The Deal

Twenty Seven-Bernadette

I take my seat at the same spot near the counter. It may not be true, but to me, I've finally taken the furthest step on this road to recovery. It's a shame that I was expecting a river of memories to suddenly flood through my head by sitting and doing nothing. But things don't work that way. No magic or hypnosis can bring them back. They come and go as they please. So does the memory of Imani that night.

"What can I get you, Bernie?"

I lift my head only to see a young guy with a Mo-hawk. It's Jabar's roommate, taking his place as barman. I'll have to say this is the first time seeing him with a shirt on.

"Why didn't Jabar come to work?" I ask.

He scoffs, then scratches his scruffy beard. "Sorry to disappoint but your boyfriend had to go help a buddy of his. He normally helps him with the DJ stuff. An emergency came up."

"Oh." He rarely talks about working as a DJ. I divert my gaze all around the spacious bar. I linger it around its corners and then a thought comes to me. "Are there cameras installed here?"

He bends his arms on the counter and shoots me with a wide, uncomfortable grin. "Yes. Aren't you supposed to be graduated from the class of alcoholics? The last time I checked, it didn't end well for you, Bernie."

I scoff and give him a plain smile. "I don't drink alcohol. I never will."

Well, another thing that neither Thabo nor Jabar had bothered to speak about. Since I don't want another pep talk, I order a glass of water so he can leave. Before I check the time on my phone, a shadow of a figure walks up to me, and the same scent of honey-flavored perfume I took a whiff of earlier hits my nose.

Imani's beauty sparkles this evening, with the usual black hat and dark sunglasses. But this time, the vibe I get from her is different. Instead of warm and inviting, she gives off a dark, stressed, and stern look. For a slight moment, we stare at each other without uttering a word.

"You're here. At last." Imani narrows her gaze at me. She must be upset. "Yes. Good evening, Bernadette."

Imani takes the seat beside me and even as she does, she's scowling. If I want to get the answers I need from her, I'll have to keep this talk between us warm and comfortable. This has to work for me.

"So, do you drink, Imani?"

She turns to me, refusing to take the shades off. "I don't. I was going to order a glass of water myself."

She calls Jabar's roommate and takes her order. "So, what did you want to talk to me about, Bernadette?"

"Oh. I wanted to get to know you more, Imani. I really appreciate you saving my life."

Imani smiles and it's so freaky because it looks like I'm grinning at myself.

"It's funny how we're kind of alike," I say. "You and I hate booze. You said back at the store that you prefer the comfort of your home than going out to run into people. I understand you. I was like that when I was younger. But the memories are still foggy."

Imani chugs her water as if she's suddenly in a hurry. "Cut the small talk, Bernadette. It's getting kind of boring; don't you think?"

I flinch at the harsh tone of her voice. This is unexpected. "Okay. I'm not holding you back from anything?"

She shifts the empty glass out of sight and leans a bit forward to me. "What does a celebrity with your status of fame want to do with a nobody like me, anyway?"

I scoff. "You're not a nobody, Imani. I—" Heavens, this is going nowhere. I'm waiting for the memories to flood in but they don't. I'm waiting for the trigger. I know this scene between us is so familiar because deep down in my head, I remember the deal this faceless woman offered to make.