Discussing 'April 22nd Marks The Release Of "You, Me and He"...Read The first Chapter Here!' in the Eyes Wide Open group

Discussions: April 22nd Marks The Release Of "You, Me and He"...Read The first Chapter Here!

April 22nd Marks The Release Of "You, Me and He"...Read The first Chapter Here!

Started by Brooke , Sunday, April 6 2008. Last post Sunday, May 4 2008.

DONNA

Ring!

Damn, not again.

Ring!

I rolled over and looked at the clock: 6:59AM. The phone had been ringing for the last half-hour.

Ring!

Keith must have forgotten to turn the ringer off before he left.

Ring!

I wanted to scream! Normally, staying over Keith's house is peaceful, kind of like having a vacation from my own noisy neighborhood.

Ring! Then nothing. The answering machine must have picked up. Finally.

I sat up in bed and looked around. The bedroom was beautifully decorated, thanks to my flair for color and Keith's wallet. I could not wait for the day when this house would be mine, and I could really make some changes. Compared to my cramped apartment in South Philly, Keith's house in the Wynnfield section of ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /]Philadelphia was paradise. Although Keith suggested on several occasions that I move in with him, I had refused. I couldn't have him placing demands on me and taking me for granted before the wedding. I knew if I moved in with him, it wouldn't be long before he stopped taking me out to dinner and started expecting me to be Susie Homemaker and cook three meals a day everyday. So instead, I decided to keep my small, stuffy apartment in South Philly and keep Keith wanting more.

"Oh well," I said aloud. "Since my sleep was so rudely interrupted, I guess I'll get my day started."

Ring!

Whoever it is better be dying or damn close, the way they are blowing this phone up.

I snatched the phone off its base before it could ring again. "Hello?"

Nothing.

"Hello!" The caller was breathing lightly into the phone, and I heard voices from what I presumed was a television in the background.

"Um yeah, who is this?" a woman asked with an attitude.

Do I really need this shit at seven o'clock in the morning?

"Excuse me? You called here. Now, who is this?"

"I got your phone number out of my husband's phone, and I want to know why it's in there!"

Husband?

She cut me off before I could respond, "Your phone number has been on my husband's cell phone bill for the last three months, and I want to know why. Don't try that friends shit either," she yelled in my ear, "because friends don't need to talk after midnight!"

"Miss, I think you may have the wrong number," I said, trying not to laugh.

From the sound of things, her man was messing around on her, and now she was on a warpath. I hated to burst her bubble, but she was barking up the wrong tree. I took a deep breath and said a silent prayer of thanks that I wasn't in her shoes. Keith had shit with him, just like any other man, but for the most part he was a good man.

She paused for a moment, and I heard papers shuffling. "I don't have the wrong number," she said before rattling off Keith's phone number. "This is the same number I found on his phone bill and in his phone!" I knew there must have been an explanation, but in that moment I couldn't come up with one.

"Miss, I think you are mistaken. Trust me, I haven't been talking to anyone's husband," I said.

"Look, don't lie…"

"What is his name?" I interrupted her before she could embarrass herself any further, and since she was so sure I was guilty, I decided to humor her and get to the bottom of her accusations.

"Don't act like you don't know, bitch! It's Jarrod!"

Count to ten. This is why I can barely stand women now.

"Understand this, I'm not going to be too many more of your names. Now, I hate to tell you, but I don't know any Jarrod. So…"

Oh, shit!

"What's his phone number?" Just hearing that name made my heart race with fear. My breathing became short, and I felt the beginnings of an anxiety attack.

"What, are you kidding me?"

"What's the damn phone number?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"2674445982, the same phone number you been calling, bitch! I am so sick and tired of you trifling women who can't find their own man…"

I felt sick. My hands trembled, and my silent prayer of thanks was definitely short-lived.

Forget her! Let her argue with herself, I thought, as I put the phone down and reached over to check the caller ID box.

I scrolled through the last few days worth of calls. Then I saw it: J. James. The most recent one was two nights ago, Thursday at 1:30AM.

I felt sick. I hung the phone up on the still-screaming woman.

Forget her. Now we both have a problem.

I continued to press the "down" arrow on the Caller ID box, which was now becoming my worst enemy. There it was again, Thursday morning at 6:30AM.

