Now, she was considering a breast augmentation to firm up her four-kids-later set of low riders. Despite all of her efforts, the sag of her breasts continued to plague her. King assured her they were fine with him, but ever since a woman at the gym had proudly showed off her new “birthday tits,” the thought of implants had remained firmly in the front of her mind.
A gentle snore sounded behind her. Tai chuckled softly. Yes, baby needs to rest a little longer after our sexcapades, but a brothah can still “make it do what it do.” Things had gotten even more fun after Tai ordered a Pleasurable Sex DVD she’d seen advertised on late night television. At first, King had balked and said, “I don’t need nobody telling me how to love my woman.” But after she began playing the DVD one night, and the host started suggesting various positions to try, he’d changed his tune. Now, she had to tell him to turn the thing off. He’d counter that he was “just studying.” And indeed they had learned a couple of new positions, laughing heartily as they’d tried to become human pretzels. Tai had finally admitted it was going to take more than aerobics to get her in that upside-down, legs over the head position. Who did those video instructors think she was, Nadia Comaneci?
The telephone rang. Tai glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was almost eleven. She rolled away from King and grabbed the receiver. “Hey, Mama Max,” she said, yawning.
“Don’t tell me y’all still in the bed! Lord have mercy, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you lovebirds. You betta’ be careful, else y’all be saying hello to number five.”
Tai had never told her mother-in-law that King had had a vasectomy. Guess he hadn’t either. “Now, Mama Max, don’t worry yourself.”
Tai swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. Donning her robe, she padded down the stairs to the kitchen and the coffee machine. It was definitely that time. “What are the kids doing?”
“The twins are outside, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Princess is on that datgum cell phone. You’d think that thang grew out her ears long as she stays on it.”
“I told her about that. Let me talk to her. She’s at your house and should be visiting with you!”
“Ah, don’t bother that child. She alright, helped me fix breakfast this morning. We had a nice little chat. She’s a sweet baby, growing up though. Pretty soon she’ll be grown and gone just like her big brother, Timothy. You’ll have two in college.”
“Don’t remind me. The boys are circling like bees to honey.”
“Well, just watch and make sure that none of ’em sting.”
Tai jumped as King lightly patted her booty. She’d not heard a sound as he walked up. “You scared me!”
“That’s what I intended.” King reached for the phone. “Is that Mama?”
“I’ll be over in a couple hours, Mama. Here’s your son.” She pressed the speaker phone button, noticing King was dressed to go out into Kansas’s winter chill. He looked impressive in his double-breasted, knee-length cashmere wool. “You’re not eating?” Tai asked.
“Hey, Mama,” King spoke into the phone and then over to Tai, “No time, baby. I’ll grab something on the way.”
Tai shook her head. Right after she and King picked up the pieces from his last affair, he’d cut back on work considerably. Slowly but surely, however, the workaholic was heading back to a full, hectic schedule.
“Look Mama, I gotta go, I gotta go, now,” King said hurriedly when after a few pleasantries Mama Max started grilling him about his heavy workload.
“Uh-huh, such a hurry to get off the phone since she’s getting in your business,” Tai said, laughing at the easy repartee in which King and his mom communicated. It was good to hear; their relationship had suffered during his affair with April.
King promised his mother a visit, ended the call, kissed Tai lightly on the forehead and headed toward the front door. Tai could see it in his demeanor; he was already making the mental switch from husband to pastor/company president.
“I’ll call you later.” And he was out the door.
“Things still fine with Tootie back?” Mama Max asked.
“Yes,” Tai replied. “King sees her when he visits Miss Smith in the hospital. You know she just had surgery. Deacon Nash visits her often, too, prays and reads the Bible with her.”
“That’s good. Nancy will appreciate having Deke there. They’ve known each other for years.” Mama Max appreciated Deacon Nash being there regularly, too, instead of King, but she kept her concerns about King and Tootie to herself. She prayed the years apart had cooled the once unquenchable ardor between them. “You have any problems with King being at the hospital?”
“Not anymore,” Tai answered. “I’m not going to let something that happened so long ago worry me now.”
“That’s exactly right, baby. Let bygones stay gone. Who knows? She might even come to church.”
Tai didn’t know how she felt about that. “Well, hopefully not in one of her cat suits.”
Both Mama and Tai remembered the sinfully tight outfits Tootie had brazenly worn to the Lord’s house.
“Oh, chile, she probably can’t fit into those anymore.”
Tai tried to squelch her strong desire for Tootie to have aged badly. “I pray everything turns out okay with her mom,” she said, with compassion. While not extremely close to her, Tai couldn’t imagine life without her mother, or her mother-in-law. “Thank God for you, Mama.”
“Think nothing of it, baby.”
“Hey,” Tai said, wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood, “you want to work out today? You haven’t been in what, about two weeks now?”
“No, chile, these old knees been giving me trouble. Best I sit in this here house and act my age.”
“I pray you never start doing that,” Tai answered sincerely. “I told the kids I’d take them to the movies later. If you’re feeling better, we can go see something for grownups while they watch what they want. That sound good?”
“Now that sounds like something I’ll be able to handle. Can sit on my behind in their chairs as well as my own, I ’spect.”
They finalized their plans. Tai would go to the gym and then head over to Mama’s. Mama would make sure Princess and the twins were ready. Putting the omelet fixings back that she’d grabbed for her and King, Tai decided on two boiled eggs and toast instead. Better for her workout, the second one of the day. The first one had been with King and, yes, it was still good.
8
Big Booty Tootie
“I’m glad the men decided to play a few holes, give us some time to catch up,” Tai said to Vivian, as they strolled leisurely to Vivian’s Escalade.
“Me, too,” Vivian replied.
They had just enjoyed a few jostled, crowded hours in LA’s famous “garment district.” Vivian usually didn’t have the patience for the dense street vendors, or “The Alley’s” rambunctious atmosphere, but on special occasions, such as when she had her best friend in tow, she braved the traffic and ventured into the masses. It had been worth it. There were a few upscale shops that sold her beloved designer suits at a third of what she’d pay for them elsewhere. Plus, the February day was perfect, not a cloud in the sky.
Vivian