a left into the living room. “I’m back. Hungry as fuck. Get my shit!”
Kids running down the hall had me backing into the wall behind me. Ashton laughed.
“Rusty, don’t make her fall!” he barked, amused by the two little ones taking off.
“You back?” A pregnant woman with long lashes, a thick cable sweater, and brown Ugg boots appeared in the hall, holding a plate of pie asked.
“Yeah. I told you I would be, girl,” Ashton joked.
The woman smiled at me as she moved along. I could tell she felt awkward about not having an introduction by the way she ducked her head, but I was relieved by it. From the sounds above the music playing, I could sense this place was packed. Maybe this was a bad idea.
A young guy, shirtless and with a game controller in one hand, neared the foyer to go into the opposite direction. He held a cup in his right hand and his face lit up when he saw Ashton.
“Yoooooo! Ashton, I just spanked Junior’s ass in Madden! I stopped the run on ‘im.”
Ashton raised his fisted arm to an arch. “My G.” He praised him, widening his smile even more before he turned to leave.
“There you are!” a rich, throaty, and commanding voice carried in the foyer. A woman, holding a wine glass in the air, stood with her mouth open and brows meeting. “You leave out of here for five hours before I serve my damn Thanksgiving dinner, and return at night? I ain’t think you were coming back.”
“I told you I’d be back.” Ashton kissed her cheek, ignoring the burning heat shooting from the angry woman. “Had to pick up a fellow-Panther.”
Mouth even wider, she asked, “A fellow what?” Her confused eyes latched on to me.
Ashton laughed, pulling her into his chest for a side hug affectionately. “Nothing. Ma, this is Tori McNabb. Tori, this is the illustrious Wanda Lee.”
His mother…
Nervously, I nodded. “Nice to meet you.” I tried smiling, even though I was scared as shit.
I’d pulled her son away on the holiday.
Wanda looked me up and down. Great… It was weird, though. I didn’t get wealthy snob from her the way I had everyone else attached to Ashton—except for his uncle, June. But judging by how many times her eyes dipped up and down my frame, I could tell she felt some kind of way about me that wasn’t welcoming.
“Mmmhmmmm…” was all she said at first.
Ashton laughed again, totally unaffected. “Be nice, Ms. Wanda.” He dipped to kiss her cheek again. “I’m going to toss her luggage in my room. Then I’ll be ready to grub. You better not had let them eat all of the lobster gumbo.”
While staring at me suspiciously, she answered him. “The first pot went in thirty minutes.”
“Ma!” Ashton’s face lifted, mouth balled tightly.
She swatted her free hand in the air, still looking at me. “You know I stashed more than enough for you!”
“The best!” Ashton mumbled, kissing her again. “Oh, and send Jim some desserts down,” he ordered before taking off for the back of the apartment.
“You from Newark?” Wanda asked while gaping at my shoes.
I shook my head before remembering to speak. “Umm… No.”
“You on birth control?” My eyes mushroomed and my head bounced. I was stunned into silence. “I asked you a question, young lady,” she demanded.
“Ashton has a girlfriend, Miss.” So stupefied, I couldn’t remember her name in that moment.
“She’s already answered the question.” Her head dropped to the side. “Now, I’m asking you.”
I lied and nodded. It felt like I held my breath for an eternity until she turned and walked off after someone called her twice.
“Tori!” Ashton barked. I moved around the corner and saw he was down the hall, outside a doorway. “Come wash your hands.”
I moved on wobbly legs. He was inside the bathroom, washing his hands.
“You think it’s cool for me to be here?”
Ashton’s attention went to the mirror to look at me. “Why you look like that?” Then he froze, cracking a grin seconds later. “Did she ask you how often you go to the GYN?”
I shook my head. “Deeper into that visit. She asked if I was on birth control.”
Ashton’s head dropped back and he howled hard, laughing. Suddenly, he stopped, brows meeting with curiosity. “Well, are you?” My eyes ballooned again from that unexpected question. “Don’t shit your pants. I’m just fuckin’ with you, Tori!” He continued cracking up. “But my mom wasn’t.”