by Pat Simmons
Gathering her swimwear and a towel, Kami wandered out of the house and followed the walking path through the villages to the clubhouse. Her first stop was at the desk to use the phone. She was giddy with excitement until she was told no long-distance calls were allowed. Really? The world was connected through a wireless system. Who kept track of that?
At least she tried to contact Tango. Is he trying to find me? she wondered. After a couple of laps around the pool, she returned to the house where she found ingredients to make spaghetti and garlic bread. She realized how much she missed her mom as she cooked alone.
“Something smells good in here,” Queen said, walking through the door a few hours later when she was cleaning up the kitchen. “But you’re not here to be my cook or my maid. Do you want to tag along to work with me tomorrow? We can have lunch, then go shopping at the Utica mall once I get off.”
“Yes—” Wait a minute. She had money from her parents and uncles. Plus, her aunts gave her gift cards. But without a summer job, she had to make it last. As a financial planner, her father drilled into them the importance of financial responsibility. “I’m supposed to get a summer job and save for a car, remember?”
“It’s my treat.” Queen beamed. “I’ll be on the lookout for a summer job for you here.”
Kami’s spirits lifted. “Then, it’s a yes.”
“Then let’s eat.” Queen laid her things down, washed her hands in the sink, and joined Kami at the counter for dinner.
As she swirled spaghetti around her fork, her missed opportunity to talk to Tango came to mind. St. Louis was only five-and-a-half hours away. Would he visit her? “Au—Queen, my parents shut down all my social media accounts, including Facebook.”
“And for good reason.” She sipped on a bottle of water.
“Will you sign into yours? I just want to see Tango’s page.”
Queen seemed to consider her request and nodded. “I can do that, but only this time. You can look, but I’m not posting any cryptic or private messages.”
Kami exhaled as her eyes teared. Finally, some type of breakthrough. If this was her one chance to see her boyfriend, she was taking it. When she spotted Tango’s profile page, her heart dropped into her stomach. There were photos of him smiling and hugging her best friends. Another picture showed his arm around one of her classmates who liked Tango. The girl’s blouse was deep-cut and her breasts were pushed up against his chest. Tango wore a smirk as if he was taunting her. She sniffed.
“It’s his loss if he doesn’t miss you.”
“But I want Tango,” she whispered as her voice trembled.
“When the right one comes along, Tango will be a faint memory.” Queen patted her hand.
Kami swallowed. She would never forget Tango, and she didn’t want him to forget her. The next morning, she was sluggish when Queen woke her early for work. She suspected her aunt tried to take her mind off Tango by staying up late binge watching foreign movies. She could identify with one in particular He Even Has Your Eyes, a French comedy about a Black couple adopting a White baby.
Kami scrambled out of bed and made it up quickly. Out of habit, she slid to the floor and said a quick prayer, even though her closeness with God was waning. Since the Lord Jesus would always be there for her, Kami planned to exercise her independence. If Queen didn’t force her to go to church, she wouldn’t. Freedom.
Things that are lawful for you to do, doesn’t mean they are worth the price to do it, God whispered from a familiar passage, 1 Corinthians 6:12.
Kami shook it off. Having fun didn’t mean she was going to break any laws. She showered, then raided her drawer for a short set until Queen stepped into her bedroom wearing a tannish suit that seemed to deepen the hues of her dark skin. Her hair shone, and her face was flawless with a bronze lipstick, her only visible makeup. A fierce comic book or Marvel movie superhero came to mind. “Wow,” Kami said then looked down at her attire. “Maybe I should change.”
Queen smiled. “Nope. Let every skinny-legged woman eat her heart out when they see your gorgeous legs. I know the guys in my office better not look at you longer than an introduction. Come on. Let’s go. Grab a banana, then we’ll get something at Monte’s Coffee and Crepes in my building.”
During rush-hour traffic, Kami daydreamed about possessing the same confidence and sophistication her aunt had. It wasn’t that her mother and aunties weren’t sophisticated and classy, but they were moms, and that wasn’t glamorous.
