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I couldn’t believe that I was actually doing what I was doing.
“How does it feel to be forty?”
Jonovan was sitting beside me on my private jet. We were both sunk into the tan leather seats, sharing a bottle of Duhart-Milon red Bordeaux.
“Honestly, it doesn’t feel any different, other than realizing that my life is probably at least halfway over at this point.”
“That’s a dismal way to look at it. I have a few more months before I hit the hill, but I’m actually kind of excited about it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Maybe females embrace age differently than men. While it may seem like you are not what you used to be, I’m simply glad that I’m not a used to be. Make sense?”
I analyzed what he said. “Maybe I’m drunk but no, it doesn’t make sense to me.”
He leaned up in his seat. “I’m glad to still be alive. A black man in society, past or present, considers it a blessing to live forty years. They’re so many things working against us.”
“I agree with that to a degree, but I also see a lot of black men using that single fact as an excuse. Yes, racism is still alive and there are clear-cut and obvious disadvantages, but there are also a lot of advantages that did not exist before. A lot of people are still under the impression that more black men are in prison than in college, and that’s not accurate.”
“True enough, but there is definitely a disproportionate amount in prison, and in the graveyard.”
“Don’t get me wrong; we live in a very sick and depraved world. But even with what I’ve been through, I’d still like to believe that most people are good and simply trying to do what they can with their dash.”
“Their dash?”
“The time between the day they are born and the day they die; what’s reflected on their tombstones.”
“You’re a deep woman.”
Jonovan and I grinned at each other.
“Thanks for inviting me to share your birthday with you. I must admit that you took me by surprise.”
“I took myself by surprise!” I finished off my glass of wine. “It’s so out of character for me. I’m not sure what came over me.”
“Whatever it was, I hope the trend continues.”
I blushed. “I even left my assistant and bodyguards at home, so we could get to know each other better.”
Being alone with Jonovan had not been an easy thing to pull off. I’d had to pull another fast one. If I ever needed to find another career, I would’ve made one hell of a spy. I was a fantastic liar, and conniving and manipulation could’ve been my middle names. I’d convinced KAD that since we were going to Daddy’s private island off the coast of Norway, the armed guards there would be sufficient to protect me. They were there around the clock to protect the property itself. I told Daddy that KAD was going and was hoping he didn’t try to verify it. There was no reason for him to think I was lying, and the staff on the island had no reason to blow the whistle. I had learned that most people get caught doing things because they act guilty. They overthink every word that comes out of their mouths and overreact to the point where people get suspicious. Some people even overanalyze the fact that they overanalyze. It wasn’t that serious in my case. Worst-case scenario would have been reminding everyone that I was grown and needed my space.
“I still feel like we have crossed paths before.”
?
?Another time, another place. Maybe in a prior life, but it most certainly wasn’t in this one,” I lied. “Like I told you before, I’ve never met a stranger.”
“You keep referring to that, but you seem like a recluse.”
“Since you cover a lot of people in the entertainment field, that should be self-explanatory. Most creativity happens in solitary confinement and most celebrities can’t trust anybody.”
He chuckled. “You have a point.”
“It’s a fact. Some people amaze me. If they put as much effort into being a good person as they do pretending to be a good person, they’d actually be a good person.”
“Never thought of it that way, but you have yet another point.”
The pilot’s voice came over the cabin speakers: “Ms. Wicket, we are beginning our descent and should be landing within the next twenty minutes.”
