Stanley…that he had a meeting with Stanley.” Dallas’s voice cracked.
“Dallas, let me come by or you come here.” Candy jumped up from her bed.
“No, Candy, that won’t be necessary. Thank you for tellin’ me. I’m sure that was hard for you to do.”
Candy could hear the strong determination Dallas mustered as she held a slippery grip on her composure.
“I didn’t want to tell you. I just want to be wrong about this. I knew, though, that if I was in the same situation, I’d want you to tell me. It was hard, but I did it because I love you and value our friendship. I think he may have seen me. Andre is usually very nice to me but was abrupt on the phone when I called you this evening.”
“You did the right thing,” Dallas said, her thoughts drifting in a million directions. “You called me earlier tonight?” Dallas asked, surprised. “He didn’t tell me. Interesting,” she added. “Candy, I don’t know if he saw you or not, but when he walked in the door tonight, we argued almost immediately. That’s probably why he had an attitude. He was probably so far up her ass he wouldn’t have noticed if Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men were there,” Dallas teased, her heart ripping into shreds.
“What are you gonna do?” Candy asked, worry coating each syllable she spoke.
“I’m not gonna address it tonight. I need to get my head together. I need to find out some information first. I have no proof, so I can’t be emotional about it. By the way, the woman you described sounds like a coworker of his that is always callin’. Damn liar,” Dallas blurted.
“Just know that I’m here for you. I’m so sorry about this, Dallas. Andre seems so in love with you. I’m still hoping for some sort of plausible explanation.”
“It all makes sense, Candy. The sudden meetings – on a Saturday, at that – and his nonchalant attitude as of late – this answers my questions. His verbal disrespect and repeatedly breakin’ dates – and the bedroom. Please, don’t even get me started. I had to go out and buy a toy. It’s barely happenin’, and when it does, it’s downright awful,” Dallas confessed.
Candy sat back down on her bed, fears welling up inside of her.
‘If Andre could do this to Dallas, there’s no tellin’ what other guys are capable of,’ she thought.
Dallas suddenly said, “He’s back home. Let me call you tomorrow.” The line went dead.
Candy stewed in her own thoughts until she fell asleep, awakening every hour or so and turning to and fro violently under the sheets, shrouded in nonsensical nightmares and loneliness.
* * *
“It’s not that simple,” Eric explained as he waved the waitress over for a refill on his Coke. “It’s not necessarily that he doesn’t love her anymore. I have to confess I wasn’t always a saint, but when I told a woman I loved her, I meant it, even if I was messin’ around on her.” He took a bite of his sandwich as he looked candidly into her eyes while Candy toyed with the croutons on her salad.
“It just really bugs me because I’m at the point of tryin’ to get serious, or allow myself to commit with someone, and to be honest, Eric, Andre was, or is, a good man. To me, if you love someone, you can’t cheat on ’em. It wouldn’t be in you to do it. You’d be incapable. It’ be like hittin’ your own mama.” Candy picked up her iced tea and took a few small sips before placing it back in its puddle of condensation.
“That’s because you’re thinkin’ about this like a woman, not a man,” Eric explained.
“Well, enough of that. We’re supposed to be on a date, and here I am monopolizin’ the conversation once again with scary love stories that don’t even belong to me. I apologize.”
“It’s cool. I know you need bounce these things off someone. Anyway, how’s work been this week?” Eric brandished the gorgeous smile that Candy saw in her dreams as of late.
“Pretty good,
“Dallas, let me come by or you come here.” Candy jumped up from her bed.
“No, Candy, that won’t be necessary. Thank you for tellin’ me. I’m sure that was hard for you to do.”
Candy could hear the strong determination Dallas mustered as she held a slippery grip on her composure.
“I didn’t want to tell you. I just want to be wrong about this. I knew, though, that if I was in the same situation, I’d want you to tell me. It was hard, but I did it because I love you and value our friendship. I think he may have seen me. Andre is usually very nice to me but was abrupt on the phone when I called you this evening.”
“You did the right thing,” Dallas said, her thoughts drifting in a million directions. “You called me earlier tonight?” Dallas asked, surprised. “He didn’t tell me. Interesting,” she added. “Candy, I don’t know if he saw you or not, but when he walked in the door tonight, we argued almost immediately. That’s probably why he had an attitude. He was probably so far up her ass he wouldn’t have noticed if Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men were there,” Dallas teased, her heart ripping into shreds.
“What are you gonna do?” Candy asked, worry coating each syllable she spoke.
“I’m not gonna address it tonight. I need to get my head together. I need to find out some information first. I have no proof, so I can’t be emotional about it. By the way, the woman you described sounds like a coworker of his that is always callin’. Damn liar,” Dallas blurted.
“Just know that I’m here for you. I’m so sorry about this, Dallas. Andre seems so in love with you. I’m still hoping for some sort of plausible explanation.”
“It all makes sense, Candy. The sudden meetings – on a Saturday, at that – and his nonchalant attitude as of late – this answers my questions. His verbal disrespect and repeatedly breakin’ dates – and the bedroom. Please, don’t even get me started. I had to go out and buy a toy. It’s barely happenin’, and when it does, it’s downright awful,” Dallas confessed.
Candy sat back down on her bed, fears welling up inside of her.
‘If Andre could do this to Dallas, there’s no tellin’ what other guys are capable of,’ she thought.
Dallas suddenly said, “He’s back home. Let me call you tomorrow.” The line went dead.
Candy stewed in her own thoughts until she fell asleep, awakening every hour or so and turning to and fro violently under the sheets, shrouded in nonsensical nightmares and loneliness.
* * *
“It’s not that simple,” Eric explained as he waved the waitress over for a refill on his Coke. “It’s not necessarily that he doesn’t love her anymore. I have to confess I wasn’t always a saint, but when I told a woman I loved her, I meant it, even if I was messin’ around on her.” He took a bite of his sandwich as he looked candidly into her eyes while Candy toyed with the croutons on her salad.
“It just really bugs me because I’m at the point of tryin’ to get serious, or allow myself to commit with someone, and to be honest, Eric, Andre was, or is, a good man. To me, if you love someone, you can’t cheat on ’em. It wouldn’t be in you to do it. You’d be incapable. It’ be like hittin’ your own mama.” Candy picked up her iced tea and took a few small sips before placing it back in its puddle of condensation.
“That’s because you’re thinkin’ about this like a woman, not a man,” Eric explained.
“Well, enough of that. We’re supposed to be on a date, and here I am monopolizin’ the conversation once again with scary love stories that don’t even belong to me. I apologize.”
“It’s cool. I know you need bounce these things off someone. Anyway, how’s work been this week?” Eric brandished the gorgeous smile that Candy saw in her dreams as of late.
“Pretty good,
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