In the Life

by Will Blue

  "Excuse me." Two ghetto looking bitches stepped our way. The one who had spoken was about 5'7 and 290 lbs. The extra weight looked like it all was coming from her titties. They looked like two full grown dogs trapped behind the finest bra that the Dollar Store had in stock. She should definitely look into finding a bra that actually can lift and support those mountains properly. But enough about her milk bags…

  "Yes," Morris said back with a slight smile.

  "Girl, you know you wild for asking?" The second girl said to her overdeveloped friend.

  "Well hell, I know it’s him because I saw it all over Entertainment Tonight and plus I read about it online on Media Takeout. I know my men and this is him, girl."

  "You do your thing then." They continued to carry on their conversation as if they weren't standing right in front of us. Morris was a good one for still being interested in why they came up to him. If it had been me, I would have been walked the hell off.

  "Can I help you ladies?" Morris was probably using the term "ladies" loosely with these hoodrats.

  "Uh huh, you sure can, Mr. Man," the heftier girl said smacking her lips. She expressively started to wave her long fingernail in his face. "You that actor that is fucking Lailiana ain't you."

  "Ethiopia! How you gonna ask the man who he fucking?"

  "Shit, why can't I? That's what he doing! That's what I heard he doing. He grown. He can answer for himself." First of all, who the hell does shit like that? Secondly, did she just say that the big tittied heifer’s name is Ethiopia? Please tell me that Ethiopia is a nickname… hell, at least middle name. Her parents did not name this trick, who ain’t even let a Cheeto escape her mouth, after a poor, starving country! I am through!

  "I am an actor, yes. And I do have a movie coming up with Lailiana," Morris replied calmly, but with a big smile on his face.

  "See, girl. I told you. He fucking her! I knew my eyes were right. I should have bet your ass dinner."

  "Now Ethiopia, you know that ain’t what he said," the other girl chastised her friend. "He ain’t say nothing about fucking nobody."

  "Raylette, you gotta read between the lines. He ain’t say he wasn't, now did he?"

  "No," Raylette rolled her eyes. "But you ain’t gotta be all up in the man's business like that."

  "Whatever," Ethiopia said back with an attitude before turning her attention back to Morris. And probably with all the class she could muster, she said, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr…"

  "Morris Epson."

  "Ooh girl, he said his name so sexy like, didn't he," Ethiopia jabbed at Raylette while laughing at her own damn stupid ass self.

  "Nice to meet you," Raylette echoed as the duo was called off to be seated. I could still hear Ethiopia talking as they walked away.

  "Wait until I tell Sparkle about this!" I was so glad that they were gone. They were annoying the hell out of me although they did manage to ignore my presence all together.

  I looked over at Morris and he was smiling hard.

  "I know you ain’t take that as no compliment or positive thing, right?"

  "Babe, just let me have my moment," he laughed. "I am getting recognized now."

  "Yeah, basically for cheating on me." I don't know where that bitter statement came from. It just slipped out of my mouth. I was over the thing he had with Lailiana… or at least that is what I wanted him to think. I still didn't trust that they could be left alone in a room together without proper adult supervision. And when I say proper adult supervision, I mean me sitting next to them with a zoom lens and a gun.

  "You said that…"

  "I know. I am so sorry," I cut him off to apologize. "Please forgive me. I didn't mean to start nothing." Morris nodded but didn't verbally reply. I knew I would hear his frustrations later.

  As we continued to stand there, Breion called my cell phone. Breion and I chilled a lot. He was such a terrific guy. We could talk for hours about any and everything. He was a great conversationalist. I swear that I learned something new every day. Breion was both intelligent and insightful. I even felt comfortable telling him all about the details of my relationship with Morris. Breion would sit there and listen to me vent or gush over Morris and would not get mad or jealous. There is still some attraction between us, but we are just cool. However, Morris doesn't know all about that. I am no fool. Breion's name is saved as Larenz in my phone and his ringer definitely is not one of his own songs. I was not trying to get caught up in an argument with Morris especially when nothing wrong is going down.

  I ignored the call, but I soon got a text message. I looked and it was from Breion.

  "I need to talk to you tonight. It’s important. Meet at my place?"

  I replied back that I would be there if I could. Being that me and Morris lived together, sneaking out without telling him where I was going would be hard. I couldn't say that I was going to chill with Curtis because that lie would unfold if Morris talked to Jay. I would have to think of something. This had to be something major. I would have my lie planned by dessert.

  Chapter 14

  I tried so hard to find a good way to sneak out of the house that night. I racked my mind thinking of what I could say to Morris to excuse myself from his side. However, since he knew as well as I did that this time before the movie's media blitz was very precious, he was not going to let me go nowhere. I knew what he would say to all of my planned lies.

