9.
I’ve never been held hostage, but I was added to a group text that includes at least half of your family, and I think that’s almost the same thing.
Text from Tama’i to Amethyst
T AMA’I
“You look well-rested.” I was able to tell the lie with a straight face but couldn’t help but laugh when my sister reached up and scratched the side of her nose with her middle finger. She was in the common room of their barracks, and because of her rank, she needed to practice at least a little decorum, so she couldn’t reply to me the way she would if she was alone. Knowing that, I felt the urge to push it just a little more and teased, “You know, I was thinking the other day that I might need to buy a new mattress when y’all come back. Your bed is so freaking comfortable that I . . .”
“Ou te faamoemoe e te ula ma toe pau i ai.”
“Is that really the kind of language one would expect from an upstanding US Marine, Kiki?”
“What did she say?” Tutu asked as she walked into the room.
“Don’t you dare . . .”
I interrupted my sister with a grin as I tattled, “She said she hopes I shit and then fall back in it.”
Tutu went on a tangent about disrespect and vulgar language, and I watched my sister’s face transform from tense and stressed to calm and happy just from hearing Tutu’s familiar rant. We’d heard the same thing our entire lives, yet we still hadn’t learned how to behave . . . or at least that’s what Tutu seemed to believe.
However, the lessons our grandmother and parents had taught us over the years were very much a part of our everyday lives, and I hoped that my nephews and niece were learning the same thing from Tutu and my sister along with a little help from myself and my brother-in-law, Bart.
Tutu kept talking as she walked out of the room, flitting around and tidying up the house in preparation for the guests she had coming over this afternoon.
“How are my children?” Kiki asked. I knew she spoke to each of them as often as possible, and if possible, they had a family video chat including Bart once a week. It amazed me that even from half a world away, Kiki knew that something was wrong at home, but it wasn’t shocking that she was worried about it. “Meka said everything was fine, but Aleki mentioned you were having problems with Kai.”
“I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
“He’s a teenager. He hates everyone. That gets better . . . or so I’m told.”
“Do you really want to know what happened while you’re too far away to do anything about it? I handled it. Probably the wrong way, but I handled it all the same.”
“Tell me everything,” Kiki ordered. I told her about the phone call and then what I’d heard when I walked into the school office and watched her face turn red with anger as her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together so hard they were almost white. When I finished, she said, “He’s lucky you’re the one who got your hands on the phone because if I’d have been there, he’d have probably needed to have it surgically removed. Bart is going to shit himself when he finds out Kai was yelling at a teacher.”
“Like I said, I think I handled it, but he’s still pissed about the phone thing. Tutu sided with me and agreed that he won’t be getting a new one until one of you comes home to deal with it.”
“Tutu is doing okay with you in charge?”
“She’s living her best life, Keeks. I think she might even have a boyfriend.”
“No!” My sister’s face lit up, and she whispered, “Do you know who it is? Find out a name, and I’ll give you the scoop if I hear anything.”
“I might have a source for information if I’m able to drag a name out of her.”
“Did you meet some new friends through work?” Before I had a chance to answer her question, she said, “Good. I was worried about you becoming more reclusive than usual.”
“Actually, I have made some new friends and even reconnected with an old one.” Kiki stared at me as if she was trying to look into my soul, but I didn’t get offended. She was looking out for not just me, but her children too. She just wanted to make sure I was surrounding them with good people. “You might know him or at least some people in his family. His name is Hawk Forrester.”
“I know some Forresters.” Kiki laughed for a second before she said, “If you’re friends with Hawk, then you understand that when I say ‘some,’ I mean a few, considering there are at least a hundred or so.”
“How do you know Hawk’s family?”
“The Forrester family is well-known around town, not just because of the MC their patriarch started but because of the work they do to help the community. I’m acquainted with a woman named Jamie Forrester. We served on a planning committee for a fundraiser to help build the veterans center downtown.” She looked thoughtful for a second before she said, “I remember her mentioning that she had children, some of them around our age, but I don’t think any of them were named Hawk. That’s a unique name, so surely it would have stuck with me.”
“Do you know anyone in town named Hamilton?”
“Actually, yes. There was an Emerald Hamilton on the committee with us. I believe she’s a doctor.”
“I have a date with her sister Amethyst who is also a doctor. I’m taking her out for dinner tomorrow.”
“Look at you, Tama’i! Hold on . . . her last name is Hamilton too? I wonder if she’s related to my doctor. His first name is Roscoe. He works at . . .”
“Parker & Hamilton Medical Center?”
“That’s the one. There’s information in the folder about the kids’ doctor. He’s at the same office.”
“It’s not Amethyst? She’s a pediatrician.”
“No. By the time we moved to Rojo, the kids were all old enough for a GP, so they see Spruce Parker. Amethyst works with them?”
“She does.”
“I’m impressed. Your tastes don’t usually run to the dating-type.”
“I’m older and wiser.”
“Sure. We’ll go with that. My guess is that she’s a knockout who made you laugh. Am I right?”
“Actually, she’s a knockout who talked me out of running away like a scared rabbit when I had to get a shot.”
