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Kami had to talk Tango. When she returned to the banquet room, her boyfriend was nowhere in sight. What happened to him? If her brothers or uncles hurt him, she would never speak to any of them again. She had dared not ask her father who demanded she hand over her cell phone when she returned. It was part punishment for her disrespect—he had said—and protection from the likes of Tango. Why couldn’t anyone understand she had to talk to her boyfriend?
The night before, Kami thought she had another chance to plead her case when Pace peeped his head into her bedroom, turned on the light and entered uninvited.
“Hey, you all right?”
She blinked in annoyance. She wanted to stay in the dark. “Do I look all right? I’m not,” she wanted to scream, but was too drained to argue. “Leave me alone.”
As expected, Pace did the opposite. He flopped on the foot of her bed.
“Hey, I’m sorry how everything went down tonight.”
She squinted, then twisted her lips, wondering if she should believe him. It was the most embarrassing moment of her life. Kami didn’t want to talk about it.
“To be honest, I didn’t get good vibes about Tango when he came to get you. As the big brother, I should have stepped up.”
“You’re not that much older than me. Not even a year. Plus, I was here first, so technically, I’m the oldest in the house.”
It was a contention between them for years. Kami was adopted first. She resented when Pace came to live with them and took away some of her attention. Pace was actually Parke’s biological son who had ended up in a foster home before being adopted.
Their parents broke up their squabbles when they were younger. Throughout the years, they’d slowly built a respect of each other as siblings.
“Whatever, I was walking while you were learning to crawl,” was his standard comeback.
She sighed as the ache in her chest continued to spread. “Doesn’t matter, your father is putting me out anyway.”
Until tonight, Kami never had to worry about a place to stay, what to eat, her allowance, or what clothes to wear, but the threat from Parke... She cringed. She never called her father by his first name. Would he really put her out?
“You’re so dramatic,” Pace said. His deep voice was starting to sound more like their dad’s. “Our father said you can go to Oklahoma for the summer with Cousin Queen.”
“She’s Aunt Queen to me, and yes.” She scooted up in bed. “You heard dad—him—say he was going to put me out.” She never struggled with saying “dad” before tonight, so she didn’t understand what was going on with her.
“Yeah, I heard him, but mom and us boys wouldn’t let him. Seriously, that Terrence guy was a loser. I’m saying that as your brother and a guy. You could do better, sis—a whole lot better, and I’m going to make sure of it.”
“Now who’s being dramatic?” She tried to smile, but the heaviness of her heart wouldn’t allow her to lift her lips.
He stood to leave.
“Thanks for checking on me...ah,” she paused. “Can I use your cell phone?”
Pace shook his head.
“C’mon. I just want to talk to him. Explain. Three minutes tops.” Kami pleaded, pouted, and tried to conjure up tears.
“Nope. Sleep well, Miss Drama Sister.” He strolled to the door, turned off the light, and walked out.
Kami woke Saturday morning exhausted and with a slight headache. Is this what a hangover feels like? She and Tango had sipped on a bottle of wine he had taken from his older cousin’s house. It wasn’t strong, but had a sweet taste to it.
No, that wasn’t it. She didn’t sleep more than a couple hours at a time during the night. Her shame and her father’s scolding from the previous night flashed before her eyes. Why did it have to end like that?
All she could think about yesterday was seeing Tango that evening on a real date. She was seventeen and wanted to look grown and prove she wasn’t the baby the girls at school called her.
The evening had been perfect. Kami smiled, thinking about the happy memories. She felt goosebumps when Tango held her hand during the drive to the matinee. Once there, the movie they wanted to see was sold out and the next one wouldn’t start for another hour and a half.
“I got an idea,” Tango said.
“What?” Kami’s curiosity piqued. They had a few hours before family night.
He grabbed her hand. “Come on.” Twenty minutes later, they were in the U City Loop at Two Doves, waiting for matching tattoos. She could hear her father’s voice.
“Kami, the Jamiesons don’t follow fads. We’re trendsetters. Don’t mar your body with tattoos. When you grow up, you’ll be glad you didn’t.”
No. She shook her head. She wasn’t a baby any longer. She was almost grown and wouldn’t regret this, she tried to convince herself.
A big muscular guy, almost scary, stepped out from behind a door. He scanned the small sitting area, then grinned. Tango stood and the two met halfway and performed some strange handshake ritual. “You back for more?” Suddenly, he seemed to notice Kami. “Who do we have here?”
“Artist, this is my lady,” Tango introduced and reached out. Kami stood and came to his side and grasped his hand.
Her heart fluttered when he claimed her as his.
“Hi,” she had whispered, trying not to be shy, but the way Artist was staring her up and down made her feel naked. Tango wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“Where would you like me to paint your artwork? Leg, arm, back, or breast?” He winked.
Gnawing her lips, Kami gave it some thought.
“Our wrists,” Tango had answered for her.
“Okay, but something small,” she added.
“First time,” Tango joked to the man, but she didn’t see the humor. She was taking a huge step to defy her parents to prove she was grown—to herself and the girls at school.
