The Other Side of the Pillow

I stopped massaging him and walked around the chair to look down on him. “Tevin, I already told you that Floyd only did what he thought was best. He honored my request and I appreciate that.”

Tevin glared at me. “You do realize that I can never trust him. I should’ve never trusted h

im in the first place. Any man who fucks half of the women at work and then smiles up in his wife’s face is a damn good liar. I should call Courtney and rat his ass out.”

It was not the norm for someone to render me speechless but that was exactly what happened when Tevin blurted that out about Floyd.

He stared at me. I stared at him. We both knew the situation that we now faced. It was unwritten man code and woman code that once either knew that one of their friends or relatives had a cheating spouse or mate, the man should feel obligated to tell the other man and the woman should be obligated to tell the other woman. It was so obvious that I decided to call him on it.

“So, you’re going to put that burden on me?”

Tevin lowered his eyes.

I went and sat back down on the sofa.

For a few moments, we sat in silence.

Tevin finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Jemistry. I didn’t mean to put Floyd’s business out there but I was pissed.”

“You do realize that you just told me that Floyd is a man whore? And that now I can either betray my friend by allowing her to believe that her husband is faithful, or I can conspire against her, hope she never finds out the truth another way, and that she never asks me if I already knew.”

“Kind of like you enlisting Floyd to conspire with you against me, huh?”

We were about to have a serious argument and we both recognized that. He was not ready to drop it.

“For the last time, Tevin. I asked Floyd and Courtney to give me time, and allow me the opportunity to tell you when I was ready. There was never a single moment in time when you wouldn’t have known about our child. Abortion never crossed my mind, and I would never have raised your child without you playing a significant role in their upbringing.

“You’re one of the most loving men—persons—that I’ve ever met and my child is blessed to have you as their father. Even if we never got back together, it was a given that you would be ever-present.”

Tevin sat up on the edge of the armchair and reached for me. I scooted over on the sofa so he couldn’t.

“No, let me finish my thought. On the flip side, what you told me is completely different. Are you going to sit here and say that, sans you spilling the proverbial beans, that Floyd was eventually going to tell Courtney that he’s fucking around on her?”

Tevin sighed. “No, I guess not.”

“Exactly!” I paused. “How long has he been cheating and with how many women?”

“Why would you want to know all that? Isn’t that making it worse?” he asked and sat back, settling into the cushions. “That’ll only give you more information you have to cover up.”

“I don’t have to cover up a damn thing. I’m not sure why you would think that I would.”

He went into a panic and loosened his tie. “It’s not our place to interfere in their marriage, Jemistry.”

“How long and how many? You said that you’d never lie to me. Like a bad defense attorney, you’ve introduced this evidence into the mix, so now you have to give me full disclosure.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Tevin, here’s your chance to prove that you’re not a liar. I should be upset about the fact that you’ve been cosigning on his behavior and then going over to their house and smiling all up in Courtney’s face. That says a lot about you, and it’s nothing nice.”

Tevin practically catapulted out of the chair then. “Hold up!” He started pacing the floor with an attitude. “I hope you’re not trying to imply that I’m the navigator of Floyd’s dick!”

“That’s not what I’m implying at all. What I am saying is that you always pride yourself on what you will or will not do to a woman—me in particular—and yet you’ve been apparently idly sitting by while Floyd not only dicks down various women but risks the health of his wife in the process.”

I stood up as well. “All this shit being spread around today and he’s fucking random broads? He could bring anything home to her and you think that’s cool?”

“Hell no, I don’t think it’s cool! I’m the one who’s been telling Floyd he needs to stop before the shit catches up to him. I’ve warned him over and over that he needs to grow the fuck up and do the right thing.”

“And what did he say?”