Page 103 of Ella Gets the D
The room is now a few degrees warmer with the moms ogling him like a packet of chicken at the store that’s five cents cheaper than the rest. Can’t say I blame them, because my vagina is a sauna in his presence.
Julian pauses mid-gulp to take in the lust-filled eyes on him. A flush creeps up his neck, and his gaze shifts to me. For such a playboy, he gets shy easily. I know he’s not his image, but it’s still cute.
“Should be here soon,” I say.
The ding of the doorbell has Julian in action. “I’ll get it.” He scurries off to the foyer with a tail of horny women staring at his ass. Minus his sister.
Phaedra is the first to say what we’re all thinking. “That man isfine.” She stares at me like she just saw an angel and has to close her mouth by hand.
“Yes, he is.” Leah touches her neck and swallows hard. “He could open my door any day.”
Morgan grimaces. “I’m going downstairs to help watch the kids.” Julian volunteered to oversee the game play. He probably wanted to dodge the attention, but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless.
It’s hard not to laugh. I don’t know how I’d react to people eye-fucking my brother if I had one. She only got comfortable with me fucking him recently, and that’s still a work in progress.
Ashley’s eyes go wide. She snaps. “That’s Julian Brooke. The lawyer who’s always in the blogs.”
Leah tilts her head to the side. “Wasn’t he in England somewhere? I’d let him have me from sea to shining freaking sea, okay?” She high-fives Phaedra, who giggles with her tongue out.
I open my mouth to end the conversation, but my voice gets caught in my throat at the sight of my mother. In my living room.
The brown eyes I inherited look back at me and move to Julian, who’s standing next to her with a smile, before falling on me again. “My baby.”
Her voice is a balm. I choke back tears and run to her. “Mama.” The word lands against her soft curls. There are moregray streaks since I saw her last April. She rubs circles on my back and squeezes my tighter.
Oh, how I’ve missed her. We talk multiple times a week, and we video call now that she grasps the concept, but it’s not enough. I planned to bring her down for the holidays, but it didn’t work out with her schedule as a home health aide.
“H-how long are you here?Howdid you get here?” Every question is rapid fire. My mother is finally here.
Thick lips pull her almond face into a grin. “Seems somebody sent me a plane ticket to celebrate my grandbaby’s birthday and a car from the airport. Is Julie here? I want to thank her.”
At that moment, I want to risk court action and public scrutiny for kissing Julian. I mentioned how disappointed I was that my mom couldn’t be here for the holidays days ago, in passing. Never did I imagine he’d fly her here to surprise us.
I stare at the man who continues to take my breath away and love me and my family in a way we’ve never experienced. His eyes sweep over my face and soften at the tear streaking down my cheek. “This is Julian, Mama,” I say without breaking his gaze.
“Oh.” Her tone matches the gentleness of her glances between us. Her eyes settle on Julian with a warmth that pulls out his dimples. “Thank you for the sweet gift. I didn’t realize you were Julie.”
He bends down to reach her hug and engulfs her in his frame. “It was my pleasure, ma’am,” he says softly.
“How did you get her information?” I never told him my childhood address or her phone number.
A small smile touches his lips. “Morgan helped steer me in the right direction.”
I introduce my mother to the other moms before she goes with Julian to the basement hand in hand. The three sets of eyes thatwere once on my man are now on me. “What?” I clear my throat and gather the mugs to wash in the sink.
“I did not come here for you to test my lash glue.” Phaedra fans her face. “If you don’t marry that man, I will.”
“Can I be a sister wife?” Leah chimes in.
“Would you two stop?” My laugh is light, a far cry from the drama I just starred in. “Julian is a family friend and Morgan’s brother. We’re”—I snort at the three of them leaning in—“friends!” I tip my head back and let out another laugh at their groans. “My divorce isn’t final yet, and I don’t want to confuse the kids, you know?”
“You mean the kids playing downstairs with your man, who’s entertaining all of ours so we can have peace and quiet? Who just flew your mother in?” Leah winks.
“We get it,” Ashley says.
“And we hope you do too,” Phaedra adds with a chuckle. I cannot wait for them to meet Erica. The world isn’t ready.
“That’s the thing.” I shrug. “Dating andet ceteracould jeopardize my divorce. In Virginia”—I push my index finger through the circle I make with my other hand—“while separated is technically adultery. The accusation alone would have me knee-deep in attorney’s fees and battling about my business in court.”
