#morrison'ssummerseries

           I couldn’t lose focus of my principles. That was something I kept in mind as I headed to Kenton’s hotel to pick him up. How we met was still unbelievable to me; especially since I met him on my one-year anniversary of becoming celibate. From what I could tell on our first so-called date, he was a good guy. He could hold a meaningful conversation and he seemed interested in me beyond sex. As excited as I was, I couldn’t let down my guard. I had to remember the rules.

           “The beach?” he asked me as I parked my car. “This is where you wanted to bring me, first?”

           “We’re both already dressed for it,” I told him. “Besides, everyone knows Miami has the best beaches.”

           “What, are we gonna rent some bloody surfboards or something?” He laughed as he climbed out of the car with me.

           “No, but I do want to get in the water. You do know how to swim, right?”

           “Yeah, I can swim.”

           I took my shirt off and tossed onto my seat before saying to him, “Then let’s go get wet.”

           He smiled as he chased me onto the beach and out into the beautiful water. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking at his sexy shirtless body as we played together in the water. He was easily the sexiest guy out there that day. His smile and that damn accent had me hornier than ever. And after a year of celibacy, I was definitely getting horny at the sight of this beautiful man. However, I was in control of my horniness. I controlled my hormones and urges.

           “So, when you say you’re celibate,” he said to me as we exited the water, “does that mean you don’t even masturbate?”

           I giggled and with a fake accent replied, “No, I’m not a bloody wanker!”

                                            Me (Julian Baxter)

           He burst out laughing and put his arm around my waist as we walked alongside the water. He then asked me, “How do you do it? I can’t go two days without at least a little morning masturbation.”

           “I just focus on other things. I put all of my energy into other things. I meditate. I read. I laugh. I do think about sex and I look forward to having sex again, but it’s just not everything to me. Going a year without it has shown me that it’s not everything.”

           “You’re brave.”

           I giggled and told him, “Stop. I’m not brave for being celibate.”

           “Yes, you are. It takes a lot of dedication to do something like that for as long as you have. You have me ready to give it a try.”

           “Seriously?”

           “Yes. Especially if it means I get to keep seeing you.”

           “Ken, we’re just talking and hanging out. You have a life back in London.”

           “I have family and friends back in London. I can have a life anywhere I choose.”

           “Well, all I know is…”

           “Hey, excuse me,” called out this woman as her and a guy she was with approached us. “Hi, can you guys watch me and my fiancé’s stuff while we go swim? You seem like decent guys and you’re obviously together. We’d really appreciate it.”

           “Sure,” Kenton told her. “We’ll sit here and watch your stuff for you.”

           “Thanks, guys,” the guy said as he shook Kenton’s hand and then mine.

           After watching the man and woman go out into the water, I looked at Kenton and informed him, “Don’t make it a habit to help out Americans. People in this country have no shame about taking advantage of people who help them.”

           “I didn’t do it just to help them out,” he explained with a smile. “I want to sit on the beach with you and now we have beach chairs to sit on.” He sat down on one of the beach chairs and I sat beside him.

                                              Kenton Clarke

           “So, what’s life like in London?”

           “It’s not much different than here. It’s a lot rainier there than here. But I love rainy nights back home.”

           “Wow, I love rainy nights, too.”

           “Hmm, I wonder what else we have in common. What’s your favorite TV show?”

           “Game of Thrones.”

           His eyes lit up as he said, “Get outta here, bruv. Are you serious?”

           “Yes. I’ve seen every single episode and I’m a member of a few online forums.”

           “I’m in some of the forums, too. This is wild.”

           “What kind of music do you like the most?”

           “Soul and neo-soul. I like artists like Maxwell, India.Arie, Floetry, Musiq Soulchild, Corinne Bailey Rae, and I love everything that Jill Scott has ever made.”

           “Okay, this is starting to get weird. My iPhone is full of soul and neo-soul music. Wow. The only thing that would make this weirder is if you were a loyal Janet Jackson stan like me.”

           His eyes lit up as he told me, “I worship Janet. I keep a pic of her from the All for You era in my wallet for good luck.”

           “I have a poster size version of her ‘Someone to Call My Lover’ cover photo on my wall!”

           “That’s the pic I have in my wallet! That’s one of my favorite songs by her.”

           “Mine, too.”

           “This is incredible. I literally have no friends who are Janet fans.”

           “Me either. Wow, Ken. We’re more compatible than I thought.”

           He stared into my eyes and agreed, “Yeah, we are.”

           We sat out there on the beach and talked until the couple came out of the water and thanked us for watching their stuff. Kenton and I continued to get to know each other as we resumed our walk along the beach. After a short while, we headed back to my car and I drove him to one of my favorite places to eat. It was this food truck that sold the best tacos, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas in Miami. We got some food and then sat down at one of the few tables that were available.

           “This is hands down the best taco I’ve ever eaten,” he told me with his mouth full of food.

           “I told you,” I said back with a smile. “Me and my friends come here all the time.”

           He finished chewing and took a sip from his beer before asking me, “Are you going to introduce me to your friends?”

           “Oh, I don’t know about that. They’re not exactly as easygoing as I am. Some of them are picky and others are brutally honest.”

           “Their behavior hasn’t fallen on you obviously. You’re like the nicest person I’ve ran into since coming here.”

           “I have my moments.”

           “I bet you’re so sexy when you’re mad.” He quickly stopped himself from going further and told me, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

           “Ken, it’s okay for you to give me compliments. I think you’re sexy, too.”

           “You do?”

           “Yes, I do.”

           “I just don’t wanna disrespect you. I’ve never really spent time around someone who is celibate.”

           I stared into his eyes as I admitted, “I haven’t been this tempted to end my celibacy before. But I have rules and I’m going to stick by them.”

           “What are those rules?”

           “They alternate in level of importance depending on my mood, but the main one is that I will not have sex if an attempt at a serious relationship is not guaranteed. I refuse to be with someone who will not respect my mind, my body and my choices. Absolutely no downlow men, and no one with a crazy stalker ex or a complicated situation that could lead to me getting into some drama. And my potential partner must have goals that he wants to reach in his life. That’s one of the most important rules to me. Do you wanna know why?”

           “Yes, I do.”

           “Well, because I have my very own goals that I want to reach and if the right guy for me comes into my life at the right moment, then we can help each other reach those goals.”

           He smiled as he looked down at the table for a quick second. He then looked back into my eyes and told me, “Those are decent rules. The rules are meant to be broken saying doesn’t apply to your rules, Julian. I wouldn’t want you to break any of those.”

