Why in the name of Nyati and her children did I agree to get a tuxedo for this madness that’s about to happen this weekend? I must be out of my mind to think— On second thought, let’s get this done before I change my mind.
I make it into the town square, heading toward the tuxedo shop. The store is part of a line of essential businesses—Oakwood Pub & Grille, Ogletree’s Drug Store, Feelin’ Saucy Pizza, among others—that make up the heart of downtown Oakwood Grove. I park in the diagonal spaces just off the street, getting out of Storm to get this out of the way as soon as possible.
I greet all the boys who are on the way out with their suit bags, channeling the energy I feel as I wait outside for a few moments to get inside. I’d gotten about halfway through the line when I hear a voice that pretty much has the potential to undo all the positive vibes I’ve gathered.
“Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any stranger, I had to run into you.” Ian’s hostile tone throws me off, and I struggle to understand what I did to tick him off this time. He’s been gone the whole week. “I figured you were too bougie to hang with the townies.”
“Bro, I swear, not today. I was having a great week. Let’s not spoil it with some nonsense, okay?”
“It looks to me like someone’s in a bit of a predicament. The last place I expected to see you showing your face would be at a shop renting a tuxedo,” Ian says. “I wonder if you’re just a glutton for punishment or something.”
I wonder sometimes whether Ian has a GPS tracker on me, so it’ll tell him to be in the same place at the same time so he can start some drama. If it’s not for the fact that I dropped a non-refundable deposit on the tux I need to be fitted for so I can look presentable at the anniversary ball, I would turn on my heels and find another location.
Who am I kidding? It’s Thursday night, and the ball is Saturday. I don’t have the luxury of switching up so late in the game. I’m gonna have to grin and bear it, no matter what he may throw in my direction.
The team has been back from the by-week minicamp since yesterday, but I can’t get around how he knew I would be here at this moment. A quick snap of my fingers triggers my memory; Kyle’s appointment is thirty minutes behind mine, which means most of the team may have scheduled theirs around the same time frame. If I can tolerate Ian for the next twenty minutes or so, backup will be here to help me deal.
I agreed to keep my distance as a promise to Mr. Channing, but I should’ve known better than to think that would have been an easy task to maintain. There are only three decent shops to rent tuxedos, and two of them were marginal, which left K. Tyler Ltd. as the go-to for the cutting-edge fashion. If anyone wants to be seen, Mr. Tyler is the man to help them be seen.
Oh well, I’ll just have to roll with it. “I’m not in the mood for your nonsense today, bro. Let’s just get these rental fittings over with and let it be at that, feel me?”
“Man, there’s no need to be all amped up, yo. I was simply pointing out that maybe you had more pressing matters that required your attention.” Ian spreads his arms out as the tailor continues to work through his measurements. “I mean, I know I wouldn’t want to act like nothing’s popping off soon.”
Gamba stirs awake, recognizing my spiking irritability. “We have got to move to a bigger town or something. Is there anywhere that this man does not turn up?”
I smirk at Gamba’s comment as I take a step onto the platform to be measured. “I’m gonna break this down for you real quick. Whatever drama that you’ve created, it ain’t gonna stick, all right?”
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, playa,” Ian responds. “Are you projecting your troubles or something? I mean, you look a bit disturbed right now.”
“You know exactly what the hell I’m talking about,” I remark. “Keep playing dumb. It suits you, for real. Did that take a few years to perfect, or did that come naturally to you?”
“Damn, you got all this energy, I see. They say a dog barks when they sense a threat, so what you barking for?” Ian chuckles. “What’s the matter? Do I make you nervous?”
Gamba growls from behind the door to my conscious mind. “Why did we agree not to drop this idiot where he stands? It’s like he knows we can’t lay a finger on him or something.”
“Times change, and your time is up, my boy.” I focus on the image in the mirror as the tailor makes sure the measurements are true to fit. “You’re about to find out what it’s like when you’re not on that pedestal you love so much.”
“I don’t know, bro. The way those charges sound, from what I’ve heard anyway, you might be looking at getting off that pedestal before you got a chance to get it warmed up.” Ian stifles more laughter. “You’re looking at real time, for real.”
“And I won’t see a day of it, trust.” I tilt my head toward the ceiling to give the tailor a chance to get the neck size correct. “Witnesses tend to be so damn unreliable.”
“Yeah, and so are defense attorneys.” Ian stares me down. “Don’t trust the wrong one, and I’m sure the right one will run you something serious. If you want, I can take that Jeep off your hands if you can’t afford the retainer.”
I wait for the tailors to head to the back as I glare at Ian. The moment they disappear into the warehouse part of the store, I grab Ian by the throat and slam him against the wall.
Ian can’t stop smiling. I know he’s baiting me, but I don’t care right now. “Woo, I think I hit a nerve.”
Gamba tries to rein me in, but every nerve he soothes is white hot to the touch. “Ya-Ya, I need you to settle down, okay? This isn’t going to help matters at all. Step away from the wannabe pro athlete and be smart about things.”
