Page 36 of The Prez

I can’t help smiling at his use of the nickname. I knew it would grow on him.

Me: No. He’s fine. See?

I snap a picture of Little Raf lying on the couch, looking out of the window. He’s adorable with his little overalls on. Like a little baby farmer.

Raf: What’s up?

I’m not sure what I expected when I sent the pic of the baby. Not a smiley face since Big Raf isn’t the smiley face type. I don’t know, maybe I was looking for some acknowledgement that he saw it.

Oh well. I can’t do anything about it while he’s away … doing whatever it is he does all day.

Me: Are you mad at me?

My phone rings in my hand and I jump, making Little Raf jump. He whines and cries, his clenched fist shaking in the air. “Shit, I’m sorry,” I murmur to him, picking him up and patting him on the back. “I didn’t mean to scare you, big man. You forgive me?”

“I thought you said he was okay,” a tinny voice says and I fight not to jump again. I didn’t realize I answered the call.

Putting the phone to my ear, I walk around the living room as I bounce a sniffling Little Raf. “He is. I just startled him, is all. He’s fine, I promise.”

Big Raf grunts. “What gave you the idea that I’m mad at you?”

I shrug, even though he can’t see me. “You stormed off last night, then you left this morning before we could talk.”

“I leave early every morning, Omari.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t deny storming off. You were mad at me last night.”

He sighs and I can imagine him running his fingers through his thick hair. “I wasn’t mad at you. Your question caught me off guard, is all.”

“I’m sorry,” I say in a rush. “I didn’t mean to pry. I won’t do it again, I promise. I don’t …” I sigh and sit back on the couch, set Little Raf on my knee and bounce him so he makes the little noise he likes. I smile at him as he giggles. “We had a great time last night.”

“We did,” Big Raf says, his voice dropping an octave and I laugh.

“Not like that, you perv.” I’m rewarded with a brief chuckle that sends a shiver running down my spine. “I mean before that. Me, you, and Little Raf. It was … comfortable. I don’t want that to go away because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut and not respect your boundaries.”

“Omari,” he says, his voice soft, “you didn’t push any boundaries. It’s all me. I’m not mad at you.”

A weight lifts off my shoulders and I smile, glad I didn’t ruin whatever it is we have going on. “Okay, I believe you. What are you doing?”

“In my office. I have some financial reports to go over.”

I don’t know what shocks me more: the fact that Big Raf has an office or he told me what he was doing. “I didn’t take you for the office type.”

He harrumphs. “I’m not. But I’m the president of Devil’s Mayhem and need to make sure we don’t go broke.”

“Why not get an accountant?”

Another brief chuckle. “Yeah, we can’t have one of those, precioso. We do too much shit that if it got in the wrong hands, we’d all be sent up the river with multiple life sentences. Besides, I don’t trust anyone enough.”

Definitely not touching that with a ten-foot pole. Plausible deniability only works if I don’t ask questions. “Will you come home early? You can feed Little Raf again. We’re having carrots tonight.”

There’s a stretch of silence that the baby fills with his laughing and cute babbling. Finally, Big Raf says, “Yeah. I’ll be home around seven. Set aside a plate for me?”

“Yeah, of course,” I say quickly, giddy that he’ll be back home so we can talk. “I’m making lasagna.”

“Sounds delicious. See you later, precioso.” He hangs up without another word and it’s a near thing I don’t kick my feet up and squeal.

I grab Little Raf’s chunky hand and wave it in the air, back and forth. “Your uncle likes me, your uncle likes me, your uncle likes me.” I’m not sure in what context, but I’lltake whatever. It’s a far cry from our first interaction, that’s for sure.

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