Page 34 of The Dating Prohibition

Auntie Mack said that the pictures she sent didn’t do the location justice, but the moment Kendra received them, she knew

she had to get down to Charleston right away. The following weekend, she and BJ decided to get a vacation rental instead of

staying with Auntie Mack so that they could enjoy each other without prying eyes and ears. She made the excuse that she and

BJ were staying in a landmark building as a part of his research, logging all of the original fixtures and materials that

the owner had been able to preserve. Mack didn’t seem to buy it, but she didn’t protest.

After a smooth drive down from DC to Charleston and a good night’s sleep, Kendra found herself standing in the center of an old carriage house that had been converted into a restaurant.

As she took in the structure of the building, which was primarily brick with heavy wooden features and polished granite floors, she couldn’t help but picture the light fixtures that she would use in the ceilings, the Edison lights that she’d hang above the bar, the rustic wooden shelves she would put behind it to stock inventory, and the wooden sliding door that would lead to the dining area.

“Auntie Mack, I... This is unbelievable,” she whispered.

“I told you.”

Gloria, Mack’s friend and owner of the building, smiled with pride. “This building has been in our family for decades. It

was originally a carriage house that was part of a larger property that was parceled off. During Prohibition, this was where

people made and bottled spirits before shipping them north for the speakeasies in Harlem.”

“That is an incredible piece of history.” BJ beamed at her.

“Are you sure that this is something that you would want to sell? You don’t want to make it an inheritance for some of your

family?” Kendra asked gently.

Gloria smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, my husband and I were never able to grow our family. And my nieces and nephews have enough

from their parents and their grandparents. This is something that my husband and I want to sell so that we can enjoy the rest

of our retirement.”

“What do you plan to do?” Kendra smiled at her.

“We love to travel and we have a plan to do cruises all around the world. We did one of those thirty-day cruises around the

tip of South America, and we want to go and venture elsewhere, see the sights, and just enjoy each other’s company.”

Kendra’s smile grew wider. I want that. Her gaze focused on BJ.

He smiled warmly at Gloria, though his expression quieted as he caught Kendra’s eye.

She refocused, clearing her throat. “That’s an amazing plan. Is there a bucket list location that you are really hoping to

hit?”

“You know, we’ve been to various parts of Northern and Southern Africa, but we have plenty more to visit—I really want to go to Ghana, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.

I also want to go to Lagos. So to me, those locations would be the shining glory of our trips, but we also have a strong desire to visit different parts of Asia for an extended amount of time.

“I haven’t spent a ton of time in Europe, but I’ve always wanted to see Ireland and visit some of the lesser-known islands

in Greece.”

“Ugh,” Kendra said and clutched her heart. “I’m so jealous of what you’re about to do. You’re going to be living the dream!”

“Thank you, dear. So, do you have any questions about the place?”

“I’m just kind of curious about some of the upkeep, what the permit system looks like since I’m not from here. I know that

it’s probably very different from what we have in DC, but also, I want a sense of, you know, what you find to be a reasonable

price because I do need to see if it’s actually within my budget. I simply can’t imagine that you’re really selling this place

for the price that Auntie Mack mentioned.”

“Well, I’m sure she told you that it’s not yet on the market. And so I have it at that number, which is specifically set for

you if you decide that this is something that you would like to purchase. If it does end up going on the market instead, we’ll

of course increase the price to market value because we know people have been clamoring for it even when we weren’t willing

to sell.

“We know we can get more than what we’re asking for, but for the right person with the right plan, we want to make it accessible.

Even though we don’t have kids of our own, we believe in generational wealth, and even at this discounted price, we’re making a great profit, and with our other investments it’ll be enough to fund our adventures from here on out.

” Gloria’s face was warm, the lines around her eyes crinkled.

“I’ve known your aunt for a long time and she’s good stock.

And so if you come from this stock, I know you are too. ”

From the corner of Kendra’s eye, she saw BJ nodding in agreement. She blushed deeply as she glanced in his direction.

He wasn’t smiling, but he did look proud of her.

“Well, thank you. I appreciate that. Auntie Mack is everything that I’ve always wanted to be—she is strong and brilliant and

brave. And she is one hundred percent her own person. She’s never shied away from going after the things that she wanted and

so she’s been a great example for me.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Auntie Mack wrapped her arms around her niece’s middle. “You are like a second daughter to me and I’m so proud

of you for going after this dream that you’ve had for so long.”

“I took some detours to get to this place, and I almost gave up on it completely at one time, but it really feels possible

now.”

“It’s not just possible, baby. It’s coming.”

“I receive that.” Kendra nodded.

“Well, let’s sit down and talk through some particulars and see what’s what?” Gloria offered.

“Yes, let’s. But to be transparent, I do need some time to think because the one thing holding me back is a potential location

in DC that is also at this price point. The biggest advantage of being there is that I’d be near other family members who

are also restaurant owners and we’d be able to kind of collaborate on things from time to time. Having that support system

would probably make things easier for me.”

“I completely understand, dear. We’re not in a huge rush.

Ideally, we’d love to know something within the next four to six weeks.

But if you find that you need more time and you’re still really serious about it, we could consider giving you more time before we go public.