  For instance, I couldn't say that I needed to go to the store because he would insist on going with me. If I said I was going to chill with Curtis, he would have tagged along too and said that he and Jay could hang with us. If I made up a friend that I said I was going to hang with, he would have ten thousand questions to ask me. Basically, I seemed screwed. So in a final act of desperation, I did what any man would do in my position. I made hot, passionate love to him until he fell into a deep peaceful sleep and then I sneaked out. But since Breion lived on the other side of town, I asked for us to meet at a central place so that I could get back to Morris if he called to see where I was at. He agreed to just come pick me up and said we could just ride around in his car for a minute.

  I was really anxious to know what was going on with him. What big talk did we need to have that would cause me to stoop to such sneaky ways to come to see him?

  That night Breion laid all his cards on the proverbial table with me. He confessed how much he really did care for me. I knew that he felt a certain way about me. Truth be told, I kinda liked him too. I guess it was like that Erykah Badu song ‘Next Lifetime'. If Morris had not captured my heart, I could totally have seen myself with Breion. I know that I would be happy. Breion and I had to come to some kind of understanding though. We agreed to just do what makes us feel happy without compromising my relationship with Morris. What does that mean, you ask? We didn't know our damn selves. It just sounded good at the moment. What it ended up equating to was Breion and I getting a little bit closer.

  Whenever Morris went away, I was with Breion. We never had sex or fooled around or nothing. Passionate kisses and lying in the bed together was as far as we would let ourselves get. I liked the way I felt when I was around Breion. In Morris' arms, I would feel safe, but with Breion, I felt needed. Both feelings were great, but just different. Curtis kept telling me that spending time with Breion could be like playing with fire, but I knew what I was doing and he knew the deal.

  Breion's company was very much needed around the time that Morris went out to promote the movie. He went everywhere with Lailiana to talk about the film. They were on Entertainment Tonight, MTV, and even co-hosted their own top 25 Countdown on BET. I disliked all this time he was spending with her, but it was his job. However, even I could pick up on their chemistry. Both in person and on the television screens, they seemed to be naturally comfortable with each other. I so wanted to hate Lailiana and paint her out to be this evil seductress that was trying to take my man. If that was the case, it would be easy to target all of my trust issues, frustration, and angst on her.
Unfortunately though, Lailiana was so fucking sweet and gorgeous. She was all of what she seemed to portray in her interviews. Damn her, anyway.

  The movie was days away from opening and Morris was on cloud nine. He was still getting a big head by all of the attention he was getting. A whole lot of people were recognizing him from all of the guest spots he had been doing and of course the tabloid mess with Lailiana. However, his tabloid nightmare had just begun.

  I had stopped by the grocery store to pick up some milk and bread when I saw the headline on the Star Magazine. "Lailiana's boyfriend and co-star is GAY!" And below the headline was a picture of him and I on the set, but you couldn't see my face. What you could see, however, was him hugged up on me with one of his hands cupping my ass. I quickly tried to call Morris, but he did not answer. It kept going to his voicemail. I knew this couldn't be no type of good.

  Chapter 15

  All my attempts to call Morris were fruitless. I must have called him seventy times over the next five days and sent countless text messages. There was no doubt that he knew what was being said about him. The media was having a field day. I kept looking online at different gossip columns like Concrete Loop and Media Takeout to see what else was being said. On television, I saw the story being ran a few times. Lailiana never gave any kind of comment defending or confirming what she felt or knew. I had yet to know what Morris had to say. I hadn't even seen a press released statement or something from his Twitter account. I was getting really worried about him.

  "I am tired of hearing his voicemail kick in every time I call." I told Curtis over the phone as I tried to straighten some things up around the house. All of this anxiety I had made me mop, dust, and wash everything in sight.

  "He is fine, man. He just needs time to get everything together."

  "But I don't know what's going on with him! Thankfully, they have not identified me as the guy in the picture or anything because I would have press at my door. I can't imagine what's going on in his head and that is what scares me. I mean, he isn't talking to no one about it or nothing. It’s like he just went into hiding."

  "Jay and Brent say that he said he is just laying low until this all blows over. He is going to a few of the premieres, but he wants to avoid the press as much as possible. I think that they said that he is visiting some friends in Detroit."

  "Wait a minute? They have talked to him?"

  "Yeah…"

  "So he can't answer any of my calls, but he can talk to them? I am over here worried to death and he can't just send me a simple text to say that he is okay?"

  "Nigga, I am sure that…" Curtis was about to try to calm me down, but I cut him off. I was beyond livid.

  "Naw, fuck that! And who are these damn friends in Detroit? Why he couldn't tell me that?" I thought for a minute about what was being told to me. How dare he do this to me? I know he is going through something right now, but shouldn't he give me some kind of acknowledgement or something?

  "I don't know," Curtis said plainly.

  "You know what? Call him now!"

  "What?" Curtis sounded confused.

