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“To see my mother.”
He reared his head and pursed his lips while expressing confusion as well. “Okay… Where?”
I studied his eyes, fearing a probable decline. “South Carolina.”
“Word?” I nodded. “That’s where she lives?”
Shaking my head, I explained, “That’s where her family is from. My mother lives in Brazil. She’s been there forever. When I see her, it’s when she comes to visit her family. I fly down, endure her bullshit for two to three days then, with a battered heart and mind, chuck the deuces until the next time. Wash and repeat.”
“And you want me to come?”
“I want you to be my buffer.”
“You take your man to that?”
“Austin?” I nodded. “He’s met her twice, but it wasn’t about anything serious. I’ve taken my best friends with me lots. I just don’t prefer going alone.”
“Why? What she gonna do?”
“Pick at me. You’d share her focus of me. Having someone with me makes her energy…indirect? If that makes sense. It lessens the blow similar to when she’s over four thousand miles away. I can tune her out better.”
“So, you need a shield?”
“But not for the combat you may think. I need a distraction.”
Softly studying each inch of my face now, he pledged, “I’ll be any type of shield you need me to be. Ain’t nothing.”
That pronouncement struck a chord in my heart because I believed him. Protection had been a big deal to Jas and, for some reason, that care had extended to me. Finally, I was prepared to accept it.
“Thanks.”
“Nah. No worries. I just need advance notice to travel.”
My mouth fell open. “Oh!Right. Well, my mother will be in the States for Memorial Day, but speaking of which, yourbirthday—”
“Annnnnnh!” he groaned, bringing his palm to his face, exposing globular muscles of his arm. “Not this again.”
“Yes. This.” My head bounced up and down dramatically. “You never responded to the text I sent you and Chelsea about the resorts Shizu found in The Virgin Islands and St. Vincent.”
“Because Chelsea did.”
“But the text wasn’t sent to only Chelsea.”
“It’s whatever y’all wanna do, Ashira.”
“No. It’s your birthday.” I stabbed his chest with my index fingernail.
“Yeah, but it’s causing hysteria over there in Harlem, man. Got like thirty people wanting to go. That means most of the thirty people hustlin’ up the money by any means possible. Some of thirty people scrambling, tryna borrow the money. And a smaller portion of that thirty, scheming to get days off for a trip happening in less than a week. Bigger than that, it means countless heads knowing about my whereabouts. That ain’t cool where I come from. We move in silence.”
Jas was being extra with these extraneous concerns. “You know what I think it is? You’re not used to being celebrated. Look how they all want to be down to celebrate you. I see how your family acts around you. They respect you to the point of intimidation. Even Tanya who, for some reason, don’t care for me, curves her tongue around me because I’m friends with you.”
Jas exhaled, tossing his wrist in the air. “Tanya ain’t pressin’ on shit. She know better.”
“I know. That’s what I’m saying!”See!“Being celebrated is a new culture for you. Being my friend, you’ll get the first-class experience!” Then a thought occurred. “Oh! If they need help with the accommodations, just pick a reasonable number of them and I canhelp—”
“I ‘on’t need you to help my family with money, Witherspoon.” His nostrils were wide and behind his eyes, something shut down.
Suddenly, the mood was cold.
