Over the Hedge: Part 2- The Finale (Lucky in Love) Read online

  “True. You gotta point.”

  “So, what are you up to this weekend?” I changed the subject, not wanting to be a part of the same behavior I hated. Jenny’s unwarranted feelings toward me had no direct impact on my life.

  “Oh, nothing. The hubby and I might go catch a movie or something. What about you?”

  “Sean and I are having our first family dinner,” I said with a huge grin on my face.

  “Wow. Meeting the folks. That’s a huge step in your relationship.”

  “Yep,” I stated without going into much detail. I didn’t want to talk about the fact Sean had already met my parents. Or, how freaked out I was about meeting his mother face to face for the first time.

  A message alert sounded on my phone, and I quickly checked it. It was from Crystal letting me know she was on the way to pick me up from the office.

  “Well, I’ve got to get packed up. My sister is on her way to get me,” I said to Tracy.

  “Alrighty then. Thanks for the chat.”

  “You too. Enjoy your weekend.” I quickly closed out of my computer and scooped up my bags. Jenny was the last thing on my mind right now. I was meeting my boyfriend’s mother for the first time and I was scared shitless.

  CHAPTER 5

  SEAN

  “Sean, stop.”

  “Why are you acting like this?” I went to wrap my arms around Lashawnda’s waist, but she pushed against my chest and skirted around me. The air outside was sticky with humidity. I was thankful I left my suit jacket in my office. No matter how hot I was I still wanted to feel her heated flesh pressed against mine.

  “Sean, seriously.” Lashawnda paused, body tensing as an older woman who worked in accounting passed by us.

  I couldn’t remember her name, but I knew I had to meet with her a few times last month when I submitted my materials budget for the lab. She was a stickler for needing to know where every single penny was spent. I guess that’s why she’d been with the company since they were a tiny startup. I smiled at her to be cordial. Yet, the pointed look she gave me spoke volumes.

  “See look, Ms. Carol is gonna look at me funny, now,” Lashawnda whispered low while trying to hide her face.

  “Oh, that’s her name. I swear I’ve been calling her Thelma.”

  “Seriously.” Lashawnda giggled as I cornered her against the front of the building. “How are you so damn perfect? I mean everything about you is amazing. Except…”

  “Yeah, I know.” I kissed her behind her ear before she could protest. “I suck at remembering people’s names.”

  “Not just people, Sean…women. It’s like you have this mental block that happens when you’re introduced to new women.” She smiled up at me with those adoring, brown eyes.

  “As long as I know the name of the woman I’m in love with, I could give a flying fuck about anyone else,” I murmured low enough just for her to hear. “My sweet, Lashawnda Michelle Price.”

  “Hmm…and how long was it before you remembered all that?”

  “The moment I finally got the chance to introduce myself. Besides, you could cut out my tongue, and I’d still be able to holler your name from the top of a mountain.”

  “Babe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You trying to get in my panties again with all that sweet talking?”

  “Little lady, I’m not trying.” I said, dropping my voice an octave. “I’m getting in there before the end of the night.”

  “Mmm…Sean,” Lashawnda murmured.

  I aroused her, and I wished we were anywhere but standing in front of the building out on the street. Just a few months ago I could be around Lashawnda without my hands all over her body. Granted, I thought about touching her all the time. I wasn’t allowed to back then. Now since she was my girl, this was a whole different story. The minute she granted me permission in that garage, it was a no holds bar for my greedy hands getting a hold of her.

  I pressed my palms along the curve of her hip. The sweet, citrussy scent of her creamy body butter made my mouth water. Tonight, would be our last night together before my mother came into town. I wasn’t sure how much time we would get away from the family, but I damn sure planned on making tonight count.

  Lashawnda was dead set on keeping up this good girl image while my mother was in town. I spent the better part of last night trying to convince her to spend the night at my place. She refused. So, I spent the better part of this morning trying to get her to let me sleep at her place. But my efforts were in vain.

