Playing Hard To Get

“He isn’t my boss,” Tamia said tensely. “Charleston works with an entirely different team. And there’s nothing new. Just us…same as always.” She rolled her eyes.

“‘Just us’?” Tasha looked at Tamia sideways. “That man is worth eight figures. He’s one of the most sought-after brothers in the city. You can’t tell me you haven’t been on someone’s overnight trip to Paris in a private jet and reinvented some rules for the mile-high club.”

“I’ve done all of that. That’s not the problem.”

“What is it?” Tamia asked.

“Well, between the trips and plans and sex, Charleston isn’t saying anything about us settling down—not a peep.”

“Settling down is overrated,” Tasha whispered sinisterly and Troy nodded along, but Tamia shook her head.

“You two can say that because you’re both married already.”

“Please, do you even want to settle down with Charleston?” Tasha asked. “I haven’t heard you mention this before, and you just stopped seeing that white boy—what’s-his-face.”

“Alex,” Troy confirmed.

“I know…I mean, I don’t know,” Tamia tried. “Look, I do want to settle down. And Charleston is a great guy. We’re together and he’s in my space…drinking the milk and I’m too old to give it away for free. I feel like something should be happening. You know? Like I shouldn’t be standing still. He acts like all he has to do is just show up and be Lord of the Rings and that’s all. I can’t let him use me.”

“Well, use him,” Tasha snapped. “Let that fucker pay your mortgage and fly you all around and keep it moving. What’s wrong with that? Have fun. Get your hair did…and please do something about those nails…scratching my baby.” She wearily looked at Tamia’s three-day-old manicure as they all laughed.

“Tasha,” Tamia said, “I’m serious. I need to put some fire under him.”

“Look, if you really want to get him thinking, get his testicles a little tighter, you need to do some love politricking.”6

“What’s that?” Troy asked.

“If you really feel like Charleston is only monopolizing your time and not investing, you’ve got to find a way to control the situation before it controls you and you lose him,” Tasha started, readjusting the black mink shawl she insisted on wearing to the playground, “which I cannot let you do, because I happen to know two women in this very neighborhood who are waiting for you to step down so they can step up. Charleston may not be a young Denzel, but he has old-Denzel money. And that makes him prime real estate for the thirty and up crowd. This type of man is as uncommon as good weaves.”

Tamia and Troy nodded in agreement.

“But what can I do?” Tamia asked. “How do I get control?”

Tasha handed Troy a tissue to wipe Toni’s nose as she thought.

“How long has it been?” Tasha asked.

“Six months.”

“Damn, this is worse than I thought…. You’re actually at the breaking point. After six months, a man his age gets lazy. He thinks he doesn’t have to invest and looks at you crazy if you insist. We need to move fast. Swift. You’re gonna have to back up. Get some space. Give some space.”

“True, true, and very true. I’ll have to do that,” Tamia agreed, taking the hat Tiara had pulled from her head. She ran her hand over Tiara’s smooth, nude scalp and smiled.

“Oh, please put that hat back on her head,” Troy insisted. “That poor baby doesn’t have a single curl. She’ll get H1N1 in three seconds.”

They all laughed as Tiara wrestled with Tamia for the hat.

“When is little mama’s hair coming in?” Tamia asked. “Toni had a head of hair by now.”

“Please, I don’t know,” Tasha answered, rolling her eyes playfully. “I’m about to get her a little baby weave or something. Like a bang.”

“You will not!” Troy said, nearly falling over in the sand with Toni, she was laughing so hard.

“It’s cold out here. I can’t have my baby’s scalp all naked.” Tasha snatched the hat and put it on Tiara’s head. “Maybe I could get my hands on one of Aunty Mia’s tracks.”

“Whatever!” Tamia snapped. “You put a hand on one of my tracks and I’ll put my hands on both you and Tiara!…And this is Indian hair too!” She flipped her hair over her shoulder as Tasha and Troy giggled. “It costs half of my mortgage.”

2