by Nia Arthurs
“Look at Luke,” Nai Nai tapped Yeye’s shoulder, “he’s so proud of his young lady.”
At her words, Ashanti swung around and pinned her eyes on him.
Luke cleared his throat in an effort to redirect everyone’s attention. “Would anyone like some water?”
A few of his aunts raised their hands. Luke shuffled out of the room and slipped into the kitchen. He opened the cupboard to grab some glasses when he heard the click of heels pattering toward him.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this,” his mother said from behind him.
Luke spun and set the cups on the counter. “Are you, Mom? Because you didn’t look sorry earlier.”
“Don’t you understand how desperate I am?” she hissed. “I’ve tried everything I can think of to get through to you. Yeye agrees with the dangers of intermarrying. He’ll talk some sense into you.”
Luke doubted that, but he didn’t want to say so and further enrage his mother.
As far as he could tell, Yeye was every bit as smitten with Ashanti as Luke had been the first day that he’d met her.
Instead of picking a fight, Luke filled a glass and offered it to her.
She stared at it suspiciously. “What’s this?”
“Water, Mom.” He raised the cup, letting it hover in the air until she took it. At last, she accepted it and drank deeply. Luke watched her and sighed. “Don’t skip any more meals.”
She gazed at him with a slightly dazed expression.
Luke grabbed the tray and left his mother in the kitchen.
Chapter Eighteen
“And that’s when I told the peanut vendor—‘how much would you sell these for if I was allergic’?” Ashanti laughed. “The guy’s eyes got so big…” She couldn’t even finish because of the laughter that boomed in the room.
Yeye’s pale face was redder than her nail polish and his eyes had collapsed into themselves so they were barely slits.
Nai Nai, Luke’s grandmother, wiped away a tear. “You are too much. Did you really go to such lengths to get a discount?”
“The peanut guy was being stubborn! What was I supposed to do?”
Nai Nai coughed as she struggled to regain her composure. “I can barely believe it.”
“Don’t act like you’re so innocent,” Yeye said to his wife. He waggled an accusing finger. “You’ve done worse to save money.” He leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye. “This woman intentionally looks for clothes with broken zippers or discoloration and asks for a discount.”
“I don’t want second-hand clothes but I don’t want to pay exorbitant prices.”
“True that.” Ashanti nodded.
“But here’s the thing,” Yeye boomed, “we own a clothing store!”
“That has nothing to do with it,” his wife said in embarrassment.
A few of Luke’s aunts giggled.
Ashanti slapped her knee and held a hand to her throbbing ribs. “Oh, it hurts. I’m laughing too much.”
Nai Nai eyed her in awe. “I’ve never met such a frugal young lady before.”
“Frugal?” Luke said, arching an eyebrow. “I think you mean cheap.”
Ashanti shoved him in the side. “Since I’m so cheap, why don’t you buy your own groceries from now on. Huh?”
“Ash, don’t be like that.” Luke reached for her.
She swatted him away.
Their playfulness earned them an eyebrow raise from Luke’s mother who was sulking on the opposite side of the room, far from the cluster of Zhang family members who had been chatting with her for the past hour.
“How delightful,” Nai Nai said. “I had the impression you kids were all about spending money and looking good for social media.”
“Maybe, but I was never like that,” Ashanti explained. “My mother died in childbirth and so my grandmother and father raised me. Grandma Flora used to take me to the market every Saturday morning. She taught me to pick the freshest produce and haggle for the lowest price.”
“Your grandmother would be very proud if she saw you now,” Yeye said.
Ashanti felt his words to her soul. “Thank you for saying that.”
“Well,” Yeye used the arms of the chair to push himself up, “it’s getting late.”
“Wait!” Mrs. Zhang skated toward them. “That’s it?”
“What’s it?” Nai Nai asked, gathering her purse.
“We were going to talk to Luke about his choices lately.”
“Ah yes.” Yeye straightened and Ashanti’s heart pounded. After all that, were they still going to demand she stop dating Luke because she was black?
Somehow, it would hurt more if she was rejected now.
Yeye’s fierce expression softened into a smile. “How are things at the café, Luke? I hear you’ve almost fulfilled your uncle’s work contract.”
“Yes, sir.” Luke nodded and dove into a brief explanation of the café’s profits and his plans for future renovations.
Yeye nodded intently. Ashanti studied him, unable to help the river of affection that flowed through her heart. This was her first time officially meeting Luke’s grandfather though she had seen him around at their various graduations through the years.
He had always seemed so grumpy from afar. She’d harbored a secret fear of him, especially when she and Luke became close friends and he explained how much power Yeye yielded in the family.
In Ashanti’s eyes, he was a dictator and a cold one at that.
She’d been so wrong. After only a couple hours in his presence, Ashanti felt warm.
“Keep up the good work,” Yeye said, tapping Luke’s arm in approval.
The Zhangs moved toward the door again when Luke’s mother threw herself in front of it. Her chest heaved and her black eyes gleamed with righteous anger. “No, this isn’t right.”
