Brendan walked into the house and dropped his keys on the counter of the breakfast bar. He didn’t bother turning on any lights on the first floor because, even though he had only moved into Renee’s townhouse two weeks earlier, he knew his way around in the dark as if he had lived there for years. He turned the corner and ran up the stairs. As he entered his bedroom he saw light coming from under Renee’s door. He didn’t bother to announce his presence, because if she had company he didn’t want to disturb her. Before Brendan had moved in, he and Renee had sat down at T.G.I. Friday’s over lunch and made a list of rules that would allow two old and dear friends to become roommates and still remain friends. Respecting the other’s privacy was somewhere near the top.

As Brendan was showering he heard a knock on the door. “Yeah. What’s up?” He knew it was Renee. She spoke loudly through the door, but Brendan couldn’t hear her, so he told her to open the door.

She turned the knob and stuck her head in the door. Greeted with a burst of steam she asked, “Whew, is it hot enough for you in here, B?” She laughed at herself, and continued, “Your phone was ringing and the machine didn’t pick up, so I answered it. It was your silly-ass cousin. I told him you were in the shower getting pretty and that I would have you call him back in a few, okay?”

Brendan wanted to be sure he knew whom Renee was talking about. “It was Shue, right?”

She replied, “Yeah. Who else is going to be calling at prime time on a Saturday night tryin’ to find a party partner other than his crazy butt?” She was about to close the door but then opened it and asked, “So, are you all hanging out tonight?”

“Yep.”

“Where?”

Brendan exaggerated his tone, “Daaaamn, Mom, if it’s all right I’m going to a little get-together at one of Shue’s friend’s house up on Sixteenth Street.”

“Shue’s friend?” Her tone was curious and accusing at the same time. Shue, who was actually named Everson Shue, Jr., was Brendan’s first cousin, and he described himself as “bisexual in a transitional phase” to becoming completely gay. He said he loved men but was having trouble getting over his urge for women from time to time. Renee continued. “Is it one of thooose parties?” She giggled out her words.

“Actually, it will probably be a mixed crowd up in that camp. Why, would you like to come?”

“No, thanks,” she muttered. “Once I get Barry’s boring ass up out of here I’m going to get some rest so I can get up and go to church in the morning, where you should…”

He cut her off midsentence. “Don’t start, Mrs. Holy Roller, getting laid at midnight and in church by nine.”

“Ooohh, you are so trifling, Brendan. You didn’t even have to go there. But since you did…don’t you drink too much tonight and end up bringing home a nigga.” Renee burst into laughter and told Brendan to have a good time as she walked out of the door.

Brendan put on some navy blue wool slacks, a gray Donna Karan sweater, and a brand-new pair of black Ferragamos that he had spent a third of his weekly paycheck on earlier in the day, before leaving the store. As he looked for his keys on the bed and in his coat pocket, he called Shue to let him know he was on the way to pick him up. Before he hung up, Brendan asked if he thought the host would mind if he brought Nate along. Shue assured him that it would be no problem.

Brendan looked around the room for a second, and then remembered that his keys were on the breakfast bar. He slipped on his jacket and ran down the steps like a kid on Christmas morning, grabbed his keys, and was about to head out when his cell began to vibrate. He didn’t recognize the number, so he chose not to answer. He thought about not calling back, but feared that it might be Jaqueline Allen, the general manager at Nordstrom where he was the manager of the women’s shoe department. He decided to return the call from the car.

Brendan scanned the radio in the car as he exited the parking lot of the townhouse development and turned onto Central Avenue. He heard Michelle Wright on WPGC advertising a party that they were hosting tonight at the VIP club downtown. He figured that if the party at Shue’s friend’s house wasn’t jumping, he might leave and go check out the party downtown. He turned the music down low enough to hear his cell clearly as he dialed.

“Hello,” the voice on the other line blurted. The voice repeated itself. “Hello.” Brendan replied, “Sorry, I’m on a cellphone and you blinked out momentarily. Did someone there call Brendan?”

“Yeah. Don’t be funny, motherfucker, you know who this is.” He recognized the voice on the other end. It was Trina.

“Trina?”

“Yeah, you know it.” She was as sassy as ever. She went on. “Look, negro, we have a couple of things to discuss. And I think you know what they are.” He started to hang up on her, but he knew that she would just keep calling him all night.

“Look…,” Brendan said, not wanting to get into it with Trina and ruin the good mood he was in. “I’ll give you a ring tomorrow and…”

She cut him off. “No, I want you to come over here tonight. This is important.”

“I don’t even know where you are,” he shot back.

“I’m at home. I had the number changed last week. This is my new number. I suggest that you write it down and use it.” She added, “And don’t think that I’m scheming by asking you to come over here. What we need to talk about really is important.”

“Well, I’m on the way out now. It’ll be late when I finish…maybe two or three. I’ll call you when I’m on the way…that is, if I decide to come.”

