“I think you couldn’t pay someone enough to make such a stupid movie,” I’d told him, watching as the red sprung up on his cheeks.
“You’re going to be proven wrong in the best way,” he’d replied, waggling his finger. “Just wait.”
Alim and I parted ways a little after 4. Heading to my car, I drew out a pair of jeans, a nice button-up, and changed into them in a nearby bar. Before darting away, I took a shot of tequila, enjoying the wave of confidence that rushed through me. After giving the bartender a ten-dollar tip, I walked down the street with swagger, knocking my shoulders back before arriving once more at the entrance of the elementary school.
Sure enough, the raven-haired woman waited at the front gate, helping the kids as they got ready to leave. I watched her crouch down, buttoning up a girl’s jacket. She winked at another, squeezing his nose. There was a warmth to each of her gestures that verged on maternal.
I hung back for a while, peering at my phone and peeking up from time to time. Just after the last student scrambled into the back of his parents’ jeep, I moved up the sidewalk. With a lurch, I watched her eyes find me and then fall away from me. She recognized me, but she wasn’t terribly pleased about it.
“Hi!” I said to her, my voice deep and warm. “I wondered if you’d be out here again today.”
She looked at me incredulously. “I work here, don’t I?” she asked, sounding almost sassy. There was a wall between us. One I’d have to break down.
“I guess that’s right, although I don’t know much more,” I said, trying to butter her up. “You’re a secretive one, it seems.”
“I don’t know what else you’d want me to share with you,” she said, her nostrils flared. “I mean, it’s not like I’ll be—”
“Going out with me? No, no,” I said, waving my hand side to side. “Of course not. I just have this curious mind. I know there’s something to you, something different than most of the women around here. And I just—”
“That’s the oldest trick in the book, isn’t it?” the woman said, giving me a wry smile. “Telling me I’m different. That I mean more to you than others, because there’s just another layer to me. Another dimension.” Her eyes gleamed, showing her intellect.
Not for the first time, I felt a genuine wave of curiosity for her. But I couldn’t give into it, knowing that the minute I started feeling “into” her, I’d lose the game. It was now a game between me and her, and between me and Alim. I had to juggle both.
“Come on, now. Just tell me what your name is,” I said, my voice earnest. I wanted to make her think I was losing my mind. I wanted to give her the idea of more power, without actually relinquishing it.
She moved toward me, ever so slightly. Behind her, I could see an older woman watching us, only half-concealed by the door.
“My name’s Angie,” she finally told me, sounding begrudging.
“Angie.” I nodded, giving her a soft smile. “That’s a pretty name.”
“You’d have said that no matter what I told you,” she returned, giving me a bemused look. “So, I’ve done it. I’ve given you my name. Now, it’s your turn.”
“I’m Rami,” I said, reaching for her hand and shaking it. “It’s nice to meet someone from abroad. And especially nice to welcome you to the area, since you said you’re new here.”
“Sure. Yes.” She drew her hand back, swiping it through her dark hair. For a moment, her smile sparkled, before she forced it away. “I’d better be getting back inside.”
“Why don’t you let me show you around sometime?” I heard myself ask her, leaning closer. “When prying eyes aren’t watching us so closely?”
“Show me around where?” she asked me.
“Around my city. I’ve lived here all my life,” I told her. “And if you’re new, then there’s nobody better to show you…”
“I’m not so sure,” she said, waving her hand. “Although, I mean, thank you for the offer. It’s obviously very kind of you, thinking of it. No matter your real reason.”