The Little Black Book

I

“What the hell Jamal?! Why do you still have this?! Am I, am I not enough for you now? We’ve been together 3 years and you STILL have this in your dresser?! Why? Answer Me!”

It’s 10:47am, a Saturday morning in Palm Beach, Florida. Jamal has just returned home from his weekly pickup basketball game. He walks into their room no longer than five seconds after his long time girlfriend, Michelle, has stumbled upon a little black book while doing some weekend cleaning.

“Answer me Jamal!”, Michelle yells as Jamal just stands at the doorway stunned and confused.

II

Jamal sighs and uses the towel around his neck to wipe the sweat off of his face. He shakes his head then says, “Michelle, it’s an old book I had from before I even met you. It hasn’t been touched in years, there’s probably so much dust and spiderwebs in there.”

“But that’s not answering my question! Why is it in your dresser and not the trash? You’re holding onto it like you’re saving it for something!”

Jamal walks around the bed towards Michelle, and puts his hands on her shoulders as he looks into her eyes, “Michelle Regina Benton, I love YOU and only YOU. I need you to understand that. We’ve been together a little over three years, you’re my queen, my soulmate, my lover, my best friend. All the women in that stupid book don’t even compare to half of you. Can you relax, please? Let me shower, then I’ll treat you to lunch.”

Michelle looks away and rolls her eyes. “Boy...”

“C’mon Michelle, as a matter of fact...”

“Wooh!”, she screams.

Jamal scoops her off of her feet, then carries her to their bathroom.

He slowly takes off her olive green nightgown, and removes his sweaty black tank top and grey gym shorts before they enter the shower. He turns on the water, then they begin to passionately kiss as the water runs off their melanin skin and the room begins to fill with steam.

III

Michelle and Jamal lay naked in the bed, still wet and heavily breathing.

Michelle looks over at Jamal and taps him on the chest.

He rolls over towards her. “Yes, my love?”

Michelle smiles then says, “I know you didn’t think I let it go THAT easy did you Jamal? You just walked in with your body glistening, muscles popping, you know that’s my weakness. And then you grabbed me...” Michelle stops herself and takes a deep breath as Jamal grins and shakes his head. “But anyway, throw it away. I want to see you throw it away.”

He sighs, “And you’ll never bring it up again?”

“Yes, pinky promise. I’m leaving tomorrow morning and I don’t want any bad vibes between us.” Jamal stares at her. “Well, I’m waiting.”

Jamal gets up, grabs the little black book off of the dresser, and throws it into their trash can.

“Now, was that so hard?”, Michelle sarcastically replies.

IV

The time is now 12:58pm, Jamal and Michelle are at their favorite brunch spot, “Buccan”, getting ready to leave and head home.

“Babe I’m about to go to the bathroom, watch my things.” Michelle gets up and walks to the bathroom as her yellow sundress blows in the wind behind her.

Jamal sits at the table and patiently waits.

As he’s waiting, an unsaved number texts Michelle’s phone saying, “Can’t wait for tomorrow, we need this getaway.”

Jamal raises his eyebrow at first, but thinks nothing of it.

Seconds later, another text comes, “It’s Simon. I had to get a new phone.”

Alarms begin to ring in Jamal’s head. As soon as he’s about to reach for the phone, Michelle walks back. He’s stuck. He wants to confront her about the texts, but he’s scared to discover the truth.

V

“Babe you ready?”, Michelle says as she gets back to the table.

Without thinking, Jamal angrily replies, “So you’re cheating on me Michelle?!” She stands there confused. “Simon texted you while you were gone. Is that why you’ve been so excited for your...”

“Okay Jamal, I’m going to stop you right there. I’m going to call Robin to get me, she stays around the corner. I really can’t believe you right now.”

Michelle grabs her things then furiously storms off.

“Michelle wait!”, Jamal exclaims.

She takes a few steps away from the table, then turns around and aggressively says, “One, Simon is our accounting head, and two, he’s gay. I’ve told you these things numerous times.” She then continues her dash out the door.

“Michelle, come back!”, Jamal yells as Michelle ignores him.

Jamal gets up to chase her out the restaurant, but his efforts are futile. Jamal pleads for his forgiveness on the misunderstanding, but Michelle snubs him. After a few minutes of Jamal’s unheard apologies, Robin pulls up to get her.

Before Michelle gets in the car, she turns and says, “You know what, I can’t do this. I’m not about to argue and go back and forth explaining everything for two straight months.”

“So, what are you saying?” Michelle takes a long pause. “Michelle.”

“We should take a break from this. I....I just can’t right now..”

VI

Jamal just aimlessly stares at the car as she skrrts off. A few minutes pass before he finally decides to head home.

On the way home, he stops to get her favorite foods, candies, and flowers. He arrives home and sets up a nice candle lit dinner for her to return to. Jamal has rose petals scattered throughout the floor, a four course meal prepared, and even has the dining room filled with balloons spelling out “I’m sorry”.

He expected her to be home late, but what he didn’t expect, was her to not even show up. Hours and hours passed, and no call or even a text.

It’s now 1:43am. Dejected and disappointed, Jamal puts dinner in the oven and slowly makes his way upstairs to the bedroom.

