Page 49 of Hale Yes
“Hmmm.” I take a little of each meat, one potato, and a small pile of okra. “I’ve never had fried okra, only boiled or sautéed with tomatoes.” I inspect the piece in my hand. It appears to be coated with corn meal.
“It’s good like this, and the potatoes are excellent. They toss the slices in butter and seasoning and then roast them.”
Popping the okra into my mouth, I feel my eyes widen. It’s crispy, salty, and utterly delicious. Then I pick up a potato slice and bite into it, assaulting my taste buds with the flavor of butter and garlic.
“Okay, I’m a fan,” I say, eating the rest of the potato. “And I haven’t even tried the meat yet.” Following Helix’s lead, I grab a few dill pickle chips—with my fingers—before using my big knife to cut off a slice of onion and a hunk of cheese.
And then we chow down. Every single thing is fan-freaking-tastic, and there are only scraps left by the time we’re done. I drag my last piece of brisket through the barbecue sauce I squirted on my butcher paper and stuff it into my mouth.
My fingers are coated with sauce and seasoning, and I waggle them at Helix. “Are we allowed to use napkins?”
“Sure, but there’s a better way to clean up.” With a wicked grin, he proceeds to suck each of his fingers into his mouth. That really shouldn’t be so damn hot, but there’s something incredibly erotic about his thick fingers sliding between those perfect lips as his tongue swirls up every last bit.
I follow suit, savoring the flavorful remnants, and don’t miss the way his eyes also track my movements. Jesus, this is like foreplay… Texas style. Picking up my beer, I drain it in an attempt to cool my libido.
“What’d ya think, Jersey?” Opal asks, sliding up to our table and tossing some Wet-Naps onto the surface. She’s gotta be in her seventies, but she moves with the spryness of someone half her age.
“Excellent,” I tell her, opening one of the packs and cleaning my hands with the damp, lemon-scented napkin. “Best barbecue I’ve ever had.”
She beams at me, her dark-skinned face as sunshiny as the yellow of her Carver’s Family BBQ T-shirt. “My niece is the pitmaster here. Took over the business after her daddy had a stroke.”
“Really?” I ask, feeling a little guilty that the idea of a female pitmaster would come as a surprise to me.
“Yeppers. You’ll probably get to meet her in a minute. She usually makes the rounds about this time.” Her eyes shift to the left and brighten with pride. “Ah, there she is. Shonda, honey, come meet Jersey.”
A pretty woman with skin a few shades lighter than her aunt’s walks over, her tall frame towering over Opal’s. Her dark hair is pulled back into a low ponytail, and small lines around her eyes and mouth tell me she probably smiles a lot.
“I’m guessing you’re Jersey,” Shonda says, greeting me with a firm handshake. “Shonda Carver-King.”
“Nicolette Bell,” I respond.
“Nah, you’re Jersey from now on. My aunt gives everyone a nickname.”
My eyes shoot to Helix. “What’s yours?”
He winces and rubs the back of his neck while Opal cackles and answers for him. “This here is Rib Bone.”
An indelicate snort rips from my nose. “Rib Bone? Sounds like there’s a story behind that.”
Helix rolls his eyes, but Opal looks positively gleeful. “First of all, Carver’s has been open for fifty-two years, and I’ve been here since day one, so I've been around a minute or two. This fella used to come in with his family when he was a boy.” She smacks Helix on the shoulder. “The kid could polish the meat off a bone like nobody’s business, so I started calling him Rib Bone.”
“I feel like I got off lucky with Jersey,” I share. “Now I’m curious. Does Phoenix have a nickname too?”
Opal nods, her face creased into a grin. “Sure does. Booger.” I laugh and wiggle my fingers at her to let her know I need this story. She willingly complies. “That boy was a mess. One time he announced to the whole restaurant that he had a giant booger in his nose. Turns out, he’d just stuck a piece of fried okra up in there.”
My words come out in gasps between my laughter. “That’s hilarious.”
Helix chuckles and shakes his head at the memory. “Dad tried to get it out, but we ended up in the emergency room that night.”
“Never a dull moment when the Hales came to eat,” Shonda says with a grin. “Do y’all want some dessert? We have banana pudding.”
At my skeptical eyebrow, Opal adds, “We do allow spoons for the pudding.”
Her niece nudges her. “Except Rib Bone doesn’t need a spoon. Remember when his brother dared him to eat the entire bowl with just his mouth?”
Opal bursts into laughter. “Yeah, that was a couple years ago.” She gives Helix a pointed look. “That was an impressive display, young man. I’d still like to know where you acquired that kind of skill.”
His face reddens, and he clears his throat, obviously wanting a change of subject. “Oh, I forgot, I brought something for you two.” He turns to me. “Will you be okay if I grab something from the car?”
