He laughed, and just like that, everything felt lighter and better between them. Better than it had been for years.
"Tesah, good to see you, man." Lexington grabbed hold of Tesah's hand and gave him one of those manly half hugs. It was a familiarity that Tesah only ever allowed with Lexington; most of his other male friends were a little more tightly wound and a little less likable. After his conversation with Kira the night before, Tesah suspected that she would try to see her cousin before he could have the chance to. So he'd canceled his early-morning meetings and come straight to Lexi's office. Tesah knew that he risked losing a friendship he valued very much. It was one of the reasons he'd given the clearly unqualified Kira a job in such a high-ranking position in the first place—he'd felt he owed it to Lexi.
"I'm sorry to spring this visit on you," Tesah told Lexington as the man ushered him into a seat in his dingy little office at the back of the store he managed.
Tesah glanced around the place. Lexington had been brilliant at school, and it was inconceivable to Tesah that he wasn't the business manager of some multi-million-dollar corporation somewhere. He shouldn't be working in such a tiny store in this industrial part of medina.
Tesah looked at his friend and saw—for the first time—the lines etched into his brow and next to his mouth. He looked older than his thirty-two years, and there was some early gray mixed into his thick black hair. He and Kira bore a passing resemblance to each other, in the eyes and around the nose and mouth.
"How are you, friend?" he asked quietly.
"Ah, you know, same old same old. Nothing much has changed since we saw you last. Becky and I are still trying to get that wedding organized, but the house is taking up our spare funds at the moment."
Tesah had offered, years ago, to help out with the house, but Lexington was as stubborn and proud as his cousin. He could definitely see where Kira got it from now.
"And hey, man," Lexington added, "I've wanted to apologize about the whole Kira thing for a while now."
It was the opening Tesah had been searching for, even though the man's words baffled him.
"The Kira thing?" Tesah wasn't sure what to make of Lexington's cryptic statement.
"Yeah, first, she didn't even know who you were when she applied for that job. I mean, I was a little irritated with her for applying, I didn't want you to think I had anything to do with it." Tesah shook his head in disbelief. Unable to grasp that Kira's job application had been sheer coincidence. But then knowing what he knew about both Kira and Lexington, how could it have been anything different? The cousins would rather chew off their own limbs before asking a friend for help. "And then to just quit like that?"
Lexington shook his head in disgust.
"She's always been so irresponsible, and now with the . . ." He paused, even though Tesah knew he'd been about to mention the pregnancy. Lexington shook his head again before continuing. "Anyway, I just wanted to apologize about that. Her behavior was completely rash, as usual.
Something about the way Lexington was putting Kira down rubbed Tesah the wrong way, especially since it was completely unfair.
"You shouldn't be so harsh on her," Tesah said, and Lexington did a double take.
"What?"
"You shouldn't be so hard on her. She didn't quit. I fired her."
"You did?" Lexington's brow furrowed, as he tried to process this new information. "Why? What did she do?"
"Maybe you should give your cousin the benefit of the doubt once in a while," Tesah said, and Lexington's eyes narrowed.
"Tesah," he said, his voice going dangerously quiet. "What's this about?"
"This is what I've come here to discuss with you," Tesah replied, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"What? My cousin?"
"Yes. And the baby."
Lexington pushed himself up out of his chair and braced his clenched fists on the desk in front of him as he leaned forward to pin Tesah with his fierce glare. Tesah remained seated, allowing the man the position of power in this instance because, really, Tesah was in the wrong.
"How do you know about the baby?" Lexington asked in an uneven voice, and Tesah took a deep breath and met his friend's gaze head-on before bidding one of his longest-standing friendships a reluctant farewell.
"I'm the child's father."
Lexington moved so fast it took both of them by surprise. Tesah was out of his chair and pinned against the thin prefab wall in seconds.
"You bastard," Lexington hissed, his hands fisted in Tesah's shirtfront. "I trusted you with my family!"
"Lexington, take it easy." Tesah tried to remain calm and nonconfrontational, but Lexington dragged him forward and slammed him back against the wall, shaking it violently.
"You'll be marrying her."
"No, I won't," Tesah corrected. "Neither your cousin nor I want that. I will, however, be taking care of her and of the baby."
"We don't need anything from you," Lexington said, the Samia pride once again coming to the surface. "Not one bloody thing. If you won't do the right thing and marry her, then I'll take care of her and the baby."
"Don't be ridiculous, Lexington. The baby is my responsibility. Kira—while she's pregnant—is my responsibility. You have Becky and the house to take care of. Kira will be moving in with me for the remainder of her pregnancy, and after that she'll be moving into a house that I will purchase in our child's name—as per her wishes."
"Yeah, money buys you out of every undesirable situation, doesn't it? Must be nice," Lexington said with a sneer, and the man's contemptuous words stung more than they should have. Tesah tried not to let them affect him, but it was hard when Lexington's opinion of him had just hit rock bottom. "My cousin and her child are not for sale. You can take whatever the hell deals you have made with her and shove them up your ass. Get out of my office."
"The arrangements that Kira and I have made have nothing to do with you. I only came to tell you about our plans out of respect for you and for our friendship."
"You have so much respect for me that you used my cousin like one of your little sluts? And then tossed her aside like rubbish when she turned up pregnant? And worse than that, you fired her? Why? Because your mistake would be staring you in the face every day as she grew bigger and bigger with your little bast—"