seat and looked in my eyes. I knew what he was doing. Jerome was very good at reading people’s faces. But I wasn’t lying; I wanted him to leave so there wouldn’t be any confrontation.
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Aw-ight, girl, I’ll see you in the morning.” He sat back up in his seat. “Keep your head up. Remember, tomorrow’s the big meeting.”
“How could I forget? Good night, Jerome.”
I walked to the door, preparing myself mentally before placing my key in the lock and turning the knob. I had no idea what to expect from Leon. Truth is, I was glad he was home but was afraid of where things might go.
As I entered the foyer, I noticed him in the living room situated off to my right. He was sitting in the love seat by the window with a drink in his hand and a bottle of Hennessy resting on the end table next to him.
Is this his first drink, or one of many?
Suddenly, I wished I had taken Jerome up on his offer to escort me inside. Leon had never been too much of a drinker, until a few years ago when his construction company fell upon hard times after he lost a government contract. I couldn’t tell how many drinks he’d consumed, but a drunken Leon was not the person I wanted to deal with tonight. I was hoping he’d be sober so we could talk. I missed talking to him; lately all we did was argue.
“Where you been?” he asked without emotion as I entered the room.
He had some nerve asking me that after being gone all week, but I answered him nonetheless. “Jerome and I went to—”
“So, you been hanging out with that sissy again?” Leon let out a disdainful laugh. “What the hell is it about that faggot you like so much anyway?”
Oh, boy, here we go
. I hated Leon’s homophobia.
“I like him because he’s my friend, Leon,” I stated flatly. “And if you think he’s so much of a sissy, why don’t you tell him that to his face?”
“You know me, baby. I’m a lover, not a fighter,” he said with this stupid smile on his face.
That black eye I had last week says different. “You’re not funny, Leon.”
Leon frowned at me. “You act as if you like him more than you do me.”
“Damn right, sometimes I do. Jerome’s like a brother to me. When your ass isn’t around, he’s always there for me. I love you, Leon, but sometimes I don’t like you.”
“Look, I apologize. I didn’t come home to fight. I came home to be with my wife.”
That made me feel a little better, but I was still not convinced he was being sincere.
“So, why did you come home, Leon? I thought you were leaving for good.”
“This is my house, and you’re my wife. I just needed a few days to cool off.” He smiled and sipped on his drink. He even had the nerve to look sexy. “Plus, I got a call from Rashad. He congratulated me on being fully vested in his hedge fund. No need to fight if I got what I wanted.”
“True,” I replied. To be honest, that’s the way I saw it too. That’s why I gave Rashad the money. I loved my husband enough to let him win this one.
“He said you dropped off a cashier’s check.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“I’m a little confused. You said you couldn’t afford to give me my interest in your company.”
It’s our company. Why can’t he see that? We’re supposed to be a team.
“What I couldn’t afford was losing my husband. I went to the bank and got a loan.” I could tell he was shocked. I just hoped he was grateful, because I’d put our financial future on the line to keep our marriage intact.
“Thank you, baby. This is gonna be big. You’ll see.”
“I hope so, Leon. That’s a lot of money to give to one person. Every financial person I know warned me against it.” If I hadn’t already made money with Rashad—with a much smaller initial investment, mind you—I probably wouldn’t have done it.
“It will be. So, where have you and your
friend
been?” Interesting, now that he felt he’d won our fight, Leon refrained from taking jabs at my gay
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Aw-ight, girl, I’ll see you in the morning.” He sat back up in his seat. “Keep your head up. Remember, tomorrow’s the big meeting.”
“How could I forget? Good night, Jerome.”
I walked to the door, preparing myself mentally before placing my key in the lock and turning the knob. I had no idea what to expect from Leon. Truth is, I was glad he was home but was afraid of where things might go.
As I entered the foyer, I noticed him in the living room situated off to my right. He was sitting in the love seat by the window with a drink in his hand and a bottle of Hennessy resting on the end table next to him.
Is this his first drink, or one of many?
Suddenly, I wished I had taken Jerome up on his offer to escort me inside. Leon had never been too much of a drinker, until a few years ago when his construction company fell upon hard times after he lost a government contract. I couldn’t tell how many drinks he’d consumed, but a drunken Leon was not the person I wanted to deal with tonight. I was hoping he’d be sober so we could talk. I missed talking to him; lately all we did was argue.
“Where you been?” he asked without emotion as I entered the room.
He had some nerve asking me that after being gone all week, but I answered him nonetheless. “Jerome and I went to—”
“So, you been hanging out with that sissy again?” Leon let out a disdainful laugh. “What the hell is it about that faggot you like so much anyway?”
Oh, boy, here we go
. I hated Leon’s homophobia.
“I like him because he’s my friend, Leon,” I stated flatly. “And if you think he’s so much of a sissy, why don’t you tell him that to his face?”
“You know me, baby. I’m a lover, not a fighter,” he said with this stupid smile on his face.
That black eye I had last week says different. “You’re not funny, Leon.”
Leon frowned at me. “You act as if you like him more than you do me.”
“Damn right, sometimes I do. Jerome’s like a brother to me. When your ass isn’t around, he’s always there for me. I love you, Leon, but sometimes I don’t like you.”
“Look, I apologize. I didn’t come home to fight. I came home to be with my wife.”
That made me feel a little better, but I was still not convinced he was being sincere.
“So, why did you come home, Leon? I thought you were leaving for good.”
“This is my house, and you’re my wife. I just needed a few days to cool off.” He smiled and sipped on his drink. He even had the nerve to look sexy. “Plus, I got a call from Rashad. He congratulated me on being fully vested in his hedge fund. No need to fight if I got what I wanted.”
“True,” I replied. To be honest, that’s the way I saw it too. That’s why I gave Rashad the money. I loved my husband enough to let him win this one.
“He said you dropped off a cashier’s check.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“I’m a little confused. You said you couldn’t afford to give me my interest in your company.”
It’s our company. Why can’t he see that? We’re supposed to be a team.
“What I couldn’t afford was losing my husband. I went to the bank and got a loan.” I could tell he was shocked. I just hoped he was grateful, because I’d put our financial future on the line to keep our marriage intact.
“Thank you, baby. This is gonna be big. You’ll see.”
“I hope so, Leon. That’s a lot of money to give to one person. Every financial person I know warned me against it.” If I hadn’t already made money with Rashad—with a much smaller initial investment, mind you—I probably wouldn’t have done it.
“It will be. So, where have you and your
friend
been?” Interesting, now that he felt he’d won our fight, Leon refrained from taking jabs at my gay
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