Page 45 of Zimyra

“When was the last time you were here with yourfriend?” he asks.

I open my eyes only to be met with that powerful, unyielding, dominant stare from him again. I shrug and say, “Maybe three weeks ago. Do you have any family down here?”

“No.”

“Here’s what I want to know about you,” I say. “How did you decide to relocate here with no job lined up?”

“I had a job lined up. It fell through.”

“Where?” I asked, challenging him because I have a hunch that he’s lying. Personally, I wouldn’t move if I knew the job I was relocating for wasn’t a sure thing, and that’s exactly what it sounds like he did.

“It was at Parks and Rec.”

“Why did it fall through?” I continue probing.

“It just did,” he answers.

He takes a bite of his second taco and says, “These are the truth.”

“Told you. I already devoured mine.”

While he eats, conversation ceases. I return to dancing and humming and after a few minutes of this, I feel an arm wrap around my neck from behind and then I hear, “Whattup, girl?”

I smile wide and ask, “Who’s that?”

When he loosens his grip, I turn around to see that it’s my cousin Jeremiah.

“Hey, Jeremiah!” I jump off this high barstool-style chair to give him a proper greeting. I wrap my arms around his thick torso and squeeze, then ask, “What are you doing out here?”

“Hanging out. If I knew you were coming, I would’ve picked you up.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

“You look nice.”

“So do you. I see you haven’t missed the gym any.”

He flexes his muscles and says, “Nah. I stay on that grind…gotta keep up with Zander. Ay, who’s your friend?”

I was so excited to see Jeremiah, I almost forgot Axel was sitting with me.

Axel speaks up and says, “I’m nobody. Keep on talking and pretend I’m not sitting here.”

Jeremiah frowns.

I look at Axel sideways. I know his demented sense of humor, but my cousins don’t tolerate it, especially from somebody they don’t know.

I tell Axel, “I’ll be right back.”

I have to get Jeremiah away from this table because, like my brothers, my cousins don’t play ‘bout me. If Jeremiah thinks Axel is disrespecting me in any way, there will be a fight up in here. I’m sure he’s already going to tell my brothers he ran into me with some dude, and I’ll have a ton of questions to answer:Who is he? What’s his name? Where is he from? Who are his folks? Are y’all dating? Where does he work? What is he doing with his life? Have you looked into his background?The questioning will be endless – like those Congressional hearings where people are pointlessly grilled for hours on end.

After we’re near the bar, Jeremiah asks, “Who’s that cat?”

“He’s just somebody I work with.”

“Why I ain’t never seenSomebody I Work With‘round here before?”

“He’s not from here, Jeremiah. He’s from Connecticut.”

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