Bria shook her head in disapproval. “You’re dead wrong. Got them hyped up for nothing.”
“Look, their husbands aren’t associates now though. That’s all that matters.”
“But they don't—never mind that’s not important.”
“Right, let’s stay on task. Back to this guy, he has a…” He seesawed his head. “A rep that isn’t great.”
“Meaning?” she goaded.
“Meaning he can be crazy, and I’m leery about you marrying him. Devyn assured me that you would be safe but still, I’m your father, and I would never want to give you to someone who isn’t worthy of having you.”
“I doubt he is what you're saying.” Bria twisted her lips.
Douglas had a way of overexaggerating everything. When Bria’s two sisters, Enya and Cali, marriages were arranged, he built their husbands up to be one of the bosses who made orders and were menacing. When they married, her sisters were letdown to find out that their husbands hadn’t made the ranks yet. To this very day, Cali wasn’t in love with the man Douglas had picked for her to marry, and Bria didn’t want that for herself.
“Listen, I want you to get a feel for him yourself. He wants to meet you before the wedding. You go and see what he’s about. If you're not feeling him, then you don't have to marry him.”
“Really?” she questioned, surprised he had given her that option.
“Yes, but don’t go into it with your mind already made up. Have an open mind, Bria.”
She nodded. “I will. I promise.”
Douglas rose from the chair and graced her forehead with a chaste kiss. “Hey, you think your mama will give me another baby?”
She smacked her lips as he broke out in a fit of laughter. “Dad, please go away from me with this.”
“What?” He held his arms out. “I still want a son.”
“Mama is too old to be getting pregnant.”
“Oh, please. I can still fry those eggs of hers.”
“Ew,” Bria hissed, covering her ears with her hands.
Douglas chuckled and shook his head. “Don't be surprised when you have a little brother on the way.”
“Dad, it’s time to give that dream up. You have three daughters, which means you only produce girls.”
“I’m not losing out on hope.” He snickered, making his way to the door. Before he opened it, he turned to her and said, “I’ll let you know the details of the meeting.”
“Okay.”
As soon as Douglas left the room, Bria grabbed her phone and stepped out on her private balcony. The gray clouds congregated in the sky, giving her the feeling that it would rain soon. The new development in her life had caused a bout of anxiety to emerge. She needed to talk to someone who had worn the shoes Douglas had just sat in front of her. So, Bria plopped down on the chair, and facetimed her sister, Cali.
“I hope you're calling to say you’re back home,” she answered.
“Yeah, I got in early this morning.” She grinned at the screen.
“Finally.” Cali tossed her auburn tresses over her shoulder. “I’m so tired of your extra-busy ass being MIA. You know the crew ain’t right until it’s all three of us.”
Jokingly, she rolled her eyes. “But when I’m home, y’all the ones that get busy on me.”
“Yeah, well, bitches got jobs and businesses. We don’t get to dance on our tippy toes and travel the world.”
“Jealous ass,” she kidded. “Call Enya ‘cause I got something to tell you both.”
“Hold on.”