“Did you let her give you the shot?”
“Yes,” I said petulantly before I shuddered at the thought of having to get another in a few months.
“I’ve seen how you behave around needles, so she deserves a reward.”
“I’ll let her know you think so.”
“Where are you taking her to dinner?”
“Actually, I’m glad you called because I was just wondering about that myself.”
“Well, as your big sister, I believe that it’s my duty to tell you where to go and what to do, especially since you’re new in town.”
“You’ve been doing that our whole life.”
“And I’m never going to stop.”
“I need some help,” I said when I was finally alone with Pearl. Stone had just run to the store to get drinks to restock the breakroom, and Fain was gone for the day, so we had a few minutes to chat . I was hoping to get some ideas about where to take her sister on our date.
“What can I do for you, big guy?” Pearl asked as she laid her sleeping daughter down in the wagon stroller that she used as a bed while she was at the shop. Once she was settled, she rolled it to the side and covered her with a blanket before she turned back to me. “Please tell me this is about your date because if I don’t go back to the girls with some information, they’re probably going to kick me out of the cool kids club.”
“What does your sister like to do for fun?”
“Make our lives as miserable as possible.” When I gave her a droll look, she laughed and said, “She really likes to shop.” I grimaced, and she put her hand up and said, “You look like you might throw up, so let me explain.”
“Please do.”
“She loves to go to thrift stores and find things she can upcycle. Our friend Lotus owns a shop where she sells things that she has created, and she has workshops and classes where she helps people with their own projects.”
“Hmm. How does that work? Is she going to have a class tomorrow, by chance? That might be something fun to do on a date.”
“Let me check,” Pearl said as she picked up her phone and started scrolling. I thought she might be looking at a website, but when the phone started ringing, I realized she was calling someone instead. I listened as a woman answered by saying, “Buried Treasures, this is Lotus. How can I help you today?” As Pearl greeted her and they spent a few minutes catching up, I used my phone to look up the business.
By the time Pearl got around to the reason for her call, I’d already discovered that there wasn’t a class tomorrow but found a link to another local business that I thought might be fun to check out.
“Does Amethyst like to break things?” I interrupted.
“I’m not sure, but she’s got enough repressed rage inside her that I think it would be a great idea.” The woman on the phone laughed as Pearl asked, “Are you talking about that new feature at The Gauntlet?”
I nodded and said, “That’s it. Have you ever been there?”
“I have, but I haven’t had a chance to do the Wreck Room yet. Amethyst hasn’t either.”
“I wonder if they have any openings or if they’re . . .”
“Believe me, if I call, they’ll make an opening.”
“You think you’re that important, huh?”
“I know I am,” Pearl said cockily.
“Well, I plan to pick her up at seven and take her to dinner, so if you can make reservations for us at the Wreck Room for eight-thirty, that would be perfect.”
The bell over the door signaled that my morning appointment had arrived just as Pearl assured me, “I’ll take care of everything.”
The next few hours passed quickly, and I was happy to get out of there when I did because Pearl and Stone were dealing with two of the most annoying type of clients - a loud and boisterous young guy who was accompanied by a couple of his equally obnoxious friends and a crier who acted like Pearl was torturing her for information and had brought three of her twittering friends with her to watch the show. I’d done my fair share of work on both types and would most likely do plenty more. Today, however, I had plans with my niece that would beat the hell out of listening to the chaos of those clients.
When I pulled up in front of Tameka’s school, I was able to find a place to park near the door and backed my motorcycle into it so I could watch for my niece when the bell rang. Since I had a few minutes, I pulled my phone out while I got comfortable and basked in the sun.
I called my friend who owned the shop I’d worked at in Vegas and couldn’t help but smile when, instead of a normal greeting, he answered the phone by saying, “I would give my left nut for you to tell me you’re coming back because if this fucking idiot who took your place doesn’t shut his mouth, I’m going to end up back in prison.”
“Aww. You miss me already, huh?”
“If you hadn’t left for a good reason, I’d still be pissed at you, but yeah, the shop’s not the same without your grumpy ass.”
I chuckled, knowing that my gruff and outspoken friend wouldn’t ever come right out and say he missed me. “Either way, are you still planning to bring me my shit?”
“Do you have a place to put it yet?” Dice asked.
“Got a lead on one this morning, as a matter of fact. Just so happens that a guy I was locked up with lives here, and his cousins are some sort of real estate moguls. They own a whole fucking neighborhood and aren’t opposed to renting to a guy like me. If I like living there, I’ll even have the option to buy later.”
“Absolutely not! Your ass is coming back to Vegas, and you’re bringing Tutu with you. I haven’t eaten anything worth a shit since the last time she visited because she’s ruined me for anything other than her cooking.”
“I’ll let her know you’re coming so she can prepare for your gluttony, my friend.”
“Do that. And you might go ahead and tell her to wear something picture-worthy so one of you can video it when I propose to her.”
“Again?”
“I’m a determined man, Tiny, and I’ve decided she’s the woman for me.”
