Free Torn Between Two Lovers by Carl Weber Page B

don’t answer to anyone unless they sleep in my bed every night, and that damn sure ain’t you.”
    â€œWhat you trying to say?”
    â€œThink about it. You’ll figure it out.”
    I hung up on him and then turned off my phone as I proceeded to the magistrate’s window to pay Ron’s bail.
    I sat down and waited for him to be processed and released. The magistrate said his processing would take about a half hour, so I read an old newspaper someone had left on the bench. I hadn’t gotten through half of it before I looked up and saw Ron walking down the corridor toward me.
    The sight of him after all this time apart really stirred something inside me. I remembered his phenomenal body, but I’d completely forgotten just how handsome he was, and the closer he came, the more I wished I could just reach out and grab him. How the hell did I ever let this man out of my life? He looked like some kind of African god. A whole host of emotions rose up within me as he approached. So much had been going on in my life lately, with the loss of my best friend and my job, Peter’s continual harassment of me and my friends, and now Big Poppa showing his ass. Seeing Ron made me long for the carefree times we had had together before things got so complicated. Big Poppa should be careful, I thought, because for the first time, I could imagine him being replaced.
    By the time Ron was standing in front of me, my mind was swimming. I know it was shallow, especially after all that we’d been through, but all I could think of was that I wanted to sleep with this man again in the worst way.
    â€œThanks, Jerome,” he said, his voice showing the innocence of his youth. He was almost twenty years my junior, but when I was around him, I was the one who felt like I was twenty.
    â€œYou don’t have to thank me. I’m always going to be here for you.” I stood up to hug him, but he took a step back.
    â€œDon’t…don’t kiss me,” he whispered, lifting his hand defensively as if he wanted not only me, but also everyone else in the building to see the invisible barrier between us. It was actually quite comical, because his words told one story, but his eyes told me something entirely different. He was checking me out, and there was no doubt in my mind that he was undressing me with his eyes. He wanted me. He just didn’t want to be classified as gay.
    â€œI wasn’t gonna kiss you. I was just gonna shake your hand and give you a little embrace. Man, it’s been a long time, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, I understand.”
    â€œWell, I don’t feel comfortable.”
    I nodded my understanding.
    â€œI do appreciate you coming down here and bailing me out and everything. I’m just trying to put all that other stuff behind me.” I wanted to tell him that he couldn’t put who he was behind him, but that was something he’d learn with time.
    â€œThat’s the way you want it, that’s the way it is. You hungry? My car’s right outside. Let’s go get something to eat.”
    He didn’t reply. He just started walking to the door, and of course I followed.

Loraine
9
    I ended up at Egypt’s door in need of a friendly ear. Ordinarily I wouldn’t show up at her house without calling, but I knew her husband was out of town on business. I also knew she had a bottle of my favorite wine, and, boy, I could use a drink or two.
    When Egypt answered the door, I gave her a pitiful look and said, “Girl, I hope you don’t mind, but right about now I could use a friend.”
    â€œOf course I don’t mind. Come on in.” She embraced me. “You all right? What’s wrong? We missed you at book club last week.”
    â€œPlease, with all this craziness going on in my life, I wasn’t even thinking about book club,” I said sadly as I walked past her into the house. “You still have that