Artist offered suggestions of animals, caricatures, shapes, and endless possibilities, causing Kami to second-guess her decision. Tango must have picked up on her hesitation.
“How about something simple?” When she nodded in relief, he said, “How about I get one that says Hers, and you get one that says His?”
Kami bit back a grin and nodded, loving the thought of the world knowing she and Tango belonged to each other. “Okay.”
Artist ushered them in a room.
Tango took Kami’s hand and squeezed while Artist concentrated on scripting Hers on his arm. It looked painful, but Tango didn’t flinch. He already had other tattoos, so he was probably used to it. “See, baby. Nothing to it.”
She grimaced. He offered to get the wine from the car. Artist said he would look the other way since she was underage. Kami agreed. She swallowed more and braced herself for the first contact with the tattoo needle. It didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would, but it stung. The scratching on her skin felt eerie as the needle vibrated along a path to paint His on her wrist.
Unlike Tango’s tattoo, it seemed like hers took forever until finally, Artist wiped peroxide on it, then covered it with a small bandage with instructions on how to protect and clean it for the next twenty-four hours. The His tattoo looked so dark against her faint skin. It really stood out where it was hardly noticeable among the others on Tango’s brown skin.
“What time is it?” When they told her, she freaked out. When had an hour turned into almost two? “We’d better go.”
This was not how she planned her first date—late to a family gathering, a tattoo, and buzzed. She had hoped when they walked into the banquet room, she could mingle and her father wouldn’t notice the time.
Uh-oh.
His head turned and he made eye contact with her as soon as she and Tango opened the door.
Kami sniffed. Things kept going downhill. After making a grown-up decision about her tattoo, her father said things to make her feel like a two-year-old again. She snapped, trying to prove she wasn’t a little girl in front of Tango.
Kami rubbed her eyes to wipe away the tears. Remnants of the black eyeliner were on her fingers. She couldn’t believe she’d sassed her father like that, but he had to respect her choices.
Shifting in her bed, she turned on her side and faced the window. Sunshine was peeping through her curtain, but Kami didn’t welcome it. Her mood was dark, and she wanted the world to mourn with her. She was losing control of everything—even her plans for the summer. Like that, she was banished from the home. At least Aunt Queen seemed excited to have her. She snapped her fingers for emphasis.
Her slight headache was developing into a major one from straining her brain to relive yesterday.
Maybe she could eat breakfast and go hide before everyone else was up. On second thought, maybe she could hang out with Grandma BB all day. She would always have an ally with Grandma BB. If they were really related, Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon would be her great-grandmother, but everybody called her Grandma BB—even her grandparents.
Kami detangled herself from the cover and stepped out of bed. She crept into the hall bathroom and washed the makeup residue off her face. Despite a good scrub, her black eyeliner lingered. Next, she combed out the curls and brushed her hair into a long braid. When she stared into the mirror, the glamorous woman from last night was replaced with someone who barely looked old enough to drive.
“I’m not a little girl anymore,” she silently screamed at her reflection.
After a quick shower, she slipped on her jeans and a T-shirt, then tiptoed downstairs. The house was still quiet. When she turned into the kitchen, her father was sitting there sipping coffee.
Did he hate her? Her heart pounded with anxiety. Bowing her head to avoid eye contact, she mumbled, “Good morning, Dad” to test the waters.
“Morning.” He didn’t look her way.
His curt response indicated there would be no “Good morning, baby girl.”
Yep, she had messed up big time. Suddenly, Kami’s appetite was waning until a loud growl erupted from her stomach. Usually her father joked, winked, or smiled. They always said something silly or acted goofy when it was just the two of them.
Shoulders slumped, she strolled across the room to the refrigerator. Opening it, she grabbed the milk carton and turned around. He was still ignoring her. She sighed. Next, she selected a bowl and box of cereal. When she joined him at the counter and sat on a stool, her father stood.
“Daddy, I’m sorry—”
“I accept,” he said, cutting her off.
Twisting her lips, she didn’t know what else to say to clear the air between them. “Can I spend the day at Grandma BB’s?”
“Sure, but you can’t drive. I don’t want you to take a detour to some place where you’re not supposed to be. Have your mother or brother take you. You can spend the night.”
Wow, like that? He monitored her activities carefully. Now, he didn’t seem to care. Not only had she lost her phone privilege, but her car privilege too? “That’s not fair.” A floodgate gushed from her eyes. He was getting rid of her. As she sobbed, she felt arms wrapping around her. They weren’t strong and muscular, but soft.
“Hey, it will be okay,” her mother whispered and smoothed her hair.
“Daddy doesn’t like me anymore.” She looked up and searched the kitchen. They were alone.
After a soft chuckle, her mother kissed her forehead. “Your father doesn’t know how to stop loving you. Now,” she said, releasing Kami, “eat something. I’ll drop you off, but I don’t know about spending the night. We all need to be at church in the morning.”
Did God hate her too?
Once Grandma BB opened the door, Kami collapsed into her arms. At least she had an ally. Wrapping her arm around Kami’s waist, Grandma BB guided her to an overstuffed chair in the living room. Patting her leg, she forced some tissues in Kami’s hand.
