The Affair (II)

I went into my room and tried to go to sleep, but I just couldn’t thing were swirling around in my mind. A jumble of classes, Gabrielle, Sabrina, and emotion filled my mind I just couldn’t find a way to avoid thinking about it. I eventually fell asleep. I woke to a beating on my door. BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM in quick rapid sucession. I asked “who is it” “it is me Donald” I opened the door. “what is it man” “well that ride that I got she decided to stay for a little while and chill. Things started to get a little hot and such so I need a condom” said Donald. “first of all you know I don’t have any condoms, second did you come to rub this in my face” I said “no, not at all. I know you don’t have any condoms, but what about craig” “I not stealing from craig” “listen I will buy him a whole pack for just one of his, that is a deal, a great deal.” “fine, they are in a box under his bed. Take one, and only one.” I said.

I went back to sleep. I awoke this time on my own. The next morning I tried to watch a little TV, but it being Sunday very little was on so I decided I would go for a walk. I would normally have gone to Donald’s room, but he may still have copmapny. I walk for quite a while then finally I came upon a park. Funnny I had never seen this park before nor had I heard of it. I was nice there were no other people around. I sat there for about twenty minutes then my phone rang. I answered my phone it was Gabrielle. “Hey” I said. “I know that you are mad because I did not call you when I got back to school, but me and some friends went out and we started to drink a little bit and I got a little tipsy. I know you don’t like it when I drink. So I just didn’t call.” “to be honest gabrielle I didn’t even notice that you didn’t call. I went out and hung with some friends” “so you are not mad?” she asked me. “no not right now” “great, because there is a party that I am going to tonight” I have some English work to do and then I am getting ready. The party is out of town, so we are leaving about 7:00. I will call you when I get back to my dorm” she told me. “who is all going” I asked. “Donna, Tommy, Eddie, Sherri, Zach, lawrence, Jerome, Eric, and J-boy” she told me. “seven dudes and three girls, how are you all going to fit in Sherri’s car?” I asked her. “we are going in J-boy’s car. Do you have a problem with that?” “well yeah. You are going out drinking with a bunch of guys and I am supposed to be okay with that.” “yeah if you trusted me you wouldn’t be bothered by that” she told me. If you respected me you would not go out drinking with a bunch of guys” she then abruptly hung up in my face. I didn’t even call her back I just sat there on the bench. I then walked back to my dorm to think.

The next day I awoke to my alarm. Craig didn’t move as usual. I walked through the halls hearing all the normal sounds of the the morning in our dormitory I knocked on Donald’s door. His roommate Kevin answered the door. “what up V” nothing much man is Donald coming to class” “I am coming my alarm didn’t go off I just got up maybe a minute ago.” Donald said. “hurry up man” I told him. I was in a rush, we were getting assignments for class in biology plus partners. “Hey, man where were you yesterday I wanted to tell you that girl from the other night, she was a freakI punished it she was screaming. I have never heard anyone scream that loud in my life. I was just going to hit it doggy, but she wanted to do this thing where I am standing and I grab her by her ankles and pull her back and forth. It was crazy I tore her up!” “ Is that really the way you should talk about her. It is disrepectful” I said angrily. “No it isn’t I didn’t call her a slut or chicken-head. She wanted me to do that it was all her idea. So don’t get mad at me because your girlfriend won’t have sex with you. I will talk to you later I got to get to class.” Donald told me. I got to classs on time. I sat down and about a minute later Sabrina came into the room and sat next to me “I hear that all we are doing to day is getting assignments and parteners. “okay class I don’t want hold you up much today I am just giving you these papers it is the assignment for your project.” I got my paper we were supposed to fill two jars with water from a pond or lake or sewer. As long as it was natural and in the open no facet water. Then put plants from nature in it then one jar we add chemicals and dirt or other things. The other we leave alone and observe the difference. Professor Hamilton started to assign Partners. I was partnered with Sabrina “great I was hoping we would be put together on the project. I will pick you up at 5:00 so that we can start.” “okay that will be fine” The rest of the day I was thinking about what Donald had said to me maybe I was just upset because of the whole Gabrielle situation.

