of him, and trust me, I’m a big, heavy-handed black woman, so I know that shit hurt. What I totally forgot was that even though I’m big and heavy-handed, I’m still a woman. When his hand came across my face, I slid down the door and the pain reminded me that he was a man. I didn’t try to stop him from leaving after that.
“You should have changed the locks,” Jerome said.
After Leon left that night, I’d called Jerome for some comfort. I tried to convince him that the whole incident was my fault, but he wasn’t having it. He’d been trying for the longest time to get me to leave Leon. To him, there should have been no question about kicking Leon out after he put his hands on me.
“You want me to put his ass out, Loraine? ‘Cause I will,” he said as I unfastened my seat belt. “All you gotta do is say the word, girl, and his ass is gone. Ain’t nothin’ but a thang.” Jerome tried his best to stay calm, but I could hear the anger in his voice.
I understood how he felt, but that didn’t change the fact that I loved my husband and still wanted my marriage to work. In truth, as I looked at his car in the driveway, all I could think about was whether he was home to stay or just picking up some clothes to leave again.
“No, Jerome. I can handle it.” I forced my voice to sound confident, but deep down, I was hopeful at best.
Jerome shook his head. “You gonna take his ass back, aren’t you? That man put his hands on you, and you’re taking him back.”
I stared blankly at my friend before speaking. Maybe it was because he seemed to have no problem jumping from one lover to the next, but Jerome just didn’t get it: I loved Leon too much to give up on our marriage. “I’m going inside to talk to my husband, Jerome. It’s not his fault he hit me. I hit him first.”
“If that’s your story.” Jerome locked his eyes on mine. “He still shouldn’t have put his hands on you. He don’t got the right. Not after all you’ve done for him. That man wouldn’t have a roof over his head if it wasn’t for you.” Jerome looked disgusted. “That man doesn’t deserve you, Loraine. You’re too good for his no-good jealous ass. Sooner or later, you’ve got to let go, or he’s going to drag you down with him.”
“Will you stop it? He’s not jealous, and he’s not going to drag me down. He’s just going through a hard time with the construction industry in such a slump. Now’s the time I’ve got to support him, not knock him down.”
“Well, next time he blackens your eye, don’t call me—unless you want me to go to jail for knocking his ass down a flight of stairs.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
The way he looked at me said,
Sure there won’t
.
Ignoring his eyes, I leaned over, wrapping my arms around his two-hundred-plus–pound frame and giving him a kiss on his cheek before reaching for the door handle. “I love him, Jerome. Just remember that I love him.”
“I know you love him, sis. That’s the only reason he’s not wearing these size fourteen gators in the crack of his ass.” Jerome blew me a kiss. “I swear that must be some really good dick.”
“Don’t you wish you knew?” I smirked as I stepped out of the car.
“We’re friends, Loraine. That’s not something you want me to pursue. Or have you forgotten my track record with married men?”
We both burst out laughing. “Don’t even try it, Jerome. If I catch you near my husband, we gonna have a problem.”
“Hey, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m just teasing, girl. You know he ain’t even my type.”
“Please. Your type is anyone with a big dick swinging between his legs.”
“Hmm, you’re right about that. But anyway, listen, are you sure you don’t want me to come inside? Just to make sure everything’s aw-ight? I mean, he has gotten out of hand before.”
“No, no, I got it, okay? I’ll see you at work in the morning.”
“Are you sure?” He leaned across the passenger
“You should have changed the locks,” Jerome said.
After Leon left that night, I’d called Jerome for some comfort. I tried to convince him that the whole incident was my fault, but he wasn’t having it. He’d been trying for the longest time to get me to leave Leon. To him, there should have been no question about kicking Leon out after he put his hands on me.
“You want me to put his ass out, Loraine? ‘Cause I will,” he said as I unfastened my seat belt. “All you gotta do is say the word, girl, and his ass is gone. Ain’t nothin’ but a thang.” Jerome tried his best to stay calm, but I could hear the anger in his voice.
I understood how he felt, but that didn’t change the fact that I loved my husband and still wanted my marriage to work. In truth, as I looked at his car in the driveway, all I could think about was whether he was home to stay or just picking up some clothes to leave again.
“No, Jerome. I can handle it.” I forced my voice to sound confident, but deep down, I was hopeful at best.
Jerome shook his head. “You gonna take his ass back, aren’t you? That man put his hands on you, and you’re taking him back.”
I stared blankly at my friend before speaking. Maybe it was because he seemed to have no problem jumping from one lover to the next, but Jerome just didn’t get it: I loved Leon too much to give up on our marriage. “I’m going inside to talk to my husband, Jerome. It’s not his fault he hit me. I hit him first.”
“If that’s your story.” Jerome locked his eyes on mine. “He still shouldn’t have put his hands on you. He don’t got the right. Not after all you’ve done for him. That man wouldn’t have a roof over his head if it wasn’t for you.” Jerome looked disgusted. “That man doesn’t deserve you, Loraine. You’re too good for his no-good jealous ass. Sooner or later, you’ve got to let go, or he’s going to drag you down with him.”
“Will you stop it? He’s not jealous, and he’s not going to drag me down. He’s just going through a hard time with the construction industry in such a slump. Now’s the time I’ve got to support him, not knock him down.”
“Well, next time he blackens your eye, don’t call me—unless you want me to go to jail for knocking his ass down a flight of stairs.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
The way he looked at me said,
Sure there won’t
.
Ignoring his eyes, I leaned over, wrapping my arms around his two-hundred-plus–pound frame and giving him a kiss on his cheek before reaching for the door handle. “I love him, Jerome. Just remember that I love him.”
“I know you love him, sis. That’s the only reason he’s not wearing these size fourteen gators in the crack of his ass.” Jerome blew me a kiss. “I swear that must be some really good dick.”
“Don’t you wish you knew?” I smirked as I stepped out of the car.
“We’re friends, Loraine. That’s not something you want me to pursue. Or have you forgotten my track record with married men?”
We both burst out laughing. “Don’t even try it, Jerome. If I catch you near my husband, we gonna have a problem.”
“Hey, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m just teasing, girl. You know he ain’t even my type.”
“Please. Your type is anyone with a big dick swinging between his legs.”
“Hmm, you’re right about that. But anyway, listen, are you sure you don’t want me to come inside? Just to make sure everything’s aw-ight? I mean, he has gotten out of hand before.”
“No, no, I got it, okay? I’ll see you at work in the morning.”
“Are you sure?” He leaned across the passenger
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