She laughed. “Again? You’ve never dated. He is the only person you ever dated.”
“I did date.”
“Who?”
“Remember freshman year, I went out with…” I paused. “Um…”
“No! I remember you interning at Vibe magazine freshman year and becoming Derrick Mayo’s assistant.” She chuckled again. “And he scooped your young, tender, country butt up.”
“I didn’t get that internship until May. What was I doing before then?”
“Being a nerd.”
“All right. Whatever. I think I want to start dating.”
“Tima, are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Apprehension rumbled in her sigh. “Tima?”
“Mya?”
Time had ticked away so rapidly. It took almost two years to get over the shock. He drove me to work. I kissed him good-bye. He said, “Kiss me again, Fatty.” I kissed him again and he asked, “Do you love me?”
Though he should have always been stressed, it was never evident in his face. But that morning, his forehead was wrinkled. Dark rings formed shadows under his eyes. There was a cloud over him as I voluntarily leaned in for another kiss. “Of course I love you, honey.”
“See you at seven.”
“Where are we eating?” I laughed. He’d worried me all night about going to get ice cream. I said, “Ben and Jerry’s?”
He chuckled. “We’ll hit BJs after dinner. I’ll call you after lunch.”
I hopped out of the car and that was our last exchange, our last words. The phone call that came wasn’t from him, but his secretary. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced DOA. For two years, I waited for the punchline. This last year, I’ve just been trying to stay afloat. It wasn’t until he mentioned it this morning that I internalized my loneliness. I swore if Derrick wasn’t reincarnated, I would be single forever. Hey, some things are easier said than done.
As my mind reminisced on our last encounter, the phone sat glued to my ear and the taxi driver asked, “Left side or right?”
I sputtered, “Right.”
Mya was still on the other end, explaining why she thought I wasn’t prepared for the dating game. “Mya, maybe you’re not ready for me to date?”
“I guess. It’s just a dog-eat-dog world out here. I don’t want you to have to deal with that. See, I know what’s out here. I think you’ll be shell-shocked.”
“Whatever. Maybe we can go for a drink later and discuss the pros and cons. I have to go. I’m at work now. What’s your day like?”
“I have a casting at one. Depending on how many good actors come out will determine how long my day will be. I’ll call you and let you know.”
I sighed. “Oh the life of a casting director.”
“Tell me about it.”
Shortly before one, Mya called. Surprisingly, her first question was, “Are you sure about this dating thing?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, if you’re really serious. I guess I should do my part to help you out.”
“Yes.”
She suggested I use a dating service. My lips curled. “Girl, please. Only desperate people use services like that.”
She laughed. “See what I mean? You don’t know anything about dating. Remember, that romance stuff you edit is fiction. Real people are on the Internet, using services, and anything that works.”
“Whatever? I know some people use those services, but not me.”
As she rushed off the phone, she did her best to convince me why I needed to go to an upscale dating service. “Although it’s just a date, he needs to be handpicked.” She snickered. “Okay, so I made you an appointment with the Black Love Agency.”
My nose wrinkled. “That sounds like a porno agency.”
“See, you are so outdated.” She paused. “Now, would I send you to some sketchy place?”
“I guess not. When is the appointment?”
“This evening at six.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I just sent the email with all the details.”
“Wait—”
“I figured we should do it while you’re pumped. Tomorrow might be too late. Who knows? Derrick may drop by tonight and tell you he changed his mind and he doesn’t want you to date.”
“You are such a smart-ass.”
“Love me or leave me alone. I got to go. Hopefully, we’ll talk before you go. If not, we’ll hook up after your meeting.”
My mouth sat open and my heart pounded, as I held the phone. Kia, my editorial assistant, stood in the doorway and interrupted my thought process. Her timid smile greeted my confused look. My eyes shifted left and right. Hers returned the gesture. As I motioned for her to enter, I laughed.
Unaware of the joke, she laughed too. I asked, “Kia, would you use a dating service to find a date?”
“Uh, a dating service?”
I smirked. “You’re single, right?”
She nodded as I tried to recall my last question. “Yeah, you’re single or yeah, you’d use a dating service?”
She covered her smile with her right hand. “Both.”
“Would you?”
She nodded, and I asked, “Really?”
“Yeah, if I could afford it.”
“So, is this what people do?”
“Yeah, some people. Most people will try anything at first.”
Her confidence surfaced as she became the expert and I, the rookie. She continued, “It’s just another way of meeting people. That’s how I look at it. You never know where you’ll find love.”
Love. Technically, I’ve already had my shot at love, a love that would be impossible to replace, so I am just searching for a date. She giggled as my mind wandered off.
“I don’t know.” I lowered my chin and said, “I have an appointment at Black Love this evening.”
“That’s great, Fatima. I heard of people meeting nice guys through that agency.”
Her excitement settled the doubt blustering in me, I blushed. “Really? So you think I should go?”
“Yeah, tell me how it works out for you.”
“I certainly will.”
After I changed from my stilettos into my loafers, I dodged to the subway to make my appointment on time. While I sat on the train, I took note of all the people without rings. It would be interesting to take a survey of how many people would be willing to go through an agency. When the train approached my stop, I daydreamed. Derrick’s voice yanked me from my seat and before I could rationalize, I stood in front of the building.
Do I really have to stoop this low? As I debated the purpose of an agency, my cell phone rang. Mya shouted in my ear, “Go ahead, Fatima. Go in.”
“How do you know that I’m not already inside?”
“Because I know you.”
After looking around