Page 55 of Only for the Week
“You keep thinking I’m not’bout that action, J. I’ve proved you wrong before and I’ma keep doing so.”
She licks her bottom lip but straightens when I blatantly let my eyes follow the action. “Damn. Yep, you win this round.”
“Let’s not talk about rounds, J. One week was plenty, ain’t that what you said?”
“Aaaand with that.” She pushes against my chest and I let her go, following her to the passenger side so I can open her door for her.
I hear Jalen’s low rumble of laughter as he lets himself into the backseat.
An hour into our drive back, Janelle and Jalen have been going back and forth with questions to get to know each other better. I can’t lie and say it doesn’t make my heart happy to see my brother and my…and Janelle getting along so well.
“So, is Kam ready for a week without you?”
“He’s with our parents so he’s not even gonna notice I’m gone. Our mom will probably buy him ten video games and our dad will probably let him stay up all hours of the night to watch scary movies.”
“And Mom’s gonna yell at him to send Kam to bed but she’s always the first one to fall asleep; she ain’t gonna do shit about it,” I add in.
“Exactly that.”
“He’s got the grandparents working against each other; he’s a genius. He’s into scary movies?”
“He loves’em. He probably shouldn’t be watching them since he’s only eleven, but my dad got him started early.”
“See, now that we can talk about. I leave the horror games to Evie but horror movies? Sign me up.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your favorite?”
“Nightmare on Elm Streetfirst.Halloweensits at a close second.”
“Kam would approve. Michael Myers is his guy.”
“I knew I liked him.”
We get back to the hotel and Janelle tells us she’s going to go rest while Amerie is gone but promises to see us at the tequila tasting later tonight.
“So that’s my future sister-in-law, huh? I like her,” Jalen spews the moment she’s out of sight.
“The fuck are you talking about?”
“Shorty got you wide open, my guy. You can’t deny that.”
He doesn’t even know about the past week I’ve spent with her, but he has me pegged. It’s way too early to claim her as my wife, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that I want more with Janelle, and I’m willing to do what it takes to make her see that, too.
Later that night, Arnold’s parents and a few other guests have arrived and Amerie and Arnold have invited everyone to a tequila tasting as a welcome.
They booked a bus to take us to and from the restaurant where the tasting is being held so that everyone can let loose.
It takes everything in me not to pull Janelle into my arms when she meets us in the lobby dressed in a gold satin ruched dress that hugs her curves and strappy heels that wrap around her calves. I’d rather be tasting her tonight than any brand of tequila. My mind keeps floating, imagining what it would be like to be with her out loud. To be able to touch her unabashedly because everyone knows we belong to each other. I’m going through withdrawals. Desperate to feel her body wrapped around me, the sound of her pleasure playing on a loop in my ear.
When we get to the restaurant, we’re escorted to a large private room decorated in all whites, greens, and golds. A table in the back is adorned with a feast consisting of all different kinds of tacos, ceviche, nachos, and grilled vegetables. A woman with tan skin and dark hair stands behind a table surrounded by flight paddles, grinning wide.
“Welcome, everyone. Come on in. I’m Maria and I’ll be your tequila master tonight. Please grab a bite and enjoy. We’ll get started shortly.”
Once everyone has had a few minutes to eat and chat, she jumps right into the tasting, introducing one tequila or mezcal after another and describing the flavors, aromas, and physical traits of each one. She walks us through the proper way to observe and study tequila before tasting it, giving nuance to the entire experience.
Dani is enthralled by Maria’s presentation skills, most likely plotting how she can steal her away to work for her at Promesa. Janelle seems to thoroughly enjoy the tasting experience, taking the time to note the flavors she’s able to pick up on and ask questions about what she missed before indulging. Everything she does, she does with fervor. She dives into it completely and dedicates her all to it. If only I could get her to do that with us.
After the official tasting is over, everyone is left to enjoy the drinks and food for a while as the bus won’t be back to get us for another hour.
