Some Things Never Change: An African American BWBM Urban Fiction Romance

by Marian Grey

  Wayne tried not to put too much of his own body weight on Powder’s slight frame. He was grateful for the help, he could barely see with his eyes swollen and the blood on his face. Once Fat Boy’s opponent was defeated he came and helped Powder by going to Wayne’s other side and sandwiching him. Together they half dragged half carried him to his car where they lifted him and placed him gently on the back seat.

  Once he acknowledged that he was alive and relatively safe, he weeped for joy. You never realize how precious life is until you’re about to lose it. He would live to see another day, he almost lost his life and had the overwhelming pain to show for it but it was better than being dead. He could now succumb to his injuries without worry.

  “Please take me to Lou’s.” That was the last thing he said before, for the first time in his life, he fainted.

  Chapter 7

  They took him to Lou’s house. She wondered who was banging on her door at such an early hour in the morning. So imagine her shock when she saw the guys all covered in blood. She panicked and wanted to call an ambulance and take Wayne to the hospital but Fat Boy and Powder impressed upon her the need for secrecy. The police would be called into investigate. They weren’t stupid and would find out what they had been involved in, and possibly arrest them all. The less people that knew the better. They assured her that he wasn’t grievously injured and there was nothing that a little bed rest wouldn’t cure.

  She gave them the privacy to say their goodbyes to Wayne, after they placed him in her bed. She could see that they really cared for Wayne and wanted the best for him. She wished them a safe travel and sincerely hoped that they too would also turn away from a life of crime and violence.

  With Sizzla and Crazy T gone, Powder and Fat Boy had no reason to linger and were going to catch the next bus out of town to stay with their Grandparents in another state. They felt it was time to move on and start afresh and begged Lou not to give up on Wayne now that he needed help for he had never depended on a soul before. She meant the world to him and the fact that he had asked for her over his own mother, his own flesh and blood, proved his love to be true.

  He finally opened his eyes. She had wondered if he had fallen into a coma or had internal bleeding she was so tempted to call an ambulance.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “You been asleep for a day, your body needed the rest. Let me take you to a hospital now that your friends are gone.”

  “No need, I feel better already.”

  “Wayne stop being stubborn.”

  “I swear I’m alright Lou. It is not as bad as it looks.”

  “You know the Producer is gonna be mad that you set the project behind. They can’t use make up on your face until the swelling goes down.”

  “I’m sure they’ll survive.” She detected a thread of sarcasm in his voice and it pissed her off.

  “Why must you be so nonchalant about everything?”

  “It’s not that I don’t care Lou but I’m not in a place to change anything about my circumstances. I hate feeling so helpless and dependent on you.”

  “You should feel guilty. You lied to me Wayne and if you had only followed my foolish advice all of this could have been avoided. Now I’m going to have to lie for you and tell them that you’re very ill and will need a week off. That should give you enough time to recuperate and get your act together.”

  “I’m sorry Lou for lying to you but I assure you I did it for us.”

  “For us?”

  “Yes. I didn’t want to leave the game empty handed, I want to make sure I could always provide for you in the future.”

  “Just say you did it for yourself. You can be selfish when you’re ready. Don’t think you’re gonna get off the hook so easily.”

  “Lou I said I’m sorry.” Wayne shouted.

  “Don’t you dare come here and raise your voice at me. You’re not making this any easier and you won’t tell me what happened after you left my house.”

  “I’m not ready to talk about it Lou but I will eventually.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that you’re alive yet can’t help but feel angry and upset that the whole time you had been lying to me about having quit drug dealing.”

  “I know Lou. I just need some more time.”

  “So that you can get your lies straight next time around.”

  “It’s not like that and you know it.”

