“I don’t consider him a piece of ass, but when I think about it, I guess he is.” She shrugged. “I’ve played that role enough times in my life to know.”
“This is the part where I’m probably supposed to tell you that all men are not like your old boyfriends and you should give Griffin a chance,” Mack said. “But after the phone call I just had with my ex I’m ready to kill all men, so Griffin is on his own.”
“Griffin and I are exactly what we need to be to each other—sexual relief,” Indina said. “Nothing more.”
“I have to admit I’m jealous,” Mack said. “I’d kill for my own personal Dial-A-Dick service.”
Indina nearly choked on her laugh. “Isn’t that what most of the dating apps are these days?”
“Can you imagine the talk it would stir up if my face showed up in a dating app? Carter Arnold prepares to marry his mistress while Council Member Arnold searches for single male with good teeth and no criminal record.”
“Is that what we’re down to when it comes to dating criteria, good teeth and no record?”
“I’ll even take dental implants,” Mack said. “But you can forget about getting me on a dating website.” She swiped a finger over the film of dust on the desk and brushed it off. “I’ll have to be satisfied with my ever-growing collection of sex toys. I’ve tried so many that I had to start storing them in a second drawer.”
“You can always send another Netflix and chill invite to the cute law student.” Indina winked as she rose from her chair. “I need to get going. Now that I’m going on this cruise, I need to head to the mall for clothes to wear. And a swimsuit,” she said with a grimace.
“Get a two-piece.”
“Maybe if I’d kept up my gym membership.”
“Cut that shit out. You look fabulous,” Mack said, coming from behind the desk again.
“I can say the same about you,” Indina said. She gave her friend a hug. “Call that college student,” she whispered.
“I just picked up a bulk-size pack of batteries from Costco. I’m good for the next few months. Oh, before you go, ” Mack said, shutting the door Indina had just opened and leaning against it. “Can you please speak to your brother? I need him to stop harassing me.”
Indina’s chin dropped to her chest. “What did Ezra do this time?”
“He was at my office in City Hall on Monday, hounding my assistant about the new company that took over the garbage collection for the French Quarter. My office has told him more than once that I have no dealings with BGF Disposal, yet he still insists that I’m hiding something. He needs to get a freaking life.”
“I’m sorry, Mack. He’s been freelancing ever since he was let go from the paper. He’s convinced if he can find a huge story he’ll get picked up by a national magazine.”
“He needs new methods of investigating. All he’s doing now is trying to find a story where there isn’t one. Tell him if he keeps coming around I’m going to have him arrested.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Indina said. “I promise.” She gave her friend another hug. “I probably won’t see you until after I get back from the cruise. Let’s try to get together sometime next week.”
“Yes. I promise not to cancel this time.” Mack opened the office’s door. “Oh, and remember to bring sunscreen. Don’t believe that bullshit about black people not being able to get sunburn. It’s a crock.”
“I will,” Indina said with a laugh.
“And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Mack said. “Today Me, not College Me.”
“But College You had so much more fun,” Indina said.
“Fine, go on and be College Me. As long as you tell me all about it when you get back.”
Indina looked over her shoulder and winked. “You got it.”
Chapter 2
Griffin turned into the parking garage on Erato Street and, after getting his ticket from the attendant, pulled into the first available spot he came across. He grabbed his bag from the trunk and quickly made his way across the street to the cruise terminal. God, he hated running late.
He’d left his Uptown house a half hour ago, thinking he’d give himself extra time to make the fifteen-minute drive from Lowerline Avenue to the port. He hadn’t factored in catching every single traffic light, or getting stuck behind a slow-moving garbage truck.
Griffin tried to tamp down the nervousness that had begun collecting in his gut this morning, when he realized he would meet Indina’s family today. On the one hand it shouldn’t matter what her family thought about him. He and Indina weren’t even officially a couple.
Yet, that’s exactly what he was hoping would come of this weekend. If he could convince Indina to turn this no-strings-attached thing they had going into something more serious, her family’s impression of him would mean a helluva lot.
Griffin spotted her standing among a bunch of chattering adults and kids gathered in the area just before the security checkpoint.
Damn. Coming from a relatively small family, he hadn’t expected this many people. He walked up to the crowd of Holmeses.
“Uh, hello.”
It was as if he hadn’t spoken at all.
“Hello,” Griffin said again, a bit louder this time.
The chatter stopped and two dozen sets of curious eyes turned to him. He suddenly felt like a bug under a microscope.
It didn’t take a degree in rocket science for him to figure out that Indina probably hadn’t told her family that he would be joining them on the cruise. By the looks being directed his way, not only did the Holmeses not know he would be attending their family reunion, they didn’t know about him. Period.
“You made it,” Indina said, breaking away from the pack and coming to stand next to him. She turned to her family. “Everyone, this is Griffin Sims. Griffin this is way too many people to name at the moment. I’ll introduce
