Tiana twirled the red wine in the long-stem wine glass she held in her hand absentmindedly. The day events kept playing in her mind as she stared blindly in front of her the familiar outlay of her hotel room a blur as she thought back to her phone call with her mother.

Flashback 

Tiana heard her phone buzzing indicating an incoming call, she annoyingly moved the phone from her ear as it interrupted her attempt to call Kessa. She stared in mild disregard as she saw her mother's picture staring at her with the word MOM in all caps.

Tiana closed her eyes for a second against her budding frustration. She was already feeling the tension of an incoming headache and now to deal with her mother on top of it was hell personified. Tiana slowly swiped her thumb across her phone on the green answer button and return the phone to her ear.

"Hello mother," Tiana said in a soft sweet tone that belied her feelings. This was the last call she wanted to take at the moment but she knew that if she didn't her mother would just keep on calling.

"Hello Tiana darling," her mother cultured voice said into her ear. "How have you been dear?"

"I'm fine Mom," she responded hoping the small talk would go no further.

"Can you talk?"

Tiana knew either if she could or couldn't June West was going to get her reason for calling across but still she attempted to stifle any further chatter. "I can't talk right now I'm in the process of dealing with my company's shipping mom can we talk later?"

"Don't worry dear this won't take but a minute. You'll go back to business in a jiffy."

In a jiffy, who the hell says in s jiffy?….June West the Martha Stewart of Oxford County does. The wife of one of the most affluent businessmen in Canada. Who would have known that the prim and proper socialite was formerly a country bumpkin from Coffee Grove Jamaica with no class and no upbringing?

"What is it mother?" she asked wanting to get back to reaching Kessa.

"Well you see…eerr honey, yes one of my best friend's daughter needs a change of scenery and a start at getting herself on a path suitable for her," June replied her voice taking on a tone that piqued her interest but only for a split second. "Can you g—"

"No," she said hurriedly cutting her off. "The answer is no. I don't have any positions available right now mom, sorry I can't help you."

"Tiana Persephone West," her mother snapped. "Can you put aside your grievance with me? This is not for me it is for Tyra."

 "Grievance," Tiana said chuckling humorously. "Is that what you call shipping me off at 15 to an unknown grandmother in Jamaica who chant fire and brimstone on me because I am bisexual? Wow not to mention the many prayer meetings to rid me of my immorality demon."

"Quiet Tiana," her mother said sternly. "The past in the past. You are a grown woman so stop holding childish grudges!" 

June West's words cut Tiana to the core irritating her further but Tiana held her tongue and took a deep breath she was not going to argue with her mother. She silently counted to ten as she waited for her mother to continue.

"Now," June said lowering her tone as if suddenly not wanting to be overheard. Tyra needs this job, and she would make a lovely sales representative in that apparel store you have at your gym. She has a nice personality a rather charming girl."

Tiana took a deep breath before she spoke into the phone and turned around to indicate to her driver she was ready to head on to the hotel.

"Why is this girl so important to you?" she heard herself asking and wish it did not come across as her being resentful of this stranger who her mother would forsake all proprieties for.

There was a pause before June West answered in a rush. "Tyra is a transgender female. She has been since she was 16 she looks like a girl and everything she just still has her male part but I don't think that should be an issue should it?" June ended as if daring her to have an issue with it.

Tiana had to suppress the harsh laugh that threaten to escape her lips. How ironic my mother who is ashamed of my sexuality is reaching out to me to help her queer friend.

She was surprised her voice sounded carefree when she replied. "Yeah, no problem Mom. I don't care about her gender I was never one to be self-righteous and pompous. I don't even need her I'm only doing this as a favor to you Mom," Tiana returned her words laced with meaning.

Why the hell was she letting this mess her up?

Tiana brought her fingers up pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes trying to push the frustration she was feeling down. The feelings consuming her were too much to bear. She quickly got in the back seat of the car and slam the door shut.

June Aliza West was a bitter homophobic woman with resentment like a vice grip. So why all of a sudden she was being the good Samaritan? She was manipulative and self-centered as she was insistent and pushy not that she was not caring but with her, it was give and take. If she was giving Tyra this much-needed help she was taking something in return.

This piqued her interest and she said hoping not to regret her choice. "Fine Mother I will give her an interview and see what I can do, but I won't promise to hire her.".

"Tiana you will listen to me young lady," her mother said not willing to leave empty-handed. "I am not asking you to do this for me, all I'm asking is that you give Tyra a chance, she needs a job to get her started ok sweetheart."

Tiana inhaled deeply and let out a deep breath, "Ok mother I will interview her as soon as I get back and I will put her in my apparel shop on a trial basis, if she does good then I will hire her on permanently that's my final decision."

She could hear the smile in June's voice as she said. "That will be just fine Tiana. I appreciate you doing this for Tyra."

"Sure Mom," she returned ignoring the fact June did not even express gratitude. "Awwm I need to get back to the hotel I need some rest before my flight out," she quickly added trying to end the conversation with her mother.

"When will you be back in the office?" 

"I should be in the usual office time, I'm flying out tonight at 7 pm," Tiana answered.

