“Are you sure you’re coming to support me, or are you showing up so you can get a front-row seat to see Mom torture me?”
“A little bit of both.” She laughs. “Aunt Skyler cooks a mean turkey dressing, so I’ll get to eat good while I watch the drama unfold. This should be hilariously good.”
“Since you’re so excited about watching me squirm Christmas Day, I guess you’re not that enthused about helping me find this man I need,” I pout.
“No, I’m going to help you, Stalia. It’s just—” She laughs, and I know she’s thinking about how funny it would be to watch Mom hold my feet to the fire about the pretend man I have hyped her up about. “Okay, let’s see,” she says, and I can see the wheels turning in her mind. “Have you called all of your contacts?”
“What? No way I’m about to start soliciting people I know, asking them to be my boyfriend for Christmas. No, thank you, ma’am.”
“Well…” She taps her finger against the rim of her glass. “Oh, I got it! How about speed dating?”
“Speed dating?”
“Yes, they are hosting one tonight at Tameka’s husband’s club. I told you he owns Elite, right?”
“Yeah, you told me. That’s why I went there last night, to see Alise and to support his grand opening. One of my coworkers went with me, and now that you mention it, I remember seeing the speed dating flyer on the door when I was leaving.”
“So, have you tried it before? There should be at least one man there who fits the description of what you need,” she says.
I frown, dismissing the idea. “I’ve been to one before. As soon as you walk in, you get a card to write down your information, and you write what kind of guy you want. Then, for the next hour, you proceed to meet every type of guy, except for the type you’re interested in. No thanks!”
“I’ve never been to one. I just thought it would be an interesting way to meet new people. I wish I would have known you were there last night. We could have hung out.”
“I should have known you would be there if Alise was there, but that’s how you do me. You come to town without telling me, so I have no idea when you’re here or not. Had you not shown up here today, I still wouldn’t have known you were here.”
“My bad.”
“Yeah, I would have asked you to save us some seats. Elite was so packed by the time we got there that there was nowhere to sit, and since Alise had already performed, we left.” A text comes through on my phone from Rena that makes me smile.
“Why are you smiling like that? Is it a man?” Jayne looks hopeful.
“No, it’s a picture of Rena in Costa Rica with Keith.”
“Oh.” She takes a sip of her wine.
“I texted her this morning and asked how they were doing, and she replied with this picture of them on the beach.”
“Must be nice,” Jayne says. A faraway look enters her eyes as she stares off into the kitchen. “How was the wedding?” she asks, sounding as if she is now running on autopilot.
“It was nice.”
“That’s good. Rena deserves it. I always liked your cousin, Rena, even though she’s stuck up.”
Rena is my mother’s niece, while Jayne is my father’s niece, so they aren’t related. Anytime the two are together, they hardly get along. Jayne is outspoken and Rena is the polar opposite. Jayne doesn’t like how Rena sits there and looks at her while she talks and jokes, trying to make sure everyone has a good time, and Rena wishes Jayne would chill out and relax.
I tell Jayne about the wedding and how in love Keith and Rena looked, and she says, “Well, tell her I said congratulations.”
“I will. I couldn’t even enjoy the reception. I left early because I am so sick of the pressure Mom is putting on me to find a husband.”
“Astalia, I can see it in your face that this is getting to you. I wish we could have hung out last night. It would have helped you relax.”
“I know, and I really wanted to see Alise.”
Jayne smiles. “Alise has really grown a lot. I’m so proud of her. She’s going to be performing in Arkansas next week. Her schedule is filling up fast. I can’t lie; it’s a little scary to know my best friend is out there like that. She’s gone all the time now.”
“Tell her not to forget the little people,” I say, laughing. While I know Jayne’s circle of friends includes the sisters, Tameka and Kemara, Alise is her best friend. They have been close since they were knee-high.
“Oh, she won’t. Because if she does, I’m going to bring her back to reality so fast. Now… back to this speed dating thing. I really think you should go. It’s happening in a few hours.”