Chapter 5 5

Taj POV

This was going to be one of his easier semesters since he decided to change his major last year. He was majoring in journalism hoping to write for a paper or magazine, but that's not where his head was. Speaking with his boss, Jossie DeCosta-Smith, she geared him toward Public Relations without him having to take much extra coursework and graduating on time if he took a few summer classes to make up for some classes he needed.

He liked working with people face to face, especially future students. Illinois State University was a good top school and he liked working with Jossie recruiting.

"I know you need to focus on your classwork, but I hope I can count on you to help around here with some new student workers."" Jossie talked while they sat at her small conference room table having a short meeting. Since he was a senior, he was going to be working with the other student assistants as their supervisor, with a graduate assistant over him. The GA did most of the traveling, although he had been on a couple of recruitment events in the past.

"When will the new grad assistant show up?" It was already the end of the first week of classes, and there was no one there yet.

"Had a delayed first week, should be here today. Older graduate student, but you know I only work with the best of the best. Like yourself young man."

"Sorry, I can't travel this year." Not with his overloaded schedule. Plus serving as President of Epsilon Upsilon with only Brian to help him bring in some new pledges.

They did not cap the membership intake, they took, however, many guys were interested. If they got ten guys interested, they were pledging ten guys. That would not happen. They were not as large and well- known as the other fraternities of the Divine Nine, the nationally recognized Black Greek organizations. EU probably did more, but they were new and small, so most guys did not give them a try and research them to find out their history.

They could end up with no pledges. Last year the only one that was interested was Brian, so that's all they brought in. If there was no membership intake for this year, that would relieve a lot of his time.

"I can attend some recruitment trips a couple of weekends."

"I'll take what I can get. I know you're young, busy being a college kid...and hopefully dating."

He ignored Jossie's attempt to get him to open up about his past relationship with her sorority sister. Jossie was the one that got him to open his eyes. It was a messed up situation to be in considering she had loyalty to Sherry

"Sorry, I'm late!" In walked a tall, gorgeous woman with a big curly fro. Her face was perfectly made, the sleek summer dress fit every curve, and he could not take his eyes away from the two mounds sitting high and spilling from her low-cut top.

"Faye, right on time. I'm finishing up with Taj and you and I can get started."

Faye never looked his way, just pulled up a chair to sit beside Jossie.

"Taj, I know you have a class soon, I'll see you next week. Oh yeah, you haven't met before. This is Faye Masterson the new graduate assistant in the Admissions office. Faye, this is Taj, he's a senior but he's worked with me since freshman year. One of my special little buddies."

"Nice to meet you," he said to her, but she barely looked up at him.

She was going to be his immediate supervisor? How would he get any work done? It was one thing Jossie looked young, but he never was distracted by her beauty. She was older, and happily married, he never thought about her in that way other than being attractive. He glanced over at Faye, not noticing a ring on any finger, not that it meant anything.

She was a graduate student, which meant she may be older, but he did not care how old she was. He wanted to sit and talk with her more.

"Taj?" Jossie snapped him out of his daze. "Get to class."

"Okay, sure." He picked up his bag that held his laptop and a notebook.

Faye finally looked up at him, gave him a small smile, and then went back to looking at her laptop. Did she smile at him? What was that for? "Have a good weekend Taj, but not too much fun," Jossie said as he walked out of the conference room

He had no plans for anything this weekend. Sure, there was the big Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity party that most of the school would attend, but he had no plans on attending. He wanted to stay as low-key as possible. If Faye would be there, maybe he would attend. He figured someone like her was over attending silly college parties.

"Maybe the party will get you out of your funk." Brian tried arguing his point to get him to go to the party. "I know you're still tripping over Sherry, but that was months ago. Get back in the saddle. Find a new honey. Plenty here."

"Maybe I already met one." He knew he was jumping the gun with Faye, but he could not help himself.

"Boy you ain't meet a girl, you would be talking all dreamy about her ass now."

"I just met her...but I don't know her yet."

His frat grunted at that.

"Come kick it with yo boy tonight. We're the only Eps here, we have to represent, at least at the first party. If we're trying to look good for the young bloods to be interested in us, we have to show we can hang with the rest of them."

"We can't hang with the rest of them. We're two guys in a big ass pond. What makes us interesting to the fellas wanting to get in has nothing to do with how we party."

"Well, you're wrong about one thing. It's not just the two of us...I called some bruhs from SIU-E, SIU-C, Bradley and U of I. You know our parties be the livest, so they swinging through."

