It was Saturday night and Janelle and I were having a date night with Adrian and Kevin. We were going to try out pottery for the first time. Janelle and I had always talked about going, but never made the time for it. So we managed to convince Adrian and Kevin that it would be a good idea to go for a date night.
We were so excited about it that we completely ditched Kevin and Adrian by the time we got there. We didn't mean to, but we were just happy for the new experience.
After talking and molding our clay for more than ten minutes Adrian and Kevin approached us. Adrian came and sat behind Janelle to assist her and Kevin pulled up a chair in front of me. "I don't know what y'all thought this was, but this is date night. Not girls night," Kevin teased.
"Right. Don't just kick us to the curb cause y'all got what y'all wanted," Adrian added. Me and Janelle looked over at each other with an exaggerated look of surprise that sooned turned into laughter. "Alright mac daddy," I grinned, "you got it."
Me and Kevin were silent for a little while. He kept stealing glances of me every time he thought I wasn't looking. "Something on your mind Kevin," I asked, my eyes quickly looking in his direction and then away again. Kevin stopped what he was doing and looked up at me for a moment. When I noticed that he was still silent I looked up at him as I continued with my pottery. He stood up and walked around to me. He threw one leg behind me and then the other and sat down behind me. He placed his arms around mine and settled his chin into the groove of my neck and shoulder. He kissed the side of my neck.
"It's been four weeks. Have you thought about what I asked you?" He whispered as he guided my hands into the clay.
"You said no pressure," I whispered back. "I know and I meant it, but I'd be lying if I said that you not giving me a response wasn't driving me crazy," he mumbled in my ear.
"Kevin. How do you know I'm the one for you?"
"The real question is, how do you not know that you're the one for me?"
I chuckled. "Kevin, answer the question. He sighed. "Well for starters," he whispered, "you've shown me that I can trust you. You're honest and you're kind, you're intelligent, you're loyal. You're fun. Plus you make me smile when I don't want to. You're supportive and that shit turns me on," he said kissing the side of my neck. I laughed. He kissed the back of my neck and continued. "I know that you're the one for me, because when I think of my life fifteen years from now I see you in it. I see us with a family of our own and I think we're working on our sixth child, a girl---hell, maybe even twins," he joked. I chuckled. "And to be honest I would never want to imagine my life without you in it."
I stood up and turned around to face him. He licked his lips and grinned as I sat in his lap to be face to face with him. "Damn. You gettin all intimate in public and shit," he teased. "Shut up. Don't act like you don't like it," I smiled. I drapped one arm around his neck and looked at him real good for a moment.
"So whatchu gotta say? You gon' say yes?" He asked.
"Don't you at least want to hear why I'm going to say yes?" Kevin couldn't stop grinning. "Go on. I'm listening."
"You're gentle. You're patient. You're strong when I need you to be. You're God-fearing, humble, fine as hell, which is definitely a bonus," I winked. "You have all the makings of a husband. You always have my back. You listen to understand not just to respond and you care about my being inside and out; you give me what I need and not always what I want---" I paused. "And when I think about my future fifteen years from now---" Kevin grinned and let a small laugh escape his lips, "I see you in it. I see us raising children together; a bunch of little juniors running around," I chuckled, "and we're gonna be damn good parents and we're gonna be one hellofa team. I know that with you we gon' take over the world together baby."
"Oh yeah," Kevin asked as he hooked his finger under my chin and brought my lips to his. "Yeah."
"See this why we don't leave couples in here unattended," one of the pottery instructors joked when they came in. I leaned my forehead on Kevin's and chuckled. I removed myself from Kevin's lap and sat opposite of him. "We were just talking," I teased. "Mmhm. I guess y'all vocal boxes can't be heard across from each other, huh?"
"Man as low as they were talking, I ont think so," Adrian laughed.
We all laughed too. "Mind ya business," Kevin said. As the commotion died down I tended back to my pottery and eyed Kevin over from the distance between us. "I love you," I mouthed. Kevin grinned and winked at me. "I love you too," he mouthed back.
...
Wednesday afternoon
"Aye Alyssa!"
I turned around to see Ron jogging up to me. I took a deep breath and exhaled. "What? Ron? What can I help you with today?" I said dryly.
"Can I talk to you in private?"
"What matter does this concern Ron? Why can't we talk right here?"
"Because this matter concerns the both of us."
"I fail to see how anything connecting to you concerns me."
"If you just come with me I'll fill you in on those details."
