14. Talitha
Talitha
All day today, I had been a bitch toward Law. If Gema knew how I’d acted, she would make me apologize. I knew that was the right thing to do but me doing that would result in me opening up about my issues. We didn’t know each other well enough for me to air my dirty laundry out in that manner.
However, I knew I owed him some type of answer which is why I answered his question. “I have a thing with control.”
“Meaning what?”
“With sex,” I uttered. “I have to be in control. It’s the only way I’ll feel like it’s by choice and not force.”
“Me testing you made you freeze up?”
“Not freeze up. It made me feel like I was handing over something.”
“Can I ask you something? If it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer. If you do answer, know that I will not judge you. I won’t pity you or anything.”
“You don’t have to ask. I know where your mind is going and the answer to your question is yes.”
“When?”
“It started the night of my fifth birthday and continued for a few months.”
“That’s why Gema and your grandfather took you from your mother,” Law concluded.
“It is.” I nodded.
“With it not being a one-time thing…”
“I knew him.”
“Damn. You were just a baby.”
“Try telling that to my Mama. She blamed it all on me.”
“How? At five you’re incapable of making rational decisions.”
“Well yeah… We all know that.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you.”
Turning in his direction I shook my head. “I don’t need sympathy, Law. I’ve dealt with it. I’m not a victim.”
He tossed his hands up in the air. “And I’m not trying to victimize you.”
“Good. But back to what I was saying. I have to be in control. That’s the only way I’ll let my guard down enough to do it.”
“I’m sorry if I made you feel a way. It wasn’t my intentions. I was really taken aback. Thank you for telling me that.”
“You thank me for everything.” I laughed.
“Gratitude is readiness to show appreciation for, and to return kindness. I believe in letting people know how much you appreciate them for even the smallest of things. More importantly, I’m humbled that you chose to share something so traumatic with me.”
“I was being a bitch today. I needed to tell you why before you made assumptions about me and my character.” I shrugged. “I was out of my league last night and for that I apologize. I have a hard time speaking up.”
“No apologies needed. It’s good to know that I don’t have to ditch your ass and work on this project alone,” he joked.
“You wouldn’t dare. Besides… I hold all the keys, I mean after all it was me that sold your friends on the idea of investing.”
“You’re absolutely right. I’ve been getting hit up all day about you. Everyone that you encountered has been telling me how marvelous you are and how excited they are for the tech school.”
“See.” I giggled. “You can’t do it without me.”
“I can,” he assured, then backtracked. “However, I don’t want to do it without you.”
“That’s good to know.” Rising from the couch I stood in front of him and held my hand out. “Truce?”
“Truce.” He nodded as we shook on it.
I was getting ready to go into my room when he called out my name. “Yes?”
“You forgot something.”
Looking around the living room I tried to remember what I was forgetting. When he realized I was just as confused. he laughed. “You ain’t apologize for flirting with another man in my face?”
“Who was I flirting with?” I asked, dumbfoundedly.
“Poppa!” Law groused.
“Boy…” I drawled. “I was not flirting with Poppa.”
“You were but it’s cool. You’ll pay for it one day.” He winked.
Rolling my eyes at him, I turned and walked away. Now that I had spilled my business and apologized for acting like a spoiled brat, I hoped the two of us can get back on the same page.
We had a lot of shit we needed to accomplish in the next few weeks. Shit that was going to take both of us working side by side to get done.
* * *
“My baby didn’t show out too bad, did she?” Gema asked Law. We had made it back to Atlanta and instead of him having Baker drop me off, he took it upon himself to help me with my bags.
Now he was standing in the foyer engaging in back-and-forth banter with Gema.
“Your baby cut up so bad on me, Gema. I mean, she showed out. I’m surprised we made it back to Atlanta unscathed.”
“Tali, tell me you ain’t go up there around that man friends being a brat.”
“She surely did, Gema.” Law spoke up before I had the chance to deny it. I knew he was kidding with me by telling on me to Gema.
“He’s standing there ratting on me. Did he tell you how he tried to pimp me out to his rich friends?”
“I know he ain’t do no such thing!” Gema laughed. “Don’t be telling no lies now, Tali.” She turned and fussed at me, making Law laugh.
“I see I have no wins with either of you. Mr. Harvey you have yourself a good night.” I frowned and pointed at the front door.