"So 10:30 will be ok for Tyra to stop by?"

"Sure."

"Ok, bye," June West said ringing off as she needed nothing more.

Flashback ends

She had so many questions and was not sure where to get the answer. June West got what she wanted her beloved Tyra out of her misery of not having a safe haven while her own flesh and blood daughter was given three years of military boarding school to drill the queer immoral feelings of attraction to another female out of her when her spiritualistic grandmother couldn't.

It had all ended in an ultimatum when it was clear June West was not going to have her pristine replica who was going to marry good and propel her further up the social ladder.

Her father though he loved her without question was devoted to his wife through and through so when June demanded she would leave him as it was either her or their disappointment of a daughter he had chosen to give her what she wanted.

Tiana was shipped away from Oxford County she was given a beautiful gym with an indispensable bank account with the freedom to live her shameful lifestyle away from June West but in the end, it had taken from her the only person that ever loved her for her, her father.  

If only her mother could love her without condition and step out on a limb for her the way she was doing Tyra. Instead, she was given contempt and tolerance. Nothing she did, the many accomplishments her hard work that brought forth numerous and continued successes her mother still saw her as an abomination, the spoiled apple in her beautiful bountiful basket of blessings.

June West was not going to let her daughter rob her of that one-in-a-moment chance that paved the way to her grand existence. She had further aspirations that no bisexual daughter would ever rob her of.

With a quick swipe of the back of her hand across her cheeks, Tiana got rid of the tears that she hated herself for crying. She places the wine glass on the bedside table and reaches for her phone. She really needed Kessa.

She had a few hours before her flight and with no more hectic schedule and a busy time frame on the way to get her shipments in place, she could use this time to connect with her girl. She checked to see if Kessa had read the responses to the text messages she was not able to respond to at the time and found them unread.

Tiana flopped onto the neatly made bed and pulled up Kessa's number again,  it ended up ringing out to voice mail again. Tiana tossed her phone on the bed trying to suppress her frustration she closed her eyes trying to relax but seconds later she fell asleep.

Tiana was awoken by what seemed to her moments later but in reality, it was near her checkout time two hours later. Tiana looked over at the phone in irritation still feeling groggy from her sleep, reaching over she picked up the phone.

"Yes?" she said softly.

"Hello, Ms. West I'm just giving you a courtesy call to let you know it's half-hour time to your check out. Your driver is already downstairs waiting to take you to the airport," a woman's voice said over the phone politely.

Without a word, Tiana hung up the phone and sat up swinging her legs over the edge of the bed gathering her thoughts. She reach for her phone looking to see if there were missed calls or return messages.

There were none.

In a swift fluid movement, she got up and busied herself in getting ready. A few minutes later she grabbed her bag and headed towards the door and down to the front desk. Moments later she heard the trunk of the car shut and she nestled into the seat her mind trying not to accept that Kessa was regretting what they shared. Tianna watched as the city rolled by in a blur.

Pretty much like the happiness she found in Kessa's arm nothing more than a blur of memories. Tiana pulled into her phone from her jacket pocket and scrolled through her social media pages not seeing half of what was there. 

She opened her gym app and saw no messages from Kessa but saw that she posted two videos a few hours ago this made her frown and caused a slight irritation to swell inside her.

Several minutes later the driver swerved into a curbside drop-off at the airport and quickly got out and open the door for Tiana offering his hand which she took as he helped her out of the car.

Tiana quickly grabbed the pulley of her carryall bag as the driver rest it at her feet. She pulled a hundred-dollar bill from the back of her phone case that held her bank card and a few credit cards and handed the money to the driver before she headed inside the busy airport.

When she reached her gate she saw they were about to board which was perfect timing she thought, the sooner I get back the better.

Within several minutes Tiana was comfortably settled into her first-class seat her mind too preoccupied to see that she had gained the attention of a young Indian man and a sexy middle-aged woman in the row opposite her. 

Should she call Kessa again? It was now 7:15 she should be home, right? Normally she posted videos of her best workout classes on her Tic Tok with a nutritional meal of juice that was her very own creative health supplement but she found this not to be so.

What the fuck…did something happen? Her heart was pounding. Could she make it through the hour-and-a-half flight? 

She needed a drink.

Four glasses of champagne later she was starting to feel buzzed and the thoughts in her head were starting to get comical thus causing her to giggle to herself. Her two admirers watched her curiously. 

After a few minutes her eyes caught that of the woman who openly stared at her with eyes so green Tiana in her tipsy state tried reaching out to touch them as if they were next to her and when she touched nothing she giggled again.

Tiana rest her head against the soft comfy headrest and closed her eyes. She felt when the seat beside her dipped indicating she was no longer alone. She closed her eyes tightly and felt her hand being held when she opened them again the seat was empty and a piece of paper was nestled in her palm.

She closed her palm and thought back to the occasions when such a piece of paper would have her hooking up with some random stranger for a night of no strings attached fun but now all she wanted was Kessa.

In all that was unfolding, it was Kessa's warm kisses and comforting touch she craved.