           After we finished eating, I took him around to a few more of my favorite spots before bringing him back to my place. No, I wasn’t going to have sex with him but I did want to have a more intimate conversation with him without any distractions. When we got to my little townhouse, I led him inside. I needed to get a little buzz going for myself so I fixed us some drinks. I put on my favorite Janet Jackson playlist and turned the speakers up a little before sitting down beside him on my living room sofa.

           “I’ve never had a Tequila Sunrise that tastes this good before,” he told me after taking a sip from his drink.

           “That’s because it’s not a Tequila Sunrise,” I told him with a laugh. “It’s a Rum Sunset.”

           “I better go easy on this. It doesn’t take much rum to have me jumping off the bloody walls.” He took another sip before sitting his glass down and asking me, “How did you learn to perfectly mix drinks? I can’t make a tasty mixed drink even if my life depended on it.”

           “It’s all about balance.” I sat my glass down and asked him, “Do you prefer to be with men more or women?”

           “Men, definitely. I have been with only two or three women who knew what they were doing in bed. Every man I’ve been with has either met or gone beyond my expectations. I usually like to go off of body language and most women rarely know what their bodies want.”

           “Hmm, interesting. Was your first sexual experience with a man or a woman?”

           “Woman. Well, a young woman. We were fourteen and she got me riled up after my soccer practice. That actually came close to messing up my opportunities.”

           “How so?”

           “She wasn’t on any contraceptives and I didn’t put on a condom. She got pregnant and had to get an abortion.”

           “Whoa. I bet you were afraid, huh?”

           “I was scared silly.” He chuckled before telling me, “I learned from that mistake though. I’ve been wearing a condom every time I have sex ever since then. What about you? Were you always open with your sexuality or did you have to fool around with some girls?”

           “I’ve been out for a good while now and no, I’ve never done anything with a woman except share skincare tips and paint her toenails.”

           “I bet you held on to your virginity longer than I did.”

           “You said you were fourteen, right?”

           “Yeah.”

           “I was seventeen when I lost mine. My first time was with a basketball player at my high school. His name was Isaiah Hudson and I still hate him to this day.”

           “Why?”

           “Because we would talk and hang out all the time before I gave him my virginity. Right after the sex, he started ignoring me. He did hit me up one more time but it was for more sex and when I told him no, he cussed me out. Ken, I felt so used. I hate that feeling.”

           “I’m sorry that happened to you. No one deserves that kinda treatment.” He moved closer to me and gently rubbed my back. “I wouldn’t do anything like that to you, bruv. I admit, I do my share of hooking up but when I meet someone I really like, I do like doing the boyfriend thing.”

           I giggled and asked, “Boyfriend thing?”

           “You know, going out on dates and spending time with each other. Wearing matching clothes.”

           “Matching clothes? You’ve done that before?”

           “Yeah. Julian, I’ve been someone’s boyfriend before. I know what to do in a relationship. Hell, all of my relationships have ended on good terms and the breakups were over scheduling conflicts or me not having enough time. I am dedicated to finding someone special and devoting my time to him.”

           “Don’t you mean him or her?”

           He moved even closer to me and said, “No, I mean him.”

           Before I could even take in a single breath, his lips were on mine. Surprising myself, I reacted by kissing him back. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but it was enough to make butterflies flutter in my stomach. He smiled the cutest smile and just stared into my eyes for the longest without saying anything. I smiled and finally broke the silence by asking, “Why did you kiss me?”

           “Because I really like you. Why did you kiss me back?”

           “I don’t know. I guess because…I really like you, too.”

           “What are we gonna do about that? I’m going to be here for a few more days. I have an important decision to make and now it’s more complicated because I have a good feeling about you.”

           “I’ve had a good feeling about you since we met yesterday. This is definitely a unique situation.”

           He reached back to the table and picked up his drink. He took some sips from it and then asked me, “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

           “I’m not sure yet. Why?”

           “Because I want to spend as much time as I can with you, Julian.”

           “Even though you know we’re most likely not going to have sex?”

           “I don’t care about that. I don’t need to have sex with you to know that I wanna spend more time with you.”

           “But aren’t you worried that we’re moving way too fast?”

           “There’s no such thing as moving too fast when it comes to stuff like this. If I know what I want and you know what you want, what’s the problem with acknowledging it and doing something about it? I know you’ve been with some shitty blokes but that’s not who I am. And I’m going to prove it to you. I’ll spend my last few days in America—for the time being—proving that to you.”

           “And what happens if you decide you don’t want to play for the Miami soccer team? You’re just going to go back to London and pretend as if you never met me?”

           “I’m a man of my word, Julian. I’m dedicated to seeing where this goes with you.”

           “I am, too. Okay, I’m in. We have a few days to see where this could go. If by the time you’re ready to leave and we’re both not convinced this is worth it, then we can walk away from it without any hard feelings.” I extended my hand to him and asked, “Deal?”

           He shook my hand and replied, “Deal.”

           After drinking and talking and listening to Janet Jackson music for nearly two hours, he got an Uber to come pick him up and take him back to his hotel. I wasn’t sure how the next few days were going to go, but I did notice how much I was opening up to him. I felt like I could trust him. While in bed later that night, I texted back and forth with him. All I could do was hope that I was doing the right thing and that he wasn’t playing me.

[Disclaimer]: Pictures used do not reflect the sexuality or personality of people in the pictures. They only serve as visual examples of the characters.

© D.A. Morrison 2017

           Ask anybody who’s single if they like being single and if they answer honestly, they’ll tell you it sucks. Most people enjoy the single life but random hookups and one-night stands get real old real quick. I’d only been in four relationships that lasted longer than a month, so it was safe to say I was cursed when it came to obtaining and keeping a boyfriend. For one whole year—my first year after graduating college—I decided to give celibacy a try. On the exact one-year anniversary of me becoming celibate, I met Kenton.

           I’d been invited to a rooftop party by a girl from my job that I didn’t know very well. Even though I wouldn’t know anyone at the party, I still went and I made sure I looked cute. When I arrived, I immediately noticed there were some sexy men all around. Of course, the majority of them were straight but I had hopes that someone would talk me out of celibacy. I was horny out of my mind.

           “Oh, you made it,” said Janelle, the girl from my job that invited me to the party. “I was hoping you’d come because there’s someone here I’d like you to meet. Come on.” She grabbed my hand and led me over to this tall, fine dark-skinned brotha who was drinking a beer. She tapped his arm and told him, “Tyreke, this is Julian, the guy I told you about from my job. Julian, this is my cousin Tyreke.”