Wednesday at 5:46AM.

Wednesday at 12:04AM.

Tuesday at 11:00PM.

Ring!

I began to feel the all-too-familiar knot in my stomach.

"That bastard!" I cursed Keith as the idea of killing him slowly and painfully crossed my mind. I quickly nixed the idea, because I didn't think I could get away with it, and I was too cute to go to jail.

Ring!

"What?!" I screamed into the phone.

"Don't get tough, now, ho! Now, I want to know how long you've been messing with my husband!"

"I am not messing with your husband," I said numbly.

"Don't lie. Come to think of it, do you even know which one he is? I mean, how many men are you screwing with your trifling ass?"

"Probably not as many as your husband," I said through the lump in my throat.

"Excuse me?"

I cleared my throat, time to get real. "Miss, I hate to tell you, but it's not me Jarrod is fucking," I choked.

"Don't lie to me…"

"Listen!" I cried. "It's not me, your husband has been fucking my fiancé." Again.

I sat on the phone listening to Jarrod's wife scream obscenities at me. I knew the feeling, because I was once in her shoes. I knew she didn't believe me, because who would want to believe the man they are supposed to spend the rest of their life with has a thing for other men?

"Miss, can you please calm down and listen?"

"Calm down?" she yelled. "Are you serious? You just told me that my husband is fucking a man, and you want me to calm down?"

"Yes. Look, this is not even my house. The number you called is my fiancé's, Keith. I don't live here."

She inhaled sharply. "Keith? Keith who?" I could tell the name struck a chord of recognition by the way she asked the question.

"Keith Reed. He and Jarrod were roommates in…"

"I know exactly who Keith is and how they know each other," she spat. "We went to school together. He and Jarrod were roommates, and, as a matter of fact, Keith introduced the two of us." She sighed as though all was well. Ha!

"We haven't seen each other in years," she continued. "I had no idea they had even gotten back in touch with each other…Hold up!" The idiot just remembered the bombshell I'd dropped. "Are you trying to tell me Jarrod and Keith are fuckin'? You have lost your damn mind! My husband ain't no faggot, bitch! I got a good mind to call Keith myself and tell him the shit you just said." Then, almost to herself, "I don't believe this shit."

Enough was enough. It was time to make her a believer. "Maybe he's not a faggot, but I do know for certain he likes dick, so I guess that makes him something doesn't it? So, if he ain't gay, I guess he's about to be, 'cause he's sure enough getting practice! If you don't want to believe it, then fuck it, but just know this, I saw them together! Yup, that's right. I saw your precious husband with my man's dick in his mouth. Why would I lie about some shit like that, huh? Why do you think they lost contact in the first place? It wasn't by accident, but because I made it happen! So whether or not you believe it, I don't give a fuck! Fuck what you think, and fuck your cock-sucking husband!" The tears I had been holding back now flowed freely down my face.

She stayed on the phone, breathing heavily, and then I heard a low moan that turned into a loud wail. Then she hung up. I sat with the phone to my ear until the aggravating tone used to alert you of the phone being off the hook broke the silence. My silent cries turned to sobbing, complete with choking, heaving, and gagging. I ran to the bathroom just in time to empty the remnants of last night's steak dinner into the toilet. I heaved and cried for about ten minutes, until my head pounded. I peeled of my nightgown, which was now wet with tears and God knew what else, and turned on the shower. I climbed into the warm shower and stood under the water while thinking about how I wound up in this situation. How many women know their man is bisexual and choose to stay? I don't mean, "suspect them." I mean, "know," as in, "caught in the act."

