Free The Cost To Play (Slivers of Love) by Oliva Gaines Page B

They all knew Toshi never stayed with one woman for long. “Besides, your parents would have a cow.”
    Toshi sipped at his tea . “They already know.”
    P hở was shaking his head.  He had come home once with a white girl and his parents treated him as if he had picked up the local crack head. He could only imagine how Toshi’s parents had reacted.
    “My father went into one of his speeches . My sister choked on some of my Mother’s burnt turkey.” He told his friends.
    “What did your Mother do ?” Felix asked.
    “She passed out in the cranberry sauce .” This statement brought tons of laughter from the group.
    Toshi got quiet . “There is something about Jayne.”
    “You haven’t slept with her yet have you?” Raheem asked.
    “That is none of your business. It is also not something that is discussed among gentlemen,” Toshi said with a very straight face.
    All three friends chi med in at the same time. “No, he hasn’t!”
    “I only met her i n October and we are getting to know each other.  Like I said, I really like her.” His eyes dropped to the table.
    Felix said what they all had been thinking, “yeah, but you have got to get through those friend s first.”
    P hở , always the last to add his two đồ ng t iề ns said , “I think that Tamika girl scanned my credit cards through my wallet.”
    Raheem piped up . “Yeah, P hở . She zoomed in on you.”
    Both Felix and Toshi in unison said, “I ain’t saying she’s a gold digger…..”
    As the men finished the verse of the song, Toshi heeded Raheem’s words. He had to get through those friends first. It wasn’t the friends he was worried about.  A larger concern was for Jayne.  Was he a good man?   If what his friends believed and said about him was true, then he needed to be better. He had taken a seat at the playing table and tossed in his chips. He was all in. A woman like Jayne deserved his best and he was going to be a better man.  He was going to filter his words and really think about her feelings and what she needed.  I only hope it will be what I  need.

Chapter 12
    Jayne fussed and primped all day getting ready for dinner with Toshi.  The guest bathroom was double checked three times, the toilet cleaned twice, the special towels hung, and the soap containers refilled.  A quick peek under the sink to ensure no personal items were in this bathroom, making certain that everything was okay as she ran the vacuum over the carpet.  Still not satisfied, she added some carpet freshener and vacuumed it again. Although she had no plans for him to be in her bedroom, she changed the bed covers, put on the good comforter and the nice pillow shams, before running a dust cloth over all the furniture.
    While she was at the market yesterday, she had picked fresh seasonal fruit for the centerpiece on the table.  The pound cake had come out of the oven and she was roasting apples with cinnamon to go on the cake. At four o’clock she showered and pressed her clothing. She didn’t know why, but she put on a nice set of matching underwear and laughed at herself for taking the extra step.  Nothing is going to happen, but just in case there is a little over the clothes action, I am wearing the good stuff . It had been a while for Jayne, but she could wait a bit longer. She still wasn’t sure about Toshi.  Her girlfriends had plenty to say, but this was her time. For whatever reason she and Toshi had been brought together, was yet to be seen.
    At five o’clock she removed the apples and put the parmesan dusted fingerling potatoes in the oven.  The table was set with her good dishes and crystal wine glasses.  The doorbell rang and Jayne nearly jumped out of her skin.  She peeked through the keyhole to find Brionna standing at the door. “Come in,” she told her as she cracked the door.
    “Why are you answering the door in your drawers, girl? I thought you were just having him over for dinner?”
    “I still have to cook the fish