           “Damn cuzzo,” he said as he looked me up and down. “You weren’t lying when you said he was cute.”

           Hearing that made me blush, so I smiled and asked him, “Do you live here in Miami?”

                                           Me (Julian Baxter)

           “Yeah.”

           “I’ll let you two talk,” Janelle said before walking away.

           “My cousin definitely knows my taste. Mmm, I bet you got some good ass.”

           I smiled big and told him, “Okay, now. Keep it classy.”

           “Oh, you’re one of those types? Alright, I know how to play it, baby. I can play the game before taking you back to my spot and blowing your back out.”

           “There will be no blowing of any backs tonight. That’s not how I do things, especially not with someone I just met.”

           “You are a bottom, right?”

           “I’m vers and I don’t see how that…”

           “Vers with that booty? Nah, you need to play your position, baby. You too cute and shit to be vers.”

           “Why are we talking about sex only? You haven’t even asked me anything non-sexual about myself.”

           “Look, I’m a top that’s not looking for anything serious. Are you down to fuck or nah?”

           I looked down at the bulge in his shorts as if I were interested before looking back into his eyes and telling him, “Nah!”

           I walked away from his dumbass and made my way over to where the drinks were. I poured myself some off-brand vodka and cranberry juice and went over to a set of outdoor sofas and sat down by the rooftop’s guardrail. Right after I took a sip from my drink, this deep voice with an accent said to me, “Not having fun, bruv?”

                                              Kenton Clarke

           I looked over to see this handsome dude who I hadn’t even noticed when I sat down. I flashed him a smile and replied, “Not really.”

           “Yeah, this party blows, mate.”

           “Your accent…where are you from?”

           “South London.”

           I stared at him for a few seconds silently and then asked, “Soccer player?”

           He laughed and replied, “How did you guess, bruv? Do I have the look of a footballer or something?”

           “Not to sound mean; but yeah, you do. What brings you to Miami?”

           “Football…well, soccer as you Americans put it. I’m here because my temper led me to a suspension back in the UK. The Miami FC team has shown an interest in me so I’m thinking about giving them a try for at least a year.” He moved closer to me on the sofa and extended his hand as he told me, “I’m Kenton Clarke but everybody calls me Ken.”

           I shook his hand and told him, “Nice to meet you, Ken. My name is Julian Baxter.”

           He chuckled and joked, “You actually look like a Julian.”

           I burst out laughing and said, “Oh, shut up.”

           For the next two hours, I sat there and talked with Kenton and only stopped talking to him whenever I had to get up to refill my drink with that cheap ass vodka. As I talked to him, I found myself wondering if he was just being friendly or if he was actually interested in me. Somehow, I feel like I got my answer when I removed my shades because he removed his, too, and we looked into each other’s eyes. He smiled again and something about that smile told me he was interested. Still, I needed to test the waters before going any further with him. My gaydar was usually way off and with my luck, he was probably straight.

           “So,” I said to him after taking a sip from my drink, “is there someone special in your life?”

           “Hmm,” he said as he sat his bottle of Bud Light down. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were hitting on me by asking me that.”

           “Would it be a problem if I were?”

           He chuckled again and told me, “I’m single and since you wanna know so bad, I’m bisexual.”

           “Openly? Closeted?”

           “I’ve never been in a bloody closet, bruv. Besides, if I were closeted I wouldn’t tell you in public that I want to ditch this party and take you out to eat right now.”

           “Are you serious or just joking?”

           He stood up and put his shades back on and asked, “You coming or not? Because I’m going to get some chicken tenders and fries either way.”

           Without hesitation, I jumped up and left the party with him. He texted his teammates to let them know he’d left and then followed me to my Lexus. I usually didn’t date guys who didn’t have a car but I easily made an exception for him because he was just visiting. Since the date was completely impromptu, I drove us to the nearest Chili’s restaurant. When we got there, we got a table and placed our orders with the waitress.

           “Do they have good chicken tenders here?” he asked. “I am addicted to the way America makes them.”

           “Yeah, they’re pretty good,” I told him. “Not as good as somewhere like Popeyes though. Now they make the best chicken, hands down.”

           “Why didn’t we go there?”

           I laughed and answered, “Because I’m not comfortable taking a Brit to the ghetto.”

           “I didn’t grow up rich, Julian. My parents are from Barbados and even when they moved to South London, we still weren’t rich. You could’ve taken me to what you call the ghetto.” He laughed and then asked, “So, you from here?”

           “No, I’m from Atlanta. I went to college down here and decided to stay and make a living here. Atlanta is way too messy for me.”

           “I’ve never been to Atlanta. I’ve only been to America one other time and it was to Los Angeles like two years ago.”

           “Do you like it here?”

           “It’s okay from what I’ve seen; but at the same time, I feel like I haven’t been here enough to form a thorough opinion.” He stared into my eyes as he continued, “I guess if I have a reason other than playing football, I may have to stay here so that I can form an opinion.”

           He smiled after saying that and I smiled back. When our food arrived, we got to know each other better while eating. He told me about how difficult it was playing on different soccer teams while being openly bisexual, and I told him about my own difficulties with having family who didn’t fully accept me being gay. For the first time in a long time, I actually had meaningful conversation with a guy who didn’t just want to have sex.

           “I could’ve paid for my meal,” I told him as we left the restaurant.

           “But I asked you out,” he said back. “I was only being courteous.”

           “Yeah, but I suggested the restaurant and I drove us here.”

           “More of a reason for me to be courteous, Julian.” He laughed and gave me a look as we made it to my car.

           After we climbed in, I asked him, “What were you doing at my coworker’s party by the way?”

           “I left my hotel suite while my agent was sleeping and I ended up following this group of lads to that rooftop party. I didn’t know a single soul there but they had free drinks and the view was nice.”

           “Well, I was there because my coworker was trying to hook me up with her gay cousin even though she told me nothing about it until I arrived. And he was a jackass.”

           “Whoa, that’s so messed up.”

           “Tell me about it. So, which hotel are you staying at?”

           “The Embassy that’s by the airport.”

           “Miami International Airport?”

           “Yeah, that’s the one. You know where it is?”

           “I sure do. I can get you there in no time.”

           “Actually, I was thinking maybe we could go back to your place and get better acquainted.”

           “As great as that sounds, I can’t.” I turned in my seat towards him and explained, “Ken, I’ve been celibate for a year now. And I’ve made a promise to myself that I’m not going to have sex until I know for sure it’s with someone looking for more than a one-time hookup. I’m sorry if I led you to believe otherwise.”

