by Teneka Woods
“Oh, you’re so modest. You’re beautiful all the time.” Trooty patted her arm and motioned for her to return to her seat as she took the one across from her. “What’s been going on with you?”
“Not too much, just working hard. The usual. How is Myrna?”
Trooty’s slim shoulders shook as she laughed and threw a hand to her heart. Myrna was her 1959 Cadillac Eldorado—the one Tora side-swiped trying to dodge a Pomeranian that ran out in the road ahead of her as she drove down Memorial Drive about six months ago. It had already been a stressful day, so when she got out of her vehicle to assess the damage she’d caused to that shiny mauve convertible spaceship with the milk-white seats and tires, and at the puppy that lay bleeding and twitching in the street, she was hysterical.
With her easy smile and soothing voice Trooty had calmed her and told her that automobile was the least of her worries and she was glad the two of them were all right. From her car she offered Tora the cup of tea that did not topple over and spill across the floor during the impact. It was the one she was taking home to her husband.
“Did William tell you about the new lemon bars? I think you’ll love them. They’re perfect for your favorite tea.”
Tora nodded. “He did, but I’m going to wait until the guy I’m meeting gets here.”
Trooty lifted her bushy black brows. Tora loved the contrast against her wavy gray hair. “Is this a special guy?”
“This is my first time meeting him, actually,” Tora said. “I met him online.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. So I don’t know.”
“So it’s more of a blind date, am I right?”
“That’s how I view online dating, anyway. Because you really don’t know what you’re going to get until they show up. I saw his photo, but who’s to say it’s really him?” She shook her head at the possibility. “I’m only trying this because my coworker suggested it.”
Trooty reached across the table and touched her hand. “You give me a signal if you need an escape, okay darling?”
Laughing, Tora said, “Right! I hope I won’t, but that’s a good idea. If you see me tugging at the back of my hair like this, I need an out.”
Lines appeared at the corners of Trooty’s eyes as she chuckled. “I’ll let William know, too,” she said.
When he walked in Tora’s first thought was the picture was old. Years old. She knew it was him because he looked as out of place as she did amongst the half-dozen silver-haired customers sipping tea and eating pastries. He was the right height, but the rest of him was all wrong. She had the mind to pull her hair right away but didn’t want to be rude and decided to let him enjoy one of Trooty’s savory beverages at least.
He stuck out his hand when he approached the table. “How’re you doing today? You’re even more beautiful in person.”
“Thank you,” Tora smiled.
He glanced around as he sat down. “What made you choose this place?”
“Besides it being the best tea I’ve ever had in my life and worth the drive all the way over here? I know the owner.”
He nodded. “Oh okay.”
“Are you going to tell me your name?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he stuck out his hand again. “I’m Jason.”
Trooty walked over. She looked at Tora and gave her a thumbs-up. Tora responded with a slight nod. “Here are the menus. Just let me know when you’re ready to order,” she said before turning away again.
They looked over the small, single-sided menus in silence before Jason finally said, “Now you have to tell me everything about you.”
“I don’t know about everything, but…”
He laughed. “What made you join Soul Meet? I would think a woman like you to be spoken for already.”
“It’s not something I normally do, but I decided to give it a try. Like everyone else I’m just hoping to meet a nice person and see where it leads.”
“Well, I can say with confidence right now you can stop looking.”
Tora looked at him a couple seconds before the laugh burst out of her mouth. A few of the diners’ heads turned their way and their eyes gave a look as if to say Of course they would be the loud ones. She couldn’t care less.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is only our first meeting,” she told him.
“I just know that I’m a good man and I got the reputation to prove it.”
“Oh really? Do you know what you want to order?” She was going to need her tea for this one.
“Yeah, the corn beef sandwich sounds good. And I wanna try that tea you say is so great.”
Tora waved Trooty over and relayed their orders. When she left, Tora propped her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands. “Tell me about your reputation.”
Jason cleared his throat. “Well, all the women I’ve been with—”
“How many have you been with?” she interrupted.
A sly grin curved his lips and Tora had to admit he had a sexy smile. But, height notwithstanding, it was the only other thing he had going for him physically.
“Isn’t there a saying that it’s not polite to ask a guy—or girl—how many partners they had?” He laughed.
Tora pursed her lips.
“Seriously… everybody will tell you I’m all about working hard to make sure I become a success so my family can be a success. I’m talking generational wealth. Leaving something so my kids and my kids’ kids don’t have to work so hard.”
Tora nodded. “That’s understandable. A great outlook.”
“Every day I’m grinding,” he continued. “I’m always in the studio writing or recording or with my partners putting tracks together. Music is my life. It’s in my blood. I eat, sleep, breathe it.”
“Okay.”
“So if you know it’s what’s going to get us to the top why would it be a problem?”
“I agree.”
