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The silence goes on for so long that it becomes awkward.
Yet I cannot seem to hang up the phone.
“Is that it?”
“Yes.” I release a quick breath.
Later.
I will tell Dejonae how I feel about her when the time is right.
CHAPTER11
HEAD-BANGING IDEAS
DEJONAE
The reporter waitingfor me in the cafeteria is slim and pretty with tan skin, big brown eyes and a red-lipped smile. Her skirt and jacket are a bright yellow and the blouse underneath is black.
She looks like a fashionable bumblebee.
“Are you Dejonae Williams?” Her eyes widen when I draw closer. She blinks a couple times as if I might be a ghost.
“Yes, that’s me.” I extend my hand.
She takes it and laughs in shock. “I expected you to be older.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” I let my laughter ring.
“I’m Beverly Thompkins, reporter for the Financial State Magazine.”
“Dejonae Williams. I’m one of the instructors here at The Sazuki Foundation.”
She plucks a little notebook out of her purse and gives me a mischievous grin. “Oh, I heard you were much more than that.”
My heart smacks against my ribs. “You, uh… what?”
Did she hear about Sazuki walking me to class? Or that I went bowling with him and his daughter? Or that I think about him all the time to the point that it’s slowly becoming an obsession?
“Aren’t you higher in rank than all the other instructors? I was told you work closely with Sazuki.”
“Oh. Right.” I belt out a nervous laugh.
She chuckles along, but her sharp eyes are studying me closely. “What did you think I meant?”
“Exactly that,” I point to her. “Exactly.”
With a prim grin, she takes something else out of her purse. It’s a recording device. “Do you mind if I record us?”
“As long as you don’t mind if I do the same.” I set my phone on the desk next to her recorder. On the screen, there’s a running clock and a glowing red button.
Her eyes glint with amusement. “You’ve done this before?”
“My sister is a model. One of the first things she learned about giving interviews is the importance of having your own evidence.”
Beverly laughs. “Is your sister someone I would recognize by name?”
“Not yet. She’s still building her empire for now.” I put my arm on the back of the neighboring chair. “Before we begin, would you like to order something to drink?”
