by Pat Simmons
“Who are they?” Priscilla asked, angling her neck to get a better view.
“The Jamiesons.”
“All of them?” Priscilla followed up.
“I think so.”
Since they were paired off, Talise could only assume that the former NBA player turned actor, Rick Fox look-alike, was Cheney’s husband, Parke. Kami stood between them, holding on to a toddler’s hand. She waved and Talise smiled.
A younger version of Parke stood near his father. He didn’t look happy to be in a place where all the clientele were women.
Talise remembered Hallison’s husband’s name was Malcolm. The brother was built like a linebacker. She supposed he was fine, considering he looked menacing behind a pair of dark glasses. Malcolm’s stance and folded arms mimicked a private security agent. His no-nonsense persona was only ruined by a toddler running circles around his legs at will.
Finally, there was Eva. She glowed in her stunning maternity outfit. From across the salon, her makeup looked perfect and her hair didn’t need to be touched. The dark hunk standing next to her had to be Ace’s older brother, Kidd. The resemblance was uncanny. Kidd was good-looking like the rest, but Ace still was the pretty boy of the bunch.
All of a sudden, a cane wiggled its way between Kidd and Malcolm. Creating an opening, Grandma BB bumped her way to the front and stood in all her fashionista glory. There were only so many seats, so the men stood as the women sat. They were a patient bunch.
“Who is that feisty one?” Priscilla pointed.
“That’s their Grandma BB. She’s not related, but don’t tell her that.”
Priscilla was quiet for a few moments, studying the older lady. “Is that woman wearing men’s shoes?”
Talise chuckled. “Yep, always top of the line of Stacy Adams. That’s what Eva tells me. I guess she didn’t have to rent herself out this weekend.”
“I’m not going to even ask you to elaborate.” Priscilla sniffed. “Oooh! I smell something,” she said with alarm.
“Oh, that’s the hot curler that I took out a few minutes ago. It’s frying my towel, but not your hair.”
Finished, Talise was about to spray Priscilla’s hair when she stopped her.
“That’s not good for the baby,” Priscilla whispered.
“Everyone knows now.” Talise pointed to her protruding stomach. “It’s okay.”
“Good, but that spray is still not good for the baby.”
Talise removed the cape from around Priscilla’s neck. As usual, she overpaid for her services. Learning to accept her blessing, Talise always whispered a grateful thank you.
As she escorted Priscilla to the lobby, Talise brushed off any excess hair strands on her clothes. Her two-piece silver sleeveless top and Capri bottoms were comfortable and, according to “temporary” roommate Myra and her customers, classy. She always hoped to look presentable, especially if she would ever be compared to Ace’s other women.
However, that didn’t matter anymore. Rather, the bouquet from Minister Thomas on display reminded Talise that she had moved on. Smiling when she thought about him, she knew he really cared about her and the baby. They had already been on three dates.
Kami broke from the group and hurried to her. The young girl engulfed her arms around Talise and spoke to her stomach. “Hi, baby cousin.”
Closing her eyes, Talise relished in the warmth of the child’s attention. Her baby moved, so apparently he or she did too. Next, Eva followed, and then Cheney and Hallison. The two small boys also clamored for their turn. But the tall, younger version of Parke did not move from his father’s side.
Tapping her cane, Grandma BB made them all step aside. “How ya doin’, T? I’m going to tell you right now, you ain’t touching my hair. I’m getting a pedicure only and I want different colors on every toe.”
The Jamieson wives rolled their eyes and some customers chuckled. “I’m sure the manicurist will take care of you.” Talise pointed to the nail section of the salon. That was one head she didn’t have to wash.
Kami’s hair was already washed and freshly braided. So she followed Grandma BB to the nail section. Talise was relieved that she had two less heads to shampoo, leaving the three wives. She hoped Grandma BB wasn’t serious about having ten different colors on ten toes.
