Finding Love in Atlanta

by Olivia Saxton

  “That guy I was talking to tonight. His name is Jerome Dixon. We were lovers for five years. We were living together when we broke up. We had a fight . . . it got physical. The guy Jerome rented the basement apartment to had called the cops. It wasn’t the first time, but I was determined that it would be the last. I just couldn’t take Jerome being out in the streets doing God knows what anymore. The fighting was taking a toll on me as well. The cops suggested that we spend a few days apart. Jerome packed a small bag and left. When he did, I packed all my clothes. The next morning, I called movers. Luckily, they were able to move me that day. I had them put my things in storage since I hadn’t secured an apartment yet. I stayed at a hotel until I was able to find a place . . . this place. My mother said I could stay with her until I found an apartment, but I knew Jerome would find me there. I had left him before, and a few weeks later, he tracked me down and begged me to come back.”

  Sebastian didn’t move. He continued to listen with piqued interest.

  “I moved in here to start a new life, to focus on building my business. My mother said Jerome had come by the house several times looking for me. The last time, she refused to open the door for him. He had wanted my new cell number. She wouldn’t give it to him. He sought out my friends, but they wouldn’t tell him anything. After a year apart, I heard through the grapevine that his life had gone downhill. He had lost his house because he had stopped paying the mortgage. He had to move into his office. Jerome is . . . well, was a financial advisor.”

  “Was he on drugs when you were together?”

  “No. At least I don’t think so. I never found anything indicating that he was on drugs. One day, I had bumped into a mutual friend of ours. She told me that Jerome had gotten into drugs. By the time she told me this, he had lost the office building and his reputation. He had conned her and others out of money to feed his addiction. She thought she was investing in a mutual fund that only required a thousand dollar buy-in.”

  Sebastian looked over at Dominic.

  He was shaking his head. “She and the other victims had called the police, but by the time they had figured out Jerome had scammed them, he had closed the office and disappeared. A few months after I talked to her, Cat said he had bumped into Jerome on the street. Cat described him just like the way he looked tonight. Jerome told Cat he was living out of his Mercedes until it was stolen. Jerome was afraid to call the cops since he had scammed people out of their money. He didn’t know if they had a warrant out for his arrest. Anyway, he asked Cat for money to buy a sandwich. Cat knew he wasn’t going to use it for that, but he gave him twenty bucks anyway.”

  “Sounds like you left him just in time. He would have dragged you down with him.”

  Dominic nodded. “Yeah. Sometimes, Cat hosts sex parties. Orgies at a discrete location outside of the city limits. He usually charges a hundred dollars a head. Two months ago, Jerome showed up at one of them lookin’ a mess. He was trying to get Cat to let him in for free. Cat shooed him away.”

  Sebastian looked back up to the ceiling. “Are you still in love with him?”

  “No,” Dominic answered. “I just feel . . . bad. I remember the man he was before. To see him the way he was tonight was disheartening. Maybe if I had stayed with him, he wouldn’t have—”

  “No,” Sebastian interrupted. “It sounds like he was determined to do what he wanted to do. You couldn’t change that or prevent it.”

  “Perhaps. It’s just a shame. He was a brilliant man with a successful life,” Dominic mumbled.

  They were quiet for a moment.

  Sebastian decided to share his own story of lost love with Dominic. He had never felt so comfortable talking to someone before about his past. “I was in love with a man once. I was thirty-one. It was the first and only time I had wanted to settle down with someone.”

  “What happened?”

  He snorted. “His wife. Turns out he was married.”

  “Shit. It’s not uncommon anymore, but still. How did you find out he was married?”

  “We had been seeing each other for a year. I met Will at a Cannes Festival. That was the first time I had met someone that loved movies just as much as I did. Anyway, we hit it off and started seeing each other occasionally. He lived in LA. He was a producer and a private investor. After a while, we started seeing each other more frequently. I had offered to move to LA so we wouldn’t be so far apart. He was against it. Will said that he didn’t want me to uproot my life and business for him. I . . . I admitted to him that I loved him, and I would do it to be with him.”