I was outside waiting for Sabrina. She drove up and I got in the car “I know a spot where there is a pipe that dumps sewer water and a park not far from there. I thought that we could start there.” Sabrina said. We arrived at the sewer dump and Sabrina handed me the two jars. I took one. “take both” she told me. “You are not coming?” I asked “no I don’t want to get dirty” she said. I laughed “it isn’t funny” “I think it is I gave her the two jars. “listen, I will get the water, but you have to hand me the jars. We walked down and got the water or rather I did she stayed as far away as she could and still hand me the jars. She was on her tip toes on some loose ground. “hey you are going to fall in if you don’t get off the loose ground. Instead she went back to the car with the on filled jar. I finished filling the other, and went back to the car. “I know where we can get some sea weed or algea, whatever it is called” I told Sabrina We went to the lake at the park I had been at Sunday. I went to the lake and pulled up some weeds. All I heard was screams and slaps . I turned to her only to see her hitting at mosquitoes. I took off my hoodie. “here put on my hoodie, it will cover your arms” “thank you” she said in a soft sweet way. After that we went back to that café from the other night. We went in. “Sabrina order what you want I am paying this time.” You don’t have to do that V” “let me pay Sabrina it will make me feel better” I told her She ordered a burger I ordered some streak and eggs. Our food arrived and Sabrina began to talk to me. I laughed “what” she asked. “nothing, I am just not used to talking while eating” “we don’t have to if it is uncomfortable” “no, no I much prefer to”

“Is the burger good?’ “yes, but I it pales in comparison to a burger from my home town at a resturant call Maggie’s they have the best food. As Sabrina talked I could not help, but to think about how beautiful she was and how much she was like no one woman I had ever talked to. I was finding myself attracted to Sabrina physically. That would have been okay I am attracted physically to many women around here, but I was also attracted to her personally in a non physical way. I knew it was wrong, but I was convinced I could control myself. We finished our food and I asked her if she wanted some dessert. She ordered a piece of that cherrie pie again. “would you like to have a bite of my cherry pie” “I would love a piece”. She fed me a piece of the pie. We got the check it was twenty-one dollars and sixty-eight cents. I paid the waitress. We drove to her apartment. She showed me around it was realy nice. Big for one person, and not really big for one person. She did something in her room, “we can fo now. I am waiting on phone call about an internship this summer. As we walked she shut the door and locked it she put her back against the door and pulled me to her. “I really want you tonight V” she told me as I moved in to kiss her. I didn’t, I rested my head on the wall beside her head. “I have a girlfriend who I love very much” I didn’t ever look at her I knew how she felt and I felt the same way. I began to leave. “let me take you home V” she told me. “No, it isn’t that far to my dorm I should really walk.” I said to her. She said okay.

As I walked I had to think about the entire Sabrina situation. About half way through my walk my phone rang. I answered the phone it was Gabrielle “hey baby” “don’t call me baby Vernon” “yeah I know, I am sorry” “ I was calling to tell you sorry we have not talked much the last couple of days. I have to handle some of my grandfather’s business again and will be in town Wednesday. I hope you forgive me for not calling.” “yeah it is okay” I told her. “I am going to bed now Vernon” I went to the dorm and took a shower and got in the bed. I hardly slept that night. I felt so guilty.

The next day I didn’t have class till noon. I sat through the class barely paying attention. I loved Gabrielle, but she wasn’t here. After class I went straight to the dorm and played the X-box and I got a knock at the door. Answered it, it was Donald. “hey man where were you yesterday” “I had school stuff to do Donald. I almost kissed someone Yesterday. I said. “I told you man. You’re a guy and what do guys need.” “I don’t know what to do I need help” “this time I can not help you I am going on a date with Tanya, the girl from the other night, plus I never been in a serious relationship. We can talk about it later man” I stayed in all night

The next day I waited for Donald. “hey listen man I thought about you situation and I think that you should tell Gabrielle and not see Sabrina again” Donald told me. I was surprised the Donald said that. “Why do you say that” I asked. “I think that maybe you and gabrielle have something cool going on. I am really feeling Tanya”. Donald and I went to class when I got their I sat in my usual desk. A minute later Sabrina sat next to me. “Hey V” “Hey Sabrina, about last night” “No need, consider it forgotton. We can still be friends” “Yeah, we can” “ I need you to bring me you journal for your jar over to my apartment. I can come get it or what ever.” She told me. I was really impressed that she was being cool about it all I still had feeling for her and I could tell she still had feeling for me.