  "Call him on three-way now! If he answers his fucking phone, then I am so going to let him have it. Go ahead and do it."

  "Come on, man. I don't think…"

  "Just do it!" I screamed. Curtis took a quick minute to respond.

  "I am gonna pretend like you just didn't yell at me because of the stress you are going through right now, but you must have lost your mind."

  "Just please call him." I calmed down and my voice was less commanding this time.

  "Hold on one second. Now, if he answers don't say anything. Okay?" I agreed with him and Curtis clicked over to make the call. Soon, I heard Morris answer.

  "What's going on BB?"

  "Nothing much man. I was calling you to see how you were and also because you know Jay's birthday is coming soon and I need help thinking of what to give him."

  "Damn, his birthday is coming in a month, aint it?"

  "Yeah, and I wanted to save up to get him something really special." I am glad that Curtis had made up a reason to call Morris other than me. While they talked about nothing in particular, I walked over to the house phone. While still listening to their call on my cell phone, I called Morris. Obviously, he wasn't too busy now to answer my call. Now I had both phones up to my ear waiting to see what the outcome would be.

  "Hold on one sec, BB." I heard Morris say. "Okay, now what were you saying?" I was infuriated that I heard his voicemail click in over the house phone. I hung up and called again, but the same exact thing happened.

  "You alright over there, Morris?"

  "Yeah, it’s just my agent calling me. I will talk to him later." My rage came to a climax as tears streamed down my face. I couldn't be silent for any longer.

  "Oh so you calling me your agent now, huh? And here I thought I was your boyfriend!"

  "Baby?" Morris sounded so caught off guard. I know he was shitting bricks.

  "Oh, so I am your baby now? You know I wouldn't even know anymore. I mean, since you like to ignore my calls now. Have me over here thinking that you are going through hell and back, but you in Detroit kicking it with friends." I heard both Morris and Curtis try to cut in but I continued to rant. "So when was you gonna talk to me, huh? When were you gonna call me back? Were you ever going to?"

  "Of course, I was."

  "When? When everything blew over? Would it then be okay to act like you knew me? Maybe at that point you would ask me to go on a double date with you and Lailiana. Where she at anyway? Is that who you’ve been spending your time with? Is that whose shoulder you been crying on because it sure the hell ain’t been mine. It’s been like a week since I last talked to you. But oh, you have time to talk to everyone else, huh? You know what? Don't even answer that because I can just imagine what kind of lame shit is about to come out of your mouth. Curtis, I will talk to you later and to you Morris, go to hell."

  I hung up the phone and wiped all the tears away only to feel new ones being generated. My phone started ringing off the hook. Surprise, surprise. It was Morris. He kept calling and calling. I was not answering. I put the phone on silent after like the seventh time. Without another thought, I grabbed my coat and headed for the door. Hopefully, Breion would be home.

  Chapter 16

  I couldn't help but relax in the position that I was in. I was beginning to drift off into a very deep sleep. The sounds of Kanye West's ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing' alerted me to the fact that my phone was ringing. That was Curtis' ringtone. It was very fitting, or at least that is what I thought.

  "Have you talked to him?" Curtis' interrogation began

  .

  "Nope," I said plainly had not wanted to talk to Morris for the past week and a half for several reasons. Yes, I did love him, but I was still mad. I knew that if I talked to him, I would have melted and surrendered with every word. However, I felt comfortable with my anger at the time. He had ignored me. This was supposed to be his punishment. If he did not care about me, I did not care about him. That couldn't be further from the truth though.

  "You know that the movie is number one for the second week in a row, right?"

  "Yeah, Lailiana has another number one to her tally."

  "You mean Morris."

  "Sure," I said as I rolled over onto Breion's chest. He had really been a comfort to me. Through all that I had been through with Morris, Breion had been there. There had been several nights that I had cried to Breion about how I missed Morris and he had been nothing but supportive. Breion had been my sanity.

  "Well, then you also know he will be home next week then? Jay and Brent are planning a party for him on the 21st."

  "Ummm Cee, I will holla at you later, man. I am not feeling well."

  "You mean that Breion is beside you."

  "Breion knows the deal." He did not flinch as I lay on top of him. Instead, he traced my eyebrows with his forefinger. It was very soothing and sweet. I almost got lost in his touch
.

  "But how long is he gonna be cool with it, Tre? You cannot tell me that he is happy playing the second fiddle. That nigga wants you all for himself and you just playing him like a plan b."

  "That's not true." I could hear Curtis' laugh through the phone.

  "It ain't? Are you sure? You are sure spending time with him like that's your man." Curtis paused for a second. "Just don't hurt him the way you think Morris has hurt you"

  "It's not even like that." I said as I looked Breion in the eyes, His touches were getting more sensual to me. Within moments, Curtis had left the conversation and left us to our private dialogue.