Candy quickly finished bathing. She put on her clothing from the night before, skipping the panties, and instead folded them neatly and placed them in her purse. Her hair was still slightly damp, so she tousled it and pinned it up with two bobby pins. She exited the bedroom and saw Eric sitting at his small dining room table, eating a bowl of cereal and reading the paper. He looked up and smiled.
“Hi, Beautiful,” he said, waving as he took another bite of his cereal. “I’m sorry I only have cereal, but I have two kinds – Cheerios and Crispix.”
“Oh, that’s fine,” Candy smiled shyly. “I’ll fix a bowl of Crispix if that’s OK.”
“Of course. The bowls are in that top cabinet to your left, and I already have the silverware here on the table. There’s more coffee and some grapefruit juice in the refrigerator.”
Candy turned towards him and put her hand on her hip.
“So you’re really just gonna sit there and let me make my own bowl? I thought you were a gentleman!” she teased.
“I am, but I feel like you’ll be spendin’ much more time here, so you may as well get used to where everything is now,” he smirked as he took another sip of his coffee and looked back down at the paper.
“Smooth, Eric.” Candy nodded and smirked in return. “Real smooth.” She reached high and chose an orange ceramic cereal bowl. She pulled out the juice and milk then sat at the table where Eric was reading the sports page.
They sat silently for a few moments. Eric suddenly put the newspaper down, folding it neatly. He folded his hands together and placed them on the table, looking seriously at Candy. She looked up, trying to read his thoughts.
“What?” Candy said as she put down her spoon.
“I just want you to know,” Eric started, “that I understand what your best friend’s going through likely makes you apprehensive about me and men in general. I know from some of our previous conversations that you have trust issues with guys. Like I told you, in the past, I was no angel, but I’m not that person anymore. I want you to trust me. I want to earn that trust, and I need for you to be open to me. I’ve been hurt too. We both have. Your friend’s going through something really hard right now and you feel like you’re right there in the trenches with her, but I’m not Dallas’s husband, and you’re not Dallas. We aren’t who we were yesterday, and we aren’t who we’ll be tomorrow.” He cocked his head to the side and watched her a moment before smiling and continuing on.
“I decided to settle down again after my last relationship because of what I want out of life. My ex and I both made mistakes. I loved her, she loved me, but we clashed on so many things. Sometimes things just don’t work out, but I’m a hopeless romantic. I believe I’ll find what I’m lookin’ for – if I haven’t already.” He looked at her and smiled again. “Candy, what are you thinkin’ right now? What do you want, and why are you afraid of me?”
“Afraid of you?” Candy blurted. “Eric, what are you talkin’ about? I’m not afraid of you, and I’m not sure what gives you that impression. I’m just a woman who likes to take things slow.”
“OK, I’ll accept that as an answer for now,” he said, and grinned. “What do you expect from me?”
“Honesty, friendship, sincerity – I can handle the truth. I’m a big girl.” The final words echoed in her mind. She bit her bottom lip as a river of sadness knocked on her consciousness.
Eric nodded. “That’s good to know. So many women say they can accept the truth, but I disagree. If we told you what we really thought all the time, you’d never have anything to do with us or be crying 24-7.”
Candy burst out laughing. “How do you figure that?”
“It’s true,” Eric responded candidly. “Many times we aren’t thinkin’ anything at all, but when we are, most of the time you don’t want to know what’s really on our minds. It would disturb you.”
“Try me!”
“OK, ask me a question,” Eric said, crossing his arms and grimacing.
“You asked me what I was thinkin’ right now, so you tell me what you’re thinkin’ right this second!” Candy demanded with a twisted grin.
“Right this second?” Eric asked.
“Is there an echo in here?” Candy taunted. “Yes, right now!”
Eric smiled. “How I want to make love to you. What’s your next question?”
