Page 132 of Shâhzâdeh

Asha looked at her with a scholarly look on her face, and I wanted to laugh. She had classic Eritrean features her curly hair pinned low in a bun at the base of her neck. “Have you ever been clinically diagnosed? I have a friend—”

Nev rolled her eyes at her friend, and I wondered what the story was behind that. “You are not letting that weird ass professor of yours near any of us. It’s bad enough that you have to hang around with her. I refuse for you to think she’s going to come anywhere near any of this. Hell, I don’t think she should be invited to your wedding.”

“Oh, about that, we need to get started planning.” Jada pointed at Asha like she was about to indite her for a crime.

“Planning what?” Asha’s genuine confusion would’ve been laughable if it wasn’t for Jada being crazy. Asha’s indifference wasn’t about to mess with Jada’s perfectionist tendencies with these parties.

“Your wedding.” The smiling face but vacant eyes look was back on Jada’s face and I heard Smoke whisper Sweets in a way that seemed to snap her back to reality.

He really is the Jada-whisperer.Which is scary cause that means he’s worse than she is.

“There is no rush for that.” My eyes widened watching Jada’s head tilt at the easy way Asha brushed her off. Asha didn’t realize she was playing with crazy, or maybe she was even worse than Jada was. I’m the only normal woman in this entire group.

“Well, I figured you would want it to happen before you had to get back to teaching. I mean my schedule is free but I can’t imagine venues in DC not filling up fast. Especially with short notice.”

“It doesn’t have to happen soon. The promise to do it is there, that’s enough.” Asha looked around as though we were going to nod our agreement with her and none of us could. She was there when her friend got married at a chapel in Vegas, and I’d been engaged less than two months. The craziest marriage was definitely Jada’s sister Jerica. How you get kidnapped by a man, taken to a foreign country and end up married and pregnant within two weeks?

“My sweet summer child. You’ll learn soon enough.” Jada crossed her hands at the wrist with a knowing smile on her face.

I leaned over to whisper to Asha to give her a heads up. “She’s going to have your entire day planned within the week if you don’t say something so…”

“Ori doesn’t care enough about any of this to rush anything. Besides, he’s got a big case.” Asha must’ve realized that Jada didn’t care about her input and she needed to figure out how to keep her at bay.

“Yeah, but he can’t step fully into his family’s business and away from the government until he’s got a wife. As bad as he wants to be done with them people now that the inmates run the asylum…”

Asha’s mouth gaped open and I think she realized at the same time we did that she was in a corner. “Well, fuck.”

“Exactly. So what are your favorite colors? And are you Tigrinya or Tigre?” Jada pulled out her phone like she was gonna take notes. The bridesmaids chose this dress because of the old Hollywood silhouette and the pockets.

“I’m Tigrinya but how did—”

I leaned over but didn’t bother to whisper. Asha was taller than me by several inches so I spoke loudly enough for her to hear me. “She has already started looking into this I can guarantee you.”

Asha looked around at all of us before she seemed resolved to just allow Jada in. Albeit even more begrudgingly than I had. “I’ll give you my number—”

“Already have it. I was just waiting for Pippi’s day to be done before I pestered you. Now, you’re on the clock. Now if y’all will excuse me, I have to show Smoke that lil cubby I was talking about earlier.”

I couldn’t help but tease her since she’d practically kept everyone spinning. “Time for your Smoke break?”

Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands like she was so proud of me. “See, Pippi! You’re learning. I’m not so bad. Tell your friend.” Smoke wrapped his arm around her either oblivious or used to her chaos.

“She really isn’t that bad.” I wasn’t saying that to Asha as lip service, it was the truth.

Her eyes widened like I was now a part of the madness. “You’re really sticking up for her with those antics?”

“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? This is a family, one of us…many of us might be crazy but we stick together.”

“Pippi, that is so sweet! I never thought the day would come. Almost makes me want to stick around, but I can’t.” She bounced her brows suggestively and Smoke just leaned over and sniffed her like he couldn’t wait to find this cubby.

“Thank you. Everything is perfect.”

“I’m so glad you’re happy.” Jada bounced on her toes with the excitement of a child and now I was worried.

“That’s… an unexpected response.”

Her eyes narrowed at me like she was being suspicious. “Why do you sound so anxious?”

“Because you’re acting completely normal and I’m not used to that.”

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