Landon & Shay: Part Two (L&S Duet #2)(13)

“I’m sure the cheater seduced the man somehow. Men are snakes, vicious beasts with venom. I, for one, will never trust one again. I mean, honestly—if Jay-Z has the ability to do Queen Bey dirty, what hope is there for us commoners?”

Mima raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Queen Bey?”

“Beyoncé,” I said, stuffing a forkful of noodles into my mouth. Most of the time when Mom went on her rants, I kept quiet. Lately, it seemed as if she wasn’t looking for a reason or input on her hatred toward men—she simply wanted to rant. If I had to hear how Bill did Hillary wrong during a meal one more time, I was going to pull my hair out.

“What’s a Beyoncé?” Mima questioned, making me smile.

Oh, to be so disconnected from the world of celebrities that you didn’t even know who the queen of music was.

“I’ll teach you when you’re older,” I joked, nudging my grandmother in the side.

My phone dinged, and I hurried to check it. A smile slipped across my lips as Landon’s name flashed across the screen.

Landon: Are you around this week to reconnect? I’m in Chicago for some work and would love to see you.

My fingers rapidly began typing as my cheeks ached from the depth of my smile.

Shay: Definitely will make time for you.

Landon: I land late tonight. Can I drive up to you?

My mind began racing, thinking about the current state of the townhouse I shared with Tracey and Raine. My bra and panties from my quick change that morning were probably still scattered across my bedroom floor. There was a sky-high pile of dirty laundry in my laundry basket, and I was pretty sure the wine stain on my comforter was still quite visible, even after using a Mr. Clean eraser. Word to the wise: Don’t watch adorable videos of dogs getting adopted while drinking wine out of the bottle in your bed. You’ll cry happy tears and awkwardly spill the wine all over your lap.

Plus, the common area of the house was a war zone due to three girls living together.

Needless to say, my place was a complete disaster and in no shape to have company, but never doubt a woman’s ability to speed-clean when the prospect of cuddling Landon Harrison is on the table.

Shay: Sounds good! I’ll see you soon.

“Sorry, ladies, it looks like I’ll have to cut dinner short tonight,” I explained, standing up from the table.

Mima smiled. Mom grimaced.

“Was that Landon?” they both asked in unison, each with a completely different tone beneath her breaths.

“It was. It turns out he’s in Chicago for a few days, and he’s planning to swing by tonight.”

“And of course, you drop all your plans to fit into his,” Mom griped. “I don’t like this, Shannon Sofia. I’ve been watching you over the past few years, dropping everything to make time for this boy. What exactly is he sacrificing for you?”

If I’d had a dollar for every time Mom grumbled at the idea of my complicated love story with Landon, I’d been rich enough to open an amusement park.

I walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead. “I would love to engage in this conversation, really, but I have to go clean and get ready. I love you ladies. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Send Landon my love,” Mima exclaimed. “Tell him I saw him on that commercial, too—the toothpaste one. I had a client of mine pull it up on that YouTube site, and we watched it fifteen times!”

That made me smile. For all the annoyance Mom had toward Landon, Mima had pride.

Landon had to have been the luckiest boy in the world. He hadn’t even had to do the painful search for an agent. Three of the biggest acting agencies in the world came to him, offering to represent him at their firms. Could you imagine? Not having to experience the daunting task of getting down on your knees and offering up your firstborn child to an agency in order for them to even think about giving you a chance?

Oh, dream a little dream with me.

“I’ll let him know, Mima.” I kissed her forehead.

“Oh, wait! Let me pack him up some leftovers—just wait here.” She hurried into the kitchen to get Tupperware, leaving me alone with Mom and her displeasing looks.

I sighed. “Okay. Go for it,” I offered, giving her the floor to flood me with her disappointment. “Please, go ahead and tell me how I’m making the biggest mistake.”

“You’re making the biggest mistake,” she echoed. “I know you think this is all fun and games, but I want you to be careful with your heart,” Mom scolded, the same scolding I’d been getting for almost three years now. “He’s long distance and rising to fame. Women surround him day in and day out. He’s living in a world where unfaithfulness is so easily achieved.”

Ever since Mom had found out about Dad’s cheating all those years ago, she was convinced everything with a penis had misplaced values.

I hadn’t cared much what she thought, though, because she only saw my relationship from the outside looking in. She didn’t experience the warmth of Landon’s love, the comfort he delivered me even when he was miles away.

Sure, our situation wasn’t typical, but it was ours, and I knew better than to let my mother’s thoughts taint my relationship. The moment you invite others into your personal affairs, they come with their toxic opinions and poison your story. I wasn’t going to let that happen with Landon and me.