“You think she’s giving him her tax money, and that’s why he’s with her?” the woman speculated loudly.
They both snickered.
Lamar’s hand remained on me as we approached my car. It wasn’t lost on me that he wasn’t saying anything. He was hearing the exact same thing I was hearing.
We stopped at my car, and I looked up at him and immediately looked away, mortified.
How do I explain that I’m a social pariah in this town?
Lamar leaned down, and for a split second, I thought he was going to kiss me. I froze, unsure of what to do.
“Let me get this for you,” he said as he reached for the handle and opened my door.
“Oh.”Embarrassing.“Thank you.”
I took a step and then glanced back at him before getting in.
His eyes darted from my body to my face.
“It has been an unexpected pleasure meeting you,” I admitted softly.
“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”
He took a step back as I started the engine. He closed my door, and I rolled down my window.
“I’m going to hit you up with the plans tomorrow,” he stated, pulling out his phone. His fingers flew across the screen. “But text me when you get home.”
My phone vibrated with his text.
“I will—”
“Was her ass that fat in school?” the man asked at the same time I was speaking. “I might’ve risked the backlash for—”
“Yo, you good?” Lamar asked, turning toward the man and woman diagonal from us.
My eyes widened. The bass in Lamar’s voice and the way he shifted gears had caught me by surprise.
“I ain’t mean no disrespect,” the man stated, lifting his hands in surrender. “Me and Jummy go way back.”
Lamar took a few steps toward them. “I don’t know a Jummy, but I do know if you talk about her”—he pointed at me—“ass again, I’m going to put my size-fifteen foot in yours.”
I didn’t immediately react because I was shocked and mesmerized.
And turned the fuck on.
“You ready to risk it all for that tax-refund money, huh?” the man clowned, making the woman laugh. With each step Lamar took, he stepped back. “I’m playing! I’m playing! I’m playing!”
“Hey, it’s not worth it,” I called out. When he kept walking in their direction, I raised my voice. “Lamar! Please.”
He stopped walking, but he continued staring their way. “The fuck is wrong with y’all?”
“We’re just playing. She knows we’re just playing,” the woman said with a drunken laugh. “It’s just a little harmless fun.” She looked at me. “Jum—Jazmyn, we’re just playing.”
He stared them down for what felt like a solid minute.
“Keep her name out your mouth,” Lamar warned, before coming back to my window. “I’m sorry about that.”
“No, I…” I reached for his hand, and when I had it, I squeezed. “Thank you.”