“See what I mean Gema? Now she’s kicking me out.”
“Tali ain’t running nothing but that mouth of hers, baby. Jessie cooked dinner if you wanna stay and have a plate.”
“Thank you, Gema, I appreciate the offer but I’ve gotta get a move on. Me and Talitha have to be up early for a showing.”
“Well, raincheck?”
“Yes ma’am.” He nodded. “Talitha, do you want me to have you picked up or will you be driving?”
“I’ll drive so I can go right into work.”
“Okay. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
Leaning down, Law kissed Gema on the cheek and let her know he would see her the next time. Being a gracious person, I walked him to the door.
After saying our goodbyes, I shut the door, looped my arm through Gema’s, and talked to her about my weekend in New York. I purposely left out the parts where Law and I had argued. Now that I think about it, he and I had started arguing before we had even landed in New York.
Lawton wasn’t a bad person, and I was wrong for treating him as such. I couldn’t help those parts of him reminded me on my childhood.
That had nothing to do with him, and it was wrong of me to take it out on him. Going forward, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be rude to him or turn my nose up at his wealth.
* * *
“You think it’s good enough?” Rossi asked.
Looking around the room, I smiled. “I think we made something out of nothing.”
On my first day back at work, I came brandishing new ideas. Nothing like the shit that I’d done with Law but something that would give our students the experience of a lifetime.
My team and myself had worked around the clock the past three weeks to make it happen and today would be the day we unveiled it to the students.
“I’m still trying to figure out how you were able to get Mr. Harvey to agree to this.”
“Mr. Harvey didn’t agree to anything. I called in a favor,” I laughed.
“Oh really? And who did this favor come from?” Rossi queried.
“That’s for me to know and you to wonder about. Just know it’s a new friend.”
“I sure hope it’s a man. Lord knows you need to get laid.” He tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind his hear and pursed his lips.
“He’s a man but not one that I’m interested in.”
I was getting ready to place all of my time and attention on the technical college and didn’t want my students to feel like I was abandoning them.
I came up with the idea of adding new playground equipment to the back of the youth center and I had one of the gyms that we used for basketball transformed into a trampoline park.
Of course, I couldn’t afford to make these things come true, so I reached out to Poppa. And let’s just say he came through in a major way. All of this stuff was a donation from his sport agency. I was grateful and knew my students would be as well.
The person who I knew would have an issue with me reaching out to Poppa wasn’t really considered when I decided to do this.
The day after me and Law made it home, we met up as planned and toured the old Brown Mackie College. We equally fell in love with the building and from there an offer was placed.
Things were going good until Law up and disappeared. No matter how many times I called, I couldn’t get him on the phone for anything. Hell, I’d spoken with his assistant more in the last three weeks than I had anyone.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I’d apologized and made shit right between us, I could accept him going cold on me, but the last time we were in each other’s presence everything was good. I don’t know the cause for the switch up but that didn’t stop me from handling my business.
After the school was purchased, I met with the contractors responsible for doing minor renovations to the college. I told him what I wanted and when it was time for money to be discussed, I directed him to Law.
Seeing that the ball was rolling and shit was getting done, I could deduce that him and Law kept in touch regularly.
The renovations had to be complete before I submitted the application in the event that it made it pass the first round. While I waited on everything to be done, I was going to pour everything else I had into the youth center.
“Did Mrs. Jessie say if she could spend the night?” Marsha asked.
That’s another thing that I’d done. I heard Gema and everyone else loud and clear, and I decided to give myself one night a week to unwind. After Marsha and Rossi found out, the two of them didn’t hesitate to pack my free night up with bullshit.
The first night we went out as a trio, I’d gotten so drunk I ended up sleeping on Rossi’s couch and calling into work the next day. That was the first and last time I let their asses get me that drunk.
Tonight, instead of hitting up a bar, we were going to downtown to Wine Down Wednesday. I had heard tons about it before and never got the chance to go so when I saw a flyer for it this morning, it was me deciding where the night would lead us.
“She did,” I finally released. “And I couldn’t be happier. I’m ready for some adult fun.”
“Don’t act like watching Matlock with Gema ain’t adult fun.”
“Child!” I laughed. “It’s not when she quotes the show word for word.”
“That Bertha Mae is my girl,” Rossi tittered.