Later that evening, Titus called Shayla. For hours, they talked about everything under the sun. They spoke about school, life goals, personal interests, and dating. He said the girl that came over to his car and created a scene was his ex-girlfriend.
"I'm not feeling Tammy like that anymore, but apparently she isn't ready to let go," he said.
"Are you ready to let go?"
"I have moved on, but she is still on some 'We're meant to be together. Let's get married and have a baby,' shit. I'm nineteen. I'm not looking for another mother or a wife. I need someone I connect with."
"I feel you. But, girlfriend was acting like you were cheating on her or something. She is sprung over you," Shayla said and laughed.
"Some females don't know when to let go. They don't know when the relationship is dead. When the lights are out, it's time to put the baby to bed. When the thrill is gone, it's gone."
"And when it's on, it's on, I suppose. Like us?" At that point in the conversation, she didn't care to know the other girl's situation. On the outside, he guy presented himself as the typical thug with brains. On the inside, she discovered a person with a sincere heart.
"Let me pick you up from school and take you home tomorrow. If she doesn't know by now, she'll know tomorrow that I'm digging this certain redbone from around the way," he said.
"Is that right?" she raised an eyebrow as she entwined the phone cord in her fingers.
"Right, and I'm going to show you," he confirmed.
The next day, he picked her up promptly at 3:15 PM. Even though she dodged several eye daggers as she approached his car, she was happy to see him turn the corner. He hopped out of the car, gave her with a single long-stemmed rose, and opened the door for her.
Tammy's expression was so priceless when she saw Titus give Shayla the rose. She could have been bought and sold for a quarter. Shayla and Titus were too caught up into each other to notice the girl running off into the building with one of her friends following close behind.
Over the next couple of weeks, they talked on the phone a lot. They practically shared every detail of their lives with each other. He'd graduated the year before from Booker T. Washington High's rival, South Macon. He lived off J. Anthony Street in the Sloan Mill projects with his family, including three brothers and two sisters. He said college wasn't for him. Even though he didn't go to college, Titus Wilson planned to start his own car dealership, and do something three generations of his family had not been able to do - make it out of the Sloan Mill projects.