“I’mma show you all the best things Diamond Falls has to offer. Just wait and it’ll all come together,” he says excitedly as I roll my eyes at the thought.
When we actually make it inside The Diner, I’m pleasantly surprised and I can’t deny its infectious vibe or the smell coming from the kitchen that has me breaking into a smile and eating my words along with everything else Vaughn orders off the menu because the food’s that good. The conversation is too aswe go back and forth between bites of food. We talk about my photography, Jaylen, and his mom, but never about Jaylen’s mother or the name I see tatted on his forearm when he pushes his sleeves up to eat. So I file those questions away for later.
After The Diner, I expect him to take me home, but before I realize it, we’re clear across town near the Diamond Estates community that’s a complete one eighty from The Diner on the south side. When we pull up to a big brick home that’s for sale and stop in front of it, my curiosity demands answers.
“What’s all this? Are you using our time to go house hunting or something?” I ask even though the price range for this home is steep for anyone I know, balling or not. He doesn’t answer, just gives me a silent smile, reaching over me to open the glove box, pulling out two black, rolled-up items before passing one to me while he keeps the other for himself. “What do I need these for?” I ask, pulling apart the disposable shoe covers.
“Just rock with me for a few more minutes and you’ll see for yourself. It’s all part of the experience,” he says with more excitement than necessary, just like at The Diner. I watch him get out of the car and open the door for me before I hesitantly follow his lead, out of the car and up the walkway to the front door where we pause to put the shoe covers on and see the signage at the door advertising the community’s Parade of Homes.
“This is new,” I unintentionally say out loud before he opens the door.
Stepping into the home’s foyer is not completely foreign to me, just different from what I experience on a day to day. In my line of work, I’ve come across a few people who’ve amassed enough wealth to live like this and always appreciated the aesthetic, but I’ve never looked at the homes from a buyer’s perspective. When Vaughn comes up behind me, guiding mefurther inside with his hand against the small of my back, the tiny gesture adds to the moment.
“They usually do these about once every three months. So, I had to include it because it’s obviously the best of Diamond Falls,” he says, and if he didn’t look so serious, I’d think this was a joke.
“The best of Diamond Falls, huh?” I prompt, trying to get more of where he’s going with this.
“Yeah, I’m gonna give it to you in small doses. The Diner, the Parade of Homes, and then…” He lets his words trail off before making a play for that second date. “Next time, I can show you the rest.”
“What would that next date look like? A trip to the grocery store so you can show me how top tier Diamond Falls’ produce selection is?”
I can’t resist poking fun at the comedy of this unconventional date, and he laughs, shaking his head.
“One, all our produce probably comes from Miller’s Pointe or some shit, and two, there’s no better way to get to know a person than to see the choices they make if they have limitless access to funds. Especially when it comes to where they choose to live.” When he puts it like that, there’s an added layer of thoughtfulness I never considered and don’t have time to before he’s moving to the next room.
“Now walk with me. Tell me what you think about this living space and I bet by the end of the date I can pick out your perfect match.”
When he makes his way into the first room, I do exactly as he asked and walk with him into a large living area with the ceiling just as high and grand as the foyer and windows just as tall. Everything else in the room is a collection of small details that create something so intricate that it easily surpasses my simple taste and budget. Hell, I can’t imagine many people whose pricerange this would be in if they weren’t a ballplayer, CEO, or moving mass amounts of illegal substances. It makes me realize I’ve yet to find out what Vaughn does for a living. So I take the opportunity to find out.
“I guess you bring all your dates on the Parade of Homes tours. That or you have a day job as a real estate agent.”
He smiles as he shakes his head in response but seems conflicted on how he’ll answer.
“Wrong on both. Try again,” he says, letting me know this isn’t his norm or his day job.
“Inspector?” I guess when I realize how thoroughly he’s critiqued every detail of the house and knew his shit.
“Nope.”
“What do you do, then?” I ask, giving up on guessing.
“I’m something like a builder,” he says with a smile.
I stop asking questions because his answer is too cryptic. Either he is or isn’t, and all that gray area leaves room for interpretation. Especially given the fact he lives in or near Douglasville Projects, where many legit businesses have ties to illegal activity… off the record, of course. I’m so lost in thought about where Vaughn fits into all of this, I spit out my next question without thinking it through.
“You planning on getting something like this once Jaylen makes it big?” I ask as the reporter in me comes out of nowhere and the smile Vaughn’s been sporting all day melts away.
“Nah. This shit is nice and all, but it’s not my style, and any money my son does or doesn’t make will be his. I ain’t saying if he were to show some love that I wouldn’t accept it. But I ain’t the type of nigga to be in another man’s pockets. Especially cashing checks before they even come.”
Vaughn makes his declaration, then walks toward the kitchen that’s just as nice but feels underwhelming without hisenthusiasm for the experience. I fucked all the way up with my question. I caused the shift in the room, so I have to fix it.
“I wasn’t trying to offend you. I’ve just seen so many parents co-opting their child’s future success in my line of work, I...”
“Assumed,” he says, cutting me off. “The first thing you should know about me is I would never take shit from Jay, co-opting as a parent or otherwise. He’s already lost so much.”
The amount of emotion pouring off Vaughn in this moment triggers me. I can relate to loss, but what I’m feeling now is a twisted mix of his feelings with my own, as sadness, remorse, and curiosity monopolize my thoughts. I’m curious about what losses he’s referring to, but for the first time in a while, I don’t boldly ask what I want. Instead, I try to rewind our conversation to where we were before all this.
“I guess you were right. This house tour has us jumping in, getting to know each other with both feet,” I say, trying to lighten the mood as he stays silent.