  I bet my mother wouldn’t think Lashawnda was such a sweet angel if I told her how she likes to wake me up with my piece in her mouth. Or how she’s got a kink for me spanking her plump ass cheeks while I’m slowly deep stroking her from behind.

  A mischievous glint crossed my face at asking my mother to call Lashawnda. I could play it off as a way for her to get to know her better. Sandra Colcord was a very convincing woman. Even Lashawnda and her morals wouldn’t stand a chance against my mother’s manipulative ways.

  The blaring sound of a horn broke us out of our cocoon.

  “Y’all need to cut all that PDA out!” Crystal hollered, pulling up to the curb with her music blasting the sounds of a slow, melodic R&B song.

  In the last few weeks, she and I had become close. It was nice and effortless. No forced relationship that had the potential of becoming awkward at any moment. Lashawnda was close to her family and being a part of that circle was vital for me. Crystal was one of those people you couldn’t help but love. She reminded me a lot of Brent with her, ‘tell it like it is’ personality.

  “Hey, Crystal.” I waved and took Lashawnda’s hand in mine, walking her over to the car.

  “You’re late,” Lashawnda fussed.

  “Obviously not that much of an issue since you out here neckin’ in the middle of the street.”

  “Shut up, Crystal.” Lashawnda blushed in that sweet way I loved to watch. “Sean was just keeping me company since you were so late.”

  “Whatever.” Crystal looked over at me with a deep mocking smile. “Thanks, Sean.”

  “It was my pleasure.” I helped Lashawnda get into the car and stole another kiss before I closed the door. “You ladies enjoy yourselves.”

  “Don’t sound so sad, Sean. I’ll bring her back in one piece.” Crystal slammed her foot on the gas and took off like a shot down the street. I could hear Lashawnda screaming at her from the open window and Crystal laughing at the top of her longs. Those two were like night and day. Yet they were each other’s best friend.

  They were on their way to go grocery shopping with their mother for the big family dinner on Sunday. Yes, it was that time for the families to meet. My mother was set to arrive in town tomorrow morning. This would be the first time I had ever introduced a woman to her. While I joked around with Lashawnda that I didn’t care if my mother liked her or not; I knew it mattered.

  Sandra Colcord was my heart and soul since I was a kid. If she found something to dislike about Lashawnda, we were going to have issues. They’ve spoken on the phone before, so I’m hoping that this face-to-face meeting will go off without a hitch. Besides Brent, Ian, and Jackson; my mother was all the family I had.

  Looking down on my vibrating phone, I laughed as Brent’s face popped up on the screen.

  “Bro, I was just thinking about you,” I answered.

  “Yeah? Well, I don’t know if Lashawnda would like that very much. Shit, I don’t know if I like that very much.” Brent’s monotone voice made me shake my head.

  “Whatever, man.” I pushed my hand through my hair. “So, what can I do for ya?”

  “Nothing just bored as shit at the clinic. I had two clients cancel their appointments today, and my assistant went home early. I’m literally bouncing a ball off the wall right now.” Sure enough, I could hear the distinct sound of rubber hitting concrete.

  “Yeah, it’s been dead around here too. Lashawnda just left with her sister to do some shopping. Honestly, I’m not really
feeling like finishing these lab reports today.”

  “So, how is Crystal doing?” Brent’s voice perked up, and the noise in the background stopped.

  As his best friend, I knew him better than anyone else, and I could hear the interest in his voice.

  “Nope, not going to happen,” I warned.

  “What? Come on, why you got to be like that?” Brent asked in an incredulous tone.

  I didn’t even have to go into details; he already knew I could read him like a book.

  “Bro, let me get this through your head. Lashawnda will be my wife. Crystal is her little sister. Crystal will then be my little sister. You will not be allowed to fuck with my little sister like you do other women.” I was doing my utmost to keep my tone even. The stories Lashawnda tells me about Crystal and her husband were enough to set me on edge. I didn’t need Brent adding to the mix. “And, unless you’ve miraculously forgotten, she is married.”

