Authors: Marissa Monteilh
Star reached her own tiny young body down under her grandma’s left armpit and helped her lift herself to a standing position.
Mercedes moved in to help her to the bed. “I can walk, child. My goodness.” Mattie pushed Mercedes away with her eyes. “You all act like I’m an invalid or something. And when is my Jesse coming home anyway?”
“Mamma, Jesse died ten years ago,” Mercedes reminded her for the twentieth time.
“My husband is not dead. You stop saying that. He’s just gone away for a little while to work some things out. He’ll be back.”
“Yes, Grammy,” Star replied. “You’re right.” Mattie gave Star a pat on the top of her head as she sat on the bed and Star knelt to rest her head in her grandma’s lap.
Mattie looked down at Star’s face and gave her a warm smile. “You want me to braid your hair, little girl? You know you need to oil your scalp and brush your hair every day.”
Star replied, “If that will give me hair like yours, Grammy, yes, I do. That would be nice.”
Star’s hair was thick and long and wavy just like her grandma’s. Grandma Mattie’s hair was just like an Indian’s, dark with a few platinum strands and so long she could sit on it. She always wore it in a braided ponytail. Mattie did not look her age. She swore by Camay and always smelled of White Shoulders.
Mercedes and Rashaad made their way toward the door. Rashaad whispered toward his mother’s ear. “Mom, what are we gonna do about her? My friend Miguel’s grandma ended up living in a convalescent home because it just got too hard on the family.”
“That’s something we’re never going to do. Not ever. Not if your dad has anything to do with it anyway. We have the room, we have the money, and we have the help right here. We’ll all just have to put in our time and be patient.”
“But, Mom, Grandma seems so angry.”
“She’s just in denial because some of her freedom’s being taken away. Deep down she’s fighting to hold on to her independence,” Mercedes said, turning to watch the pair bond.
Rashaad watched as well. “Star sure is good with her.”
“Yes she is. That’s just her way. Star’s always been nurturing and patient and gentle. It’s very calming to your grandma. Maybe we need to take notes from Star.”
They both peeked into the bedroom as Mercedes grabbed the doorknob. Star sat in between her grandma’s legs with her slender body, long face, big eyes, and button nose. She was facing the TV when she took the remote and turned to BET. Her grandma carefully brushed and parted her hair and began to cornrow like a pro. Braiding hair was one thing, among many others, that Mattie had never forgotten. Mercedes pulled the door shut.
The next afternoon, Mercedes and Colette Berry, who was Torino’s girlfriend and also a model with Mercedes’s agency, went shopping at the Fox Hills mall. Colette had to be five eleven with a typical lean and lanky model’s figure. She was the color of buttermilk. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown and her lips were stingy thin. Her relaxed, butterscotch hair was the same color as her skin. She wore it cut just above her shoulders, all one length. She was younger than Mercedes by about eight years and they tended to differ on various subjects.
They ran into Venus who was loaded down head to toe with bags from Foot Locker, Men’s Land, and Finishline.
Mercedes’s jaw dropped. “Wow, girl, look at you. Who’s all that for?”
Venus talked fast. “This is just some stuff for the guys. Claude needed some of the new Jordans so I got some for Cam, too. And then of course they needed the gear to match.”
“That’s nice of you. Girl, my kids have to buy their own stuff. They wouldn’t trust me to pick out a toothbrush for them,” Mercedes admitted.
Venus laughed. “Well, they don’t know. It’s a surprise.”
Colette simply stood at Mercedes’s side, turning right to left to look at the passersby.
“What’s the special occasion? Birthday, anniversary, pre-Christmas shopping?” Mercedes asked, still amazed by the number of large bags.
Venus put a couple of them down to rest her right arm. “Anniversary. I just thought I’d give it to them both next week. Kind of a family anniversary. I want to include Cam.”
“I know they’ll appreciate it. Are you done?”
“No, just one more quick stop at the Silver Hut. There’s this silver charm Cam mentioned of a basketball hoop and his number twenty-three.”
Mercedes commented. “That should make Claude happy, too. Last I heard Cam was thinking about anything but becoming a b-baller.”
