A ménage à trois was every man’s fantasy, Tender had been told. Every man wanted the experience—at least once in his lifetime—before marriage or death. Now here she was, being propositioned by a very powerful man. She wasn’t repulsed or turned off by the idea of having sex and sharing Q with another woman. In fact, she was a little curious. Hey, you can’t knock it till you try it, she always thought. If this was her way in, if this is what would make him happy, so be it. She figured she’d score some points with him and position herself closer to him. If she couldn’t be his number one, then she would settle for being his mistress. She figured to reap the rewards as such. After all, one hand washes the other but they both wash the face. A favor for a favor.

Q tried to laugh off her comment. “Why you gotta say it like dat?”

“C’mon, now. It is what it is. Stop beatin’ around da bush … It’s all good. Count me in,” she boldly stated.

“Dat’s what’s up!” he said, applauding her decision. “I knew you’d ride fa a nigga. Tender, you’s one down-ass broad. You keeps it real all da way ’round da board …”

Yeah, whatever! Tender thought. She saw the big picture. Getting with Q offered something that she didn’t have, financial stability.

“Listen, I ain’t do dis wit any bitch!” Tender warned. “I gotta personally approve of her. She gotta be clean, attractive, with no foul body odor—”

“Matter fact, you get her,” he said, trying to be funny.

“Aiight, I will,” she replied seriously.

“However you wanna do it, dat’s cool wit me … Whatever makes you comfortable,” he suggested. “Just be ready ta do da damn thang, da day afta tomorrow ….”

The day after tomorrow came so fast, Tender didn’t have adequate time to be as selective as she liked. The few girls she thought about approaching, either she couldn’t catch up with them or they were on their monthly cycle. Either way, she was in a jam. She was on the clock and pressed to produce another participant. She looked high and low to no avail. Then finally she turned to Kat as a last resort.

Kat tried to play hard to get. But this was only a front to hide her joy. Wild horses couldn’t drag her away from this. The money she was given by Tender, from Q, was icing on the cake. She would have done it for nothing—just for the cause; because he was who he was.