Passin'

SET in 2007 - Shanika Ann Jenkins is the pride of her family; smart, blonde, blue-eyed, and beautiful. Both her grandmother and her father are pleased with how she represents years of passing down light skin and marrying well. But her mother insists that her name reflect her true African American heritage, instilling a sense of pride in whom she is.

But when Shanika is turned down for a job at a PR firm because she’s not black enough to fill in one of the company’s unofficial African-American quotas, she changes her name to Nicole, and lands another position at the same company. It’s not her fault, she reasons, that everyone just assumes she’s white.

Her actions break her mother’s heart, and angers her brother who heatedly tells her, “Turn your back on your race if you want to, but you’d best remember, when you burn bridges like that, you’re going to have a helluva time trying to cross back over.”

She scoffs at his words, but they come back to haunt her when her new life begins unraveling before her eyes, and her lies and deceit threaten to destroy all who have crossed her path.

Passin' will be published by Warner Book in Feb. 2008, but is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Cost is $13.99, which will not be charged to your credit card until order is shipped.

Click here to Pre-order Passin' from Amazon.com

EXCERPT

"Shanika! Shanika!"

Whoever it was calling out her former name was getting closer, and Nikkie was about to suggest to Hal that they duck into a restaurant when the voice abruptly became a grasp on her arm.

"Shanika! Girl, I thought that was you!"

Nikkie suddenly found herself face-to-face with a short coal-black skinned muscular man with long curly hair. Her heart dove into the pit of her stomach. Cousin Booby.

"You ain't hear me calling you? What are you doing in New York, cuz?" he asked with a huge, pearly white grin.

Nikkie tried to keep her voice calm. "I'm sorry. You must have me mistaken for someone else. My name's Nicole."

Booby jerked his head back in surprise, then actually released her arm and stepped back as if to further appraise her. "What are you talking about, Nika?"

"My name isn't Shanika or Nika," Nikkie said frantically. "It's Nicole Jenson. And I'm sorry, but I've got to go."

"Nicole who? What are you talking about?" Booby's face wrinkled into a scowl.

Oh please, please, please, let his shell shock thingee kick in now and think maybe he did make a mistake.

For a moment she thought it had worked, but he suddenly grabbed her arm again, more roughly this time. "What the hell's going on?" he demanded.

"Excuse me," Hal said politely but firmly, "but I believe my friend has indicated that you're mistaken."

"Yeah, go ahead and excuse yourself, man," Booby said as he tried to pull Nikkie away. "This is my cousin, and I think she and I need to have a conversation."

"Please let go of me!" Nikkie managed to free her arm.

"I believe you're disturbing the lady." Hal stepped between them as people began to slow down to get a look at what was going on. "Why don't you go on your way?"

"Man, get the hell out of my face," Booby said as he tried to sidestep Hal to get back at Nikkie.

"Hal, come on," Nikkie tugged at his arm. "We're going to be late getting back to the office. Let's just go."

"Nika, you ain't going no damn where." Booby grabbed her. "What the hell is wrong with you, girl?"

"Let go of me," Nikkie said through clenched lips. Damn. What the hell was wrong with him? Not shell shocked enough to be convinced it wasn't her, but too shell shocked to get the hint she wanted him to make believe they didn't know each other?

"You heard the lady. Let her go!" Hal pushed Booby in the chest.

"What! Who the hell you pushing?" Booby released Nikkie and quickly stepped into a boxing stance. "I'll knock your damn head off."

Hal's lips turned up into a sneer. "I'm not going to stand out here and fight you like some kind of hoodlum."

"Then don't be putting your damn hands on me."

"Is there a problem here?" a new voice rang out.

Nikkie turned to see one of New York's finest quickly striding toward them, his police car – light's flashing – pulled halfway up onto the sidewalk. The officer's hand was on his holstered gun as he continued his approach. Things were spiraling out of control, and fast.

"It's nothing," she said quickly running up to the officer before he could reach Booby. "Just a case of mistaken –"

"Officer, this man is harassing us," Hal interrupted in his Master of the Universe voice. "He's obviously drunk. He's using profanity, grabbing my lady friend here, and threatening me with violence."

"Man, I ain't do nothing but try and talk to my cousin," Booby yelled. "And I ain't lay a hand on him. He's the one who pushed me, I ain't touch him."

"Where's your cousin?" The officer asked sternly.

"Right there," Booby pointed to Nikkie. "Tell 'em, Nika."

The officer's eyes switched from Booby with his dark-skin and broad nose to Nikkie with her milky white complexion, Caucasian features, and blonde hair. "Ma'am, is this man your cousin?" he asked, the skeptism evident in his voice.

"No," Nikkie said nervously, "but I'm sure he believes I am, and it's really not a big deal."

"What do you mean, it's not a big deal?" Booby stepped toward her, but was pushed back by Hal.

"Man, didn't I tell you not to put your hands on me, again?" Booby pushed Hal back.

"Hold on, there!" the officer said, his voice as menacing as the nightstick he was waving in the air.

"Please! Officer, I swear, everything's okay." Nikkie tried to jump in front of Booby but was stopped by Hal.

"Man, how you gonna act like you gonna beat up on me when you done saw this man push me and you ain't do shit?" Booby demanded of the policeman.

"Sir, I would advise you to back up, turn around, and put your hands on the patrol car," the officer said in a breathless voice.

"What the hell? I gotta assume the position, all of a sudden? For what, man?" Booby walked toward the officer, his hands held out at his sides. "I was just defending myself."

"And I was just defending my girlfriend," Hal retorted.

Booby swung around to face him again. "Your WHAT? You fucking white boy . . ."

"Sir, I'm going to ask you again to put your hands on the car!"

" . . . she ain't your girlfriend," Booby continued while walking toward Hal, ". She's my . . ." Booby stopped, as if it finally dawned on him what was going on.

"Nika," his eyes took on an accusing stare before narrowing into a squint as he reached out to grab her, "I know you ain't . . ."

Before he could get another word out the officer pulled his gun and pointed it at Booby's head. .

"Oh my God!" Nikkie screamed before falling into a dead faint.
 

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