  “Whoa, man, calm the fuck down,” Brent yelled into the phone.

  “No, Brent, I’m serious, man. The girl is going through the ringer with her husband right now. She doesn’t need you in her life to complicate things.”

  “Yeah, man, I hear you. I’m not going to do anything to fuck with her. Promise. I really liked hanging out with her at the club a few weeks ago.”

  By the way he was talking, I could relax knowing he wouldn’t try anything behind my back.

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Crystal’s a good girl.” I pulled the door open to the stairwell and took the stairs two at a time to get back up to my office. The way I’ve been eating since meeting Lashawnda, I was going to have to start hitting the gym. My morning runs were proving to be ineffective.

  “Hold the fuck up.” Brent’s tone made me pause. “Did your new-to-pussy ass just say she’s going to be your wife?”

  “Damn right, I said it, and I meant every word.”

  “Really, Sean, after a few months of dating, you are serious about marrying this girl?” he asked.

  I stopped at the top of the stairs and took a seat. I knew I was going to need to have this conversation with all the guys soon. With Jackson being married, and now me getting serious with Lashawnda, our dynamics were changing. The group of bros without responsibilities were changing into grown men with careers and women that they loved.

  “Listen, I’ve met her parents and this weekend she will get to meet Ma,” I stated.

  “I can’t say I understand, but I’m happy for you, man. So, how did the whole meet the folks thing go down?” Brent asked.

  I stretched my long legs out in front of me on the stairs and went about retelling the story to Brent. He laughed so hard he started complaining of stomach cramps. No matter how much time had passed since that night, I knew I would forever have a hard time looking her father in the eye. First impressions were everything, and I fucked mine up beyond measure with Lashawnda’s parents.

  “So, you mean to tell me even after seeing your pasty ass, her father is still willing to let you date his daughter?” He guffawed after I went into detail about running into Lashawnda’s parents naked.

  “Hey, watch it. Lashawnda says, ‘I’ve got a very nice ass’,” I retorted.

  “Eww, man that’s TMI.” Brent made mocked gagging noises.

  “Doesn’t matter what you think. I’ve got a great woman, and in two days I get to introduce her to my mother.”

  “Whatever, man. By the way asshole, I’m a little hurt you are having this big family dinner, and I’m not invited. I thought we were brothers.”

  To my surprise, Brent was genuinely upset. The hurt was evident in his voice. Usually, he was the guy with the jokes.

  “Sorry, man; didn’t realize you wanted to come. It’s been in the works since I met her parents. Give me a sec,” I said, genuinely apologetic. I didn’t think about having him tag along. This was a family dinner and Brent was my brother from another mother.

  I opened the messaging app on my phone and sent a quick text to Lashawnda asking if it was okay for Brent to come to dinner. She replied right away and told me they had plenty of food, so it wouldn’t be a problem.

  “Alright, you’re in. Lashawnda says to bring your appetite.”

  “Is she cooking?” Brent asked.

  He had sampled some of her cooking last week when he showed up at my house to borrow some tools. The minute he stepped into my townhouse I knew I was in a world of trouble. Brent had eaten enough for three people. Lashawnda spent the night in stitches as she watched him and I fight over the leftovers. Since we were teenagers, that’s how it was with not just Brent but Ian and Jackson too.

  “I think her, her mom, and Crystal are doing the cooking.” My mouth watered thinking about the good eating about to happen.

  “Okay, so what time is dinner?” Brent asked.

  “At five. And, don’t be late,” I warned.

  “Trust me, I won’t be. If Lashawnda’s mother taught her how to cook; can you imagine how her mom will throw down? I can’t wait to taste all that southern goodness straight from the source.”

  “Me either, man.” I hopped up from my seated position and made it up the last flight of stairs.

  “Wanna go for a run tomorrow morning?” Brent asked.

  “Yeah, sounds good. I think I’ve put on a few pounds with all these home-cooked meals. See you in the morning,” I said, before hanging up.