Trina sucked her teeth. “Just call me when you get here so I can get up to answer the door.”

Brendan already had guessed that she was up to something. What could she possibly want him to come over so late for? Part of him was hoping that he might get laid if he went over there, but he feared going over and wasting his time arguing with her about the past.

Brendan had a feeling that all she wanted to do was ask him about his moving in with Renee, which he had intended to keep silent about. He had lied and told her that he was moving in with a coworker whom she didn’t know in order to avoid the drama.

He definitely didn’t want to listen to Trina tripping off his new living arrangements tonight. He had managed to keep it from her for three months, but Nate had slipped up one evening earlier in the week and mentioned to Trina’s best friend, Kim, that he’d be busy helping Brendan move his new bed into Renee’s house. Nate dated Kim from time to time, but usually only when he had absolutely nothing else to do. He had only volunteered the info on Brendan’s move in order to get out of a date he had promised Kim.

Kim, of course, immediately relayed the information to Trina, and here was the drama. Brendan’s only wonder was why it took Trina nearly a week to bring it to him. He was unsure of what other business Trina needed to discuss that was so important, but he was in no particular hurry to hear it.

As Brendan sped around the Beltway, he listened to Usher singing “You Got It Bad” and wondered if stars actually went through the things they sang about. If they didn’t, then how come the lyrics to the songs they recorded always seemed to be so true to life? He made a note to ask a singer the next time he bumped into one.

As he neared the College Park exit, Brendan reached into his dashboard compartment to get a stick of Trident. He passed Home Depot, whipped into the Seven Springs apartment complex, and double-parked in front of Shue’s building. He jumped out and walked to the front-door buzzer. He knew the gray-haired security guard seated just inside of the lobby could see him standing there, but he didn’t bother to come and open the door. He pushed in the code to ring Shue’s apartment.

“Hello.” The muffled voice came through the speaker.

“Yo, it’s me. Come on down. I don’t feel like parking, and hurry up.”

“All right already, B, hold your horses, I’m coming.” Shue hung up the phone.

Brendan mumbled to himself as he walked back to the car, “I know this fool ain’t ready.”

Brendan turned around to see the security guard coming out of the door. “Hey there, son. You can’t park there.”

“I’m not gonna park here. My cousin is on the way down.”

“Well, I’m just warning you, son. Deez summabitches is quick to give out a ticket. Two hundred bucks at a time, too.”

Brendan replied, “Well, I definitely don’t want to get one of those bad boys. I just buzzed up, though, and my cousin is on the way down.” Brendan had no idea how long that would take.

The security guard walked a little closer, as if he was investigating. “With a nice ride like this, I’m sure you can afford a ticket. Heh, heh.” When he laughed he showed his raggedy set of gold teeth. They were only gold because of the amount of plaque on them. The guard continued, “It sho’ is a pretty one. What is it? One of them Japanese models?” Brendan laughed to himself as he noticed that the guard looked like the character Otis from Martin Lawrence’s show.

Brendan replied, “No, it’s a Chevrolet, sir,” and cleared his throat, wishing Shue would hurry down so that he could leave before Otis asked to take it for a spin.

After a few more moments of chitchat with the old rent-a-cop, Shue finally came through the lobby door.

“What’s up, cuz? Hey, Mr. Ennis.” He patted the old man on the shoulder as he headed out of the building.

“Hey there, son,” Mr. Ennis shot back.

“Man, get in the car so we can go before it starts to rain.”

“Is it supposed to rain? Lord, I didn’t see anything about rain,” Shue said, looking up toward the sky. “I might need to change.”

“Man, whatever. I will pull off and leave your ass right here.” Brendan checked out Shue’s attire. Shue had on some snug-fitting Versace jeans, a maroon V-neck sweater, and a pair of V2 boots. He was carrying a suede jacket in his hand.

“B, don’t act like that. I cannot ruin this jacket in the rain.” He held it out. “It’s brand-new, baby boy, and of course you know it is brand name. Shoot, on top of that I might have to take it back tomorrow.” He snapped his fingers as he laughed at himself, and he slid into the passenger seat of the car.

“Look, I don’t know if it’s gonna rain for sure. What you wanna do?” Brendan was on the verge of cursing Shue out, and they hadn’t even left the parking lot.

Shue smacked his lips together. “Just drive.”

As they got back onto the Beltway Brendan asked Shue to call Nate to make sure he would be at the meeting spot up on the Avenue.

“Nobody answered at his house.”

“Hit him on the cell.”

“What’s the num…”

Brendan cut him off. “777-1848, that’s 301.”

Nate answered, “What’s up?”

“Yo, B, where y’all at.”

Brendan turned the radio down. “I’m at New Hampshire Avenue. Where are you?”

“I’m here at the Amoco waitin’ on y’all niggas.”

“All right. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Later.” Nate hung up and reclined the seat back in his brand-new Lexus SC 430.