by A'zayler
“So he didn’t tell you where y’all was going?”
“No, he just said for me to get cute or whatever.”
“Uh oh bitch, you think he gon’ propose?”
Taryn stopped twisting Ayo’s hair. “Girl I’ve been thinking the same thing all day. I don’t know, but I sure do hope so.”
“You gon’ be mad if he doesn’t?”
“What you think?”
Kia and Taryn both knew that she was going to be mad. She was trying her best not to get her hopes up too high, but she was still nervous. Demoto’s call had been so sudden and out of the blue. He hadn’t said a word to her about a date when he left the house that morning.
“All I hope is that you don’t sweat this hair out at Foot Locker today.”
Taryn rolled her eyes. “Girl, who you telling? I don’t even know why I’m on the schedule. I started to call out.”
“You should have. You ain’t gon’ miss that lil check.”
“Oh don’t do me because you got your lil corporate job.”
Kia pushed Taryn’s shoulder. “Chile, please. That damn place gets on my nerves. Everybody and their mama works there. It be driving me crazy.” Kia parted the next section of Taryn’s hair. “Guess who had the nerve to speak the other day.”
“Who?”
“Ace bald head ass.”
“I know she didn’t.”
“Hell, I wish she wouldn’t have.” Kia leaned her head to the side, trying to ease the dizziness that she felt. “Hold up, Tee, let me get me some water or something real fast.”
Taryn leaned forward so that Kia could move from behind her. She stumbled a little when she stood up, but she gathered herself and went into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water and was on her way back into the living room when she felt the strong urge to throw up. The bottle of water in her hand dropped to the carpeted floor as she took off down the hall.
She ran as fast as she could until she was in front of the toilet bowl hurling up all of her lunch. When she finished, she rinsed her mouth with mouthwash and turned the water off.
“Let me find out you just as pregnant as my ass.” Taryn was standing at the door with her hands on her hips.
“Girl, I am. Jacko is about to be too happy. I took a test this morning. The second pink line was faint, but it was there.”
“Ayyyyyee!” Taryn put her hands on her knees and started popping her butt. “Go best friend! I’m finna be an auntie, I’m finna be an auntie.” Taryn danced around the bathroom as Kia laughed at her.
“Man, get your ass in that living room so we can get done. I am not about to play with you today.”
“We need to do a maternity shoot together once we start showing. Then once they get here they need to take pictures and everything together.”
“Your baby gon’ be bigger than mine.”
“How you know? All you did was piss on a stick. You don’t know how far along you is. I swear I ain’t never seen nobody fuck more than me and Demoto until you hopped on Jacky boy’s lil’ ass.”
Kia screamed. “Shut up, bitch.”
Taryn covered her mouth when they walked into the living room and Ayo was sitting up on the sofa. His eyes were still a little droopy, but he was awake.
“Hey mama man. You had a good nap?”
Ayo nodded his head. “Bonjour, maman.”
“You and this French speaking little African.” Kia picked her water up from the floor and took her seat back on the sofa.
“I know right. Isn’t it just the cutest?”
“It really is. Demoto gon’ have to teach me and Jacko’s baby that shit.”
Taryn rolled her eyes. “Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want him to. Yo-Yo and Moto walk around my house all day talking to each other, and I can’t understand shit. My damn baby be having to tell me what they’re saying.” Taryn sat back down on the floor. “Now you tell me how much sense does it make for a two-year-old to speak a foreign language and my grown behind can’t.”
Kia went back to flat ironing Taryn’s hair. “That is sad.”
“Demoto thinks it’s funny. He’ll purposely say something to Ayo in French to make him laugh because he knows I’m nosey. I be wanting to know so bad, but I just act like I don’t.”
“I’ll tell you, Mommy,” Ayo watched Taryn as he turned on his IPad Mini, “if I can have apples.” He smiled and Taryn and Kia fell out laughing.
“Man, get your baby.”
“He his daddy’s son. Always want me to do something for them. I can’t win for losing. I hope the one I’m having now is a girl. I need some balance in my life.”
“Well, I want a boy that looks just like Jack. We already have Izzy.”
“I understand that. When you gon’ tell him?”
“As soon as I come up with a cute enough way.”
Taryn’s mental wheels started turning. “How about we tell them together? Like at the same time.”
“Oooh, yeah!”
Between Pinterest and Google, Kia and Taryn looked for ways to tell their men about the new arrivals. By the time they’d gotten done with Taryn’s hair and it was time for her to go, they’d come up with at least ten different ways to break the news. All they had to do now was decide on just one and get it set up.
*****
The mall was packed as usual when Taryn got there. She’d told her manager that she was only going to be able to work four hours because she had something to do later and that still wasn’t going by fast enough. On most days she didn’t mind her job because it wasn’t hard to service people looking for their children a few pairs of sneakers. Today just wasn’t her day. Demoto had her so amped up about her date later that she could hardly contain herself.
Though he hadn’t said anything about proposing, she’d played it up in her mind over and over all day, so now she was expecting it. Not to mention Kia’s input on the situation. Between the two of them, they’d planned her proposal, her wedding, and the honeymoon based off of their assumptions. Taryn snickered to herself as she folded the clothes.
