Page 26 of Lily In The Valley
“Shit.” Xavier exhaled through his nose. “Nervous as hell.”
“No shit.” I laughed. “You about to have a wife and a baby. I know you was applying pressure to get Nessa back, but I ain’t expect y’all to lock it down that fast. You look calm, though.”
“I stay calm because Nessa’s already doing the hard part. What I feel? That’s mine to manage. She deserves peace.”
“That’s your duty as the man.”
“That’s my duty because I love her.” He let that sit in the air just long enough for it to take hold in my mind. “You thinking about settling down? Always asking me. You must be thinking about it?”
I didn’t flinch. “Not tomorrow. But soon… With Kelly.”
“She know that?”
“She do but she don’t, if you know what I mean.”
Xavier smoothed a hand over his head, laughing. “No, I don’t know what that means.”
I looked down at my hands. “See, with Kelly, she’s always ten steps ahead of her own feelings. You can’t say too much too soon, otherwise she’ll run. Retreat inside of herself.”
Xavier gave me a thoughtful nod, mentally checking off boxes. “You been in love with that girl since been.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know it then, but now…” I said. “I’d build a whole life with her if she let me.”
“Let Nessa tell it. It’s been the same on her end, too. Especially after you popped that cherry,” Xavier teased.
“Shut the fuck up, Zay,” I said, slapping him across the back of the head. “Besides, I know she love me. Kelly’s just scared of what she can’t control. I’m not going to rush her, but I’m not trying to lose her either.”
“Well, decide what you going to do. She’ll be leaving for Seattle in a few months.”
Fucking Seattle.
Just then, the men we’d been waiting on walked through the room. Mr. Taylor had a look of exasperation on his face as Kenneth went on about something he found uninteresting.
“Zay. Khalil. Sorry we’re late,” Mr. Taylor said, patting Xavier on the shoulder and shaking his hand. “I had to wait on the old man over here.”
Kenneth grimaced in his direction. “I know you not calling me old man.”
“I’m not the one who went to the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack.” Mr. Taylor laughed. “Kenny, you’re a doctor. You should know better.”
“What I know is it got my wife back under our roof.” Kenneth smirked, walking over to the conference table. He plopped downin a chair at the head of the table, leaning back like his name was on the marquee outside. “Let’s get started.”
Rolling my eyes, I launched into the pitch. I handled the community engagement, local partnerships, and event timelines. Xavier revisited the design efficiency, budget, and return on investment.
Kenneth cut in with questions that were already presented in previous meetings. “What’s your plan to account for the lines I’m sure to have for the vaccines? My clinic can–”
“I’ve already contacted your clinic,” I said, cutting him off. “We’ve finalized the logistics for vaccines distribution last month. It’s covered in the meeting notes from last week. The ones you had me email to your secretary yesterday.”
He nodded half-heartedly, dejected that he hadn’t caught me slipping. I wouldn’t give him that luxury.
When we wrapped, Mr. Taylor clapped his hands together. “Well done. We’ll take this back to the board, but its got my vote.”
Kenneth stood, flipping through the papers on the table. “I’m not convinced. I’m all for the community centers, but what happens when the money dries up? I can’t be shelling out all this money all the time.”
Xavier cut in, knowing Kenneth’s digs were a sore spot for me. “The centers are funded through the upcoming fiscal year. We’ve already drafted the grant proposals for next year.”
“Which we also talked about at the last meeting,” I said through clenched teeth.
Kenneth looked at me, half a smile turning up the corners of his lips. “And if you can’t talk someone into funding for next year, then what?”
