Forced Out of the Darkness (29 page)

“Hey Cam. How are you
doing?”

“I’m doing well. I am
just here trying to clean these ribs and get them seasoned. I am making a jerk
marinade for the chicken. I am going to clean the greens so they are ready. What
is going on with you? How was work?”

“I am ok. I got a lot
of things on my mind and some pressure at work.”

“Oh, really. Do you
want to talk about it?”

Monti really wanted to
talk about it but if he did he risked opening a whirlwind of things and he
didn’t want to risk that right now. “No. I will be ok. Everything ok with you
today?”

“Yes, nothing out of
the ordinary.” Cameron said not revealing anything about his conversation with
Calvin. “When am I going to meet more of your friends?”

“You want to meet more
of my friends? Where is that coming from?”

“We talked about that
before and I know you introduced me to your mom and your kids, but I think that
we need to make sure that we integrate our lives together if we are going to be
together for the long haul. We also need to make mutual friends between us. Monti,
I want to have a serious relationship and we should not have secret friendships
etc. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“I hear you. I just
don’t know why the push for meeting my friends.”

“Monti, I don’t feel
that this is the most appropriate time to have this discussion. Maybe we should
wait until we are face to face so that we can have an intelligent conversation.
I am getting that you just don’t want me to know who you hang out with.”

“You are going to know
who I hang out with because you are going to meet my close friends. I don’t
call everyone a friend and so I don’t see why you are having such an issue with
this. I just don’t understand where all this shit is coming from.”

“Don’t take your
frustrations out on me.”

“I’m just saying that
you are pushing stuff that is not important. We are here together and working
on our relationship. Isn’t that enough for you?”

“Enough…hell I could be
working on a relationship with a mass murder, for all I know. You got something
that you are hiding from me or something that you don’t want me to know about. In
my opinion, that is unacceptable.”

“Cam…can’t we just talk
about this when I get home?”

 “Are you on your way
here?”

“I am gonna chill for a
few. I will be there a little later, ok.”

“Fine Monti. I am not
sure why you are acting like this, but do what you have to do. Don’t think that
I am going to continue this way for much longer. I am better than this and I
hope you don’t think I am some damn push over.”

“I am not saying that
you are a push over. I really just need to clear my head. I am getting a
headache now. Let’s talk about this when I get there. Ok?”

“Alright.”

“Bye” Cameron hung up
the phone. He did not know why Monti was acting this way but it made him feel a
little concerned. He was having company over on Monday and he wanted to make
sure that everything was ok.

“I am going through all
this shit with Calvin and all Cameron is thinking about is meeting my friends.”
Monti said to himself. He was clearly upset and he didn’t know what to do. He
decided that he would go to the gym and put in a workout in hopes of being able
to clear his mind.

Chapter Forty-One

A Regrettable Decision

“Hey Shaine. How are
you doing?”

“Hey Stranger. I have
not heard from you in a while. Is everything ok?”

“I am ok…just wanted
someone to talk to for a minute. Were you busy?”

“Honey, you know I am
never to busy to talk to my bestest friend. What is going on?”

“I went to get a
manicure and pedicure yesterday. I was just sitting in the chair for the
pedicure when another guy came in and asked for a pedicure also. He ultimately
ended up sitting next to me. His name is Calvin. As the ladies were working on
my feet, he and I struck up conversation. He seemed to be a nice guy. We had a
good conversation and I guess he was familiar with Monti.”

“Oh really? You said he
was familiar with Monti? Do tell.”

“Yes, really. He was
telling me about this restaurant and bar on the east side called Capers. He
said they have the bomb drinks. On a side note, we are going to have to go
there one day soon to check it out. After we were done with our spa treatments,
we exchanged numbers and I didn’t think much about it.”

“That is not bad.”
Shaine said puzzled.

“Hold on, I am getting
to it. I went home after that because Monti and I had made plans to go to
dinner and have some drinks. Monti was in the shower and I asked him about the
restaurant. Girl, he bout fell out the shower.”

“You are kidding me,
right?”

“No, I am telling you
the truth.”

“Why would he trip out
over the restaurant?”

“That is what I was
thinking. I did not pay much attention to it until I asked him did he know a
guy named Calvin, and guess what.”

“What?”

“His ass damn near fell
again.”

“You are lying,
Cameron.”

“I wish I was. I asked
him if he was all right? He said he was. He did not seem like he was all right.
He looked like he had just saw a ghost.”

“What was that about?”

“I don’t know. He was
distant the whole night after that and I thought that it had something to do
with the conversation.”

“I would think the same
thing.”

“I got a call today
from Calvin. We were talking about the Atlanta pride events and he asked me if
I was happy with the relationship.”

“Oh really. Was he
trying to see if he could break you up because he wants one of you to himself?”

“I never thought about
that. Who knows? But he did say that I should ask Monti to meet his friends. I
did not tell Monti that I talked to Calvin.”

“I would agree that you
should not have told him.”

“When I talked to Monti
a few minutes ago, I asked him when I was going to get to meet his friends. You
know me…I want a relationship with someone and I am not going to be a secret. I
want to know who he hangs with and all that stuff.”

“I am so all in with
that one.”

