I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

1

"Dinah, c'mon. Prince is a really sweet guy and you need a night off. I can watch Amiyah tonight." My friend Teresa was trying to get me out of the apartment. My daughter Amiyah was screaming in my arms from her teething and I sighed. I really did need a break. A 6 month old teething baby, a breakup from her father, and living with my best friend with no money was stressing me. "No Dinah, I need to stay home. Amiyah needs me." I took some teething medicine off the counter with Amiyah crying in my arms
and we sat on the couch together.

"Dinah, I'm telling you. Prince is fine as hell and you'll like him." I rubbed the medicine on Amiyah's gums. "I bet he is, but I-" "Dinah...go get a night off. Go out with a cute guy and just relax. Plus, I watch Amiyah all the time while you're job hunting in the city. I got you." Amiyah was finally calming down as Teresa came into the living area with a glass of wine. "So, are you gonna go?" Teresa asked me. My daughter laid her head on my chest. "I don't know. What's he like?" I asked. Teresa laughed. "I told you. He's fine as hell. He's a musician, too and a damned good one." I blinked. "That's all you know about him?" I asked. "Well, no. I don't know him that well, I just know that he's a good friend of my brother and he's single." Teresa said.

I still seemed very unsure about this Prince. "Like I said, I'll watch Amiyah. We'll watch cartoons and play and whatever else I can come up with. You're healed from your c section and you're single. Just take a break, go out on the town with this guy." I was essentially going to go on a blind date. "Does he know about me?" I asked her. "He knows you're single." I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine. I guess I'll go out with him, Teresa. But if he's not as good as you just told me, I'm gonna be pissed." Teresa shook her head. "You won't be disappointed. Trust me."

By the time it was Friday, my date with this Prince had finally come. I was getting ready in the living room with Amiyah in her walker watching cartoons. "Hey, do you need a bra to borrow? I found a cute one that I think you'll like." Terra came in with a bra that I knew wouldn't fit me. "You're kidding, right?" "What? C'mon. Morris told me orange is his favorite color." I shook my head. "It's too small. You're a B and I'm a D. Hell no. Besides it's not like he's going to see my bra tonight anyway...or any of me naked." Amiyah giggled at the TV and bounced as I walked to Teresa's bedroom. "You don't think you'll sleep with him on the first date?" I sprayed some perfume on my body before taking my clothes off. "No! It's a first date, Teresa." I pulled on the dress she gave me which wasn't all that pretty and slipped it on...or at least tried to.

"Shit!" I whispered trying to pull it over my chest. Teresa was peeking out of the hallway at Amiyah to make her giggle. "Teresa. This won't fit. My tits are too big and I think they've been getting bigger lately." Teresa turned around and gasped. "Shit, Dinah. You're ripping it!" I pulled it off covering myself. None of my clothes will fit me because of my tits." Teresa sighed and gave me a robe. "Go tend to your baby and I'll find something." I pulled the robe on and tied it before going into the living area. Amiyah had her eyes glued to the TV, but I knew it was feeding time. "Come here, sweetie. Let's get you fed before mama has to leave."

I was sitting in my car in front of Teresa's apartment completely nervous. A blind date. I never liked doing blind dates because they were always so awkward and predictable. She's got a lot of baggage, her life is falling apart, or her daddy hates me. I killed the engine of my car and sighed before I stepped out and walked up to Teresa's apartment building. I climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and knocked on her apartment door. "Teresa! Get the door!" I jumped a little and blinked before the door opener and Teresa was standing there. "Hi, Prince. You're early." I smiled a little. "Just wanted to make a good impression is all. Am I too early?" "No, no. Uh..." Teresa stepped into the hallway with me before shutting the door. Something was wrong.

"Look, Prince. Dinah is really nervous. She doesn't have a lot and...thankfully you dressed...not yourself." I looked down at my Jean jacket and jeans and heels. "Well, I was thinking dinner." Teresa stared at me before going inside her apartment and leaving me in the hallway. "What...the fuck?" I decided to press my ear to the door. "Okay, okay look. No need to stress he's dressed casual. You should dress casual, too." I kept listening and even heard what I thought was a baby inside. I heard footsteps coming towards the door and I stepped back just in time for Teresa to open it. "Come in, Prince." Teresa smiled at me before I followed her inside. I saw baby bottles boiling in a pot on the stove, baby formula on the counter, and corner stacked with packs of diapers. Teresa definitely didn't have a kid, so my date must have one.