“What episode is this one, old man?” She grinned at Sway. She loved to persistently mock him on his extensive Golden Girls trivia knowledge. He wasn’t ashamed. It was a damn good show and a classic. Dorothy never failed to make him smile before he turned off the television. He couldn’t think of any other show that did that.
Sway swallowed his toast and glanced up at the TV. He’d only spared it a three second glance when he snapped his fingers and started chuckling, “This is the one where Dorothy sees Stan for the first time after the divorce.”
“This one is so funny.” His mom laughed with him, they were probably both thinking of their favorite part in the episode.
“As soon as Dorothy rips Stan’s toupee off, I’m gonna head out, Momma. I want to bring some coffee for my boss, I have to talk with her before my shift starts.”
“Okay, honey. I’ll see you this evening.”
Sway’s eyes widened at the mention of this evening. Wasn’t he supposed to be meeting with a certain silent and mysterious man tonight? He tapped his hand nervously while he stared at the episode, not really seeing it anymore. Tweetie and his mom let go another round of laughter, oblivious to his situation. He had so much going on; how could he think of getting into anything too stressful? Relationships were just that. Brian clearly wasn’t interested in a hookup. They’d already been there and done that and neither of them seemed satisfied with it. If Sway pursued this, he’d know exactly what it meant.
“Tweetie, are you busy tonight?”
She dug at a piece of bacon that’d wedged between the small gap in her bottom teeth before she answered, “Nothing that I know of. What comes on tonight, Steph?”
His mom seemed to think about it for a moment just as her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh! Grey’s and Scandal, honey. Yes. I need this in my life tonight.” His mom said dramatically, and just that fast they both exploded into a conversation about what they wanted to see happen tonight.
“I was asking—” he yelled over them, smiling when they glowered at him. “I was asking because I was hoping you’d be interested in some extra hours tonight?”
Tweetie smiled broadly then narrowed her rich brown eyes. “I been asking for more hours forever, but you never seem to have anywhere to go… old man. So, what’s changed?”
She was just as perceptive as Dana. Loved piecing something together. Sway huffed teasingly, “Nothing Angela Lansbury. Just hanging out.”
“With some friends… or a friend?”
His mom was trying to act as if she wasn’t hanging on his every word, but she wasn’t fooling anyone, staring at the television like a zombie. It was her and Tweetie’s mission to get him settled down, no matter how much he resisted. “A friend, okay. Miss Nosey.”
“Hmmm. How can we turn that friend into boyfriend?” She tapped her chin as if she was deep in thought. “Are you putting out the vibes, baby, you know… for you guys’ radar.”
Does she mean… ‘gaydar’?
Tweetie just kept talking like she was being so PC. “Now, I’ve been talking with my cousin, Jamar, he’s my gay cousin I mentioned a while back. He’s a barber. Do you know him?”
Sway just stared dumbfounded for a second then answered, “Of course I know him. Gay barber, Jamar.” He couldn’t be mad at her. She was only trying. Tweetie grew up in the Deep South, in Haleyville, Alabama, before her mom passed and she was sent to live with her aunt in Gainesville, Georgia. In the early seventies, neither of those backwoods towns had been known for their acceptance or tolerance. So, he was glad that she always tried to say the right thing… even if she rarely did.
“Yes.” She beamed. “He said a man can give you the look and sometimes that’s all it takes. Give him the look tonight, Sway.” Tweetie batted her eyelids and puckered her toffee-colored lips a little, flicking her head in a come-hither motion.
“Oh God. Okay. I think I’m done eating.” Sway picked up his plate and put it into the sink. When he came back out he kissed his mom on the cheek. He went over to Tweetie and pecked her cheek as well. “Now, I’m going to take my newfound ‘how to score’ knowledge, and I’m gonna head to work.”
“I’ll be here all evening, Sway. You be sure to take your time and enjoy yourself tonight. You know I got your momma. Matter of fact, take an overnight bag. And don’t worry. I’ll call Mr. Brown and submit the hours, all you’ll have to do is sign my sheet like always at the end of the period.” She grinned, then turned to Sway’s mom. “These extra coins are sure going to come in handy for the summer, Steph.”