  I made it back to my office and grabbed a few books. I checked with the technicians, making sure they didn’t need me before I left for the weekend.

  The meeting with Dr. Barnes and Dr. Vanderpool was leading to one of the most exciting projects I have ever worked on. During the meeting, I took some notes of ways I could enhance Dr. Barnes’s plan so far.

  One of the things that came to mind was the real reason Dr. Barnes needed to hire a new lab manager. It turns out the guy in the job before me ended up getting fired for ciphering information from H&G to another lab for money. I found it surprising something like that could happen. The lab team was a very close-knit group of people. There were six full-time staff members and a few interns that worked a regular schedule. The other people with access to the lab were limited to what they could access in the system. If there was any thievery going on, someone would have noticed. Which means, there was a slight possibility more than one person was ciphering information.

  I loved this job and everything about it. I wouldn’t allow someone to ruin it.

  It was early Sunday morning when my phone’s incessant ringing woke me. Picking up the handset, I looked at the time on the digital clock on the nightstand…five o’clock. I slid the green bar across the phone screen without looking at the caller ID. The quicker I could get this call over with, the sooner I could get back to bed.

  “Hello,” I answered groggily.

  “Mmm…now how is a girl supposed to get through the rest of her morning with the sexy images your voice is inspiring?” Lashawnda asked.

  I smiled up at the ceiling and placed my free hand behind my head. Whatever angry thoughts I had about getting a call at five in the morning quickly disappeared once I heard her voice.

  “I don’t know. You could come over here, so I could put us both out of our misery,” I offered.

  “I would love to…but if I leave this house for any other reason than to run errands for Mrs. Elizabeth Price; it would be to my demise.” Lashawnda joked then let out a yawn.

  I chuckled at Lashawnda’s fear of her mother’s wrath. I couldn’t pretend that I didn’t have the same issue. God cut Elizabeth Price and Sandra Colcord from the same cloth. Southern Christian women who didn’t take any crap when it came to their children. There was never any backtalk or moments of compromise. Our relationship was a dictatorship; not a democracy. When Ma spoke, she meant business. No matter how old I get I still feel like a little boy whenever she chastised me.

  “Well, we can’t have that now; can we?” I declared.

  “No, we can’t,” she whispered.

&nb
sp; We both stayed quiet, listening to each other’s breathing. I was lost in the fantasy of our sweaty limbs intertwined. Loving her wasn’t just about the sex. But the sex was so damn good I kept wondering what I’d been doing all these years. Maybe it was because I loved her. But being inside her felt like heaven, and it only got better and better as we both took chances to explore. It would be four grueling days until I could get her naked and moaning underneath me again. Unless I could convince her to get a little quickie in after dinner with the folks.

  I broke the silence first. “I missed having you in my bed.”

  “I missed being there,” she replied quickly.

  “I don’t want to sleep without you again, sweetheart,” I said, meaning every word.

  I found I didn’t sleep as well when she wasn’t there. I had never had a problem sleeping alone before, but after spending every night together for the last three weeks, my body had become accustomed to having hers by my side. Even with the extra body heat and the cold feet on my shins it was worth it. My mother came early on Friday which meant Lashawnda and I weren’t able to get in our last little romp before this big family meet and greet.

  “Me either. The last two nights were hard without you,” she moaned with each word spoken.

  “Move in with me.” The words left my mouth before my mind could make sense of them.

  It was impulsive for me to ask such an important question in that way, but I meant it. Being with Lashawnda had done something to me and I wasn’t disappointed about the shift. In the short amount of time since we became friends and then transformed that into a relationship my views on commitment were different. She had a strong hold on me that I prayed she never let go. I patiently waited for her response. Replaying the images of us together for the last four months, trying to figure out if I could make such a big jump. Things were perfect and moving in together would only enhance our relationship.

  I wasn’t lying when I said I never wanted to sleep without her again. Lashawnda Price was it for me. I loved that girl and knew I always would.