Passion's Hurdle

By F.R. Massey

Toshua is a southern woman living in the big apple studying art. Recently she ended a relationship that was going nowhere fast. Love didn't seem to be for her until she accidently bumps into a mysterious man named Thomas. He's masculine, romantic, and sexy with a body that will have you addicted to chocolate 24/7. Soon she unsloves the mystery and discovers a passion so intense that the thought of him sends her desires in places never visited before. Can this be the man of her dreams? Or will his well kept secret get in the way of true happiness. Only time will tell as Toshua finds herself in the fight of her life to escape her past and hold on to her future. Passion's Hurdle is an intense love story that will capture your heart and have you reading it many times over.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781463441449

F.R. Massey

F.R. Massey is a writer with extraordinary vision and a deep understanding of the human persona. He uses real life principles in fictional settings in a format that all types of readers will understand and relate to. Once you divulge yourself into his world of passion, raw emotion, and real life humor it will definitely leave your literary senses craving for more. As a student of literature. F.R. Massey is currently majoring in English with the University of Maryland University College with a minor in Computer Applications.

Book preview

Passion’s

Hurdle

F.R. Massey

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© 2011 by F.R. Massey. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 07/25/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4634-4145-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-4144-9 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011913183

Printed in the United States of America

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedication

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Dedication

I dedicate this book to first of all God, family, close friends, and most importantly to my wonderful and captivating soul mate who has provided me with a great amount of encouragement, support, and inspiration. May God bless you all.

Preface

Sitting at the restaurant table Toshua glances at her watch, 10 more minutes, she says to herself. The countdown was for her boyfriend Antonio. They had both agreed to meet at a place of her choice to talk. The relationship was becoming more of an inconvenience everyday. More wine madam? No thank you, says Toshua to the waiter as she spots Antonio walking towards the table. You know I would rather be at home than in a stuffy restaurant, says Antonio sitting down hastily. We agreed to talk not complain, Toshua replies. Looking at Antonio from across the table she wonders why she even tries. The man could have dressed a little more casual for the evening. Jeans are not good with everything! Without even noticing the new dress Toshua was wearing, Antonio grabs the menu. What is this stuff on here? You can’t even read it. I thought it would be nice to try something new. A woman can get tired of ordering a combo meal, Toshua says sharply. You trying to make fun of me or something Miss high society? asks Antonio with much bitterness. Toshua notices the tone in his voice so avoids adding fuel to the fire. No silly, she answers softly, I am trying to have a pleasant dinner and conversation with my boyfriend. I’m curious about your desires of me and our relationship. Antonio stares at Toshua for a moment and then lays his menu on the table. His facial expression displayed his obvious discomfort. There you go again, putting pressure on me. I like things the way they are right now. Why can’t we have fun without all the strings and stuff? Those words came as no surprise. For two years Antonio seemed to be too comfortable with just having fun. That is fine, but a sista needs something to look forward to. A woman needs a future, security, and a man she can grow with. Maybe I am too much of a woman for him she thought. Besides, this man does not care enough for me to try things I like. He didn’t even care enough to compliment the new dress she was wearing.

The waiter brings the food and it was such a wonderfully prepared meal that Toshua forgot about her present company momentarily. Antonio, Toshua says after taking a drink of wine, I think you and I need some time apart. It feels like we are too different for this relationship to work. Immediately, Antonio slams down his fork. You know, your problem is that you want to live like the Joneses. Hanging around all those stuck up people in the art gallery is messin your head up. I don’t need no fancy restaurant or fancy clothes. I am not trying to live like the Joneses and my head is quite fine, replies Toshua while trying to remain civil. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene. All I’m saying is that I want our relationship to move forward. When I bring up the future you get upset and make it seem like I’m such a bad person. I don’t want to settle for what life gives me. I want to live my life to the fullest and experience every joy possible. Maybe even get married and have children. When we met I thought you wanted the same thing too. Looking around the restaurant, Antonio slowly gets up from the table. Standing there, he starred at Toshua seeming to be at a loss of words. After a brief moment, he finally speaks. I hope you find that guy after spending some time alone. Enjoy your dinner. Antonio, it’s…, Toshua says in an attempt to reason with him before he passed by the waiter and exited the restaurant. It’s time for a change, she says to the empty chair looking back at her. Antonio never really understood her, from the beginning until his departure this evening. Slowly, she sipped her last bit of wine and checked the time. The bill was on the table with a note reading, that’s a lovely dress madam." This brought a smile to her face as she pulled out a credit card from her purse.

