Page 70 of Happy Endings

“Ugghhhh!” Trixie screamed. “You are so hardheaded!”

She couldn’t help someone who didn’t want to be helped. And she wasn’t going to give up on a store that practically landed in her lap.

“I thought you were going to be excited for me. At least help me make the right choice for me. Not for you.” She reached over to the futon for her purse. “I have to tell the Boss Babes the good news. At least they’ll support me.”

“Trixie.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I panicked.”

She swung the purse strap over her neck and shoulder.Count to three and walk out,she told herself.

“I’m not good at asking for help, but I—I don’t want us to fight.” He ran his thumb across her cheek. “It’s hard enough to keep Mama Hazel’s running, much less figure out how to stop developers from turning my restaurant into a condo.”

Trixie leaned into his touch and sighed. He brushed a kiss on her lips. She pulled back.

“Maybe us being together in any capacity is a bad idea,” she said. “We want different things.” Things had gotten complicated between them fast. So many feelings for a friends-with-benefits relationship.

Andre reached for her hand.

“Stop. I’m still mad at you.” If she let his touch distract her, they’d only postpone the argument.

He pulled his hands away from her and stepped back. His eyes fell.

“Can’t we talk about it later? Your skin is so soft, I can’t help touching you.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like we can solve gentrification right this second.”

“Sure, stick your head in the sand until it’s too late to do anything,” she huffed.

“I’m not—”

“I learned my lesson in New Orleans,” she said, cutting him off. “I waited too long to tell my parents what I really wanted to do with my life. I’ve lost too much time with them already.”

“Oh, babe, it’s not your fault they didn’t—”

“Let me finish.” Trixie’s words were sharper than she intended, but they had the effect she wanted.

Andre sat on the edge of his desk. He nodded, ceding the floor to her.

“I was so scared of how they’d react, I made bad decisions because of my fear. I should have eased them into my decision sooner. I should have talked to them about what I was feeling and what I wanted. I didn’t trust them to love me unconditionally.” Trixie blinked rapidly.

Until now she hadn’t thought of the blowup with her parents that way. She’d chalked it up to how her immigrant parents didn’t understand what she wanted. But she’d blindsided them with her decision to change her career path. Which is what Andre would be doing to Keisha if he didn’t loop her in right away.

“I am a little scared,” Andre whispered. His shoulders slumped as he avoided her eyes. “I already let down Mama when I stayed in New Orleans longer than I should have. Now I’m losing the restaurant.”

“Andre, you don’t have to do this alone.” Trixie would tell him again and again until she got it into his thick head. “You have Keisha and a community who adore you. Believe me, they don’t want to lose Mama Hazel’s either.”

Trixie closed the distance and grabbed his hands. Andre looked up, his brow furrowed. He pressed light feathery kisses onto her hands. Her skin tingled as his kisses traveled up her arms. Andre pulled her closer and continued until his lips reached the soft spot on her neck.

“Promise me you’ll talk to Keisha right away? She’s smart and knows this neighborhood as well as you do. I wouldn’t be surprised if she came up with five solutions.”

“I’m not good at asking for help,” he said, and sighed.

Trixie reached for his cheek and rubbed her thumb over his prickly stubble.

“Promise me.”

He nodded.

“Say it out loud.” She ran her thumb over his lips.

He blew out a breath and nodded.

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