He smiled again. “Women say that all the time though. Do you really see what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, if music is your passion you should definitely pursue it.”
“Exactly,” he nodded, “so if we have this understanding beforehand why would it all of a sudden be an issue five or six months into our relationship?”
Tora’s forehead crinkled. He touched her arm.
“Let me ask you this: what type of work do you do?”
“I’m a visual merchandiser.”
“What’s that?”
“I make the store look good to attract customers.”
“You love what you do? Is that your dream job?”
“I enjoy it, but I also do photography on the side. It’s what I really love.”
“Alright, so photography is what you really wanna do, right?”
Tora nodded again. “Well, it’s one of many. I have several hobbies.”
“Okay, so let’s say above all else it’s what you want to do. Now, if I was your man and you came to me and said, ‘Baby, I really wanna pursue this photography thing. It’s my heart, it’s my passion… it’s what I wanna do and I believe it will get us the financial freedom we’re striving for.’ As your man I’m going to see to it that you do that.”
“I like the sound of that,” Tora said.
“Exactly. But let me take it a step further. If I knew that you needed a lot of free time to really pursue your dream and do what you have to do, and if I were in a position to support you financially in the meantime, I would do that too.”
Tora raised a brow at him. She should have known there was a catch.
Trooty set their plates and pot of tea with matching cups in front of them.
“Thanks, Ms. Trooty,” Tora said.
“Can I get y’all any extra condiments or anything?” she asked.
Tora shook her head no while Jason requested Tabasco sauce. He didn’t wait for Trooty to return and dove right into his sandwich as soon as she walked away.
“I can tell by the look on your face you’re alr
eady seeing the negative,” he said.
“I get what you’re saying, but chasing your dream is one thing. Wanting somebody to take care of you while you do it is another.”
“That’s not what you just said. Just a minute ago you said you like the way it sounds for your man to help you reach your goal.”
That sly grin appeared again. This time it wasn’t as sexy with the glob of mayonnaise stuck on the corner of his mouth. And he kept chewing and talking as if he didn’t feel it. She had to look down at her own plate to keep from regurgitating the forkful of pot pie she’d just swallowed.
“So now let me ask you this: how much work do you put in working on your dream?”
Tora shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean… I take my camera with me everywhere I go. Every chance I get I’m always promoting my services.”
Trooty set the hot sauce in front of him. He twisted the cap off and set the bottle down next to his plate. “But you’re not able to devote to it full time though, right? Because of your other job?”
“Well, no, but—”
“And that’s exactly what I’m talking about. How can you expect for your photography business to get off the ground if you’re only able to work at it for one or two hours a day?”
It was true she could not take on as many jobs as she liked because the biggest money makers and opportunities for exposure were events that took place on weekends, and Driskell & Co. required her to work most weekends. But she always saw the situation as a glass half full and believed all she needed was one awesome shot to bring her steady business. So she approached every shoot with that mindset. “Are you telling me that you only date rich women?”
He laughed and strings of mayo and red cabbage slaw stretched from the roof of his mouth to his tongue. Tora pushed her chicken pot pie aside. She was done.
“No, not necessarily. But I believe in making sacrifices.”
“Jason, what exactly are you saying?”
“I’m saying if we’re in a relationship and committed to growing together, building something, and you know my music is what’s gonna get us there, then we can do without certain things so I can commit to it full time.”
“So in other words you’re looking for a woman to take care of you, to make sacrifices for you? A woman you’re not married to?”
He took a sip of tea before setting the cup down delicately on its saucer. “I’m looking for a woman that’s supportive of my dream. Isn’t that what relationships are about?”
“How long have you been doing music?”
“All my life. Well… since I was thirteen, fourteen.”
“And how old are you now?”
“I’m thirty-four.”
“And you haven’t had any success with it yet?”
“I got two albums, co-wrote and produced one of my partner’s albums, and did some music for a stage play. I got a notebook full of songs.”
“But you haven’t gotten signed or anything?”
“We did, but then the label kept putting off the album, saying they were going through some changes. I got tired of waiting and told them if they weren’t gonna put it out that year, I was taking my music elsewhere.”
“Did they?”
He shook his head. “They dropped us.”
“How long ago did that happen?”
“About twelve years.”
“So for twelve years you’ve been in relationships with women who have taken care of you while you work on music full time? Were you married to any of these women?”
“No. I was engaged once. Like I say… they were all down with me in the beginning. Then their attitude changed.”
“But can you blame them? You’re asking them to finance your dream, basically, and have nothing to show for it or offer in return for all the years they’ve invested in you. Be serious now.”
He nodded. “It’s a testament of their belief in me. My dream won’t die. I have to keep working at it to see it through.”
Tora rolled her eyes. “Jason, you can’t be serious. At some point you have to realize you got to try something else if it’s not working. You can’t just live off people.”
