“And you’re not even her man,” Jamil said, laughing.
Nick smiled, unsure of what to say. He was both intrigued and flattered. Mostly flattered that Lily had brought him around her family when she’d never done so with anyone else.
“It’s all good,” Larry said. “If she ever takes you out of the friend zone, just make sure you’re ready to lose another game the next time you come around.”
Nick laughed, and then Violet opened the back patio door and walked outside, carrying a karaoke machine in one hand and a microphone in the other. She was dressed in an off-the-shoulder Baby Phat T-shirt, low-rise glittery black jeans and an Ed Hardy trucker cap turned to the side.
Jamil snorted. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Shut it, Jamil,” Violet said, although she was smirking. “It’s called fashion.”
Violet plugged the karaoke machine up to the outlet and tapped the mic.
“Good evening, Greene family!” she said. The crowd responded, but Violet was displeased with their lack of energy, so she shouted, “I said HELLO, Greene family!”
This time they answered in kind, and Violet smiled, satisfied.
“The annual Greene family fashion show is about to begin,” she said. “Prepare to be dazzled by our throwback to the early 2000s.”
She hooked her phone up to the speakers on the patio table, and Chingy’s “Right Thurr” began to play. Lily’s mom, Dahlia, was the first to walk through the patio door into the backyard. She wore a purple velour tracksuit and aviator sunglasses. Lily’s dad whistled and cheered, and everyone clapped and laughed. Dahlia reached the end of the walkway and posed, blowing a kiss to Lily’s dad.
“Mom is giving Juicy Couture realness, y’all!” Violet said on the mic.
Dahlia was followed by Lily’s aunts, and each outfit was more ridiculous than the last. Rhinestone-covered tanks over collared shirts and sparkly pants. The song changed to Nelly’s “Air Force Ones” and some of the younger boy cousins walked out wearing huge T-shirts and baggy jeans and big flat-brim fitted caps.
“I can’t believe we used to dress like that,” Nick said, shaking his head.
“And we were dead-ass too,” Jamil added. “I still have all my fitteds stored somewhere in my mom’s basement.”
More of the younger cousins filed outside also wearing velour tracksuits and clothes Nick hadn’t seen people wear since he was in middle school. How did Violet manage to fit all of those clothes in one large suitcase? And how did she possibly go about finding them? Nick looked around at the Greenes, who laughed and clapped along to the music, completely entertained. He hadn’t realized that the fashion show was such a production. It was the highlight of the barbecue.
A family tradition.
A concept he knew nothing about. But he wished he did.
Iris and Calla were next to walk outside, wearing jersey dresses and newsboy hats. “Who remembers when M?a wore a jersey dress in the ‘Best of Me’ remix video and suddenly everybody and their mom had to have one?” Violet asked. “I had a Chicago Bulls jersey dress, and everybody was jealous.” Calla held Iris’s hand tightly and waved shyly as everyone complimented her and Iris on how cute they looked. The matching outfits were sweet. But Nick wondered when Lily would appear.
Just then, he saw her peek her head outside and quickly withdraw. He sat up straighter, eager to get another glimpse of her.
“And our lovely Lily is the last model for tonight,” Violet said. The song changed to “？’03 Bonnie & Clyde.” It must have been Lily’s cue, but she remained unseen behind the patio doors.
Violet cleared her throat. “I said our lovely Lily is the last model for tonight.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked pointedly at the empty doorway.
Finally, Lily emerged in a denim tube top dress and a New York Yankees fitted hat over her loose curls. The hem of her dress fell to the middle of her thighs, and Nick couldn’t take his eyes off her and her smooth brown skin. He was fascinated by the simplest things, like the slope of her neck and the slight bit of cleavage peeking out at the top of her dress. How the fabric brushed against her thick thighs. The point of these outfits was obviously to poke fun at terrible fashion trends. But Lily didn’t look ridiculous or tacky. She looked sexy as hell.
Nick’s eyes were glued to her as she walked between the tables, smiling shyly. He willed her to look at him, and when they caught eyes, his heart climbed up his throat. Her gaze still held the heat from earlier. Like she was remembering what he looked like sweaty and shirtless. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.