They Took Him

Chapter 19: Jasmine Sullivan

Neither Brandon or Terrence had ever made love to me the way Michael had. He was so strong and sure, the surprises kept coming. I became oblivious to the reason I bought him to the hotel and just gave him everything. He made me feel things I'd never knew my body could feel. Our bodies had a chemistry of their own and it felt like our minds just followed. His guards were down completely and he loved me like we would never get the chance to love again. I fell in love with him that very first night in the La'Quinta Inn hotel. I fell asleep in his arms that night, but woke up to trouble.

"Good-morning sunshine", Brandon said sarcastically when I woke the next morning. He was sitting at the end of bed looking angrily at a very groggy me. It was right then that I realized what I had done. I had let the man who murdered my father slip through my hands. I was so disappointed in myself.

"What the hell were you thinking?", Brandon questioned me.

I realized that I was laying naked and memories of the night before started to replay in my mind. Whatever Brandon was saying suddenly turned irrelevant and all I could think about was Michael's hands on my body. I was wondering how I could contact him again when my common sense caught up with me. How could I be planning to be with him again? I had to be losing my mind, going completely insane. I had to get my emotions in check before I got myself hurt. So I snapped out of it and went to take a shower. I found a note in the restroom resting next to the shower with his name on it when I walked in. It read:

I had the time of my life last night and I would like to get together again soon. Sorry I left in such a hurry, I had to handle business this morning, but please call me at 504-321-8794.

I don't know what had gotten into me, but I knew in my mind right then that I was going to see him again. I quickly hid the note and took my shower, unsure of the trouble I was getting myself into.

Two weeks later, Brandon invited me to Dinner. When I got there, he pulled the chair out for me and smiled at me like the perfect gentlemen. He started to talk about our relationship and how he wanted it to get better. He was willing to move away from New Orleans so that we could have a fresh start. He seemed happy to be planning out our future, but I was not. Truth was, Brandon was the perfect gentleman, he had always been. Any girl would be lucky to have him, but I was not that girl anymore. I loved him, but I had fallen out of love with him because I was falling in love with someone else.

Later that night, I had cried myself to sleep listening to Jasmine Sullivan. She sang her worries out to me and I could relate to every word she said:

If I could, could forget him

I would, please believe me

And I know that I should throw the towel in

But baby, it's not, not that easy, hey

You treat me so much better than him

And if I was sane there'd be no competition

But, but I'm in love with someone else

And I'm so sorry, hey, hey

I'm in love with another man

And I know it ain't right...

Just like Jasmine Sullivan, I had fallen in love with another man. With those thoughts, I drifted into a heavy sleep that night with an unsure heart...