The waiter comes and asks, Was everything to your satisfaction madam? Yes, Toshua answers, and thanks for the kind words. The waiter takes the credit card saying, No thanks necessary, it was my pleasure. I’ll be back in a moment. He disappears in the back and within minutes returns with a receipt and her credit card. Thank you for dining here madam. No, thank you for being a great waiter, Toshua replies. You are quite welcome madam. The waiter smiles and then returns to the rear of the restaurant to help more patrons. Toshua gathers her things and goes outside to wait for the valet to bring her car around. Once inside, she puts in a c.d. and takes off into the night, destination home. Feeling both disappointment and relief, Toshua begins to prepare herself mentally for starting a new chapter in her life. This time, she’s going to devote more time to herself and keeping away from the knuckleheads. Ironically, No More Drama from Mary J. Blige starts playing as she passes through a green light. That’s right, she says to herself, no more drama for me. By the time the song is over Toshua is only a couple of blocks away from her apartment. The streets are somewhat empty with the exception of a few people walking by here and there. At a red light, a young man pulls up beside her with his music ridiculously loud and looks over as if she should be impressed. Thinking like this is why so many black women struggle with dating. A woman doesn’t need rims, gold teeth, bling bling, loud music, and sagging jeans to be impressed. That stuff may attract young girls who haven’t grown up yet. Toshua shakes her head and pulls off totally ignoring the Dodge Charger and the driver. Sometimes she wishes she could sit all the young black men down of the world and tell them that what impresses a woman is a mature, responsible, reliable man.

One who is considerate and takes pride in taking care of his woman and his family. It’s cool to have fun and to be spontaneous because that keeps the relationship exciting. However, a woman needs to know that the time and energy she’s investing into a relationship is going to yield some results. Who knows, maybe Oprah or Tyra Banks will have an episode covering this one day. Toshau makes a final right turn and parks her car for the night. Her neighborhood is somewhat quite besides the occasional car horn or loud groups of people walking by. The air is pleasant, making it a perfect time for a romantic stroll. Slowly, Toshua walks back to her apartment hoping that the next man she dates will enjoy such a time as this with her. She passes through the main entrance and says a quick hello to the security working the desk before getting onto the elevator. After she reaches her floor, she steps out into the hallway where a fellow resident runs by to catch the elevator before the door closes. He is a loner, only seen in rare instances like this one. Inside her apartment, she quickly gets comfortable once finishing a much needed hot shower. There’s something about the hot water messaging her body that relaxes her no matter what the situation. She then goes to the fridge to get some ice cream and sits by the window to look at the few stars not blocked by the building around her. Just as she is halfway done with her butter pecan ice cream the phone rings. Toshua listens as Tamara leaves a message on the answering machine for the second time. Not wanting to go into the details about her evening, she decides to call her tomorrow. Finishing the rest of her dessert, Toshua settles in bed and turns on the travel channel. This is one of her favorite shows to watch because of the beautiful places they feature during each episode. This time they cover a wonderful spot in Greece which has everything a person could want on a vacation. One day, Toshua says as she adjusts her pillows, I’ll be there. Tomorrow is a new day and it’s time for a new beginning in her life. From now on she decides to spend more time taking care of herself and less time being distracted by knuckleheads. The next man better come correct, because this sister is not tolerating the nonsense. Eyelids get heavy as Toshua drifts off to sleep. The sounds of the t.v. fade in and out as the city noise joins in. Tonight there is a woman being reborn in spirit and mind. Get ready world, the best is yet to come.

