Where you at all the time?
Asia’s text glowed from the screen of Tiffany’s phone.
Tiffany swallowed hard. Asia could sniff out deception at a hundred yards, let alone when it emanated from the phone in her hand. Working. Duh.
And she waited.
Tiffany had come back to her apartment to do laundry before her first lesson scheduled for noon. The washing machine and dryer sloshed and hummed while she watched the phone, waiting for Asia’s response.
Kk, Asia typed back.
Tiffany wilted with relief. She hadn’t wanted to explain.
That makes no sense, appeared on her phone’s screen, but the words were in a bubble from her other cousin Imani. Asia’s right. You haven’t been anywhere since last Saturday supper. Wya?
“Shit.” Her phone wrote the word as she said it, and she backspaced quickly while her mind spun. “May is still the beginning of the golf season. Every amateur thinks their golf game is more important than anything else. Plus, the NFA golf team booked me solid. They’re all as rusty as Troy’s car in high school.” She sent it.
Her washing machine beeped while she stared at the blinking cursor.
Asia finally texted, Aright.
Imani texted, You aren’t dating that Jericho guy on the down-low, are you?
No, Tiffany typed back quickly. She’d better not let them think she’d hesitated.
He’s still staying at the Newcastle Inn and Spa, Asia wrote. He must be doing something physical. He eats a ton for breakfast.
Tiffany couldn’t respond to that at all. They would know. Yeah, he still around the club. I think he’s listening to me about the improvements that they’re going to make.
So you’re spending a lot of time with him? Imani asked. You spending a lot of time on your back? And a bunch of emojis of eggplants and peaches.
You’re so crass, and ew, no. He’s just a business guy. He bought the club. He’s my boss. I would never, Tiffany lied.
Imani wrote, He sure is applying for a lot of building permits. Seems like every day there’s more paperwork coming from his office. Imani worked for the City of Newcastle in the construction permitting department.
Yeah, but he’s not changing the club that much. It’s just some upgrades. He’s not going to mess with the status of NGC, Tiffany insisted. They couldn’t hear her insisting through the texts, but she was.
If you say so, Imani wrote back.
Asia typed, Sounds like you know a lot about his plans.
Tiffany’s thumbs flew over her phone screen, swipe-texting as fast as she could. It’s where I work. Everyone at the club is talking about his plans. The employees have a new hobby of dissecting every word that comes out of Parr’s mouth because everybody’s worried they’re going to lose their job. I know everything he says because everyone knows everything he says.
Imani texted a nodding icon, and Tiffany could hear her sarcasm all the way through the phone. If you say so.
I say so, Tiffany texted back. There’s nothing going on between me and my boss. I don’t want to get fired.
That was closer to the truth than Tiffany wanted to admit.
June was only a few weeks away.
It was both too soon and too late to tell anyone anything.