Page 15 of The Dating Prohibition
her nose.
He was in jeans and a button-up shirt with a wool blazer and brown leather shoes. One hand was shoved into a pocket, and he
looked like a real-life GQ ad.
Damn, not fresh from the barber... Her face flushed. “Yeah, I’m all set.” She grabbed her purse from a console table next to the door and smiled as she stepped
outside, listening for the smart lock to bolt into place. “What have you been up to today?”
“Hit the gym and the barber, and then I did a little research for one of the articles I am planning to write. Put some books on hold over at the Library of Congress.”
“That’s... very productive of you.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What about you?”
“Made a few calls, pulled some more spec sheets for my proposal.” She followed him to his truck and was surprised when he
reached to open the door for her. “Oh wow, thanks!”
BJ frowned. “You’re welcome?”
“Are you asking?” she laughed.
“You seem surprised... No one else opens doors for you?” The tips of his lashes were so long they looked like they could
brush against the inside of his frames.
Stop. Staring. She shrugged as she climbed inside. “Been a while.”
“Hmm. Guess that hot date wasn’t so hot after all,” he mused.
Kendra’s mouth dropped open. Caught. He smirked as he shut her door and walked around to his side. They rode in comfortable silence to the property, Kendra staring
out the windows and taking in how much the city had evolved while she’d been away.
“Man, I missed this place,” she muttered as they drove down a street of row houses, many of which had clearly been renovated
with painted bricks and modern windows.
“It’s changed a lot, huh?”
Kendra turned to look at BJ, who kept his eyes on the road. “Yeah, it feels different. A few of my school friends have moved
to Charlotte and Atlanta.”
“Gentrification.”
“Yeah,” she huffed.
“Think you’ll stay this time?”
“Maybe. I’d like to,” she admitted. “It’d be nice to be near family––to have my spot near Logan and Shonda’s.”
“You’re not sure you can?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“I don’t think I’ll stay if I fail at this,” she replied quietly as she looked down at her lap. And there it was. Though BJ
was Logan’s best friend, since high school, he’d been one of the few people who would listen without telling her what to do,
how to feel, or whether she was wrong. He just listened. If she asked him a question, he’d tell her the truth. He wouldn’t
sugarcoat anything, but he always came from a place of support and didn’t take unnecessary jabs.
“Are you worried about failing?” The tone of his voice was gentle, like a fuzzy blanket against bare skin. “Really?”
Kendra bit her lip. “Yeah. Logan doesn’t think I will, but I don’t want to disappoint him. Momma has her doubts, but...”
That’s just Momma.
Ben nodded. “I hear you.” They pulled up in front of an old firehouse.
“Oh wow. Ben...” Kendra’s voice trailed off as she stepped out of the truck. “This could be perfect .”
He followed and stood at her side. “Could be.” He smiled slightly.
An older gentleman in a suit strode toward them and introduced himself as Dean before handing them both dossiers about the
property. He toured them around the two-story building, remarking on different fixtures and parts of the building that they
hoped to preserve along with ideas for how the building could be modernized for commercial use. A lot of the buildings in
the area had been used for industrial work in support of the US Navy. Nearby, there were metal sculptures depicting scenes
of men and women working with tools in their hands. Given the staggering number of industrial workers, local speakeasies had
lined the outskirts of the Annex during Prohibition.
Ben carried his phone in his hand, having asked for permis sion to record a voice memo of the tour for his research.
Kendra wandered away from the two men, taking in the layout of the space and letting her imagination run wild with how she could adjust it to suit her needs.
There were obvious fixtures to keep, and she thought that there could even be a display of one of the uniforms along with some articles about the ways the firefighters of the house had impacted the local community.
The garage area had plenty of space to accommodate the bar and some table seating. There were storage rooms where she could
keep some of her inventory. The bunk room was on the second floor along with a large kitchen and dining area. Kendra pictured
an open-kitchen concept with a long table to accommodate family-style seating. There were a couple of offices and large unisex
bathrooms on both levels.
As she joined the two downstairs, BJ gestured between Kendra and Dean. “Kenny, Dean was just telling me that they’ve got several
offers on the place already, so if you are interested, you’d need to put in your offer and proposal now.”
“I can imagine.” She’d scanned through the dossier during her walk. She jutted her chin at BJ and he nodded encouragingly.