Chapter 1

Girl, you betta get your butt up, yells Tamara through the answering machine. Don’t be late for our aerobics class girl because today we have hip hop fat burning. Toshua, still half sleep, picks up the phone. Girl, you are too hyper in the morning. I’ll be there on time so don’t worry. You just make sure you and Rachel get our spots before other people take them. I got your back girl, see you there. Tamara hangs up and Toshua takes a quick look out of her living room window. It was a beautiful sunny morning which seemed to call to her as she turned on the radio. A refreshing shower, mixed with some karaoke, was followed by a bit of cereal and orange juice. Toshua then proceeds to put on something comfortable, yet fun. While in the elevator leading to the main floor of her apartment building, she wonders what new things their instructor has for them today. Thank God most of the city still seems to be sleep, Toshua says to herself while walking to the parking area. Many people feel that it is a waste to own a car in the Big Apple. Being an independent woman, she has always hated depending on anything, including the transit system. One more light to go, she says in the middle of singing along with Gill Scott. The studio was not far from her apartment and the instructor is a native New Yorker. Toshua almost quit after her first session, not realizing how tough the instructor was. But a little encouragement from her two best friends convinced her to hang in there. Especially Tamara, who, likes any form of exercise as long as it involves shaking her butt. On one occasion she tried to use one of the steps in class at the club. It was one of the funniest moments Toshua had ever witnessed since living in New York. After parking in the members’ parking area behind the studio, Toshua sprints inside. She heads towards the locker room where Tamara and Rachel are waiting. What’s up sis, asks Rachel as she locks her locker. I know what’s up, says Tamara, Antonio worked you over last night. No he didn’t Mrs. Know it all, snaps Toshua. We broke up last night. Yes, exclaims Rachel. I’m glad you did because he was wasting your time.

This is not the first time she has said this concerning Antonio. Deep down inside Toshua knew that Rachel was right but didn’t want to admit it. Besides, Rachel’s head gets a little bit bigger each time she finds out her assumptions are correct. Come on. Class is about to start, shouts Tamara as she races out of the locker room and into the aerobics room. Toshua and Rachel quickly follow to find their spots in the back of the class. The instructor, Denise, starts preparing the all female group by taking them through different stretching exercises. A prior fitness competitor from Arizona, she never seems to be in bad spirits. As they begin to get in their routine, both Toshua and Rachel laugh at Tamara. Being the biggest of the three, she tries to keep her breast under control. Although her butt is her pride and joy, her breast are another story. Rachel was the tallest one but complained about her butt the most. She really had nothing to complain about since people often asked her if she ever tried modeling. The hour and half class went by fast as usual. The end result was gluts, quads, and abs that were screaming for mercy. Denise joked around with some of the members who walked a little different than they did prior to the beginning of the session. Tamara was one of the willing victims who had a few words for their instructor. Woman, you are evil! I might not be able to drop it like it’s hot tonight Denise shakes her head while Tamara is consoled by Toshua and Rachel. I think you will be just fine Tamara, says Denise. Just remember to keep stretching. O.K. terminatress, replies Tamara. See you next time. On that note, Toshua leads her best friends back into the locker room. There, Tamara practices dropping it like it’s hot in front of everyone. Oh yeah, she yells out.

