Page 20 of The Prodigy

I wanted to ask what that was about, but I didn’t wanna get snapped on. It wasn’t my business, marriage license or not.

Back in the car, Jakari cranked up, but then we just sat there. He stared at the dash, barely blinking.

“Are you okay?” I finally said.

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

He sighed. “How this shit is gonna play out. The story we’re gonna tell to make this make sense.”

“Can we talk about it over lunch? I’m starving.”

He looked at me sideways. “You ain’t eat this morning? I know my mama cooked.”

“I was too nervous to eat.”

“Why were you nervous about a fake wedding?”

“It’s not fake to me,” I said. “I mean, itis, but it’s still…I’m still married to you. Legally. And for some strange reason I can’t figure out, it feels like something.”

He stared into my eyes. It was intense, like he was trying to get a glimpse of my soul. I stared back, but I could only stand it for a couple of seconds before I had to look away. I only brought my eyes back to his face when he spoke again.

“Alright,” he said. “Where you wanna go?”

We ended up at River’s Run, a cool little seafood place near the mall. The last time I ate there was prom, which I attended with three of my girl friends.

Once we were seated—outside overlooking the Oconee River—Jakari immediately picked up his phone.

“Can we set a rule?” I said quietly.

“What?”

“No phones at the table.”

He slowly lowered his phone, smirking at me as he took in what I said.

“You making rules now? That marriage license got you feeling yourself, huh?”

He was teasing, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. “No. I don’t know,” I answered. “I guess I’m trying to make the best of this whole thing.”

The smirk fell from his face. “You know what? I can’t be mad at that. You probably never pictured yourself getting married in a courthouse. To a stranger.”

Who shot someone, I thought to myself.

I didn’t respond to what he said. Instead, I leaned in close and took a risk, whispering, “What thing is Joe looking into for you?”

His eyes narrowed. “It don’t concern you, Malika.”

“We’re married now.”

He shook his head. “On paper. Don’t ever forget that. Now, since we got the papers, you can go back to your job if you want. Chill with your friends.Girlfriends,” he emphasized. “Long as you keep to the story.”

I decided not to push the issue, especially now that I was apparently getting some of my freedom back.

“What’s the story?” I said.

“We got married secretly because…shit, I don’t know.” He rubbed his beard. “Maybe…your pops didn’t approve.”

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