  “I don’t know anything! As a matter of a fact as soon as you’re feeling better I want you out of my house, out of my life. It’s over between us Wayne. I can’t deal with this stress, it’s just too much man. Your blatant deception and refusal to tell me things is the icing on this cake”

  Lou didn’t even know if he heard her break up statement because he had drifted back to sleep under the pain reliever medication she had given him. She felt so frustrated with him and just wanted to scream her lungs out. Talking with him was like talking to a stubborn mule. She didn’t know what to do, Wayne needed help and he refused to talk to her. Maybe he would feel better talking to another male, whatever it was he needed to get it off his chest and stop harboring his feelings. She had called the director and broke down in loud sobs on the phone and asked him to come over to her house and intervene with Wayne.

  The director was already coming over to drop off the latest manuscripts for them as there was a change in script. So his meeting up with them would not be an inconvenience on his part. Her hands were literally shaking as she dialed Michael’s number, he was the director and like a father figure to her. He was always friendly and gave good advice. Her breathing slowed as she thought about how she had come so close to losing Wayne. How could he have lied to her like this, she had broken off relationships with men for less than this.

  “Michael.” Lou said. She tried bravely to keep her voice low to not wake Wayne and keep the hysteria out of her voice.

  “Hello Lou, is everything okay?” Michael replied with concern in his voice.

  “I’m sorry Michael that we couldn’t make it to work today.”

  “What happened? I’ve been calling your cell phones all day with no response it’s not like you guys to be unprofessional when you're normally very dependable.”

  “Before I go ahead and explain can you keep what I say private?”

  “Of course Lou, I’ll keep this conversation between the two of us, you don’t have to doubt that, I wouldn’t divulge information to Wayne or to anyone else unless you ask me to.”

  “Sorry.” She said. “It’s just so hard for me to trust people these days, I have to be so careful.”

  “I understand. Just take your time. After talking and letting out all your frustrations, you’ll feel much better after. I promise you.”

  Encouraged she went on. “It concerns Wayne, when I was getting ready for work this morning, his friends brought him over to my place. He was badly beaten, delirious with pain and asking for me. He didn’t want to go to a hospital and I couldn’t turn him away even though I warned him this would happen.”

  “Calm down, did you call the police?” Michael asked.

  “No, I haven’t. Should I? I don’t want him to go to jail. His friends vouched for him saying he’s a lover not a fighter but I feel so confused.”

  “Don’t call the police Lou. I know Wayne, surely there is an explanation for all this. Is he still there with you?

  “Yes. He is.”

  “How bad are his injuries does he need to go to the hospital?”

  “He was just beaten badly, nothing is broken and he is bleeding. He had another person’s blood on him this morning. He’s just tired and has been sleeping all day, he looks frail and can barely talk much less walk out of my house at this moment.”

  “Good. I’ll come over and talk to him. I grew up in the streets and I know what it’s like to feel down on your luck. Just give me a chance to talk with him. I’ll let him know that if he wants to continue to do the show he will have to give up the drug dealing lifestyle onc
e and for all. It won’t be easy but I know Wayne is smart and he’ll come around and make the right decision. My friend runs a weekly therapy program and I’ll spare no expense to get Wayne involved and on the road to recovery.”

  “Thanks so much Michael you’ve put my mind at ease.” She knew he was right. Both director and friend, Michael never got flustered under stress and was always practical.

  “Not a problem. I should be by your neighborhood within an hour’s time. I've got some other things I have to wrap up. I’ll give you guys two weeks off, you’ll both need some time to get over the craziness of this morning. I’ll bring extra medication for him as well, wouldn’t want him to miss too much work now.”

  Wayne felt riled that Lou was talking about him like he wasn’t there once he calmed himself, he could see Lou was overwhelmed and only trying to help. He had pretended to be asleep when she called the director in tears to tell him all that had transpired. Wayne was flabbergasted, he had never had anyone worry or care about him so much before. He didn’t know how to react. Lou’s feelings weren’t something he could ignore in hopes that it would go away. He didn’t want that to happen, he wanted to bask in the afterglow of her love. He hadn’t shared with her what happened that fateful night so as far as she was concerned he was still dealing drugs. He hadn’t bothered to correct her impression either. He was a drug dealer, she needed to accept that for the most part and not be deluded that he was an angel.

