Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26166 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“Okay, Nelle. If he’ll do it, I’ll do it .”
“For real?! You’re in?”
Scribbling HOMECOMING on the pad, I circle and underline the bold letters. I don’t have time to do this, but something tells me I’ll regret it if I don’t.
“Yeah. I’m in.”
CHAPTER THREE
touré
Janelle smiles at me from her little box on the screen for our video conference call. It feels like we didn’t miss a beat, despite the fact we’ve missed nearly two decades.
“The committee is so hyped for this,” she says. “I’m everyone’s favorite person right now. The only people happier are Niomi’s producers.”
I frown and ask myself again if I’m sure about this. I want to please Celine by doing the interview on campus, but that doesn’t mean it has to air on national television. I could have turned down Niomi’s request to air portions of it on her show, but I can admit to myself that this interview isn’t just for my daughter. It’s for my old friend who could have been more had things not happened the way they did. The chance to talk to Niomi, even if it’s with cameras rolling, appeals more than I’d like to admit.
“She just texted me.” Janelle looks down at her phone. “She’ll be on in a few minutes. Production meeting went long.”
“No problem.”
“Your agent sent you the questions she submitted?”
“Yeah. They seem pretty straightforward.”
A little too straightforward. If Niomi’s half the journalist I know she is, she’ll manage to get more out of me than the questions she sent over would yield.
And then she’s there, her image popping into a third block onscreen. I’ve seen her on television, of course, and on the rare occasion in passing at events, but not this version of her. Her face is free of makeup, and her hair, usually straight and shiny around her shoulders, is pulled atop her head in a knot of waves and curls. She wears a Finley sweatshirt and simple gold hoop earrings. For a moment it feels like no time has passed and we’re huddled around a table, the three of us cramming for an exam in the library.
“Sorry I’m late.” Shallow lines of fatigue bracket Niomi’s full lips, reminding me her days begin hours before most of us wake up. “Got away as soon as I could.”
“No problem,” Janelle says. “You’re getting on a little late and I have to leave a little early. I’ll get you guys started and then I have to bounce for a meeting. You can leave the video running, though.”
My eyes meet Niomi’s, and the miles separating us don’t lessen the impact seeing her again this close up for the first time in so long has on me. Like a fist punching through my breastbone as I take in all the ways she has changed, and how she is exactly the same. Just like the first time I saw her, it’s hard to look away.
“Hey, Touré,” Niomi says in that smooth voice that always stirred something low in my belly. Even lower in my pants. “Good to see you.”
It feels insufficient as a greeting considering how close we once were and how long it’s been. The wry grins we exchange seem to acknowledge the potential awkwardness of this first encounter.
“Good to see you, too, Ni. I’m looking forward to the interview.”
“Liar.” Her chuckle reaches through the screen to tease me and I release a laugh of my own.
“Okay. I hate talking about myself. You probably know that, but I’m here, ain’t I?”
“You’re here,” Janelle chimes in. “And it’s gonna be a highlight of homecoming, along with your daughter being crowned, of course.”
“Is she excited?” Niomi asks. “Your daughter, I mean.”
“Celine’s shopping. It’s all about the dress right now. Excited would be an understatement.”
“I know you’re coming for the interview,” Janelle says. “But some of the old crew has confirmed and I’m hoping we can get some real time in over the weekend to hang. We past due on catching up.”
“Some of us more than others.” Niomi shoots me a look that is mostly teasing, but carries a touch of censure.
“You can grill him during the interview,” Janelle smirks.
“Do the questions I sent meet your approval, Touré?” Niomi asks.
“They do, but is this all you want to ask me?”
The pause, a beat of silence, swells as she watches me with some combination of openness and wariness that matches my own.
“Before you get too deep into questions,” Janelle interjects. “Lemme give you the run down, ‘cause I gotta go soon. As we discussed, we’ve decided to move the interview to Friday. Most panels and workshops and symposia are earlier in the week, but with this being such a big deal, we wanted to position it more prominently. There will be a stage on the Yard Friday and events, artists, etcetera, will be showcased throughout the day. That’s where we’ll set up the interview.”