I know I'm not the only one, so where in the hell are the support groups? I thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day that I discovered Keith's double life started off perfectly. I worked as a receptionist/secretary at a small law office in Drexel Hill, and, normally, I dreaded going to work on any day, much less Mondays. But on that particular day, I was in such a good mood that I thought nothing could spoil it. My boss was in court that morning and would be out of the office for the rest of the day, so I was able to finish my work without interruption. By twelve o'clock I found myself anxious to get out of there, so I played sick and had one of the office clerks fill in for me. I left work in a hurry with one thing on my mind: my man. Since it was his first day off in a month, I figured I would treat Keith to an afternoon of good food and great sex. Keith ran a property management company with his father. Over the last few months, the business had been especially demanding, and I had convinced him to take a well-deserved day off. The night before, we lounged around and had long, lazy sex. I shivered as I remembered Keith's skillful tongue. I have yet to meet another man who could do the things he could with foreplay. On the way to Keith's house, I stopped by our favorite seafood spot and picked up two shrimp and scallop platters. I dialed his number on my cell, but hung up before he answered, opting instead to surprise him. When I arrived at his house, I parked in the driveway and unlocked the front door with the key he'd recently given me. His house was still quiet, except for the TV in what sounded like the family room. I emptied the platters on the new china we picked out together, and as an afterthought decided to strip my clothes off right where I stood. I then tiptoed down the hall to the love of my life, hoping the sounds of the television would disguise my footsteps. I laughed to myself when I heard the sounds of pleasure coming from the TV. Keith and I often enjoyed watching porn together, the kinkier the better. The thought of what was to come had me dripping wet with anticipation.

I threw the open the door and yelled, "Surprise!"

"Surprise" was the understatement of the year. The few seconds it took for my mind to absorb what I was witnessing felt like a lifetime. The only sounds to be heard were the plates falling to the floor and Jarrod getting that last swallow of Keith's seed.

"Oh hell, no!" I screamed. "Ain't this about a bitch!"

"Donna…I…" stuttered Keith. He jumped up and shoved Jarrod out of his way.

"How in the hell did she get in here?" Jarrod asked. He looked at me as though I were a child who entered their parents' bedroom without knocking first.

While Keith reached for me, Jarrod struggled to get his pants up while muttering under his breath.

"You fucking sissy!" I said as I backed away. I looked over at Jarrod, who was fumbling to pull his zipper up over his rock-hard erection. He caught me staring at his dick and winked.

"Baby, I'm sorry," Keith sighed.

"Don't touch me! You and your bitch in here homo thuggin' like it's ok, and you want me to believe you're sorry?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jarrod staring at me, and it was then I realized that I was still nude. I took Keith's shirt off the chair put it on.

"Yo, you better check your bitch, Keith," Jarrod threatened. I turned to say something to him, but Keith interjected.

"Chill, man, watch your mouth," Keith said. "Get your shit and roll."

"It's like that? It's cool…"Jarrod began.

"Get the fuck out!" Keith and I yelled at the same time.

"Are y'all two bitches seriously in here having a lover's quarrel?" I asked. I looked from one to the other and couldn't help but notice that Jarrod's pants still revealed a huge erection. I turned and ran to the kitchen, trying to find my clothes through my tears.

Keith came behind me, begging me to hear him out. He gathered my clothes that were strewn on the floor and tried to help me dress, but I smacked his hand away and screamed, "Don't touch me!"

Jarrod walked past us and snickered. His erection was still intact.

"Cocksucker!" I yelled right before spitting in his face.

He reared his arm back, and, just as his fist came in my direction, Keith landed a right hook on his jaw.

"Have you lost your fuckin' mind, man? I told you to bounce!" Keith sneered.

Jarrod looked as though he wanted to fight back, but thought better of it once he saw the look of hatred in Keith's eyes. Instead, he walked through the door and, as a final blow, winked at Keith. Before Keith could react, he slammed the door and I heard the sick bastard whistling as he walked down the driveway.

I put on the last of my clothes and headed for the door without another word. There were plenty of things I could think of to say to Keith, but I knew if I stayed a minute longer there was a strong possibility that Keith would not survive the confrontation. I reached for the doorknob, but Keith blocked my path.

"Move!" I cried as I clawed at his bare chest.

"Baby, please, hear me out. I--"

"You what? You want to talk? Call your man back here and finish talking to him, because you ain't got shit to say to me wit' your freak ass! And if you know like I know, you better get out of my fucking way before I tear this fucking house up!"

"I love you, and I never meant to hurt you..."he began.

"Go fuck yourself, or better yet, go fuck Jarrod!" I spat.

I pushed past him and flung open the door. Before I left, I turned around for one last dig, "I wonder how your father would feel if he heard his son is a flame."

Keith at that very moment could have been the very first black man to turn white.

"My father has nothing to do with this," he croaked.

I smiled at the look of fright that crossed his face. "We'll see."

