Page 21 of It Runs in the Family

I didn’t answer, because we all knew the answer. Sure, my cousins had contributed, but their contributions hadn’t been reliable.

When I was sixteen, my mother had decided to skip town with her latest boyfriend, and she’d left me behind, not that I would have gone with her. We’d lived in a dump, but an affordable one, so I got two jobs while I went to school and made enough money to pay the cheap rent and the electricity bill. Garrett had been living with a group of guys in Dallas while he attended community college, but he’d offered to come back. I’d refused. Still, I knew he was probably responsible for the bags of groceries that had showed up at my back step from time to time.

My senior year, the landlord had finally figured out my mother wasn’t around and threatened to kick me out, but Tiffany, who’d been nineteen and eager to escape her own mother, had moved in. Since she was a full-fledged adult, he’d let me stay for another two years, which was funny since she’d moved out and in with her boyfriend about a month later.

The promise of college had made me think all my struggling would ultimately be worth it.

But then something had happened to Selena. She changed, and she wouldn’t explain why, but she did agree to move in with me after graduation.

I’d deferred my first year at A&M, hoping I could help her, especially that first year. In the back of my head, I’d thought maybe I could convince her to apply too, but that had been a pipe dream. By the time I figured that out and gave up, my big opportunity had passed me by. Unlike my cousins, I didn’t have a fallback. I didn’t have a parent who’d line me up with a job or a place to stay. I only had me.

Despite having plenty of aunts and uncles and God-knew-how-many cousins, I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself, and sometimes my grandmother and Garrett.

The waitress showed up with the drinks. Before she finished passing them out, I’d already downed my shot. On impulse, I grabbed Mary Ellen’s and downed hers too before I bit into my lime.

“Whoa!” Ava protested, grabbing the waitress’s arm as she turned to leave. “We’re gonna need two more shots to replace those.”

She nodded and walked away as my cousins stared at me like I’d grown two heads.

“What’s goin’ on, Iris?” Mary Ellen asked, her smile gone.

“Sorry, I’ll pay for your next drink.”

“I don’t give a shit about the drink, and for once, I’m glad they water down the tequila here,” she said, worry in her eyes. “What happened?”

There was no way I was telling them about my vision, so I gave them my next biggest problem. “I just got fired.”

“From the Stop-n-Go?” Ava asked in disbelief. “What the fuck for?”

I told them about what Mannie had done to get me fired.

A fire filled Mary Ellen’s eyes. “We’re gonna hunt this fucker down and burn him to the ground.”

While I appreciated the show of family loyalty, I wasn’t positive she was speaking metaphorically. “We’re not starting any fires.”

She pushed out a frustrated sigh. “You really aren’t any fun.” Then, realizing what she’d said, her eyes went wide. “No offense.”

“None taken.” I took a sip of my beer, grateful the slight buzz from the two shots was edging in. They were right, the tequila was watered down. “I just want to have fun tonight. I can figure out what to do with the rest of my life tomorrow.”

“Woohoo!” Ava shouted, punching her hand into the air. “Now you’re talkin’!”

Mary Ellen still looked concerned. “You’ll find something better, Iris. You were too smart for that place anyway. Hell, you’re too smart for this whole damn town.”

“Thanks, Mary Ellen.”

She picked up her beer, and her smile returned. “Now let’s get drunk and laid, not necessarily in that order!” She took a long gulp of her beer, then lowered the bottle onto the table with a clunk. “First, you need to practice flirting.”

“Hold on,” I said, holding my hand up to slow her down. “I’m not getting laid. I’m not into one-night stands.” Then, realizing who I was talking to, I hastily added, “No offense and no shame meant. I just need to get to know a guy a little before I get anything out of sleeping with him.”

Ava held up two fingers in a peace sign. “Respect.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod. “But I do plan on getting very, very drunk, and maybe flirting.” I tilted my head toward them. “I know how to flirt. I just usually chose not to.”

“Oh, we know you don’t,” Mary Ellen said. “But tonight, you need to get your flirt on.”

“We insist,” Ava chimed in.

The waitress returned with drinks and Ava held onto my shot until she and Mary Ellen had theirs. Then she passed it over as she lifted her drink in front of her.