Naughty Or Nice Part 16

We looked at him.

He told us that he knew he was a bit older than our sister, older than both of us, that he had a child, and sometimes things were rough between him and his child's mother.

He said, "I'm not a rich man. Don't think I'll ever be. But I'm an honest man. And I wouldn't want to do anything that would create any strain in your family. So I would like to ask your permission to pursue a deeper relationship with your sister."

We looked each other, both of us stunned.

Then our lips were quivering.

Again, two McBrooms were crying happy tears.

Not long after that Tommie walked across the street with Blue. He had Monica sitting high on his shoulders. Frankie stood in the bay window and watched them, then I went and stood next to her. By then Monica's mother was out in front of Blue's place. He brought his daughter down and strapped her in the car. Monica and her mother drove away.

Blue hurried back upstairs. Then they closed the curtains in the front room.

We cleaned up Tommie's kitchen, then Frankie packed up her gifts. I did the same. We were going to get together later on at Frankie's place for Christmas dinner.

She grabbed her presents, kissed me, said, "Three o'clock. Don't show up CP time."

Frankie told me she had to run an errand.

I said, "Stores are closed. What errand do you have to run?"

"I have . . . I . . . I need to . . . There is something I need to resolve."

I nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

Neither one of us tried to start a question-asking party.

On the way out, we waved at the Womack's little boys. They were heading down the driveway in their new rollerblades.

Frankie was in a strange mood, I saw the tension in her face.

I asked, "You okay, big sister?"

"Was just thinking . . . I'm taking down my Internet ad."

I asked, "Why?"

"Midget Man, Michelin Man, Confused Man, Stutter Man."

"That's not nice."

"A legion of chromosomal mutations."

"Fugly men need love too."

"Oh, h.e.l.l no. Dating a fugly man is like . . . like . . . like doing community service. And who wants a fugly man? Fugly people are trying to find somebody who looks better than them."

"True. n.o.body wants fugly children."

"Trust me, when a sister has become a fugly magnet, it's time to unplug the PC."

"Be patient. Mr. Right'll come."

"You just walked into a Halloween party looking to have fun and bam."

"I was a lot thinner then."

"And you met a d.a.m.n doctor."

"Don't hate because I was in shape."

"Not hating, just stating."

"And I met a man. I don't date occupations. That's the problem. Women chase occupations, never the man. I met a man who happened to be a doctor."

"n.i.g.g.a, please. If he was a garbage man, you'd've kept on stepping."

"Would not."

"Oh, please."

"If that's the way you see it, then maybe your standards are too high."

"Not."

"Driving a luxury car, living in a big house, finding a man on your level is harder than finding an alibi for Scott Peterson."

"No, that's not it. People don't talk anymore. You see a brother out at 'Bucks and he's too busy yakking on his cell phone to say hi. They stare at you all evening, but not a word. You have to go out into cybers.p.a.ce to meet a man because that's where they all are, lying to you from the comfort of their own home, hands in their laps . . . you get the picture."

"A cute brother works with Tommie."

"The manager at Pier 1? Last thing I need is a c.o.c.keyed brother in reindeer socks."

"But you'd get a discount."

"I'd rather send postcards to brothers in prison."

"They need love too. And they do have conjugal visits."

"You know what? You're about to get cursed out in a major way."

I laughed. "Can't be that bad."

"Liars, cheaters, womanizers, fugly men, and just a general collection of losers. If I wanted to meet those kind of men, I could just go back to the bar scene, pull up a seat at Club Ladera and sip Riesling until The Hunchback of Baldwin Hills hobbled in the joint."

We laughed together, in chorus.

Frankie looked over at Blue's apartment and sighed. I did the same and shook my head. We both made naughty faces and fanned ourselves.

I said, "We're gonna have to get her off of those vitamins."

"For real."

"Or she's gonna kill Blue on the downstroke."

More laughter.

"But you know what?" My big sister pushed her lips up into a big smile. "Tommie gave us the best present anybody can give us."

"What?"

"Hope."

Frankie.

It was what Tommie said about carrying her old issues into the New Year. That had been bothering me ever since she said that she was letting her old issues go and moving on. Not bothering me in a bad way. Just making me realize how old issues kept you from being able to move on.

That's why I called him a couple of days ago. Why I asked him to meet me. Why I sat in the parking lot at 'Bucks sipping on bottled water and thinking. The coffeehouse was deserted, just like the rest of the parking lot, but the traffic out on La Cienega and Centinela and La Tijera was starting to pick up. Everybody was out doing what we'd be doing later on, visiting family and dropping off presents.

A silver convertible Benz pulled up and parked on the side of the lot by TGIF. It was an older model, cla.s.sic. Nicolas Coleman got out. He had on dark gray sweats.

I got out of my car, went and stood near the trunk.

It was awkward at first, him coming to meet with me after the way I'd tripped out the night I'd seen him at Reign. I know it might sound trivial to others, but it was important to me.

He said, "Sorry it took me so long."

"It's cool. Just chilling before we do dinner."

"Saw you on the monitor at church a few days ago."

"You were there?"

"I was there. Was visiting with some frat brothers."

I opened my trunk, tossed him a bottle of water.

I said, "First, I really want to apologize again for the way I acted at Reign."

"It's cool. I told you that when we talked that night."

"We didn't really talk. I was a mess."

"I know."

The night he called he'd woken me up from a too real dream, the one where Momma told me that she . . . that she was sick. Have to admit that I was pretty jacked up when the brother called, but he talked to me, brought me from tears to laughter.

I said, "Sometimes it hits me that my folks are gone. Hit me hard today."

He nodded. "You okay?"

"Went to the cemetery this morning."

"Sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. Just hard being strong all the time."

We talked and sipped on bottled water.

I said, "I just wanted to say a few things. Think I have a few unresolved issues when it comes to you."

"Okay."

I told him how I had felt about him back then, that residuals of that still lived with me now.

He said, "Frankie, I'm serious. Didn't know you felt that way."

"Guess I a.s.sumed you did."

"We were pretty . . . There was a lot of alcohol involved."

"I know. But that was because . . . Guess you were special."

"Well, to be honest, you told me about the other brothers you'd gone out with, always talked about them like they were no big deal, how you had them on a list. While we're talking about a.s.sumptions, I a.s.sumed that after we crossed that line, that I'd become one of them."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to be just another one of the guys on your lists. Didn't want to become one of the guys you kicked out before the morning newspaper hit your front porch."

"s.h.i.t. Guess, I told you too much, huh?"

He chuckled. "I'm not saying that."

"I did."

"You didn't tell me any more than I told you about Nicole."

I ran my fingers through my locks. "I know, but men and women are judged by different standards."

"h.e.l.l, you made it sound like men were no big deal. A dime for a baker's dozen."