Keiran’s eyes widened at the hat, and the woman laughed.

“Cherisse, why’s this boy looking at me like he don’t know about the hats and other assorted headwear?”

“Uh...” Cherisse flushed, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking slightly on her heels. “I may have forgotten to mention it?”

The woman clucked her tongue and smiled at Keiran. “At my Easter parties, all are required to pick the gear of their choice and wear it throughout the day. Makes for some fun photos. We’ve got hats, bunny ears headbands. Think I even saw some nest and eggs contraption this year, I don’t know. I swear Mira looks for the weirdest of the weird.” She winked at them, sticking out her hand. “I’m Laney Johnson-Reyes, and you are?”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Johnson-Reyes. I’m Keiran, Cherisse’s assistant for the day.”

“Huh, interesting.” Laney’s gaze moved between them, speculative. “How nice of you to help out, but I thought Cherisse already had an assistant? And by the way, it’s Mrs. Johnson-Reyes. My wife’s around here somewhere.”

She was still smiling, but her gaze was challenging. Keiran had no doubt she’d dropped the bit about her wife as some sort of test. He could imagine the reactions she’d gotten before. She didn’t have to worry about any of that from him, but of course, she couldn’t know that.

“Can’t wait to meet her, and I’m in no way replacing Reba. She couldn’t make it, so I’m the poor sub Cherisse had to make do with.”

Laney threw Cherisse a dazzling smile. “Oh, I like him. Well, let me find Mira. She’s probably off cuddling the dog somewhere to build up strength before the hordes descend. She’s not the social butterfly I am.”

Keiran watched Laney retreat, then returned his gaze to Cherisse, who’d gone back to fiddling with a dessert box, gently extracting the mini cakes within and situating them on the dessert stand. “Laney seems nice.”

“She is. It’s the others that are a bit much.” Cherisse brushed a wayward curl from her face.

Keiran shrugged. He hadn’t been kidding about charming older ladies. It was a well-honed skill from interacting with his mother’s friends on numerous occasions. He figured he’d do alright here.

“I’ll be fine,” he said confidently. Cherisse’s grin said she thought otherwise.

By the time the guests arrived, he’d been eye-fucked by a trio of ladies, who seemed in their fifties. Their gazes had taken him in from head to toe, and in spite of the discomfort of being mentally undressed by the three women, Keiran graced them with a smile. As he stared down at the food spread, he was certain he felt their eyes on his ass. But he ignored that, piling his plate high with waffles and other yummy things. He’d given in and tasted one of everything back at her apartment. Cherisse had looked on smugly as he’d fought back groans of delight at the taste.

Why had he been petty about her desserts for so long? They were amazing!