Swallowing, she waited for an introduction of the Jamieson men. Knowing she had to be under inspection, she wondered what Hallison’s husband was thinking behind those dark glasses. What was going through Kidd’s mind? Did they think Ace had made the right choice in dumping her?
They all smiled as Talise shook their hands. Kidd surprised her when he gave her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you,” he whispered.
When he released her, Talise returned a questioning look. “Huh?”
“You didn’t have to keep that baby and become a single mother, but we are all glad you did,” Kidd explained.
“Thank you.” Talise’s eyes misted. The Jamiesons were a different breed, except for Ace, who would always be a mutt in her book. They were remarkable human beings.
Sniffing, she added. “The past months have been hard, but now—”
“God saved you from your sins, so your slate is clean to start over, sister. Eva told me and all of us,” Kidd comforted her with his kind words. “Just so you know, God isn’t letting my brother down easy. Keep praying for him.”
Talise nodded. It took Sinclaire’s emails, Gabrielle’s reminders at work, and the Holy Ghost to make sure she did just that.
The moment was surreal. Although they treated her courteously, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outcast. Even with flowers waiting for her at her station, the realization was she had loved and wanted Ace, but Ace didn’t love or want her.
While the men filed out to catch up with Cameron, Eva and Hallison relaxed and mingled with other clients who were waiting for their stylists. Back at her station, Talise started with Cheney, assessing her hair texture and prior hair treatments. Since Cheney needed a press-n-curl, she shampooed and conditioned her first.
Talise was thankful that Hallison had a relaxer applied recently. Because of the fumes, she had handed her chemically treated clients over to Sasha. Not only did the smells make her nauseated, but she developed a headache.
After a shampoo, she rolled and set Hallison’s mane. Eva was the last of the trio to get serviced. She had kept her relaxed ends trimmed while letting her natural hair grow out.
“Make me beautiful,” Eva joked.
“That’s easy. All you have to do is look in the mirror.”
Talise loved Eva’s hair texture. It was soft, but thick and naturally brown, with strands of light and dark brown variations. Eva chatted about their early morning shopping spree with Sandra and what she bought. Then she switched topics to Talise’s salvation, which thrilled Talise.
When it came to styling, Cheney’s hair took the longest, but each one patiently waited their turn. As the salon thinned with clients, Eva switched subjects again. “Our husbands like you.” Cheney and Hallison nodded.
“I’m glad. I’m so thankful that Sandra reached out to me from the beginning. She has really made a difference in my life, including letting me meet my baby’s relatives.”
“We love you, and not just as a sister-in-law—”
“Which I’ll never be,” she interrupted Eva. “And I’ve accepted that. I’m still making peace as I move on.”
“Are those gorgeous flowers from ‘Mr. Moved On’?” Cheney pointed.
Smiling, Talise nodded. “He knew I was pregnant when he asked me out.” She didn’t see any harm in telling them about Minister Thomas. After all, she and Ace were over before she met them.
“Are you happy?” Hallison asked.
Frowning, Talise tilted her head, as she combed out Hallison’s wrap. “I’m content and in a safe place. I feel accepted by Minister Thomas instead of rejected by Ace.”
“He’s a minister?” Eva blinked.
“Yes, too bad you all are flying out
early tomorrow and you won’t be able to meet him. It’s probably for the best anyway. I wouldn’t want any of you to feel uncomfortable.”
“We’re changing our flights,” the Jamieson wives said almost in one voice.
“Huh? Just like that?” Talise snapped her fingers.
Four hours later, Talise was the only stylist left in the salon with clients. Cheney and Hallison took care of the sweeping and straightening Talise’s work station under the supervision of Grandma BB pointing her cane.
Sure enough, Grandma BB’s toes each had different shades of silver until the last color was nearly black. Kami also had the multi-color thing going on, but in shades of pink. Actually, it was cute on her but looked ridiculous on the grandmother.
When everything was put in place, Talise and her guests relaxed in the lounge area, waiting for their husbands to return. The genuine camaraderie brought back memories of their St. Louis tea party.
