Authors: Samantha Forest
“You’ve been looking awful when you come into the office every morning. Does Sandra know about us?” he asked. That was the last thing he wanted, to have that crazy woman after them. He loved Alvin, and he wanted to be with him.
“No, but it’s getting worse when I’m at home. I feel like when I’m around her I’m a prisoner trapped in my own place, but when I’m with you, I feel like all of that tension goes away. I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right to be with her anymore. I feel like I’m only hurting myself, but I don’t know what to do,” he told Tatsuya/
“You should do what your heart wants. To be honest Alvin, I never thought that I would find you as something more than a friend. I always thought that you would be a great boss, but when I got closer to you, I wanted to be with you. I lusted for you, because you were a man who needed someone who could take control, and I’m glad that I did what I did that first night. But when I started to hang around you more, everything changed,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Alvin asked.
“I mean that I’ve felt something I’ve never felt with another man before. Sure I had my flings back in the day and was even committed to a man once, but it was nothing like this. No, I think I feel something I’ve always wanted to feel but didn’t know how to express it,” he said to Alvin.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Tatsuya moved up, pressing his lips to Alvin’s with a smile. He pulled away, grinning at him.
“I love you Alvin. I want to be with you. And most of all, I want you to be happy. I know that you’re suffering at home, and you should do what your heart wants. I know that you don’t want to be there anymore, but I can tell that the only way to get out is to tell her. Tell her you don’t want to be with her, and I can assure you that you will feel better.
“Do you really think so? I’ve never been that harsh with a person before,” he said. He felt bad that he was thinking about leaving his wife, but it seemed like the romance was gone, replaced with a fake set of feelings that they kept around.
“I’m sure. Because I know for a fact that it will be better this way. I love you, and if you love me, you’ll do what makes your heart happy,” he said.
Tatsuya kissed him again, and Alvin kissed him back. Soon, he realized what he needed to do, and that was to get her out of his life and to be with the man that had changed him, the man that loved him despite it all.
***
Alvin went home, preparing for all of this. He thought about what Tatsuya had said to him, and he knew that this was the best thing to do. When he got there though, he noticed his wife was at the kitchen table, glaring at him with a glance.
“Hey there,” he said.
“Hi. So I know about the new man,” she said.
He looked at her with horror present on his face. He couldn’t believe it. How did she find out?
“What do you mean?” he asked her.
“Don’t play dumb. I know you’ve been seeing another man. His name is Tatsuya, and he’s been close to you for a bit now. That’s why you’ve been getting home so late. I went through your emails and text messages, and I found them. I can’t believe you,” she said.
He looked at her, but deep down, he didn’t feel ashamed. He knew that this was bound to happen. He wasn’t going to lie to her when it came to this.
“I know you’re mad, but it’s my choice. I’m sorry you had to find out that way, but I wanted to discuss this matter with you as well. I don’t think we should be together anymore, Sandra,” he said.
“And why not? You ready to go off to your little Asian boyfriend and leave me? I can’t believe you Alvin, I was with you the entire time, and I thought you loved me,” she said.
“I thought I did too, but then I saw the real you. The side that was tired of me, the side that didn’t want to have sex with me, the side that would rather spend time with her sister and friends than me. Listen Sandra, I know that you’re upset, but you have a hand to play in this too. I tried to talk to you, really did, but you left before I could say anything most of the time. You don’t care. Don’t pretend to care,” he said.
“I loved you Alvin,” she said.
“Bullshit. I know you don’t anymore. You acted like you did when the kids were around because it would save face with Luke and Jude. But they’re fine. They’ll be okay because they’re teens now and have other friends. They don’t need me. I’m sorry Sandra, but I can’t go on like this. I know that you don’t care, so quit pretending that you give a fuck now to help with the situation. I don’t regret anything I’ve done, but rather, I’m ready to make the changes that will allow me to change the way that I’ve been, to have a better life, and to be with the person I really love. I’ll give you a place and you can keep the kids, but I don’t want to live trapped by your yoke anymore. I’m done,” he said to her. He knew this was a risky statement. He was going to ask for a divorce. Sandra looked like she was about to argue, but then she stopped.
“You know what? Fine, take your fucking divorce. I’ll have the kids and the house. I have my own company, you can just move out. Have a nice life,” she replied.
She stamped out, and soon he heard the clatter of clothes being thrown around. It was going to be rough, but he couldn’t leave himself in this rut.
The next three months were hard, with the divorce finally settling in. He didn’t mind it, but he was also feeling stressed by that. He moved in with Tatsuya, and soon they managed to get their own place together. About a year later, the mention of his ex-wife was now gone. He knew that Luke and Jude did miss him, but he knew that he couldn’t talk to them cause of his crazy ex. It’s just, when he looked at Tatsuya, he could feel safe.
One night, they were out on the balcony of their new home, sipping some wine and looking at the stars.
“It’s amazing how in a year everything had changed,” Tatsuya said.
“You’ve said it. I never thought that I would get out from the pain that she brought me,” he replied.
“I’m glad that I could save you. I know it was hard on all of us, and when I heard her call me those slurs, I about socked her, but I know that for you I would do anything. I would do anything to make you smile Alvin, and I know that even with the company and all the other bullshit we had to deal with, we’ll still have each other,” Tatsuya said.
