Minka #2
“Mmhm. And I know Jen and Corey were fooling around. They were shameless.”
“Never thought the day would come where I’d admit this out loud, but I guess the Malones have more class than the rest of them. And that’s kinda ridiculous, considering we have Felix and Cato to contend with.”
“Don’t count your chickens,” he chuckles. “I know Aubree was having her fun, too.” He yanks the curtain closed and focuses on me again, snorting at what I know is disbelief shining in my eyes. “She was quiet… ish. But the bus is too small to hide that nonsense, and Tim is too Malone to say no.”
“Ew.” I finger-comb my hair, drawing the long strands up and bundling them at the top of my head, then I peel the elastic from my wrist and fasten the ponytail in place. “Aubree? My Aubree?”
“Tim’s Aubree,” he counters, waiting for me to finish my hair, then he takes my hand and leads me toward the front of the bus. “You wanna play a little basketball? Get sweaty with the Checkmate giants?”
“Not particularly.”
“Could probably keep Cato on your team. He’d win and slap your ass to celebrate.”
“Definitely solidifying my decision to say no.”
“Spoilsport.” He smacks the latch release and waits for the door to move out of the way, then he moves down the steps and onto the dirt, but he keeps hold of my hand and helps me down. “Are you still super sad about the Soph thing?”
And just like that, my pleasant mood flitters away, replaced with a scowl.
“Like, on a scale of one- a single, stray tear rolling onto your cheek -and ten- torrential tears and pure heartache because of her betrayal -where are you at?”
“I’m not sad about what she did,” I huff. “I’m intolerant. She wasted our time, screwed over the trust I thought we had, and made others worry for no reason. Felix is stressed the hell out, and?—”
“Yeah, bitch!” We come to the front of the bus and stop as Felix’s whoop echoes through the air. He viciously slams the basketball to Kane’s belly and waves his hand in the guy’s face.
And Kane… glowers.
“You’re playing against a kid. A fucking child! And you can’t win.”
“I don’t think Felix is stressed anymore,” Archer teases.
I firm my jaw and rotate my head to look up into his eyes.
“I’m just saying,” he laughs. But he pretends to scratch his face, using the action to cover his smiling lips.
“Christabelle looks comfortable.” He gestures toward the woman lounging on a camp chair, one leg slung over the arm while she nurses an icy bottle of water on her lap.
“Tim is relaxed. Even Micah is chill.” He points to the middle Malone brother…
still in his black pants. Unlike Felix, he wears his shirt.
But it’s unbuttoned, at least, the crisp white fabric flapping in the gentle breeze.
“If Micah’s chill, then everyone is chill. ”
“Oh my gosh, she’s adorable!” Jess ignores her husband and his plight on the temporary basketball court. Instead, she hovers at Fletch’s side, slamming her hands to his shoulder and dragging him down so she can get a look at the phone. “Hi, Mia! My name is Jess. You’re so cute!”
Archer brings his eyes to me. “Fletch is happy, too. And Mia.”
“Everyone except me, then.” I brush him off and start toward Fletch, since he’s near the tub of water bottles anyway. I sweep up a bottle and crack the lid while I walk, then I come around to Fletch’s other side and find Mia bouncing on the screen.
“It’s Aunty Minka!” Her smile spreads across her face, her hair already brushed into cute pigtails, and her clothes are crisp and matching. Fifi is already doing a better job than Fletch. “Hi Aunty Minka! Hello!”
“Hi, Sweetpea. You’re up kinda early, huh? And already dressed.”
“I woke up a little bit early,” she giggles. “Fifi said I could share the bed wif her last night, so when I woke up this morning and remembered she was there, I got excited and accidentally bumped her awake.”
“Aw shucks,” I snicker. “Poor Fifi. Is she mad at you for waking her up?”
“No! She’s making scramby eggs for breakfast, then we’re going for a drive.” She gasps, loud and dramatic. “Oh my gosh, Daddy! I forgot to tell you!”
“Tell me what?” He elbows Jess back, slapping her hand when she attempts to take the phone. “What did you forget to tell me?”
“I went in a limousine!”
“What?!”
“It’s true!” She sprints through the apartment, shuffling the phone until we’re treated to a view of her legs and a pair of denim shorts with little daisies sewn along the hem. “Fifi!” She skids into the kitchen. “Fifi! Tell Daddy how we went in the limousine! He doesn’t even believe me.”
Struck with horror and caught unaware, Fifi merely stares into the phone, then back at Mia. “You go talk to your dad, pretty girl. You can tell him the story.”
“But you tell it better!” she whines. “Tell him how we wore a pretty dress and went to dinner at the pretty restaurant. And we rode in a limousine and didn’t even have to open our own doors.”
“Sounds like you just told us the story,” Fletch chuckles. “You went fancy last night, huh? Daddy’s out of town for a matter of hours , and you already have a bustling social life? Sheesh.”
“It was a date, Daddy! Me and Fifi went on a date.”
“A girl date.” Fifi snatches the phone and brings it up until we’re met with Mia’s opposite.
Messy ponytail, a slouchy shirt, and though we’re accustomed to seeing Fifi with her professional face on, she looks at us now with nothing more than clear skin and tired eyes.
“Not a Fifi date,” she explains. “Like, I didn’t drag her along because I had another thing I had to go to. ”
“I would hope not.” Fletch slides his tongue along his lips, grinning when Fifi’s eyes drop to the movement. “So, you had a girls’ night out and did it up fancy?”