I slammed the door with as much force as I could muster. I drove home and cried. I cried not only for what I had witnessed between Keith and Jarrod, but also for everything that would never be: the wedding I had been planning, the life that Keith promised me, and even the children he wanted me to carry. Thirty minutes later, I walked through my front door and collapsed on the couch. My home phone was ringing nonstop. Keith would not give up. I turned my cell off in the car after the fifteenth time he called.

I sat on the couch, not wanting to believe this was happening to me. Did I miss some signs? Keith was in no way effeminate, nor did he exhibit any signs of gay behavior. It was almost second nature to me to assume a man had homosexual tendencies, so when I met Keith, I paid close attention to his behavior. I thought he was perfect in every way. Guess I was fooled. Normally, I thought I could spot a "down low" brother a mile away, and my girlfriends would challenge me while we were out bar-hopping. We would sit at the bar facing the door and pick apart every man who walked through the door. My best friend Sabrina was once engaged to a cop named Lance, who all but had a flashing neon sign screaming "ASS LICKER" on his back. She met him one night while we were out, and he was one of the men I dubbed as being gay. He walked over to us and tried to kick some tired game to me, and when I literally laughed in his face, he turned his attention to a willing Sabrina. They had been dating for several months when Lance proposed and Sabrina happily accepted against my warnings. She was so sprung over the freaky things she would tell me they did together, she refused to see him for what he really was. Our friendship was almost destroyed when I sat her down and brought my suspicions to her attention. She refused to speak with me about Lance and my suspicions, and even went so far as to threaten me if I continued to bring it up. Sabrina finally saw the truth when, on the night of Lance's bachelor party, she thought it would be a good idea to surprise the guys at the hotel with an impromptu strip tease. Knowing this would turn Lance on tremendously, she was giddy with excitement as she told me of her plan. She dragged me and her two sisters, Leah and Tanya, to the Residence Inn at the Philadelphia Airport where the bachelor party was being held. We finally located the room by following the loud music and the parade of about five fine brothers exiting an H2 Hummer. We snuck around the pool to the patio of the ground floor studio, and with our ears to the door, we listened to the whoops and hollers coming from the group of rowdy men.

I grabbed Sabrina's arm before she could knock. "You know, this might not be a good idea. I mean, what if you walk in on something you don't want to see?"

"Girl, please. You talking about some nasty dancers? Hmph, trust me, once he gets a taste of what I can do, he won't think twice about those birds." She laughed at her own humor.

Leah, the youngest of the three sisters, laughed, "Plus, Lance has some fine-ass friends, and I ain't had none in a minute, so I'm about due."

"Yeah, but just because he might like a strip tease behind closed doors doesn't mean he wants his homies to see what you're working with. He might not take too kindly to that," I reasoned.

"Whatever. You can stay out here if you want to, but I'm going in," Sabrina said.

"Come on, girl, you know once she sets her simple-ass mind to something, you can't stop her," Tanya, the oldest and most sensible of the three, sighed.

"Okay, I'll go, but don't say I didn't warn you," I said, all the while knowing that some drama was about to pop off.

Sabrina tapped on the patio door, but because the music was so loud no one inside heard her knocking. After the second knock, she decided to peek through the curtain, which was partially open.

"What the fuck!" she screamed with a look of horror.

"Told you," I muttered under my breath.

"What is it? Let me see," Leah said as she scrambled to get a look.

Before I knew what was happening, Sabrina reached around us, grabbed a patio chair, and smashed in the entire windowpane of the door, causing the curtain to fall. What we saw before us was nothing like I had imagined. I was prepared to see some exotic dancers performing various sex acts with each other and probably even the groom-to-be himself. But lo and behold, there was Lance in a chair, stripped down to his black silk boxers with his hands on the ass of the man giving him a lap dance.

"Oh shit," Leah said with her hand over her mouth, trying to conceal her growing laughter.

When I looked around the room, I saw that the five brothers we saw on the way in were the exotic dancers hired to entertain the guys.

Sabrina reached Lance in a matter of seconds and attacked him like a rabid dog, biting, kicking, and scratching him. The man giving him the lap dance jumped out of the way just in time, but he still caught a shoe in the back of the head, courtesy of Leah. When his partners in crime tried to pull Leah off of him, Tanya whipped out her pepper spray.

