easily won that hand if she’d been paying attention.

“We might as well call this game because you’re too distracted to play,” Kayla said, sliding the cards on the table her way.

“No, I’m not.”

Kayla continued to smirk. “We’ll see.”

Kalya turned out to be right. Halle was distracted and they lost the game. She was going to get Imani for putting ridiculous thoughts in her head. The flag football game was ready to start. Kayla set her folding chair next to Halle’s on the side of the makeshift field where those not playing watched and cheered on the teams.

Gregory had joined the five-on-five setup. Halle hoped Shania would end up playing with Gregory but as the teams were chosen, she ended up on the opposite team with her cousin Mick and Cyril. Quinton served as the referee for the game.

Imani pulled up a folding chair on the other side of Halle. “Which team are you pulling for?”

“Shania’s, of course,” Halle said.

“Not going to cheer for your boyfriend?” Kayla asked with a smirk.

Halle rolled her eyes. She was not following up Kayla’s foolishness. “You can cheer for his team since Zachariah is on his side.”

“You know I will,” Kayla said, grinning.

Gregory ran over to Halle. “A kiss for good luck,” he said with a grin.

Halle’s eyes darted past him to where Quinton watched, and she immediately hated that she’d made the movement. She looked back at Gregory. A shadow crossed his features. Halle jumped up, lifted on her toes and brushed her lips over his.

“Good luck.”

---