Grandma BB remained silent as Kami emptied her tears from a reservoir deep within her. When she sniffed, she asked, “Feel better?”
Kami nodded. “Ah, can I use your phone to call Tango?” She stared into her old eyes, which revealed more about her age than her youthful skin and energy. “Please.”
“Good you’re feeling better, dear.” Grandma BB nodded and stretched on the sofa as if posing for a photo shoot. “And no, you’re not calling that boy. I was hoping your first boyfriend would be a young man like my Henry.”
There was no secret that Henry Beacon was the love of Grandma BB’s life—even decades after his death, she held onto his memory. The most notable way was wearing Stacy Adams shoes, which her late husband loved so much. He must have been a prince. Princes didn’t exist in the world anymore. It was a jungle fighting for attention at her school.
“Chile, what got into you last night?” Grandma BB fussed, breaking into her reverie. “I know I taught you to be fearless...”
“And to speak my mind,” Kami boasted, proud to be Grandma BB’s protégé.
“But not to disrespect your father. And don’t smart off to me that he ain’t your daddy, because that would mean I ain’t your...great-grandma.” She squinted. “I let it slide last night because you were in a pitiful state, but this morning, it’s me and you.”
Kami groaned inwardly. One word—actually four—had caused a domino effect. If only she could take them back.
Would you? a tiny voice taunted her.
If only she would have known it would cause this much trouble, maybe she would have said something else. The fact remained she was almost eighteen—next year—and she should be able to make adult decisions. Shaking her head, she was so confused. “Dad is putting me out anyway.” She twisted her lips and toyed with her long braid. “He doesn’t care anymore.”
Grandma BB sat up and leaned forward with a frown so deep, it looked etched into her forehead. “What you say?”
“He’s forcing me to go with Aunt Queen to Tulsa for the summer,” Kami explained.
“That’s not what I heard last night.”
Grandma BB was supposed to be on her side. “Well, I won’t be here for three months, which is why I need to talk to Tango now,” Kami pleaded, then held her breath, watching and waiting for her response.
“Let me see that tattoo.”
Peeling back the bandage, Kami admired the script writing. She stretched out her arm.
“If you were going to get a tattoo or something, you should have put it on your tail where nobody would have seen it.”
“I guess, but I didn’t want a stranger looking at my behind.” She scrunched her nose.
“Grown folks do it all the time. You’re grown, ain’t ya?”
“Yes,” Kami mumbled, then said it louder with more confidence.
“Okay. I’ll let you call him.”
“Yes!” Kami leaped to her feet and hugged her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She added a kiss.
“You’ve got two minutes, and it has to be on speaker phone.”
Her enthusiasm fizzled from a hundred to zero within seconds. “Ah,” Kami said, frowning, “I need some privacy.”
“You ain’t that grown in my house. You want to talk to him, you’ve got two minutes. Take it or leave it.” Grandma BB pulled her jewel-covered cell phone out of her pocket.
“Take it.” Twisting her lips, Kami seized her chance and the phone. She punched in Tango’s number as Grandma BB watched. As the phone rang, she asked that she not say anything.
“I won’t unless he makes me mad.” She hmphed.
Kami cringed, but perked up when Tango came on the line.
“Hi.” She smiled. “It’s me, Kami. Sorry about...last night. My dad tripped.”
Grandma BB inched closer and opened her mouth, but Kami motioned for her to remain quiet.
“I didn’t recognize this number,” Tango stated.
“My parents took my phone away. It’s my grandmother’s.”
“Your grandma is crazy.” Tango grunted. “Listen, you’re not a baby anymore. You’re a fine, sexy, beautiful lady. You know I care for you, but if we’re going to be together, you can’t let that old man, who ain’t your dad anyway, come between us. Tell him you’re going to the mall or spending the night at a friend’s house. We could have lots of fun this summer.”
Nobody calls me crazy, Grandma BB mouthed then reached for the phone.
But Kami moved it out of her reach, mouthing back, I’ve got one more minute. “I’m going to spend the summer with my aunt in Tulsa.”
“Tulsa!” Tango chuckled. “Baby, that’s too far. Either you think of a way for us to be together, or I’ll move on.” Click.
I’ll move on. Kami stopped breathing as she repeated his warning. She stared at nothing until she was forced to blink, then the tears fell. She fingered the bandage protecting her tattoo as if it was sacred.
“He’s a bully.” Grandma BB gritted her teeth and snatched her phone. “Crazy? I know where he lives, and I don’t mind going to jail over this mess.” She mumbled some curse words, which she’d never done in Kami’s presence.
Grandma BB didn’t issue idle threats. If she headed for the hall closet, then she was going for the guns. Instead, she paced the room fussing. “I can show him crazy. If you don’t go to Tulsa, I’ll run him out of town because you both ain’t going to be here this summer.”
Kami had seen Tango bounce from one girl to another. She had lost him before she had him. Kami closed her eyes. Her life was over. She never thought seventeen would be so complicated.