He repeatedly calls and texts Michelle, but nothing. He gets flustered and gently tosses his phone. It lands next to the trash can, still containing the little black book.

VII

Jamal walks over to pick up his phone. He sighs as he looks down into the trash can. He bends down, and picks his phone up. He stares at the book for a moment, then returns to bed. He then watches TV for a while before he drifts off to sleep.

He awakes around 8:30am. He rolls over and notices Michelle still hasn’t returned home. “Michelle!”, he yells out.

No response. He then expeditiously grabs his phone. He has one message from Michelle. “Yesterday opened my eyes. You don’t listen to me, you don’t pay attention, and it’s clear you don’t trust me. I’m sorry but maybe we need these two months apart to think things out. Please don’t try to reach out, just give me space. Take care of yourself.”

VIII

Jamal immediately tries to call and text, but it doesn’t work. The calls go straight to voicemail and the texts don’t send, he’s been blocked.

“Aaaaarrghh!”, he wails in frustration. “Over something so small? She’s throwing three years away like that?”

He begins to sulk into a deep, dark state of misery.

Jamal lays in his bed and doesn’t leave his house all Sunday. He calls into work, and does the same thing Monday.

He calls in Tuesday too, but trash day causes him to get out of bed and eventually snap out of his depression.

Jamal gets out of bed and starts to gather the trash out throughout the house. He starts downstairs in the kitchen, then finishes upstairs in his bedroom. As he’s about to empty the trash can, he takes the little black book out, and places it on the dresser.

IX

Once Jamal has finished the trash, he returns to his bed, and flips through his little black book. A smile begins to cover his face as memories begin to fill his head. Alicia, Jessica, Morgan, Sydney, Lauren, Jasmine, Raven, endless names and numbers go on and on. The fun begins, Jamal takes out his phone and gets to calling.

By the time 7pm gets here, he’s already arranged 3 dates for the night, and 8 the rest of the week.

His heartbroken depression has quickly evolved into a bachelor’s paradise.

X

Over a month has passed since Jamal’s been back on the market, and his black book escapades have slowed down a little. Instead of multiple dates with multiple women, it’s now multiple dates with one woman, Morgan. A tall, slim, beautiful Latina with short curly hair.

“Can you just give me seven numbers, please? That’s all I need.”, Morgan says as she’s about to get out of the car and go into the gas station.

“Morgan, that stuff is pointless. It’s all a scam.” Jamal replies.

“Ugh, it’s only a few dollars, and it’s MY money. You lose nothing...pleeaaaase baby?”

“Only because that look makes me weak....here, 40, 7, 19, 22, 1, 52, and 60.”

“Thanks babe.” Morgan kisses Jamal on the cheek then proceeds to go into the store.

Five minutes later, she exits the gas station smiling.

“What you so happy for? “, Jamal asks as she gets in the car.

“Just have a really good feeling about these numbers that’s all.”

“Whatever you say. You hungry?”

“Yeah, I can eat.”

They pull out of the gas station, and stop by a nearby Italian restaurant to pick up some food before heading home.

When they arrive, Morgan starts preparing the food on the dinner table, and Jamal makes his way upstairs to shower.

Two minutes into his shower, he hears a loud scream come from downstairs.

He immediately hops out the shower, grabs a towel, and darts downstairs.

“What’s the matter?! You okay?!”, Jamal nervously yells.

With her hands covering her mouth as if she was greatly surprised, Morgan replies, “We won.”

XI

“We won the due date pool with your friend Amy?! What’s that, like $75?”, Jamal cluelessly says.

Morgan sucks her teeth, “No silly, the lotto, we won the lotto!”

Confused, “The 327 million?!”

“Well, not the big one. We won $100,000.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

They embrace each other for a moment, then separate after a long, passionate, congratulatory kiss.

“You have any clue what you’re going to do with it? Have you told your mother yet?”

“You’re the only person that knows for now. When I screamed is when I found out. And as far as spending it goes, I’m thinking about splitting it five ways, between me, my mom, my sister, my brother, and you.”

“Me?! I don’t need it. They pay me good at the clinic.”

“I mean, it was your numbers that won us the money. It’s the least I could do babe.”

“Come here.”, Jamal grabs Morgan and they begin to share a moment of intimacy. When they finish, they enjoy their dinner, crack open a bottle of wine, then pass out in the bed after having a glass too many.

XII

Days after Morgan and Jamal’s big night, the weekend approaches. They’ve designated Saturday as the day they’ll go pick up the money.

“Babe, you ready?! We’re going to run into traffic if we don’t get moving. It’s already a 40 minute drive as is.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”, Morgan yells scurrying down the stairs.

They exit the house and get into Jamal’s black Sudan. Jamal backs out of the driveway, and they head to collect their funds.

As they’re about 5 minutes from the building, a text pops up on Jamal’s car screen. Jamal’s dismayed and Morgan sits in the passenger seat befuddled and furious.

“Hey Jamal, I’m sorry about everything. I’ve had the time to clear my head and I overreacted. I’ll be back in a few days. Let’s talk and work it out. I love you, see you soon.”