Playing Hard To Get

Troy clapped the program closed and looked out of the window. What was Myrtle up to now?

?

As any good lawyer would, Tamia had immersed herself in her case, so much so that at work she remained locked up in her office for hours, at home she seldom answered the telephone—unless it was Malik, and when it was time for bed, she never once had a visitor. While she and the residents who slumbered beneath her bedroom were perfectly fine with the new arrangement, one New York baristocrat18 wasn’t quite as content. And when Tamia entered the Bentley waiting before the entrance of her posh pad one morning, she discovered just who that baristocrat was.

“Charleston!” she screeched as if the man seated in the car was a common stranger who hadn’t been bankrolling her chic morning adventures.

“Whoa, don’t reach for your pepper spray,” Charleston said, holding his arms out defensively as Tamia got into the car.

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t expect you to be…”

“I know; it’s just my car and everything.”

“You know what I mean,” Tamia said. “You haven’t been riding into the office with me, so I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I’m not the only one being incognegro.”19 Charleston accusingly peered at Tamia. “You haven’t been answering my calls, and when I stop by your office you aren’t there. This was the only way I could reach you—a sneak attack.”

“I’ve just been really busy. It’s nothing personal.” Trying to appear relaxed, Tamia shrugged her shoulders and looked out of her window.

While she assumed this would break the ice and help them transition to another topic, seeing Tamia’s back only infuriated Charleston. Three women (two of whom were together) had sexted20 him that very morning, promising memorable trysts if he’d come by for a morning drive, and here Tamia was acting as if his company was promised to her…or anyone. He looked at the tips of his freshly manicured fingers and laughed.

“Busy?” he said. “Well, I see you weren’t too busy to get that mortgage paid.”

Tamia felt his words dig into her gut like a dagger. She’d hated the idea of taking money from him to buy the place. But managing both Charleston’s expectations of how his lady should live, and her own needs to have something that marked her arrival in the city, she cowered and took the deal. Her father, who’d offered to provide the down payment for a two bedroom in Greenwich Village, was suspicious and said the decision would haunt her someday.

“I can give the money back, if you want it,” Tamia said shortly.

“That’s most of your savings.” Charleston’s voice was still cold. “And how will you pay it next month?”

“I don’t know.”

“I know you don’t know.”

“So, then why would you bring it up?” Tamia looked at Charleston and she was so angry now, he was the one who felt the dagger.

There was no comeback. The embarrassment in Tamia’s tone made Charleston’s wielding of power seem small, childish.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just wondering why I can’t seem to get any time with my girlfriend. I mean, Naudia tells me you’ve been hanging out in Harlem with that Malik character. What am I supposed to think?”

“I haven’t been hanging out with anyone,” Tamia answered. “I don’t know why my assistant would tell you that. I’ve just been going to the center. They have yoga classes and I even took this meditation seminar. It was—”

“Meditation?” Charleston frowned. “What the hell do you need that for? That’s why black people take naps or go to church.”

“It’s not like that.” Tamia laughed and while she was looking at Charleston, she was seeing the image of Malik’s bare, straight back as he demonstrated the breathing pose before her. There was no need to mention that he was the teacher…and she was the only student.

“Oh, that’s not what it’s like?” Charleston faked laughter and stopped suddenly. “Well, what is it like? No…what is he like?”

“Him?”

“Come on. I’m not stupid, Mia. Some ghetto nigga with dreads and a knapsack has you using your bank card to take cabs back and forth to Harlem every day. What is it? A fantasy? You wanna fuck a hoodrat? I could understand that. I really could. I’ve had some.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Are you crazy? Wait, have you been looking at my bank statements?”

“Take this as a warning,” Charleston said softly, as if he was reciting a prayer. “Don’t let your fantasies fuck with your future. The case is a dog and you need to act that way. Your nose is wide open, but you can’t smell your dog’s shit.”

The car stopped in front of the office and Tamia sat speechless as the driver came around to open her door.

“I’ll be coming by later,” Charleston said cheerfully when the door opened.