Page 34 of Call Me Mrs. Taylor

“So that means you got a bonus, right?” Kamryn jumps in, her eyebrows wiggling.

I force a laugh and hit her shoulder. “If it does, I ain’t tellin’ you. Better take that greed over to Rico.”

I glance at Raya.

She looks…well, she ain’t amused.

Her eyes are hard and focused on my parents like they’re specimen under her microscope.

My gaze follows hers, wondering if I missed something, but they’re talking amongst themselves, not paying us any mind.

Yet.

A few minutes later, Mama re-enters the ring.

“So, Raya,” she says, turning toward her with a smooth smile. “Where’d you go to school?”

Raya doesn’t even blink before she says, “Spelman.”

Mama’s expression doesn’t shift, but I know she’s impressed. She only respects the black Ivies.

I try not to think about her lingering bitterness over me choosing Georgia Tech over Morehouse.

“That’s wonderful,” she says. “What year did you graduate?”

A beat of silence.

Raya reaches for her drink, fingers tight around the glass. “Um…2016.”

Kamryn’s eyes snap toward Raya, sharp and assessing.

“How old are you?” she asks, her voice as smooth as butter.

Raya’s jaw tightens. “I took a year off after high school,” she says quickly. “So I was a little behind. I’m 30.”

Kamryn hums her response.

Mama’s eyes lock in on Raya’s face. “And what do you do?”

“I’m an elementary school teacher,” she answers, sitting up a little straighter.

I realize I’ve never asked her what school she’s at. I turn to her. “Where do you teach?”

Her fingers grip her fork.

“It’s, uh…a small private school.” She waves a hand. “It’s nothing special.”

“Which one?” I press.

She hesitates, just for a second, and then, “Bradley Academy.”

I nod, even though it sounds made up. Something’s definitely off with her, but I’ll bring it up with her later. Right now, she still has my family to deal with.

Mama’s watching her closely. Kamryn’s smirking. Pop’s staring at her titties. Vanessa, the only one of us with even a little bit of sense, is looking between us all with her eyebrows raised.

When I glance back at Raya, a chill goes up my spine. There’s something in her eyes, something I haven’t seen before. A coldness. A hardness. And something smoldering…

Rage.

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