He grinned slightly, and I could see the look of determination flash in his brown eyes. “We’ve got sun—”
“Yes, and it seems permanently set on hell. Besides that, the bugs here have no chill. You all have decent food but it’s nothing like being so close to multiple cultural meccas. And it’s a little too conservative in this state. I made the mistake of heading outside of the city once and there were Confederate flags all up the mountain heading to theBiltmore House. I was worried that I might not make it. I didn’t feel safe again until I got to Asheville and even then some folks were kinda shifty. No, thank you.”
I’d made the mistake of wanting to explore more than I usually did for the areas that I traveled to. I normally stayed in the specific area or went to the city centers but the idea of visiting the mountains had taken me out of my norm and I’d just about scared myself into a panic attack.
“It’s just in your face some places down here but I understand. I think you’d be an asset to the team so if you ever feel like relocating...” He tried to act like the statement was open-ended but I knew he truly wanted me to make that move. As cool as he was, I was going to disappoint him on this one.
“I appreciate it. Right now I like the freedom. I’m not taking another assignment until after Labor Day. I couldn’t do that if I were here full time.”
Dr. Davis nodded his head the deep waves swimming as he did. “You’re right, you couldn’t. So what are your grand plans for this break you’re taking?” Dr. Davis’ question seemed innocuous but I could almost feel myself cringe. I thought I’d hidden the flinch that his words caused but by the way his brows dipped he caught it.
“Time with my family.”
My tone must’ve belied how terrifying that entire thought was for me because his brows rose with concern.
“Your family? That bad?” Dr. Davis looked as though he was going to come and fight all my battles for me. I knew he didn’t want me like that, but he seemed to be the type who was just naturally protective. Which I wasn’t used to and frankly didn’t know how to take.
I didn’t bother to hide my normal reaction. In the circles we were involved in, I was supposed to keep things inside the house but I didn’t need to. “Oh, if you only knew the half.”
“Damn. I’m happy to not know that kind of shit firsthand, and I’m sorry you do.”
“You only play the hand you’re dealt, right?” His look was gentle but I could tell he had sympathy for the situation I was willingly walking into.
“They holding you hostage or are you signing up for this torture?” He seemed to be thinking really hard about my situation, which was unnecessary and unwanted.
“Truthfully, I’m a willing lamb to the slaughter and I still haven’t figured out why yet. Hopefully, the information will come to me one day, but for right now I just go like the obedient daughter.” I shrugged my shoulders because I was just as confused about why I tortured myself as he was. The only issue was I knew I wasn’t going to stop. At least not yet.
Dr. Davis smiled broadly before he picked up his tablet and stood up. He was fairly tall, well over six feet and reminded me of Ricky Whittle. “If you need a reason to stay away from them just let me know. We’d be more than happy to have your contract extended. I could always have an assassin take them out for you. I wouldn’t even charge you.”
I giggled at his threat because he said it so deadpan I almost believed he wasn’t joking. He never smiled, not even a hint that he was joking and I had to give it to him, he had a hell of a pokerface. “That’s a good one but I think it would be frowned upon to wipe out my entire maternal bloodline over bullying. Or the paternal one for simple neglect.”
“Oh, they’re that type.” He glanced at me before he nodded. “I knew there was something about you. You don’t just have the non-rhotic mixed with bonac accent. I know because white folks are colonizing Ebonics, people are sounding more like us. But one thing I’ve noticed is that your English almost fights against that.”
“Which means what exactly? So I have an accent, everyone does. I can’t understand what my accent says about me.” I knew this man was smart and now even how I spoke was giving away who I was.
“It says a lot. Think about the people who speak with a Cockney accent in England. You get the initial impression that they’re poor just because of what they sound like. Same thing with someone who speaks with un upper RP accent. All crisp words and perfect Queen’s English.” His face gave nothing away and I wasn’t sure if he was making fun of me or if he was being negative. I wasn’t going to assume he’d turned into an asshole overnight so I simply joked back.
“You know that lady's dead, right?”
His face screamed fuck that bitch and the clique she claimed loudly. “Ain’t nobody acknowledging her punk ass son or that bitch he married with the liver spots and teeth trying to break dance over one another.”
My jaw dropped at how blunt his words were. And the visual of the current royals he painted with his words was insanely accurate. “Well, shit tell us how you really feel.”
“I’m just saying. Princess Diana was about the only white lady I could be like, ‘okay she’s pretty’, cause be real: England ain’t loaded up with beautiful women. Call it familial loyalty since I have a cousin that’s half Scottish. His father is no kin ofmine but he’s a good man. If he says don’t fuck with the Brits, I gotta trust him.” He shrugged as if that was just how things went and I was completely turned around by this entire conversation.
I scratched the back of my head confused, because this isn’t what we originally started talking about. “How did we get here?”
Dr. Davis grinned and pointed at me and I could see a woman waiting to speak to him frown out of my peripheral. This man paid her no attention but she acted like I was trying to steal her man.
He pointed the tablet pen at me and grinned. “Accents. Specifically yours. Yours screams that you’ve got money. And not new money like most people because of what you’re doing for work. Your shit is generational and it was probably drilled into your head to always speak like you’re educated, either to flaunt it to others or to separate you from the regular niggas.”
“Are you a linguist? Some type of magician?”
“Nah, just a simple man who has been trained his whole life to pay attention to details. I know you can’t deny I’m right because even though your jewelry is simple and tasteful, it’s expensive. You can’t help but reach for quality no matter what you purchase because it’s been drilled into you your entire life.” He nodded to the small ruby solitaire necklace and diamond earrings I always wore. Rubies were my favorite stone and the studs were just out of habit since I’d gotten them for my eighteenth birthday. Since most people wore studs that were diamond knock-offs I didn’t have an issue wearing them because no one paid attention to them. No one except for Dr. Davis it seemed.
“You’re not wrong.”
He grinned as though he almost expected me to deny it. “Thank you for your confirmation. Now, tell me where you’re from.”
