“Yes, Daddy!” she said, eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me.

“You kids have a wonderful night of fellowship.” His car motored away, and I faced my friends. “Shall we?”

Kiera still seemed perplexed, but Jameer, that look on his face was awe. He knew good work when he saw it. On our way into the restaurant, I said, “I’m going to order us some extra hush puppies. They’re good here.”

I requested the hostess give us a booth, and when Kiera sat, I slid in next to her. She seemed slightly surprised, but this was part of the choreography me and Jameer had discussed. It was better that I already be situated next to Kiera when he made his exit so we could remain close without me making things awkward.

The first basket of hush puppies arrived and Kiera got right to business. “Group work isn’t always my favorite, but I think our Purity Pledge class is well equipped to pull off something special. I was thinking maybe a skit, or something. We can play out some of the good and bad scenarios we’ve learned about.”

“A skit?” Jameer said, chomping a hush puppy in half. “We could do a purity rap, too?”

“Don’t make me reach across this table and pluck you in your forehead, Jameer,” Kiera snapped back in a way I hadn’t seen before, sort of sassy.

Couldn’t help but laugh a little, and Kiera turned on me, playful but direct. “You have a problem with my skit idea, too?”

“I’m not saying it’s corny.” I fiddled with the straw that came with my water.

“What are you saying?”

“I was hoping not to say anything, and the corniness could remain implied.”

Kiera popped her neck, and made a show of flipping her hair over her shoulder. “The devil is a lie.”

It was one of those phrases that got tossed around Purity Pledge, and I guess First Missionary, a lot. Something I’d logged into the corniness column at first, and had to get Jameer to decode. “The devil is a lie,” not “a liar.” It was like the black church version of “your initial hypothesis is incorrect” or “mf’er, you wildin’.”

Kiera wasn’t angry. She smiled. Was relaxed. Her hip brushed mine. While she looked away, I flicked a glance Jameer’s way. Now.

Jameer made a show of rubbing his stomach. “I’m going to run to the restroom, guys. Be right back.”

Of course he wouldn’t. He slid from the booth, made his way toward the front of the restaurant as our waitress returned. “Y’all ready to order.”

I started rattling off what I wanted, when Kiera interrupted me. “Shouldn’t we wait until Jameer’s back?”

Almost fumbled there. I still had to pretend I thought he was actually coming back. “Right, right. Can we have a minute?”

The waitress departed, while I slipped my phone out beneath the table, prepared to send the signal for Jameer to text back saying he was out for the evening. Kiera sipped on the lemonade she ordered, then coughed, and coughed some more. Loud, hacking explosions while she kneaded her fist into her sternum trying to stave off the choking fit. She stabbed a finger at her glass, and shook her head, signaling she’d swallowed wrong.