Sweet Heat

by Bolu Babalola

Mine and Bakari’s romantic relationship is such that we work around each other, our lives overlapping in very specific ways in which we both agree. We don’t do random, sporadic sleepovers – we plan ahead. We don’t ‘hang out’ – we have activities. Dinner, co-working, movies. Specifically, movies that he’s read about and confirmed are good before we go. Movies slated to be Oscar-nominated. He wants to be sure we wouldn’t be wasting our time. If any of our friends has a birthday party, the other is not obliged to come. We don’t talk to each other about work unless for a specific reason – an acquisition, for example, or, say, an unceremonious quitting. We aren’t entangled. I’d had that before and not only is it a bitch to extricate yourself, but, when you eventually do, you have to wait for a piece of yourself to grow back.