“I take it you heard what happened?” I tried goading him.
“I have.” His expression is impassive. “Don’t sweat it. Girls like Syn are very insecure, so insecure that they try to sniff out the insecurities in well-put together women. You can’t allow her to get the best of you, but unfortunately you have to demand your respect and that’s the only way it works with people like her,” he said with such calm and wisdom.
With guards still up I turned to him. “Look Azmir, I didn’t come out here to cause any trouble or to be tested by some chicken-head. You told me that I’d vacation during the day and retreat with you during the evening.”
“And you haven’t done that? Have I not been true to my word?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. This is when I found him intimidating.
“For the most part—yes, but if you knew this girl was going to test me why didn’t you at least forewarn me?”
“I didn’t know it was going to happen, but I have to be honest, after my last relationship I told myself my next woman in my life had to be able to mingle with my people and not just the refined ones, either.” His voice was firm and my nipples hardened at his subtle warning. But who said I want to be yours?
“So this was a test?” That came out just as harsh as I intended it to. I needed to know.
“No, but it was probably inevitable. You handled yourself well and I don’t think you’ll be getting any flak from her again. Chanell told me if it wasn’t for her you would’ve knocked the wind out of that girl!” he snorted.
I didn’t find it funny at all. He didn’t understand. I was out there trying to get my sexy on not my thug!
“Yeah, whatever…” I muttered and continued doing my hair. He walked away as coolly as he appeared. Once I was done, I got dress and lay across the bed with a book. About a half hour later, Azmir came in and asked if I wanted to go to the local store with him off the property. I told him I would and slipped on shoes and grabbed my bag.
We caught a cab and then walked to the store that was a few miles away from the resort and into the residential area. The community was humble and the locals were sitting out in front of the buildings looking at everything that moved out in the heat. We talked as we walked. Azmir had an interesting way of theorizing life, a way of simplifying the complexities of it. A way of influencing my views. I absorbed his wisdom but clandestinely. I couldn’t relinquish total trust to him. As I told Michelle, who thought I was crazy, I could feel there were some things he was keeping from me.
We made a turn down a rather dark alley. Although it was dim I could see the lights from the bodega that was some yards away. Azmir was in the middle of telling me a story about his first visit to Puerto Vallarta when out of nowhere I see two small but round images in my periphery scurrying around. In a clearer view, once they were upon us they encircled Azmir who was already in a defensive stance when my eyes landed on him. Both guys were significantly shorter than Azmir, but one of them was very bulky. They rushed him and began swinging on him.