Page 81 of Seasoned
“Yes, but I’ve never read it.”
“Maybe we can read it together, but anyway, I thought the five love languages was foolishness at first and never bought a copy. Since our fight, I downloaded the audiobook and listened to it to and from the store and while I worked out at the gym. It actually makes sense. I believe your love language is quality time and mine is words of affirmation.”
“Interesting.” She tossed around what he said for a bit. “Which means we weren’t expressing our love in each other’s love language.”
“Exactly. And over time, that created a rift.”
“Twenty-five years and we still have a lot to learn.” Adelaide sighed.
Hector rubbed her back and she snuggled closer against him. She’d missed his warm hugs and being held against his solid body.
“When do you start classes?” he asked.
“September. I’m nervous about going back to school after all this time.”
He looked into her eyes. “You’ll be fine. You’ll be making As and Bs and kicking everybody else’s ass in those culinary classes. I’m glad you decided to go back to school, and I know your catering business is going to be a success. I’m really looking forward to all those homework assignments and the different recipes you’ll be making.”
“You’re willing to be my guinea pig?” she teased.
“I was happily your guinea pig for years. Why not?”
Adelaide raised up on her toes. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
Hector cupped her face and gazed into her eyes. “Will you marry me again?”
Adelaide grinned. “Of course. I thought you’d never ask.”
Jackie & Tyson
1
“Jackie, your guest has arrived and I’m heading out.”
Jackie Bryant looked up from taking inventory of a shipment of bedroom slippers in the back room of her store. One of her salesclerks, Cindy, stood in the doorway, her flaming red Afro sitting on her head in a huge puff.
“See you later, hon. Let him know I’ll be out in a few minutes, and lock us in on your way out.”
Cindy stepped farther into the room and dropped her voice. “Okay, but just know, I’m jealous of that tall chocolate god you managed to snag.” She arched a brow and a small smile appeared on her face.
Jackie laughed. Of course Cindy would find him attractive. They shared the same taste in men. “Have a safe trip with yourhusband.”
She let Cindy leave at the end of her shift instead of staying behind to close down the store. She and her husband were taking a trip to celebrate their anniversary tomorrow, and Cindy wanted to go home early to pack and get ready for their morning drive.
“I will. I’ll see you next week, and have fun this weekend.” She winked and left.
Jackie definitely intended to have fun. She had a hot date tonight with a younger man, not one of those stuffy older men who thought life ended in their thirties. As a woman in her mid-fifties, she had lots of life to live and no intention of slowing down anytime soon. Since it seemed men her age couldn’t keep up, she’d been quite pleased when she ran into a younger one who not only appreciated a more seasoned woman, but a full-figured one to boot.
She finished up in the back and stepped onto the brightly lit floor space of Bodacious, the flagship location of three stores she owned that exclusively sold lingerie and sleepwear for women with big, bodacious curves. Owning this store wasn’t just a business for her, it was a cause. Her greatest challenge wasn’t finding the right size for her customers, but getting a fair number of them to reject the media’s perception of their body type and accept that they were sexy in their own right.
She placed a few of the shoes on the display hooks and walked onto the sales floor to greet Kendrick Pafford. Twenty-seven, gorgeous dark skin, and a big curly Afro.
At six feet eight, she’d initially assumed he played basketball or some other sport, but according to him he’d never been the athletic type and had hoped to become a model but gave up a while back. His height was one of her favorite attributes, considering she easily reached six feet in heels. Lord, how she loved a tall man. As a plus, the man knew how to dress and tonight looked scrumptious in a long-sleeved black shirt and black pants.
Jackie’s face broke into a smile. “Hey, you.”
