Zane waited at the burger shop, and five minutes later, a thin black woman with a pixie cut, dressed in blue pants, a black sweater, and brown belt and shoes, slowly approached him. "Have you been waiting long?" Alisha asked.
"I just got here."
Alisha was about to say something, but she suddenly stopped. She sniffed at him: "You reeked of sweat."
"I just came from a run."
"Isn't there a bathroom in this place? Go wash your face or something."
"Is it that bad?" Zane asked as he smelled himself, but didn't notice anything. But, to be fair, prison drastically raised his tolerance for horrible smells. So, he walked to the bathroom for a quick wash. By the time he finished, Alisha had already gotten them a seat.
"I already ordered."
Zane nodded. "Oh, I heard this place had a new shake."
"You can order it when the waitress brings our food."
"You're being suspiciously generous," Zane smiled. "Are you worried about me?"
"Shouldn't I be?"
"I'm fine. This is just a minor setback," Zane calmly stated. "I only need one opportunity, and my life will return to its previous track."
"It's good to have a positive outlook," Alisha nodded. "But as I said, you can also be practical. The job in the kitchen will give you some income, and in the meantime, you can continue pursuing a job in your field."
"I understand," Zane nodded, but it was hard to tell whether he was being genuine. "Enough about me. How is your project going?" Alisha grunted profusely at that question.
"That bad, huh?"
"I have a fucking Bachelor's in economics and a Master's in business management from Columbia, but I'm stuck behind a desk helping a bunch of stuck-up boomers who can't even use a computer correctly while acting like they are better than me," she said with gritted teeth. Although she couldn't compare to her brother, who had two bachelor's degrees and two master's degrees, she was still highly educated. But what did that get her?
"Didn't you get a raise three months ago?" Zane asked
"By only 3000 dollars a year," Alisha sighed. "Everything is getting more expensive every year, but it took me five years to get such a small raise."
"You now make 77,000$ a year, right? And Sarah's salary is definitely in the six figures. I think you will be alright."
"That's not the point. I had imagined my career to have made some decent progress by now," Alisha uttered. She looked at the condiments on the table. "Do you remember when we were in high school? We once dreamed of creating a global corporation that would drive humanity's advancement. You would be responsible for the research and development, and I would be in charge of the business. I know they were childish dreams, but even when I had realistic ambitions, I never foresaw things moving so slowly.
'Childish dreams, huh?' Zane pondered. It was indeed childish, but even to this day, he has never forsaken these ambitions. One harsh lesson that prison taught him was that money, power, and fame are the best shields in society. And no matter what, he must have the best protection in life. Sadly, every day, he strays a little further from those dreams. "Have you thought about starting your own business?"
"Don't say such a stupid thing."
"How is that stupid? You have the knowledge, you've gained the experience, and if I know you, you should now have the connection. The only thing missing is the money, but don't you have some savings? At the very least, you can get a loan."
"That's too much of a risk."
"That's your problem: you never take any risk."
"That's not true."
"Remember high school? I ask you to do what I did and take all the AP and College classes to graduate two years early, but you refused. Sophomore year of college, I encouraged you to do a Study Abroad Program to expand your horizons and connections, but you declined. The most egregious is when you refused to work with Zach and Tyler, despite my repeated advice. Now, their company has a net worth of 2.3 million dollars."
Alisha was silent. She could argue against the first two, but Zach and Tyler were truly a grave mistake. All her current problems would have been fixed had she taken the risk and invested in their startup. Unfortunately, there is no cure for regrets. As she was lost for words, a waiter brought their food.
Zane had ordered two bacon-cheeseburgers, eight garlic wings, a side of fries, and a Mountain Dew. Alisha was having a salad with a chicken-caesar wrap, minus the croutons, and a lemonade. "Is there anything else?" the waiter asked.
"Yes, please give me one of the new shakes and a small fry."
"All that is not enough for you?"
"The fry is for you, so you don't take mine."
"I don't want any fries."
"Please bring it," Zane said.
"Really," Alisha protested. "I'm on a diet."
"Thank you," Zane said to the waiter while ignoring her stare. "You should really consider going independent as your next move."
"Let's not talk about this. Have you heard from Myk?"
Zane frowned. "Did he ask you to mediate?"
Alisha sighed. "You're refusing his call and even returned the money."
"I don't want his blood money."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"
"You understand his situation and how dangerous it is. I refused to encourage him."
"But what choice does he have?"
"I don't have the answer, but I know how dangerous it is to get involved with people from the underworld. The way he's moving, the only fate awaiting him is death. I already have enough guilt, and I will not be one of the reasons he continued down this path."
Alisha sighed. "Just talk with him. He needs you right now."
"Did something happen?"
"Aunt Rykov is sick."
"Sick? How sick are we talking about?" Zane immediately asked.
"He didn't tell me much, but it appeared she was hospitalized."
"That sounds serious," Zane muttered.
"Yes, and he could probably use your support right now."
"…Alright, I'll give him a call tonight."
Zane finished the last bite of his burger and sipped his shake. "Oh, that hit the spot." Alisha ignored him and continued slowly enjoying her fry. She had long known how much and how fast her brother ate, so she wasn't surprised.
"I thought the silhouette looked familiar," a sudden voice said, which immediately rendered Zane's body a little stiff.
"Babe?" Alisha said, looking at a tall, white woman in her early forties, wearing a beige pantsuit and a white shirt. Alisha stood to kiss the woman. "I thought you were in a meeting."
"Things went smoother than expected," Sarah smiled before sitting next to her, but as her gaze shifted to Zane, the smile faltered. "Zane."
Zane controlled himself to calm down before slowly nodding his head.
"Have you found a job yet?"
"Not yet."
"Why am I not surprised?"
"What does that mean?" Zane frowned.
"There are plenty of jobs available, but it seems that menial jobs are beneath you."
"Hey," Alisha warned.
"Alright, this is my cue to leave," Zane said as he stood.
"What? I'm just telling the truth. His ego is the only reason he's in his current state."
Zane closed his eyes and clenched his fist for less than a second to regulate himself. "Listen. I'm grateful that you risked a lot to represent me five years ago, but that does not mean you get to treat me like shit. Ali, I'll call you later." He walked away without looking back.
"Why do you always go too far?" Alisha asked, not hiding the disappointment from her eyes. "Don't you understand your actions put me in an awkward situation?"
"I'm just being honest."
"We both know that's not true, and even if it were, is your honesty more important than the relationship with my brother?"
"Well, he's not really your brother, is he?"
"What did you say?" Alisha asked with a slightly raised voice.
"No, I didn't mean that," Sarah swiftly corrected herself. Alisha stared at her. "Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that, it just slips."
Alisha did not utter another word. She took out her wallet and left a 50$ bill on the table before walking out. She had known Zane since they were four years old. During her first year of high school, after her parents kicked her out for coming out as gay, it was Zane's mother who housed and cared for her until she graduated from college and had her own apartment. His mother was her mother, but the woman he shared his life with — the one who is supposed to be her soulmate — dared say such a thing.
"Honey, please wait," Sarah rushed after her.
"I need some time to cool off, so don't follow me," Alisha said as she brushed away Sarah's arms.
"Listen to me."
"No, for once, you listen to me," Alisha snapped. "Walk away, and give me some time to breathe." She hailed the nearest taxi and left the restaurant, leaving a railed-up Sarah, who resisted the urge to follow.
Meanwhile, Zane used the walk home to calm himself. Sarah has always been like this, and usually, he knows how to control himself around her. But it appeared that building up all this resentment may not be the best approach to the entire situation.