Chapter 7 Javonte
“Aye! That looks nice on you,” I tell my sister as I get out of the car to pick her up.
She wanted to go to The Sapphire today, so I sent her a few dresses to choose from so she could blend in with the atmosphere.
“I do, don’t I?” she says, doing a twirl.
I chuckle. “Yes, you look really nice. And you’re lucky I’m connected and got to pull some strings, because getting a table at The Sapphire is damn near impossible.”
“Look at you, Tim Possible, making it happen.”
She tries to head toward the driver’s side of my car.
“No. Get in the passenger seat. You’re not driving today. It’s too busy, and I don’t feel like holding on for dear life on the way to eat.”
“You’re gonna do me like that?”
“Yes, I am,” I tell her, bumping her as she walks by me to the passenger side.
She stands there and looks at me. “You’re not gonna open my door?”
“Girl, this ain’t no date. Open your own damn door.”
“That’s why you’re single,” she says, pointing at me as she opens the door and gets in.
I let out a breath. That was rude as hell.
In the car, she messes with the radio and takes over my phone to play her nonsense music. I’m not old, but I don’t want to listen to whatever girl rapper she’s got yelling in my ear right now. I’ve come to enjoy a little peace in my mid-twenties.
This teenager lifestyle exhausts me. Just looking at her sometimes exhausts me, because she be doing too much.
I hand my keys to the valet, and I still don’t open her door because I’ve done enough today for this girl.
We’re greeted immediately by the hostess, who recognizes me and takes us straight back to our table. There are a good number of eyes on us as we walk through the restaurant.
I know she doesn’t want the private room. She likes a little attention on her, so I didn’t ask Drummond to get us special seating. I just needed a table, so I could feed this girl and be a good brother.
We sit down, and she looks around the restaurant. “This is nice.”
I chuckle. “Yes, it is. Very nice. Very upscale.”
“So that means it’s very expensive, doesn’t it?” she asks, bopping her shoulders.
“Expensive doesn’t always mean good.”
“I bet it does here,” she says, opening the menu. “They got a sampler plate? I want to taste everything.”
“You can order whatever you want. Anything you don’t eat, we can take it home for you and your mom.”
“Really?” she says, eyebrows raised like I don’t say yes to everything she wants anytime she asks me.
“Yeah, really. You think I’m gonna put a limit on you now? It’s food. You hungry. It’s a new experience. You want to taste everything, go at it. Do you.”
That earns me one of her bright, real smiles, and my big brother heart beats a little faster.
Look at me, doing something right.
We order a few appetizers, and once she decides on the three meals she’s getting, she sets her menu down and levels her eyes at me.
“Are you still stalking Lily?”
I roll my eyes. “You on this again?”
“Only if you are.”
“I’m not stalking her in the first place. Let’s get that straight. I went to another event, but all I did was help her set up and break down her tables and chairs. I did the heavy lifting. That’s it.”
“Why?” she asks, looking genuinely surprised.
“Because I noticed how much she does all by herself. Do you know she works a full-time job and does Lit with Lily?”
“No, I didn’t. Damn, that’s a lot. She be doing events every day?”
“I know. And every day she gets off work, she has to drive somewhere, unload her van, and then reload it at the end of the night. It’s a lot. So I just did it for her.”
“You didn’t ask her out or anything?”
I shake my head. “No. I haven’t earned that.”
“You gotta earn time around her?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“So do you like her and want her back, or are you just bored and lonely?”
Damn. I thought we were having a nice conversation.
“Ouch,” I say.
She shrugs. “I’m just trying to figure out your angle.”
“I don’t have an angle.”
“Then why do you have to work so hard? What did you do wrong?”
There are a lot of ways I could describe this. I could tell my sister that I dismissed her, that I didn’t fight for her, but instead, I tell her the truth.
“I didn’t show up.” It stings to say out loud. I know better.
“So what are you doing now?” She raises her eyebrows at me.
“I don’t know,” I tell her. “I’m trying to show up now. But honestly, I don’t know.”
She points her fork at me. “You better figure it out before someone else.”
We leave The Sapphire with four to-go boxes filled to the brim with food that Zea’s eyes wanted and her stomach couldn’t handle.
I have a meeting with Drummond, the team owner, after I drop her off.
She hops out of my car, then leans back in and gives me a kiss on the cheek before closing the door. “Thanks, brother!” she says, racing up the driveway and into the house.
I really did that.
I did a big brother thing for my little sister. I made one of her little wishes come true.
My heart feels good as I drive to the Vipers’ main office downtown.
Drummond’s still mentoring me, even after two years. I appreciate it, though. He’s helped me in more ways than I ever imagined, so I’m going to make it to every meeting we have.
“How’s the off-season treating you?” he asks after we greet each other.
“Not so bad. I’ve been hanging out with my little sister. I just took her to The Sapphire. Thank you for getting us a table.”
“No problem, man. Dru is good about having one table saved just in case. How is your sister doing? What’s it like being a big brother all of a sudden?”
“She’s cool, man. She’s sixteen, she’s sassy, and she’s super smart. Like, I feel like I could learn from her. Maybe she can learn from me.”
“That’s how it is with girls,” he says, shaking his head. “Science says they mature faster than us.”
“She’s sixteen, though, man. That’s ridiculous.”
“I don’t make up science. I just read it.”
“Anything else you got going on?”
I shake my head. “No, nothing that matters.”
I’m not about to spill my guts to him. If it’s not about basketball, we don’t need to talk about it.
“Porsche tells me you’ve been putting some pressure on Lily lately.”
“Putting pressure on her?” I ask.
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m getting old. Applying pressure. That’s what y’all say now, right?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Something like that.”
“So you’re going back down that road, huh?”
“Yeah,” I admit.
“Porsche doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”
I nod. “That’s fair.”
She’s good at reading bullshit.
“So what’s new now?” he asks.
“I’m showing up.”
“Just don’t do it too much in the wrong place and let it cost you where it counts.”
I nod. I get what he’s saying.I don’t know exactly what I’m doing just yet. But I’m not going to do it the same way as before.