Page 95 of Unexpected Prejudice

“Ask him on a date?”

“Yeah! What’s a better way to solve problems than a date?” I reconsidered my words. “I mean, other than sex, but I think it’s better to talk over burgers.” I chuckled, already knowing where I would take my Babydoll on a date.

“Sounds cool.” Jordy smiled, moving his hand through his hair. The act made me notice how much it had grown since I gave him a haircut.

“Make sure to stop by the salon. I need to fix that hair for you.”

“Will do.”

The bell rang, telling us lunch break was over, and it was time to return to class. Knowing I had a plan made me feel a bit more at ease.

Levi

“Why won’t you stay longer? I can order us dinner,” my mom offered.

It was nice speaking Russian. Even though I spoke English daily, it never felt right, while Russian did. It made me nostalgic.

“I can’t. I’m going out with Jessie,” I said as I got up from my chair and took my empty coffee mug to the sink. I came over after school to help her unpack the last few boxes left from moving day.

Her new apartment was small and, in a neighborhood close to our old high school. She decorated it nicely with some stuff she bought and flowers from the florist down the street. It may have taken a while, but I was starting to enjoy our meetings. While all the other aspects of my life felt like shit at the moment, at least I had my mom again… sort of.

The main problem was that I still hadn’t told Jessie about it. I didn’t enjoy lying to him, and I was pretty sure I did a poor job with the not-so-subtle way I hid my phone from him. Then again, I’d been keeping everything to myself lately.

“Why won’t you tell him about us?” Mom asked and came to stand beside me at the sink. She turned on the tap and washed the dishes. “I mean, you mentioned before that he doesn’t like me, which is understandable, but he might change his mind. I mean, you did, didn’t you?”

My eyes focused on her red nails rather than her words. Did I change my mind about her? Not really. I still thought she was a lousy parent, but I guess I was desperate enough for her affection that I was willing to forget the pain she’d caused me.

“It’s not the right time.”

She turned off the water and dried her hands before brushing a stray hair from my eye. “Don’t get me wrong. Now that I finally have you, I would rather keep you all to myself.” She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. My throat dried, and I squeezed my eyes closed before stepping back, dismissing her affection. We weren’t there yet.

“I’m gonna go.”

“Okay, Lapochka.” She smiled and walked me to the door. “Will I see you on Sunday?”

I avoided her blue eyes. “Maybe.”

“Fine, so text me.”

I was almost out the door when she spoke again. “And have you thought about Christmas? I know you refused to move in with me, but we can still spend the holiday together.”

“I told you I can’t.” I checked the time on my phone. “I need to go now. Bye.”

Without lingering anymore, I stepped out to the hall and rushed down the stairs as if I could run from my mixed emotions of guilt and need for affection.

I checked my phone to see what bus I’d need to take to get to the restaurant where I was meeting Jessie. He said he wanted to go on a date at this new burger place, and I liked the idea. It would allow me to apologize for how I spoke to him last week. Sure, I was angry, but it wasn’t his fault I couldn’t bring myself to open up to him. If I chose to lock my emotions inside, I should be able to control my behavior.

After a short bus ride, I had a ten-minute walk before reaching the restaurant. The outside looked like a classic diner, while the inside had more of an edge with shiny chrome furniture, lots of plants, and neon lights.

Jessie was already waiting for me, which was surprising considering I was fifteen minutes early, and he was always late for everything.

“Hey, Kotik,” I said as I sat at the corner table he’d picked for us.

“Hey, Babydoll.” He smiled and waited until I was seated before he handed me the menu. “Everything sounds delicious, but I want the French burger. It comes in a brioche bun with truffle crumble.”

“Do you even like truffles?”

He shrugged. “Dunno… never tasted it before. What do you want?”