Waiting to Exhale

Phillip refuses to allow Gloria to come see him and tells her that he does not have health insurance because he is HIV-positive, which is considered a pre-existing condition. Phillip is struggling financially, so Gloria sends him some money and encourages her friends to do the same. Gloria is struggling to find help at the shop, which leads to long hours. She dreams of selling the shop and moving back to California, but she doesn’t want to leave before Tarik goes into Up with People.

Savannah comes into the shop one evening after Gloria has put in a long day. Instead of getting her hair cut, Savannah invites Gloria out to dinner. They go a local Asian restaurant, and they talk about the shop, about the AIDS epidemic, and about Gloria’s relief that a third person who was going to quit has decided to stay. Savannah tells Gloria that she got the job as a producer, and it comes with a large pay raise. Savannah also says that she’s going to fly her mother out for Christmas. They talk about men, and Gloria admits that her neighbor, Marvin, has been spending a lot of time at her house lately. Savannah takes responsibility in her failed affair with Charles and says she hasn’t given up on men, but she will think twice about being that open with a man again.