Free Zeke by Wodke Hawkinson Page A

else,”
Sue responded passionately. Her mind was rolling over, scrambling to understand
this peculiar turn of events. She wondered if this went both ways. Would he
tell her sometime that he wanted to sleep with someone else? Just to fool
around with them, not for love? Sue hoped not; she didn’t think she would be
okay with the idea. In fact, she knew she wouldn’t.
    He cradled her face in his hands
and pulled her in for a deep kiss.
    “If you ever do want anyone else,
all you have to do is tell me,” he said, now really warming to the subject. “I
just want to be there, that’s all. If I can be there, I can reassure myself
that your love for me is still strong. I can make sure nobody hurts you or
treats you badly. Truth is, that’s the safest and best way to do it. I can
cover your back while you get what you need.”
    “Be there?” Sue pulled back to look
into his eyes, her forehead wrinkling with doubt. She wasn’t sure she was
really hearing what she thought she was hearing.
    “Sure, just like I’d want you there
for me,” he said easily.
    “For you?” She was stunned, and
asked the question she’d been worried about. “You mean you might want someone
else?”
    “No, I’m not saying that. Anyway, I
can’t think who it would be. But if I ever did, it wouldn’t change the way I
feel about you. It would still be you and me as if we were one. And whatever we
decide to do, it would have to be mutual.”
    “I don’t know what to say,” Sue
stammered.
    “Don’t worry about it right now.
It’s just something we needed to work out, in case it ever came up.”
    She looked at him strangely. “I
don’t think it’s ever going to come up. I love you so much, I don’t even think
of anybody else.”
    “That’s good, honey. I probably
jumped the gun, but I’m glad it came up now instead of later on. We have
something special here, Susie. It’s once in a lifetime, and we need to work
hard to keep it. Great relationships don’t just happen by accident; people have
to create them, nurture them. It’s good to get things out in the open, talk
them over. Don’t you think? I feel a lot better now. Don’t you?”
    “I guess so.” But she wasn’t sure
about any of this. Her emotions swung back and forth. Jealousy went along with
love; everyone knew that. Zeke must not love her. Or maybe he loved her too
much. Maybe that was it.
    Sue went home that night in a state
of mental duress. She couldn’t sleep; disturbing thoughts kept her awake. If
Zeke didn’t love her, maybe she should stop seeing him. Just as quickly as the
notion entered her head, she felt a surge of panic. She was immediately bereft,
as if she had already broken up with him. The thought made her physically ill.
Yet, what was the point of continuing a one-sided love affair? A war of
emotions battled inside her head.
    In the dark hours of the night, Sue
reached the conclusion that she should break it off with Zeke. Replaying the
bizarre conversation in her mind, she was overwhelmed by a deep disappointment.
Heartache followed. Then a reprieve of an idea occurred to her, an explanation
she could accept. Perhaps he was so confident of her love and trusted her so
much, that he simply didn’t feel threatened by the idea of her being intimate
with someone else. That was the explanation. He was secure in their love.
    Relief washed over her, and she
suddenly felt grateful for his open-minded attitude. It was different, for
sure. It didn’t fit well with the image in her mind of what a relationship
should entail. But she needed to grow a more mature attitude. Zeke was special
and it would take a clever, sophisticated woman to keep him interested. She
could adjust. Most men would not have the self-assurance to watch the woman
they love with another man. But Zeke was different. For her and Zeke, it would
be a shared experience. Something they could talk about, something that would
bring them closer. She couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else. But, if