She's Gotta Have It

¿Qué, qué?

Ha!

You crazy?

Ase, Yemeya.

- And this fight does not end. - Ase, Yemeya.

Right now, Yemeya, we need you to be with us.

Very often, beautiful art is created in very ugly times,

and we're entering a very ugly period.

You gonna try to deport lo musulmano, lo mexicano.

What, you gonna deport the homeless too?

If you gonna try to deport me, you'd better have room for my cart

on that boat back to the Dominican Republic.

I ain't goin' that easy!

Oh, him?

Oh, I would love to have several huge sessions with the president.

They're gonna be amazing. And I'll even do it for free.

Here's my salute to you!

Liberty and justice for all!

I ain't goin' out like no punk. Uh-uh.

He ain't my president.

The bomb, baby! Yeah!

- Bonjour, Greer. - Bonjour, Mademoiselle Nola.

Comment allez-ho?

- What does that mean? - Means I need to work on my French.

- What's up, Greer? - Why did you leave the other night?

I mean, you had all your "Becky with the good hairs" there. I decided to dip.

I know. You're right. Don't be mad at me.

- I'm not mad at you, Greer. - Prove it.

Let me come over.

Bonjour, Monsieur Greer.

You... You look like Boo-Boo the Fool right now.

What do you have on?

Baby, Boo-Boo will be your fool all day, every day,

'cause of that smile right there.

Oh, Nola Darling stays smiling.

Oh, Nola Darling speaks in third person now?

Yep. It's called the Raqueletta Effect.

The Rackalaka what?

Like my grandma Damita Jo used to say, "You sound like you on that stuff."

Oh, I'm high, but it's not kush-related.

I'm high off the fact that I just sold one of my paintings

for a very nice piece of change.

Stop.

Sweet, baby! Let's do lunch.

Um, naw, I appreciate it, but I'm in work mode.

What up with those jimmy huggers, though?

Yo, I like that.

Uh, mm... message to moi, put "jimmy huggers" on the list.

Copy that.

Wait, wait, wait.

When we were at dinner, did you not say you wanted me to take a risk?

Baby, this is what a risk looks like.

Okay.

These were all the rage in Europe in the '70s.

My dad designed these when he was an expat in Paris.

They are a political and a fashion statement,

declaring that black men cannot be restricted in any way, shape, or form.

Hence...

the free johnson slacks.

"Free johnson slacks," that's actually cool too.

Uh, message to moi, put "free johnsons" on top that list. Copy that.

You laugh now.

When these bad boys hit the runway at Fashion Week,

I'mma be the one laughin' all the way to the bank, baby.

Free johnson slacks, huh? Actually, that's kinda catchy.

- I'm not mad at that one. - Mm.

So, for real, why'd you leave last week?

I was, uh, visiting a sick friend at the hospital.

Oh, wow. Is he okay?

She is. She's getting better every day.

See, that's what I love about you.

That right there. How you care about people.

So, anyway, what's up with lunch?

I told you I'm in grind mode.

Besides, I'm not going anywhere with you dressed like that.

Who says we had to eat out? Who says we have to be dressed?

Mm? Mm?

Overstreet!

"Overstreet."

What's that?

What?

You said "overstreet." What does that mean?

Um, it means you're going 120 in a 55 mile per hour zone.

Yeah, you're... you're speeding, Greer. It's overstreet. Slow down.

Hm. I'm just so glad you're in such a good mood.

If selling a painting makes you like this, I hope you sell the fuck out.

Thank you. It just feels good to finally have some paper, you know?

I can pay my bills, buy some new art supplies,

some canvases, paint brushes,

- maybe even a sexy new dress. - Mm.

Yes to the dress.

This has been great, but you really do need to bounce.

Oh.

Oh, I guess you got plans with one of them other motherfuckers.

Do you want me to be mad at you?

- I'll catch you later. - Okay.

I need that report on my desk by morning, early.

Messages?

Thanks.

- You know you fucked up, right? - Hey.

Hi.

What's up?

And what do I owe this visit?

Shall we have another shower for two, Mr. Jamie Overstreet?

Really had fun, baby. I missed you.

Really? You had fun?

Yeah, I love it when you're spontaneous.

There he is, Mr. Escape Artist.

Always lookin' for the trapdoor

- when the stage is on fire. - What the hell's that supposed to mean?

What the hell you doin' in my bedroom?

Who's this woman in the portrait, Jamie?

Seriously, that's my bedroom.

And that's our brownstone, with our

money. And some of it, my parents' money.

I paid your father back for that loan, with interest.

- What the hell you doin' in my bedroom? - So, our son, Virgil,

goes into your room looking for a tie.

- A tie? For what? - A tie for a special assembly.

He picked one your blue Louis Vuittons,

and then he tells me to come down to your bedroom...

shows me the painting.

"Ma, she's gorgeous. Who is she?" That's what I want to know too, Jamie.

- Who is she? - She's just a woman in a painting.

A $10,000 check made out to Nola Darling...

for one of her paintings?

- Who is she, Jamie? - Cheryl, why do you get so worked up?

Are you fucking this woman?

This Darling? I'm assuming that's her name.

- She looks kinda young. - She's 27.

Are you fucking 27-year-old Miss Nola Darling?

- You never asked me that before. - Assuming that's a "yes."

Don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and me. I don't like trick questions.

Are you fucking this young, bum bitch?

What's so fucking funny?

You're what's funny, Cheryl.

You're so bougie, you even speak proper when you curse.

Did you just call Nola "a bum bitch"?

Wow. Wow. That's how AKAs talk now?

Call it my hoody-hood lingua franca. A language you can understand.

Whatever, Cheryl.

Nola Darling. What kinda name is that?

What is she doing with a 40-year-old man?

I hope you know you're not the only one fucking this child.

I know, a man is going to be a man,

especially a man who grew up in Brownsville.

- What the fuck does that mean? - It means I fell for a climber.

Yeah, but you put the ladder out there.

I did.

You climbed up my back to the penthouse.

I made you who you are.

I gave you cachet. I gave you a son.

No. No, I gave you a son.

I gave you excitement.

Yeah, this new Jack from Brownsville gave upscale Jill a brand-new thrill.

Why are we even still married?

Do you really gotta ask that question?

Did you tell Nola she's your "soul mate"?

Like your other soul mate from two years ago?

Or the one before that?

How many soul mates do we get in this one life we have? Why can't I have one?

- Spontaneity is everything. - What did you just say?

I'm sorry.

I have meetings tonight.

I'll be home late. And please, make sure our son, Virgil, gets his dinner.

Yeah.

- Goodbye, Ms. Overstreet. - Whatever.

Shit!

All right.

- Okay. You find everything? - I did.

Great.

- We just got those in. - I know.

So good.

Okay.

- And is it gonna be cash or charge? - Charge, please.

Sure.

It's not going through.

- Really? - Yeah.

- Could you try it again, please? - Sure.

Still declined.

That's so weird.

I just made a large deposit to this debit account yesterday.

- Do you have another card? - Not one with any money on it.

We have an ATM.

An ATM's not gonna help me today.

- Nola, how 'bout you call your bank? - Word.

Hey, Miss Ella!

No "Hey, Miss Ella" nothin'!

Sit over there on my stoop.

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know.

The check.

- I can explain this time... - Nola, I don't like checks that bounce.

Ah!

Being a landlord is a business, and you messin' with my business.

Please understand.

The minute you leave here...

I could get four times as much rent

from these white folks as what I'm chargin' you now.

Excuse my language, but, Nola, you got to get your shit together!

You a grown-ass woman! Now, you got two days.