Page 18 of Where There's Smoke…
“Yes ma’am,” I chuckle, following her back to the front of the stall.
I leave her to get back to work as I walk over to where my sister is standing. She has her arms crossed over her chest as she stares at me. I wasn’t sure what her problem was, but I wasn’t stupid enough to ask her around all these people. If some wild shit was about to come out of her mouth, I needed to make sure she was out of earshot of everyone else.
I sigh, telling her to follow me, and she does without question. We weave through the crowd, saying hi to a few people on the way to our destination. We make it to the parking lot, and I lean against my truck as I wait for her to say whatever she has to say.
“Rae, spit it out,” I sigh after a minute of pure silence.
“Is the reason why you stopped coming over for our Sunday dinners because you’ve been busy fucking on Mrs. Henrietta’s granddaughter,” she finally asks with a smirk and my eyes almost pop out of my sockets. “So, I’m right, huh? That’s also why you were against the blind dates, right?!”
“Rae, who I’m sleeping with is none of your business,” I groan. “Besides, I told you, I’ve been on-call these last few weeks. Yes, Angel and I are dating, but just like I haven’t been able to make it to dinner on Sunday, there have been a few times when I had to cancel plans with her.”
“Well, when did you plan on introducing us?” she questions. “Because there wasn’t anything stopping you from doing so earlier. She was literally sitting in my chair yesterday getting her hair braided, and now she’s out and about kissing my sister? Does she even know we’re related? Does she even know you have a sister?”
“Yes, she knows, but she doesn’t knowyou’remy sister,” I inform her. “At least I don’t think she does. We aren’t identical twins, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she waves me off before smiling deviously. “So, you’re gonna bring her to the family dinner tomorrow, right?”
“Fine,” I sigh. “She should be closing up shop by 6 p.m., so we’ll be over after that.”
“Good,” she states before patting me on the cheek. “Now come on, big sis. Let’s enjoy some festivities and raise money for my kids’ future school!”
I chuckle as I shake my head. As much as this heifer drove me up the wall, I couldn’t help but love her. She has always been a sweetheart, just a little unorthodox about how she went about it. She was my twin nonetheless, and I would always stick beside her.
We returned to the festival and said our goodbyes before heading our separate ways. She went to enjoy the activities with her family, while I made my way over to where some of the games were. I wasn’t sure which one I was in charge of, but whatever it was, I knew that I would have a good time.
7:50 PM
I can’t believe I’d gotten stuck working the dunk tank for the past hour and a half. The number of times I’d fallen into this bucket of water was frustrating. We needed to go ahead and start our own Little League team because there was no way this many kids should be this fucking coordinated. They needed to be on somebody’s baseball field or something.
I sigh deeply as I climb out of the tub for the 15th time in the last hour. I’m thankful they let me change into a different pair of shorts and a black tank top. I would've been so mad if I’d gotten my clothes soaked like this. I know I could’ve just washed them, but what in the hell would I have worn home after all of this was over?
“Okay, that was the last go-round of the night,” Kentrell assures me with a sly smile. I flipped him off, and he laughed.
“If your ass wouldn’t have faked sick, I wouldn’t be getting soaked like this. I swear, if I wake up tomorrow with even the smallest sore throat, I’m coming to your house and coughing on you in your sleep,” I threaten. He continues to laugh, handing me a towel to dry off.
“Oooh, can I play?”
Weboth turn to see Angel standing next to some big, buff guy. He was rocking similar glasses to hers as he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest like he was her bodyguard. They share a few facial features, and it clicks that this must be one of the brothers she mentioned. Damn, this dude was swole as fuck.
“I’m sorry, but we’re about to close…” Kentrell says, but I shake my head. He looks at me and then at her. He smirks, nodding knowingly.
“I got one more round in me for you, Sweets,” I flirt, and her face lights up.
“Chris, hold my purse, please,” she tells the guy beside her. He nods, not taking his eyes off of me. She comes over to where I am and smiles up at me. “I just throw the ball, and you fall if I hit the target, right?”
“Correct,” I nod. Kentrell helps me back into the tub and onto the little platform where I sit. I cross my arms over my chest and smirk at her. She wasn’t gonna make it, so I was good.
“Thank you,” she says to Kentrell after he hands her a ball. She stands behind the line that he directs her to and I almost lose my shit at how cute she looks as she pushes her glasses up on her nose. She stands weirdly, and I chuckle to myself.
“It’s okay if you don’t get it on the first tr-”
Before I could even finish my sentences, the platform slipped from under me, and I dropped into the water once again. I’m in shock, but that’s what I get for underestimating her. I should’ve known by now that she could do anything. I stand up and wipe off as much water from my face as possible. It's a good thing I’d tied my hair up in some plastic bags earlier, or else it would be as soaked as my clothes.
I climb out of the tub again, officially done with this game. I was shivering and wanted nothing more than a hot shower. I saw Angel standing there with a huge smile when I opened my eyes. Instantly, my grumpiness melted away, and I decided that I would do it all over again if she asked.
“That seemed like it was so cold,” she giggled as she handed me a towel.
“You got an arm on you, Sweets,” I say as I dry myself as best I can.