Then pandemonium.

Lance pushed Sabrina to the floor. Why did he do that? Sabrina reached in her purse and pulled out the .38 revolver she carried for times such as those. Everybody in the room scrambled to get away from Sabrina's trembling trigger finger, not to mention Tanya's toxic pepper spray.

"Sabrina!" I screamed as I grabbed her arm.

BAM!

The gun went off, everyone hit the deck, and Lance slumped to the floor.

"You killed him!" Tanya cried hysterically.

Lance lay there moaning and pleading for his life.

"Sabrina, please, let's get out of here. He's not worth it," I begged. I looked around the room and suddenly felt like a victim. We were in a hotel room, surrounded by a bunch of cops who had basically been pulled out of the closet. Not only did we know their dirty little secret, Sabrina had just shot one of their fellow officers. I was frightened for my life. Shit, she only had five more rounds, and there were at least twenty guys in the room. If they got that gun away from her, we were as good as dead.

"No, that pussy is still breathing, and I can't have that. It's not fair!" she cried, "How could you?"

Tanya and I wrestled the gun from her hand and shuffled her out of there.

As we were leaving, I turned and saw Lance struggling to get up. "What a waste," I said to them all.

After it was all said and done, Sabrina's freedom was spared. Lance, who was only grazed by the bullet, decided to play dumb when questioned about the shooing and gave a bogus story about a robbery. Since he was a cop, he figured it would be in his best interest to keep the real story quiet. He knew that if he pressed charges, Sabrina would squeal like a pig and his reputation, as well as those of his co-workers, would be destroyed.

Years later, we laughed when Sabrina told us that when she would ride him she would play with his balls, and he would always seem to raise his ass just enough for her fingers to rub his asshole. She thought nothing of it until after the incident at the hotel.

"I thought he was just trying to give me the long stroke," she would laugh.

As I remembered Sabrina's disastrous relationship, I sat there wondering how I wound up in damn near the same situation. How could I have known something was up with Lance, but not with Keith? I thought about Keith. He was indeed a very handsome man, and at 6'2" 225lbs, dark brown with baby-soft skin, he was just my type. And the fact that he had money to burn certainly raised his attractiveness quotient. I began packing the few things Keith kept at my place. I looked at his boxers to see if there were any stains that shouldn't be there.

"What in the hell am I doing," I said to myself, "sitting here looking at some underwear?"

I sat down and cried once again, and the longer I cried the angrier I became.

"I should get my little cousin, Snoop, to fuck him up," I said aloud. "Yeah, that'll work. That shit would be right up his alley, or, better yet, I could just ask Sabrina to shoot him. I bet she'd get a kick out of that!" I shook the thought out of my head. "Damn, I really don't want him hurt. Besides, I don't want to have to explain to anyone why. Knowing my nosy-ass family, they would love to hear that my knight in shining armor has been knocked off his high horse."

I got up and walked the short walk from my small living room/dining room/kitchenette to my bathroom. I stripped down and stepped in the shower, hoping to scrub away the memory of what I'd just witnessed. The warm shower water lasted about seven minutes, then turned ice-cold. "Why'd he have to go and fuck it up? I shouldn't have to live like this!" I shrieked while trying to escape the frigid water.

After drying off, I studied myself in the full-length mirror. I had always felt confident up against other women. Shit, look at me: 5'5,"and a tight body that could rival Halle Berry in her best red carpet moment. Shoulder-length hair, all mine, and a face that was a nice cross between Gabrielle Union and Nia Long. I have never had a reason to feel insecure standing next to another woman; it's all eyes on me. Thoughts of Keith and Jarrod invaded my thoughts, and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the memory. Eventually my mind wandered to Jarrod's perfect body and even better erection. The sad part was if I had met Jarrod first, I would have gone after him. He was about 6'4," and had a milk chocolate complexion with hazel eyes. And, to top it off, he had a bald head. When Keith introduced the two of us, I instinctively knew he was a dog. On occasion, Keith and Jarrod would hang out and I would nearly drive myself insane thinking of the two of them on the prowl for other women. But who knew there was no need to worry about Keith falling for another woman? Ha! I should have been worried about his homies…My God! His homies! "Homos" is more like it. All of those late night fight parties. Yeah, fight parties my ass -- sword fighting, maybe. So much for happily ever after.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring!

