Page 75 of Give Me a Shot

Mo:

Then I wish you a good night, m’lady Roberts.

Laughing emojis appeared.

Jess:

Good night m’lord Fezzik.

He sent a winking emoji back.

—

He felt better, but there was still a lingering doubt about how things had gone. Jess had already said that she was doing something she’d wanted to do for a long time. She knew her own mind, he wasn’t going to ask again just because he was having difficulty processing. But he also knew that he would still be looking up at the ceiling ruminating in an hour or two if he didn’t talk out his concerns with someone else.

—

“What’s wrong?” Khalil said immediately after answering the phone.

“Why?” asked Mo.

“It is well past your bedtime. The last time you called this late, Grandpa was dying. Before that, you were at the ER with Mads for appendicitis. So who is it? I’m ready.”

Mo rolled his eyes. But Khalil wasn’t wrong about it being late.

“I’m sorry—”

“Oh God, it’s Mom. It’s Mom, isn’t it? What happened? Was it an accident? She always drives too—”

“Khalil, shut up,” Mo snapped. “No one is dying. I’m calling because I’m confused about something.”

The line was silent for a few moments.

“You are calling this late because you’reconfused? You. Callingme.’Cause you’re confused?” Khalil asked.

Mo suppressed a growl of frustration.

“Fine,” he said. “Confused probably isn’t the right word. Unsure is better.”

“What the hell?” Khalil asked. “Mister Big Brother, alwayscertain he’s right in any circumstance is un…Wait a minute. It’s about Jess, isn’t it?”

Mo’s skin flashed hot. He ran his nails through his beard.

“Yes.”

“What happened?” Khalil asked.

Mo was stuck. He didn’t want to say the precise words of what had happened, but he needed to share at least a general idea so Khalil could actually help.

“Let’s just say,” he grumbled, “that things have accelerated, but I’m concerned about the circumstances before it happened.”

“Before it happened?” Khalil asked. “Oh!It?”

Mo sighed.

“Yes, it happened.”

“I told you she was into you! This is awesome, Big Brother. Good on you.”

---