The guy peers up to me, still appearing injured. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but my man right here didn’t forewarn me about your beauty…your package!”
My eyebrows quickly furrow, but smooth out as I’m able to muster a polite smile. These are some dynamics between Azmir and his friend. I don’t know if I can endure an evening of his overt ogling. My eyes dart over to Azmir for help.
“This is her home, too, man. Seriously? Are we going to do this?” Azmir growls protectively like a lion, though his equanimity still seems to be intact. I don’t know what to say.
His friend recoils. Attempting poise, he turns to me, “No disrespect, ma’am. I’ll get myself together before the big guy throws me out.”
I nod and then continue my gait into the great room.
As we all gather in there, the first guests to arrive stands. I can tell the guys are all intimately familiar with each other. They greet one another with broad smiles and lingering hugs.
The first guy that arrived initiates the introductions. I purposely didn’t do it at the door, wanting Azmir to do the honors. It’s his party after all.
“Divine, Lenny, you all remember Evelyn,” the guy first to arrive says before turning to his date, Evelyn. “Eve, as you recall, these are my uncles slash brothers. When they’re behaved, they can be more like uncles. But when they wild out, it’s brothers they become.” Everyone laughs in unison. The bell rings and Azmir taps me dulcetly at the small of my back, saying he’ll get it.
As I turn my attention back to the cypher, I consider how there’s something strange in the pairing of this guy who’s with Evelyn. He’s fairly tall, just a few inches shorter than Azmir, but taller than the second guy who arrived. He has a sophomoric air to his appearance even with his composed and mature presentation, unlike Evelyn who can easily be assumed to be as old as my mother—too old for her date tonight; he could be my age. I’m interested to learn more about these two.
Within a beat, Azmir resumes our circle with a tall, café au lait beauty with dark brown curls, nearly down to her back. She wears a wide and bright smile as she holds up two bottles of champagne festively. Her excitable energy is infectious.
“Heeeeeey, everybody!” she sings. I can’t help but return her warm smile. “I brought Ace of Spades. I know that’s what Divine likes!” I then pick up on her rich accent. She’s a gorgeous Latina!
From behind me—or more descriptively, over me—Azmir replies, “Thanks, Mia. That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“Man, fuck that! Divine and Jay can hate on Crystal all they want to now because ol’ dude was hatin’ on blacks sippin’ it, but y’all ran through cases of that shit back in the day!” Azmir’s ogling friend hisses.
In true A.D. fashion, he equably replies, “Times have certainly changed.” Not giving in to the fight his friend is trying to ensue.
“What the fuck ever,” his friend snort in response.
“Anyway,” Azmir swiftly changes the subject. “I have to introduce my lady to you knuckleheads. You…” he looks at his ogling friend now and says, “…coming into her home, fuckin’ acting like you just came home from a ten year bid, threw me.” He turns me towards the first guy that arrived.
He then takes me at the back, affectionately again, “Brimm, this fine young man here is a long-term friend of mine, Jackson. He can call me brother or uncle, just as long as his elusive ass calls,” Azmir conspicuously chastens in his introduction while giving Jackson a tentative gaze.
Then he turn me and announces, “And this prick right here, Lenny, is like a brother to me.” I give Lenny a nod, still feeling uneasy about him. He returns it, but in a much more graceful manner than earlier.
Azmir shifts to the Latina, “And this is Lenny’s saving grace, Mia. I’ve known Mia for…has it been three years?” Azmir asks Mia with furrowed brows.
“Hmmmm,” Mia contemplates on a heavy tongue. “Try four and a half,” she answers with a blushing smile.
“Wow! It’s been that long, huhn?” Azmir poses to Lenny. “I’m surprised little Liz isn’t planning your wedding yet,” he teases, and seemingly to Lenny’s dismay because his face dwarfs into a grimace. It’s comical. I try to stifle my laughter.
“And everyone, this is the fierce Rayna Brimm—soon to be Jacobs, as she will be my wife in about…” Azmir glances down at his watch. “…two months and three weeks?” He glances over to me with glint in his eyes for an answer. And with a heavy blush, I nod in assent. I guess I’m a nodder so far this evening because I’ve done more of that than speaking.