           He smiled and told me, “You didn’t lead me to believe otherwise. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

           “No, you’re fine. I’m sure you’re used to guys and girls throwing themselves at you.”

           “They do but that doesn’t mean I always take the offer. Also, I like to do the pursuing. So, with that in mind, I want to see you again.”

           “You do?”

           “Yes. How about you come by and pick me up and you can show me around?”

           “Okay, I can do that.”

           I drove him to the hotel he was staying in and after exchanging numbers, we went our separate ways. As I drove home, I couldn’t believe I’d met a guy like Kenton and that it happened so randomly. Still, I couldn’t let the randomness of it change any of the rules I’d established prior to becoming celibate. I knew what I was looking for and I wasn’t going to waste my time. I’d rather remain celibate and single than put up with bullshit.

           “How fine is he?” my best friend Kody asked me over the phone later that night.

           “On a scale of one to ten,” I said back, “he’s about a hundred.”

           “Damn. That fine, huh?”

           “Yes. It’s not his looks that have me interested in him the most though. Kody, his openness is so refreshing. I’ve never talked to someone that open before. And even when he asked to come back to my place, it was extremely polite and not raunchy at all. Do you know how long it’s been since someone politely asked for some ass?”

           “Are you gonna give him some ass?”

           “No.”

           “Bitch, you are lying! You know you’re gonna bend over and let him slide that big British dick into your booty!”

           “Nope. I am not ruining this. If he’s not cool with me being celibate then we’ll just be friends. I’m not breaking a year of celibacy for a fling.”

           “And what if it’s not a fling?”

           “There’s no way of knowing that yet. He told me he wants to see me again, so we’re hanging out tomorrow. I can honestly say I do have a good feeling about this.”

           “All I can say is it’s about damn time. You have been denying niggas left and right, J.”

           “If Ken can respect what I want, listen to me, and prove that he’s worth me giving him a chance; then I won’t deny him anything. I’m telling you, Kody; I really do feel like this is going to be worth it.”

[Disclaimer]: Pictures used do not reflect the sexuality or personality of people in the pictures. They only serve as visual examples of the characters.

© D.A. Morrison 2017

           After work, I went straight home and took a shower. I then put on some decent clothes and made sure I looked great before heading back out. I drove to a place where I always purchased my wine and bought a few bottles for my friend Cortez’s dinner party. He was having the party to impress his new boss and some of his colleagues from the marketing firm he worked at. When I arrived there, I knew both he and our friend Kody would notice I’d gotten some dick the night before. I just knew it.

           “You let him fuck, didn’t you?” Kody asked me as he helped me carry the bottles of wine into the house.

           “No,” I lied. “We just spent the night together.”

           “Yeah right, more like you spent the night fucking!”

           “You’re glowing, Julian,” Cortez told me. “You might as well spill the beans. Kody already told me the guy’s name. It’s Kenton, right?”

           “That’s right,” Kody confirmed with a smirk. “So tell us J, does Kenton have one of those fat British uncut dicks or what?”

           “I can’t stand y’all,” I said with a laugh. “Yes, we got intimate last night. And his dick is slightly above average in length but it’s pretty thick and yeah, he’s uncircumcised.”

           “I knew it!” Kody shouted. “Them British brothas always have fat uncut dicks. Uncut dick be so damn good, too. There’s nothing sexier than some pretty foreskin.”

           “I prefer circumcised men,” Cortez said as he checked on his Cornish hens baking in the oven. “Some dudes do not know how to properly clean their uncircumcised dicks.”

           “Ooh, Ken passes in that department,” I told them. “That dick was clean enough to eat off of. His ass, too.”

           Kody’s eyes opened wide and he asked, “He likes to get rimmed?”

           “He told me he likes it every now and then. His dick got so hard while I was rimming him, too. He told me to get nasty while I was licking on it.”

           “Marry him,” Cortez told me. “Do you know how hard it is to find an open-minded top who you could one day talk into becoming vers with you? You better hang on to him, Julian.”

           “I’m trying to. I don’t want you nosy bitches to ruin it for me. That means no giving him a hard time. I know we give each other’s partners a hard time to test them sometimes, but I really need y’all to be chill with him. He’s not from here so you might scare him off.”

           “We’ll be on our best behavior,” said Kody. He then looked at Cortez and they burst out in laughter together.

           “I’m serious, y’all. I ended my celibacy with him because I truly believe he’s the one. I know that sounds crazy because I’ve only known him for a few days but…”

           “No, I believe you,” Cortez said while looking into my eyes. “Julian, we all know what it’s like wanting something serious but constantly hitting a brick wall with these promiscuous ass niggas in the gay community. If you truly believe you’ve found the right guy then we’re gonna have your back.”

           “That’s right,” Kody added. “We’re happy for you and we hope it works out.”

           I smiled and told them, “Thanks, guys. Now, let’s get to it. The quicker I help y’all the quicker I can go pick up Ken from his hotel.”

           “Pick up?” Kody asked. “Bitch, you couldn’t find you a man with a car?”

           “He’s visiting here from London, Kody. Remember?”

           He laughed and said, “Oh, yeah.”

           We fixed up Cortez’s place and helped him prepare all of the food. Once most of the important work was done, I headed out to go get Kenton. I admit, I was still very nervous about him meeting my friends. I felt like it was too soon for him to be around them. We hadn’t properly defined what we were yet. He made that joke about being my boyfriend that morning, but I wasn’t sure how serious he was about it. Could I call him my boyfriend that quickly and after just one night of sex?

                                               Me (Julian Baxter)

           “Are you nervous?” I asked him as we walked up the brightly lit walkway that led to Cortez’s front door.

           “Not really,” he replied. “Should I be?”

           “No. Well…no.” I stopped walking and so did he.

           “Okay, you’re definitely nervous.” He took my hand in his and told me, “Just relax, baby. It’s a dinner party. All we have to do is talk to a few people, eat some food, drink some alcohol and then go back to your place and get naked.”

           I laughed and playfully hit him before relaxing and saying, “That somehow made me feel less nervous. Thank you.”

           “That’s what I’m here for, love.” He kissed my lips and then resumed walking alongside me up to the front door.

           The moment we entered the house, I became somewhat nervous again. There were only about eleven people there including Kody and Cortez but I was still nervous. Kody spotted us immediately and hurried over. He smiled and said, “Aw, look at you two holding hands. Cute.”

