“Roman-”
“Forget it.”
“But-”
“Absolutely not,” Roman’s head tilted at an arrogant angle, dense waves falling into his eyes when he shook his head. “I can do this all day, Princess. I’m getting real good at saying no to family bullshit.” He left her on the desk.
“Won’t you even think about it?” Imani fixed her blouse, glossy braids slipping over her shoulder to hide her face as she focused on the buttons. “It’s for Giselle, Roman.”
He glared past his office windows. Hands shoved into his trouser pockets, his strong jaw was set into an uncooperative line. “Giselle’s an angel, but these family dinners bring hell with them. I think it’s our punishment for all the evil we did on Assumption Day,” he smirked as if to cast the notion off as insanity.
“She needs us to be there when she tells the others the truth. Can’t you get past your anger long enough for that?”
Roman bowed his head, another well-defined smirk taking hold. “Maybe I could if there wasn’t always something to be angry about.”
Imani turned on the desk to face her husband. “Things have been nice for a long while now, Roman. More than nice.”
“Yeah, yeah they have. I wonder why that is?” He moved from the windows, hands still hidden in his pockets.
Imani smiled engagingly. “Because...they are?”
“Or because they’re being made to look that way.”
“Why are you being like this?”
“Are you saying I don’t have reason to?”
“Stop!” Losing patience with her husband, Imani slammed both hands to the desk. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about that fucking plant!” He punctuated his roar with a kick to the side of his desk.
Imani’s regal pose went impossibly straighter, her gaze wavering a fraction. “The plant.”
“You don’t remember? The one my mother gave us for the house. The pot that was broken and had to be thrown out.”
She replied with an exasperated sound. “That was almost five years ago!”
Roman brought his fist down on the desk. “And I’ve been waiting that long for you to tell me what really happened!”
Imani shook her head, causing her braids to snap fiercely. “Are you upset because I didn’t replace it, or-”
He laughed briefly, harshly. “When a very smart person tries to play dumb, it doesn’t go over well, so why don’t you stop?”
Imani left the desk and stomped to the other side of the office.
Roman turned back to the opposite direction. “Funny thing about that flower pot,” he looked back at Imani after a long while. “It wasn’t broken at all,” he waited on her reaction. Finding none, he continued. “I took a look at it while you guys were in the living room that day. There weren’t any chipped pieces. The thing looked like it’d been placed there, disposed of for a reason that had nothing to do with it breaking.”
Imani’s arms unfolded to hang by her sides.
“What did she do, Imani?”
“Roman, please.”
Her plea caught on a sharp hitch of breath that had Roman seeing red. “What was in that plant?”
“Nothing.” Imani brought her hands to her forehead. “Are you hearing yourself? You’re going mad over a plant.”
“So if I ask Candace about it-”
“No please!”
“Or maybe Giselle, during this dinner-”
“Roman...no.”
“Why not?”
“Just...” tears sprang and streamed her cheeks until they glistened. “Please don’t,” her voice shook.
He went to her then, not having the strength to watch her standing there trembling while her eyes shone with tears and terror. “Shh...” he tugged her hands away from where they trembled at her mouth. He kept her close, kissed her cheek, let it linger there. “Shh...Imani, don’t-don’t cry, please. I’m sorry,” he closed his eyes when she trembled against him.
“Then, stop,” she quietly urged, leaning into his mouth on her face. “Stop and forget.”
“I will, I will, I promise. Don’t worry. I’m over it. No more questions, I promise,” he kissed her ear, put another to her temple. “I’ll even come to Giselle’s dinner from hell and be on my best behavior.”
Imani looked up at him, her teary eyes searching his face. “Thank you,” she hugged him tight and then stepped back. “I’ll let you get back to work,” she kissed his mouth and went to get her purse from a chair next to the desk.
“Imani?”