  She heard when Michael pulled up on the drive way, her cell rang not too long after. She went to open the door and let him in. Michael came up to her and pulled her into a brotherly bear hug. When they met they had liked each other immediately Michael had that warm and friendly personality that made people gravitate towards him. He vaguely reminded her of the Pillsbury dough boy he was short, pudgy around the middle yet full of vigor and vitality.

  “Michael I’m so glad to see you.”

  “Same here. Is he awake?”

  “Yes he is. He wasn’t amused when I told him you were coming. I think he doesn’t want you to be disappointed with him. I know he respects you.”

  Michael followed Lou into the bedroom. Wayne was sitting up in bed. He had on one of Lou’s robes and was tucked in snugly between the sheets. Michael got straight to the matter at heart.

  “Listen up guys, you are both consenting adults I can’t tell you how to run your personal lives but if you want to keep your jobs you both need to put you differences aside because personal feelings like anger and regret can really impact your acting in a negative way.”

  He was greeted with silence at his declaration. “Lou, can you excuse us for few minutes please?”

  “Oh okay, I’ll just go down to the supermarket and get some groceries.”

  “Take the car Lou, my keys should be in my pants pocket. That’s where Fat Boy said he left them.”

  “He did. I took them out when I did the laundry. Thanks Wayne. I’ll be right back guys.”

  “We’ll try not to tear the place down while you’re gone.” Said Michael.

  Wayne chuckled beside him. Lou’s heart melted at the sight, then she remembered what he did and got angry again. She closed the door behind her before either man could see her reaction. Lou didn’t bother to take the car, a walk was just what she needed to clear her head.

  When she came back, it was to an empty apartment. Taped on her mirror was a note from Wayne, he felt that he was being a burden to her and took up Michael's offer for rehabilitation. He didn’t want them to end on a bitter note or deprive her from going to work if she had to take care of him. She need not worry about him and in two weeks’ time she would see him back at work. It was signed with Wayne’s flurry signature. Lou just held the note and cried, she deeply regretted her earlier outburst and wished things hadn’t ended the way it had.

  Lou put on her sneakers and decided to go jogging, this was her catharsis. She sobbed loudly with tears streaming down her face. As she ran, ignoring people’s raised eyebrow and inquiries as to whether she was alright.

  She ran for a few hour, oblivious to the miles and distance she cover. Her iPod blared the most depressing songs of heartbreak that added to her depression. Normally these songs gave her great pleasure until she could finally relate to them but not in a good way. She mentally listed all the reasons it was important to stay away from Wayne. He drove her wild with hot sex. He had the cutest dimples when he smiled that disarmed her and made her forget what a charming snake he was. He was a drug dealer and hung out with criminals.

  She never in a million years thought she would mix business with pleasure by sleeping with someone at her work place. Especially a new job that she actually enjoyed. He led her into a life of deception. Neither of them wanted to lose their jobs and felt that if people on set found out they were sleeping together it could cause conflict. She felt like she had crossed the finish line with him and he had broken her heart. She felt ten times a fool, so naïve and trusting of a man she hardly knew. Wayne was different from all the men she had ever dated in the past. He was complicated by nature and could be very honest.

  She felt that everything he told her wasn’t a lie there was some aspects of truth in his statements but it’s as if she had to read between lines. She didn’t want to be the only one putting her all into the relationship either. He had to show his commitment to them by giving up his criminal activity, that was the only way things could work out between them. He kept company with street thugs that had mean and nasty attitudes. She didn’t think she was being judgmental. She recalled how scared she was that night she went to Wayne’s hookah party. She could have gotten hurt or got trampled in the stamped that erupted when the cops came on the scene. She wanted to have kids later on in life. She wanted them to grow up with a dependable father who they could trust and count on. She really doubted at this moment that Wayne was husband material much less daddy potential.