           “Kody Ashford,” I said, “this is Kenton Clarke. Kenton, this is my friend Kody.”

           “Nice to meet you,” Kenton said to him while shaking his hand.

           “Ditto,” Kody replied with a fake British accent.

           “Okay, now I understand why you two are friends,” Kenton said with a laugh. “Baby, you do that same fake accent to mock me all the time, yeah?”

           “Yeah, I do.”

           “There you are,” Cortez said as he approached us. “I was wondering when you’d get here with…” He looked at Kenton and said, “Oh my. Damn Julian, you didn’t say your new man was so handsome.”

           Kenton smiled and said, “Thank you. I’m Kenton.”

           “And I’m Cortez Johnson. Nice to meet you. Would you happen to have an identical twin brother?”

                                                Kenton Clarke

           “No, but I do have a brother who is a year older than me. But unless you have double-D breasts and a vagina, he’s not gonna be interested, bruv.”

           “Too bad you’re not post-op trans,” Kody joked, causing Cortez to nudge him in the side.

           “So, what do you all do?” Kenton asked them. “Because this house is nice.”

           “I’m the assistant manager of the mortgage department at Bank of America downtown,” Cortez told him.

           “And I help run my mother’s boutiques,” Kody told him. “She has two in downtown Miami and one out in Miami Beach.”

           “You’re all so successful. If I weren’t playing football I’d probably be living at home with my mum and dad.”

           “Do you make a lot playing soccer?” Cortez asked.

           “Cortez,” I snapped, “don’t ask him something that personal.”

           “It’s fine, baby,” Kenton told me. He then looked at Cortez and answered, “I don’t make as much as some of the premier league players make and I’ll be taking a bit of a pay cut if I decide to play for an American league. They’re offering a three hundred and fifty thousand dollar signing bonus which is much lower than the British pounds I get for signing with an English league.”

           My knees nearly gave in when I heard him say that. Yes, it was lower than what NFL and NBA players made but $350,000 is still a lot of money compared to what I made a year. Pretending as if hearing it didn’t faze me, I giggled and joked, “Hopefully I’m worth the pay cut.”

           He smiled and replied, “I’ll take a job paying two dollars an hour if it meant I could see you when I want to see you.”

           “Aw,” Kody said.

           The more we talked and made our way around talking to Cortez’s colleagues, the less nervous I became. The food was delicious, everyone had a great time, and I found myself even more attracted to Kenton’s personality. He really knew how to fit in with his surroundings no matter where he was. By the time the dinner party was over, I was ready to take him back to my house and suck and ride his dick until he had at least three orgasms.

           “Thanks for the food and fun,” I said to Cortez. “We really had a great time.”

           “Yeah,” Kenton agreed. “I’m glad I tagged along for this.”

           “Well, you’re welcome any time,” Cortez said to him. He then looked at me and said, “And I will talk to you later.”

           “Okay.” I hugged him and told him, “Goodnight. And tell Kody I said goodnight. He’s in there too busy flirting with your coworker to come out here and say bye to us.”

           “I’ll tell him. Goodnight, guys.”

           “Goodnight,” Kenton said back. He then grabbed my hand and walked with me to my car. As we climbed in, he asked me, “Are we going back to your place?”

           “You bet. I need a little time before I can clean myself out, but I’m definitely down for some naughty fun tonight.”

           “I hope most nights with you will be like this when I move here.”

           “I don’t know. I mean…” I caught on to what he said and the biggest smile formed on my face. “Are you serious right now?”

           “I’d already made my mind up before the dinner party but I stuck with it when I saw how happy you were to hold my hand in front of your friends. Julian, I’m going to sign with the Miami team. I wanna see where this goes.”

           “Aw, baby.” I threw my arms around him and hugged him. I then quickly pulled back and asked, “You’re not just doing this because of the sex, are you?”

           “No. The sex is amazing, but it’s not the main reason why I’m making the decision to move here. I feel like I’m not going to be able to find someone like you back in London. Hell, I’ve never met anyone like you anywhere I’ve been. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m gonna do the right thing and take it. And I’m gonna do right by you, love. So, are we boyfriends or do I have to actually propose to your or something? Because I’ll do it if you need more of a commitment.”

           I laughed and told him, “You’re crazy.”

           “I sure am. I’m crazy for you.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. “Now, let’s go back to your place and solidify this thing.”

           I laughed again as I started my car and pulled away from Cortez’s house. We went back to my place and talked and had sex and talked some more until late at night. For the first time in a long time, I went to sleep with so much hope. I wasn’t sure what was ahead of me but I knew as long as I hope in the foundation I was starting with Kenton, I’d be alright. We’d be alright. As for my rules, I was going to keep them locked away in the back of my mind. Now I needed to unlock the rules to keeping a good boyfriend.

[Disclaimer]: Pictures used do not reflect the sexuality or personality of people in the pictures. They only serve as visual examples of the characters.

© D.A. Morrison 2017

*special thanks to @justthatsony for the pics and conversations that helped create this story!!!

           I was in the middle of getting ready for a friend’s party when Graham texted me asking if I wanted to hang out with him and his friends. I told him I was going to stop by a party and that I might be able to hang out with him and his friends after I leave. Just getting a text from him made me feel good inside. There’s just something about being with the right person that really changes you as a person, especially after a horrific previous relationship. And my two-year rollercoaster ride with my ex-boyfriend was downright tragic.

           “Sony,” my friend Riley said to me as we rode an Uber to the party, “you need to stay the whole party. You know I don’t like that bitch Evelyn.”

           “But she invited you to the party,” I said with a laugh.

           “She’s your friend, not mine. She only invited me so you’d show up.”

           “I really wish you’d put some effort into getting to know her, Riley. She’s a little extra but…”

           “A little extra? Boy, please! Tamar Braxton is a little extra. Evelyn is the fucking queen of extra.”

           I rolled my eyes and laughed before saying, “Just avoid her and talk to some of the cute niggas that are gonna be there. Her cousin Marlo is from Jersey and he’s bi. He’s gonna be there, and he loves fem niggas with long legs like you.”

           “Is he cute?”

           “He has that Jordan Calloway thing going on. Brotha is fine.”

           “Ooh, I love me some Jordan Calloway. Alright, I will keep my self preoccupied with trying to get his dick tonight. Who else is gonna be at the party?”

           “I know she invited a few other people who work with us at LeBeau Fashions. I think she invited some straight male models, too.”

           “You think any of them will be trade?”

           “I doubt it. You know most of them are lame ass wannabe rappers and shit, so they put on that homophobe front thinking it will get them into the industry.”

