“I think I’ve worked out a feasible solution to all of your problems. Maybe not all of them, but a couple of the major ones.”
“What are you talking about, Tempest?”
“Good afternoon, ladies!” Tempest and Janessa looked up to see who had spoken to them. A tall, handsome, dark-skinned brotha was walking past their table.
“Good afternoon,” they both replied in unison.
He sat down on a stool at the counter and got a menu out of the metal holder in the center. He kept darting his eyes at Janessa, and she couldn’t help but blush from the attention. Maybe she did still have it after all!
“That guy’s checking you out big-time,” Tempest observed. “He’s a cutie-pie too.”
Janessa smirked and went back to her chicken wing. “Yeah, but he’s probably married or bisexual or just a plain ole dog like the rest of them.”
“Janessa, I hope you won’t let what happened with Dvontè turn you against all men. I mean, look at me and all the crap men put my ass through before Geren.”
“You’re right, gurl,” Janessa said, even though she felt Tempest was wrong. She doubted she would ever trust a man enough again to date him. “But still, you must admit there are a lot of pit bulls running around D.C.”
“True,” Tempest wholeheartedly agreed. “Maybe they should just install metal detectors at the entrance of all the hangouts in D.C. to detect the thousands of wedding rings stuffed in men’s pockets.”
“Naw, too many gold teeth would set those bad boys off.” Janessa and Tempest both snickered.
Once the laughter wore off, Tempest decided to get back to the matter at hand. “As I was saying, I think I may have it all figured out. You can still go to school and work, even with the baby coming.”
“How do you figure that?” Janessa inquired, thinking Tempest must have forgotten to cash her reality check that week.
“Well, you have a scholarship, so you don’t have to worry about tuition.”
“But what about the big-ass baby-sitting bill I’m going to have?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Tempest said with a sanguine smile. “Check this out. When you’re in school during the day, I can arrange for your baby to go to the day care next door to the center. I’ve already talked to Sharrice Johnson, who runs the place. She has a long waiting list, but she’s agreed t
o take your baby in as a favor to me.”
“But how much is it?” Janessa asked sullenly, still wondering how this solved anything.
“Absolutely nothing!” Tempest exclaimed. “The day care center is fully funded, so your child could go for free.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s why the waiting list is so long. As far as you working in the evening, I have that figured out also.”
“How?”
“I’ll watch the baby at night!”
Janessa’s mouth flew open. “I can’t ask you to do that, Tempest. You’re about to get married.”
“Come on, Janessa. It will only be for what, four or five hours an evening? I can handle it,” Tempest insisted. “If it gets to be too much, then I’ll hire a sitter to come in and watch the baby at my place.”
Janessa couldn’t find the right words to express her gratitude.
“Bottom line is this,” Tempest added. “I haven’t seen you this excited about anything for a long time, and I am hell bent on making sure your dreams come true. So is Geren. He is behind this one hundred percent.”
“I can’t believe this,” Janessa said with a flustered glance. “You mean I can really go to college?”
“You can go. You are going, or I’m going to kick your ass. After you deliver the baby, of course.”
Janessa and Tempest jumped up, squealing and hugging each other over the table. The older woman behind the counter gave them the evil eye and cleared her throat. She kept her hands on her hips until they sat back down.