Hotlanta Read Online Free PDF

around them.
    â€œIt was cool getting to spend some time with you.”
    â€œDitto.” Sydney unbuckled her seat belt. “And I really appreciate the lift. Although I must admit, I haven’t sat through that much crunk music in my life!”
    â€œAll righty, Miss Mainstream. If I promise to only play Mary J and Justin Timberlake, will you call me sometime?”
    â€œI mean, as long as your girlfriend is okay with that,” she hinted coyly about Jason’s girlfriend, who had graduated from Brookhaven the year before.
    â€œTyra’s at Florida A&M now. She ain’t thinking about me no more,” he answered.
    â€œOh, I see. Guess I missed that YRT alert, huh?”
    â€œApparently. But the real question is, will your boy Marcus mind you calling me?” Jason countered with a raised eyebrow.
    â€œDon’t you worry, I make sure my man has no reasons to worry,” Sydney replied, surprising even herself at how easily she flirted back.
    â€œWell, in that case…”
    Sydney tapped his numbers into her phone and let herself out of the truck. If it hadn’t been so dark and had he looked really close, Jason might’ve seen Sydney grinning from ear to ear as she ran for the foyer, ducking under her jean jacket and dodging puddles on the toes of her suede loafers.
    Sydney had barely closed the door to her bedroom before it reopened. Surprised at the intrusion, she turned to face the only person in the house who never waited for an invitation to enter—her mother.
    â€œWho was that bringing you home in a big ol’ truck?”
    â€œWere you spying on me?” Sydney gasped dramatically, putting her hands on her hips.
    â€œI have a right to know about anything that happens on my property.” Keisha Duke smirked. “I heard a truck, so I looked at the security video.”
    â€œOh.” Sydney looked away, unconsciously tugging on that right earlobe again.
    â€œSo, who was driving the truck? I thought you were headed to the movies?”
    So did she. “Marcus got caught up in a meeting, so Jason Danden was kind enough to offer me a ride home.”
    â€œHmm, Jason Danden. Isn’t he that football player I keep reading about in the paper?” her mother asked as she raised one perfectly waxed eyebrow.
    â€œPerhaps,” said Syd as she turned away. More than anything she wished her mom would leave the room so she could get back to thinking about her unbelievable ride home.
    Mrs. Duke remained undeterred as she pulled her honey-blonde hair up in a twist. “Well, you know how quickly rumors can get started.”
    â€œMother, please. It was just a ride home. And besides, he’s so not my type.”
    â€œYour type? You don’t even know what a type is yet. But I’ll say this—I saw the grin on your face when you walked in the door. And you better be careful. I didn’t work this hard to get us up outta the ghetto your father left us in for you to backslide over some no ‘count alleged football prodigy from New York!”
    Just as Mrs. Duke’s tirade was on the verge of a full crescendo, she was interrupted by a familiar voice. “Hey, hey, what’s all the fussing and fighting about?” Relieved, Sydney turned to find her stepfather’s impressive six-foot three-inch frame filling her doorway. With his flawless chocolate skin, brooding eyes, and close-cut Caesar haircut, Altimus Duke was definitely considered one of ATL’s finest. Strangers often mistook him for the actor who played Stringer Bell on The Wire, and the twins caught more than their share of fellow students ogling Altimus when he attended school functions. “Babe, I can hear you flapping your jaws all the way down the hall. What’s up?”
    â€œNothing, Altimus. Mom is tripping ‘cause I caught a ride home with a guy before she had a chance to run a complete background check on him and his entire family,” Sydney