The Other Side of the Pillow

“Floyd, you need to slow your roll. I keep telling you that. You’re married and acting more single than any single man I know. And doing all of that at work will cost you in the long run. One of these women is going to expect you to leave Courtney for her and the proverbial skeleton is going to fall out of the closet.”

“Stop trying to speak that shit into reality.”

I waved him off. “I’m going back up to my office. Do you.”

Floyd started talking to a group of candy stripers as I walked off. He was going to have to face the music sooner or later. He realized that, but, like a lot of men, decided to go for broke if

it was all eventually going to backfire anyway. Courtney was a great woman and she didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. No woman did.

Chapter Nineteen

“The most sincere feelings are the ones hardest to be expressed by words.”

—Unknown

Dad!”

I was shocked to come home one evening and discover my father sitting on my front stoop, sipping on some Gatorade.

He stood up and gave me a hug. There was a rental car parked in my driveway.

“When did you get in?” I asked, shocked because he had never alerted me that he was coming.

“I had to fly in for a conference in New York and thought I’d stop by here for a few days to spend some time with my one and only son.”

I was excited to see him. “I’m glad you’re here. Come on in.”

I unlocked the door and we went inside.

“Do you want me to grab your luggage?”

“I’ll get it later.” He went into my living room and walked around, checking everything out. “So how are things going?”

“Things are good,” I lied. “Working hard, as usual; taking after you.”

He sat down in the armchair and I sat on the sofa. “Have you eaten?” he asked. “We could go out. My treat.”

“I had a sandwich a couple of hours ago, but if you’re hungry, we can either go out or order in.” Daddy was staring at me like he was trying to read me. I didn’t like it. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’ve always been honest with you, so I’ll come right out with it. Alexis told your mother about you getting dumped; your mother called me, and told me that I needed to come check on you since she knew you’d never discuss it with her.”

“Wow, Alexis has a big mouth. I should’ve known.”

“Don’t put this off on Alexis. She’s only being a concerned sister.”

“So they called you all the way in Sweden to tell you that my woman walked out on me, and you came here? Daddy, I’m a grown-ass man.”

“Tevin, I do have a conference to attend in New York. They’re paying me ten grand to give a thirty-minute speech. But I came back stateside a couple of days early to check on you. Grown-ass man or not, you’re my legacy and any man worth his weight in pride makes sure that his legacy remains in a good place.”

My father had a way of making the most ridiculous things sound profound. I had to give it to him.

“Well, I appreciate you loving me . . . and I’ve never doubted your love for me. But there’s really nothing you can do. She’s gone.”

“What did you do to her?”

I was stunned. “Why is it always assumed that the man has to be the one to mess up a relationship?”

“Maybe it has something to do with that being the case at least eight out of ten times, possibly nine.”