Once they had completed their errands for the day, Thom decided they should get dinner at the Heritage Market in Virginia Beach. The market, or so it’s called now, used to be the Heritage Center which housed a natural grocery, a small café, and a book and gift store. Temi loved browsing the store, picking up books, lucky crystals, and even having a reading from time to time. Located fairly close to the Edgar Cayce Foundation, it was a place to go if you didn’t want to deal with the crowds of people who visited the place of the sleeping prophet. However, several years ago, the center moved and let go of their bookstore. The grocery was expanded, the café was larger, and they still did intuitive and tarot readings; but the feel was not the same. These days, Temi only visited the store to pick up food items she could not find anywhere else… and that was very rare.

            “Thom! Long time no see!” A teenage girl at the register waved enthusiastically as they entered the grocery store. She was a pretty little white girl with white hair streaked with lavender. Her eyes were blue and painted with glittery pale pink eyeshadow and thick liner.

            “Hey,” Thom shyly waved back. Noticing he seemed a bit uncomfortable with the exchange, Temi smiled. She said absolutely nothing but smiled… big… while they quickly made their way to the back of the store to the café.

            The café had a few tables, and all the food served was natural, organic, and somewhat healthy. Temi ordered a burger without a bun with a side of quinoa salad, and Thom ordered a chicken wrap with a regular side salad. They both had water to drink. As they awaited their meal, they sat drinking their water in silence; Temi still smiling.

            “Okay, bitch, what’s up with the shit grin,” Thom finally asked her.

            “She doesn’t know, does she,” Temi’s smile widened.

            Thom cocked his head to the side and gave her a quizzical look. “Who doesn’t know what?”

            Temi laughed outright. Thom knew damn well who she meant and what she meant, and the fact that he was denying it was somehow funny to her. She had never known him to be shy about who and what he was, actually he was just the opposite. “Anime Barbie at the register. She doesn’t know that you’re gay?!?”

            Just then, their food arrived, so they remained silent for a few minutes as the woman from the counter set their meals in front of them. They thanked her and watched her retreat before Thom responded. “No, she doesn’t.”

              “Oh, come on. Why haven’t you told her? I mean, you’re you.”

            There was a pause as Thom finished a bite of his wrap. “It’s complicated.” Temi raised an eyebrow and just waited for him to explain just how it was complicated. She neither took a bite of food or a sip of her water. She only watched him quietly and intently as he avoided her gaze and continued to eat… until he couldn’t take it any longer. “Okay. It’s my dad, all right,” he threw his hands up.

            “What does your dad have to do with it,” Temi went back to eating.

            Thom rolled his eyes. “Actually, it’s my parents. “They’re still kinda swimming in the Nile, if you know what I mean.”

            “Mmm, no, I don’t know what you mean,” she shook her head. “You’ve been out like for-ever. Scott was your plus one at your cousin’s wedding last year.”

            Thom closed his eyes in remembrance. “Oh and was he ever a deliciously gorgeous plus one.” Temi rolled her eyes. “Okay, my dear Artemisia. Here’s the thing. My mother woke up one day with an epiphany. An epiphany that I am only gay because I haven’t found the right girl. Summer, the girl you aptly named Anime Barbie, has been a family friend since I was five. She was three.” He took a drag of his water. “Anyway, the poor girl has had a crush on me for as long as I can remember.” He sighed and looked at Temi. “I just don’t think I have it in me to break her little heart.”

            Temi took Thom’s left hand in her right and gave it a squeeze. “Hmmm, perhaps your parents would get the message if you got a boyfriend rather than a hookup.”

            Shocked by her suggestion, Thom snatched his hand away. “Settle down and deny so many the pleasure of my… acquaintance?”

            “Or you could be the gift that keeps on giving and give to Summer,” she raised a devilish brow.

            “Ewww. Now you’ve gone too far. No offense, but…” he pretended to gag.

            The rest of their conversation was playful; two friends having an early dinner and enjoying their after-work out glow.

