La Toya Hankins

When Zora comes to visit her childhood hometown for the Fourth of July, she expects to be helping with the family business, greeting old neighbors and friends, and carefully avoiding the topic of her sexuality. But then Zora's old mentor introduces Zora to her granddaughter Sarah, a blast from Zora's past, now grown into a leggy brunette who remembers Zora more than fondly.<br><br>As the two women reconnect over old memories, sweet treats, and tales of the intervening years since they'd last met, Zora begins to suspect the attraction she feels for Sarah might be returned. The sparks flying between them ignite into fireworks celebrating their independence from sexual solitude when they explore a new way to use the town library.

Heat Wave: Southport

“Well, I graduated from Bennett College with an economics degree and got a job in Charlotte. I finished my MBA last year and work as a business analyst,” Zora replied. “I just came down for the day to help out my parents.”


Tilting her head, Sarah asked what exactly a business analyst did and Zora replied with her standard explanation, which no one outside the word of finance really understood but nodded as if they did. Surprisingly, based on Sarah’s follow up questions, she actually understood. Zora was intrigued.


“Your job sounds really cool. I guess that being good in math really paid off. I’m impressed,” Sarah exclaimed.


“Thank you. I really enjoy my job, and I also mentor some girls at one of the high schools to encourage them to consider mathematical fields as possible career choice.”


“That is just so neat, Zora. We really need more women in those STEM fields, and it’s so great you are giving back. Service is so sexy,” Sarah said.


Chapter 5