Russell Grant awoke dreading what this day
would bring. He and Crystal were
constantly at each other’s throats, but last night they shared a passionate
evening without exchanging harsh words towards one another.
He rolled over in bed wrapping his arms
around her soft shoulders. His first
class did not start until noon, but Crystal would be getting up soon to go to
work, and he wanted to embrace the memories from the night before. He nuzzled the nape of her neck, causing her
to stir. “Good morning beautiful,” he said in a low husky voice.
She used her hands warding off his advances
and scooted over on the bed. “Not now, Russell.
I have a couple of minutes before the alarm goes off.”
“All I said was good morning. I guess me saying that bothers you now.” He whipped the cover off his body and got out
of the bed.
Crystal groaned sitting on the side of the
bed. Removing the scarf from around her
hair letting the false locks fall around her shoulders. “This isn’t working for
me,” she said nonchalantly.
“What isn’t working for you?”
“This relationship, isn’t working
anymore. I’m moving out, Russell.”
The shock stopped him from entering the
bathroom. “Are you serious? Crystal, I know I have not been around much. I thought you understood when I took on more
work, I would be home late because of the tutoring, and on Saturday’s I have
training classes at the gym.”
“Yeah well I thought I could handle it
until your sessions at the gym began to last all day. You never have time for us to do anything on
Saturday nights anymore. Those
out-of-shape slobs see more of you than I do.”
“Come on, give me a break. Those people pay good money for my services;
I’m obligated to help them get healthy.”
“Those people aren’t going to look like you,
Russell. They should accept being fat
and get over dreaming of looking like you.
Good grief, a miracle of Godly proportion couldn’t help them achieve
your body.”
He put his hands on his hips. Russell kept fit and his body showed it.
Thick muscular arms, a flat stomach ripping six-pack abs led down to a trim
waist, firm buttocks, and long legs that ended in size twelve feet to support
his six-foot frame. His hair was low cut and he kept his facial hair to a
minimum sporting only a goatee. He’d
worn the bald look for the longest but decided to let his hair grow on
Crystal’s suggestion.
Russell Grant not only possessed
intelligence. He was articulate, handsome, athletic, and a magnet for women on
the prowl. Unfortunately, he had to turn down the aggressive women because of
Crystal. His devotion to building a life
with her was his priority after Lauren defined their relationship as best friends.
He yearned for Lauren Bennett the day she
moved into his apartment building, but her heart lay with one man—Marcus
Winters. When she married Marcus, he had
no choice but to move on. He and Crystal
dated on and off before, they decided to be exclusive, and move in together.
When he grew tired of teaching high school
math, he quit to fill a position offered to him by a former professor of his at
Cleveland State University, teaching advanced math. Although he loved his job it along with other
activities that consumed his time, had caused a major strain on their
relationship. He’d met Crystal through Lauren two years ago, and what started
out as a “dream come true”
flip-flopped more than what he cared to admit into a “Nightmare on Elm Street”.
He shook his head staring at the woman,
whose sweet and gentle nature first drew him to her. He could not recall when she turned into the prima
donna and selfish woman she was now.
Lately, her attitude made his stomach turn. His two best friends had been trying to
persuade him to drop the diva and get a woman who appreciated him; he was beginning
to agree with them.
“I’m
not even going to dignify that with a response.
I’m going to take my shower.”
“This is why we are done, Russell. You never want to talk about why we are
falling away from each other.”
“You remind me every day my work is the
cause of our problems.”
“Your work is dragging me down and the main
reason I’ve decided to leave your boring butt!”
He flung around to face her. “This
apartment cost money, Crystal! Those clothes in the closet didn’t grow there,
and the expensive dinners you like, aren’t free! I have to work to keep you in
the lifestyle you’ve suddenly chosen for yourself.”
She rolled her neck bucking her eyes. “You make it seem like I don’t work! I do
contribute to this household, but I shouldn’t give you a dime. You asked me to move in. I was perfectly happy living with my mother
who didn’t charge me a cent.”
“You’re thirty-three! When were you
planning on leaving your mother’s house?”
“I don’t have to explain anything to
you. You begged me to move in; it’s your
responsibility to take care of my needs….plain and simple.”
Incensed, his nostrils flared. “Hell, I
practically do! By the time you buy your fake hair, fake nails, and everything
else that ain’t real on your body, you only had a dime left to pay towards
living expenses! But, Crystal, did I complain?”