After Classes I went to the dorm and waited on Gabriell. She came about fourish. When she arrived we went riding around. “I cannot stay all night like before I have a test tommorrow. We went and got something to eat and ate at the park. After we ate we looked up at the stars. “Gabrielle what is your test on” “it is a statistics test. I have been struggling in this class I really need to be studying , but I wanted to see you. We have been really distant lately” I love you Gabrielle” She then kissed me. We kissed for some time. “make love to me Gabrielle”. At that moment she stopped” “I am not going to have sex with you” “we can do other things Gabrielle. I need intamacy. You cannot expect me to live miles away from you and then when I do see you I have to be careful with myself around you” “so it is all about sex with you” she said to me as she pushed me off her. “is it that you don’t care about what I need or want Gabrielle?” I asked “I just need intamacy you won’t say you love me or kiss me in public, and you hang a bunch of dudes and get mad at me for being upset.” I said “one I just kissed you in public, and those guys are just my friends if you trusted me it wouldn’t be a problem. “you kissed me in a park with no one else around. That makes me feel real special, like I am an embarrasment”. She took back to the dorm. “I want a man who wants me and isn’t just in it for sex. I want a friend. She told me. “maybe that is it you want a friend instead of a boyfriend. I want a girlfriend. Someone who wants me is attracted to me, and needs me as much as I want them. I want an intimate relationship.” I shut the door. I opened my dorm door. I sat on my bed and saw my journal report. I decided to take it to Sabrina. I had forgot all about it.

I knocked on her door about three time. She finally answered the door. “Hey V” “hey Sabrina I was just bringing the journal.” I handed it to her. She had some french cut panties on and a matching bra with this little bitty robe that covered nothing really. “thank you V” she told me. She took it out of my hand. Then I kissed her. I shut her front door and we kissed all the way to her bedroom. She took off my shirt, and I unhooked her bra. She laid on the bed and I slowly pulled down her panties. I kissed her all over her body starting at her thighs. I stopped at her breast and kissed them. Eventually we were both naked. We began to have sex. I stroked gently, but firmly. We kissed passionately. She dug her nails into my back as I kissed her neck. She moaned loudly. My phone rang. I knew the ring tone it was gabrielle. I reached for the phone. Sabrina grabbed the phone before I did. “this is our night”. I took the phone from her, and muted it. “I know” I said.

The next morning I woke up as she was getting dressed. “hey about last night we should not have done that. I am sorry” “I am not you will be back. You are trying to hold on to something that is gone with your girlfriend” your will realize that, and you will back. We will move forward from their. She kissed me on the check. “lock the door when you leave.

I skipped class that day I would not have concentrated I knocked on Donalds door. He answered the door. “I had sex with someone else last night” we talked for a some time in the cafeteria. “listen man me and Tanya are getting serious, so I kinda see what you and gabrielle had. I mean had. It is obvious that you two want different things. I know you love her that is why you are trying so hard to hold on. You should not have had sex with that girl, but she is right. You are trying to hold on to something that is gone. We walked back to the Dorms. I went to my room thinking for about an hour whether I should tell gabrielle. Eventually I did call her. “she answered the phone apalogizing. “listen Gabrielle. I had sex with someone last night. I know it is wrong, but we are having problems that we need to work out” I listened to her cry silently she was trying to hide it. Always having to be strong. “I never want to see or talk to you again. I loved you V” she then abruptly hung up in my face.