After parking in the attached garage, they took the elevator to the lower level. The coffee shop she saw yesterday during the car tour was opened, as well as a bookstore and a clothing boutique. Queen encouraged her to browse through the bookstore for something to keep her from getting bored in the office. She handed Kami her credit card.
Once she made her purchases, they crossed the lobby to the elevators. “There’s a hair salon in here too. That’s Pearl’s place. She’s done my hair when I’ve been in a bind. I love supporting the small businesses in the building.” She pushed the elevator button.
While they waited, Kami craned her neck to get a better peep inside the salon through the glass floor-to-ceiling windows. “I’ve helped Aunt Talise when she does my mom and my aunties’ hair. Do you think she’ll let me help her?” Kami’s dream summer job had been landing one at the cinema so she and Tango could watch movies all summer, hug, kiss, and maybe get another tattoo. She was still deciding on the last one and whether it was worth her father’s fury again.
“Let’s come back down at lunch and speak with Pearl.” Queen winked.
“Deal.” Kami grinned.
Queen’s job was on the twelfth floor. Trailing her aunt through the thick wood double doors, she was in awe as Queen commanded her small audience with confidence from the way she walked in stilettoes, which were at least five inches. Her hips swayed as if the wind was gently pushing a swing. All eyes were on her as she greeted them good morning and made the introductions.
“This is my niece Kami Jamieson. She will be my assistant for the day. Kami, this is Jeff, Matt, Logan, Sarah...”
Kami went through the motions of smiling and nodding, but she suddenly felt self-conscious about her light skin from the curious stares. That was a first. Queen had dark hues of brown almost satiny skin. At home, no one ever questioned her kinship to her parents. Their individual shades blended as one.
It was obvious people would wonder how she and Queen were related, and Kami would have to confess she was adopted. She wasn’t ashamed of the fact, but she didn’t want to be reminded of it. Only a handful of people at school knew it, and of course, she told Tango in confidence. No, she wasn’t a Jamieson and that truth saddened her at the same time she recalled challenging her father, You’re not my daddy. God was punishing her for sure.
Kami blinked and came back to the present, then realized she wasn’t the center of attention. Her aunt was. “Why aren’t you married again?” she asked once they were behind closed doors in Queen’s office.
“No one important has asked me.” Queen straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.
Kami frowned. “What about that White guy who was staring you down?”
“He’s married.” Queen shrugged. “If he’ll cheat on his wife, his girlfriend wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Oh.” Kami scrunched up her nose. “That’s nasty.”
“Yep. He’s what I call a bad guy. Nothing good about him except his looks and money. My heart isn’t for sale. Remember, never fall for a bad guy.”
You already did, a small voice reminded her.
Where did that come from? Tango wasn’t a bad boy, just popular, Kami reasoned with herself.
As promised, when Queen took a break for lunch, they rode the elevator to the lobby. When they stepped out, her aunt waved at a woman in the salon. After opening the door, the two exchanged hugs.
The woman’s makeup was flawless, and her weave was stylish. Her aunt Talise had shown her how to scrutinize hair to tell a w
eave from one’s natural hair.
“Girl, it’s been crazy since Nyla quit. I’m juggling two hats,” Pearl complained.
“Want some help?” her aunt asked.
“You got somebody?”
“My niece.” Queen wrapped her arm around Kami’s shoulder. The embrace reminded her of when her mother would sing praises about one of Kami’s accomplishments to a relative or friend. “She’s worked with my cousin in St. Louis in a salon of sorts.”
“Hmmm, really?” Pearl looked Kami up and down. “Are you familiar with the StyleSeat app to make hair appointments in addition to handling phone calls?”
“Yes, ma’am. I can also shampoo.” Her heart pounded with excitement.
Nodding, Pearl said, “How soon can you start?”
Kami shrugged. “Tomorrow, I guess.”
“How about Thursday? I want to take her shopping first,” Queen countered.
“Sounds good. Once you’re here, we’re going to get you a manicure.”
