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¨You don’t think Simon has a hidden agenda?¨
¨Oh…anyone can. You do! I do. Revisit why I’m here in London.¨ She giggles.
¨So, what do you think Simon’s is?¨
¨If he wants me, he won’t have me. I know I’m with you, and so does he. Two adults of opposite genders can meet for tea and discuss potential business. Fascinating opportunities for my students. Actually…how about this? If he does have a hidden agenda, I hope it is to date me than scam me. I really want the best for my artists back home.¨
¨I see.¨
¨I am here to help you build. Damn it. You are supposed to be doing the same. If anything, we should be celebrating or excited about…well! What happened with Panther Duke?¨
I don’t think I can keep it from her any longer. I do know that we will be discussing Simon again. In some way, how I know this guy or where I’ve seen him will come to me.
¨Thank you! Thank you for stating the obvious and reminding me why we are here together. I got Panther Duke’s Haitian Goddess collection coming to my museum this August.¨
¨I knew it. Fucking knew it.¨
She beams, and seeing her happy for me is comforting. She always did that. Like the way she treats her students at the studio. She’s an empathic, compassionate, abundant light. A strong gift of hers that makes it hard to believe she’s a Costa. It’s as if she was placed in that family to keep it from crumbling. Even amongst evil, you can find a spot of goodness.
I sip at my tea.
“It’s looking really good these days.¨
I then pull out the lump in my back pocket, her new phone. I slide it to her.
¨Oh, this is one of those new releases.¨ She smiles at the new iPhone.
¨Just gotta put your sim card in it and erase your brothers from it. It’s a new number.¨
¨I apologize a lot on behalf of my family. You know, I really wish I could get inside their brains and make them different. ¨ She shakes her head.
¨You shouldn’t have to feel that way.¨ I console.
Her eyes grow dim, ¨I know. I need to train myself not to.¨
¨No, they need to stop. I was thinking on my way here...¨ I stop myself.
She glances up, trying to read my face.
¨What?¨
I can’t reveal certain things to her. This mock relationship is trying to convince me to share with her more than I need.
¨Nothing. It’s nothing.¨
¨Well, listen…I said I only want to be near you when our schedules call for it.¨ She adjusts her shoulders, switching into serious mode after mentioning not too long ago that we should be celebrating if anything.
¨Okay.¨
I should take this moment to be grateful I don’t have to further cover up my thoughts of tracking her brothers to make sure they’re not up to bullshit. Although, I can only think they are trying to scare Micola. Micola isn’t a loud mouthpiece, shunning her family because of their evil. She chooses the high road and removes herself from them; she, like me, doesn’t like talking about them. What would Micola working next to me for a couple months do to the Costa family name when hardly anyone knows me as a Matani in this art world.
¨And…I was here first, so it might be best if you finish your tea and get lost.¨ Micola laughs.
¨You like telling me what to do, huh?¨
Shit, a flashback to how I used to place my thumb on that space between the top and bottom of her crescent moon birthmark passes my mind. I didn’t have the chance to see it this morning. We did itthismorning.
¨Listen, Alex. I want you to know in your heart of all hearts and mind of all minds that there willnot be a repeatof early this morning ever again. Okay? We scratched the itch, and we can move on.¨
