Should Have Known Better

“God damn! Give it up. He was fine before you started acting all crazy.” Reginald pulled the tie in place beneath the collar of his shirt and stood there as if I was supposed to come and tie it, but I walked right past him and closed the closet door. “The boy was fine. And then when you got angry, he got angry.” He grunted and started tying the tie himself.

“This isn’t about me. It’s about you not listening to me,” I said. “I told you it was too much sugar and you were so busy being so nice to Sasha that you didn’t—”

“Sasha? Are you serious? Are you back on that again?” He dropped the ends of the loose tie and grabbed my arm as I tried to walk past him. “You’re acting like you’re jealous of her. I told you this would happen.”

“I am not jealous.”

“Please, every five minutes you act like she’s stealing your thunder just because she made some damn pancakes or told a joke. That’s not acting jealous?”

“Well, what about how you’re acting?” I lowered my voice. “You brought her back into this house without even asking me. Was that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I told you what that was about. I told you she said she would help me. That’s all it is.”

“You didn’t even touch me last night.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You don’t want to have sex with me!”

“I’m not talking about this.” He pulled off the tie and threw it onto the floor. “Where’s my blue tie?”

“I know she’s beautiful,” I said, following close behind Reginald as he went to the closet. “I see you looking at her. She calls you Reggie.”

“Who cares what she calls me?”

he said like it was the most ridiculous concern in the world. “I’m not talking about this.” He pulled the closet door open.

“Even in college . . . men always looked at her,” I said.

“Here it is!” Reginald pulled the blue tie from the closet and put it around his neck. “Look, I’m not talking about this. I told you why she’s here. She’s taking me down to Landon’s. That’s it. She’s your friend. You told me to be nice to her.”

“You keep saying that,” I said.

“Because it keeps being true!” Reginald walked to the mirror hanging behind our bathroom door and started following his reflection as he adjusted the tie. “Look, if you’re that worried—and I don’t know why—why don’t you come with us?”

“I have to go to work,” I said, unconsciously picking the other tie up off of the floor and flinging it onto the bed. “I have to take the kids to school.”

“Well, you wouldn’t have to go to work if you’d—”

“I’m not quitting my job.” I went and stood behind him in the mirror.

“—if you’d call in sick,” he said, looking at me through the mirror. “And stop cutting me off.”

“I can’t call in sick. You know I use those days in case something goes wrong with R. J.”

“Well, what about when something’s going right with me?”

“Don’t make this about you.” I went to the dresser to get my work ID badge.

“Just a minute ago it was,” Reginald said, turning around with his tie still undone. “Just come if it will ease your mind. Maybe you can help or something. Sasha could show you how to network . . . you know, talk to people.”

“I talk to people all of the time. It’s my job!”

“I mean in business. I didn’t mean it the way you’re saying. Why do you keep changing my words? You do realize that you’re being sensitive about everything everyone says?”

“I’m not changing your words. And I’m not being sensitive.”

“Fine,” he said, coming toward me. “Look, can you tie this?”