Drop down and get your eagle on. Toshua, along with the majority of the ladies there, laughs hysterically at the booty shaking antics displayed before them. Rachel, having seen more than enough, pops Tamara with a towel saying, If Nelly saw you, he would sue you for destruction of a good song. Don’t be a hater, quips Tamara. You wish you could move like me. Whatever, says Rachel while walking towards the shower. Toshua follows her with Tamara in tow. One thing they all enjoyed about aerobics was the messaging shower afterwards. The pleasantly hot water beating down on them aided in the healing process after a hard session. What do you two have going on today?, asks Toshua. Rachel pauses for a moment, and then answers. I have to work on a custody case. The hardest thing about this one is that neither parent seems fit to have full custody. I myself have an important client coming into the salon today, adds Tamara. And whom may that be?, asks Toshua. None other than Joyce Rollins, the producer of the television show Modern Women, boast Tamara. Girl that is great!, exclaims Rachel. Toshua finishes drying her hair and looks at the clock on the wall. Yeah Tamara, she adds, this will be great exposure for your salon. I hope so because my salon could always use more clients." Even though she may be a little outrageous sometimes, Tamara is a hard worker. The salon is her baby and many exhausting hours were spent getting it up and running.

Noticing the time again, Toshua rushes to put the final touches on her makeup. Time sure flies when you have to go to work, she says while doing a final check in the mirror. It surely does sis, says Rachel zipping up her gym bag. I’ll call you this afternoon about tonight. After things slow down in the salon, I will call you too. O.K. Tamara. Rachel, make sure you don’t forget because there’s a new jazz club on West 34th I want us to check out. I won’t sis, I promise. Toshua grabs her things and says her goodbyes as she leaves her best friends in the locker room. Striding out to her car, she makes a quick call to let the gallery owner know that she may be a little late. It’s good to plan ahead just incase the seemingly light traffic gets congested for some reason. Feeling good, Toshua arrives at her destination. The only distraction during her brief drive was a double parked cab about two blocks away. Today, the clear skies brought a wonderful warmth to the summer morning as Toshua entered the gallery. Originally opened in Buffalo in 1958, it was relocated to New York City in 1986. She could faintly hear the owner’s voice coming from the back while walking to her office. He appeared to be on the phone when she passed by. With a simple wave and a slight smile Mr. Goodman acknowledged her arrival. An aspect of her job, which she enjoyed tremendously, was the host of different people she could meet in a typical day. Some rich, some not so rich, some old, some young, and others who really didn’t know much about art at all, showed a genuine desire to learn of a new frontier. On a few occasions, public schools and college students have had trips there to enlighten the minds of the future generation.

Thank you young lady, a visitor said kindly, you have been most informative.

It’s my pleasure sir and I’m glad you enjoyed your visit.

I did indeed. Take care.

You do the same.

Toshua had just finished describing a painting that was part of a collection from the period of Queen Elizabeth. This is one of Mr. Goodman’s favorite collections and if he could, he would probably have it buried with him. Then again, he would still need room for his cat. Toshua takes a quick look at the clock. It is 12:40 and her stomach begins to give her a hint to take a break. Mr. Goodman would usually cover for her until she returns and then disappear into his office. I won’t be long, says Toshua to the owner.

Don’t rush, but don’t get lost either. I have an important client coming at 2:00.

Lost in the big city, how could I, Toshua replies jokingly. Toshua walks away, leaving a smiling Mr. Goodman pointing a finger at her. She wondered if he had bought into the saying that black people never come back from lunch on time. If so, it wasn’t because of her. Like him she loved art, but she was not obsessed by it. Turning to go through the glass doors of the main entrance, she walks straight into the chest of a man entering the gallery. I am so sorry, Toshua says embarrassingly, I should have been watching where I was going. It’s O.K., the man says smiling. He pauses for a moment as his eyes politely surveys her from head to toe. You didn’t hurt me or anything. Holding the door open for Toshua, he smiles even more as she passes by. Still feeling somewhat awkward, Toshua says Thank you and I hope you enjoy your visit. Mam, you are quite welcome and I am enjoying my visit already. Toshua can feel his eyes follow her as she heads towards her car. Damn he has a nice chest, she says to herself as she closes the door. I gotta call my girl on this one. Picking up her cell phone, she calls Tiffany only to be directed to her voice mail. I should have known, says Toshua. She slides in a c.d and pulls out to go to a cozy restaurant down the street. Once there, she orders a chicken Ceaser salad, baked potatoe, and a Fruitopia fruit drink. Toshua believed in eating healthy, but still enjoyed home made sweet potatoe pie or chocolate cake.