Now that changed things. He loved when his frat brothers from out of town came in. Mostly they would hang with them all night, before the party, at the party, and then the after-party at their house. It would be a long night.,

"No shit? All right, that might be lit."

"So you coming out?"

"Only for my bruhs."

His frat brothers from out of town kicked it at their place before the party. They smoked a little and drank a little and got the party all the way turned out before they left to head to the Alphas' party. There was no bad blood between them and the Alphas, he was cool with them all. They paid their discounted Greek fee to enter, and the place was packed.

Most of them dressed in the fraternity colors, black and brown, and some with their letters on. He wore all black, with brown letters "EU" on his shirt.

"Why y'all always have bad chicks here for the parties?" Mac asked him.

He questioned why Mac asked him that. Far as he could recall, the brother was out and proud with the fellas. Not his business, but if he liked dudes, why was he scoping the ladies as well.

"Hit me up when SIUE having something, me and Brian will head y'all way."

"No doubt."

They were always helping out traveling to the surrounding schools to help the brothers out. None of their chapters were huge. Well, U of I had eight guys currently, they were the biggest chapter because that's where they were first founded. ISU was the second chapter, and they still never pulled those kinds of numbers.

"Hey, let me go say what's up with our sisters," he said with a head nod toward the MAX ladies, Jill and Lark.

"Wait." Mac stopped him. "That's kinda my ex over there, Jill. I wanna say what's up too."

He knew about what happened with Mac and Jill, thanks to Sherry telling him all about it.

"You sure you want to do that? Didn't things end bad-"

"She caught me in bed with my roommate."

He tried not to laugh. "She has a new boyfriend now."

He made his way through the party-goers and stepped to Jill and Lark.

"Ladies!"

"Hey bro. Where is my solo sand?" Lark gave him a light hug. Lark and

Brian both crossed at the same time, and they both were solo.

"I can't keep track of him. You know my boy Mac, right?"

"Sure." Lark gave him a light hug as well. "Hey, frat." "What's up, Taj," Jill gave him a big smile, then looked toward Mac and that smile went away. "Hey, Mac."

"Hey Jill, I wanted to come over and say hey. We're still cool, right?" Mac asked.

"Whatever boy. I'm over all that."

"Cool, wanna dance?"

She looked him up and down but did not change the blank expression on her face. "I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate that." She looked around as a tall white boy came over and put his around her.

"Hey boo, this is some of the Epsilon Upsilon guys. Taj, Mac...you remember from..."

"Oh hey, what's up man."

His boy Mac was getting served, so he had to help him save face.

"Come on Mac, let's enjoy the party."

He pulled Mac away, who seemed like he had more to say, but the situation was awkward enough.

"Dude!" He lightly shook him. "I know I don't understand this gay/bi thing, but you gotta move on from my girl Jill. She has."

"Bi means I'm attracted to women and men. And I am very attracted to Jill. I still want to be with her."

"But dude, frat, you just told me she caught you with another dude. Girls ain't down with that."

"I was just sorting through my feelings, it was confusing...but I think I want to be with her."

He was not here for the drama. All the gorgeous girls at the party and Mac was sweating one that wanted nothing to do with him. He knew he could catch two or three tonight, it was not that hard. Not that he was smooth with the ladies, but he was not afraid to be upfront with them and tell them what he wanted.

"This party is live frat, thanks for dragging me out," Brian said when he came over to him.

"Glad I came. We get some more bruhs this year, we can throw a party like this."

"I'm with that."

"First, let's show them what the Eps can do."

One of his favorite things to do since becoming an Epsilon Upsilon was strolling around parties with his fraternity brothers. Last year there were three other brothers, but they all graduated. But with the out-of- towners, they still looked legit around the dance floor.

The key to strolling the yard was to get the crowd amped. To stop doing their own dancing and to put their eyes on them. It didn't matter if you were a GDI (god damn individual), an interest, or in another Greek organization, watching the Black Greek organizations stroll around the party was mesmerizing.

The Eps were smooth with their moves. in between the suave Kappas and the low-key Phi Beta Sigmas. They did not hop and stomp like either Alpha Phi Alpha or Omega Psi Phi, but best believe they were all the way live.

The ladies loved them, and that's all he cared about. They even used their adoring fan girls to dance with as they made their way around the floor. They interacted with the people, that's what made them different. Although he enjoyed strolling with his brothers, he was over the party. No girl was worthy of a link-up because that's not all he wanted. He wanted a relationship.