Page 20 of In a Perfect World

Leyden’s eyes slid over Dallas’ way, and that piqued my interest immediately.However, after a few seconds, he finally said, “Complete honesty?”I nodded.“I’ve always been partial to Asian women.I like their exotic features.I like their delicacy.In truth, it’s their dark eyes that kill me every time.”

I looked over at Dallas.“And you?”

He grinned.“I prefer Black women.Their knockout curves make me glad that I’m a man.”Then Dallas cocked his head a bit.“Why do you ask?”

Lying through my teeth, I said, “Mom’s just got me thinking about what will happen if I don’t find a woman that does it for me here.”

“Well, you can’t force love,” Dallas remarked sagely.“If you could, then Sheryle and I would probably be married with a shitload of kids by now.”

“What about you?’Leyden asked.“What’s your idea of the perfect woman?”

“I don’t have one,” I hedged.“I mean, I agree with Winston.It’s all about how they make you feel, not how they look.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Dallas said.“Unless you apply for citizenship elsewhere, your options are limited to Sterling Acres.”

“And citizenship elsewhere takes years to achieve, if at all,” Leyden pointed out.

“Well, I’m perfectly happy with the way things are here,” Dallas remarked.“Life is so much easier for our people these days.”

I looked at my brother, and it was uncanny how much he sounded like our father.“Easier, but not necessarily better.”

Dallas looked genuinely affronted.“How can you say that?Of course, it’s better.”

“Then why are Morning Peaks and Blooming Heights always in the top two spots of the Transparency Reports?”I asked, channeling my father.“Spirit Lands is always resting comfortably in the third spot, and it’s only the rest of the regions that are constantly rotating ranks.”

“Because people aren’t perfect, Kairo,” he answered.“And because people aren’t perfect, the system will never be perfect.”

“You sound just like Dad,” Leyden snorted.

“Okay, I think this conversation is a productive one, but one best suited for dinner at the Booker household,” Winston announced.“You guys are killing my buzz, and the fish are wondering where we ran off to.”

“Amen,” Dallas agreed.“I need another beer.”

As everyone else settled back into drinking and fishing, my mind immediately went back to Triana, and I wasn’t sure if it was the forbidden fruit effect that had me feeling things, or if I’d really just been struck by one of Cupid’s arrows, and if that was the case, then Cupid was an asshole.

It wasn’t until after I’d gotten my drunken brothers and friend home that I’d gone back to my place, then fired up my laptop to see if I could find anything on Triana Medina.While she had a couple of social media accounts, she didn’t have a whole lot on them, but it appeared as if her best friend, Sonia Torres, loved social media, so there were tons of pictures of them together on her sites, and it was clear that one of them loved rodeos, though I suspected that it was the friend.

Three hours later, I was shutting down my computer, feeling worse than if I had never stalked the woman’s social media to begin with.She was something that I couldn’t have, and I needed to remember that.I needed to remember that and never forget it.