her lips and then smacking them together, more than happy with her appraisal of the new man in her life.
“Thank you, Keith.” She batted her eyelashes. “You don’t look bad yourself.”
“Well, I’ve got it like that. The brothers and I have got to do this photo shoot for a billboard sign they’re going to hang on Interstate 95. The Alphas are gonna have all the honeys coming to Central. But I’ve only got eyes for you, girl,” Keith said in a hurry. “This photo shoot is about marketing the school. Gotta do my part.”
“Hmmph. Tell me anything.”
“Nikki, you have nothing to worry about. I’m the luckiest guy on the campus, in the State of North Carolina, across the world…
“All right, all right,” Afrika said, holding her hand up for Keith to stop. “I get it.”
“So where’s your twin?”
“You mean Asia?”
“You know I’m talking about Asia. I swear your mommas must have used the same fertility clinic because you and Asia look so much alike.”
“Okay, Keith. This is where I draw the line. Yes, Asia and I have some similarities, but I’m no test tube baby and I’m nobody’s twin. And the reference to my momma is out of line and off limits to you. I don’t play that when it comes to my mother.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, baby, I didn’t mean any disrespect. I wasn’t trying to talk about nobody’s momma. I was only talking about science—how two people with two different sets of parents, with two different sets of genes can have some of the same, almost identical features. My momma used to say that everyone has a twin in this world.” Keith took Afrika’s head and turned it toward him. “Now, don’t I look like your boy, LeBron James?”
“You wish.” Afrika’s frown turned into a giggle. “You wish you were as tall as LeBron. Now that man is fine.” Afrika giggled again.
“I know you aren’t saying he’s finer than me.”
“You are so conceited. But, Boo, you do look better than LeBron.”
“I knew it. I knew it.”
“Keith, you are so crazy. Look, I’ve got to get to my class. I don’t want to be late.”
“What are you doing after class?”
“I’ve got cheerleading practice.”
“After that?”
“I’m not sure. Asia talked about going to some pizza joint.”
“Asia needs a man. She’s pretty and all, but she doesn’t have your personality.” Keith pecked Afrika on the lips. “Just because old man Christianson is her daddy, she thinks she’s all that.”
“Come on, Keith. Be fair. Asia is nothing like her father. She’s cool and I like her. And if you like me, you’ve got to like Asia. Anyway, she’s got a man…Deon, the Eagles’ quarterback.”
“Deon? He’ll break her heart. I hear he’s been with a lot of women on campus.”
“How would you know?” Afrika asked with a frown on her face.
“Stuff like that is no secret. Look, my good friend, Zavion, is probably Asia’s type. He’s a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, about six feet, and plays on UNC’s basketball team. I’ll talk to him. Maybe we can all get together before the Alpha party on Friday night.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Keith. Asia is a little high strung, and she may not take too kindly to us interfering in her personal life, and like I said, she’s seeing someone.”
“True, but it doesn’t have to be a date. Look, we don’t even have to tell her that Zavion is coming. If everything works out, I’ll have Zavion meet us somewhere.”
“Whatever. I’ve got to go. Call me later.”
Keith gave Afrika a quick kiss on the lips and took another peek at her behind. Satisfied, he gave her a parting smile. “Okay, babe.” Before Afrika was out of sight, Keith took out his cell phone and called Zavion.
TWO DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE VICTOR HAD SHOWN UP ON MIMI’S doorstep unannounced. Even the erratic phone calls seemed to cease. She wasn’t going to let Victor’s threats get her down. Afrika had a right to attend North Carolina Central University as much as Asia. But it was her talk with Afrika that made Mimi feel much better.
Mimi went to her walk-in closet and pulled out a blue and white Adidas running suit. A run around Lake Johnson would do her some good. It had been a long time since she’d been to the lake, but she remembered they had a nice trail that wrapped around it. Getting into a fitness program was on her list of things to do.