While eating her lunch she tried not to think of the man she bumped into leaving the gallery. Thoughts of his well developed chest, dark brown eyes, and soothing voice made her miss biting on a piece of chicken. After a few minutes of pondering possibilities, she regretfully dismisses them. Realizing that she meets new people everyday, Toshua concludes that this is no exception. He’ll probably look around, ask a question or two, and finally leave to explore another part of the area. The odds of another meeting would be like that of Snoop Dog getting fat. Grabbing her ticket, she pays for the meal and leaves a little extra for the hostess. Toshua always believed that good customer service should be rewarded. Looking at her watch, she had almost thirty minutes to get back to the gallery. Fortunately the ride back was not delayed by traffic. Toshua parks her car, checks her teeth for any chicken left behind, touches up her lipstick, and gives herself the thumbs up. Walking back to the gallery, she begins to wonder who the important visitor will be. Maybe it will be someone who will one day view her paintings or visit her gallery. One day, she says to herself as she enters through the main entrance. Toshua notices Mr. Goodman talking with a couple of people who look like tourists as she goes to put her things in her office. Their cameras and accents are sure tell signs of this. When she arrives back on the floor, Mr. Goodman notices her presence. He abruptly excuses himself to make his way to Toshua. I am so glad you are back Toshua. I could barely understand a word they were saying.Oh my God, they actually got a word in, Toshua said jokingly. "Make fun all you want.

One day your ears will be tortured with broken English. With that being said, the owner walks off defiantly to find solace in his office. More than likely he would be spending the next few moments talking to his cat. Toshua always believed that he could use some people skills. It’s ironic that someone with such a love for various works of art can be intolerable of different people as well. Getting her focus back on work, Toshua makes her way around the gallery to help new visitors. Unlike Mr. Goodman, she has no problem dealing with people. While she did this her eyes picked up a familiar figure standing in the back of the gallery. There, a few feet in front of her was the man whom she assumed would be nothing but a memory. In her mind she calculated that he should have been gone at least an hour ago. Only real serious art lovers stayed for more than a few minutes and he did not look like one. In a futile attempt to keep from being noticed, Toshua turns away from him. Excuse me mam, he says politely, can I ask you something? Hesitantly, she faces him to answer the question. Yes you may. Great, he says with a hint of relief. Do you work here? Trying to be as natural as possible, Toshua answers, Yes I do. How may I help you? The gentleman walks closer to her with his hands held together as if he was praying. I just wanted to know who to talk to when I decide to purchase a painting or a sculpture. Well sir, I’ll do my best to help you anyway I can. When looking at this man Toshua felt as if he was looking into her soul, observing her deepest desires. Swallowing deeply, she turns and tries to direct his attention to the painting in front of them. Although he was a fine tuned brother and seemed nice, he still was a stranger. Seizing the opportunity to get away, Toshua says, I better get back to work. If you have any questions I’ll be near the information center."