Talise’s night ended when the Jamieson men came back with Cameron. They invited her to dinner, but she was exhausted and declined. However, with five-hundred dollars in her pocket from the Jamieson wives alone, Talise was happy. She could definitely splurge on take out. Most of the money would go into her savings, after she paid her tithes and offering at church the next day.
Back at her apartment, Talise almost wished she had gone out to eat with them. Myra had struck again. The kitchen was a mess—a hot mess. Disgusted, Talise went to bed. As far as she was concerned, the maid was off duty tonight.
The next morning, she woke up tired and struggled to get out of bed. Determined, she slid on her knees for a morning prayer before church. The baby seemed to move all night long, pressing on her bladder, or some other body part.
That made it hard for her to ignore an important point. She definitely wasn’t up to driving across town to church, even if Eva and the crew were attending. Talise dialed Minister Thomas to tell him and then she would call Sandra and let her know she wasn’t going to make it.
“Good morning, Sister Babe,” he would sometimes tease her. And she liked it.
“Mornin’.”
“What’s the matter?” The alarm in his voice was evident.
“I had a rough night, and I’m dragging this morning. By the time I get ready and drive across town, Pastor may be in the middle of his sermon.”
“I’m already dressed. Why don’t you take the extra time you need to get ready and I’ll pick you up.”
Talise’s heart warmed at his offer. “But don’t you have to be at church early?”
“I think the Lord and anybody else would understand that I have a little lady to take care of. I want to see you and find out how the baby is doing. Plus, I have to feed you …”
Laughing, Talise agreed. “I promise to be ready when you get here.”
“Will an hour be enough?”
“Richard, I have a little one who did not work with me last night. I can’t see him or her cooperating this morning either. I need at least an hour and a half.”
“You’ve got it.” When they disconnected, Talise smiled. That man could be easy to love.
Although Talise moved slowly, she was able to dress, eat breakfast, and relax before Minister Thomas arrived.
“I’m here. I can come up or wait for you down here,” he announced over his cell phone, almost exactly an hour and a half later.
“I’ll be right down.” Talise disconnected and walked out of her bedroom into a makeshift storage locker housing Myra’s extra large pieces of furniture. Seating in the living room was at a premium. The only exception was the window seat in the front bay where she used to sit and watch for Ace. It dawned on her that it hadn’t crossed her mind to do the same for her new friend.
He was leaning against his Enclave SUV when Talise walked out of the apartment building. Minister Thomas hurried to take her hand as she walked down the steps. Suddenly, the gesture reminded her of Ace. She used all of her might to force the memory to the back of her mind. Ace wasn’t the only gentleman in the world.
“You look gorgeous,” he complimented her. “You mentioned that you modeled as a girl. You should definitely get back into it. You would make a beautiful expecting mother model.”
“Thank you.” She was touched by him remembering that.
Once she was buckled up, he took off. As they drove along, she asked about some Scriptures, and he explained them to the best of his understanding. After that, they sung choruses of worship songs.
“So how did it go yesterday with Sister Nicholson’s daughter-in-law and the ladies?”
“I had a ball. I also met Ace’s brother and male cousins.”
Minister Thomas glanced at her and then back at the road. “They didn’t upset you, did they?”
“Oh, no. They were very nice, which saddened me to know that I picked the bad apple in the bunch. You’ll meet them. Eva said they were changing their flight to attend services.”
He whistled. “That has to be expensive.”
“It can be. If I was working, I would have tried to override much of the fees.”
Minister Thomas nodded and tapped the steering wheel. “Do they know about me?”
“Yes, and they know you make me happy.” She smiled at him.
“Then I’m sure they’ll get their money’s worth to see the man who is making you happy.”
You can make me happy, but can you make me love you? Talise hoped he could.
Chapter Forty-Three
Ace opened his door Monday evening to three fiercely intimidating characters. Kidd, Parke, and Malcolm strolled into his apartment without as much as a greeting.
