It’s another Saturday night. She is ready. She stands in front of her gilt mirror of her immaculate one-bedroom apartment, all paid for by her parents. Her luscious, curled honey brown hair sits perfectly past her bosom. She puckers her full lips after applying a deep red lipstick that she had bought yesterday from Bloomingdales on her way home from work. Smoky almond eyes (a recommendation by her longtime friend at Sephora, Jeanine) pull her look together. Tonight is the night!
She pulls out a royal blue tube dress from her closet. The dress sits at her knees with a long slit up the side, emphasizing her long legs. Ready to head out, she pulls on her black minimalist heels by the door. Taking one last look, she turns off the lights and heads out to the late spring night.
She shows up at the city’s latest/newest lounge with a long line outside: Mystique. In just 4 months after opening, it has already picked up an immense following of the young, attractive crowd. Only the best dressed can enter. Heading up to the VIP line, Danny greets her and allows her to go in. “How is the crowd tonight, Danny?” she asks him. He responds with a smile, “There’s a lot of new faces that I haven’t seen. Tonight might be your lucky night.” She goes in, and instantly, the sound of the latest hip hop is playing for the night. She heads toward the owner, Tassia. Tassia notices her instantly with her always perfect hair and makeup.
“Hi darling, how are you?” Tassia asks. “I’m guessing you’re doing your usual again. Isn’t it tiring always finding a new man every week? I can’t even imagine having the time of day to talk to multiple guys every week.”
She gives Tassia a kiss on the cheek and replies, “Tassia, always nice to see you. Looking amazing as always. You know me by now, I need to find a man who’s willing to give me that 5 carat diamond. We as women shouldn’t have to work our entire lives. We are the ones who must give birth to their children, that is the most painful part of life. There should be no reason why we should have to work so hard.”
“I understand, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend every Saturday night looking for a new man to entertain me,” Tassia says. “I have this lounge and it’s bringing me more money than I’ve ever imagined. I don’t have the luxury of my parents paying for me and I didn’t grow up with money. Having this lounge has made me so fulfilled that I wonder what else I can do. It was always a dream to have a business.”
“Oh honey, you don’t understand! The whole point of having a successful and wealthy man is so you don’t have to work so hard, but still reap the benefits. If you still want to work afterwards, you could, but you know that you wouldn’t have to if you didn’t want to.”
“I can’t imagine having to rely on a man for the rest of my life,” Tassia says. “It doesn’t sound feasible. Having to take orders from him and not being able to have a say in where his money goes, that’s not how a marriage works. I know that you are looking to get married soon but wouldn’t it be too fast? You are 27 now but you can’t expect to be married within the next year. I get that there’s a lot of men out there that find you attractive and would love to take you out on a date but do you really want to move that fast with a guy? You wouldn’t be able to get to know him.”
“Tassia, time is ticking,” she replies. “I am not getting younger and I need to have kids before I am 30. Yes, I have plenty of dates throughout the weekdays but no one really caught my eye. I mean I am talking to 3 different men right now but they bore me. I need someone exciting. Someone who challenges me. Someone who isn’t afraid to spoil me with their attention. Someone that has a big bank account but still is around every time I need him.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but if all that really matters is an attractive man who is successful and spoils you with attention, why would you need someone to challenge you?” Tassia asks. “I’m sorry, I have to go now. Work calls. Being an owner isn’t easy. Please enjoy yourself as always. You know your route. “
And she is off. She is still too young to understand. She is only 24, it’s totally different at 27. She thinks. As she walks towards the bar, a tall and handsome man of about 30 approaches her. Blue pinstripe shirt, sleeves rolled up at the wrists, and dark wash jeans. He looks pretty put together with his dark brown hair swept to the side.
“Hi, I’m Keith.”
“My name is Alexa, nice to meet you.” Would you like to join me at the bar?”
With a side smirk, the games begin.