Page 26 of Love, Restricted
“Good.” He pulled away from the curb, then took off down the street.
We vibed to the music and talked as we drove to wherever he was taking me. I didn’t ask him where we were going because I knew he wouldn’t tell me anyway.
It took us about ten minutes or so to arrive at a hotel. I wasn’t sure why we were there, but I didn’t feel like Kairo was on some other stuff.
Kairo pulled up to the valet area, then helped me out of the car.
“I figured we’d have dinner, then I could take you on a tour of the Valley,” Kairo said as he placed his hand on my back and led me into the restaurant.
“I like that.”
We walked inside and were seated immediately. As we walked to our table, multiple people spoke to him.
When we reached the table, Kairo pulled out the chair for me, and I sat down. He walked around to the other side and sat across from me. The waitress placed the menus on the table and told us she would be back in a little bit to take our orders.
“This place is fancy.” When I looked at the name on the menu, I looked up at Kairo. “Wait, is this your family’s hotel?” I didn’t pay attention to the name when we arrived.
“It is. I wanted to show it to you. The food here is good, and I’m not just saying that. One of the best things about it is the views of the sunrise and sunset. The sky changes a multitude of colors.”
“That sounds like it’s really beautiful. Everything looks so nice and regal,” I said as I looked around the room.
Black tablecloths covered the tables, and each table had a single candle in the middle. There were gold accent pieces on the walls. It was a little dark outside, but I was able to see the water out of the window. It looked like it was a beach.
“It’s been around for a long time. In fact, the seventy-fifth anniversary is next year. The colors reflect the royalty of the Bishop name.”
I nodded. “I can see that. You said your brother runs it, right?”
“Yes. It was passed down the line, and whenever, if ever, he has kids, one of them would be next in line.”
The waitress came over and took our orders, then left us alone again. Jazz music played over the speakers, but it was at a reasonable volume.
“Why wouldn’t it go to your kids first?”
“Nothing is set in stone as to who it would go to, but I honestly figured that if I had a child, they would go into law enforcement like me. Now that could change, so who knows.” He shrugged. “No matter what, it would always stay in the Bishop family.”
“Good. It really is amazing that you guys own a whole hotel.”
Kairo wasn’t a flashy guy and always seemed so humble, so it was surprising to know that his family had money. I mean, that was my assumption since they owned an entire luxury hotel.
Kairo told me the story about how his dad’s side of the family had gotten into the hotel business. He also mentioned his brother wanted to expand, but he hadn’t planned anything out at the time.
I hung on to his every word while he talked. The waitress had come over with our drinks and informed us that our food would be out shortly.
“Do you feel pressure to do certain things or act a certain way because you are the oldest?”
“At times, I do. My parents are good examples of love and life, but I still feel like I had to set the precedent for my siblings. I can’t be the oldest and be on some dumb shit all the time. I would never want my brother to follow in my footsteps if I didn’thave my shit together. And I for damn sure wouldn’t want my sister to struggle in any way. Now, even though I feel like I’ve done a good job, I couldn’t stop my brother from being the way he is. He’s a good dude, but he’s a ho.” He laughed. “He doesn’t lead anyone on, though.”
“I mean, I’m sure he comes across plenty of women in his line of work. You probably have too.” I paused for a second. “You probably have done some stuff before too. I mean, you did fuck your assistant.”
The waitress returned with our food and refilled our water cups. She also made sure we were good before she walked away again.
“I shouldn’t have told you that.” Kairo chuckled. “I’m not innocent, though, by no means. Koda is still worse than me. I don’t want that for my sister, though. Because even though a man can tell you he doesn’t want more, that doesn’t stop women from developing feelings and feeling like it’s more than what it was.”
While Kairo talked, I took a minute to eat my food. I almost moaned because it was good, but I refrained.
“That’s true, but you don’t think men do things to make a woman feel like that? Like, you can say that, but your actions could show otherwise. Don’t tell me it ain’t nothing but turn around and cuddle me after sex or take me out on dates. If it’s just sex, let it be that. Fuck and leave the money on the dresser.” I laughed.
“Damn, like that?” Kairo asked as he scooped some food onto his fork.