Alvin listened to that, he couldn’t help but agree. He loved Tatsuya, and he could see his true side once they moved in. Tatsuya woke him up, helped him get out of the mess that he was in, and he knew that no matter what, everything would be okay.
“You’re right. The company is stronger than ever, and I have you by my side. The other coworkers didn’t seem offended by it, and I know that everything will be okay. We got the divorce finalized, so now she’s out of my life forever. Luke and Jude know of me, so if they want to see me when they turn 18, they can. For now, I’m happy that I stopped lying to myself, and I’m happy that I chose you instead of the misery I would’ve been subjected to otherwise,” he told Tatsuya.
Tatsuya planted a passionate kiss on his lips and pulled away, smiling warmly.
“I can’t help but utterly agree with you there babe,” he replied.
The two of them kissed under the stars that night, and Alvin knew he made the right decision. Yes, the road was hard, and they planned to take things very slow and not have a wedding for a long time, but he was happier than ever. Tatsuya showed him a life he always wanted, a life that changed him for the better, and he knew right now that he had no intentions of ever looking back at the dark and horrendous part of his past ever again.
*****
THE END
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The Billionair
e’s Secret Thug
by Patricia Vanzant
Jeremy seemed to have the perfect life. He was sitting atop his penthouse executive office, staring out into the city thinking about what he had accomplished so far in his life. To him, it didn’t feel like he was perfect. He was the head of Finite Industries, one of the best consulting agencies in the country. He knew that from the moment he said goodbye to Darrius, his childhood best friend back in the day that it would be like this, but he didn’t know what to think of it all. As he looked out at the skyline below, he realized what he had done. He had become a billionaire. He was part of the one-percent, which to most can seem incredible, but to him felt miserable.
“Shit, why do I feel this way?” he asked himself. He got like this every now and then. He had a great life, but there was always that one little thing that made him go from feeling like he had it all to wondering just exactly what he was missing in his life.
He stared at the statistics for his company. Since the startup five years ago, it had grown to one hundred times the size it had been before. It was shocking to feel this wave of excitement as he looked at the graph. Even though it had been five years of success, it had also been nine years of emptiness. Jeremy had left his best friend Darrius when he decided to go to college, and from there, his life had changed.
Of course, Jeremy never felt like he belonged in that world anyway. Jeremy grew up in the bad part of town. The part of town that people tried to spend as little time as possible in. But Jeremy had more of an idealistic thought about that area. Sure it was dangerous, and there were times when he feared for his own life, but Darrius, his best friend throughout most of his life, was always there to protect him. Darrius was the man who saved his ass more times than he could count, and he would probably be dead on the streets if it weren’t for him.
Jeremy and Darrius were best friends. Darrius was black, a man who was from a family that was respected in the hood. When people saw the two guys together, they would always criticize Darrius for his choice of friends. Jeremy was constantly harassed for being white, but Darrius was always there to save the day. He knew that Darrius was probably the reason why he was able to have the success he had, but before they were able to realize how important they were to each other, Jeremy’s parents forced him to leave the area he was living in. They refused to allow Jeremy to continue to live in this desolate place. Sure they had some money, but not enough to leave the area. Plus, it was strange, but his mom was happy to live here despite the fact that it was dangerous according to many people. Jeremy ended up getting a scholarship to one of the best schools in the country, and when that happened, it was time for the two men to part.
Jeremy still wondered to this day if he would ever see Darrius again. Darrius was his rock when he was younger, a man that he could trust. Some probably thought they were gay for each other or something, but it was never like that. Rather, it was like they were brothers, two men who cared about one another more than life itself. It was strange, but Jeremy had a strong heart for the other man, and to this day, he still regretted ditching him all those years ago.
“I still can’t believe I did that,” he muttered to himself. He still couldn’t bring himself to realize exactly what he had done, and the regret still haunted him. He left the office that night, shooting a text to his wife Francine that he would be back late, and that he was going to work at the local café. He needed a break from the life he created, and he wanted to collect his thoughts.
When he got to the café however, something felt different. He didn’t know what it was, but it was almost as if he was feeling a familiar presence. Could it be? Could it really be him? It couldn’t be, especially considering his situation. He shunned Darrius after his parents sent him off to college, and when he thought about all of that he regretted it.
Darrius was adamant about staying in communication with Jeremy, and initially Jeremy was all for that. He thought that it was right to talk with his best friend all the time, and to let him know about what was going on with the college life. But shortly thereafter, Jeremy left the other man, and he stopped answering Darrius’ calls and text messages. It bothered Darrius, until one day Jeremy just up and blocked him. Call it what you want, but Jeremy did it because he felt ashamed to be associating himself with the other man. He never told Darrius that, but he was trying to forget the hood past that he had left behind.
When he stepped into that café and got a look at the black man over at the corner of the room, the regret immediately flushed over him. He looked there, jarring his gaze away when the barista called out to him. He rushed over, ordering a decaf tea and a small sandwich. He continued to look at the other man, realizing the truth. It really was him, and it was the start of the flood of regret and hate for himself that he had.
“Shit. I can’t believe this,” he muttered to himself. But he could, and at that present moment, he couldn’t turn his gaze away. Jeremy saw Darrius for the first time in nine years, and the feelings from the past immediately washed over him. His mind starting flooding with thoughts, what would happen between both of them? Would they be able to talk out the past? Or would it be just another encounter in the book of life?