Every man wants a woman that can cook him up a good meal
A woman he can treat like his homie
Take her out on the ave and just chill
And every man wants a woman
That ain't good for just lying on her back
And I'm that kind of woman
So before me and my man get in the sack
I tell him to...
-Xscape

She was going to do whatever. She could leave Spitfire because he never seemed to want to go public with their relationship, or she could stay and just be happy she had the man she loved. She was going to stay, but she was going to have her cake and eat it too like he was.

Craig and his boys were pretty much blowing up now, so she rarely got to see him anymore. He was traveling more than her. So she needed some other guy to keep her company when Spitfire was otherwise occupied with Asia or whatever else hoe he was with. She did not think for one minute that she and Asia were the only ones he was fucking. People talked in the A, and they said he had lots of side chicks.

Spitfire was rich, famous, and fine! In the A. Enough said.

She heard M'Liyah was working with some new singer named Tempo, and when she went to The Spit Pit to check him out, man, he was fi-one! Why all the hot ones had to be all over M'Liyah. They were heads down at a table working on something when she walked in.

"Yo, y'all, what's up?"

"Hey Gin," M'Liyah said. "You must be bored to come down here when we don't have to work."

"You always working."

"Have you met Tempo? He's signed with Spitfire but he's based in LA and he came out here so we can finish this song."

Why the fine ones gotta sign with Spitfire? Like, that would be a problem.

"Tempo. What kind of name is that? A stage name, cuz you're a singer?"

"Yeah, I guess. My real name is Tim Porter...my boys just always called me Tim Po...then when I got to singing, Tempo."

"Cute. My silly name Ginger, who knows why that's my name. My hair was reddish growing up, so I think somebody thought I was a redhead."

"Your hair is not red," M'Liyah said with a laugh.

"And your mom named you after Aaliyah, but wanted to be different. And Melodie...of course she has the music name." Ginger pulled up a chair beside Tempo. "How old are you?"

He smiled and looked her up and down. "How old do you want me to be?"

"Old enough I'm not robbing the cradle. You look young."

"Oh my gosh," M'Liyah said, putting her head down on the table.

"I'm nineteen."

"Eh, a little youngish, but I can work with that."

"Umm, you're only eighteen, I bet you can work with that."

"Tem, we really need to finish this song," M'Liyah said.

"Okay, give me and your girl five and I'll get back at it."

M'Liyah sighed, got her phone, and walked out of the studio. Cool. Private time with him.

"So you wanna hang later, show me around yo city. Take me out on the town? Cook me up a home-cooked meal?"

"Man damn, it's like that? Let me think, hmmm, not! Who do I look like? Do my ass look like I cook a thing? Better stop at Taco Bell boo."

"Where's that southern hospitality?"

"I ain't from the A! I can heat up some ramen noodles for you."

He laughed.

"What the hell you know about a struggle meal?"

"I wasn't always rich, ba-bay! And them shits fire! With some hot sauce."

"Okay, then hook me up with that later. Imma call you when we done here."

"Bet."

What, what, what? She was the Whoa-Man! Another hot guy she could add to her list.

She left the Spit Pit and rushed back to her place. Good thing she had a cleaning service and her place was spotless. Who had time for cleaning? But when she went to her kitchen, she ain't have no damn noodles. She sure as shit was not going to the store for herself. What was she gonna do now?

She called Melodie.

"Hey, girl."

"Mel, you got some noodles at y'all house?"

"Noodles? Like what kind? You really think I be cooking?"

"Like some ramen noodles man. You know the cheap, broke ass kind. The cheaper the better."

"What?" She laughed. "Please tell me yo ass ain't gambled away all yo money and you broke broke."

"Never that! This dude I met at the studio, Imma cook for him."

Then Melodie really started laughing. Like she dropped the phone laughing. She didn't see what was so funny. Making noodles really was not cooking. Anybody could do it. Boil some water, add noodles, add seasoning, eat.

"Mel, if yo bitch ass don't stop laughing."