“What is going on?”
Kidd said he was on his way over, but he didn’t say anything about bringing the other two stooges.
They stood in the middle of the floor, as if waiting for an invitation to make themselves comfortable. Ace’s sole piece of furniture in the living room—the sofa—would barely accommodate them. Closing the door, he tilted his head. And one by one they flopped down.
With his poker face secure, Ace leaned on the wall. He very seldom received company, so he wasn’t in a hurry. He could wait all evening to find out what they were up to. They had families, he didn’t. Why did their presence remind him of that fact?
After that game night, he was seriously wishing he did have what they had. Ace wasn’t accustomed to living alone. He didn’t even have loud, annoying neighbors.
“Your brain must be the size of a pinhead,” Kidd started off.
“Your insult must be leading somewhere,” Ace said, staring his brother down.
“The sister is fine—and pregnant—if your inquiring mind wanted to know. You should’ve handled your business better, bro.”
“You came over here with backup to tell me something that you could’ve handled with a phone call.” Ace folded his arms and tilted his head toward his cousins. “And you brought the Jamieson stooges with you.”
Malcolm smirked but didn’t say a word. His faux calmness would have scared the average thug on the street. At the moment, only one person instilled fear in him. Ace wouldn’t admit it to anyone—not even his brother—that a woman had brought him down.
“Cuz, we all flew to Boston and met Talise. She’s very beautiful. Unfortunately—” Parke began.
“Hold up, bro. Let me take it from here.” Malcolm widened his smirk and grunted. “Congratulations. It appears that you have succeeded in pushing Talise out of your life completely. She’s dating a minister. We met him and he seems very attentive to her.” Malcolm paused. “You did it. Game over.”
Ace’s heart dropped. “So she was stepping out on me—and with a minister. Why does every woman I’ve dated who decides she wants to have my baby, get it from another man …” The more Ace rambled, the madder he got.
“Ace!” Kidd lifted his voice. “Wake up! That is not Minister Thomas’s child.”
“Really?” Fired up, Ace took a deep breath and rested his fists at his waist. “And how do you kn
ow that, O wise one?”
“Because Momma introduced them.”
“What!” Ace shouted. “My own mother betrayed me?”
The trio’s laughter was deafening and taunting. They gave each other high-fives and busted out laughing again.
“I’m glad you think this is funny, but it isn’t. My own mother went behind my back and got into my business.”
Parke cleared his throat. “Well, that’s not exactly true. Here’s the footnote to the story. We all went behind your back.”
“Okay. I’ll bite,” Ace said cautiously. With his nostrils flaring, Ace began to pace his living room floor, listening intently. There was nothing else they could say to shock him more.
Kidd picked up from there. “While the ladies primped at the salon where Talise works, Cameron and I took Parke and Malcolm sightseeing. We made a stop at One United Bank in Boston.”
“My TV dinner is getting cold while you’re giving a play-by-play.”
“Our wives cooked, so we’re stuffed, but thanks for offering.” Parke added and grinned.
Ace was so ready to take his chances and take them all down at one time then force them out of his apartment. “So what that you stopped by the largest Black-owned bank in the country?”
“Well, it appears Cameron already started a savings account for your little tyke. We added to it and gave a cashier’s check to Talise after church. She didn’t want to accept it, especially in front of Minister Thomas—who by the way—is a real nice guy. I’ve seen him a few times when Eva and I went back home and attended church with Ma.”
Annoyed and hungry, Ace snapped. “Would you just get to the point? Exactly how much money did you give her?”
“Five thousand dollars. It was just a small token to show our love and appreciation for Talise. She decided to give birth to a Jamieson child instead of taking the cowardly way out and having an abortion.”
Ace noted Kidd’s sarcasm.
His brother continued, “Anyway, it turns out that your ex didn’t want to accept the gift because she decided that her child was not going to carry the Jamieson name. But we were able to convince her. You might say that the Jamieson charm won out,” Kidd said with a confident grin.