“What? What isn’t right?” Nai Nai snapped.
Mrs. Zhang’s gaze darted around the room. “You all agreed with me earlier! Intermarrying is harmful to the bloodline. How would we hold our heads up if our friends heard about a marriage between our son and a Creole girl?”
“Our necks won’t collapse because of a marriage,” Yeye said.
Mrs. Zhang’s expression crumpled. “What?”
“You asked how we would hold up our heads. I’m assuring you our necks will function just fine no matter who Luke marries.”
“But—”
“Exactly what are your objections to their relationship?” Yeye swept his hand out toward them. “I’ve spent a small amount of time in their company and I can see that their love is real. Luke adores that young woman and Ashanti, in turn, cares for him deeply.”
Ashanti glanced at Luke, but he avoided her eyes and stared at his slippers.
Now that she knew Yeye a little better, she felt guilty for deceiving him.
The truth dangled on the tip of her tongue, but she forced herself to keep it locked up. Confessing to the ruse now would only hurt Yeye and Nai Nai and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Nai Nai placed a hand on Mrs. Zhang’s shoulder and spoke in a soft, but firm tone. “It’s time to stop terrorizing these children and let them live their own lives. There’s so much ugliness in the world. Let’s not add to it.”
“But…”
“Couldn’t have said it better,” Yeye said, nodding at his wife.
One by one, the Zhangs filed out of the room. Mrs. Zhang was carried away in the current and, when they were all gone, Luke closed the door.
The silence that descended felt out of place after the boisterous laughter and conversation that had filled the room only seconds before.
Ashanti collapsed into the couch and stared at the ceiling. A moment later, she felt the sofa jolt. Luke had joined her.
“Well…” she mumbled, “that was weird.”
“Which part? When Yeye got wrapped around your little finger? When my grandmother joined him? Or when my mother got totaled by them?”
“All of it?” She turned on her si
de and let her gaze run freely over his profile. Luke was so calm and quiet that he often faded into the background wherever he went, but he had never been invisible to her.
To be honest, Ashanti sometimes thought that Luke could be a prince. He had fine, delicate facial features and a long, lean body. With his hair brushed over his forehead, he looked like a royal in hiding.
“What?” Luke whispered.
“What what?”
He swiveled suddenly, his eyes piercing hers. “I can feel you staring. What’s running through that big head of yours?”
“My head’s not big.”
“It’s a miracle you even fit that thing through the door.”
Ashanti scooted toward him and punched him in the arm. “Shut up.”
Luke laughed. “You had fun tonight?”
“More than I expected. Your grandparents are so cute and charming. Why didn’t you tell me I didn’t have to be afraid of them?”
“I tried, but you always got stuck at the ‘patriarch of the family’ part and painted your own picture.”
Ashanti stared at the ceiling. The wooden fan spun, bouncing lightly as it moved. “Your grandmother invited me to go to the market with her.”
“That’s great.”
“No, Luke.” Ashanti sat up. “It’s not.”
He scrambled toward her. “Hey, what’s with that expression? Tonight was a major win. My parents won’t be able to say anything now that Yeye’s given his approval.”
“Exactly. That’s why… I think we should stop now.”
Luke froze. “Stop?”
“The plan was always to break the stereotypes about black people. We’ve accomplished that.”
“But…”
“And about that kiss,” Ashanti looked away, “I’d like it if you just forgot it happened.”
“Ashanti—”
“Luke, it’s embarrassing enough that I kissed you when I was drunk but the fact that I didn’t remember until days later makes it so much worse. I can’t imagine what you must have been through, how conflicted you must have felt.”
“It wasn’t so bad,” he said.
“Michelle is the one you want. Am I wrong about that?”
Luke remained silent. Ashanti felt like her heart was breaking. Which was strange because she should be celebrating. Her mission was a success. Luke was free to date Michelle or any other woman he wanted.
Then, why did this victory feel so hollow?
Luke squirmed and admitted, “Ashanti, the truth is… I kissed you back.”
His words echoed in her head. Ran around and around in circles. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?
Ashanti dug her fingers into the sofa cushions. No, she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t entertain that idea with Luke.
“So what?” she snapped, adding more heat to her voice than was necessary. “Do you want to date me?”
His eyes widened. “Date you?”
“You don’t, right? Well, I feel the same way.”
He shuffled uneasily. “Still, shouldn’t we—I don’t know—talk about this?”
“What’s there to talk about?” Ashanti sighed. “You’re more than just my friend, Luke. When I lost my grandmother, you stayed right by my side. You forced me to eat when I didn’t feel like it. You dragged me out of the house when I would have happily rotted away inside it. I don’t want to lose you over some stupid mistake we both made.”
Silence fell again.
Finally, Luke said—“Then… this is really it.”
“Yeah.” Ashanti rubbed the back of her neck. “It feels more awkward than I imagined.”
He bobbed his head.
“Uh, how are things going with Michelle?”
“Michelle?” Luke rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, it’s going great.”
“She’s ignoring all your messages, isn’t she?”
