“Be nice.”
“I got you.”
“You promise?”
“Damn, Selle. I’m not gon’ swing on your brother or nothing. What you worried about?”
“That mouth on you for starters.” I cut my eyes at him.
“If he’s respectful to you, I’ll be respectful to him.”
“You promise?”
“Yeah. I promise, baby.”
“Okay. Kiano?”
“If he’s anything like he was in school, we’re good.”
“Okay then. Let’s do it.”
I led them back inside where Rene had taken a seat at my kitchen island. I walked back to my beer, took another sip, then offered it to Stone who took it, took a sip, and offered it to Kiano who waved him off.
“What’s up?” Kiano closed the distance between him and Rene and dapped him.
“What’s up?” He looked from Kiano to Stone who tilted his head back to finish the beer then leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
“So, Kiano, how you been since graduation?”
“Good, man. You?”
“Good.” Rene tapped his knuckles on the island. “You with the family’s company?”
“Yeah. I’m scheduled to take it over in a year.”
He nodded. “That’s what’s up.” He looked at Stone. “And you work at the same bar as Jiselle, right?”
“Yeah, and a mechanic shop.”
“You’ve got two jobs?” Rene nodded.
“Is this the part where you ask what our intentions are with dating Selle?” Stone asked.
“Nah. Men lie every day. I watched someone do it for a decade. Words don’t mean anything to me. If you want me to believe you care about my sister, you’re going to have to show me that shit, and really, that’s just going to take time and consistently.”
“Then, what did you want to meet us for?”
“You can’t get to know somebody by not being around them. And I want to make it clear I’m not trying to get to know y’all as my sister’s boyfriends. I want to get to know y’all as people.”
“I feel that.” Kiano nodded.
“So instead of telling me your intentions with Jiselle, tell me what you think she wants.”
I moved so I was in front of Stone and he wrapped an arm around my upper body.
“Out of a relationship or out of life?” Kiano asked.
“You tell me.”