must have noticed her eyes flittering about the room, because he said, “You remember my brothers, Langston and Jarred?”
“It’s been a while, but of course I remember them,” she said.
Langston held out his hand. “You have a beautiful voice. I really enjoyed the show.”
Nevealise shook it. “Not the ‘Nerd Girl’ you remember,” she teased.
Langston had the nerve to blush. “Yes, about that. We were young and full of ourselves,” he said, clearing his throat.
“No worries. It never bothered me. I was and still am a nerd and proud of it. Well, not at the time.” She chuckled.
Nevealise was surprised when Brice pulled her into the crook of his arm. She turned her face up and gave him a questioning look. He just winked at her. What in the world is he playing at?
“I’m Jarred,” she heard his other brother say. The seductive timbre of Jarred’s voice captivated her, compelling her to look at him. His hand was outstretched, so she had no choice but to extend hers. He grasped her hand as if it were a lifeline and glided his thumb over her knuckles.
“I didn’t know you and Brice were an item,” he said smoothly.
Nevealise was caught off guard by him having his way with her hand, and then by his assumption that she and Brice were a couple. She was stunned to silence until she felt the firm squeeze of Brice’s palm on her shoulder.
“You still don’t,” she gathered herself enough to say. “Brice and I are friends. Not lovers. He’s more like a brother.” Nevealise didn’t know why she felt compelled to explain their relationship. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, least of all Jarred Manning. “Can I have my hand back now?” she said, trying to pull it from his grasp. He refused to let go.
“If we were an item, I believe I would take exception to you holding my woman’s hand as if you were waiting for an opportunity to bed her,” Brice chided. “I believe the lady asked for it back.”
“Uh, bro, you can’t hold her hand hostage,” Langston interjected with a chuckle.
Nevealise darted her gaze from one brother to the other, all the while trying to disengage her hand from Jarred’s. Langston apparently thought it funny, but Jarred’s eyes were not so happily fixed on Brice.
“We are not a couple,” Brice stressed. Nevealise could hear the smugness in his voice. “I told you, Nev and I are friends.”
The brothers had had a conversation about her? When? And more importantly, why?
“What’s going on, Brice?”
“Nothing, Nev. Just my big brother being his normal presumptuous self. Are you performing all weekend?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Playing it by ear at this point.”
“Have you spoken to your father yet?”
Nevealise tensed. “No, and I hadn’t planned on it,” she said easily.
“Maybe you should,” Jarred interposed.
Her father was a sore point with her, and she didn’t appreciate Jarred trying to tell her what to do.
“As I said, I don’t plan on speaking to him. And let go of my hand,” she snapped, finally snatching it out of his grasp.
“Do you have real daddy issues, or are you just throwing a tantrum?” Jarred asked.
Nevealise’s eyes flashed fire. “Excuse you! Throwing a tantrum! What am I, three? You don’t know me, so I suggest you keep your comments to yourself, especially where my father and I are concerned.” Nevealise breathed hard. The rapid rise and fall of her chest was a telltale sign that she was angry. No, she wasn’t angry. She was furious. Her father was a touchy subject, and for this know-it-all to assume she was the problem had her enraged.
“Calm down, Nev. Jarred’s just upset about the situation,” Brice said.
“Jarred, she’s right,” Langston interjected. “You have no business making assumptions about her and her father. You owe Nevealise an apology.”
“What situation?” Nevealise asked, perplexed. She was trying her best to follow the conversation, but couldn’t. What were they talking about? Apparently, whatever it was had something to do with her father. If so, she didn’t much care. As long as she wasn’t involved.
“What am I supposed to think when her father has left us with his mess of a company?” Jarred said.
“Wrong.” Brice shook his head. “Dad had a choice and he made it.”
“What mess? What’s he talking about, Brice?” Nevealise huffed. Oh, how she hated secrets. Hated them with a passion.
“I’ll explain later. This is not the time nor the place. Can you come by my house tomorrow? I’ll explain everything,” Brice stated.
“We’ll explain,” Jarred said.
Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud knock on the door. “Nev, is everything okay in there?” Norman’s booming voice sounded through the panel.
“Everything’s fine, Norman,” she said, rushing to the door and pulling it ajar. Norman pushed the door open farther to peek inside. He glanced over at Brice, nodded and closed the door, apparently satisfied that she was, indeed, fine. When she turned back to her guests, she noticed Jarred looked as if he was rearing up for another altercation with Brice. And he’d accused her of acting like a child? Go figure.
Nevealise crossed her arms and looked at Brice. “I have a full morning and I’ll probably be back here tomorrow night. What time should I come?”
“Why don’t we make it Sunday, so no one has to rush?” Jarred suggested, cutting in.
“Sunday’s better for me, too,” Langston said.
“Brunch on Sunday. How’s that?” Brice asked her. “My place.”
“Sunday brunch is okay with me.” Nevealise shrugged. “Just know that if this has anything to do with me helping my father in any way, I’m not listening, nor will I help.”
“We’ll discuss this further on Sunday, Nev. That’s the point of the brunch,” Brice snickered.
“I’m just saying. You know my stance on my father, Brice.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say it often enough. Are you going back on tonight?” he asked, changing the subject, for which she was grateful. She didn’t feel like another showdown with Jarred.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” She smiled. “In any event I need to change out of this gown. Getting kind of sticky,” she said, wiggling her hips.
“I can take a hint. She’s trying to get rid of us. Come on, you two, let’s give Nev her space,” Brice said. He placed a kiss on her cheek, then walked over to the door and opened it.
“Nice