            On the way home, Temi could feel herself winding down. The hum of Thom’s car in and out of traffic from one highway to the next would have put her to sleep if he’d stopped talking to her. Most of what he said was advice on how to deal with Jordan if she saw him again. How she could reorganize and reprioritize her life now that he was gone. How she should get laid as soon as possible to knock the funk off. She didn’t mind his talking; in fact, she found him funny. She wasn’t going to run Jordan over the next time she saw him. She was going to reorganize her life. But she was definitely not going to sleep with the first guy to buy her a drink at a bar… STDs these days could kill ya!

            A little more than thirty minutes later, she and Thom were carrying the new mattress into her home where they took it to the master and released it onto the bed slats. “Artie, this is going to have to breath overnight, but it should be fine to sleep on tomorrow.” Just then there was a knock at her front door. “Hey, I’ll get it while you clean up.”

            Temi nodded as Thom left the room. As she broke down the box and stuffed the packaging into a large bag, she mused over the fact that she wouldn’t be able to sleep on the bed until she bought new bed sheets anyway. Everything she owned was for a queen. “Jordan didn’t like king beds,” she quietly said aloud. The truth was, Temi had always wanted a larger bed, but Jordan poo-pooed the idea because it meant they would sleep farther apart. She sighed. It was neither here nor there now, he was gone, and she would have the whole bed to herself.

            “Bitch, you better get your ass out of here before I rip out that weave,” Temi heard Thom yelling. She dropped her bag of trash and went to see what the commotion was about. When she arrived at the top of the stairs, she could see Jordan’s side piece at the door. Temi rotated her shoulders back, stood tall and descended the stairs.

            “Can I help you?”

            The younger woman tore her gaze from Thom to give Temi the squinty eye. “Didn’t take you long to move on, or was this,” she waved a hand at Thom, “happening all along?”

            Temi ignored the question and crossed her arms. “I’m sorry, did you want something? I mean, last I checked, you took all I had to offer.”

            “My clothes, bitch,” she tossed her long wavy weave over her left shoulder. “I’m here for my clothes.”

            Thom began to laugh and moved to place his left arm suggestively around Temi’s waist and pull her close. “Ahhh… the poor child thinks you would keep something that trashy in your house.” He kissed Temi’s neck. “Sweetie, we have things to do. Get rid of the trash, so we can enjoy our evening.” Thom walked back up the stairs.

            “He’s hot.” The younger woman craned her neck around Temi to watched Thom walk back up the stairs. “Nice ass too.” Then looking directly into Temi’s eyes, “How long do you think before I’m sleeping with him too?”

            It was Temi’s turn to laugh. The image of this girl with Thom; knowing what she knew, didn’t work. She could just imagine the fear and revulsion on his face. “Mmm, you can go ahead and try, honey-child; but unlike Jordan, he is the one man I have always been able to count on.”

            “You won’t be laughing when I make him mine.”

            This chic was unbelievably arrogant. Temi eyed her for a moment. She was cute: pretty face, nice body, but high maintenance. “Believe me, if you could get him to sleep with you, without drugging him, I would not only applaud you but give you a hundred bucks.” Then changing the subject, “As for your clothes, they’re at Jordan’s brother’s place. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a date.” Before the other woman had a chance to respond, Temi shut the door in her face.

            The rest of the evening, Thom and Temi laughed about their encounter with Jordan’s new girl and watched the gay rom-com, Jeffrey; which Thom was surprised to see she owned on DVD. Temi hadn’t watched it in a while since Jordan didn’t like it, so she was happy to when Thom found it in her collection of movies. In fact, she felt it was the perfect end to the day given that Thom had decided to egg Jordan’s girlfriend on, or as he put it, ‘entice and frustrate her with his sex appeal.’