“See! Men only think about sex!” Candy laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“We do think about sex a lot, but you women see something wrong with that when y’all think about it a lot too. I don’t see what the problem is. My position on this, however, is it’s not all I think about. I can think about it, but it doesn’t consume my thoughts so that I can’t concentrate on anything else. I can think about how lovely your breasts are shaped and also about the ballgame and getting an oil change at the same time. It’s not a challenge for me,” Eric laughed.
Candy smiled, “You’re incredible, and standing in the need of prayer. You need Jesus!” she teased.
Eric laughed heartily, “That’s true, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is the honest answer. If I told you what you wanted to hear, it would’ve been a lie, but you would’ve rather heard it. We lie to you to keep the peace,” he clarified.
“Oh, please!” Candy rolled her eyes. “You men lie because you’re always up to somethin’ sneaky! If you weren’t doin’ anything wrong, you’d have no reason to lie.”
“Me thinkin’ about sex, your breasts, or other primal subjects isn’t wrong. It’s just not what you want to hear. How’s it wrong?” Eric looked at Candy sternly, trying to keep from laughing.
“Because you should be more concerned about me as a person, whether I’m compatible with you, and what I have to bring to the table.”
“Who’s to say I’m not? I just explained to you that I can think of several things at once. I can think of all of that and sex. That’s another problem with women, especially women such as yourself. You think it has to be ‘either or.’ You only see things in black and white.”
“What do you mean ‘women such as myself?’” Candy asked, her attitude growing.
“Women who live inside their heads. It’s not an insult, so simmer down,” Eric teased. “Look, men and women don’t think alike. We just don’t. We’re wired completely differently. To men, sex is a normal part of our day, whether it’s a thought, a movie, or an actual encounter. It’s as routine as brushing our teeth. For many women, it just stays in your head. I want a meaningful relationship with someone I have similar interests with and can have an intelligent conversation with. I want a woman who’s modern but has some old-fashioned qualities. I want her to be open to love and to understand that just because I’m different from her doesn’t mean she should be worried or concerned. This is the way God designed it. We balance each other out. I want a family some day, and I want to be able to give my wife and kids a house that makes the one you live in now look like a shack. I want it all – the American Dream. I work hard at my job, and even though it’s blue collar, I make a damn good living, and I want to share my life with someone whom I can dig and who digs me. I don’t want a one-night stand, I want a one-life stand,” he smiled proudly and finished his coffee.
Candy crossed her legs and raised an eyebrow as she considered the enigma known as ‘Eric.’ She studied him up and down as he welcomed her glances and analysis.
“Well, I better get going,” she finally said, breaking the silence. Eric nodded and sneered. “You’ve given me some food for thought. I enjoyed our date as well,” Candy stated as she walked back to the bedroom to retrieve her shoes and purse.
Eric leisurely rose from the dining room chair and sauntered back towards her, meeting her half way in the hallway. He pressed his chest firmly into her body and then traced the side of her face with his index finger. She felt her insides turn to melted butter. He lowered his face to her neck, kissing it gently. His full, soft lips glided sensually over her skin, making her knees weak. He wrapped his arms ar
ound her waist, bringing her closer to him. She felt the solid knot in his pajama pants stiffening. He moved down from her neck, to her chin, giving sweet, passionate pecks until he reached her velvety lips. They kissed each other leisurely, holding on to one another. His fingers glided around her neck, bringing her face even closer as he pushed her lips apart with his tongue, kissing her tenderly. After several minutes, the kiss came to an unwanted close. They both stood there with their eyes closed, breathing heavily. Candy’s forehead buried into his chest.
“You really know how to send girl off,” Candy smiled.
Eric grinned. “When you’re ready, and only when you’re ready, there’s much more where that came from. I’m really into you, Candy. I want to be your man, but I’ll go at your pace.” He kissed Candy gently on her forehead and walked her to her car.
“You’re out here without a shirt on!” Candy laughed as she opened her car door.
“I jog like this,” he laughed. “Drive carefully, and I’ll see you soon, right?” he asked, raising his thick, black, slick eyebrow.
Candy looked up at him. “Yes, yes you will.” She leaned close to him and gave him a peck on the lips before entering her car and driving away. She tried to push the butterflies out of her stomach by changing her course of thoughts to no avail.
