The Secrets You Keep

Changes and Decisions

"Hey Cam, come in and put those bags down in the second bedroom." Travis opens the door and invites me in with a smile on his face.  It feels good to be somewhere else other than my parents house with all of my mother's nagging and trying to reason with my father. After I put all of my things away in the second bedroom I sit down in the living room to catch up with Travis. Despite finally being able to take a breath for a little while, I know that at some point I'll have to see my parents again and possibly address all of our issues, but for right now I just want to kick back with my best friend and not think about shit.

"Cuz, you gotta let me know what's been happening, it's like we ain't seen each other in forever." He says.

"Man shut up, it's been like three days." We both laugh." "Anyways there's whole lotta shit going on bro, dealing with my mom and all of her bullshit, my parents trying to send me to this pastor and get me straight, and overall dealing with the pastor."

"What pastor!?" Travis looks at me puzzled.

"Geneva Mitchell, she runs that church Greater Life, it's not too far from here, and my parents got the bright fucking idea and had me meeting with her hoping that she could get me straight, but check this out, she has a thing for me apparently."

"Get the fuck outta here!" "My grandma used to take me to that lady's church when I was growing up, I always thought she was married though." "Her husband or whoever she used to be was that type of guy that looked like he was a pimp but tried to get saved, at least thats what my grandmama would say." Travis starts laughing.

"They are married, but clearly she isn't happy being married because get this, the first time I met her in-person, I tried to leave her office and she grabbed onto me and kissed me, when she invited me and my parents over for dinners last week, her and her husband were fighting in the next room."

"Damn Cameron! You got rich, married preachers falling in love with you?" "I always heard cougar pussy was the truth, I never thought you would get the chance to get some before me."We both start laughing, Travis rolls up a blunt, lights it, then passes it to me.

I take a few hits then pass it back to him then he asks me more about Pastor Mitchell.

"So what's this lady like? Is she like every other flashy preacher on TV or is she like those first ladies at those smaller churches up in North?"

"Honestly, it's a mixture of both types." "She's really flashy when it comes to hosting dinner parties, the clothes, and the fancy ass furniture that she buys, but when I'm in her office she comes off like a humble first lady."

"I feel you." Travis nods and smiles at me. Then he asks me a question that I have never even fully thought about.

"Cam, do you like her the same way she obviously likes you?"

I pause to try and find the words. Part of me feels like I want to know more about her, then the other half doesn't want to get involved with her at all.

"I don't know." "I've been avoiding the entire thing because my mama has been on my back non-stop, so I really haven't sat down and asked myself."

"Why don't you wanna get involved with her?" Travis asks. "Shit, she's rich, sexy as hell from what I can remember, and she knows people in high places that can get you whatever you want."

"I don't really care about her money or the powerful people she knows, it's the fact that she's closeted but does sermons talking about how being gay is wrong." "Like honestly what type of shit is that?!" "You know how I feel about dating closeted women or women who are married." "She just so happens to be in both categories Travis."