He looked at her as if he were seeing an alien with three heads. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. I would never tell someone to give up on their dream if it’s not working. How would you feel if I told you to give up photography? And I see you have temporary amnesia because just a minute ago you had no problem with the idea of your man taking care of you while you strived for the top, but now that I’m presenting you the situation in reverse it’s a problem.” He chuckled. “Come on now. You be serious.”
She folded her arms on the table to combat the urge to slap him. “I’m not saying to give up on your dream, Jason. Many of us are chasing our dreams and would love to be able to commit to them full time, but bills have to be paid. You have to do what you can until you get there is all I’m saying. And I’m not sure what type of women you’re used to dealing with, but my parents raised me to not depend on anyone financially. Especially someone I’m not married to. I will never not have a job that brings me income—even if it’s just part time.”
He grunted, shaking his head. “And it’s that type of attitude that keeps us from advancing together as a people, as a community. We’re never supportive of each other in relationships. We’re always looking out for ourselves. As your man you should be able to depend on me financially… and vice versa.”
“Long gone are the days where families can survive on one income.”
“It doesn’t take much to run a household,” he countered. “All you need is food, water, and electricity. Everything else is just extracurricular.”
She picked up her fork to take a bite of the pie. He had finished his sandwich and her stomach was growling. But what she really should have done was call Trooty over to ask for a to-go plate. It was clear now, Jason was a bum and she had no reason to waste any more time on this meeting.
“I was about to ask you if your food wasn’t good since you weren’t eating it,” he said.
No, it’s because I had to wait until the horse sitting next to me closed his mouth long enough so I can enjoy my lunch without gagging. “I was just letting it cool down a bit. The last time I got it it burned my tongue,” she lied.
He let her take several more bites before he spoke again. “So… Tora the Tiger. I still don’t know much about—”
“That’s right,” she cut him off, “you were supposed to tell me about your time in Japan. How did you end up there? You said you lived there for a while, right?”
He waved his hand and poured more tea into his cup. “This tea is very good by the way. I see what you mean.”
“I told you,” Tora agreed.
“Everything is always about the music,” he said. “One of my partners is from there. He was here for a while in school, but decided he could be more successful in Japan for the type of music he was producing, so he went back. He told me I should come with him so we could work on some things together. And me and my girl had just broken up, I was down about it and figured why not. It was the opportunity for a fresh start. Plus, he convinced me of how big the music scene is out there—especially hip hop.”
“Is that the type of music you’re into?”
“I’m more R&B. Soul. But I can do hip hop tracks. I can do it all, really.”
“Did you like it there? Why did you end up coming back to the states?”
“Aww, man. Japan is cool. I was surprised to see more of us out there. I wasn’t expecting that. But I got more connections here, so it just made sense for me to be home. I was there for three years though. We worked on the album I was telling you about that I co-wrote. It got some play, but didn’t really take off like we hoped.”
Tora nodded.
“But I definitely need to get back soon. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen my little Hoshi.”
Tora gave a quizzical look.
“My daughter,” he clarified.
She couldn’t recall whether or not his Soul Meet profile mentioned any children he might have had. “She lives in Japan?”
“With her mother, yes.”
“Is this the woman you were engaged to?”
“No. Not her.”
“When’s the last time you saw her? Your daughter I mean?”
“Not since I left. About five years.”
“How old is she?”
“She’s eight now.”
“What’s stopping you?”
He sighed and laughed a little. “Those flight tickets are pretty steep.”
Tora was in disbelief. It was getting worse by the second. “So let me get this straight,” she said, “your friend asks you to move to Japan and, because you broke up with your girlfriend, you decide to go. You meet another woman there and get her pregnant and, because the music scene wasn’t right for you, you decide to leave your family and return to the U.S.? And because you don’t believe in working a job outside of music to support yourself, you can’t come up with the money to go and visit your daughter? And you don’t see a problem in that?”
His grin showed her that he didn’t see the problem.
He said, “That’s why I’m working hard to make sure I win. She will be well-taken care of when her daddy gets Hoshi Music out here on the scene.”
Tora rolled her eyes again. “Well… I’m sure she will be glad to see that you cared enough to use her name in your work.” She was disgusted.
His lip curved into a smile and she decided he looked like a lizard.
She raised her arm, waving Trooty over. “We’re ready for the check. It will be separate.”
FIVE
“Uncle Nate! Uncle Nate!”
The patter of little feet came rushing down the hall as Nate stepped into the foyer. The security system’s three beeps sounded whenever the front door opened and, as always, his eldest niece, Bryanna, wanted to see who the latest visitor was for Sunday dinner at her grandmother’s house. And because she was the eldest of the bunch his other niece and nephews followed right behind her. Tiny limbs and hands encircled his waist and thighs and knees as the five of them hugged him at the same time.
