2. Aziel Harris
“The city doesn’t wanttheir mayor to be a known whore,” my assistant Tammy said.
I chuckled. “At least I don’t have a wife I’m cheating on.”
“True, but you didn’t win the last election convincingly. This time, you’ll need to appeal to people with families and single mothers.”
“I’ve calmed down a lot this past year. The blogs and local papers have barely mentioned me.”
“That may be true, but you never know when one of your old strays will pop up trying to secure her spot.”
“Like I said, it’s been a minute since I’ve had any bad press. Even Karsyn Keeting has calmed her messy ass down. I think the ladies got love for me, single or married.”
As the first Black mayor of Onyx City, I was doing a damn good job. No one could deny it. However, the women of OC were itching to get their paws on me, which was cool as long as they understood that all I could offer them was good dick and conversation. My heart wasn’t up for grabs unless Miss Chambries was doing the grabbing. Desire Chambries. I wondered if her parents knew how desirable she’d be when they chose her name.
Tammy shook her head and rolled her eyes. “The polls say something very different. We have to do something to clean up your image, and we need to do it fast. In three weeks, you have to announce your decision.”
I’d gone back and forth with myself about my next move. I enjoyed running the city that raised me but doing it as a single father was no joke. My baby girl was my number one priority, and she demanded all of my attention when we were together. Her mother wanted nothing to do with her and signed over her rights a few days after Azaria was born. I didn’t want her mother’s absence to affect her, so I did all I could to make up for it.
“Do you have any ideas?” I asked Tammy because I sure as hell didn’t.
“Actually, I have the perfect idea.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Arranged Hearts.”
I had heard the name but wasn’t sure where. After Tammy explained it, I was weary, but not for the reasons one would think. If I got married, Miss Chambries would no longer be an option. I may have been considered a ladies’ man who hadn’t given much thought to marriage, but it was for life if I decided to take that step.
“I don’t know,” I told her.
“I think it’ll work. You only have to stay married long enough to win the election.”
“That seems kind of… unethical.”
“You’re a politician. It won’t be the first unethical thing you’ve done since you’ve been in office.”
“Don’t do that, Tammy.”
“Okay, that may be taking it too far, but this would be for a good cause. They have a very high success rate. You never know; you may be matched with the woman of your dreams.”
I mulled it over for a few minutes.
“Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Hello,Aziel. I’m Nathan Bryant, and this is my wife, Savannah.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I replied, offering my hand to each of them.
“I must say, we were surprised to see your name and made it our business to be here in person for your interview. You’re our last one before we head back home,” he told me.
“Thank you, and I appreciate your efforts to keep this as private as possible.”
“Of course. Let’s head into the conference room and get this interview started. We know you’re a busy man.”
I followed them around a few corners into a conference room. They sat on one side of the table, and I sat on the other. Nathan gave me a water bottle and asked if I needed anything else before we began.
“I’m good with this. Thank you.”
“I’ll get right to it. We already have some matches for you, but we’ll use this interview to make our final decision. Answer each question honestly and in detail. I’m using this laptop to record. Any questions?”
“Not at all.”
He picked up a notebook and pressed a few keys on the laptop.
“What are the most important values you look for in a partner?”
“I have a three-year-old daughter, so she has to be kind and caring. Of course, I want her to be honest, loyal, and trustworthy, especially with my current occupation.”
“Do you have a preference for your partner”s education level or career path?”
“Not really. I mean, I’m attracted to a woman’s intelligence, but intelligence doesn’t always come with education.”
“What are two interests or hobbies that you enjoy most?”
“Hobbies and interests? Ha, that’s funny. I don’t have time for many of the things I like. However, if I did, I’d probably read and catch up on all the movies I’ve missed. Maybe go to a cigar lounge and smoke a few.”
“How important are physical attraction and chemistry to you in a relationship?”
“Both are extremely important. If I’m not physically attracted to her, there’s no chance we’ll have chemistry. Without those two things, what are we really doing?”
“Do you want more children? If so, how many more?”
“I’d love for my daughter to have siblings, so I’ll have as many children as my wife wants.”
“How do you feel about dating a woman with a child or children?”
“I’d be a hypocrite if it was a problem. If she has children, I’d prefer they be closer to my daughter’s age so our children could grow up together, but it’s not a requirement.”
There were a lot of questions, and I was glad when the interview was over. However, I was confident they knew enough about me to find the perfect match.
“I think we have everything we need. The next time you hear from us, it will be to let you know we found a match and to tell you your wedding date.”
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.”
“So, how was it?”Tammy prodded as soon as I returned to my office.
“It was fine. There were a lot of questions, but I guess it was necessary to match me with someone.”
“I still can’t believe you agreed, but I’m excited.”
