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“We broke up.”
I dropped the barbells. They met the floor with a reverberating crash that matched my feelings about the matter at hand.
Stephen had been somewhat mottled on the video chat, but I could still see the disappointment on his face. “Man, you’re going to be breaking up with your floor.”
“Sorry, I’m frustrated.”
“When did this happen?”
“The day before Thanksgiving.”
Stephen looked all kinds of confused. “Why would you break up before the holidays?”
“It wasn’t my idea.”
Stephen’s frown deepened. “Kim broke up with you?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened?”
“Sex.”
Stephen’s frown turned into a scowl. “Explain, bruh.”
“I’m sick of waiting for us to get to it. We’ve been exclusive for seven months. She keeps saying she wants to wait until marriage. I’m not waiting until marriage.”
“Clyde, you really, really like this woman.”
“I don’t deny that. She’s special.”
“Special is an understatement. Stop flexing. You know you’re in love.”
I sighed. “Okay, so maybe I have some extra kind of feelings for her, but that doesn’t mean I want to get married.”
“All dogs eventually have to stop running.”
“The sex thing is driving me insane.”
Stephen laughed.
“It’s not funny. I mean, Tamar is a beautiful woman. But Kim is stacked. She’s got meat in all the right places and in all the right proportions. You know I like my women robust.”
“Robust sounds like a coffee roast.”
“Whatever, robust, big, I’m saying, the curves are crazy and she works out. Everything is bigger, but tight you know.”
“That’s what’s wrong with you. Stop looking at the curves. Keep your eyes up and your mind on her heart.”
“I’m not like you, Stephen. I need sex.”
“You couldn’t possibly think being celibate for five years was easy. I guarantee you it was not. All you know is what I did. You don’t know how many times I got in my car headed for a club. How many times I pulled a woman’s number out of my pocket and reached for my phone to call, or even the times when I let someone in my hotel room and turned her around back out the door. Just because I did it, doesn’t mean it was easy. I’m not the Black Panther. I’m a man with all the same needs as other men.”
“But you got that extra, Holy Spirit thing. I don’t have it.”
Stephen groaned. “Man, you have it. You don’t talk to him. Relationship is what makes him real to you.”
“I believe in God, but I don’t believe I have to have his okay on everything. I also don’t think I have to do all the stuff in the Bible. The book is a million years old.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Stephen said. “I’m telling you, you’re going to regret it. A good woman isn’t easy to find.”
“I’m not looking for a good one.” I chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I’m looking for a bad one right now.”
Stephen shook his head.
“With low self-esteem and no standards.” I chuckled again, but the pain in my heart wasn’t funny. I missed Kim. “Anyway, I wanted to wait until after the holidays.”
Stephen nodded. “I knew it. Love. The old Clyde always broke up with a woman before the holidays. Avoiding buying gifts.”
“You have the wrong idea about my past breakups. I was setting them free to meet a new man at the holiday parties. It wasn’t about the gifts. I usually brought them wonderful gifts. It helped to ease my guilt.”
Stephen frowned. “I never knew that.”
“I have a trail of women who were glad to get rid of me. My exit comes with a designer handbag or diamond earrings. It depends on how long we were kickin’ it.”
“Well, if you do that for a woman you don’t love, what are you going to buy Kim?”
“A yacht or a house or something I guess.” I hesitated. “A new salon.”
“A salon might be something she wants. She’s moving to Jersey.”
I tried not to show real interest. “Since when?”
“Since she has an opportunity to do some weddings with Deniece Malcolm, the celebrity wedding planner we used.”
“Ethan Wright’s wife.”
Stephen nodded. “I don’t know any of the details, but I think it’s a done deal.”
“Well, even if I offered a salon, I doubt she’d accept it. She won’t take a Christmas gift from me.”
“Speaking of Christmas gifts...” Stephen drew out the word. “I need a huge favor.”
I frowned. “What’s up?”
“I’m not getting out of here today, and Tamar needs to get to Pine. My cousin was my backup, but he has the flu.”
I nodded. “I’m mean yeah, man. I know she’s got to get there. I’m not doing anything.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
“Anything for Tamar. She’s made my best friend so happy I owe her for life.”
“I wasn’t that miserable before.”
I chuckled, because we could laugh about it now. “You were, bruh. That long year during your recovery and you all being broken up was tragic. I could hardly stand it.”
“I try to block that out.”
“Who would have thought that a year later you two would be pregnant?”
“Me.” Stephen flexed. “I put in work.”
I laughed.
“Anyway, I’m going to make my last appeal to you. I think you should fight for what you had.”
“We weren’t going to make it. Breaking up sooner is better than later.”
A server carrying a tray of beers interrupted Stephen. He declined. “I guess, man. But I’d rather see you go the grown-up route. Settle down. Let a woman love you and you love her. It’s a beautiful thing.”
“You’re right, but this is bigger than me. Kim wants a church-going man. She’s hinted too many times that she thinks she deserves better, so she should go find it.”
Stephen was interrupted by a team member. “Look, I have to go. Thanks for taking Tay. Call me once you get on the road and pack a bag. The weather is going to be bad tonight so you’ll definitely have to stay. Hanging until Christmas would be nice too.”
“I don’t know about Christmas, but a few days in your crib with your cook, ha! It’ll be my pleasure. Call him and ask him to make that roast.”
Stephen laughed. “I’ll take care of it. Plan for the week. We’d love to have you.”
He ended the video chat. I showered and packed a bag. As I was leaving my bedroom, I glanced at the picture of Kim and I that she’d framed from our trip to St. John a few months ago. Her sly smile teased me. Her chocolate eyes sparkled, even in print. Her curly hair was pulled into a high ponytail. I loved her hair. I was a good-looking man – I knew that, but in a photo next to Kim, I disappeared.
Kim chuckled. Trying to steal a peek at my driver’s license, she stretched her neck. “I’ve never met a Clyde before.”
“Are you about to make fun of my name right now?”
She pushed her back into the sofa and raised her knees to her chest. “No, I’m saying, I haven’t.”
“Clyde is short for Cleophus.”
“Seriously?” She really didn’t believe me.
“It’s my middle name. My first name is Emmit.”
I handed her the license. “Emmit Cleophus Stowe?”
She stared at it like I’d made it up. She raised her head. “You’re not that old. Did somebody not like you or what?”
“You’re a buster, you know that?” I took my license out of her hand. “I was named after my grandfather. My mother couldn’t pass on the opportunity, but don’t worry, you won’t have to have any Clyde juniors.”
Kim snatched back her head. “Are you even thinking about a junior?”
“I’m not thinking about it—like actively thinking right now. But one day maybe.” I took the drink in her hand and took a sip before saying, “Let’s change the subject.”
My phone rang and I swiped the screen for the call from Tamar. I knew why she was calling. “I’m on the way right now.”
“Okay because the weather is supposed to get nasty tonight.”
“I know and I’m walking out the door.”
We ended the call. I took the picture and shoved it into the top drawer and exited the bedroom.