I called Gabrielle for weeks. She never answered my calls. I sent her flowers and gifts. After a while I gave up. Sabrina and I had an open relationship throughout college. Donald eventually married Tanya his junior year. I learned a lot from my relationship with Gabrielle and Sabrina. Those relationship helped me have healthy relationship later on in life.

The Affair

I woke up in my dorm at the sound of my cell phone ringing. I looked at the caller ID it was Gabrielle, my girlfriend. I answered the phone "yeah, what's up" I said "Nothing I just wanted to call and tell you that I will be in town tomorrow sometime in the afternoon. I have some family stuff to handle plus I have something to tell you.” “You called me at 2:00 in the morning to tell me that you’ll be in town tomorrow. “Baby I love you, but this could have waited until tomorrow. I have an 8:00 class tomorrow” I said. "I could have I just thought you would want to know” I know that had she not told me that she was coming I would have been upset, but it didn’t matter she wanted to talk now any way. Gabrielle and I go to two different schools. I go to Southern University in Baton Rouge, and she goes to ULM in Monroe. We don’t get to see each other very much so we value the time we do have together. “I will see you tomorrow my last class is over with at three, stop by my dorm then.” I told her. I hung the phone up and was so excited to see my baby that I didn’t fall back asleep until about 3:30.

Deet-Deet-Deet-Deet-Dee-. My alarm woke me up at about 7:30. As usual my roommate was not fazed by my alarm. “Hey, Craig don’t you have a class at eight as well”? No response. I got ready and left out the door. The morning in a dormitory has a weird kind of rhythm alarms going off, the showers going, people running up the halls, the yelling. This was my second semester I kind of got dependent on it; it helped me wake up in the morning. I had one last stop to make before I headed to class. I knocked on Donald’s door to wake him up he also has an 8:00 class. “I’m coming man just give me a sec.” Donald said. I waited in the hall for a couple of minutes. Finally Donald emerged from his room ‘sorry, sorry I just had to brush my teeth”. Donald and I always walk to class together. He is really my only close friend here. “Hey my girlfriend is coming in today” I said to Donald. “Cool man for what” he asked. “I don’t know yet. She just said she had family stuff to take care of” then Donald gave the condescending look that I have seen a million times before. “What is it” I asked “I am sure she is cool people man, but you are a young man. This is the prime of our lives; you don’t need to be tied down right now. That was okay in high school, but this is college my man a totally different game, but hey I am happy for you, that whole thing that you got going on. I will see you later” I had heard this speech from him plenty of times before, especially when we go out. I walked up stairs to my class and turned the corner, my class is right there on the corner. I pulled on the door, it was locked. I looked around and I saw this girl walking down the hall I ran to catch up with her “hey, hey wait up a minute” She turned around, and said “yes” “aw I was wondering if you knew what happened to the Biology class that meets today” “it was cancelled, I didn’t know that you were in that class”. Yeah I am I never see you, I’m sorry I don’t know your name” I said “Sabrina Narvarte, and you are?” she said to me. “My name is Vernon Morgan, nice to meet you Sabrina”.

“How are you doing in the class?” she asked me “okay, but I want to pull my grade up. What about you?” “ I have an A” “I am impressed, that is a hard class. “Not to me, Biology is my major “well no wonder you think it is easy.” “hey, are you hungry?” “yeah, I’ll probably go eat a pop-tart or something in my room.” “I just can not allow you to do that. I will buy you breakfast”. We walked to her car it was a new car. I was starting to get the feeling that her family has money. She took me to the Waffle House. “Order what ever you want” she said to me. I ordered waffles, bacon, hash browns, and orange juice. She ordered a a breakfast sandwich. “is that all you want?” I asked “yes I not that hungry” “well I don’t get to eat this well very much. Thank you very much” “its’ no big deal. I live off campus, so I don’t have many friends” “you don’t have to buy my friendship” I said. “Thanks, tell me about yourself Vernon” she said. “First, no one calls me Vernon. Call me V. There isn’t much to tell I grew up in, Dodson that is up north, I am a Marketing major, I have a younger brother named Travis. I really don’t know what you want to know How about you tell me about your self”. She sat there for a minute and didn’t say anything. “well I am from Texas, I am mixed. My dad is Venezuelan and my mother is black, I don’t have any siblings, both of my parents are doctors. My mother is an obstetrician, and my father is an nuero surgeon, I am a sophomore. “why did you decide to got to Southern?” I asked “my mother went her kind of a family thing.” “What about you” she asked me “kind of the opposite. I wanted to go to a black college, but I wanted to make my own path. Both of my parents went to Grambling so next choice” I looked at my watch and saw that my next class was about to start in a little bit. I asked her to drop me off on campus. As I got out of the car said “thanks for the meal” “it was nothing, really. I guess I will see you next time V” “Yeah see you later”.

