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Rhonda replied, “For now, it’s whatever, but she better not get froggy.”
Chapter 2
The Bonding Period
Later that evening, Titus called Shayla, and they talked for hours about everything under the sun. She wasn’t used to anyone talking to her as if she was a grown woman instead of a teenager in high school. They spoke at length about school, life goals, personal interests, and then they got on the topic of dating. He explained to her that the girl who had come over to his car creating a scene was his ex-girlfriend, and he wasn’t feeling her like that anymore. Apparently, she wasn’t ready to let go.
“Are you ready to let go?” Shayla asked.
“I’m talking to you, aren’t I? I have moved on, but she is still on some ‘We’re meant to be together. Let’s get married and have a baby, and I love you,’ shit. The girl is way too bossy. I’m nineteen. I’m not looking for another mother or a wife, but someone that I can connect with as I feel my way through life. Understand?”
Shayla decided to stroke his ego while at the same time gauging his response. “I feel you. So, you got it like that? You’ve got girls going around tripping about you? Because, believe it or not, girlfriend was acting like you were cheating on her or something. Like she was all sprung over you.”
“Nah, it’s not that. It’s just that some females don’t know when to let go when the relationship is dead. You know when the lights are out, it’s time to put the baby to bed. When the thrill is gone, it’s gone.”
“And when it’s on, it’s on, I suppose. Like with us?” At that point in the conversation, Shayla didn’t really care what the girl’s malfunction was. She didn’t care to know her name or her situation. On the exterior, this guy presented himself as the typical sexy thug with brains that sisters always dream about, and on the inside, she was discovering quickly that he was a man with a sincere heart, true integrity, and his whole life ahead of him. She had gotten that much from his intelligent conversation and the dreams he had shared with her.
To show how much he wasn’t feeling the other girl, he continued explaining, “I don’t care anything about that girl. Let me show you tomorrow, when I pick you up from school and take you home. If she doesn’t know by now, she’ll know tomorrow that I’m digging this certain redbone from around the way.”
“Is that right?” Shayla raised an eyebrow as she entwined the phone cord in her fingers.
“Right, and I’m going to show you,” he confirmed.
The next day, Titus picked her up promptly at 3:15PM. Even though she once again had to dodge several eye daggers that shot her way as she approached his car, she was happy to see him turn the corner. He showed her something special when he hopped out of the car, presented her with a single long-stemmed rose, and opened the door for her.
Shayla laughed internally at the bug-a-boo that had been tripping on him the day before as she turned red watching Shayla make her graceful entrance into the car, but more importantly, the girl couldn’t help but take notice of the blood-red rose and the other sweet gestures that Titus had made. Her expression was so priceless that she could have been bought and sold for a quarter at that very moment. From that point on, Shayla and Titus were too caught up into each other to notice the girl running off into the building with one of her chicken-head friends following close behind.
Over the next couple of weeks, the newly-formed couple talked on the phone so much that they’d practically shared every detail of their lives with each other. He’d graduated the year before from Booker T. Washington High’s rival, South Macon. He lived off of J. Anthony Street in the Sloan Mill projects of Tuskegee with his family, including his three brothers and two sisters. He said college wasn’t for him, because “Baby, college ain’t for everybody.” Even still, Titus Wilson was planning to start his own car dealership, and do something three generations of his family had not been able to do – make it out of the Sloan Mill projects.
Shayla shared her dreams of becoming a clinical psychologist and starting her very own practice either in Birmingham or in one of the surrounding cities. She knew there was a dire need for affordable mental health care in Alabama. Watching her mother and brother both fight a lifelong battle with bipolar disease made her more determined than ever to help people suffering with debilitating psychological problems. There were so many people dealing with mental health problems that they were ashamed to admit, and even those that admitted it did not get consistent and/or proper treatment. This was a cause that she was passionate about, even as a teenager.
At seventeen, Shayla had her life all mapped out. Not only would she help the mentally-challenged live a better life, but by the age of twenty-eight, she’d find the perfect husband. By thirty, they would have traveled the world over and would be working on starting a family. Also by that time, she would own a three-story home with a Denali sitting beside the latest sport-style Mercedes in her four-car garage. She had not come from much, but her goals for a picturesque future were far bigger than what she could see with her natural eye. When her grandmother told her, “If you work hard to overachieve, Sweet Pea, everything you desire in this world will be at your fingertips,” she had taken those words to heart.
As far as the new love affair went, things were going so well that after a few months the duo had eventually went on a few dates, spoken on the phone at all times of night, and Shayla had even skipped school a few times to hang out with him. At this point, they were inseparable. Seeds of puppy love had been planted. History was in the making, and on her graduation night, she gave to him her most
precious gift – her virginity.
From the minute they left her graduation party, they were hugging and kissing and could barely keep their hands off each other. When they had finally consummated their relationship by making love, Titus had no doubt in his mind that he wanted Shayla on his side as his main girl. She had to be on his team forever. And Shayla loved the idea of spending the rest of her life with him. The next morning after graduation, she had to talk to someone, so she called Ronnie to tell her about her night with Titus.
“Girl, last night everything was so special. Titus went overboard and bought me roses, a necklace, and a ring.”
Ronnie teased, “Whatever, chick! I see that you just brushed your girls off for yo’ special night wit’ yo’ man, huh?”
“I’m with my girls all the time, Ronnie. Don’t be acting all jealous and selfish. You know I had something special planned with Titus,” said Shayla, stopping Ronnie before she started tripping. “Now listen, and stop butting in, so I can tell you about it.”
“Do tell.” Ronnie smirked, secretly a bit envious of the fact that Shayla seemed so happy these days.
“Besides the fact that I love Titus like my next breath, all I can say is that man is all that and a bag of chips! Can you say three snaps in a circle? That man… that man!” Shayla stopped, as if the sheer memory of the prior night had taken her on a ride.
“Oh, you are going to have to give up the goods! Give up the goods.” Ronnie rushed impatiently, ready to hear the details of Shayla’s night.
“Okay, so we drove to the Hilton in Montgomery, right?”
“Uh, huh.”
“By the way, that’s a nice ass hotel! He had the room decorated with rose petals meticulously placed about the floor and bed. Candles were everywhere, honey. He even had a bottle of champagne, which we didn’t get a chance to touch. That man took his time. He had to, you know, because it was my first time. He didn’t miss the opportunity to make love to every inch of my body. Treated me like I was the most important woman in the world. I’ve never experienced anything like it, ever. I think I love him. No, I know I love him. He’s going to be my husband, girl! I just know it.”
“Wait a minute, girl. Wait a minute.” Rhonda sounded as though she were at a loss for words as she put Shayla on hold, called Gladys, and then connected the three of them on a three-way call.
