I swallow. I know every individual time I’ve blown him off or couldn’t meet him for sex is running through his head right now.
Questioning me.
“So you’re still seeing him?”
He’s mad.
“No.” I answer honestly. “I haven’t been seeing anyone in a long time.”
The ‘except you’ was quiet.
“But I thought it was him who you were spending nights with. It’s not?” Za asks.
Jabari sucks his teeth.
“No. It’s not him. And I don’t want to have this conversation right now.”
“Why not?” Jabari presses.
Is he baiting me right now?
“What do you care?” Za asks, probably thinking he’s just being nosey.
“I don’t,” he says flatly. “If she wants to sleep with middle-aged cunts named Benny, that’s on her.”
“Wow,” I snort. “So poetic, Jabari. Really. I almost sensed a bit of jealousy.”
I was trying to lighten the mood and get us to a playful place but Jabari’s not going for it.
“The day I’m jealous of a fucker in a quarter-zip is the day I kill myself,” he fires back giving quarter zips an unnecessary stray.
How does he even know Benny wears quarter zips??
“Besides,” he continues. “You’re probably embarrassed of him anyway.”
I turn fully toward him now. “And what makes you say that?”
He leans closer.
“The fact that you’re finding an excuse not to see him. Are you too pussy to end things officially?”
Me?!?!
“I ain’t too bloodclaat pussy about endinganything,” I say evenly. “If something doesn’t work for me or I’m no longer interested, Mi a let it go and move the fuck on.”
I hold his gaze, letting my eyes say what’s unspoken.
You should know.
He sees it.
I see him see it. And yet.
“Prove it,” he challenges.
He must not know me.
“Zaza. Remember when we were at Spoons and you said I got to choose the next spot we go to? I’m picking this one to go watch Frankie end it with this clown.”