Leave it to some women to do the most. The moment it didn’t happen tonight she wasn’t going to have anyone to blame except herself. Taryn looked out the door of Foot Locker as she fixed the racks around the store. They had two other customers at the moment, but someone was already working with them.
“Excuse me, can you help me find the Jordan sweat suits for little boys?” the tall man standing in front of her asked.
Taryn gave him the once over before pointing in the direction of the door. The suits were hanging on the rack to the left of the exit. He stood still, looking at Taryn until she noticed that he wasn’t moving. One of her eyebrows raised in question as she tried to understand why he was still standing there.
“Can I help you with something else?”
“How come every time I come in here you’re always looking so mean?”
“I don’t know. That’s just the way I look.”
He reached his hand up, she was sure to touch her hair, but she ducked back and he missed. He smiled and withdrew his hand. Dropping it down by his side.
She smiled. “Please don’t touch me.”
“My apologies. You should let me take you out to dinner to make up for my mistake.”
Taryn shook her head. “No thank you because you might make a mistake and my boyfriend will have to kill you.”
He laughed. A hardy laughter. One that possessed power. The smooth caramel complexion of his skin turned a shade lighter as it held a reddish hue to it. The neat line up surrounding his forehead that lead down the side of his face to the goatee around his mouth looked fresh as he smiled.
“What if I tell you that I’m not afraid of your little boyfriend?”
Taryn placed her hand on her hip. “Then I’d tell you that you should be.”
He laughed again. “You’re such a rare beauty, young lady. I wish I could have you for myself.”
Taryn’s face was a mix between a frown and a smile. Sh
e looked at him and twisted her mouth to the side. He looked her up and down and licked his lips. For some reason his stare was making her a bit nervous. She tossed the hair that had fallen over her shoulder behind her back and went back to folding shirts.
“Is this your hair?” He touched it, and this time Taryn let him.
“Yes.”
“Got damn. Where your boyfriend at? Because I need to let him know I’m about to steal you from him.”
“That’ll never happen. Trust me.”
He stood back some and stuck his hands in the pockets of dress pants. “You’re in love?”
“Deeper than I’ve ever been before.”
He nodded and removed one of his hands from his pocket. He stretched it out toward Taryn for her to shake it. She took it and immediately after their brief handshake he pulled it to his mouth and kissed it.
“If you ever fall out, make sure you give me a call.” He extended a business card to her. “I own my own modeling agency and you would be perfect. Your face is so fresh and unique.”
Taryn’s interest was piqued. “Really?”
“Yes. Though I’m a little upset that you’re unable to accompany me to lunch or dinner, I would love to work with you.”
Taryn took his card and stuck it in her back pocket. He smiled once again before going in the direction of the sweat suits he had been looking for. She looked at him to make sure he found what he was looking for before going to back to her job. Taryn moved around the store doing an odd number of things, trying her best not to sweat. Her hair hadn’t been straightened in so long and she wanted to make sure it looked good for Demoto.
“Taryn-Lee, it’s time for you to go on break,” her coworker called to her.
She nodded her head and headed out the door. The mall was packed for whatever reason. She couldn’t understand why because she never really saw anything she liked in there. She strolled through Dillard’s eating a pretzel she’d just purchased from Auntie Ann’s when she noticed a familiar face.
“Bradley, how are you?” She waved at him as they were about to pass one another.
“Taryn-Lee. How are you, darling?” He walked to her and gave her a quick side hug.
Bradley Marks was Mr. Buck’s second in charge at Double O, and the sweetest white man she’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was the glue that held Double O together. He was very professional and very good at his job. Even though everyone at Double O was professional, he brought life to it. He was always smiling and cracking jokes. The only time she saw him get serious was when it was time to handle business.
“What you doing in here?”
He held up the little pink and purple outfit with ribbons and zigzags all over it. “The wife sent me to get clothes. Its picture day at daycare tomorrow.”
“That’s what you picked?” Taryn’s face showed her disapproval.
“Yeah, what’s wrong with it?” He genuinely looked confused.
Men.
“It’s ugly, that’s what’s wrong. Mary-Kate is going to kick your ass all the way back to this mall when she sees this mess. Come on, I’ll help you find something.”
He turned a little red as he laughed and followed her back to the little girl’s section. “I thought I had done a good job.”
“I mean, if she was participating in the circus or something, then maybe. But not for pictures.”
Taryn went to the rack of dresses as soon as they got off the escalator. He followed obediently behind her as she moved through the racks of clothing. It was clear he did this all the time. He hadn’t complained and hadn’t said much as she browsed.
“Mary-Kate has your ass trained. You ain’t said two words since I been shopping.” Taryn put the red and crème outfit she’d picked out on the register.
Bradley pulled his card out and slid it to the cashier. “Let’s just put it like this, I know my job and place when it’s time for a woman to shop. Shut up and pay.”
Taryn giggled as she patted the side of Bradley’s arm. “Tell my girl she’s taught you well.”