Kami examined her nails. If she were at home, she would have tagged along with her mother and they would get them done together. She was embarrassed the woman had scrutinized her so quickly.
“Why don’t you go to the boutique and browse for something? I’ll be there in a minute. Pearl and I need to talk dollars that make sense.” Queen winked.
Giggling, Kami headed to the niche store. She was glad her aunt wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of her, but it had to be minimum wage or nothing. Queen joined her minutes later. “Find anything?”
“Yeah—I mean yes,” Kami corrected knowing her mother frowned upon slang. She held up a short set and a strapless sundress. “What do you think?”
Queen smiled. “Those are cute. You have great taste. What about work attire? I talked Pearl into paying you fifteen dollars an hour Tuesday through Friday, no Saturdays. I reminded her technically, you’re still a minor and there are labor laws.” She snickered. “Basically, I don’t want to bring you downtown on Saturdays when we could do something else.”
Her aunt was playing the “child” card when earlier she reminded her that she was grown. Kami lifted a brow. Which one was it? she wondered. Either she was an adult with benefits or a child under house arrest all summer.
Before heading home, Queen took her to Forever 21 for some tops and skirts for work. “That will do until we hit the mall this weekend.”
That night at home, they relaxed on the deck while chicken breasts cooked on the grill. “I’m going to get you a cell phone.”
Kami blinked. “Yes!”
“Hmm. It will be for emergency calls to me or home. Tango is not an emergency,” Queen was quick to say. “You’re grown, so I’m not going to monitor you, but I do have boundaries—no alcohol, drugs, sex, or Tango.”
“You’re treating me like a baby.” Kami twisted her lips in disappointment.
“I would give my girlfriends the same advice. Would you let your baby cousins walk in the path of a car or play with a knife?”
“Of course not.” Kami balled her fists. “I would protect them from danger.”
“Consider me—” Queen patted her chest—“protecting a young woman from endangering her heart. All I ask is that you take the summer to think about the type of young man you want in your life. If you’re still in love with Tango when you return, go for it.”
Closing her eyes, Kami inhaled, then exhaled. “I’ll still be in love with Tango.”
“Will he still be in love with you?” Queen lifted an eyebrow as if she already knew.
Although Kami hoped the answer would be yes, she wasn’t sure and that scared her.
On Thursday morning, Kami settled in behind the front desk of Lace and Pearls Salon. Helping her aunt Talise made the job easier. The owner, Miss Pearl, was surprised at how much Kami knew about hair care, but said, “Your makeup application needs some tweaking.”
She wasn’t sure if she liked the woman’s directness. Although she wasn’t subtle, Kami doubted the woman was insulting her because Queen would never have agreed that she work for such a person. Miss Pearl was probably right, despite her aunts and mother who said she didn’t need makeup. Still, Kami experimented with eye shadows, eye liners, and mascaras. “Will I look more sophisticated?”
“You won’t recognize you. Now,” Miss Pearl leaned over the desk, signed on the computer, then created a temporary password for Kami, “down to business. Most of the appointments come from online. You’ll need to stay on top of that.” Miss Pearl angled her head to read Kami’s tattoo. “What does it say?”
“His—for Tango.” Kami beamed. “That’s my boyfriend.”
“Umm-hmm.” She popped her lips. “I’m all in favor of body art, but don’t let a man brand you with his name. That’s slavery revisited.”
Slavery? Kami never thought of it like the branding slaveholders did to those who they enslaved on their backs or face to show whose property they belonged to. Her dad taught her that. She shivered at the humiliating practice. This wasn’t the same thing. Besides, she wasn’t technically wearing Tango’s name, but she did belong to him.
“In my day, hickeys were the craze. Antwon sucked my neck like a vampire who left me with a permanent mark—a scar.” She tapped a dark spot on her shoulder. “That was twenty-something years or more ago. If he wants you to belong to him then he should put a diamond ring on the third finger and treat you like the princess you’re crowned to be. A ring shows a man’s honor, love, and commitment, not his name on your body.”