“Damn it, I like him. I really like him,” Candy announced to herself as she drove home.
* * *
Dallas threw the envelope on Candy’s living room table. Jasmine and Candy looked at it. No one dared touch it.
Candy finally spoke up. “Dallas, have you opened it yet?” she asked weakly.
“No. I think I need you two near me before I do.” Dallas rocked impatiently as her two girlfriends huddled close to her. Jasmine set her glass of wine down on the table and took Dallas’s hand.
“Dallas,” Jasmine said in a low voice, “does Andre have any idea that you’ve had him followed over the past month?”
“No, he doesn’t have a clue. I paid a lot of money and hired a professional,” Dallas sighed.
“Candy, please open the envelope and then take out the report and photos one by one,” instructed Dallas coolly.
Candy gulped then reached over and took hold of the sealed manila envelope. On the front of it were an American eagle and the words “Your private eye in the sky” written below it. She slid one perfectly manicured fingernail under the flap, loosening the adhesive seal. She pulled out a five-page written report and laid it on Dallas’s lap.
Dallas placed her wine glass down, put on her glasses, and began to read the information out loud. As she went through the details, the dates and times of each encounter, some in explicit detail. Dallas kept her composure while Jasmine looked away, her eyes watering up. Candy removed the first photo and laid it on Dallas’s lap. All three women looked down at it. Candy put her hand up to her mouth. The photo featured Andre holding hands with a woman at some company event. Candy removed the next photo and laid it on top of the last. It was fuzzy, but Andre was clearly in the bed nude with another woman. Dallas hung her head as tears formed. Jasmine reached around and held her close. Candy shook her head in disbelief.
“Dallas, let’s just stop. You don’t need to see the rest of these photos. It’s clear what happened,” Candy offered as she patted Dallas’s back.
“No,” Dallas sobbed. “Keep taking them out.”
Candy breathed deeply and removed the next photo, placing it on Dallas’s lap. This time it was a different woman. Andre was sitting in a park with her sitting on his lap.
Candy removed another one and placed it on Dallas’s lap. Andre was kissing the second woman in a hotel lobby. Candy removed the final photo that showed Andre leaving the hotel room the next morning in a different set of clothes and with the woman seen in the lobby photo.
Dallas shook her head as the tears fell. She gripped Candace and Jasmine’s hands and cried her heart out. Candy snatched the photos and report off of her lap, throwing them onto the coffee table, and grabbed Dallas’s shoulders, turning her towards her.
“Dallas, you’re my best friend. You’re a beautiful woman,” Candy cried. “I’m so, so, sorry!” Candy held her as Jasmine and she formed a circle of love around her. They stayed that way for a few minutes until Dallas broke free. She wiped her face with a Kleenex and leaned back onto the couch, crossing her long legs.
“I didn’t expect there to be two of them. Ladies, I’ll be fine,” Dallas said. “I’ve hidden a lot of stuff in my marriage from you two because it was private, and I was raised to try and deal with these sorts of things internally. Andre and I have dealt with a lot of stuff together. You both know he and I met in college and were inseparable. We have a long history, but it has never included anything like this. This isn’t something I can just get over. I told myself beforehand that if he had sex with another woman he was gone, and he obviously did. I’m gonna have to gather my thoughts. I’ll be talkin’ to him tonight when he gets in, and lettin’ him know the situation.” Dallas sniffed. “Candy, can I scan this report and photos though before I leave?”
“Of course.” Candy stood up and watched Dallas walk away into her office with the pile of papers and photos.
Jasmine grabbed her glass of wine and chugged it as she rolled her eyes and looked over at Candy in disgust.
“I knew that mothafucka wasn’t shit!” Jasmine whispered. “I never told Dallas, but I’d heard he’d flirted with a friend of mine soon after they were engaged. I wasn’t sure who was tellin’ the truth, so I never said anything. Dallas is delusional if she thinks this is his first time cheatin’. He’s been cheatin’ from the jump! Sneaky ass bastard! He tries to come across as so well put-together and on top of his shit, and he just like all the rest of ’em!” Jasmine’s own pain rolled into the words as more tears came to the corners of her eyes.