All day, all I was thinking about was seeing Gabrielle. After class I ran straight to my dorm and took a shower, put on a little cologne, clean up the room. I made it at least decent. I sat in my room for an hour then I got a call. “Hello” “hey Vernon I am down stairs come on. When I got outside I saw her. She was more beautiful than ever. “Let me take you out to eat baby” “to where?” she asked. “I thought that maybe I will take you to this Spanish restaurant uptown. The food there is really good, I hear. Its call Rincón de amor.” “Sounds nice” she said. As we walked to the car Gabrielle threw me the keys. “You drive” I caught the keys and got in the car. I started the car up. “Why did you have to come here?” “It is my grandfather, he is sick so my mom is putting him in a nursing home. It was kind of tough for her she couldn’t do it alone, and my father had no one to take his place at work. Missing one day of classes shouldn’t hurt too much”. “I guess not baby” “Vernon I asked you not to call me baby. Babies need to be taken care of. I don’t need you to take care of me” “I know that, it is just a term of endearment” I said. We arrived at the restaurant at about eight. I pulled out the chair for Gabrielle. After we sat we looked at the menus I already knew what I want to order. The Waiter came to the table “are you all ready to order” “I am I would like the large Steak Quesadilla. What would you like Gabrielle” “I would like to try the Carnitas. We sat there and waited Gabrielle told me about her classes and how things were going on at school. We only waited fro about ten minutes. “it smell good” We don’t talk while we are eating. She doesn’t think that it is mannerable. The whole time we sat there looking at each other. “after dinner we talked some more. I got up and we were walking to the car. I moved in to kiss her. “VERNON, we are in public.” She told me in a stern voice “sorry” I said to her. I was upset, but I didn’t want her to think that I didn’t love her so I sucked it up and acted like it didn’t bother me.

We went up to the room. I turned the lights off and laid her down on the bed. I kissed her on her neck and caressed her thighs. I slowly began to undress her. I loved making love to her, at the exact moment that I thought that she said “Stop, I have something to tell you” “what” I asked in an exhausted manner. “You remember me telling you about my friend Janice” “Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?” “She got pregnant, and she is dropping out of school and I don’t want that to happen to us.” “we can do other things” I said. No I don’ t want us doing anything sexual at all. It could lead to something more.” “so we are not doing anything at all” “yes” “Gabrielle, I need intimacy, I need to touch you kiss you, make love to you. Do you understand.” I said. “Yes, but we still are not doing anything” “we are never having sex again?” “of course not. When we get married”. “just hold me, and watch TV.”

I was hurt I put a lot of things that she does on the back burner because I knew that she would be there and give me intimacy. So we sat there for a while watching TV. I had fell asleep. Then Craig walked in. “wow, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything” Craig said to us. “trust me you didn’t interrupt anything” he grabbed something out of his closet and left. “I thought that he wasn’t here on the weekends.” Gabriel said to me. “he is gone he stays lost for the weekend partying. He won’t be back till Sunday."

