Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 10

Finally, an update.

Jazmin

Right now, I was sitting on Stephen's couch with my phone. We were both sitting, but we were leaning against each other, both immersed on the phone. I was scrolling through Twitter looking at my timeline. Nothing really interesting, just the usual. Memes, funny videos, pets, Trump. Don't even get me started on that man.

"He's so stupid." I said as I was reading the latest article.

"Who?" Stephen replied without looking at me.

"Trump." It disgusted me to even utter his name. Y'all better not vote for that man in November.

"You don't like him?" Wait a minute. I turned too fast to look at Stephen, then he glanced at me. I gave him a long stare. He realized I was still looking at him and put his phone down. "What?"

"Did you vote for him?" If he did, I'm sorry that was the end of us. Stephen gave me an amused look. I cocked my head at him and he rolled his eyes.

"No, I didn't vote for him. In fact, I didn't vote at all." Because that makes it better. I hit him on the arm. He glared at me and rubbed it. "Ow."

"You need to vote man." He waved me off.

"As long as I'm getting money, I don't care what this government does."

"So you don't care what they do to me, or the rest of the people who look like me? And everybody else who is at a disadvantage in this country?!" He sat up.

"You're absolutely right. I never really thought of it that way. I've just never been accustomed to voting. I came over from Italy when I was 16, so this place has never really felt like home." I guess I could understand that. But it's always good to vote.

"I understand and I didn't mean to guilt trip you or anything. I'm just...really sensitive to that stuff I guess." There was no question about how the United States operates. The long history of minorities getting oppressed, and underlying racism that has become more blatant today. I'm not saying this because I'm black, or because I have bias. I'm saying this because it's the reality we live in.

"And you have every right to be, how could you not?" Wow, my man was woke. Slightly, we'll get him there. I smiled and fluffed his hair. He swatted my hand away and gave me a glare. "I'm not some dog you can pet, Jazmin." I laughed. I loved to mess with him. He got up and he turned to me.

"Well, I have some work to attend to."

"Woowww, you're just going to leave me like that?" He rolled his eyes and began making his way to his office, I assume. I got up after him and followed. He realized a few moments later and turned around.

"You're following me, why?" I shrugged.

"I wanna get to know you better, and I figured that watching you work would help that." He sighed and gave me a soft look.

"We'll go on a date soon, I promise." I narrowed my eyes at him. I know his work consisted of mafia stuff and I honestly probably wouldn't want to know what he was doing. Of course he would hide these things from me. I mean, I'm already with a mafia don, I can only imagine the things he's done.

"I know we will, but I thought you would want to show me your operations or something." He gave me a confused look.

"Since when have you become interested in the mafia?" I shrugged.

"I mean, I've technically already started taking interest because I agreed to be with you." He nodded. "So I just figured you'd show me something, but I get it. No outsiders." I started walking away and he grabbed my arm.