“Well, Jasmine, none of that matters anymore because she knows what he’s done. She has the proof right in front of her face, and regardless of whether they survive this or not, we need to be there for her,” Candy said as she sat back down, rubbing her forehead as a budding headache emerged.
“Survive this?” Jasmine looked at Candy as if she were insane. “She better not stay with that fool! I’ll personally put my foot up her ass! He ain’t shit. He ain’t worth a damn red cent. That son of a bitch hasn’t only been cheatin’ with one woman, he’s been cheatin’ with two. He could’ve come home and brought her somethin’. That’s your problem!” Jasmine pointed her finger at Candy with venom. “You believe in fairy tale bullshit! I’ve been tellin’ you from the jump that things aren’t always what they seem with them two. I knew Dallas was hidin’ shit because she wants everyone to think her married life is so fuckin’ perfect. Dallas may be a great attorney, but she’s crummy at facing the truth. Bitch, bye! I knew the damn truth. You sittin’ over there ready to pat her back if she lets that man pull some ‘Oh, Baby, I’m so sorry B.S.’ Sorry my ass! She helped pay for his master’s degree, and this is the thanks she gets. She didn’t have any babies because he didn’t want any. Another sacrifice for another damn man who didn’t deserve shit. He stole the best years of her life! She’s thirty-one years old. She gave him all of her twenties, and there’s no tellin’ how long this divorce will drag out.” Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Oh, I get it,” Jasmine continued before Candy could respond. “You gettin’ some good dick now, so you want everyone to live all happily ever after. You better get it right and get it tight! We’re her friends. We have to keep it real with her. You know better!”
Candy calmly finished her wine and looked over at Jasmine, her eyes narrowed into slits.
“Shut – the hell – up! Jasmine, not everything is about you! This is Dallas’s marriage, not yours! How dare you! I’m not havin’ sex with Eric, so spare me your insinuations. Dallas needs…”
“Hold the damn bus!” Jasmine interrupted as she scooted closer to Candy. “You’ve been datin’ this man over two months, and you two haven’t got down to the get-dow
n? You’re kiddin’ me!” Jasmine’s eyes grew large.
“This isn’t about me and Eric right now! Can you please stay on topic? Is it even possible? Despite what’s happened and what you believe, I do think Andre loves Dallas, and this is so messed up what’s happened. A part of me wants her to run away from him forever, but the other part of me wants to know that she did the best she could to fix her marriage. This is between them two and God, Jasmine, not Jasmine, Candy, Dallas and Andre. We didn’t exchange vows, they did. Stop lettin’ your own past bleed into this conversation. Focus on Dallas, not Jasmine!”
Just then, Dallas came back into the room with the report and photos neatly tucked back inside of the envelope.
“Thank you, Candy,” Dallas said as she wiped new tears from her eyes. “I made copies of everything and emailed it to my attorney. I don’t think it’s wise for me to do my own divorce if it comes to that. I have a meeting with him in a couple of days. I called from your office to get in as soon as possible after I speak to Andre. This is like one big nightmare. I just can’t believe it.” Dallas sat down between the two women, holding her knees, sobbing heavily. “What did I do?” Dallas screamed. “What did I do to make him not want me anymore? Why did he betray me like this?” Her pain filled the room as Jasmine and Candy took their posts again, holding her hands and allowing her to purge in the safety of their company. “I handle divorces all the time for couples, and I see the pain and destruction. I never thought in a million years it would be me one day.”
“Dallas, you did nothing,” Jasmine said as she patted her hand. “He did it because he wanted to. Nothing you did or said made him go to another woman, and don’t believe otherwise,” Jasmine assured.
Dallas shook her head. “I know it takes two in a marriage. Sometimes I nagged him a lot. I kept on him about working late all the time. He was stressed out,” Dallas blurted.
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