Ambitions

Don't stop.

I love your hands on me.

Um... hello?

Titus, what?

"I love your hands on me."

Where have I heard that before?

You know, I thought...

that when we moved here things would be different.

I thought that this would be

a fresh start for our marriage.

- I'm gonna be late. - Titus!

- What do you want from me, Amara?

- I want you to stop punishing me.

Baby... I want you to touch me.

I love you, babe...

more than life itself.

Now, I know I made one mistake.

I've told you a thousand times he meant nothing...

- Who meant nothing? Huh? - Get off me.

- You can't even say his name, can you?

It's Damian Collins...

in case you forgot, because I never will.

Tracy! Tracy!

Tracy, wake up! Mother's waiting.

Tracy, would you stop playing?

Tracy!

Tracy?

Tracy, honey, wake up!

Tracy, wake up!

Honey, wake up, please, wake up!

Wake... Evan, call 911!

Honey, wake up. Tracy, please, wake up, wake up, honey.

Please, you were doing so well.

- It's no use, Stephanie. She's dead.

Tracy, wake up! Wake up!

And you're next.

Evan. Evan, no, please!

No!

Good morning.

You sleep okay last night?

- Perfectly fine. Why do you ask?

You were a bit restless.

I was worried Constance might have secretly replaced

our sheets with lower thread counts.

- I appreciate your concern, darling,

but I can assure you I'm perfectly refreshed.

Good morning, princess.

Good morning, Dad.

- She's out of bed before the evening news.

Will wonders never cease?

- Oh, cut her some slack, Stephanie.

Spelman's on break.

The child can afford to sleep in a few more days.

- I couldn't wait to get out on breaks when I was your age.

I would rush right home to work for your grandfather

at his firm.

I had something that was known back then as self-determination.

You should Google it some time.

What's Google?

- Not that you asked, Mom, but I was up late learning my lines.

- You're in another play, sweetheart?

- You guys never listen when I tell you about my life.

I told you, I got the role of Lady in Blue

in "For Colored Girls."

- Oh, that's right! I'm gonna call your brother tonight.

Maybe Trey can come to your opening.

Perfect.

- Carly, you know that your father and I support you

in everything that you do,

but at some point you might want to consider

a more practical major than theatre studies.

- You mean like pre-law, so I can follow in your footsteps?

- And your father's, and your grandfather's.

- And my great-grandfather Samuel Perkins.

I know, Mom.

I've heard the pitch a thousand times.

- Sweetheart, how are things going with you and Khalil?

- Khalil is... - I think it's wonderful

that you're seeing Marvin and Marilyn Barnes's son.

- Looked like you two were getting close.

- It's really not that serious, Dad.

- He just seems like a good match for you.

I've been trying to convince Marvin to move

his manufacturing plants from China to Atlanta.

It would be a huge boost for the city's economy.

I'll call Marilyn.

I'm gonna leave you two at it.

Things are crazy at city hall.

- Abandoning me to the task of charting our daughter's course,

per usual, I see?

- Well, you run everyone's lives so well, babe.

Bye.

Hey, whoo-whee!

Keisha, girl, turn that up!

This used to be my jam. Whoo!

Y'all know he was singing about me, right?

- If I'd known there was a party,

I'd worn my dancing shoes.

- What the hell do you want, Peters?

- Ya know, you're one hostile lady, Rondell.

Ms. Lancaster.

You don't know me like that.

- Fine, Ms. Lancaster, you know why I'm here.

- I already told you I'm not selling.

- You're not gonna have a choice much longer.

The English Rose development's going to happen

whether you like it or not, Rondell.

You could sell to me now, and get a good deal,

or I can wait until the city snatches up the entire block

by enforcing the eminent domain order.

I can read, Peters.

That court order said I got two months to get enough signatures

for injunctive relief.

- You don't even know what that means.

- It means more time to stop your smug ass

from gutting this neighborhood.

- For the life of me, I'll never understand

why you're fighting this hard. Is this dive even up to code?

I'd hate... for it to catch on fire.

I bet your poor old man would have a hard time

making it out alive.

- I suggest you turn your pasty self around

and leave my restaurant while you still can.

Oh, and Peters.

Hmm?

- If you ever decide to threaten me or my family again,

I'll stick this blade so far up yo' ass,

you'll need a colonoscopy to find it.

Do you hear me?

- One thing about making threats, Rondell,

you have to be prepared to follow through.

Now you be careful out there.

Atlanta can be a rough city after dark.

- - Cheap-ass suit.

Hey!

Hey.

Is that a new case?

- FBI's convinced several higher ups

in the mayor's cabinet are on the take.

We're talking allegations of patronage, money laundering,

embezzlement, you name it.

- You think Mayor Lancaster's in on it?

- That's what I need you find out.

I don't know, Karen.

I... I went to college with the guy's wife.

Even better.

We can use your history with Stephanie Lancaster

to our advantage.

I wanna cast a wide net on this one.

Take down as many crooked bureaucrats as possible.

And I don't need to tell you what a case like this

would do for your career.

No.

And mine.

Look, Amara, I pulled a lot of strings to get you

transferred in from Birmingham.

- I know, Karen, and I appreciate that, but...

But nothing.

Show me how much you appreciate it by taking the damn case.

I'm sorry, Karen, I'm just...

I'm not the right woman for the job.

Signature's all we need. Got it.

Hi, Mother.

I didn't know you were stopping by the office today.

- Well, your father was gracious enough to let me use

one of the conference rooms for some last-minute gala planning.

This year promises to be our grandest evening yet.

Mwah.