I cleared my throat and tried to look in every direction but hers. As soon as my eyes landed on the petite waitress that was just a few feet away, I motioned for her to come over.
“Hello, I’m Diane,” she said, smiling and tossing her freshly twisted locs over her shoulder. “What can I get the two of you started with?”
“I’ll take an iced tea,” I said.
“Sweetened or unsweetened?”
“Unsweetened.”
“Gotcha,” she said before looking over at Tokyo who was staring a hole into my forehead. I could tell by the way she cut her eyes that she wasn’t feeling my attempt to change the subject. “And what can I get for you?”
“I’ll take your raspberry margarita.”
“Okay. Would you like a kicker with that?”
“Seeing as my brother is probably about to say some shit to piss me off, yes, I would love one. Let me have the Patron please.”
“No problem. Any appetizers?”
“No thank you,” Tokyo quickly intervened.
Damn. So much for easing into things.
Stuffing her little notepad into the front pocket of her apron, the waitress said, “Alright, sounds good. I’ll have those drinks right out to you.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
As soon as she walked off, I turned my attention to Tokyo and asked her about work, but she stopped me immediately. “Law, answer the damn question about Mama. Did you talk to her or not?”
Sighing, I leaned back in my seat and folded my arms over my chest. “Yeah, I talked to her.”
“Hmph, let me guess, it didn’t go well?”
“No, it didn't, and I wish I could tell you that eventually, she was going to change her mind, but that's not going to happen. Mama's mind is set. She doesn't want to have anything to do with the wedding.”
“Damn it, Law. I just don’t get it. I know Reggie isn’t perfect, but he’s the man that I love. That should count for something.”
“I hate to tell you this, but you’re asking us to accept something that doesn’t feel right. That man can’t be trusted, and we all feel like that’s going to become obvious as hell once you marry him.”
“I don’t agree. Yeah, things are shaky between us from time to time, but I think marriage will actually make that better.”
“How?” I asked, confused by her logic.
“Once he knows that I’m one hundred percent committed to him, he won’t have any reason to feel like he needs to be jealous or—”
“I know you don’t really believe that.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Come on now, Tokyo. You know damn well it shouldn’t be like that. What the hell am I missing? Why are you okay with accepting bullshit from this man?”
“Why are you so determined to believe that he’s not a good man? Or that people can’t change?”
“I’m not saying that people can’t change. I know they can, but that’s not the case with Reggie. He is who he is. I’ve seen men like him enough to know that he’s showing who he is, but he’s just giving you that shit in doses. Once the two of you are married, he’s going to give your ass the full bottle and I’m going to have to kill him. I don’t want to have to do that.”
“Oh my God, Law. Don’t talk like that.”
“What? I’m just speaking the truth.”