I sat up with a jolt. "Shit," I said. "I must have fallen asleep after I got out of the shower. I was supposed to be packing my shit so I can escape this twisted situation as quickly as possible."

Ring!

"Yes!" I snatched the phone off the receiver without looking at the caller ID.

"Damn, baby," Keith laughed. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I tried your cell, but I didn't get you. Everything okay? You sound upset."

"You tell me. You forgot to turn the ringer off and…"

"Oh man! I'm sorry, Donna. But I figured I would leave it on so I could wake you. Remember, you said you didn't want to sleep late, because you have to go to Sabrina to get your hair done?"

Everything happens for a reason.

"Oh yeah, I remember. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something. Have you heard from Jarrod lately?"

He paused and then asked, "What made you ask me that?"

"Just answer the damn question!"

"Yeah, I ran into him a couple of months ago at the Black Men's Empowerment League's Networking Symposium. Why do you ask?"

"I ask because I just got off the phone after having to explain to his wife that it wasn't me having pillow talk in the wee hours of the morning with Jarrod for the last three months."

"His wife? Jackie?"

"Yeah, you son-of-a-bitch, his angry-ass wife! Now, can you explain why I had to do that?"

"It's not how it seems. Jarrod…"

"Pardon me? I don't think I heard you correctly. What's not how it seems? The fact that I literally caught you with your pants down, with a man no less, and he has suddenly reappeared? Oh, I see. Maybe it's the fact that you have been creeping behind my back with Jarrod again. Or is it that you conveniently forgot the promise you made to me?"

"Donna, please. I have not forgotten anything. I promised you then and I promise you now, I am not contacting Jarrod. After the symposium, he began calling me at the office. Soon after that he must have gotten my number from one of the committee members, because he started calling the house. In the beginning, he was only inquiring about buying some commercial buildings. I referred him to a few of my other contacts, but he started getting persistent. Baby, yes, he has been calling me, but I swear to you on everything I love that I have stopped taking his calls. I didn't mention it to you because I thought he would go away."

"Well, he hasn't, and I made sure his wife knows the truth. Your story sounds good, but to tell you the truth, I really don't know what to believe at this point, Keith."

Keith sighed deeply.

"Hold on," I said. The tears had returned full force. I put the phone down until I was able to regain some of my composure. I refused to show Keith any kind of emotional vulnerability.

"I'm back," I said after picking the phone back up.

"Are you okay?"

"Why do you care? You weren't thinking about my feelings when you were creeping."

"How could you say that?"

"Easy. Just as easy as you could sneak around and be deceitful." My head was pounding, and I was tired of the conversation. "Look, I have to go, and I'm tired of being lied to. We have nothing to talk about anymore, Keith. Call Jarrod. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you." With that, I hung up the phone before he could respond.

The phone instantly started ringing, but I ignored it. I looked around his bedroom and considered trashing it. My mind flashed to Angela Bassett in Waiting To Exhale as she exacted her revenge against her cheating husband, and I smiled. There were several thousand dollars worth of artwork that I knew he would surely miss if I destroyed it. My mood began to lift as I opened the door to his closet and fingered his thousand dollar suits and shoes. I couldn't decide whether to burn them or shred them. Either way, I knew the look on his face would be priceless at the sight of the damage, and I considered waiting around just to see it. I wanted him to feel some pain. I wanted to hurt him, and I figured the best way would be to hurt him in his wallet. The phone, which had been ringing nonstop, interrupted my daydream and brought me back to my senses. Reality set in as I thought about his insurance. I knew that he was well insured, and he would have all of this shit replaced in the blink of an eye. The last thing I wanted was for him to come out on top. I pictured him laughing at my expense and spending the insurance money on another woman, or even worse, Jarrod. I shook my head, trying to erase the thought. The phone continued to ring and I answered it mid-ring.

"What, Keith? What do you want?"

"Donna, hear me out," he sounded out of breath. "Have I done anything in the last two years to give you any reason to believe I am being anything but faithful to you?"

"No, but…"

"Listen, I understand how you might have reservations, and that's my fault because I wasn't honest about myself in the beginning. But I have done everything in my power to make you feel secure. Just know that I love you more than I love myself, and Jarrod is not going to be a problem."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'll change all of my numbers if I have to."

