Page 22 of Happy Endings

“Now you want sex toys in your restaurant? What happened to ‘We don’t need to turn this place into a sex shop’?” She deepened her voice as she tossed his words back at him.

She caught his eye, and he burst out laughing. Trixie glared at him, but a smile finally broke out. A deep, throaty laugh escaped her mouth. How he missed that sound. There hadn’t been much laughing between them their last few months together.

“Wow, you still suck at impressions,” he said. The laughter melted away the tension between them.

“Shut up.” Her voice was stern, but her eyes were still laughing. “Actually, that’s what I was going to talk to Keisha about. This is my year to win the company sales contest, but I have to do things differently if I want that ten-thousand-dollar bonus.”

He whistled. “What are you going to do with all that cash?”

“I’m opening my own boutique. No more working for the man.”

Andre grinned. There was his Trixie. Determined, ambitious, and fucking sexy as hell. She’d always had big dreams. Bigger than his. He knew he was destined to come back to Mama Hazel’s and take over. He thought he’d had more time to travel and play around. Until Mama got sick.

“I can see it now: Trixie’s Sex Emporium.” He waved his hands at an imaginary sign.

“Who even saysemporiumanymore? It sounds like a brothel when you say it that way.” She beamed. “I was planning on calling the shop Happy Endings.”

“Of course you are.” He put out his hand. “So, partners? We provide food and cocktails while you sell your products?”

“As long as we keep things professional. We can’t let our past get in the way.”

“I can do that, but what about you?” he asked, referring to her angry words earlier. The last thing he wanted to do was to dredge up the past with her, even if they had more good moments than bad ones. He had put aside his feelings to keep Mama Hazel’s alive. His sister depended on him. The neighborhood depended on their weekly dinners. They couldn’t afford to lose the community his mother had nurtured. Those people were his extended family. People who had helped his mom start over after leaving New Orleans.

“I will do whatever it takes to win this contest.” She sat up straight and took his hand.

Electricity ran up his arm as she shook his hand. He inhaled sharply and ignored how the pads of her fingers seared his skin.

“I’m so sorry, Trixie.” Keisha’s voice boomed as the kitchen door swung open. She spotted them in the back booth. “Oh, baby. What do we have here?”

Andre and Trixie froze, their hands still clasped together. He was never going to hear the end of this. He let go of Trixie and stood up.

“Trixie has agreed to partner with Mama Hazel’s.”

Keisha squealed. She ran over to hug Trixie. As the two women embraced, his sister shot him aWhat the hell happened out here?look. He shrugged, pretending he didn’t understand her.

“Now that my brother has beaten me to the punch, you and I have lots of planning to do.” Keisha was practically vibrating with excitement.

Trixie’s face fell, but she quickly smiled. Keisha hadn’t seen it, but Andre recognized the disappointment that flashed across his ex-girlfriend’s face. As if Trixie was disappointed that he wasn’t on the planning committee.

“Great. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can both make money.” Trixie pulled out her phone. “I’m usually free in the mornings. How about Wednesday?”

Keisha swiped through the calendar on her phone.

“This week is not good. I have a big project due for school next week. It’s a group project.” She rolled her eyes. “I know! Why don’t you and Tre meet without me? He can fill me in after.”

“What?” Andre whipped his head around. “Keisha, this was your idea. You said you wanted more responsibility here.”

She responded with a mischievous grin. If he didn’t know better, he thought Keisha was playing matchmaker. He really had to tell her about his history with Trixie and explain how complicated things were between them. But not tonight. Keisha would have a million questions, and he wasn’t ready to rehash the past again.

“Let me check my calendar.” He walked over to the bar where he kept his phone.

“As if you have a life, big bro. You live and breathe this place,” Keisha called to his back. She turned to Trixie. “He’s totally free. Come by around nine o’clock on Wednesday. That should give you plenty of time before Luis comes in to start lunch service.”

Andre glared at his baby sister. He, too, had a life. If you considered balancing spreadsheets and shuffling money around to pay bills a life. Someone had to take care of the business side of running Mama Hazel’s.

“Thanks, Keisha.” Trixie was holding back a smirk. With two older siblings who liked to tease her, she should empathize with him. Not laugh at him.

“Ha, ha, not funny.” He turned his nose up at his sister.

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