Here, let’s sit.” Gloria gestured toward a large family-style table in the center of the room, which Kendra imagined replacing with barstools, though she was tempted to have one giant table within the bar area that would allow people to mix and mingle.

So many ideas came to mind, and she found herself excitedly scribbling down notes as Gloria described different parts of the

business model she and her husband had forged over the course of decades.

Following their visit to the property, Kendra and BJ took Auntie Mack to dinner at a beautiful Southern-style location with

vines wrapped around wooden beams and warm lighting.

“This food is so good.” Kendra swayed in her seat, her eyes closed as she savored a bite of blackened red drum. “So good,”

she repeated, shaking her head.

Auntie Mack laughed, her voice ringing and feminine. “You know, BJ, she has always had this kind of relationship with food.”

“Oh, I know,” he replied, grinning. “She used to make Logan and me treats when we would get home from school. I’d come over

to study with him and hang out and as a snack she would make these sandwiches that were so elaborate in terms of their presentation—she

would even cut off the crusts.”

“Oh lord.” Kendra hung her head, a deep blush crawling up her skin.

“So, what do you think, sweetheart? About the property. Do you think it’s something that you would want?”

“I do. Honestly, I’m really in love with it. I think it’s perfect—it’s just not in DC.”

“Could you see yourself living in Charleston?” BJ asked, scooping a spoonful of red beans and rice into his mouth.

“I could. You know, like, it’s vastly different, but there’s something about this place. It’s got a nice vibe. I could see

myself living here.”

“Well, you’ve been a tumbleweed for a long time. I know you want to put down roots.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Kendra nodded, looking down at her plate, and picking at her fish. “I do. I want to. I just don’t know,” she sighed. “On one

hand, I was really excited to be near Lani and Shonda and Logan and, and BJ.” She gestured to him. “It felt good to be reunited

with everyone that I had been so close with before I left for Silicon Valley for the tech world, and to kind of fall back

into life in DC. And I love DC so much! But I’m starting to see that it may not be possible for me to do what I want to do

there. It’s just so expensive.” Her shoulders fell slightly.

Auntie Mack nodded. “Well, you’ve got some time. What is the status of this whole short sale situation anyway?”

“We’re waiting for news of the auction date and then we’ll be able to get a sense of the true timeline that I’m working with.

Right now, it doesn’t look like anybody else is going to try to buy it beforehand, so I have a good shot at it. Obviously,

it’s not guaranteed that I would win in the auction, but it at least gives me a chance to try.”

“Do you have a sense of when they’ll announce the date?”

“I’m pretty sure they’ll announce it right when we get back.”

Auntie Mack nodded. “Well, then, we’ll know soon.”

“Yeah, it feels like that’s the only iron I have left in the fire in DC.” She looked down at her plate, avoiding the temptation

to gaze in BJ’s direction. I’d stay in DC if he asked me to.

“Okay, well, but it’s not the only iron left in the fire overall, and that’s the thing that’s important.”

Kendra nodded soberly. “True.” She eyed the table and the relatively empty plates. “Anyone ready for dessert? I hear this

place makes a mean bread pudding!”

After dinner, she and BJ parted ways with Auntie Mack and decided to explore the nightlife in the city.

He held Kendra’s hand, openly flirting with her, and he wasn’t afraid to kiss her in public.

She didn’t know what any of it meant and why it was okay for them to be this close in Charleston when it wasn’t okay at home.

Is he embarrassed to be seen with me when there’s a chance we’ll run into people we know? Am I just a sneaky link? Is this

side chick treatment and he’s really got someone else?

Internally, she questioned how he saw her. Even though she knew she was attractive, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he

didn’t want to be seen with her in public—that it was more than just the complication of her family. And there were so many

mixed signals that she didn’t know which way was right.

As they strolled toward a vibrant bar with live music blasting out every time the door opened, Kendra’s inner voice screamed

at her until she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She tugged on his arm a little. “Can I ask you a question?” Please don’t get mad.

“Of course.”

“Why can’t we be like this at home?”

He bristled slightly. “I’m just not ready for that. Is it okay if we just focus on the present, right here, right now? We’re

here together, alone, without anybody thinking anything or feeling any kind of way. It’s just you and me here. Is that okay?”

He turned toward her, releasing her hand.

She nodded, conflict churning in the base of her stomach.

“Hey.” BJ’s tone was gentle. He lifted her chin so that she would look at him. “Let’s explore tomorrow. There’s so much to

see, and we can’t possibly take in the whole city, but we can walk around some, learn some of the history, and maybe help

you get a feel for it here. And then tomorrow night I made us a reservation for dinner.”

“You did?” Her eyes lit up in surprise.

“I did.”

“Wow, okay. That sounds amazing.” She smiled brightly at him, and he extended his arm to her as they proceeded toward the

bar. Her heart jumped as she wrapped her arm in his. “I actually brought a dress, just in case.”

“Then I will look forward to peeling that dress off of you when we get back to our place.”

Our place.

The words rang in her ears as he opened the door, and a blast of jazz music greeted them. Is this too good to be true? She shivered at the thought that all of this could just be pretend. What will happen when we really go home?