"Girl, Apollo called, they want you to do a comedy special. You got real jokes."

"Bitch, you have the noodles or nah?"

"Hell yeah, my parents still eat that shit. I'll send yo bro over with some."

Melodie must have told Anthony cause he clowned her when he dropped off a six-pack. Whatever with them. She went to change into a little red dress and then waited on Tempo to arrive.

"Nice place," he said.

"It's alright for my first place."

"Hey, I don't smell any food cooking."

"Do yo momma cook for you every day or something? What are you, spoiled rotten?"

"Matter of fact, she does, and she's a great cook. And my momma told me the way to a man's heart is cooking for them. You wanna get in my heart?"

"Look lil boy, you cute, but don't get ahead of yourself. Kick back, relax, watch TV, I'll make the noodles."

"They better be good or I'm clowning."

Well, at least she did know how to make noodles on her own. She had been making them since she was six years old. A lot of foster families weren't living the life and cooking for her on a regular, she had to learn that on her own. She made three packs and split them between two bowls. Drizzled hot sauce over it and even some truffle oil. That's was her secret ingredient she wondered if he would notice.

She put the bowls, some napkins, and their forks on a serving tray and walked out to him. Setting it in front of him on the table. He had kicked off his shoes and was laying back on her couch like he paid rent there.

"You really did the damn thing," he said, sitting up.

"You said you wanted a home-cooked meal. I coulda sent you down to Hattie B's for good fried chicken, but whatever. You'll be in the A for awhile?"

"Yeah. I'm at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. All by myself," he said, digging in the noodles, slurping and talking at the same time. "I knew you would be somebody I could kick it with."

"How'd you end up working with Liyah?"

"Her mom, your manager. She's dope. She reached out to me awhile ago, she wanted me to date M'Liyah."

She nearly coughed on her noodles.

"Sorry, I thought you knew about that."

"Nothing Ms. Pamela does shocks me. I guess you must have been vetted, tested, and probed. She ain't gonna let anybody even sniff on her angel baby."

"I was sending out demos looking for a manager and..."

"Don't tell me Pamela is gonna manage you."

"Well, yeah. She's good at what she does. Look at you guys. Anyway, she didn't even have to shop me around, she told Spitfire about me and I was in."

"I can't be mad at that. If it wasn't for Pamela, and Spitfire I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Girl, what you put in these noodles, bruh, they hittin!"

She smiled. She wasn't gonna tell him about her secret ingredient.

"You eat so messy, dude! Like you ain't ate a day in your life, and you so skinny, maybe not," she said, taking a napkin and wiping his mouth. "Now, you can't hang with me eating like a slob."

"My bad. I'm from Oakland, we don't have no manners."

"Let Pamela get to your ass, you'll have more class than Howard U up in here. She don't play. Plus, you working with Liy? Shee-it, you about to be her little minion."

"Imma tell my momma Ginger Hollands cooked for me. I ain't gonna tell her what, she might trip 'bout that fifty-cent pack of noodles," Tempo said.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Now, why would I ask you to cook for me if I had a girl stashed away somewhere?"

"I mean, you a man, that's what y'all do."

"Ok, somebody scorned you and you're only eighteen."

"Ain't nobody...man, whatever."

She put away the dishes and then came back to sit with him.

"I'm not gonna ask you your relationship status, I have a feeling it's complicated."

"You could say that."

"Look, we can just be friends, that's cool. I like you. I need a friend in this business."

Friends, man, that was a change. He didn't even try to kiss her or touch her or anything. They watched TV and talked all night till he had to leave and go back to his hotel.

"We gonna kick it again while I'm here," he said when she walked him to the door.

"Coo."

She thought he was just gonna walk away, but then he put his arms around her and kissed her real good.

"Now when I said friends, we can be kissing friends."

She smiled. "Okay."

"Later."

A/N: Now I love Ginger with Craig, but Tempo seems like a laid back guy. Different from the other guys. Ginger "cooking" for him was special. Let's see how she balances three guys.