“It’s fine.” I shrug my shoulders and take a quick sip of my drink. “It was a really last-minute thing and Donny gave me a ride.”

Thank goodness they hadn’t gotten drinks yet. They both look so shocked that I’m pretty sure if they had, I’d be doused in alcohol right now.

“Donny who?” Lavonne asks.

Because I don’t know her, I’m not sure if that’s a rhetorical question or not, but I decide to answer just in case it’s not. I point toward the seat where Donny is now tapping away on his phone.

“What the hell girl!” She swivels to Brynn. “I thought you said they were into each other?”

“I thought they were!” Brynn takes a step back before narrowing her gaze my way. “I thought you were!”

“Whoa whoa whoa!” I hold my hands up in surrender because I really have no idea what they’re talking about. “You thought I was what?”

“Into Quinton, duh. Keep up.” Brynn rolls her eyes and if they weren’t so pretty, I’d hope they got stuck back there. “You said you two were getting along.”

My head snaps back. “I did not. I said he wasn’t being as big of a jerk.”

I also didn’t tell her that we haven’t really been talking because I was the rude one this time.

“Same thing.” They both say in unison.

I wonder if this box is actually a portal to another dimension or something, because this can’t be real life.

“But if he likes her, there’s no way he would just stick her in a car with Donny’s crazy ass.” Lavonne’s voice is beautiful and bold and loud.

So Donny hears exactly what she says.

“I’m a motherfucking delight, Lamar!” he shouts from the other side of the glass. “The sooner you accept that, the sooner your life changes for the fuckin’ better.”

“Children!” she scolds him and points a manicured finger at her boys. “Remember what I said when we walked in here, I don’t want to hear anything Donny says coming out of your mouths or you’ll be grounded for a month.”

“I’ll give you each two hundred bucks if you tell your mom to shove it.” Still not moving from his seat, Donny waves two hundred-dollar bills over his head.

Now, to the immense credit of Lavonne and her parenting skills, two of her boys shake their heads no and walk away immediately. The other one—the smallest one—however, looks like he is seriously considering it.

“Jax, I wish you would. It’s been too long since I put the fear of god in someone and I’ve been waiting for a reason to do it,” Lavonne warns and even I get scared.

Please don’t do it, Jax. Please don’t do it!