When Tammy suggested using Arranged Hearts, I thought she was crazy. However, I had no other ideas to change the public’s perception of me. Getting married was a surefire way to quiet all the chatter about the company I kept after hours. After researching the company, I agreed to go through with it. Tammy was counting on me to agree because she’d already completed the profile and made the interview appointment.
“I can’t either. If I go through with this?—”
“Oh, we’re going, I mean, you’re going through with this,” she corrected.
“If this doesn’t win me the votes I need, you’re fired.”
She laughed heartily. “I guess we’ll be unemployed together.”
“Don’t you have some work to do?”
“Yep, since my work here is done.”
As soon as she left, I called my parents. I could not proceed without telling them, and I didn’t want to discuss this while at work or on the phone. They lived two hours south of Onyx City on several acres of land that my father had inherited from my grandfather when he passed away. It was perfect for my retired parents, who were tired of city life. The only thing they didn’t like was not being able to see Azaria more frequently.
“A call from my baby boy in the middle of the day. Something must be up,” my mother, Aliza, teased when she answered.
“You know your middle child well. How are you?”
“I’m good but a little worried now. Is Ria okay?”
“Yeah, she’s fine, but how you gon’ bypass asking about me and skip right over to Ria?”
“You sound fine. What’s going on?”
“Are you and Pops busy this weekend?”
“No.”
“Ria and I are coming to visit.”
“Are you sure everything’s okay? You were just here last weekend, and we visited you the weekend before that.”
“Everything is fine, Ma, but there is something I want to discuss. It’s nothing life-threatening, so don’t worry. You might actually be excited about it.”
“Oh damn! Alexander, your son got another woman pregnant,” she shouted to my father.
“What! Mama, why would you tell him that?” I fussed.
“Boy, didn’t you learn from Ria’s mother?” my father asked.
“Pops, I don’t know what your wife is talking about. Nobody is carrying my seed. Ria and I will be there on Saturday morning. I gotta take this call,” I lied and quickly ended the call.
When I entered my parents’home, I wasn’t expecting to see my older brother and younger sister, their spouses, and my nieces and nephews.
“What are y’all doing here?” I questioned, greeting everyone with hugs, kisses, and high-fives while I waited for someone to answer me.
“Mama told us you had an announcement, and we needed to be here,” my brother, Alexander Jr., better known as AJ, told me.
“Ma, I didn’t tell you to invite the whole family,” I fussed at her, keeping my tone light because neither of my parents played that disrespectful shit.
“Boy, this is my house. I don’t need your permission to invite my kids and grandkids over.” She snapped back.
I sighed and shook my head. I hadn’t planned on sharing my news with my siblings until I’d heard back from Arranged Hearts about a match, but I guessed my plans had changed.
“What’s the tea?” my sister Alaina asked.
I had two nieces and three nephews, ages six to sixteen, and I didn’t necessarily want them to hear this news just yet. I asked the older ones to take the little ones outside, giving the adults some privacy.
“Let’s go into the family room,” I suggested.
Everyone followed me and found an empty seat, leaving the recliner for my father and the sofa chair for my mother. Once everyone was situated, I took a deep breath. There was no easy way to say it, so I just said it.
“I’m getting married.”
There was complete silence for a moment as everyone processed my words. I looked around at the shock and confusion on everyone’s faces and chuckled.
“I don’t think I heard you right,” Ma finally said. “Repeat that.”
“I’m getting married.”
“To who?” Pops asked.
“Umm, I’m not sure yet.”
“What?” Everyone in the room chimed.
“I don’t know who I’m marrying yet. I should find out?—”
“Son, this is nothing to joke about,” Pops reasoned.
“I’m not joking. Let me explain.”
My family listened intently as I explained the situation. Their expressions didn’t hide their confusion.
“Son, if you have to go to this extent to win votes, maybe you shouldn’t run for a second term,” Ma offered.
“Seriously, Az. You have Ria to think about. You can’t marry a woman you don’t know.”
“Arranged Hearts has a top-notch vetting process. I’m sure the person?—”
“Everyone looks good on paper, bruh. This is crazy,” my brother-in-law, Savion, said.
“They’re right, son. When you told us about her, Iris sounded perfect, but that situation was disastrous. Besides, you’re the mayor. You have a reputation to uphold. What if?—”
“Ma, my reputation is why I’ve decided to go through with it.”
“But—” my mother began before my father interrupted.
“Let him do it,” he declared.
“You can’t be serious,” Ma said.
“Pops, have you lost it?” AJ questioned.
“Daddy, do you know what you’re saying? He can’t—” Alaina began.
“Aziel is a grown man. He’s been making decisions for himself for a long time. For the past three and a half years, he’s done a damn good job running an entire city. I’m sure he’s thought this through. Right, son?”
“I have, and I’m going through with it.”
“Then that’s all that needs to be said. Congratulations.”
My father ended the conversation by getting up and leaving the room. That didn’t go well, but it didn’t go as badly as I thought it would. Now, I wait.