“I–” Indigo started.
“Some people don’t spend their entire adulthood chasing people they aren’t genuinely interested in or have no plans to properly pursue for marriage. How old are you, Indigo?”
“Thirty-two.”
“No wife? No children?”
“Nope.”
“Seems to me as all you’re doing is–excuse me, Ms. Janis,” I paused, “Fucking.”
Ishmael, Isaías, and Janis were unable to contain their sniggers.
“Luckily for me that coochie only a couple hundred. I can’t say the same for everybody.” He laughed, eyes trained on Ishmael.
My lips turned upward into a smile.
“Which lets me know that you aren’t ready for a woman of my caliber. Because you’d understand that the two point five million Ishmael paid for my services was a discounted rate. A friend of the family rate of sorts, you know. He has the rest of our lives to settle the rest of his debt. From my understanding, it is the best investment he’s made to date.”
Janis’ fingers snapped as she nodded. Isaías remained silent, eyes twice their size.
“I like her,” Janis blurted. “I like her a lot, son.”
“Me too,” Indigo admitted. “She ain’t afraid to rumble.”
“I don’t rumble, Indigo. And, you won’t need to head outside to figure out why. I will heat you up right where you’re seated. Concierge came with my Glock. Courtesy of my clip.”
“Royce,” Ishmael mumbled, squeezing my thigh. His sniggers didn’t go unnoticed.
“According to your aim, I don’t thin–”
“There’s nothing inaccurate about my aim. I’ve never missed a target I intended to hit. Exactly where I wanted to hit them.”
“Why was my son your latest target?”
I tilted my head and took in a deep breath. The truth was never hard to come by. It was always at the tip of my tongue, yet, I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. Ishmael was Janis’ son. And, if it were me, I’d have him walking in the opposite direction. We were different, though, in almost every aspect of our lives.
“Because, your son was warned. He put his penis in a place it didn’t belong. Should he find himself in questionable territory again, I won’t hesitate to remind him of his shortcomings.”
Gasps rounded the table.
“And, he was down in the polls. I’m certain his misfortune has put him ahead of Daniels. I am here to ensure Ishmael wins this election. Failure is not an option. He has to win. He’s going to win. I won’t rest until he does.”
Janis’ lips rolled between her teeth, forming a smile.
“I don’t think he will need another reminder. And, I look forward to seeing him make his post-election speech, declaring his victory over Daniels.”
“Me, too.”
Food and drinks flowed freely around the table. Though reserved, Isaías loosened the straps of his boots slightly. Indigo didn’t give him much of a choice. Janis reminded me so much of Roaman. Yet, just like Roulette, she was the ultimate host.
I learned about her past through stories she’d told a hundred times or more but the boys still loved to hear. There was hardly a whisper about Ishmael’s father. When his name was mentioned in a retelling, Janis quickly skated over the details and his involvement.
She was still anguished by his absence. She’d loved once and had been handed dead flowers as a consolation prize. Since then, she vowed to never give her heart to another man. There was no room. She saved everything she had for her boys.
I witnessed it in the way they looked at her. The way they waited on her. The way they quieted when she spoke. The way they made room for her.
“You good, my baby?”
