Page 69 of Miles Apart
Zo has a job lined up for him once he graduates high school. The kid needs some guidance with his gear, but he’s smart as hell. His full ride to a nearby college takes the pressure off his household to pay tuition and will have him on Capitol Hill in no time.
I call Zo for our first check-in of the week. He picks up on the second ring.
“Bueno, bueno.”
“Aye, what’s good?” I adjust the tie I’ve been itching to take off since I came into the office.
“Same shit, different Monday,” he chuckles. “Thanks for sending over Paco’s database so quickly.”
“The shit is good, right?” As my GG used to say, Paco is smart beyond his years.
“He reminds me of you.”
I smack my lips. “Never once did you see me dressed for a tent revival at Bodie.” The scholarships I got eased my pockets so I could keep my closet tight. Paco should wear what makes him comfortable, but we’ll help him find a size that fits.
Zo laughs out loud but catches himself. “Leave the kid alone. We all have our starting point. Keep it up with the data and research. We might get a public hearing on the bill in the next few months.”
The US lacks a comprehensive data protection law for consumers. Zo wants to fix that with his federal bill, and he has a real shot if things keep up he way they are. My consulting role isn’t a requirement for its success, but it pushes his efforts to the next level. I’m not an in-office person, but being here isn’t a pain in the ass yet. Zo has a good team.
“How was dinner on Friday?”
A pain in my ass. “I cut off the lights,” I say, and Zo starts cackling. “You’re a better man than me dealing with that bullshit. Em’s family is on one.”
My mama and GG never played about family, taking the chicken out of the freezer before they got home, or mac ’n cheese. They loved me and got me right when I needed it, always keeping my best interest at heart. It’s wild that Emma grew up in such a toxic-ass environment. There’s no question why she keeps her guard up, though it’s a motherfucker to take down.
“John talks about his daughter all the time,” Zo says. “It surprised me to see their family dynamic.”
“He needs to come correct with her. Emma doesn’t deserve that.”
“Look at you, taking up for your lady.” The grin in his tone is loud as hell.
“Don’t start,” I huff.
“Whatever you say,carnal. You’ve been quiet about leaving.”
Trying not to think about it.
“Don’t you have taxpayer money to waste?”
“There’s something between you and Emma whether you take your head out your ass to see it or not. Life is too short to not go for it.”
Zo ends the call, leaving me in an empty conference room with a lot on my mind. It’s instinct at this point to defend Emma when it should be just about sex. I wanted to comfort her Friday after witnessing the uncensored version of her mama’s mouth. Fucking with the electricity by hacking into the city grid was the only response outside of knocking Carter’s ass out for not standing up for a woman he claims to care about. I went to the pier to calm my ass down with a hot dog and figure out why I cared to intervene.
I’m not a praying man but tossed up a request for a sign—and then came Emma on the other end of the pier. She wore the same look of confusion I did, but we met each other in the middle of the boardwalk and let the night take us.
Em sayingLet’s go homefelt natural. Right. We fucked on every surface and corner of the house we share. The sex was phenomenal but tethered us to the connection that’s veering us away from friends with benefits. We’re sinking into a foundation neither of us wanted in the beginning, and we’re putting up less of a fight as the days stretch across the calendar.
I only have a few weeks left in LA and never had any intention of leaving in a relationship. Yet, when the time comes, I’m not sure how I’ll say goodbye.
“Why do they eat yogurt in front of the Met?” Emma screws up her face through a bite of popcorn.
I shrug. “It’s what Blair and The Minions do.”
“The who?” She passes me the popcorn bowl.
“Minions.” I point to Blair’s homegirls.
“Oh.” Em nods like she won’t ask me fifty more questions.
