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.Itstarted out as a shitty little storefront, but since MMA was so hot, we were in demand.Then a majorfitness chain noticed and bought us out. He s still involved with running the MMA training program nationwide, though, Dariusinterjected. And he trains fighters and boxers privately. I m impressed. She raised her wine glass before taking another sip. What about you,Miguel? How d you get into catering? I honestly have no idea.I m kind of a jack of all trades.I started out in my dad s snowplowingbusiness, and when he died, I took it over. He was seventeen, that s the part he always leaves out.He took over the family business andran it successfully at seventeen. There was a glow of pride in Darius s eyes that made Delilah ache.No one had ever been proud of her, that was for sure.If she d ever done anything worth being proudof. He likes to brag on me, Miguel said, capturing Darius s hand and pressing it to his lips for aquick kiss. But really, running a plow service isn t that big a deal, especially when there are guyswho have been doing it for twenty years who can show you the ropes.I started going to vocationalschool for automotive, figured that would be handy when trucks broke down.One day they had acareer fair, and there was this totally hot redhead running the Food Service/Hospitality booth.Westarted talking and I started eating the free samples, and then I figured, hell, if I was gonna be coveredin grease, I d rather it be from mutton. What about you? Darius asked. We re telling you our life stories By request! she reminded them with a laugh. But still, Darius pressed. What s up with you? She sighed. All right, all right.But it s not exciting. Where should she jump in? Telling themthat she d grown up privileged, that her mother had encouraged her, the only black kid at her privateChristian high school, to not make friends outside the neighborhood ? That she d always felt like anoutsider, no matter where she d gone? She looked guilty at Darius then dropped her gaze.That wouldhave been a great thing to say: If I brought either of you home, my mother would have made you goout the back door to hide you from the neighbors. Well, I already told you I m from Atlanta, she began cautiously. I went to a private schooland then I went to Beulah Heights for my MBA which absolutely thrilled my mother, and now I dofreelance work writing grants for independent medical research labs. That sounds incredibly boring, Miguel said.Darius rolled his eyes at him then looked back to Delilah. Why didn t your mother approve ofyour MBA? I think she was hoping I would do something a little more& spectacular? A family down thestreet from us had a son who got into Princeton.I think she wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer or something she could easily identify as a money-maker to her friends. The bitterness in her ownwords seriously turned her off, so she cleared her throat. Anyway, I m glad I have the job I do.Ihave a lot of freedom, and that freedom allowed me to move up here. And if you hadn t moved up here, you never would have met us, Miguel pointed out. And I never would have gotten shot at either, she said, following it up with an exaggerated, ha ha. I m a bad guy.I didn t make dessert, Miguel said with a nod to her empty plate. You wantmore? No, I m fine. She pulled her napkin from her lap and dropped it onto the plate. It wasdelicious, thank you. Morels, right? Miguel didn t wait for her to agree. I told you. Darius stood and helped Miguel clear the table. I was thinking we might take a ride out on thelake, see who s mingling out there tonight.Do you like boats? I guess.I ve only been in one once or twice.Are you a good driver? Maybe if she shifted intoa fish or a bird or something, she d feel better about being stranded on the water, but deer andDelilah did not swim well. He s an excellent driver, Miguel called from behind the refrigerator door. Or captain, if youwill. I think I d rather be a skipper, Darius mused aloud
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