I awoke the next morning Gabrielle was getting dressed. “are you leaving” I asked. “yes, I have to get back to school, plus my mama is ready to hit the road. I will call you when I get to school” She walked out the room and I went back to sleep. When I am sleep I don’t tend to get engaged into a conversation. I woke up about 11:30, I sat up just thinking about what had happened. I had not had sex in six months going on seven. I hate to be one of those guys that kind of makes it about sex, but I am not ready to get married, and I want to have sex. It isn’t that I don’t want to marry her it just I can’t provide for her. Plus I know that she won’t be ready to get married for years to come. She is big on marriage. So I got up and went to Donald’s room. I knocked, no answer. I knocked again, no answer. I knocked one last time. I began to walk off when I heard “do you know what time it is?” “it is about noon, it is time to get up, I have something to talk to you about man anyway man".

We were washing cloths and I told Donald about the Gabrielle situation. “I told you that, that whole serious relationship in college thing was not going to work out. Sorry about that man.” “whoa, whoa, who is saying it is not working out. I just have a small problem.” “you listen to me man, you are the most moral guy that I know, guys need sex, man. How long did you wait before you and her actually had sex.” “about two years” I said in a coughing mumbled voice. “What? Come on man it is me I am being serious” “Two years” I said in a much more clear voice. “Okay was that easy” Donald asked me. “No, it wasn’t” “well if that wasn’t easy, but you knew that you eventually would. Now she is saying she isn’t going to have sex till marriage. If, and only if you two don’t make it to marriage then you are facing a situation where there is no guarantee that you will have sex with her ever again. I personally don’t think that you can do that.” “well thanks for the support Donald” I said. “stating a fact man, stating a fact.” I took my cloths out of the dryer and we began walking back to the rooms. “Listen the sigma’s are throwing a party I’m going do you want to, it will make you forget about your problems” I agreed to go to the party.

We arrived at the party late we had to hitch a ride. I was never the party type I hung out outside for a while in a group not really talking much. I eventually got bored with that and went inside I bumped into this girl “sorry” I said to the girl I had made her spill her drink. She turned around and I saw that it was Sabrina. “hey V” she said to me “hey Sabrina, I am really sorry, what were you drinking I get you another glass” “don’t worry about it. It was only water. I don’t drink alcohol, it isn’t very lady like” “Unique view. Well what are you doing here?” I asked. “my friend Dana forced me to come. I needed to come anyway. I need some friends, Dana and you are my only real friends” “doubt that you will make life long friends at this party” “wanna go for a walk, I don’t really like it here”. We walked down the road and talked. Eventually we stopped at a café. She asked me if I wanted anything I told her no I didn’t like her buying me things all the time. She ordered a slice of cherry pie. “do you like cherry pie V” “it’s ok” I replied. She lifted the fork up to my mouth “you should taste this pie it is like nothing that you’ve ever had” I took the fork from her and tasted it. “that pie is good” I said. My phone rang It was Donald “hey man I got a ride back to the dorm. Where are you” I am a couple of blocks away I be there in a minute.” I told Donald. “I’ll give you a ride back.” Sabrina told me. “hey Donald go ahead I have a ride”. Sabrina ordered another piece of pie. “look at that couple kissing, isn’t that romantic. Expressing your love for someone in the open for all to see unashamed.” “Yeah it is”. We began walking back to her car. ‘do you like anyone down here at school” Sabrina asked me. “No, I don’t like anyone here at school. What about you?” I asked “no my last boyfriend was in high school. We broke up because well to not make myself sound slutty, but he wouldn’t touch me. I mean we are not twelve. We are in a mature relationship and intimacy is apart of that.” “I totally understand”. We began to walk back to her car. as she drove me back to the dorm I notice that she sits straight up. "You sit straight up that seems uncomfortable” I said to her. “Sorry, I was taught ladies sit straight up” “now I feel like I have to sit straight up too”. “no men don’t sit straight, they lay back relaxed” “Wow” I said. “achoo” I head as Sabrina sneezed “you have the cutest sneeze. All soft and lady like” I said “now I feel embarrassed” Sabrina told me. “no need” I told her. When Sabrina dropped me off she looked at me while smiling and said I really enjoyed spending time with you. At that moment I noticed that she had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen in my life. “I did too”.

To be continued