The two turned to walk toward the exit. Taryn was a little surprised at the appearance of the man from her store. He was looking through the same racks they’d just left. He was on the phone, but once he saw Taryn his face lit up with a smile. He nodded his head at her before winking. Taryn looked away because he was doing too much.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had free time?” he asked.
Taryn turned back around because he couldn’t have been talking to her. She looked at him and he had walked closer to them, so clearly he was.
“Excuse me?”
“You were acting like you were working so hard when I was speaking with you earlier, now look at you perusing the mall.”
Taryn could see the hard look on Bradley’s face as he watched the man intently. Taryn desperately wanted the man to walk away before he got himself into some trouble that he didn’t want.
“Is this your boyfriend?” He nodded at Bradley.
Taryn looked at Bradley before shaking her head no. She could see how the man had gotten that since he was standing next to her looking like some type of bodyguard. Bradley was small in stature, much smaller than the nice stranger, but his instincts were a lot more powerful. Taryn could feel the disapproving tension exuding off of him.
“No, this is my good friend.” Taryn tried to continue walking, but as soon as she got past he grabbed her hand and held it.
“Make sure you give me a call.”
Taryn tried not to roll her eyes because this just looked all wrong, but she smiled and told him that she would give it some thought.
Once they walked off, it took Bradley a minute to start back talking.
“Is he someone you know?”
“No. I just met him a few minutes ago actually.” Taryn went on to explain the interaction between the two of them at her job.
Bradley had calmed down a little by the time she finished. He expressed his appreciation for her help and went on about his way. Taryn hoped he didn’t tell Demoto about the harmless interaction with the man. Those were some problems that she did not need. As she made her way down the mall, she stopped in the little boy section, as always, and grabbed Ayo some things.
Once she finished getting his clothes and another pair of shoes, she headed back to work. The time she spent there went by a lot faster after her small break because before long it was time for her to get off. After clocking out, she grabbed all of her things and left. She threw all the things she bought into her trunk before getting in and leaving.
The first place she stopped at was the daycare to grab her baby. She threw her truck into park, grabbed her phone and headed inside. Since it was nearing closing time there were a few other parents crowding the doorway. She excused herself as she moved around them, headed to Ayo’s class. When she passed the 3-year-old classroom it reminded her to ask about when he would be moving. His birthday was soon, and he needed to be in the right place, especially since he was already the biggest child in the classroom. At least in the new class he wouldn’t look so out of place. He would still be the tallest kid, because the three-year-olds weren’t that much taller than the two-year-olds, but a few of them were at least to his shoulder.
When Taryn rounded the corner and made it to the door of his room she saw him standing at the window.
His small hands were in the pockets of the dark blue shorts she’d placed on him that morning. The red button down collar shirt he was wearing was folded at his elbow and his low top white Converse were untied. The top part of his hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the back was down and touching the top of his shoulders. The small gold bracelet with she and Demoto’s information engraved on the back was buckled snuggly around his wrist, setting him apart from the other kids.
She and Demoto tried the best they could to dress him like a two-year-old, but they just couldn’t. Anything that Taryn thought looked cute on his daddy she would find it in his size. Demoto was just as bad. Buying h
im any and everything that he liked, which was pretty much everything. Taryn stood still and watched him for a minute. The way he stood back watching all the other children reminded her of Demoto.
From the way he held his little face to the stature of his body. It still amazed her how much like Demoto he was. All the way down to his father’s bow legs. The scowl on his face wasn’t a mean one. He looked more focused than anything. One would assume he was a lot older than the other children by the way he studied them and their movements. When that wasn’t the case at all. He was simply Demoto Youngblood’s son. The epitome of royalty and power.
Taryn’s eyes began to water at how much she loved Ayo. Just watching him brought her so much joy. Thinking of him led her to thoughts of Demoto. Now that was love. Nothing like it. Nothing she’d ever felt before. Nothing she’d ever let go. That’s why she felt it was time to straighten the little chick in Ayo’s class. She was normally in the three-year-old class, but today she was in Ayo’s. Probably waiting for Demoto to come get Ayo since he normally did in the evenings, but Taryn had a trick for her today.
She looked at her baby for another minute just watching him. She already knew once she pulled the door open his focus would be on her and wouldn’t leave. That’s how he was. If she was in a room with him he was aware of her every movement. Just like his daddy. Between the two of them there was nothing she could do that would go unnoticed. It made her heart burst with a word that didn’t even exist. Something that was much stronger than love. Another five minutes had gone by before she pulled the door open.
Just like she’d knew he would, Ayo looked up at her. He didn’t move at first, just stood still and watched her walk in. Once she was all the way in, a smile crossed his dark face and lit it up. He took off in a full speed run, stumbling on toys as he moved.
“Mommy!” His arms were stretched out as he neared her.
“Hey, Yo-Yo. How’s Mommy’s little man feeling today?”
He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her face. “Good. I colored green circles,”
“Did you? I can’t wait to see them. Let Mommy get your bag.” Taryn situated him on her hip and walked to the wooden storage shelves with all the kid’s stuff on it.