The gentleman smiles, probably sensing the uneasiness within Toshua. I do have something to say before you leave. Of all the beauty I see here captured in a frame, none of them can compare to the beauty I see in front of me right now. Toshua was at a loss of words. Not only could she not believe he was still there, but for him to speak such kind words was totally unexpected. This man has potential and a body that has plenty places for me to explore. Sir you are too kind, she says after collecting her thoughts. Please, call me Thomas. Besides, how could I just forget about you after our collision earlier. Again I apologize Thomas, says Toshua feeling somewhat embarrassed. No damage done so it’s cool. By the way, what is your name? At first there is a moment of internal debate. The last thing Toshua wanted was this nice guy to end up being a stalker. However, she concluded that the knowledge of her first name is fairly safe. He still doesn’t know where she lives, her telephone number, or her last name. It’s Toshua, she says while trying to avoid extended eye contact. That’s simple but nice. Thomas smiles feeling a sense of accomplishment. Now he has a name to match with his queen. Thank you for the compliment, but I really must get back to work. Take care. I will and don’t work too hard, replies Thomas. I’ll keep that in mind, Toshua says as she walks away. Deep down, the thought of being considered beautiful was very flattering to her. However, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was truly genuine. Many men will play the role long enough to get into the panties. Then they go and dump you once their curiosity is satisfied. Besides, she just recently got rid of a zero less than 24 hours ago.

There was no rush to find another one anytime soon. After looking at a few more paintings, Thomas decided to leave. He didn’t want to scare away such a beautiful woman. While walking towards the main entrance he saw Toshua in the midst of a group of people. For a brief moment their eyes met and time seemed to stand still. Thomas knew in his heart that he would not rest until he was able to spend more time with her. As he passed by he offered both a wave and a smile before exiting the gallery. Toshua returns a smile to Thomas and then continues to answer questions offered by the visitors. Being a professional, she does her best to maintain her cool. Toshua answers the last question and then thanks the visitors for coming. As she stares blankly at the glass doors, questions begin to flood her mind about this man called Thomas. The package was indeed tempting to the upmost, but a woman has to be careful these days. Toshua takes a deep breath to get her faculties together just in time to notice the gallery owner motioning for her. It was getting near six p.m. and he always stayed behind to lock up. Toshua, what would I do without you, says the owner as she walks into his office. My visitor was very impressed with the gallery today. In fact, he was so impressed that he made me an offer for one of my paintings. It is not often that Toshua is privileged to see such emotion coming from Mr. Goodman. His obvious excitement reminded her of a child on Christmas morning. That’s great news!, replies Toshua. So which painting does he want? The owner quickly pulls out a large portfolio which contained detailed photographs of all the art he collected over the years. This one, he says pointing at a painting from the Renaissance Era. It is a true find, but the offer was too good to refuse. For a slight moment he showed a hint of sadness, but then it went away without a trace. "Toshua, tomorrow I’m going to need you to prepare the painting for delivery.

I will provide you with all the information. No problem Mr. Goodman. I will take care of everything, Toshua says reassuringly. The owner comes from behind his desk and picks up his cat. Smiling, he says Young lady I have no doubt in your capabilities and I am immensely grateful for your contribution here. Toshua was a bit taken back by the owner’s kind words. This is something that she doesn’t hear from him on a daily basis. Well thank you Mr. Goodman and have a pleasant evening, Toshua says while giving his cat a friendly rub on his ears. The owner smiles and walks out of his office saying, You too, now leave while the evening is young. O.K. Mr. Goodman, says Toshua as she walks ahead of him near the information center. With a wave goodbye, she leaves him behind standing alone with his cat in front of the main entrance. The owner showed a different side of his personality today. The offer must have had a lot of zeros at the end to spur on this kind of behavior. While Toshua walks to her car, she notices how pleasant the evening is. How nice it would be to have a romantic walk under the brilliant stars", Toshua thought to herself. The gallery fades in the rear view mirror as she makes her way through traffic to her apartment. Once there she gets out of the car, activates the alarm, and strides across the street to her apartment building. Before arriving in New York City Toshua’s parents informed her of a trust fund. They wanted to make sure she had money to get a nice apartment and not end up in a crime infested neighborhood. The elevator stops on the tenth floor and Toshua says hello to a neighbor running past in a obvious hurry.