“I can absolutely see the value in a property like this.”
Dean chuckled, his eyes darting between the pair. “Can you picture your business here?”
She smiled brightly. “I can! But I almost think this space is too big for my needs. Plus, I’m not quite ready to make an offer.
I’m still securing my funding, so for right now, I’m simply window-shopping.”
“Ah, I understand. Well, please, do you have a card? I can let you know of some other properties that will be coming available
soon.”
She nodded, handing him a clean business card that had her name, email address, and phone number.
“Hmm . . . Porter Prohibition has a nice ring to it,” Dean said admiringly, holding up her card with approval. “I like that.”
“Thank you. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.” She nodded proudly.
BJ offered Dean his hand. “Sir, it’s been a pleasure. We appreciate you giving us a tour.”
“The pleasure’s all mine. Your research sounds fascinating, young man. Do reach out if you or your girlfriend think of any
other questions.”
Kendra giggled nervously and waved as they exited, and BJ opened the door of the truck for her. “You know, I could get used
to this.” She grinned up at him. Her smile faded as she realized he was scowling at her, and every impulse within her propelled
her into the passenger seat without another word.
He shut her door and walked around to get in, blowing out a heavy breath as he sat down. “Kenny...”
“What’s wrong?” She leaned her back against the door to take in the view of his profile. “Did I do something?”
“Not intentionally... You’re just being you.”
“I’m not sure what you mean or why that might be problematic.” She tilted her head, her mind racing through the possibilities
of what he was implying.
“It’s about the other night.” His eyes bore into hers and her breath hitched.
Kendra’s stomach lurched. Fuck. “Listen, I really didn’t mean it. That was my fault. I misread the signals and thought you were about to kiss me—”
“I was about to kiss you.” He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his body toward hers, one elbow resting on the steering wheel.
“Wait... huh? You were?” Kendra frowned in confusion. She looked at him, trying to piece together where things went wrong.
“Was it my breath?”
“Kenny,” BJ laughed.
“Ben, I don’t understand. If you were going to kiss me, why didn’t you kiss me?” And will you now? Something inside her was pushing her toward him, and all she could think of were their talks and the way he understood her.
The way he looked out for her and made her feel safe. The way he never let her question herself.
“Because it’s you.”
What fresh hell is this?! “Well, what exactly does that mean?”
“Kenny... you’re you. You’re off-limits.”
Heat burned in her chest as her tone rose an octave, fury threatening to breach the surface. “Excuse me? Says who? Let me
find out that Logan is blocking... he’s gonna get way more than a wooden spoon when I get home. I’ll knock some sense into—”
BJ rested a hand on her arm, warmth spreading through the thin layer of her coat, searing her skin. “Kendra. Your brother
didn’t set the boundary.”
“Well, who did? My dad?”
“No,” he laughed. “I did.”
“Come again?” Kendra rested her elbow against the dashboard, her hand running through her hair. “You decided that I’m off-limits?
When did you decide this? And, more importantly, why?”
“Right when you walked in the door your first day back.”
She stared at him, perplexed, the statement not fully computing. “Say more words.” She wound her hand in a circle at the wrist,
beckoning him to continue.
Ben sighed, running a hand over his hair. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’ve known each other
too long. It’s just not a good idea.”
“Says who though? Who made that determination, because this is the first time we are talking about it,” she said, pointing between the two of them.
“What is it that makes it a bad idea? You know I’m about my business, I’m not out in these streets, I’m easy on the eyes.
” She tossed her hair behind her shoulder, cracking a small smile. “You know me, Ben.”
“I know you,” he agreed.
Ugh. What does that mean? “You know me and that means you’re not interested?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t say you are either. You know me and what, I’m not good enough?” A tightness in her chest began to pull at her
insides, and she bit her lip. “Is that it?” she whispered, steeling herself for the worst-case scenario.
“No, that’s not it,” he replied gently. He tilted his head, resting it against the headrest of his seat. “It doesn’t matter
if I’m interested, Kenny. You’re my best friend’s little sister.”
“The fuck?” Her face scrunched up. “Excuse my language, but what are you talking about? Is this bro code shit, because you’re
really losing me.”
“We’re too deep into the same circle. I consider your family my family.”
“And that’s... bad?”