The school bell rang, and I knew I had just a minute or two until I was surrounded by kids. Dice was not the kind of guy you had on speakerphone around sensitive ears, so I wrapped up the call. We confirmed his arrival date, and I assured him I’d have a place for him to stay. After a little more whining about how much he wanted me to come back to the shop, we said our goodbyes.
Tameka started running as soon as she caught sight of me. I lifted my phone to video her joy, knowing that my sister and her husband would appreciate it. The second she got close to my bike, she yelled, “I get to ride today?”
“No, I thought I’d make you walk beside me while I ride,” I answered sarcastically. “Of course I’m taking you for a ride. You aced your history exam and got an A+ on your essay in English. You deserve a treat.”
“You’re so awesome, Uncle.”
“I know, right?” I asked as I unstrapped the helmet I’d brought for her from the seat behind me and handed it over. “I’ve got another surprise for you too.”
“What is it?” Tameka asked excitedly as she tried to latch the helmet beneath her chin.
I reached out to help her as I teased, “I’m not telling. You’ll find out when we get there.”
“I love you so much, Uncle. I’m glad you came to stay with us.”
“I’m glad I did, too, Itiiti.”
“I’m not little anymore, Uncle.”
“You’ll always be my little one, Meka, no matter how big you get.”
The ride to our surprise location didn’t take long, and I felt Tameka tense when she realized how close we were to the tattoo shop.
I shut the bike off and heard her sigh before she asked, “Is my surprise in there?”
“Your surprise is a few doors down, but this is my parking spot, so I’m gonna use it.”
“A few doors down?” Tameka asked as she climbed off the bike and started removing her helmet. Her excitement was back in full force when she looked at the other storefronts on the street. “Where are we going?”
“I thought that you might like some salon time and a bit of shopping. When I was leaving the gym this morning, I noticed a T-shirt in the window of that boutique nearby that would be perfect for you.”
Tameka was almost vibrating in anticipation as she handed me her helmet. She took off ahead of me, so I started after her. Apparently, I wasn’t quite fast enough, so she ran back and grabbed my hand. I let her try to tug me along, working hard to get me there faster even though she was less than half my size.
When we got to the boutique, I pushed the door open for her to go in ahead of me and watched as she looked around in awe. Her expression reminded me so much of my sister that I felt my heart lurch, and when she smiled at me, I couldn’t resist pulling her to my side for a quick hug.
“You can get one outfit, Itiiti.”
“What about shoes?”
“That’s negotiable.”
“I’m good at negotiation.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
It didn’t take her long to find a few choices that she liked as I amused myself listening to her chatter. Just then, a saleswoman walked around the counter and asked if there was anything she could help us find.
On a whim, I asked, “Do you have a shirt I could wear on a date?”
The woman bit her lip as she studied my chest and arms and slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m positive we don’t have a single thing in your size.”
“That’s not a problem. Most places don’t have anything that will fit me other than T-shirts, so I’ll make do with what I have.”
“There’s a big and tall men’s shop across town. Let me look up their address for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Uncle, what do you think?” Tameka asked as she held a black T-shirt and jeans in front of her. “Life would be easier if I just dressed like you.”
“Be nice to me, little one, or that’s all I’ll buy you.”
Tameka hurriedly put the T-shirt back and picked up another one she’d been carrying around for a few minutes. “I think I’m ready.”
“I’m not going to argue because I am positive this is the shortest shopping trip on record.”
“There’s a reason for that, you know.”
“What’s that, Itiiti?”
“If I don’t make you stay long, you might do this again soon.”
“Ah. A sort of bribery situation. I like it.”
“I am the smart one in the family.”
“The smartest.”
After we paid for her purchases, Tameka took my hand again and tried to drag me to the salon next door, but I shuffled my feet and took small steps just to spite her. As we walked in, she was grumbling at me, and I heard a woman laugh before she said, “Tiny! What brings you here?”
I looked up and found Opal, one of the Hamilton women that I’d shared dinner with the other night, standing at one of the stations in the salon brushing a woman’s hair. I looked around and saw Willow was also here at a station across the room.
“We’re having a spa day,” Tameka announced.
“We have an appointment,” I told Opal.
“You’re our next appointment?” Opal asked incredulously.
“Yes, ma’am. Tameka did very well in school this week, so I thought she should be rewarded with some relaxation and pampering.”
“And you’re going to get pampered, too, right?” Tameka asked.
“As if I’d miss hanging out with you,” I scoffed. “I’m getting the works, too, but I don’t need color.”
“But we should match, Uncle.”
“You want me to paint my toenails?”
“And your fingernails.”
“Not negotiable.”
“I did really well in school this week,” Tameka reminded me.
“Toes only,” I insisted.
“Woohoo!” Tameka cheered. As she walked toward the wall of polish, she said, “You’re the best, Uncle!”
“Tiny, I think you just became one of my favorite men,” Willow said as she walked across the room toward us. She wrapped her arms around my waist and gave me a tight hug, and I uncomfortably patted her on the back before she pulled away. “Not many men would spend hours in a salon.”
“I want Tameka to feel special.”
“I think she probably can’t feel any other way with you in her corner.”