“We had a banquet for the mayor, actually. It was an event I’d previously committed to, and though I called Justin to let him know I could no longer make it, considering this trip you had to go on, he assured me the event was child-friendly.
I wasn’t obligated to go, and my job was not in jeopardy if I didn’t.
But if we wanted an evening of delicious food and completely appropriate entertainment, he would send the car.
” She stops and frowns, nervously nibbling on her bottom lip.
“That’s okay, right? I wasn’t working and ignoring her or anything.
I took her because I genuinely thought she would like it. ”
“I liked it, Daddy!” Mia jumps, the top of her head appearing in the bottom left corner of the screen. “Fifi told me I could choose. Stay home and watch a movie and eat snacks, or get dressed up and go out.” She jumps again. “It was my choice, Daddy.”
“It’s okay,” he murmurs. So gentle, so calming. “I trust you to take care of her. Which means if you decided on dinner and cigars afterwards, then that’s what you picked.”
“No cigars.” She rolls her eyes. “Just vodka.” Flashing a smile, she passes the phone back to Mia. “Your dad is working today, Moo. So he might have to hang up soon. Why don’t you take the phone to the couch and talk while I make breakfast?”
“Okay.” She fumbles the device, spinning it once, twice, three times until she’s right side up and cutting half her face off. But she gives us the perfect view of her honeycomb eyes. “Did you do any work yet, Daddy? Did you arrest anybody?”
He snorts. “Probably gonna have to arrest Aunty Minka before the weekend is over, Moo. She’s been extra cranky and mean to everybody.”
“That’s not true.” I steal the phone and stalk toward the closest camp chair, away from the others.
Sitting, I place my water in the cup holder, then I lean forward and rest my elbows on my legs, and because she calms me, I study the little girl I had no clue would become such an integral part of my life.
Jesus, I never considered a life where I might someday have kids. But I can’t imagine an existence where I’m not an aunty to this one.
“You know Aunty Minka, don’t you, Moo? I’m fair and focused and always doing things for a good reason. So if I’m extra cranky or mean, it’s because somebody deserved to have their butt beat.”
“Hey, Mayet?”
I look up just in time to not get hit in the face by a flying Snickers bar. Soph continues walking, waving as she goes. “Eat a Snickers. They usually make me happy.”
I grab the bar and prepare to toss it at her back, pissed that after everything, she’d still have the audacity to go into my cubby without my permission.
But this bar is not melted. It’s cold and hard, and dammit, it’s not the same one.
“Aunty Minka?” Mia taps the screen. “Hello, Aunty Minka? Did the phone get freezed?”
“No.” I shake my head, frowning and furrowing my brows. Then I bring my eyes down again. “I’m not frozen. Did you have a fun time at the dinner thing? Did you kick that scoundrel mayor like I told you to?”
“Minka Mayet!” Fifi growls. “Can you not?”
“I was gonna,” Mia whisper-giggles. “I even pulled my dress up a tiny bit, so it didn’t tangle on my knees. But Fifi wagged her finger and said I wasn’t allowed.”
“Boo Fifi.” I show her a thumbs down. “What a party pooper! You have every right to express your feelings however you please, Miss Mia. And the fact that your feelings are negative when he’s in the room is no one’s fault but his own.
He’s a scoundrel. Don’t let anyone ever tell you expressing emotion is wrong. ”
“Jesus.” Archer crouches beside my chair and takes the phone. “Pot, meet kettle.” But then he smiles, rearranging his expression for the little girl. “Hey there, Moo Moo. You look cute as hell today.”
“Thank you. I got to sleep in Daddy’s bed last night wif Fifi. It was the best.”
I look over my shoulder and smirk. “She slept in your bed last night, Fletch. So sad you couldn’t be there, too.”
He drops his hands into his pockets and tilts his head back to look up at the sky.
Frustration 101.
Fletch did not get laid last night.
“We’re going to the office today, Uncle Arch. Fifi said she’s gotta talk to that scoundrel for a second. Then we’re gonna go to the markets and buy all sorts of yummy fruits and vegetables. I’m five now, so Fifi said I could have my own money and pick some stuff myself.”
Five. And going to the markets.
I swing back around, residual panic lancing through my blood and zapping the tips of my fingers. But Archer slides his free hand to the back of my neck. Without speaking the words that hurt me, he knows. And already, he comforts.
“Sounds like you’re gonna have an awesome day.” He massages the back of my neck. “Maybe you could make a fruit salad when you get home later.”
“Yep! That’s what I said. Fifi doesn’t like meat. I told you that already, huh? She doesn’t like eating animals.”
He nods, animated and serious. “I knew that. Luckily, fruit salad doesn’t need meat.”
“Exactly!”
“Can I talk to my daughter now?” Fletch leans over the back of my chair and snatches the phone. Then, he moves back to where he began, elbowing Jess aside and groaning when Jen approaches, too. “Go away! Leave me alone.”
“Do you forgive me yet, Mayet?” Sophia turns her back to the basketball game and cocks her hip, squinting one eye closed because of the crappy position of the sun. “Please.”
“Did you wake up a better person? Someone who doesn’t use people, lie, manipulate, or generally just annoy by existing?”
She flattens her lips, staring and silent.
“No? Cool.” I push to my feet and toss the candy, pleased when it lands at her feet and dust wafts up to tickle her toes. “Maybe in our next lifetime, then. I’m going for a shower.”
“We’re going for a swim.” Corey sprints past us and scoops Jen into his arms, flipping her onto his shoulder until her scream reverberates a mile in every direction. “There’s a reason we parked here. No need to waste what nature gave us. Let’s go.”