  Dominic rolled over on his side to look at him.

  Sebastian continued to stare at the ceiling. “He said he loved me, too, but it was too soon to make a big commitment like that. He asked me to wait another few months. A month after that conversation, I got a phone call. I thought it was him because the caller ID said the call was from his cell, so I answered. It turned out to be his wife. She identified herself and asked what my relationship was with her husband.”

  “Geez. What did you say?”

  He took a deep breath. “I couldn’t say anything. I was stunned speechless. Will was the only man who has pulled the wool over my eyes like that. I hung up, but she didn’t give up. She called me at least twice a day for a week. She would either leave a message at the office or at my home. I guess she got my contact info from Will’s contacts. I was still reeling from the revelation, but I could hear the desperation in her voice. My heart went out to her. I finally called her back. I told her everything.”

  “What happened then?”

  Sebastian grinded his teeth at the memory. It still pissed him off. “A few days later, Will called me. He was ranting and raving because I told his wife the truth. I ranted and raved at him about being a two-faced, lying piece of shit. Then I told him if he ever tried to get in contact with me again, I would break his neck. He knew me. He knew I meant it. I didn’t see him again until the hearing.”

  “Hearing?”

  “Yes. His wife, Luna, asked me to testify at the divorce hearing. I agreed and flew to LA. I had the pleasure of watching that woman take him to the cleaners. She got the house and the townhouse that we would meet at when I would come to town. She also got three of his luxury cars, ten million dollars, and full custody of the kids.”

  “Kids? He had kids?”

  “Yep. One boy and one girl. A month after the divorce was final, Luna called to thank me for my help. We still talk once in a while over the phone.”

  “What happened to Will?”

  “The last Luna heard, he was living in Malibu in a small house. He lives off the investments that Luna didn’t strip him of in the divorce. He hasn’t seen the kids in years.”

  “Wow,” Dominic mumbled. He rolled back on his back.

  They went quiet again. It lasted for a few minutes.

  Dominic rolled over on his side again. He propped his head on his hand, resting his elbow on the pillow. His thick, kissable lips were formed in a crooked smile. “You know we shouldn’t have done this, right?”

  Sebastian burst out laughing.

  Dominic chuckled.

  “Ha, ha, ha. Well, it’s too late now,” he replied with a smile.

  “Yeah. So what do we do now?”

  “That’s up to you. I like how . . . our friendship is evolving.” Sebastian liked Dominic a lot. He loved being around him. He knew that the project would be finished before spring, and it pained him to go back to San Francisco.

  “I do like you. I think I’ve demonstrated that. But you’re bi. I don’t like sharing, even if it is a woman. That’s why . . . I’ve kept you at arm’s length all these weeks.”

  Sebastian nodded. “I respect your stance. I’m not as promiscuous as you think. I’m very selective about my sexual partners . . . especially the female ones. I like petite women with small breasts. Men . . . well, I try to stick with ones that I like.”

  “Nevertheless, I don’t want a fling.”

  “I kno
w, but I feel like we would be depriving ourselves of a nice relationship if neither one of us are willing to be open and bend a little.”

  “I . . . I don’t know,” Dominic stuttered.

  “I tell you what. We’ll try it during my time here. I won’t see other men, and neither will you. Once we have finished the bank project, we’ll evaluate our situation,” Sebastian proposed.

  “And women?”

  Sebastian thought for a moment. He swallowed. The only woman he had slept with during the past two years was Meghan, but he could give her up for a few months. It would be a good test for him to see if he could abstain from vagina. “No women until we finish the bank project, when we assess our relationship.”

  Dominic stared at him. He was thinking about it.

  “It’s a fair deal,” Sebastian commented.

  He smirked. “It is.” He exhaled. “I guess you’re worth the risk.”

