Page 178 of Invisible Bars
“So… you cook?” Imanio randomly asked.
I eyed him with a crooked brow. “I was raised by my grandma; of course I cook.”
“Yeah, but grandmas don’t usually BBQ. They do cornbread, greens, oxtails… not brisket and burgers. Then again, mine did both,” he said, proudly. “She grilled so good the neighbors used to ‘stop by’ with empty plates, talking bout they ‘just happened to be walking past.’”
I chuckled and nodded.
“Aight, so since we both really don’t celebrate the holiday, how about this—next weekend we throw something. Not for the Fourth, just for us,” he suggested.
“L-Like a cookout?”
“Yeah. Celebration of… existing. Us not killing each other by now.”
I grinned. “I like that. But it can’t be here. Y-your house is too quiet and clean.”
“Ourhouse,” he corrected, a sly expression tugging at his mouth. “And I wasn’t planning to have it here.”
“Oh?”
“I got another spot.”
I blinked. “You-You gotanotherhouse?”
“I actually have two other ones… just not for this life.”
I frowned, my eye giving a sharp squeeze as a jerk rippled down my arm.
“W-What does that even mean?”
Then, louder—sharper—like it tore its way out of me before I could cage it:
“Don’t say riddles, say words!”
The moment it escaped, I flinched—shoulders jolting—as if I could snatch it back midair.
“Neither is a bachelor pad… if that’s what you were thinking,” he said, once my tic passed. “One is a crib I use for work—photoshoots, interviews, business-type shit. The other one? That’s my escape. Nobody knows about it but Chi, Dess… and now you. I go there when I need to think… clear my head.”
I nodded slowly, letting that settle. But an idea had already started blooming in my mind—one that felt bigger than us.
“You know,” I began, glancing at him, “instead of a cookout… what if we m-made it something real? Like a full-on back-to-school block party?”
He looked over at me with interest but didn’t speak yet, so I kept going.
“I mean it. Something in the neighborhood you grew up in. The end of July g-gives us time to plan, lock in vendors, get permits—whatever we need. You’ve helped so many peoplebehind the scenes… but this would be public. P-People would see you ain’t some ghost. That you still remember where you came from.”
I paused for a second, a nervous flutter dancing in my fingers before I tucked my hands in my lap.
“And I think it’d be good for your i-image too… make them see who you really are.”
Imanio rubbed his chin, head slightly tilted in thought.
“Damn. That’s… actually dope. I’ll run it by my publicist first and see what she thinks. But yeah; you might be on to something.”
“You bring the people, I’ll bring the mac and cheese,” I said with a grin.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I’on know if I trust you with that much responsibility already.”
I gasped, half-laughing. “I’ll have you k-k-know I make the best mac and cheese,” I spoke confidently.
