In The Cut by Arlene Brathwaite

that you was a homosexual?”
    “I said Metro sexual.”
    “That ain’t nothing but a new word y’all done came up with to hide what you is.”
    “Ain’t nothing homo about me,” Chuck said, flexing his Pecs behind his tank top.
    “Ooohhh wwweee,” Esther, Miki, and Olivia, all said together.
    “You ain’t did nothing slick, Slick,” Mr. Ryan said, starting to unbutton his shirt.
    Olivia draped her chair cloth over him. “Calm down, old man, these young bucks don’t know what time it is.”
    “Homosexual, Metro sexual, D.L. brothers,” Mr. Ryan grumbled.
    “What you know about DL brothers?” Esther asked, keeping the conversation going.
    “I know to stay the hell away from them.”
    “How you know who they are if they on the DL?” Baby asked.
    “You got to look for the signs,” Mr. Ryan said, placing emphasis on signs.
    “What are the signs?” Esther asked.
    “When your man’s earrings hang lower than yours, your antennas better go up. If he wears spandex and tweezes his eyebrows, watch out. If y’all be having arguments over him being in the mirror longer than you or he’s always admiring himself in the mirror, he is definitely a DL brother.”
    “You’re too much,” Olivia said.
    “He ain’t lying, though,” Baby said.
    “What you know about DL brothers?” Olivia asked.
    “Remember Johnny?”
    “The guy you was all in love with last summer?”
    “Yeah. He was a DL brother.
    “Get out of here,” Miki said, walking up on the conversation.
    “I saw the signs, but I refused to believe it. Mr. Ryan ain’t lying. Especially the part about being in the mirror longer than me. That was the first sign. But when he asked me to do some freaky shit one night, I two-pieced him.”
    “What did he ask you to do?” Miki asked eyes wide.
    “All I’m going to say is, he wanted to put my thumb where it don’t have no business being.”
    “And you two-pieced him?” Miki asked astonished.
    “Shit, I was going to four-piece him, but the two-piece put him out cold.”
    “Damn, Baby,” the young gentlemen sitting in Lynise’s chair getting a pedicure said. “Tell me what I got to do to get you on my team.”
    “After that episode, I’m a free agent, no commitments, and anybody who wants to get with me his paper got to be the way I like my dicks: long and strong.”
    “Baby!” Olivia tried yelling over the roars and the claps. Olivia didn’t mind a little trash talk, as long as the language wasn’t too graphic.
    “And why the hell are you so quiet?” Chuck asked Grace.
    Grace looked like she was about to bust. “Glenn wanted me to wait until he got here, but…” she looked at Olivia. “He proposed to me last night.”
    “And?” Baby asked.
    “And I said yes.” Grace started jumping up and down. Baby, Esther, Miki and Olivia ran to her and crowded around her for a group hug.
    “My girl is getting married,” Olivia said. “And I’m getting old,” Mr. Ryan said.
    “Oh hush up. My girl is getting married.”
    The women talked for a couple minutes before getting back to work.
    Byron walked in, like he was walking down a runway. Mr. Ryan elbowed Olivia and mouthed “DL.” She started laughing.
    “Olivia, how are you?” he asked. “I’m fine. How ‘bout yourself?”
    “Wonderful.” He looked at his watch, then looked at Lynise. “Am I early?”
    “No, I’ll be with you in a second.”
    “No, rush. I’ll be in the boardroom.”
    “I think he likes you,” Baby said. “He won’t allow anyone to touch his head, hands, or feet but you.”
    Lynise smiled bashfully.
    Olivia was just glad he stopped sweating her. Everyone froze when Glenn walked through the door.
    “You told them,” he said to Grace.
    “Congratulations!!” Everyone shouted.
    Grace ran into his arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I tried to hold it, but they dragged it out of me.”
    “Yeah,” Baby said. “We had to twist her arm.”
    Grace stuck her middle finger up at her.
     
    Forty minutes later,