  “You guess?” Sebastian repeated with amusement. “I see we have to go another round so I can get rid of the ‘guess’ part.”

  Dominic chuckled.

  Chapter 9

  Two weeks later . . .

  Sebastian hadn’t been this happy in years. Dominic was a great guy. He was fun, smart, and they were in the same field. He wanted to spread the joy he was feeling, so he treated Meghan to dinner in the restaurant downstairs in the hotel.

  “Meghan, I want you to go see your family for Christmas,” Sebastian said with a smile.

  She looked across the table at him. “What?”

  He smiled. “Go to New Jersey and spend time with your family for the holidays.” He pulled a round trip ticket out of his suit pocket and handed it to her.

  “Oh my,” she breathed as she took the ticket. “This is very generous of you, but I can’t afford to miss work.”

  “I’ll pay you for the two weeks you are off,” Sebastian said.

  “Sir, this . . . I . . . I don’t know what to say. You won’t need me?”

  “No. Dominic and I are going to take a break. I won’t need you until January second.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said and reached into his other pocket to pull out a white envelope. “This is a check.” He handed it to her. “It’s a Christmas bonus.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “I . . . You . . . you’ve never given me a Christmas bonus before.”

  Sebastian chuckled. He didn’t blame her for being surprised. He treated his employees well, but he had never paid them more than he had to. However, being with Dominic had made him more of a generous person. Last week, Dominic and Mrs. Poindexter had volunteered at the local food pantry. Sebastian went with them. He found he enjoyed helping others. “I know, but this is the time of giving, and I am in the spirit.”

  She smiled. “I won’t argue.” She quickly put the plane ticket and envelope in her purse.

  Sebastian chuckled.

  ****

  It was Christmas Eve, and Dominic was hosting a Christmas party. Tomorrow, he and Sebastian were going to have dinner at his mother’s. Dominic’s sister, Marjorie, was in town. His friends were already at his townhouse drinking and nibbling on refreshments.

  Sebastian came up the stairs. He was carrying a gift box and a bag.

  Dominic smiled as he approached him.

  They exchanged a quick kiss.

  “Hey, what do you have there?” Dominic asked.

  “This is your Christmas gift. I’ve got three bottles of champagne in the bag,” he answered.

  “Oooh, a gift. Can I open it now?”

  “No,” Sebastian said with a grin. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

  “Ugh,” Dominic sighed.

  “Hey,” Marjorie said as she approached him. Just two years older than Dominic, his sister was beautiful. She had dark, shoulder-length hair and a curvy body. She was single but dated often.

  He put his arm around her shoulders. “Sebastian, this is Marjorie.”

  Sebastian’s smile lit up the room. “I figured that. You two have the same cheekbones.”

  “Ah, I see he’s detail oriented,” she quipped with a grin as she extended her hand to him.

  They shook hands.

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Dominic said with a smile. “He’s extremely intelligent, too.”

  “He’s exaggerating,” Sebastian said humbly.

  Marjorie laughed. “He always does,” she joked. “Dom, take his packages and put them under the tree.”

  “You see how bossy she is?” Dominic remarked.

  Sebastian laughed. “It’s all right. I’ll put it under the tree myself. I don’t trust him not to peek in it, but you can take the bag,” he said as he looked at Dominic.

  “Well, I see I’m the manservant for the evening,” Dominic quipped as he took the bag. “I’ll put a bottle in the freezer.”

  The party continued. Christmas music played on the stereo. Everyone was chatting and laughing.

  Dominic and Marjorie stood in a corner alone.

  “So, what do you think?” Dominic asked.

  “The tree is beautiful,” she answered and sipped her wine.

  He rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

  She smirked. “Sebastian is adorable. Pretty cute for a white guy.”

  Dominic’s head tilted to the side. “Do you mind that he’s white?”

  “No,” she answered simply. “I’ve just never known you to date a white man.”

  “Oh. This is the first time, but we hadn’t run into any problems concerning race.”