           He shook his head and said, “True.”

           We arrived at Evelyn’s apartment building in Flatbush a few minutes later. There were a few people hanging out in front of the building; but no one me nor Riley knew, so we entered the building and took the elevator up to the floor Evelyn’s apartment was on. I got another text from Graham saying he really wanted to see me that night, which was cute. I texted him back saying if the party was lame, I’d leave early.

                                                   Me (Sony)

           “Just as I expected,” Riley said as we entered the party. “This shit is lame as fuck.”

           I nudged him in the side and said, “Please do not start any drama with Evelyn tonight. Go find you some dick.”

           “Shit, you don’t have to tell me twice.” He split up from me and headed over to a group of guys.

           I looked around to see if I could spot Evelyn anywhere, but she wasn’t in sight. So, I decided to go make myself a drink. I assumed the drinks were in the kitchen because I didn’t see them anywhere else, so I headed there. The moment I stepped inside and saw Chris sitting up on a counter talking to some white boy, my mouth damn near dropped to the floor. Before I could back up, he looked towards the entryway and noticed me standing there.

                                                   Chris

           “Sony,” he said while rudely dismissing the white boy with his hand. “Long time no see, baby.”

           “What the hell are you doing here, Chris?” I asked while folding my arms in anger. “I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from me and my friends.”

           “My boy Travis got an invite and he brought me with him. I think he’s fucking your girl, Evelyn right now in her bedroom.”

           “Whatever.” I turned to leave, but he hopped down from the counter and stopped me.

           “Yo, what’s the rush? You ignore me on social media, you changed your number and now you don’t wanna talk to me? I’m not gonna try anything, baby. We’re in a small ass apartment with a bunch of people.”

           “Chris, I wasn’t kidding when I told you I’d go to the police if you ever fucked with me again. I’m done with you.”

           “I’ve changed.”

           “You’ve changed? In five months, you’ve changed? Fuck you, Chris.”

           “Damn, it’s like that?”

           “Yes, it’s like that! You’re lucky I didn’t go to the cops. And don’t you even think of following me or doing anything else because I will get my boyfriend to fuck you up.”

           He chuckled as he asked, “Boyfriend?”

           “Yes. He’s six-foot-five just like you and he will beat your punk ass.”

           “So, where is this magical boyfriend of yours?”

           “Go to hell, Chris. Go straight to hell.” I turned away from him again but he grabbed my arm hard. “What are you doing? Let go of me?” I hit him in the chest and tried to pull away from him. “Chris, let me go right now!”

           He smiled again and let my arm go before saying, “I’m sorry, baby. I just…I missed you. I still think about you and what we had.”

           “That’s right, it’s what we had. Do not talk to me again tonight.”

           I hurried out of the kitchen and tried to find Riley but couldn’t. I looked back to see Chris still standing in the kitchen entryway watching me. Without seeing Riley or Evelyn around, I began to panic. The moment Chris became preoccupied in a conversation with someone, I made a break for the front door and left the party as quickly as I could. Instead of taking the elevator, I took the stairs. I kept thinking he was going to know I left and would follow me, but no one else entered the stairwell as I made my way down to the ground floor.

           Chris was the ex-boyfriend I mentioned before, the one that put me through an emotional rollercoaster for two years. We met at an underground fashion show in Manhattan and it was a combination of lust and love at first sight. I was there because I had a contract designing for the Haus of Noir, an exclusive fashion house that focused only on black and dark grey clothing and accessories. He was there to model clothing for another underground designer. We exchanged looks behind the curtain for most of the show. Then as we were leaving, he offered me a ride home. We fucked in my apartment for two hours and then I never expected to see him again. About two days later, he found me on social media and told me he was openly bisexual and that he wanted to be my boyfriend.

           “Baby, where are you?” I asked Graham over the phone as I walked through the streets of Flatbush behind a group of people I didn’t know.

           “I’m at the Sprint store on Fulton Street with my friends,” he told me.

           “Good, I’m gonna get an Uber to bring me there.”

           “Sony, what’s wrong? You sound…”

           “I’m fine. I just wanna see you.”

           “I wanna see you, too, baby.”

           “I’ll get the car to take the Flatbush Avenue Extension, so I’ll be there in no time.”

           “Alright.”

           I turned off into a corner store and used the Uber app to get a car to pick me up from there. When it arrived a little while later, I hurried out to it and that’s when Evelyn called me. I answered the call, “I was at the party but never saw you. Where the hell were you?”

           “I was with Travis,” she said with a laugh. “You remember him, don’t you? He’s the model with…”

           “He’s Chris’s friend. Evelyn, Chris was at the party.”

           “Oh my God. Sony, I am so sorry.”

           “No, that was fucked up.”

           “I didn’t know Travis had brought him. Travis just walked up to me and talked me into going into my room.”

           “Well while you were getting dicked down, I got cornered by Chris in your kitchen.”

           “What did he say? He didn’t threaten you or anything, did he?”

           “No, but he was acting weird as fuck. You know I don’t want to be around him, Evelyn.”

           “I know and I am so sorry. You know I would never intentionally put you and him in the same place like that.”

           “Still, it was creepy so I got the fuck out of there.”

           “You couldn’t have taken Riley’s annoying ass with you?”

           “Bitch, I fucking dipped the moment I seen Chris was there. I don’t want him learning where I’ve moved to.”

           “Why all the fine ones gotta be so damn crazy?”

           “Speak for yourself. Graham is sexy and is in his right mind.”

           “Mmm hmm, so why haven’t you done the deed with him?”

           “Because I’m doing things differently this time around. Besides, Graham and I have done some things. We just haven’t done everything yet.”

           She laughed and said, “You and them fine ass bearded niggas, I swear.”

           “Look, I would’ve stayed at your party a little longer had he not been there. I was going to get a drink and boom; this nigga was right there in your kitchen. Had me shook.”

           “My bad, Sony. I can’t apologize to you enough. Had I known he was here, you know I would’ve told you.”

           “Yeah, I know. It’s okay. You can make it up to me by paying for lunch tomorrow.”

           “I got you, boo-boo.”

           “I’m about to meet up with Graham and some of his friends. I’ll talk to you later, girl.”

           “Alright. Bye, love.”

           “Goodnight.” I ended the call just as the car turned onto Fulton Street. When the car pulled up to the Sprint Wireless store, I confirmed the payment to my card plus the tip and hopped out.

                                                Graham

           “There he is,” Graham said to his friends as I entered the store. He put his arm around me and told me, “We’re all about to get something to eat so…” He noticed the look on my face and asked, “Baby, is something wrong?”