“Talk about crazy. Monti
got unhinged when I asked him about his friends. He was clearly agitated at me
because I asked a simple question. What is your take on the situation?”

“Because you asked me,
I am gong to give my opinion. I think that being with him is not a good choice.
Something about him doesn’t sit to well with me. He has to many secrets and has
put you through some crazy stuff in these few months. Did you really do some
soul searching to know what this is the one that you should be with?”

“You know I have been
back and forth with this at each turn. I am not sure really but we have been
moving more and more towards a serious relationship. I know I did not tell you
before, but he moved in about two weeks ago.”

“Cameron…tell me you
didn’t?”

“Yes, I did. I was fine
with it until this last day or so. I don’t want to look like a fool but I had
to follow my heart.”

“But obviously your
heart is telling you something is not right. You are telling me that you are
having reservations about this decision and I want to say that you are probably
right. There is something about Monti that I am not comfortable with. I don’t
know him yet so I am going to reserve judgment until then but I am thinking
that you have to do some more thinking about this one. There are just too many
questions left in the air surrounding him.”

“I respect that and you
are probably correct.”

“Where is he now?”

“He said he was going
to chill or something. I know what you are going to say. I don’t know what that
means.”

“You know I was going
to ask that.”

“Yes, you know that if
anyone knows you, I do.”

“Yes, honey you just
take your time and think about the situation and I will pray that God opens
your eyes to see what it is that you are supposed to see in this situation.”

“You know I will take
my time. So I will see you on Monday? I am here cleaning and marinating the
meats.”

“I am not going to miss
the opportunity to enjoy some good kitchen throw down. I will be there early so
I can get a jump start on the eating.”

“I will see you then. Love
you so much. Thanks for listening too.”

Cameron felt good after
talking to his best friend. Shaine always had a way of making some of the worst
situations better. Cameron definitely had more soul searching that he had to
do. The house was quiet and Cameron took the time to take in the conversations
that he had today. Calvin planted the seed, Monti watered it and Shaine brought
the sunshine. This situation would continue to grow and Cameron was destined to
figure it out.

*  
*   *   *   *

Monti got to Cameron’s
house about 9:00 pm. He went up to the third floor to find Cameron in bed
watching television.

“You decided to come
home?”

“I told you I had to
clear my head. I went to the gym and then got something to eat.”

“Oh ok…don’t worry
about it. I wasn’t hungry or anything like that. What is going on with you? Since
yesterday, you have been acting funny. I asked you about getting to know some
of your friends and you got an attitude. I need you to be honest with me and
let me know what is going on.”

“Cameron, I told you I
am fine. I don’t understand why you are so adamant about knowing who my friends
are, but it is getting a bit irritating that you keep on asking me this.”

“You want to minimize
my questions and concerns?” Cameron said agitated.

“It’s not that I am
minimizing your concerns, Babe. It’s just that I got a lot of stuff on my plate
and you are harping on meeting people.”

“Harping…is that how
you view this? I am just a nagging harping bitch?”

“You are taking this
the wrong way. I didn’t call you a bitch, Cameron.” Monti said. He was
frustrated at this whole exchange but now he knew that Cameron was getting
emotional about this.

“How should I be taking
this then? You explain it to me, Mr. I-Have-Never-Done-Anything-Wrong. You are
the one constantly doing shit here. I can bring up all the shit you have been
doing and yet I take you back time and time again.”

“Cameron, I don’t want
to do this with you right now.”

“Are you in this
relationship to be in the relationship or are you serious about helping this
grow into a real long-term relationship?”

“You know that I want
this to be a long-term relationship. I just don’t know why it is so important
that you know this stuff.”

“As two people get
together and come to an understanding that they are going to interconnect their
lives, their friends also interconnect. Sure you will always have a closer
relationship with your friends and I will with mine; however they should know
who I am in your life and vice versa.”

“I know all that but
like I told you before, I have a very small knit group of friends and everyone
else is just acquaintances.”

“Who are your
acquaintances? Why are you playing word semantics with me Monti? What are you trying
to hide from me?” Cameron said. “A bigger question for you is…why are you
hiding this from me? I am your partner or your boyfriend or whatever you call
me.”

“You are just not going
to let this die are you? Cameron, I want to be with you and I want to grow old
with you. You are going to have to trust me.”

“Trust you? How can you
even form your lips to ask me to trust you when you are so full of secrets? You
don’t trust me, or should I help you remember the new A4A account. Or what
about you calling my job? How many times have you apologized and asked me to
forgive you because you were doing some stupid shit?”

“My past is my past and
it is not mandatory that you know about my past to build a future with me.”

“Your past is your past
if it stayed in the past. If your past comes into my present, I have a right to
know. You can’t make me make life decision without all the information.”

“What does that mean? Are
you trying to tell me that someone from my past is talking to you?”

“No, that is not what I
am saying. What I am saying is that for me to get to know you outside of our
relationship, I need to know who you used to hang out with. If you are who you
say you are it would not be an issue.”

“Look Cameron, I don’t
want to argue with you. I have a lot on my mind and on my plate. I really don’t
want to involve you in some of this stuff. I just need some time to figure this
out. Can you just give me some time to figure out what this is?”