Dark Or Cream

Chapter 6 – Mix It Up

“Wait a minute! Wait one minute!” Isis cackled with laughter. “He said what?”

 Ebony was in the chair getting her hair re-braided, and Kaja was waiting her turn for a sew-in. Ebony’s eyes were wide as saucers as she listened to Kaja recount her date with Rashan.

“He said women these days don’t understand teamwork is all about being a damn cheerleader and supporting him and encouraging him, and he don’t want no woman that makes more money than him. Did I stutter?” Kaja crossed her arms, still peeved by her date the night prior. “I almost threw the dinner plate in his face. And, had the nerve to insist that I cook dinner for him instead of taking me out to eat!”

“What the hell? Sis, I cannot believe it,” Ebony said, chuckling.

“Men these days,” Isis replied, shaking her head.

“Other than that, he was close to perfect.” Kaja sighed.

“Well, maybe he just has a hard time articulating what he really means. I can’t imagine he got this far in life without somebody somewhere telling him that ain’t how the game goes. You gone give him another chance?” Ebony prodded.

“Hmph,” Kaja smirked.

Ebony giggled and shared a look with Isis. Isis chimed in, “C’mon, Kaja. He might’ve had an off night.”

“Hmph,” Kaja said again, louder.

“So, are you still going out with the white boy tonight?” asked Isis, arching her brow and smiling at Kaj.

Ebony gasped. “What date with a white boy?”

“That’s right, I forgot to tell you, Ebony! The guy I met online asked me out the same day that Rashan did. Eric and I are going out tonight.”

“Two dates in one weekend,” Isis said in a singsong voice meant to tease. Kaja smacked her lips and waved her off, knowing she wasn’t serious.

Ebony said, “Well, I guess I’m the last one to know everything, and I’m the one who set you up to find these fellas. Your sister card is about to be revoked, Kaja.” Kaja giggled and flipped through her hair magazine, ignoring her sister. “Where are you supposed to be going with him so I can know where to tell the cops to start searching if you come up missing?”

“Don’t make me any more nervous than I already am.”

“Just meet in a public place,” Isis suggested. Ebony shook her head, and Isis popped her with the flat of her comb to keep her still. “You want crooked parts, Ebony? Cause you about to get some.”

“Ow! I’m being still, Isis! Anyway, Kaj, since when do you mess around with more than one man at a time.”

“I don’t. I told them both about each other. They both insisted it wasn’t a problem. I figured I would give them a trial run, date them both this weekend and then try to come up with a decision on who I wanted to continue seeing.”

“Aww, and you giving up on my boy, Rashan, already?” said Ebony with a mock disappointed look. “My vote is for the brother.”

“Mine, too. I already told her. Dating a white guy comes with its own set of problems,” said Isis.

Kaja sighed in frustration. “Look, I’m not giving up on anybody…yet. This is the comparison phase. I’m just gonna go out with Eric tonight and see how things go. He might turn out to be worse than Rashan.”

“Well, I personally think Rashan just had an off night.” Ebony said absently. She had gone back to playing games on her cellphone, to Isis’ dismay.

“Didn’t I tell you I don’t want to see that phone in here again?”

“Ooh, are you my momma?” Ebony fired back.

Kaja burst out laughing, wondering if they’d ever grow up. The three of them were still squabbling and fighting like they did when they were younger. By the time she left the beauty parlor, she felt like she had judged Rashan too harshly. He had said some questionable things, but maybe he deserved the opportunity to redeem himself.

Kaja still wasn’t feeling too generously about him. She made up her mind that if he asked her out again, she would accept, but that was about it. She definitely wasn’t calling him.

Kaja left the shop and headed home where she spent the day relaxing. She didn’t want to run the streets, shops or socialize. She needed a few hours to herself to woo-sah. Sitting on her couch with her feet up, she scanned the channels for something to watch on television and settled in to view one of her favorite romantic comedies. Around midday she snacked on pita chips, and she checked her computer for messages. Some of her anticipation for the date with Eric had dampened after the fiasco with Rashan. It didn’t pay to get her hopes up, she reasoned. She had been so sure that Rashan was everything she was looking for in a man.

At five o’clock she took a long leisurely bath, sitting in the steamy water until it grew tepid and adding more hot water to sit longer. She stepped out of the tub smelling like the citrusy bath bombs she loved to use, and she padded to her room to dig out something to wear. The black dress she had entertained Rashan in was set aside to go to the cleaners, and she didn’t have anything else of that caliber. Staring blankly at the row of clothes, Kaja sighed.

“What to wear? What to wear?” she muttered to herself, tapping a finger against her lips.

The last message she had sent to Eric was the arrangements for their date tonight, and it was still on the screen. She would be meeting him at the movie theater. Kaja had decided to give him the exact same date night experience as she had given Rashan because she wanted a fair comparison. She didn’t need to get too dressed up. Her eyes settled on a designer pants set in teal with black geometric designs. It teetered between business casual and evening wear, and she decided it was the right look.

Kaja got dressed for yet another date, but this time she hopped into her own car and drove over to the movie theater. It wasn’t until she pulled into the packed parking lot that it occurred to her she had no idea if she would recognize Eric’s face in a crowd! Luckily, she had saved his number to her cellphone, even if she had never used it. As she stood at the entrance to the movie theater, she put her phone to her ear, but the device rang endlessly with no response. Kaja slapped the screen and hit end call, starting to feel irritated. “Why did I let Ebony talk me into this mess in the first place?” she grumbled.

Just as she was about to lose faith, she felt a tap on her shoulder.