            “Well, babe, I need to be getting home,” Thom began to move to the staircase. Temi got up from the sofa and followed him. At the foot of the stairs, he put on his shoes and told her they should take their lunch break together the following day. Then they hugged just before Thom opened the door. However, unexpectedly, after stepping outside, he spun around and swooped Temi up for a rather passionate kiss; a kiss that went on for quite some time. Temi wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but she didn’t protest. Thom was good at what he was doing. Then slowly, very slowly, the kiss became less intense until he broke away to kiss her on the forehead. Temi opened her eyes when Thom pulled away and realized they had an audience… Jordan and the new girl. “Are they still watching,” Thom whispered in her ear as he nuzzled her neck.

            “Yes.”

            “Do you think Jordan recognizes me?”

            Temi slowly pulled away to look Thom in the eyes and place her hand lovingly on his cheek. “No,” she kissed him lightly. “He only met you once two years ago, so I greatly doubt it.”

            “Good,” he kissed her again. Then, breaking away to leave, he projected in his deepest voice, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Boo!”

            Temi waved to Thom and tried not to laugh out loud.

            The rest of the week was a blur. Temi worked a little less in order to make it to the gym after work. She emptied her fridge and pantry of desserts and less than healthy snacks and redecorated her apartment. Where couple pictures of Jordan and her once hung were now paintings and drawings she had done while in college, and her Artemis bed was decorated in greens, creams, and browns to honor the goddess. She and Thom hung out every night, but there was no repeat of the late-night kiss they had shared their first night together. Temi didn’t miss the kiss in the least; she and Thom were just good friends. In fact, she was glad they hadn’t repeated the incident; after a breakup it would be far too easy to misread his intentions for something more.

            Now that it was Saturday again. On this particular Saturday, Thom would be off on the prowl, giving her an opportunity to visit her mother. Jada Clarke lived in a modest home in Etheridge Manor, just a hop and a skip from Temi. Just a short drive up Mt. Pleasant, a right onto the tree covered two-lane road that was Hillwell, and a left on Gloria into the neighborhood. Her mother still lived in the house where Temi grew up and hadn’t changed it much since Temi’s father had died; her health made change difficult.

            Two years ago, Temi’s mother was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, a muscle disorder. The symptoms began with the left side of her face drooping and then she began to have difficulty walking. As the doctor explained it to Temi and her mother, it’s as if her nerves and muscles were no longer communicating. Luckily, her mother was diagnosed before she began to have difficulty swallowing, which Temi heard was one of the worst symptoms. Since her mother’s diagnosis, Temi had been by her side through the surgeries, blood transfusions, everything. Then just after Temi’s last birthday, they received the news they had been hoping for… her mother’s condition was in remission. And with that came the work of losing weight she gained while on steroids, regaining the ability to work in her garden, and an increased desire to visit friends. In the past five months, Temi’s mother had gone from a fragile shell of her former self to a powerhouse.

            “Hi mama,” Temi smiled as she joined her mother in the garden. Her mother’s garden was quite different from the neighbors.’ Mixed in with the lilies, dianthus, and veronicas were herbs and greens. In the back yard there was fountain grass accessorized with tomatoes, and the star of Bethlehem keeping company with the zucchini and summer squash.  

            “Hey, baby,” Jada held up her arms for a hug. “Been working hard? I barely see you these days.”

            Temi hugged her mother and then sat next to her on the soft emerald grass. “Jordan and I broke up last Thursday,” she played with a blade of grass.

            Jada jabbed the head of her spade in the soil and turned to give her only child her full attention. “You gonna tell me what happened?”

            Temi wasn’t sure why, but she was close to tears. She didn’t miss Jordan, but somehow telling her mother that they were no longer together was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She swallowed hard but the lump in her throat remained… she would just have to speak around it. “I caught him cheating on me with one of the neighbors. They were having sex in my bed.” The last sentence came out with a croak and Temi blinked hard to expel the tears attempting to come forth.

            Jada sighed and picked up the edge of her garden apron to wipe her hands. Then she stood and offered a slightly soiled hand to her daughter with a smile. Temi took the offered hand, and they walked together into the house.