Rochelle pushed celery and chicken around her low-carb plate—she never ate from the buffet, even though single entrées cost more. Until watching her pseudo love interest chase every server that came out of the kitchen, I hadn’t understood Rochelle’s buffet ban. Now I did. Sometimes, too much was just too much.
Like now.
For once, I didn’t have an appetite, not even for the wings Mama used to shove in her purse like a crazy woman. Right now, even the tastiest wing couldn’t compel me to chew. There’s a first for everything.
“Dana.” Rochelle’s voice was quiet as her friend guided his food-laden plate to the table. She spoke just above a whisper. “Would you come to the bathroom with me?” She paused when I didn’t respond. “Please?”
I nodded, but moved cautiously, scrolling my chair along the carpet as I pulled it back. Maybe I should have eaten something.
“Come on,” Rochelle whispered into my shoulder, tugging my hand.
My eyes rested on the sundae bar. Adrian stood patiently in line, flashing that aggravating smile. Jericho stood behind him, holding a small bowl like it was glued to his hand. Rochelle was right. I had to deal with her now—there were too many other folks waiting in line to mess with me.
The bathroom was a typical buffet restaurant sort, reeking of Pine-Sol, a trick I now employed in Tracey’s absence to fool myself and any visitors. It was nice to smell something, I guess. I’d certainly never sniffed today coming. Tracey pregnant? Jordan back. And whatever this was with Rochelle.
Best to get it over with. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Rochelle checked her lipstick in the mirror. It was actually smudged. A piece of skin hung off her bottom lip. Amazing. “You start.”
Me start? I didn’t call me in here. “I don’t know where to start, Rochelle. It’s all a mess to me.”
“You’ve got that much right. Let’s begin with you getting up and chasing my son out of the church for one thing. That wasn’t your place. I know you’re his aunt, but this is a family matter—”
“Oh, I see. And just who is Jericho’s family? Jordan, who has just met the boy? Or you, who’ve spent your whole life with him, but still don’t know him?”
“Don’t know my son? I know him better than he knows himself.” She clutched at the lime-and-purple scarf around her neck. I wanted to choke her with it.
Lord, help me.
“You’ve held that child for ransom, hoping that Jordan would come back and want him. Want you. Now it’s all blown up in your face and you’re mad because I wanted to comfort Jericho? I didn’t see you doing anything—”
“I was ministering—” She rolled her eyes.
A snort rattled in my throat. “Ministering, huh? Well so was I. Sometimes the most powerful ministry is to your own. Now are you done? ’Cause I’ve got some discussion items, too.”
Rochelle frowned. “Wh-what?”
Obviously, this hadn’t gone down the way she planned. Usually, I sat quietly while she put me in check, allowing her to bleed. Well, today I had a gusher of my own. “Let’s see…Jordan sending you money? You lying to me about it?”
She hung her head. “I never told you where I got it. I wanted to, but your mother asked me not to…and when she died, I didn’t know what to say. I am so sorry—”
“You should be. You and Mama both made Jordan into a monster. Now I find out he paid for my home? For your shop?”
“And yours, too.”
My muscles tensed. I tucked a braid behind my ear. My pantyhose slid over my calves and settled into two black silky pools just above my shoes.
She shook her head, going back into mother mode. “So that’s why you were walking like that?” She kneeled down and tugged at one of my pumps, pausing to express concern over the bad fit. “Step out.”
I lifted one foot from my shoe while she pulled off my hose, and then the other, careful to be sure my feet never hit the less-than-clean floor. Goose bumps pimpled my legs, but I was glad to be free. That Shemika was right. I’d have to soak for sure.
Rochelle stared at the tag before tossing them into the trash. “Size B?” She paused, then nodded toward the door, and the man on the other side of it. “You can be so ridiculous.”
My thoughts snapped to the human disposal back at our table. “I can be ridiculous? What about the Purple People Eater out there? Those