Chapter Ten
On the ride home, Michelle was furious but didn’t want to show her true feelings. Right when she thought she had found the perfect man to call her own, she had unintentionally re-introduced him to his long-lost love.
Michelle interrogated Marcus as soon as he entered the car, and she could tell by his facial expression that he was thrilled to have been reunited with Gracie. When she asked Marcus about his relationship with Gracie, he stumbled on words but let her know that they had dated in high school.
“Really?” Michelle responded, sarcasm dripping off each letter. “I should have known by your ever loving expression. Did you forget that I was even standing there, Marcus?”
“Aw Michelle, what is that supposed to mean? Gracie and I were friends before and after we dated. I was just happy to see her, that’s all.”
Marcus and Michelle had been dating for three months and all was well. Except for a little petty jealousy around other women, he had no significant doubts about her. But his suspicions were growing. Yet and still, with seeing Gracie, he would indeed open his options and not jump in too deep with Michelle, or anyone else for that matter. All in all, he had to do what he had to do. He knew where his heart was and always had been.
“So are you going to start going to the gym there?” Michelle was ready to stop any tricks Marcus had up his sleeves. “Since, you know, your friend owns the place.”
After his slight laughter subsided, Marcus knew he had to talk to Michelle. “Look, Michelle. You do not have anything major to worry about. I mean, we are dating and it was agreed that we should date other people as well, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s not worry about any of that. Let’s just enjoy the time that we have together. I don’t know anything about Gracie as she is now and I again am just simply happy to see her again. I will be totally honest with you when I tell you that I probably will visit the gym on a customer level because I patronize African American businesses and because she’s my friend, and I think it’s necessary.”
“By all means, don’t get too offended. I’m a big girl, Marcus; I was just curious. She’s your friend and you should support her. She just might need it.”
“She might need it? Looks as the though the gym is doing pretty good to me. I mean, the door was swinging while we were there. And that was what? Ten, fifteen minutes at the most?”
“Well, maybe it’s a rumor, but word around the gym was that she was dumped not too long ago, and she didn’t even see it coming. I heard through the grapevine that she’s really down in the dumps. She might need some cheering up.”
“Oh. Hmm. Well if that is true, so be it. Things happen in life. Good and bad. Isn’t that what you told me what happened between you and your last boyfriend?”
Michelle looked Marcus with an I know he didn’t go there stare. She replied, “Yeah. True, I didn’t see my own breakup coming as well ... but what I heard about Gracie really makes you feel sorry for the girl.”
Michelle knew it wasn’t fair, but if she were about to lose a promising man, it wouldn’t be over someone who could do him more harm than good.