The Single Life with Zola Patterson Part 2 - Danielle Allen Page 0,26

wanted to be clear,” I told him. “I hate what happened at the store. I don’t do drama and I don’t like to date men who do drama. And what happened at the store was dramatic.”

“It was.” He met me at the photo. “But it could’ve been worse.”

“Yes. But it shouldn’t have happened.” I tilted my head to the side. “I’m sorry.”

He put his hands on my hips and pulled me closer to him. “Apology has already been accepted,” he told me, planting a sweet kiss on my lips.

“Good.” I grinned up at him. “Now who is who?”

“That’s Mom, Dad, Grandma—they are in Chicago. That’s Serenity, she’s the oldest. Then there’s me, and then Angel. And the youngest is Heaven.”

“You have a beautiful family.”

“Thank you.” He led me to the couch, and we took a seat. “Now remind me of something. I remembered you didn’t like mushrooms, but I can’t remember you saying if you had siblings.”

“I’m an only child,” I told him.

He rubbed his bearded chin dramatically. “That makes sense.”

“What?”

“Don’t they say only children are spoiled?”

My jaw dropped. “What? You think I’m spoiled?”

“You may not be spoiled, but I can tell you’re used to getting what you want.”

I tried not to smile. “What are you even saying right now?”

“I’m saying that I can tell by the way you move through your life that you get what you want. And I’m not saying anyone handed anything to you. I’m just saying that you move like you’re not used to being told no.”

I bit my bottom lip. “That’s not exactly true.”

He gave me a look. “You’re used to being told no?”

“I would have to ask for permission in order to be told no.”

His eyes danced around my face as he chuckled. “I knew it! I knew it!”

“I got what I wanted growing up, but I had to work for it. My dad was a psychiatrist, so they were very mindful of the only child personality traits. Both of them grew up with siblings.”

“I know you’re close with your mom. Are you close with your aunts and uncles?”

“I have one aunt—my mom’s sister. And one uncle—my dad’s brother. My uncle is a lot like my dad personality wise, but he’s less family oriented and more of a free spirit. My aunt is the opposite of my mom. Physically, they are both beautiful. But my aunt is kind of… a lot.”

“What do you mean?” Saint pressed.

I thought about Milan’s mother and shook my head. “Her entire identity is tied to her marriage and now that her daughter is engaged, she projects that onto me. She is always telling me I need to settle down and get married, have children, start my life.” I rolled my eyes. “As if at thirty-two, I haven’t started my life. I have a career I love. I’ve traveled the world. Just because it doesn’t look like what people expect it to look like doesn’t mean my life isn’t fulfilling.”

Reaching over and caressing my cheek, he whispered sexily, “And are you fulfilled, Zola Patterson?”

I bit my bottom lip. “Would you like to fulfill me, Saint Anderson?”

He adjusted himself. “Only every time I see you or hear you speak.”

I opened my mouth to reply just as his phone vibrated against the table. I glanced next to the cookies. The word Mom flashed across the screen.

“Excuse me for one minute. I’m sorry,” he apologized as he grabbed his phone. “Hey, is everything okay?” He stood walking across the room. “Yes, I am.” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Yeah, I will pass the message along. Goodbye, Mom.” He laughed. “Well, Heaven’s always been a snitch. Yes. Okay. Bye.”

He turned back toward me and gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Sorry about that.” When he sat down, he had an amused expression on his face. “My mom wanted me to thank you for her book.”

“Tell her I said she is so welcome!” I grinned. “Did she know I was here?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he masked his amusement. “Uh… no.”

“I think she did,” I teased, grabbing his arm and shaking it. “I think you told your mom we had a date.”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” He caught my hand between his. “The only reason she knew is because Heaven told her that I was taking you out.”

My jaw dropped. “I was just kidding!” I squealed excitedly. “So, she really did know?” I sighed happily. “I’m flattered.”

“Don’t do that.” He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “This is