  “Not yet. I have a friend back in Vegas who just started dating a white man. People actually stare at them. Not everybody, but a person here and there when they go out. I’m sure their problems are just beginning. You know how racism can be.”

  “I do. I’m not naïve. I grew up in Georgia, just like you. But, for right now, everything is going fine.” Dominic wasn’t stupid or deaf. Even Wendell and Darnell expressed concern about the difference in race despite the fact that they liked Sebastian. Dominic had known an interracial couple years ago. They were nice people, but they had a hard time. Eventually, they broke up because of the pressure and the differences in cultures.

  “Good. I hope it continues to go that way,” Marjorie said.

  “What about your love life?”

  “It’s fine. Nothing serious. I’m too old to hope for the hearts-and-flowers ending.”

  “You’re starting to sound cynical at your old age,” he commented.

  “Maybe a little, but deep down, you know happy endings are few and far between.”

  Two hours later, everyone was leaving. Dominic and Sebastian walked Marjorie to the door.

  “It’s late. Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night? It’s not like we aren’t going to Momma’s tomorrow,” Dominic said.

  “No. I’ll be fine. I’ve driven later than this at night in Vegas,” Marjorie replied.

  “All right. Call me when you get to Mom’s.”

  She scoffed. “Who’s being bossy now?”

  “Just do it. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dominic said and kissed his sister on the forehead.

  “Goodnight,” Sebastian said.

  “Goodnight,” she said and walked out the door.

  After Dominic watched his sister get into her rental car and drive off, he closed and locked the door. He and Sebastian went back up to the second floor.

  “She’ll be fine,” Sebastian soothed.

  “I’m going to call her. Have her stay on the phone with me until she gets to Mom’s,” Dominic said.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. Surely you haven’t forgotten how dangerous Atlanta is? Hell, you can get car jacked in the daytime here,” Dominic said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He called his sister on her cell. She answered, and they chatted.

  During this time, Sebastian washed the dirty dishes and put the food away.

  Twen
ty minutes later, Marjorie had pulled up in their mother’s driveway. The siblings said their goodbyes for the second time that night and hung up.

  Dominic put his cell phone on the coffee table as Sebastian walked into the living room with two glasses of champagne. “It’s nice and cold.”

  “Thanks,” he said and took a glass.

  “I told you she would be fine.”

  “I know, but I can’t help but worry. Three days ago, a man was shot in a grocery store parking lot five times all because three guys wanted his Dodge truck,” Dominic explained with distress. “The people here have become crazy as hell over the years.”

  Sebastian sat next to him. “Maybe you shouldn’t watch the news every night. All it does is stress you out and make you paranoid. You can’t enjoy life like that.”

  “I watch the local news to stay informed. Knowledge is power. If you don’t stay informed around here, you can die. Trust me; I’ve lived in Atlanta almost all my life. What you don’t know can and will hurt you.” Dominic sipped his champagne.

  Sebastian sat his glass on the coffee table. “Turn around. You need to relax a little.”

  Dominic turned. He knew what Sebastian was about to do.

  Sebastian started massaging his shoulders. “Now, relax. Your sister is a big girl. She survives in Las Vegas every day without you being a worry wart. They have lots of crime there, too, trust me on that one.”

  “Vegas is different. There, the criminals stay in the high crime areas. In Atlanta, you can get killed in the suburbs.”

  Sebastian increased the pressure of his hands. “I understand. Now, hush.”

  Dominic exhaled as Sebastian worked his magic fingers over his shoulders and neck. He did have a calming effect on Dominic. Dominic knew he got wound up when talking about the crime in Atlanta, but it was so vicious half the time. It was like no one had any regard for human life in the city anymore. He could feel the tension leaving his shoulders. “So, did you enjoy the party?”

  “I did,” Sebastian answered. “I like your friends. Fun bunch.”

  “They’re great. I’m lucky to have them. It’s hard to find good friends these days. I cherish every one of them.”