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Miss Johnson stood and walked to the screen. “This is nice, Memoree Layne. I think this is just the change that this office needs.” She spoke as she focused on the digital model. She peeked over her shoulder at me. “I’m happy you’re here, . . . panties and all.”

My face was probably the reddest that it had ever been. Get it together, Memoree Layne. For the next half an hour, we went more in depth about the plan for the business. By the time Miss Johnson left, I had secured the contract for Ledger’s main business.

After she left, I walked around and packed my things. “Oh my God! That was so embarrassing. She probably thinks I’m a whore.”

Ledger chuckled. “Nah, she really doesn’t. Like she said, she’s adulted in her life. Hey, look at the bright side. You’ve met my mother.”

My head tilted to the side. “Well, since we’re talking about parents, I guess now would be as good a time as any to tell you that my parents expect you at dinner on Sunday.”

“Wait, what?” Ledger blurted. Aw, he was flustered.

I grabbed my things, walked over to him, then stood in front of him. My hand grabbed his tie so that I could pull his neck down to reach his lips. “I have a meeting. Go take a shower, and I’ll see you later.”

Sunday Dinner

What Are Your Intentions . . .

My sister had a big damn mouth. I didn’t get a chance to tell my parents about Ledger, because she already had. I came over to check on them and was ambushed with a thousand questions about my new man. The visit ended with a planned Sunday dinner that Ledger was expected to attend.

Initially, I was worried. Now that I’d met his mother the way that I did, I wasn’t concerned about him meeting my parents. There was nothing that could happen that would make that meeting more awkward than the meeting with his mother. It wasn’t like we would fuck in my parents’ house.

My body sat at an angle in the passenger seat of Ledger’s SUV. “Why do you look nervous? Is this your first time meeting the parents, baby?”

We’d just pulled up to my parents’ house. My baby was quiet for the entire ride here. It was the quietest I’d ever seen him be.

He put the SUV in park, turned off the engine, then shifted his body to face me. “Mem, of course, a nigga is nervous. I’m about to meet the father of the woman I love, who will be my wife and the mother of my children, and who I smut out almost daily.”

I smacked his shoulder. “Ledger! Why would you say that last part?”

He tittered as he rubbed his shoulder. “Damn, I’m just saying. It’s not like I’m telling a lie.”

My body leaned over the center console to reach his lips. It was a part of his body that I loved the most, next to his dick. One thing I noticed about our kisses was that, no matter how short they were, there was always a hint of passion in every one of them. That was something I never experienced with any of my exes. “Let’s get in here so we can eat, have the conversations they want to have, then leave. I’m ready to get smutted out.”

“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about,” he responded. He opened the door so fast to get out that I burst with laughter. Seconds later, he opened my door, and I was out of the car.

We didn’t even get on the porch before the front door was opened to reveal my parents. My mother had on her dinner’s best, so I knew she would be with all the proper shits. Dr. Renee Layne-Smith knew that she knew how to be with all kinds of shits when the time called for it.

“Baby girl, you look gorgeous,” my daddy complimented as he opened his arms to me.

I walked into them for his bear hug that I loved. My daddy gave the best hugs, and no one could convince me otherwise. “Thank you, Daddy.” When I pulled back, I saw my mama’s smile that matched mine. “Hi, Mama.”

I moved and gave her a hug as well. My eyes were closed when I took my deep breath. Here we go. “Mama, Daddy, this is Ledger Johnson. Ledger, these are my parents, Malcolm Smith and Dr. Renee Layne-Smith.”

Ledger smiled before he extended his hand to my father. “It is so nice to finally meet you, sir and ma’am. I’ve heard amazing things about you both.”

My father smiled, but there was a hardness behind it that told me this meeting may not be all cakes and cocktails. “It’s nice to meet you, Ledger. We’ve heard nothing about you.” There it goes.

“Malcolm, be nice. I’m sure that is all your overly private daughter’s doing, not his. You two, come in. I just finished putting dinner on the table. Memoree Layne, take him so that you two can wash your hands.”

My father held his hand up. “She doesn’t need to take him anywhere. Ledger, the bathroom is down the first hall, third door on the right.”

Ledger chuckled. “Yes, sir.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me into him, then kissed my temple. “I’ll be right back.”

I waited until I heard the bathroom door close to speak up. “Daddy, can you at least try to be nice, please? I really like him.”

My father’s resolve softened. “Alright, baby girl. I’ll try not to get in his ass too bad.”

When we walked into the dining room, I wasn’t at all surprised to see Milan Renee. She wore her childish, ‘I told on you’ smirk. It didn’t matter how old we got; she would always be my annoying little sister. “Hey, Sis! Where’s the man of the hour?”