Beauty and the Tribal Chief

Different Views

Different Views

"Hi, Ashanti," Jonathan said as he ran into her backstage.

Ashanti looked up from her notebook and smiled at Jonathan. She could tell he was in a silly mood and she was his target.

"Hi, Jon," Ashanti said.

"So, you and Joe? About damn time. I was worried for Joe. You know uce ain't got game. He depends on his looks," Jonathan said, taking a seat next to Ashanti.

"He got game," Ashanti said.

Jonathan smirked. "Look at you defending your man, okay, sis, he got game," Jonathan said, laughing.

Jonathan's playful teasing about Ashanti and Joe's new relationship quickly taking a turn towards marriage sparked a serious conversation between the two friends.

Though he meant it lightheartedly, suggesting they would soon be hearing wedding bells, his comments caused Ashanti to panic at the thought that Joe might be expecting such a major commitment so soon.

Flustered, Ashanti tried to make it clear neither she nor Joe had even broached the subjects of marriage or kids yet, as they were just starting to date.

Jonathan attempted to calm her down by explaining he was only joking, but the interaction revealed fundamentally different perspectives between the two on relationships and life goals.

Ashanti firmly stated that marriage simply wasn't in the cards for her currently and wasn't a priority in her life overall.

Somewhat shocked, Jonathan prodded further, asking if she would refuse Joe's proposal and questioning her beliefs about marriage in general.

Ashanti sighed, admitting that while she respected the institution of marriage, it had never been and likely never would be a personal ambition for her.

More surprisingly, she confided that she didn't even see kids in her future, despite Jonathan pointing out she was usually great with them. Her no-nonsense explanation was that she enjoyed spending time with kids but had no interest in full-time parenting.

The lighthearted teasing quickly escalated, exposing Ashanti's staunch views on relationships and family being very different than Jonathan had assumed.

Her revelation left him surprised but gained clarity on where his friend stood. The conversation made it evident Ashanti valued her independence and had a clear vision for her future that didn't necessarily include traditional milestones like marriage and children.

"I think you should tell him," Jonathan said, not wanting his cousin to get hurt because he knows how much Joe likes Ashanti.

Ashanti thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, we probably should have talked about that before we agreed to be a couple," Ashanti said.

"Yeah, you should have," Jonathan said.

"Watch the tone, I didn't think he would want to get married again or have more children, I wouldn't have agreed to be his girlfriend if I knew that," Ashanti said, making sure Jonathan understood that she was not deceiving Joe.

"Look just talk to uce, maybe y'all can figure something out. And who knows maybe you'll change your mind in the future, you'll still have time," Jonathan said.

Ashanti nodded slowly, Jonathan's advice weighed on Ashanti's mind as she contemplated the difficult conversation ahead with her boyfriend Joe.

At some point, she and Joe would need to have an open and honest discussion about their differing views on their future together.

If they could find some compromise or middle ground, wonderful. But Ashanti now accepted that this might not be possible if their desires for the future remained fundamentally incompatible.

As much as it pained her to consider, she and Joe may need to acknowledge that their paths were diverging and the only option would be to break up. Ashanti felt her heart sink at this prospect. Joe meant so much to her. But she also could not ignore her dreams of staying childfree and unmarried, even for Joe's sake.

"You're right, I need to talk to him," Ashanti finally said. She steeled herself for the challenging conversation ahead.

"Good because we don't need another John and Nicole situation," Jonathan said referring to John Cena and Nicole's troubled relationship.

Ashanti rolled her eyes. "I would never do that to Joe," Ashanti said.

"I would hope so, but still you never know what could happen," Jonathan said.

Trinity sauntered over, her high heels clicking on the tile floor. Jonathan immediately tensed up, flashing Ashanti a knowing look to not continue their conversation before plastering a smile across his face.

He had no desire to hear Trinity's remarks. She would claim that he was trying to sabotage things between the new couple.

Jonathan swiftly changed the subject to the weather, warning Ashanti with a subtle nod. Ashanti played along, lamenting the recent heatwave.

But Trinity barreled right over their small talk, gushing to Ashanti about how they simply must go shopping soon for some new outfits.

"You have to look hot for your new man!" she exclaimed with a wink, elbowing Ashanti in the ribs.

Ashanti managed a thin smile in return.

As Trinity prattled on about Joe and the state of Ashanti's new relationship, Ashanti smiled along.

"Yeah, we have to go shopping," Ashanti said, glancing at her phone. "Oh my God," Ashanti said breathlessly as she read the text message notification that had just popped up on her phone.

She could hardly believe the words glowing back at her - she had just been booked to model at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week! Ashanti had dreamed of walking the runway at one of the major fashion weeks ever since she was a little girl playing dress-up.

Now here it was, her big break into the exclusive world of high fashion modeling. She could already picture herself strutting down the catwalk in a glamorous couture gown, the flashbulbs of the paparazzi going off all around her.

"What's up?" Jonathan asked, noticing the shocked expression on her face.

Ashanti turned to him and Trinity, her eyes shining with excitement. "It's my manager. I'm working at Paris Fashion Week!" she exclaimed.

Squeals of congratulations erupted from her friends, who knew how hard she had worked to make it as a model. She had spent years going to castings and auditions, taking any job she could get to build up her portfolio and make industry connections. Now her dedication was finally paying off in a big way.

But as Ashanti took a closer look at the booking details, her smile faded. She realized with dismay that the dates conflicted with her schedule assisting Joe.

"Oh no, it interferes with Joe's schedule," she said worriedly.

She knew she couldn't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Paris Fashion Week, the pinnacle of the modeling world. But she also didn't want to leave Joe in the lurch.

"You're gonna have to quit working for Joe as his assistant," Trinity advised pragmatically. Ashanti nodded reluctantly, knowing Trinity was right.

As incredible as it felt to book Paris Fashion Week, she now faced a difficult decision between her current job, her new relationship with Joe, and the next big step in her modeling career.