We laughed for a minute and then I said, “Let me stop messing with you. I was calling to set up a time when I can take you on your first Hollywood tour.”
“Hollywood tour?” She must have forgotten that quickly, to my dismay.
“You told me last night that you’d never taken the tour of L.A…?”
“Oh, yeah! So you haven’t had enough of me, yet?”
“I guess not. When will you be available? I’ll be away towards the end of the month and want to do this before I go,” I asked, serious in my pursuit.
“Let’s see…I’ll be out of town for a couple of days next week and on Saturday I have another class…what about Sunday…next Sunday?” She was thinking aloud again.
“That works for me. But you have to be freed up the entire day. This tour is very extensive,” I warned.
“I can make that happen. Let me ask you a question.”
“Shoot!”
“Is this a date?” she asked pointedly.
“Oh, nah! This is just a public service from L.A.’s finest," I teased. We both chuckled. "Nah, I’m just kidding. What would you like it to be?” I tried pulling back from the silliness.
“…whatever you want it to be. What time do you want me to be ready?” I felt as though she was trying to cover up her previous statement. I had a feeling she meant something by that but let it go. I wasn’t ready to go there myself.
“Let’s say eleven in the morning?”
“True ‘dat. Sounds good to me!” she belted like an around the way girl. I liked it.
We exchanged a few more words and then hung up. I finished cooking, ate, and fell out. Sleep for me was scarce but when I could escape to steal some I made the most of it.
Over the next week, I was feeling the backlash of my breakup with Tara. I couldn’t believe her mom called me. From what I’d heard, they tried to involve Big D but he refused. I figured my letting him know from the door intercepted his alarm. I got a call from her cousin, Danielle, who begged me all the way from my office at the rec to my house in Pasadena to call Tara. She claimed she was seriously concerned about her mental and emotional state if I hadn’t. I politely told her no. It took a lot to keep from telling her to mind her business, I’d always like Danielle and didn’t want to compromise that by being rude. Aside from that, I didn’t have a good week. I had not so pleasing quarterly reports from a few of my businesses.
I was in meeting after meeting with the stuffiest atmospheres because of decreases in earnings. I had to schedule follow up meetings to regroup and brainstorm ways to up those earnings. I’d always hated this part of the business; still do. I could use a little distraction.
I had a meeting with the goons, too. At the meeting was Petey, Wop, Kid, and me. We discussed our trip to Mexico to meet with our new connect. We had to be strategic so Petey suggested that we take the ladies as a decoy. Kid was on probation and his P.O. watched him like a hawk. Although we’d leave and return by the time he had to report he always had to play it smart. I, of course, had to think of a lady to bring. We decided that we’d tell everyone including the ladies attending that we were going to Celebrate Kid’s girl’s birthday. This would stick and make sense if his P.O. was to find out about his departure.