Pearl stopped. “Sorry, for babbling. You didn’t ask for my opinion. No sense in putting my heartaches on your shoulders.” She waved her hands in the air. “Since you’re starting on a slow day, why don’t you let Brenda—you’ll meet her—give you a fresh manicure when she gets here? It’s a perk for working here. Free services for the employees.”
“Yes.” Kami couldn’t wait to dazzle Tango when he saw her.
Chapter Seven
Kami and Queen spent most of Saturday afternoon shopping at Utica Square. She noted the outdoor mall had the same stores as the St. Louis Premium Outlets, but without the discounts.
The prices didn’t seem to matter as Queen splurged on Kami.
“Ah, this is a lot of money.” At home, she would have to save up her allowance for a couple of months to afford one of these outfits.
“And it’s my money. Since you’re hanging out with me, you have to look like the diva you are at all times. It’s part of my girlfriend code.”
Giggling, Kami didn’t put up any more fuss until hours later when she had to beg her aunt to go home. She never thought shopping could be so exhausting.
“One more stop—your phone.” Queen smirked.
Once Kami registered what her aunt had said, she hugged her. “I was hoping you didn’t forget.”
“I promised. I never break them.”
Have you not known about My precious promises to keep you from falling? To escape the corruption that is in this world through lust? God whispered.
Kami swallowed. She had been on the Bible competition team at her church for three years. She was assigned to memorize all twenty-one verses in chapter one of Second Peter. If only she could put those Scriptures on hold. They weren’t popular with her circle of friends.
With her new phone programmed and ready to use, Kami went through the motions of excitement, but God’s whisper had spoiled her mood.
By the time they arrived home, Kami kicked off her sandals at the same time she sent a group text to her parents, brothers, and Grandma BB.
Queen laughed. “You act like you’re requesting a rescue. Remember, I’m trusting you not to call or text Tango.” Her aunt lifted a brow to intimidate her like her mother did.
“Okay.” Kami wouldn’t use her cell phone, but she planned to sneak a call to Tango while at the salon when no one was paying her any attention. “I won’t. Can I get on Facebook?”
“No social media and that includes Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebo
ok. Chill with me this summer. I don’t have anyone to talk to.” Queen pouted, making Kami laugh.
She sobered, thinking about her aunt being by herself. “You don’t have any relatives here?” Kami couldn’t imagine life without her family.
“Not anymore. My parents—or I should say my mom—only had two daughters. Before I knew about my dad’s other sets of children, I thought it was just me and my big sister. Dad died first, then Mom, but when Suzette passed away...”
Queen choked and closed her eyes. “I felt lost in a big world.” She mustered a smile as she looked at Kami.
The sadness in her aunt’s eyes broke Kami’s heart. She wrapped her arms around her to comfort her like her parents did her when she was wounded.
“Then one day, I became obsessed with finding my other siblings. Despite having some information, I was hitting brick walls. When your uncle tracked me down through genealogy research, Kidd, Ace, and the others became my lifeline. I love my brothers, even the ones in Connecticut who don’t have much to do with me.” She sniffed and twisted her mouth, then composed herself. “Let’s eat and see what’s on.”
After they stuffed themselves with carryout they had picked up along the way, they collapsed on the sofa and began to watch a romantic comedy when Queen’s phone rang.
“Hey, big bro. What’s going on?” Her face lit up with happiness as she mouthed to Kami it was Kidd. “Yep, glad for the company.” They chatted a few minutes about her niece and nephew, then about the other Jamieson wives before Queen handed over the phone.
“Hi, Uncle Kidd. You miss me?”
“You know it. We all miss you, even your little cousins. Here, Kennedy wants to talk to you.”
“When are you coming home, cousin? I don’t have anyone to play with. My baby brother broke my...” She rambled on as Kami snickered. She missed them too.
When she ended the call, Queen chuckled. “That’s the longest I’ve known for my niece to talk on the phone.”
“Yea—yes. That’s because when I babysit them, she knows I’m going to play with her.”