Page 165 of Save Room for Us

“Okay, well the food is ready, so we can go eat.” Nori started for the kitchen, so we followed.

Anastazia made me something to eat before I came after I expressed that I could only recall Nori being a horrible ass cook. I shivered, thinking about the days my pops would tell me to stomach her cooking until she left the room and then we could trash it. Thank God she cooked very fucking rarely.

For the next hour or so, we sat and ate. I more so picked around my food. It was spaghetti, nothing crazy, but it wasn’t good nor was it horrible. It was edible, however. I just thanked God I ate before I came.

Blaire pretty much took over the conversation, which was cool. She was funny, cute, too, and seemed to enjoy her mother, but I wasn’t seeing the reciprocation. Nori, though she tried to hide it, seemed annoyed by her. It definitely brought back memories.

“Would you like a drink, Asif?” Brian questioned while Nori got dessert ready, and Blaire opted to help.

She was different from me when I was a kid, not giving a fuck that Nori wasn’t motherly because whereas Blaire ignored it and pressed on, I peeped it and would keep quiet or act withdrawn when Nori came into the room. Back then, I didn’t wanna say or do anything that would piss her off, so I steered clear of her assas much as I could. I hated when my pops would force her to spend time with a nigga.

“What you got?” I asked, standing from the table as Blaire collected the plates.

“Scotch?” he offered, and when I nodded, he waved me on. “Follow me.”

I did, taking in more of the home as we navigated through it, seeing family pictures on the wall, projecting an image they didn’t quite possess in person. In the photos, Nori appeared maternal, happy, but I could see none of that shit was true. She seemed frustrated with this family shit, and I couldn’t say I was surprised.

“What do you do?” I asked once we got into Brian’s makeshift office. It was a typical bedroom, but he’d turned it into a study… well, as much as he could.

“I’m a social worker, but I would like to start my own business.” He opened the decanter and began filling two glasses a quarter of the way.

“What kind?” I took the glass he’d handed over, watching him take a sip.

Naturally, I paid close attention to people—their movements and body language because the shit said a lot more than their fucking mouths did. I could tell from Brian’s current motions that he was gearing up to ask me some shit.

He clenched his teeth at the strong taste as he swallowed before sinking his idle hand into his pocket and answering. “I wanna start a life coach business.”

“Aight.” I nodded, looking around.

“A lot of people don’t take it seriously but it’s helped a lot of people get on the right track. Being in social work, I’ve seen it help all people from all walks of life.”

“I’m sure.” I swirled the amber colored liquor around, watching him pace and explain, reminiscent of a muthafuckatrying to get a business loan… which was exactly what he was doing, but I would play the game.

“Don’t you think it’s a good business?”

“Sounds like it.”

“Would you be willing to maybe invest? I could kick you back a percentage and maybe you can fast-track me a loan with the bank?”

“I don’t fast-track loans. But you can definitely apply, and a loan officer will help you from there.” I set the glass on his cheap desk.

I didn’t typically take drinks from people I didn’t know, food either. Only reason I ate the spaghetti was because I watched Nori plate the shit, and though she wasn’t a good mother figure, I couldn’t see her poisoning Blaire, at the least. Not to mention, I couldn’t rid myself of the feeling that she wanted some shit from me, and she couldn’t get it if a nigga was a corpse.

“Your stepfather can’t get a little help?”

“My what?” I frowned, and he seized up a little, showing he was frightened.

“It was a joke. I was kidding.”

“Don’t joke with me, nigga. You don’t know me well enough for that shit.”

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He held his hands up in mock surrender just as Nori entered.

“Upset him? What did you say?” she asked.

“He told me to apply for a loan regularly, and he couldn’t fast-track it, so I wanted to know why his stepfather couldn’t get any help,” Brian explained, and I watched Nori scold him with her eyes, letting me know she was in on this shit, and he had fucked it up with his stupid ass joke.

“Asif,” she came closer to me, “his comment was tasteless, but I think you should help him.”

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