He jumped back. “How do you do that?”
“Your face is the easiest thing to read.”
He pawed at his jaw. “I’ve been trying to find a way to earn her trust back, but so far I’ve come up empty. She gave up on me the same night we ki—” He coughed. “I mean, the day we met up with James and the others. I should have run out of the car and followed her that night, but I didn’t.”
“Because of me,” Ashanti whispered.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“You took me home because I was drunk. It’s my fault so… I’ll help you get her back.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Ashanti pasted a smile on her face. “I want to.”
“Ash…”
She brushed his concern away. Unfortunately, Luke could see through her too, but it wouldn’t help either one of them if she broke down now. “Tell me something that’s meaningful to Michelle.”
He stared at her for a long moment and Ashanti wondered if he would insist she stay out of his love life. At last he straightened and said, “Her students are really important to her.”
“I’ve got it.” Ashanti snapped. “Why don’t you buy her entire class frozen coffee?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What?” She nudged him. “You won’t invest in love?”
“It’s not that. I don’t want to do anything big or public. Not my style.”
“Fine. Why don’t you personally deliver a cup to Michelle? While she’s at school? One with a heart on it?”
“I don’t know…”
“It’s simple, but romantic. If she knows you, she’ll get how extravagant that is for such a low-profile guy.”
“I’ll think about it,” Luke said.
She could sense that he was ready for her to leave and stood. “Well, thanks for having me over.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“Yeah.” Ashanti walked slowly toward the door.
“Hey, Ash?”
She spun. “Yeah?”
He stared into her eyes and said, “I hope…”
When he stopped there, Ashanti prodded. “You hope?”
“I hope you get home safe,” he finished lamely. “Goodnight.”
Ashanti nodded and left Luke standing in the middle of his living room, gazing after her.
Chapter Nineteen
Luke told himself Ashanti made the right choice when she wrote off the kiss as a mistake, but the truth was… his heart had wavered—first during the kiss and yesterday when she won over his grandparents.
Ashanti just fit. Like a puzzle piece. Watching her interact with Nai Nai and Yeye, completely at ease, made him wonder if someone as shy as Michelle would be that outgoing.
Which was an unfair comparison.
Michelle was her own person and her introversion was one of the things that had been endearing when they first met.
They had a lot of things in common. They were both recluses who read comic books and enjoyed rainy days. They both loved their family and treasured their cousins as friends.
With Michelle, he felt like he was looking into a mirror.
With Ashanti, the mirror was actually a window into another world.
They were complete opposites, which was probably why their friendship had lasted as long as it did. Ash barged into his world and took up space whether he liked it or not, and Luke had learned years ago that it was just better to leave her be than try to chase her out.
A relationship with Michelle would be easy.
A relationship with Ashanti… well, she’d basically told him there was no chance so why was he debating this again?
Luke groaned and slumped into the chair behind the café’s counter. The more he had to rationalize his feelings for Michelle, the more he wondered if his love for her had been infatuation all along.
Had he started a crusade, dragged Ashanti into a war zone and alienated his parents because of an infatuation? A relationship that would wear off after a few weeks?
The thought scared him to his bones, which was why Luke knew he wouldn’t give up on Michelle. Not until
he was sure that there was no hope.
A tapping sound jerked his head up and commanded his attention. Luke startled when he saw Weng standing in front of him.
“Hey,” Luke said. “What are you doing here?”
“Uncle Eddie texted. He said he had salmon rolls left over and I could stop by for lunch.”
“Lunch?” Eddie’s voice boomed above the slap of the kitchen door. He appeared a second later, dressed in a variation of his usual plain T-shirt and khakis. “It’s after two in the afternoon. Don’t tell me you haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“No sir,” Weng said. “I haven’t eaten since last night. I skipped breakfast today.”
Eddie scowled and returned to the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.”
Weng climbed into the stool in front of Luke. His dark eyes stared intensely. “Dad said he and Yeye stopped by your apartment and met your girlfriend yesterday.”
“Did he?”
“Mom couldn’t stop gushing about her.”
“That’s nice.”
Weng eyed him. “Who were they talking about, Luke? Was it Michelle or Ashanti?”
“They didn’t remember her name?”
“Please tell me it was Michelle.”
Luke’s gaze floated to the counter. “It was Ashanti.”
Weng cursed. “What are you doing? I thought you were going to break up with Ashanti and introduce them to Michelle?”
“I will.”
“When? Mom’s already planning to ask Ashanti to model for our store. The longer you drag this out the more complicated it gets.”
“I’m aware of that, okay?” Luke snapped. “I was actually planning on talking to Michelle today.”
Weng brightened. “Really?”
Luke nodded though his stomach roiled. Why did I go and blurt that out for?
“Why don’t you go right now?”
“What?”
Weng bounced in excitement. “I’ll watch the store.”
The door of the kitchen opened and Uncle Eddie breezed out with a tray of sushi. “Here you go, Weng.”
“Uncle Eddie, do you mind if Luke steps out for a minute? I’ll take care of the store while he’s gone.”