"Yeah, but we went through all of this before, and look what happened. He still managed to worm his was back in."

"You are absolutely right, but how he got my number this time was out of my control, Donna. Tell you what, I'll change them again, and I'll be sure to let the committee members know that if anyone needs to contact me to take their number and I will call them. How does that sound?"

"Okay, you do that, and we'll see what happens. And Keith, don't make me regret this." But I already regretted giving in so soon, because I knew I was letting him off too easy. I couldn't shake the thought of another woman standing in my place and reaping the rewards of being Keith's woman. I wanted to believe him, because I wanted to be his wife, and I knew he would provide me with a life I could not otherwise afford to provide for myself. I knew I was being selfish, but he owed me for even staying with him after learning of his sexuality.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, what did Jackie have to say?"

"Who? Oh, she was saying I was fucking her husband and what not. But she damned near had a heart attack when I told her what was really going on."

Keith sighed once again, but this time it was filled with tension.

When I decided to remain in the relationship, I promised Keith and myself I would not let that side of him be known to any one else. He didn't think his reputation could withstand people knowing about his bisexuality. I agreed. After all, not many people would understand me staying with a man I caught receiving a blowjob from his best friend.

"Did you really have to tell her?" he asked.

"Are you serious? Why wouldn't I tell her? Shit, I wish somebody had put me down. And why should I protect Jarrod? He obviously didn't give a fuck about me when he was doing my job!" I was getting angry all over again. "She deserves to know."

"Okay, okay, I don't want to argue. You're right. But I hope she'll be okay. Jarrod mentioned she is pregnant with their first child, and she has wanted kids for as long as I've known her."

"So sad, too bad." I could not care less about her or her feelings. I had my own to deal with.

"Well, back to you and me. Are we still on for your birthday? I've got something special planned for us."

"We sure are, just as long as you promise it'll be good," I said , happy to be talking about the prospect of my birthday gifts. "I can't believe I'm turning thirty." I groaned loudly. "Will you still love me when I'm old?" I laughed.

"You'll always be twenty-nine to me."

"Thank you, baby." I wondered if he said the same thing to Jarrod.

"Have a good day. I love you. Oh, I almost forgot, I left my platinum card on the dining room table like you asked."

Now that's what I'm talking about.

"What would I do without you? I love you too!" Once again, all was well in Paradise. But for how long?

After we hung up, I unpacked my things and made the bed.

Maybe I'll move in after all; I need to keep a closer eye on things, I thought.

Ring!

"Hello?" I said, happy again.

"Um, hello? This is Jackie, Jarrod's wife." I rolled my eyes and wished I had checked the caller ID before I answered.

"Yes?"

She hesitated and then asked, "What you said to me earlier, were you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"I…" She began crying, "It's just that I don't really believe that, but I feel like I need to hear you out."

"Listen, I apologize for being so blunt earlier, but I was just as hurt and angry as you. I've been where you are right now, so trust me, I understand."

"Do you think we can talk more? I mean can I meet you some place? Today?"

She sounded like a scared little girl, and I began to feel sorry for her.

"Well, I have an appointment at 11:00 so I could do it around 2:30."

"That's fine. How about we meet at TGIF in Cherry Hill at 3:30?"

"Sounds good."

"Okay, I'll be waiting at the bar."

Isn't she pregnant?

"How will I know you?"

"I'll be wearing a red coat."

"See you then."

"Bye."

All of this shit and it isn't even 9:30. What a day!

Karen G - Monday, April 14 2008

I just tried to find this book on B&N...are you the author? I enjoyed reading the first chapter.

Brooke - Monday, April 14 2008

Hi Karen,

Thank you for the friend request...Yes I am the author of "You, Me and He"...however, it will not actually be released until April 22.

Thanks Again

Karen G - Monday, April 14 2008

Found it available at Amazon.com...I just finished pre-ordering it. Brooke, I added the book to my shelf.

Karen G - Sunday, May 4 2008

Just finished your book. All I can say is it was well worth the read and I am suggesting it to all my single available male and female friends. The book was overwhelming and enligtening. Thanks

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Discussions: April 22nd Marks The Release Of "You, Me and He"...Read The first Chapter Here!