and sweat underneath them.
Now, I may not have been raised ghetto, but I was certainly raised country. I noticed that sheâd called me âthisâ and the country girl in me was ready to âgo cow tippingâ on her ass, but I hadnât had a fight in fifteen years and I wasnât about to go to jail for fighting over my mechanic, who, by the way, clearly wasnât trying to correct Ms. Thing and tell her my nameâwell, maybe that was a good thing.
âThis ainât our spot,â Bird said.
âThe mother fuck it ainât. You ainât been around me or your kids. And they miss they daddy.â
I guess Rainbow dress saw my eyes narrow, because she announced, âBoth of your kids.â (I honestly expected a higher number.)
âJazz, give it a break.â
âFirst of all, you get my mother-fucking name rightâitâs Jaza-maraya. And second of all, Iâll give it a break when you give me my mother-fucking child support! Donât make me take your ass to court again.â
Bird actually looked like he was about to start laughing. He turned to Jaza finally and said, âPlease stop. Youâre embarrassing me.â
âIâm embarrassing you? No! Youâre embarrassing me! Up in here with this . . . this . . . this . . . white girl.â
âHold up!â The country girl in me would not be exorcised another minute. Now, I admit that Iâd gone bourgeoisie, and I wasnât trying to get locked up, but there was no way I was going to just sit there and let her call me a white girl to my face. Sheâd gone in on me and it was no longer about Bird and his kids and not paying child support.
âHold up?â Jaza started laughing. âI think we got us a fighter!â She threw her purse down on the floor and went right into a fighting position. I was about to get off my stool, but Bird got up and stood in front of me.
Jaza fell laughing into his seat. âI got her ass! I got her ass good!â she said, laughing.
âWhat?â I was up and ready to climb over Bird to get at her.
âWhoa!â Bird said, holding me in my seat. âSee, Jazz, sheâs taking you seriously. I told you to stop playing.â
âPlaying?â I said.
Ronnie came over, shaking her head at Jazmine, and set our drinks on the counter.
âIâm Jazmine. Birdâs baby cousin.â Jazmine reached over Birdâs shoulder to shake my hand.
It took me a second and a long look into Birdâs eyes before I could believe it and shake her hand. âYour cousin?â
âBaby cousin,â Bird said. âImmature baby cousin.â He turned around to her.
âNo. Actress baby cousin.â She rolled her eyes at Bird and looked around at me. âIâm about to be in a Tyler Perry movie soon . . . as soon as he discovers me. Getting ready for my audition. Cousin Bird here pays for my acting classes downtown. I like to show him that heâs getting his moneyâs worth. What you think?â
âI was convinced,â I admitted. âI was ready to fight you.â
âWow!â Jazmine said and her eyes sparkled. âIâm going to get an Oscar before I turn twenty-five. Thatâs my goal. If I can believe it, I can achieve it. So, what you do?â
âIââ
âJazmine, get out of her business. Donât you have somewhere else you need to be?â Bird said.
âYeah. Right here.â Jazmine rolled her eyes.
âIâm a wedding planner.â
âWow! Like on Bridezilla ?â
âNot exactly. But I have met a few bridezillas in my time.â
The DJ started playing the âCha Cha Slideâ and half the people at the bar ran to the dance floor.
âOh, thatâs my song!â Jazmine started doing the line steps right in front of our barstools.
âWell, why donât you go do it then . . . like, on the dance floor?â Bird pointed to the