“Cam knows he can’t deny his skills now. At only sixteen, that boy is already six three and could probably handle a spot on a college team right now. I’m going to support him and his dad’s wishes for him.”
“You’re one helluva lady, Venus. Maybe you should make a stop at your car to lighten your load. Do you need any help?”
Colette cleared her throat.
“I’m cool. I’m just headed straight upstairs and then I’m out the door. You two must have just gotten here, huh?” Venus asked, noticing their empty arms.
“No, we just got through eating lunch. We’ve been looking for a dress for Mason’s big bash at the club in two weeks,” Mercedes told her.
“Are both of you going?” Venus inquired, looking at both.
Mercedes answered for them. “Yes. You should try to come out.”
Venus replied, “Claude hates stuff like that. You know how he is. But we might.”
Colette spoke up, “I can understand if you can’t make it. We’ll see you later.” Colette walked away to peruse the Bath & Body Works store window.
Mercedes spoke right on the heels of Colette’s last word. “Anyway, you should try and stop by sometime other than only on Sundays for dinner, even though that’s nice, too. I think it would be nice to spend time just getting to know each other better. Besides, I never see you anymore.”
“I will. You stop by, too. I’m home just about all day,” Venus informed her.
Mercedes leaned in for a hug. “Sounds like a plan. Take care, dear.”
“Ciao.” Venus picked up her bags and proceeded to the upescalator.
Mercedes walked over to Colette who was now looking at the Charlotte Russe window display. “Why are you so blatant about showing your distance toward her? You don’t have to be so rude.”
Colette kept her sights on a slinky pink jumpsuit. “Please, I could care less what that woman thinks about me, running around here doing all of that guilt shopping. Her stank ass marrying her dead best friend’s man. That is straight scandalous and you know it.” She pointed at the outfit. “I wonder if that’s going to be too short for my inseam. My long legs screw me up every time.”
“Colette, why are you so judgmental? I personally am not one to judge.”
“Probably so. It does look short. I need to go to the Ann Taylor in Century City. Mercedes, that’s one thing I hate about you. You’re such a damn do-gooder. You always justify each situation based upon the last person’s viewpoint that you hear,” Colette said as they continued to walk along, strolling and looking.
“And what’s wrong with that? That woman is a part of my family. You have to learn to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
Colette stopped and looked at Mercedes. “Venus is a cow who still manages to sleep at night. Buying all that shit for those men in her house. Don’t you think she’s trying a little too hard?”
“Do you think you judge her too much, Colette? You never know what’s really going on in her head.”
“Yeah, a ball of confusion, sin and betrayal. I could never imagine doing that to my best friend. She needs her ass kicked.”
Mercedes placed her fight hand on her hip. “You know, I thought I knew you well after I hired you once you started dating Torino a couple of years ago. But you’re really starting to surprise me. I think she’s being a damn good friend to Fatima to want to look after her family.”
“That’s a hell of a lot more than just looking after. Mercedes, I say Venus must have had her eyes on Claude way before all of this happened. Didn’t they think about how this would affect Cameron? He just ended up resenting her.”
“Perhaps Claude will too in the long run, who knows. But that’s for them to figure out.”
Colette continued to walk.
Mercedes caught up. “Anyway, Colette, what’s up with you and my brother-in-law?”
“It’s damn serious I’d say.”
“Well, when in the heck is that love affair going to be sealed with a marriage license then?”
“Apparently no time soon from what I can tell about Torino. That boy is commitment phobic.”
“You’d think after the amount of time you two have been with one another he wouldn’t have any doubts.”
“Probably no doubts about me, but just about losing his bachelorhood. He’s scared he might miss out on something.”
“That’s ridiculous. I know he didn’t say that. His mom and dad taught him about the important things in life, like love and family. Not being out there in the streets without a good solid foundation.”
“Torino just seems to be the odd man out when compared to Claude and Mason. He seems so different from his brothers.”
“Different in what way? Do you want to go into Macy’s?” Mercedes asked, pointing toward the store.
“No, I’m cool. He just doesn’t seem like he ever really connects with them. Like he’s still trying to find his way, yet they seem to have managed to find theirs.”