           “Nothing, I’m good.”

           “Come on y’all, let’s go get something to eat.”

           “Let’s go to the IHOP on Livingston,” said one of his friends. “We can walk there from here, it’s right around the block.”

           Graham and I became friends a few weeks after I broke up with Chris. We met at a party and then later ran into each other repeatedly because he was a photographer at some of the fashion shows I worked on. So we started this friendship and for the longest, I thought he was straight. When I learned he was in fact gay, I did make some advances but I’d already told him I was recovering from a bad breakup so he insisted that we take things slow. Over four months later, we were boyfriends but we hadn’t done much past oral sex. There was reluctance on both our parts to rush things.

           As me and Graham followed behind his friends towards the IHOP, I asked him, “What made you and your friends want to hang out in a Sprint store?”

           “Phil and his girl were already there, so the rest of us met up there.”

           “Oh, okay.”

           He put his arm around me as we walked and asked, “You sure you okay, baby?”

           “Yeah. I’m sure. I wish I would’ve skipped Evelyn’s party and just met up with you. Did you drive tonight?”

           “Yeah. My car is parked down Fulton.”

           “Well, after we stuff our faces with pancakes, how about we go back to your place?”

           “My roommate is gonna be home. Why don’t we just go back to your place?”

           “No. My neighbor has been listening to some grunge music lately and he plays it really loud.”

           “I guess we can go back to my place then. It ain’t like we’re gonna do anything anyway.”

           “We’ve been doing stuff.”

           He laughed a little and put his mouth close to my ear as he whispered, “I do love the taste of that sweet ass, baby.”

           I giggled and told him, “You are so nasty.”

           After eating in IHOP with his friends, we said goodnight to them and walked to his car. He drove us to his apartment in the Crown Heights area. The real reason why I didn’t want to go back to my place was because I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure that Chris hadn’t followed me from Evelyn’s place. I hoped that he didn’t because he’d know where Graham lived, but at least he wouldn’t have known where I lived.

           “You’re lucky I cleaned this room up,” Graham said as we entered his bedroom. He closed and locked the door before telling me, “Get out them clothes.” He burst out laughing and quickly said, “I’m just playing, baby.”

           “Yeah right,” I said while rolling my eyes. I sat down on his bed and took my shoes off before asking, “Can we watch a movie? I wanna cuddle up and watch a movie.”

           “We can watch whatever you want.” He bent down and kissed my lips before pulling back and taking off his shoes.

           “Hey baby?”

           “Yeah?”

           “Do you remember the bad breakup I told you about when I first met you?”

           “Yep. What about it?”

           “At Evelyn’s party tonight, I ran into my ex.”

           The moment I said that, he froze up. He slowly sat down beside me on the bed and asked, “Did you speak to him?”

           “Yes, and it was very awkward.”

           “Awkward how?”

           “Well, he kept calling me baby and…I don’t know. It was just weird. I told him to stay away from me. I didn’t even know he’d be at the party. I left as fast as I could.”

           “Sony, what happened between you and him?”

           “A lot happened. I did tell you he’s a model and that’s how I met him. I just haven’t told you everything.” I took a deep breath before revealing, “He hit me.”

           “What?!”

           “It was only once and that was when I broke it off. We were together for two years but the day he hit me was when I ended it. But it didn’t end there. He started stalking me and I had to threaten to go to the cops to get him to back off. Then I changed jobs and moved to a different part of Brooklyn. I changed my number and blocked him from my social media accounts. Tonight was my first time seeing him since before I met you.”

           “No wonder why you’ve been acting strange tonight. Sony, why didn’t you tell me earlier tonight?”

           “Because you were with your friends and I didn’t want to burden you with nonsense.”

           “It’s not nonsense. Baby, if you need me to talk to that nigga then…”

           “No. He knows not to try anything. I’m not going to let him scare me into changing jobs and moving again.”

           “Do you still think about him?”

           “No, I don’t. The only person I think about is you. I don’t have to worry about you snapping on me or you snorting a bunch of coke and then locking me in a bathroom overnight.”

           “He’s a cokehead?”

           “I’m not sure about now but when I was with him he was. I never even tried the stuff and never will.”

           “Good, because you know how I feel about drugs. I’ve seen too many people mess their lives up over that. Damn near every model is on it. I have to use Photoshop on so many of the pics I take because so many people are strung out on that crap.”

           “Whether Chris really has changed as he claimed tonight or not, I’ll never look back at him again. That chapter of my life is closed, and nothing will reopen it.”

           Graham kissed me and made me feel comfortable as we cuddled up on his bed and watched a movie. With my head on his chest and his arms around me, I felt a level of security that I knew I wouldn’t have felt had I went home that night. But I’d later find out that it was a false sense of security. No one person can keep you safe from demons, past or present. Sooner or later, those demons catch up to you and force you to confront them head on.

[Disclaimer]: Pictures used do not reflect the sexuality or personality of people in the pictures. They only serve as visual examples of the characters.

© D.A. Morrison 2017

           The next two weeks were easily the best two weeks I’d had in a while. I spent more time with Graham and I can honestly say I’d never been happier. My boss at LeBeau Fashions was using more of my designs and was in talks with me to become head designer of my division, so I was excited about that. Everything was actually coming together for me in a way that it hadn’t in a long time. I kept hoping it would continue on that way.

           “So,” Evelyn said to me while we were eating lunch in the breakroom at work, “when are you gonna let Graham move in?”

           “We’re not ready for that yet,” I replied. “I mean, I think we’ll get to that point one day but not yet.”

           “You and him give me so much hope.”

           “Aw, Ev.”

           “I’m for real. When you told me about how he forgave you for the whole Chris thing and how you forgave him for sleeping with his ex while in Philly, my heart just melted. Y’all are so cute together and I’m glad it worked out.”

           “Me, too. I was scared for a little while but we’re gonna be okay. I know we will.”

                                                    Me (Sony)

           I didn’t have anything planned with Graham for that day, but I was still ready go home after work so I could talk to him on the phone while cooking myself something to eat. However, right after lunch we were given a last-minute job to do and I ended up having to stay at work late that night with both Evelyn and Riley. It was after ten o’clock when we finally finished and got ready to head home.

           “My Uber ride will be here soon,” I told her.

           “Okay,” said Riley. “Come on, Ev.”

           “Hold up,” I said, stopping them. “You two are riding together in Evelyn’s car? I thought you two hated each other?”

