So you tie up your hair and you smile like it's no big deal

 

"Fancy meeting you here?" His smile was broad and could always get him into trouble.

Mona glared back. Honestly, he was the last person she ever thought she'd see. Especially, at the coffee shop.

"Are you making fun of me?" Naturally, she blurted back. He really did have that kind of element about him. Of course, he just kept smiling as he put in his order for a creamy latte. 

"I'd never do that, sis," he smirked back with a laugh. "Just look at you. A working woman, finally." He winced with a sheepish grin.

"Don't call me that." She didn't want to say his name. But she'd started this long ago when she didn't know better. She gave the order to Jade who went to make it.

"Who's your friend?" He looked over at Jade.

"You don't need to know," Mona wished someone was behind him because she would have told him to move over. Except, she told him she'd pay for his drink. It was the least she could do. She hadn't spent Christmas with him since the start of the pandemic.

"Well, thanks a lot Sis," He would not stop. Never. Always clever and possibly a jerk.

"You don't call Mom anymore," she snapped,  giving him the sisterly eye.

"Well, has she said anything?" He looked at her as if it wasn't a bad thing. He hadn't gone anywhere. "She knows where to find me. And you, do you even know how she is?"

Mona gave him a sleepy sigh.

Just then, Jade handed over the sweet drink.

"Thank you, Jade." He said ever so sweetly. Jade looked at him startled. "Don't worry, I'll be back. Next time, you and me, OK?" Naturally, he flashed that award-winning smile and left with his drink.

"Who in the world is that?" Jade wanted to know. She was all smiles as if she was ready to be signed up for his fan club.

"He's my mom's little brother," she gave Jade a soured look. "He's like her first child."

"What's his name? He knows mine already?"

"Arizona." Mona sighed. She really couldn't call him uncle. "Ari never comes around since he started college."

"Huh, you do have an interesting family," Jade nodded. 

"Oh, you just think he's cute," Mona looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Look, if you are thinking of making Tristan jealous, just not Ari, OK?"

"I don't know what you're even talking about," Jade shook her head.

 About then Weezer arrived. All smiles as usual. He seemed to be getting the hang of the expresso machine. He'd come in early to show Jade a few things. After all, he'd studied the manual.