Chewing over her bottom lip, she checks the time before sliding her chin into her palms. Jahlani has never been into people-watching but she can’t seem to draw her attention away from Roman as he moves around. She thinks that it will be different, after all, she was fairly tipsy last night, but the familiar tug enters her body as she looks at him.
He’s still charming.
Still confident.
Still perfectly patient.
A juxtaposition to her. She isn’t sure how much time has passed when she watches him disappear behind a set of double doors, returning several minutes later with a plate of fries and a burger. He sets it down in front of her before sliding into the opposite side, their knees brushing in the process.
“You waited,” he says, smiling. “Thank you.”
She nods, jutting her chin out. “I did. Are the fries my reward?”
She sits up straighter when her stomach involuntarily groans, trying to stifle the sound.
He laughs, pushing the plate closer to her. “The burger is for you. The fries are mine.”
She hesitates, blinking at him as he pulls out ketchup, salt, and mayonnaise packets, squeezing them onto the side of the plate before popping one in his mouth. She watches as he chews and leans back against the booth.
“Thank you,” she murmurs before clearing her throat. They eat in silence for several minutes, and the whole interaction is so fuckingordinary,it terrifies her.
Because it’s nice.
It’s something that she could get used to.
And that’s dangerous.
Clearing her throat, she sits up, wiping her hands on the napkins he grabbed. “What did you want to talk about?”
He sips from his drink, wiping the back of his hand against his mouth.
“Where’s the fire, Jones?”
She looks away because there’s literally nowhere she has to be. There’s no one checking for her. But the notion is too embarrassing and sad to air out, so she shrugs as nonchalantly as possible, not meeting his eyes.
“I just have some things I need to take care of. And I’m sure you need to get back to your daughter,” she says, resting her elbows on the table. He wipes his hands with a napkin before sitting upright.
“My sister’s with her. I have time. Plus, I don’t like the idea of you thinking I’m playing with you. I meant what I said when I asked for your help, and I’m sorry I made you feel otherwise. That was never my intention.”
Her shoulders slump, and she looks down at her finger, picking at a hangnail.
“I’m sorry too,” she says, looking back at him across the table. She concentrates on the space between his eyebrows, unable and unwilling to meet his eyes as she speaks. “Earlier that day, actually, a few minutes before you came in, my dad … he called,” she says in a small voice. “We don’t have a great relationship … and yeah, I guess he upset me a lot more than I realized. And you were there,” she says, letting out a short laugh. “It sounds so childish when I say it out loud. ‘He upset me.’ Jesus, I need to grow up.”
She reaches for the glass of water, taking several sips, her face heating. Setting it down, she wipes the corner of her mouth, shifting in the booth. He’s staring at her again and the hairs on her arms raise.
“It’s not childish, Jahlani. Parents can be a lot. Have you spoken to him about it?”
Jahlani gives him a fixed stare. “Talking requires the recipient to listen. That’s not a thing in Caribbean households. It’s their way or the highway. I took the highway already and now I’m back, so I have to lie in the bed I’ve made.”
Roman opens his mouth, but Jahlani shakes her head. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore, okay?”
He raises his hands. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”
Jahlani crosses her feet together under the table, causing their legs to touch even more, resting her chin in her hands.
“Tell me about your daughter. Tell me about your Lucy.”
CHAPTER 17