She did not answer but glared at him as he
ranted. “Most women would appreciate a
hardworking man who provides for his woman. I work my ass off and you’re making
it obvious you don’t appreciate it.”
“So you’re saying you work those extra jobs
because of me? Well you won’t have to do that anymore.” Crystal walked over to him lowering her
tone. She patted his smooth creamy
caramel-colored cheek. “I need a man to
fulfill my desires on a routine basis, not whenever you get a day off to get
around to it.”
His brain screamed to snatch her wrist from
his face and twist it off. He refrained
by moving his head away from her. “Be gone by the time I get home from work.
Make sure all your shit goes with you. I
don’t need you making excuses to come back to the apartment; especially when
your delusional world comes crumbling down and you need a place to stay.”
“I’m delusional? Russell, I am in this
relationship alone! I come home, you aren’t here. I prepare a romantic evening for us, you call
saying you will be late. Did you forget
we were supposed to go to Vegas at the end of the month? I bet you did and can’t make the trip.”
“I asked you not to book that trip because
finals were coming around. You knew I
would be busy with study groups and not be able to get away.”
She stomped across the room getting her
purse. Digging for her checkbook, she
began to write hastily. “Here is a check
for your portion of the trip. I’ve
already invited another friend and it would not be fair for you to pay for
their vacation.”
His anger hit the boiling degree and his
ears were hot enough to shoot steam. He
had to fight to keep it together.
Pointing a finger in her direction, he narrowed his eyes spewing, “Make
sure I get every damn cent of my money!”
He stormed into the bathroom slamming the door behind him.
This was how most of their mornings or
evenings began or ended. Since they had
made love last night, he thought this morning would be different. His arms
spread across the sink balancing his upper weight. Contemplating on what to do about his current
situation, he closed his eyes. Maybe she
is right about calling it quits.
Russell took his shaver from the cabinet
and began to trim his goatee when she began banging on the bathroom door. “I’ll be out in minute,” he yelled clicking
off the shaver.
“Come out now!”
Here
we again. He opened the door.
“What!”
She stood in a daze shaking his cellphone
in his face—he repeated, again. “What? Was it ringing?”
Her dark brown eyes glared balls of fire.
“You’re still talking to her!”
“Talking to her—who?”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” she said
scrolling through the phone. “You have
more than ten calls to Lauren Bennett.
Excuse me, Lauren Winters.”
He snatched the phone from her. With a scowl on his face, he said meanly, “So
what. You know I talk to Lauren—why are
you trippin’.”
“She’s married Russell. They have kids. Why can’t you let her go?”
“Marcus doesn’t have a problem with us
being friends, why do you?”
“Marcus doesn’t know you’re in love with
his wife.”
Tapping the phone against the palm of his
hand, he felt the burning rage gurgling in the pit of his stomach. “You’ve been sniffing too much nail polish. I
don’t talk to you about Lauren for this very reason.”
“Deny it, Russell. Tell me you don’t have lingering feelings for
that woman?”
He clamped his hands over his head gritting
his teeth. “I’m not in love with Lauren.
She’s happy with her life and I’m happy for her.”
Rudely Crystal replied. “Yeah sure you
are.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I worked for her. I would overhear the
conversations you two had in her office.”
“Then you know it was all platonic.”
“Russell, how do you make time to see her?”
She asked with a mock on her face.
Frustrated he shook his head. “You need to take this bullshit to the other
side of the room and outta of my face.”
“Answer me or I will assume you have been
with her in ways not platonic.”
He threw up his arms. “Assume what you gotta assume but I’m done
arguing.” Before he could turn to enter
the bathroom, he caught out the corner of his eye, Crystal reaching over to the
dresser. He wasn’t quick enough to duck
and avoid her aim.
Crystal grabbed a handful of decorative
stones surrounding a scented candle throwing them in his direction. As he turned around, the small stones hit him
in the face and chest. “Ouch! Dammit, Crystal! What the fuck is wrong with
you?”
She paced the bedroom. Anger lines filled her makeup-free face. “I
can’t believe you’ve been cheating on me and with her of all people. She wrecked Marcus’ first marriage so I don’t
know why I’m surprised.”
He rubbed his face where the stones pelted
him. “Jealousy is an ugly color on you.
How can you talk about her and call yourself her friend at the same
time?”
“Her lip did a downward turn. “Some friend;
I got stuck with you while she waltz away with a freaking millionaire.”
“You ain’t stuck anymore, get your shit, and go
before I do something I’ll regret.” He
said slamming the bathroom door.
Copyrighted by BooksbyToye
