Casey wanted to ask if his family was as creepy and strange as he was but didn’t think it would go over too well with Raven. “A lot of families don’t get along,” she said as memories of her mom flickered through her mind.
“I know. I’m on the outs with my youngest sister right now, so I get it. It’s just that my mother-in-law’s personality is vile. The only one she treats well is Lenora, Curtis’s sister.”
“Is she the youngest in the family?” Casey asked.
“Yes. She was born premature, so she went through a lot as a child. She still has some issues with her speech, but Curtis always said she was the only one who got any positive attention from his mother.”
“Does he get along well with her?”
“He adores her and then he hates her. I mean, he likes her as a person, but gets mad when his mom favors her. It’s messed up. I prefer to stay away from the lot of them.”
“I never heard you talk about his family. Where’s his dad?”
“He died when Curtis was thirteen years old.”
“I can imagine how hard it is to lose a parent when you’re young.”
“Yeah, but he’s never talked about it. Anyway, with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, Curtis’s mom wants me tohost the dinner.” Raven threw up her hands. “Like I have the time to do that!”
“Why don’t you just order the dinner from Petrie Market? Their food is fabulous. I sometimes pick up their prepared meals and they’re delicious.”
“That’s an idea. I’m sure the bitch wants me to cook, but I don’t have time to do it. Hell, I don’t even know how to make a turkey, and I don’t want to learn.”
Casey laughed. “It sounds like Petrie’s is going to be your best friend this Thanksgiving.”
A soft knock drew their attention to the door.
“Come in,” Casey said.
Clara smiled as she stepped inside. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“You’re not. I’m just ranting about my mother-in-law,” Raven said, looking at Clara. “Stay single for as long as you can.”
A pink flush tinged Clara’s cheeks as she smiled. “At the rate I’m going, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
“What’re you talking about? You’re a beautiful and smart woman,” Raven said. “You should have no problem finding the right man to adore you.”
“Raven’s right,” Casey added.
“Oh, I don’t have a problem getting dates, it’s just when the guys find out my brother is in the Insurgents, it all goes to hell. They run off before anything can get started,” Clara said.
“Then they’re not worth having in your life. If a man’s interested, he’ll face anything to be with you,” Raven said.
“You haven’t met my brother. He can be intimidating and scary. He loves doing that to the guys who come around.”
Casey bit the inside of her cheek to keep from asking how Rags was doing. She hadn’t heard from him since their date night five days ago.
“What’s going on with Simon?” Raven asked.
Clara’s pink cheeks turned red. “Uh… I don’t know.” She glanced at Casey, desperation in her eyes.
“Did you bring me the marketing invoices?” Casey asked, pointing to the folder in Clara’s hand.
“Yes! Here you go.” Clara handed the file to Casey, relief washing over her face. “I better get going. I promised Jacob I’d help him with some things. I can’t wait until opening night. This is so exciting.”
“It is.” Casey smiled. Clara embodied excitement, positivity, and an openness to new opportunities. In many respects, she reminded Casey of her younger self when she was on the cusp of her burgeoning career. There was no doubt Clara would conquer what she set out to do, and with the support of her family, she would go far.
“See you later,” Clara said as she stepped into the hallway.