“Perhaps that’s one reason why he’s so reluctant to settle down. Maybe he expects more from himself. After all, he is the youngest.”
“I suppose so. But he never even wants to talk about our future. He just doesn’t seem to have enough time for me.”
“Well, you need to think about that. Is that enough for you? But then again he does work hard at that club,” Mercedes reminded her.
“It’s mighty funny that he seems to manage to spend time with his boy Kyle, or wining and dining all those high rollers that come
in night after night.” Colette was distracted. “Did you just see that young teenager wink at me?” she asked, turning her head as a young man walked by breaking his neck.
Mercedes didn’t even bother looking back. “That’s a good sign, girl, please. He was probably looking at your ass.”
“Why is it the only asset men see is our ass?”
“Probably because we’re always showing it.” Colette was wearing a pair of J. Crew stretch jeans that looked like they were spread on with a knife.
“I’m sick of being defined by my butt.”
“It’s just a black woman thang. Enjoy it while you can before that rear starts dragging to the back of your knees.”
“Oh, hell no. Never.”
Mercedes asked, “Anyway, what is that like for you just walking into the club, hanging out while you know he’s at work, charming the patrons and working the room?”
“I’m used to it by now. But every now and then we get into it when I spy some chick sniffing up behind him. He thinks I don’t know that he has this system where I’ll be in the VIP area, yet he might have some little honey on the other side, just behind the bar,” Colette said while frowning.
“Oh, is that how he does it?”
“Mercedes, please, like you don’t know.”
Mercedes stopped again. “No, Colette, I don’t. Usually when I go in there I sit my butt down and run my mouth with Mason until it’s time to go. Maybe I would notice if I were in your shoes.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t even notice all of the groupies hovering around Mason.”
“And?”
“And, doesn’t that make you feel, I don’t know, territorial?”
“I don’t think a situation can make you feel territorial. I think you either are, or you’re not. And I’m not. I can’t afford to be, being the wife of a famous athlete. Groupies will always be out there. It’s how your man reacts to them that matters. And that’s something you can’t control.” They started walking back along the other side of the mall. “I trust Mason. Don’t you trust Torino?”
Colette blew a forced breath from her nose. “Not really. I wouldn’t put it past any man to stick his finger in some woman’s coochie under the same table you’re sitting at and not miss a beat.”
“Dang. It sounds like you just don’t trust men in general.”
Colette explained her position. “Oh please, my last boyfriend had two cell phones. One for me and one for his hoochies. I busted his tired butt and slapped the hell out of him and moved on. And these freaks out here don’t even care if a man’s taken or not. They just make it easier for men to play their game. They’d just like to get their hooks in the men we’ve got.”
“Look, you’re not going to get very far without trust, Colette. That goes with the territory because we have some hot ones, the Wilson brothers. I will say that.”
“Well, I plan on keeping mine, thank you very much.”
“Don’t try too hard with your emotional self. That’s usually the very attitude that makes them run away—you know, holding on too tight,” Mercedes said as they stopped at the window of a shoe store.
“Those are nice,” Colette said, pointing to a pair of Matori black spiked pumps. “Not holding on tight enough causes there to be enough room for infiltrators. That’s not about to happen,” Colette said, sounding very serious.
“Okay, Colette. Sounds like you’ve made it your job to keep up with him.”
“Speaking of jobs and to change the subject because you are definitely getting on my nerves, what is my assignment for tomorrow?”
“You didn’t get a call from Vicky yet?”
“No. And I’ve been checking my cell all day.”
“Call her in the morning. I don’t think you have anything until late afternoon from what I remember.”
“Cool. By the way, I’ll see you Sunday night at your house for dinner.”
“Uh oh. See, now that’s a good sign, coming by for dinner for the first time.”
“Anyway, I’m about to get going. I’ll find something to wear later. Thanks for the lovely conversation,” Colette said, walking in the opposite direction.
Mercedes proceeded toward the exit door. “Yeah, you too. Drive safely.”
Mason missed Star’s college night, but made it home that Saturday afternoon, just in time for the formal affair later that evening at the Meridian hotel. It was an event to celebrate black athletes in tennis and golf. It was a fund-raiser for the YBAA, the Young Black Athletes Association.