I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe I'm about to say this," I mumbled, "make it quick. I don't have all day." He instructed for me to follow him as he started to head a short distance away from campus. "This better not be no dumb shit." Once we were out of sight Ron turned around to face me.
"Okay what is it," I huffed.
Ron took a deep breath. "I love you."
I sucked my teeth. "Nigga are you serious? I have a boyfriend and I'm happy and here you come with the 'I love you and I always have' bullshit. Nigga bye." I turned to walk away, but Ron quickly grabbed me by my wrist.
"Wait. Don't go. Don't you at least want to explore this? Find out if Kevin is really what you want?"
"I am happy. Why don't you get that?"
"Because I can't wrap my head around the idea that the woman I am in love with; my bestfriend, is with someone else!"
"We haven't been best friends in a while and I think you know why. Why you keep pushing for something that isn't there Ron? I'm tired of doing this with you. Move on. I have."
"Because I can't forget that night together like you can. It meant something to me."
"Well it obviously didn't mean much, because the first chance you got you ditched me for some flaky ass bitch who spent y'all whole relationship trying to sabotage anything that I had good in my life and you never stuck up for me once. So forgive me if I don't believe you when you say that you love me. Forgive me when I have finally moved on after waiting for you and realizing that you were never gonna show up. I am with Kevin now and I love him. How many ways do I have to say it? I don't want you. Stop trying to make us happen, because it never will. You had an opportunity years ago and you blew it. This time I don't lose. You do." I turned around and made my way back to campus.
"If you don't take a chance on us I'll---"
I tuned back around to face him. I swiftly walked over to him and got in his face. "You'll what?"
He smirked. "I'll send our sex tape to Kevin and where ever else I choose to." I stepped back from him. "You---you recorded us having sex?" I stood baffled. I shook my head. "No. You're bluffing." He unlocked his phone to reveal, only seconds later, a very intimate video of us.
"How could you do that to me?" Tears were beginning to well in my eyes. "You've really betrayed my trust Ron." I started to walk away. "You know what. I get that you don't care about my feelings now, but back then we were friends or so I thought and you harbored a video in your phone, and who knows where else, of your "best friend" in the most vulnerable way possible. You're dispicable," I scoffed. Before I turned to leave I had to say one final thing. "You know what? Do what you want with the video. I will not be manipulated by you."
"You have until the end of next week to decide," he shouted out behind me.
...
Five days later.
"Janelle we need to talk. I don't know how long I can sit with this."
Janelle side-eyed me. "Uh. Sit with what bitch?"
I came right out with it and told her. "Ron has a sex video of me and him."
Janelle's mouth hung open. "Bitch what! Is it recent? You gotta give me all the details."
"It's not recent. It's from about a year or so ago. He's threatening to send it to Kevin and whoever else if I don't give him a chance."
"Aaand you're not gonna---"
"Girl hell no. I am not entertaining Ron. I told him to do whatever he wants with it. I'm not giving him any control over me."
"Does Kevin know about the sex tape, about you and Ron? Anything?"
"He knows about me and Ron. I was upfront with Kevin about everything in my past. That's why he doesn't like Ron now, because he knows how he treated me. If he finds out about this he's going to be livid."
"Who's gonna be livid about what," Kevin said from behind us. Janelle and I both jumped. "Got damn nigga! Make some noise next time or something. You scared the shit out of us," Janelle exclaimed. Kevin slightly grinned. "My bad y'all. So what were y'all talking about?" I looked over at Janelle and she looked at me. "Weeell," Janelle started. Kevin took a seat beside me. "What's up?"
I might as well just come out with it I said to myself. "A few days ago Ron told me that he has a sex tape of me and him from a while ago. He's threatening to release it if I don't give "us" a chance. But I'm not worried and I'm not feeding into his bs." Kevin sat silent for a few seconds.
I raised my eyebrow. "Baby? You alright?" Kevin looked up at us. "Uh huh," he said just before hopping up. "I told this nigga to stop fuckin' with you and he still at it. I'm not playing nice any more. I'm sick of this shit. I'm bout to go hunt this nigga down and handle it." Before I could try to talk Kevin out of it he said, "Baby I love you, but please don't try to stop me. I've tried it your way, but he's not getting the message." Kevin gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and headed for the door. "I'll call you."
I looked at Janelle worried. "Don't worry. Kevin knows how to handle himself. He'll be alright. I can't say the same for Ron though," she laughed.
...