  He was always picture perfect and the epitome of handsomeness. He knew his worth and his arrogance knew no bounds. She found herself battling his pride more than everything else. He could be just as stubborn and independent as she when he wanted to be. Would that be a problem for them later on in life? She wondered if also, due to his handsomeness, she would have to ward women off him for the rest of her life. She admitted that she had a very possessive and jealous streak. Women would give the panties off their pussy to date him. He had only to crook his middle finger at them and they would come running. She wondered how she would react if he cheated on her. Some things were always best not to think about or it would drive Lou insane.

  Lou softened when she recalled the way he looked at her when he apologized for hurting her feelings. She had to believe that the good in him would make things work out between them in the end. All negativity faded when she duly noted the main thing. He loved and cared for her, it was there in the way he looked at her and his actions even if he had yet to say it. Instinctively she knew that he felt the same way about her that she did for him. They enjoyed each other’s company so much that they always hated to part whenever the outing came to an end. These upcoming two weeks were going to be torture on her libido. She had gotten used to the active sex life they had both been leading these last few weeks.

  The always wanted to spend each waking moment in each other company, that kind of love was fleeting since neither of them were blind to each other’s fault, but equally accepting. There was just something about Wayne that enticed her, drew her to him, she couldn’t put a finger on it but it was there in the way he breathed and the touch of his skin against hers. Whenever they had sex it was mind blowing, orgasmic, and full of passion. She never ever felt that wanton with anyone else nor had she been eager to leave her comfort zone but with Wayne she was willing to try anything he threw her direction. He could have asked her to jump and she would say how high.

  After she finished jogging she went in and took a quick shower.

  Just think about Wayne had exhausted her more mentally than that of the jogging.
She wanted to sleep so badly but her mind was unsettled. There was no rest for the weary. She put on some hot chocolate, the warmth of the mug and the steam that came out of it was a soothing experience for her. She wondered what it would be like to grow old with Wayne by her side. No matter how she tried to think about other mundane topics, her mind always came back to rest on Wayne. It was definitely going to be a long and dry two weeks. Eventually she got tired of fighting the sleep and fell asleep in her bed.

  Chapter 8

  “Wayne I’m sorry that you had to learn the hard way that crime doesn’t pay in the end. It might seem like easy money until things start to fall apart. Don’t be mad at Lou for confiding in me, she only had your best interest at heart.”

  Wayne sat on the bed and found everything else to stare at except Michael. He felt disgusted with himself and the precarious situation he found himself in so he couldn’t quite meet his boss’ eyes.

  “Would you be interested in going to therapy? I can’t force you, I can explain how it works and I highly recommend it.”

  Wayne nodded. “I know how it works Michael. I recognize I need the help. I don’t know how things got so messed up. So go ahead and make the arrangements.”

  “I’m glad you're willing to take a step in the right direction and I will be here to help you along the way. You will be easily tempted to fall back into old habits, ignoring it won’t let your past go away. Discuss it, get it off your chest and move on with your life. If you want to be with Lou later on in life you have to be willing to make the necessary sacrifice and cut all ties with the drug trade. Or you will risk losing your current job and Lou, you don’t want that now do you.”

  Wayne stopped Michael and asked him. “So how do you know so much about the recovery process?”

  Michael took a deep breath before he answered.

  “I’ve been through it myself, I started selling dope on the street corner, and then I did what most people who are in the business of selling drugs avoid doing, I tasted it and became addicted. It was the biggest mistake I could have ever made in all my teenage years. I ran myself out of business with my constant craving and I was willing to steal just to fund my addiction. Luckily, the last person I attempted to rob was a retired cop, who had a soft spot for children. He didn’t press charges but asked that I be allowed to be fostered under his care. The judge allowed it as it would be one less mouth for the government to be burdened with. It wasn’t easy but he curbed my rebellious nature, gave me books to read that fostered my intelligence. I was basically home schooled by his wife who was also a retired teacher. She encouraged me to get my GED and I won a scholarship to do arts at local university and look where I am now. I was a failure at one point in my life Wayne but I got out of that slump and so can you.”