She opens her door and drops everything on the dining room table. The love seat surrounds her as she sinks lazily into the cushions. Off goes the shoes and on comes the music. Sounds of Brian McKnight fill the air, making Toshua more relaxed with every melodious note. Sing it to me baby, she says as she sinks deeper into the love seat. This time of unwinding is what she looks forward to now that she is single again. Sure, it would be nice to have someone to share these intimate moments with someone special. Especially with Brian getting a sista all worked up. Then again, Toshua finds solace in peace in spite of being alone. It is much better than wasting one’s time on a relationship with no future. Thinking back on her last relationship, she decides to be even more patient in the dating game. From now on I’ll wait for God to send Mr. Right my way, she says triumphantly. Her parents advice come to mind when she starts getting ready to take a shower. She pins up her hair, wraps it, and eagerly steps into the waiting indoor rainfall. They always advised Toshua to go to God in prayer and leave all her cares with him. After a gratifying shower, she puts on some clothes to lounge in and surveys the refrigerator for dinner. Toshua loves seafood but likes a little bit of variety in her diet sometimes. She finally decides on baked chicken with angel hair pasta and vegetables. Sitting at the dining room table, her eyes become fixed on a painting hanging besides the entertainment center. It was the first one she purchased after settling down in the Big Apple. It displays a glorious sunset with the sunlight reflecting off sparkling water. There are two white lawn chairs, a small round table, and a breathtaking garden to the right. When she first saw it her heart was instantly moved. Here it is over a year later and she still longs to be in a place filled with such beauty as that in the painting.

The aroma of the chicken causes Toshua’s stomach to stir and she goes to the kitchen to check on the pasta. A taste test tells her that a little more chicken seasonings is needed for the pasta sauce. Quick and healthy meals are perfect for a single woman because you don’t have too much time over the stove. Looking at the time, Toshua realizes that one of the few shows she likes to watch is about to come on. Just as she turns off the music and turns on the television the phone rings. Hello, this is Toshua Harrison. Stop tryin to act all proper girl, you ain’t at work. It was none other than Tamara and her timing could definitely use some improvement. Like you are such a hater Tamara, Toshua says jokingly. Whatever. But on the real, what a sista hates is when another crazy ass sista has the nerve to come in my salon and threaten me. Toshua wasn’t too surprised because Tamara’s mouth can get the best of her at times. Threaten you how girl?, she asks. This hefer was talkin about sueing me and taking me to court, Tamara says angrily. Calm down girl, says Toshua, and tell me what happened. Tamara lets out a big sigh and then responds. O.K. This woman comes in and says she wants to try something new for her hair yesterday. So, since I’m all about hookin a sista up, I suggested some color to bring out her natural skin tone. She agreed so I let her browse through some samples. The woman picked an auburn red color and she was straight when she left the salon. I even told her exactly what to do and what to use so the color wouldn’t turn. Toshua thinks for a moment and then asks, So what made her so upset? "Well the fool didn’t listen to me and tried some conditioner that one of her girlfriends was using.

It ended up turning her hair into some eggplant color and now she is lookin tore up. Toshua laughs to herself. If anybody could be in a real life comedy, it’s Tamara. Well, that’s one of the pitfalls of owning your own business. No, says Tamara, that’s the pitfall of dealing with stupid people. Anyway, anything interesting happen to you today? Toshua takes a seat at her dinner table while going over her day in her mind. One thing or person that stood out, Thomas. Toshua, are you still there? Yes, I am still here girl. I was just thinking about this man that I met today. You go girl!, shouts Tamara. Does he have a nice butt and big feet? Toshua looks at the phone then says, You need prayer and yes, he is put together quite well. She emphasizes the word quite as she chews slowly and takes a drink from a tall glass of tea. Well, did you get his name and number? No, I only got his name, it’s Thomas. What, girl your slippin, says Tamara in a disappointed tone. Finishing her dinner, Toshua proceeds to put away the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. I’m not slippin, replies Toshua. He was there on my way out to lunch and was still there when I got back. For all I know he could be a stalker or something on the hunt. I already had one bad experience and I’m determined not to repeat it. Girl, not everyman is like Antonio,