“What the hell is your problem, huh? You’ve been riding me since I got here, and I don’t remember doing anything to warrant the bullshit.” I’ve reached the point where all I want is to shut Ian up. “You got something against folks who ain’t from Oakwood? Is that it?”
“I’m not from here, either,” Ian corrects me. “Just like you, I’m from another country.”
I release my grip on Ian, taking a step back, regarding his facial features. “Wait a minute… How did you know I was from another country? And for that matter, you’re from what country, exactly? I know you’re not Kindaran. You’re not built for that life.”
“I’m not from your wannabe utopia, but you’ll be okay.” Ian frowns as he adjusts his shirt. “Not everyone wants to be a part of your island paradise, even if you keep wearing it like some badge of honor.”
“So where are you from, then?” I repeat. “No need to keep the cheap seats in suspense, playboy. Speak your piece. It can’t be that bad.”
Ian closes his fists, almost ready to throw a punch. “My family is from Bralba. There, you happy now?”
I freeze, unsure which emotion would rise to the surface first: anger or shock. He’s…from…where? “I stand corrected. It is that bad. All bad.”
“I don’t follow.” Ian turns to face me, stepping down from the platform to take a seat. “What does where I’m from have to do with anything?”
“Damn, bro, you really don’t know your country’s history when it comes to mine, do you? You can’t be that thick. I just found out, and I’m still trying to make sense of it.” I’m fighting every urge I have to throttle Ian within an inch of his life. “You and your pops need to have a serious conversation. I have a sneaky suspicion he’s got a lot of information that you need to be aware of.”
“Are you suggesting that my father is hiding something from me?” Ian gets defensive, his anger rising by the second. “You seem to know a lot more than me about whatever you’re spitting, so get it out. Tell me what you know.”
“It’s time to leave, now, kiddo,” Gamba implores me. He notices the amethyst-hued flames rising around us, which isn’t a good sign. “He’s trying to rile you up. We’re too emotional after the bomb he just dropped on us. Let’s go.”
“Ask your father about your country’s history. I’m not doing that labor for you. If I do, I’m liable to say something I won’t regret.” I step back a few feet, keeping a close eye on Ian’s movement within the store. “I think I’m gonna put some space between us. It’s best for everyone.”
“Nah, bro, we’re gonna finish this right now.” Ian grabs my arm, trying to hold me in place. “You’re not about to drop something like that about my father and leave. I was seven when we left, and I still don’t know why.”
Kyle and a few of his teammates happen to slip into the store and witness the scene unfolding. Kyle makes a beeline for me, which makes Ian loosen his grip enough for me to slip away. Taylor keeps Ian occupied. Kyle has to pick me off the ground to remove me from the store as we hear Ian ranting to Taylor about needing to finish our conversation.
I’m literally vibrating, I’m raging so much, as I work hard to move around Kyle. “I can’t even get a damn tuxedo without this fool coming in to gum up the works, bro.”
Kyle waits for me to calm myself a bit before he says anything. “I just got off the phone with my dad before TK and I got here. This is definitely not the definition of ‘stay as far away from Ian and crew as possible,’ bro.”
“So I’m the one who has to play keep away while he gets to trigger me at every possible corner? How the hell is that supposed to work?” I pose the question that I know has no logical answer. “We have things to do this weekend, and as much as I would love to be a hermit for my own sanity, I have a whole girlfriend that I can’t let down.”
“Believe me, I feel you, and I told Dad that, so we’re gonna have to find a workaround so our girls don’t kill us all.” Kyle chuckles at the thought. “We got you, my boy. Let’s get through this weekend, and then we can deal with the madness on Monday, cool?”
I’m already over it all, switching gears to the last thing Ian said to me before things went left. “I think I might have figured out why Ian has been so fixated on me for so long, but I don’t think he even knows why.”
“We can’t worry about that now. What’s more important is that TK and I and the rest of the boys get our measurements handled so the tuxedos can get back in time for the ball.” Kyle taps my fists before heading back in the shop. “For now, let’s focus on what’s in front of us and take care of them as they come up. I’ll hit you up after we’re done.”
I make it to Storm, shaking off the rising anger over Ian’s offer to “take it off my hands” before settling into the driver’s seat. I start the engine, closing my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts. “Gamba, we’re gonna be on high alert all weekend. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, kiddo, I did my best to keep the flames at bay. There’s a lot more to this thing with Ian than we thought, and we might have to keep an eye out for anything and everything.” He pauses for a moment to think on things. “We will have to dig deeper, figure out if there is a connection we’re not seeing, which means a conversation with both Kynani and the Kindaran Council.”
I agree, but unless it has anything to do with spending time with Zahra, I’m comfortable ignoring it. It can wait until after the weekend.
And speaking of spending time with Z, what we have to do later today isn’t what I had in mind, but it’s important.
We have some things to tell the rest of the clique, and I honestly don’t know how they’ll respond.