           “We’ve reached an understanding,” Evelyn admitted.

           “Yep. We both share a mutual fondness of good dick, so we figured it was pointless to keep our feud going.”

           I laughed and shook my head as I told them, “Thank goodness. Y’all were starting to get on my last nerve with the fighting.” I exited the building with them and told them, “See y’all later.”

           “Bye,” they said in unison as they headed over to Evelyn’s car.

           I watched them as they left and while waiting on my Uber to arrive, another car pulled up into the parking lot. When the door opened and Chris climbed out of it, I immediately pulled out my phone and told him, “I’m calling the police right now.”

           “Sony, chill,” he said as he stood by his car. “I’m not trying to hurt you.”

                                                        Chris

           “Leave me alone, Chris!”

           “Why are you treating me like this?”

           “Are you serious? You used a fake gun to trick me into having sex with you. You’re fucking crazy!”

           “No, I love you. And if you don’t tell Graham that me and you had sex, then I will.”

           “You’re too late.”

           “What?”

           “I already told him. Now if you don’t get the fuck out of here, I’m calling the cops and you’ll get arrested for violating the restraining order I took out on you.”

           “Damnit Sony! What the fuck is it gonna take? You need to dump that lame ass nigga and get back with me. You know you still love me.”

           “I told Graham everything and we’re still together. I don’t want you, Chris. I’ll never want you again. You tricked me and you should feel bad about that but you don’t. That tells me you still don’t get why I left you. You’re the same cokehead loser you were the day you put your fucking hands on me! Fuck you, Chris! Fuck you!”

           He snapped and grabbed me by my shoulders while telling me, “I will fucking kill you before I let you be with that nigga! Do you hear me? I’ll kill you and him!”

           My Uber driver pulled up and I kicked Chris in the nuts and ran to the car as fast as I could. I jumped in and told the driver to leave. He sped off and I looked back in the rear window to see Chris hovered over his car holding himself. I then called the cops and told them Chris had violated his restraining order. They told me they’d get a warrant to arrest him. I hadn’t been that scared before in my life. When I got home, I locked my doors and called Graham. He wanted to come over but I was scared that if he did, Chris might try something. So, I told him not to come until the next day so that the police would have time to arrest Chris.

           “Baby, you can’t stay in your apartment all day,” Graham told me over the phone. “We both have a day off from work and I want to spend it with you.”

           “The police haven’t caught him yet, Graham,” I said back. “You didn’t see the look on his face last night. He completely snapped.”

           “Sony, if he comes up then I’ll beat his ass. He ain’t that much bigger than me. I can take him.”

           “And what if he comes at us with a real gun?”

           “Then I’ll kill him. I’m not gonna let him hurt you, Sony. I promise, baby. Now I’m coming to pick you up and we’re gonna hang out, okay?”

           “Give me like fifteen minutes to get ready.”

           He laughed a little and said, “That’s what I wanna hear. I love you.”

           “And I love you, Graham. I’ll see you when you get here, baby.”

           Although I was still worried because the police hadn’t found Chris yet, I did feel a sense of safety while talking on the phone with Graham. So after getting ready, I waited for him to arrive to pick me up. When he got there, I locked my apartment up and went down to see him waiting for me outside his car. I ran up to him and hugged and kissed him for the longest.

                                                    Graham

           “Hey sexy,” he said immediately after I stopped kissing him.

           “Where are you taking me?” I asked him.

           “I got us tickets to hear some poetry over in Harlem. We can pick up something to eat over there and see what else is going on over that way. That way you won’t even have to think about Chris looking for us all over Brooklyn.”

           I threw my arms around his neck and told him, “Sounds good to me. Let’s go.”

           We climbed into his car and headed away from my apartment building. Everything was going good as we drove towards the Astoria neighborhood so that we could take the Robert F. Kennedy bridge to Harlem. But then, something crazy happened. We were sitting at a red light when someone fan into the back of Graham’s car. I looked in the rear-view mirror to see it was Chris. I didn’t know if he’d been following us the whole time or what, but he’d rammed us hard at that red light.

           “What the fuck!” Graham shouted as he took off his seatbelt.

           “Graham, don’t,” I said while grabbing his arm. “Just drive to the nearest police station, baby.”

           “I’ll kill that bitch ass nigga!”

           “Baby, he’ll run you over if you get out of this car! Just drive!”

           He put his seatbelt back on and hit the accelerator, speeding away from Chris’s car. Chris followed us and immediately caught up, ramming us in the back again. He hit us again and almost made Graham lose control of the car. Then, he pulled up alongside us and sideswiped us a few times, causing us to hit a few parked cars on the street we were driving down.

           “Make this next right, baby,” I told Graham. “There’s a police department on Astoria Boulevard!”

           “Okay, hold on, baby,” he said back before making the sharp right.

           When he made that immediate right, Chris tried to sideswipe us again but missed and lost control of his car. He crashed hard into a streetlight pole. Graham noticed it and stopped his car. He backed up and then put the car in park before hopping out.

           “What are you doing?” I asked him.

           “I’m gonna fuck him up,” he told me before hopping out of the car and running over to Chris’s car. He snatched Chris out through the driver’s side window and slammed him on the ground. He kicked Chis hard in the back and asked, “This what you wanted, right? Huh, nigga?! You done fucked my ride up, too! I will kill your bitch ass!” He stomped Chris hard in the ribs.

           “That’s enough, baby,” I told him. “Stop!” I pulled him back and held him back as Chris coughed up blood.

           He turned back over on his back and looked up at me and told me, “I love you, Sony. I just wanted you to know I love you, baby.”

           “I hate you,” I told him. “I hope going to prison was worth all of this. All you had to do was leave me alone, Chris.”

           “I couldn’t.” He coughed up more blood before telling, “I can’t stop loving you.”

           “Shut the fuck up!” Graham said before kicking him again.

           The police showed up a few moments later and placed Chris under arrest while he was being put into an ambulance. Neither me nor Graham had any bruises so after we gave our statements to the cops, we were free to go. Graham’s car was messed up but he could still drive it, so we drove away. As he drove, he looked over at me and chuckled a little while saying, “If any of your other exes ever show up, please tell me about it as soon as possible.”

           “I have an ex that lives in Texas and another is in California,” I told him with a smile. “There aren’t any more here in New York, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”

           He used his free hand to grab mine as he smiled and said, “Good.”

[Disclaimer]: Pictures used do not reflect the sexuality or personality of people in the pictures. They only serve as visual examples of the characters.

© D.A. Morrison 2017