I don't wanna hurt no more

Chapter One

Jason frantically walked down the sidewalk, trying to clear his thoughts. He’d just caught Tess, the love of his life since junior year in high school, in bed with another man. As much as he wanted to act surprised, he wasn’t. He’d hired a private investigator to follow her and monitor her activities. She’d been acting funny towards him and being less affectionate than she usually was. And he knew better than anyone how high her sex drive was. When they first married, they’d had sex 4 out of 7 days of the week at least twice a day. And that didn’t stop up until about 4 months ago. Now, that had decreased to about twice a week, maybe less than that. That’s when he knew something was going on.
Well, two weeks and $450 later, he was told Tess was bold enough to bring someone to their home. Guess she thought he would be at work while she took care of homeboy, but she had thought wrong. Jason owned and worked in several different architectural firms in Manhattan, and when Tess asked which one he’d be working at that day, he purposely told her one that was 45 minutes, the furthest, away from their home. He had a feeling she would do something like this soon, which is why he told her he’d be on the other side of town all day to see if she’d take the bait. And she did.
After he left the house that morning, he drove around the city instead of going to work, waiting for the private investigator to call him. He didn’t have to wait long. About 10 minutes into his drive, the P.I., who was also a good friend and college buddy, called him on his cell.
“Hey, Jay, it’s David,” the P.I. said. “Tess just went inside with this tall, dark brotha. And it don’t look like they just friends. I’m sorry man. What are you gonna do?”
“I ain’t sure man. I think I'm gonna go get a drink.”
“At 9:45 in the morning?” David asked, expressing concern.
“Yea, I need one,” Jason chuckled sadly. He couldn’t believe the love of his life, his heart, would do this to him. “You take pictures?”
“Yea, I took more than enough. So what do you want me to do? You want me to leave or stay her and wait for them to come out so I can take more pictures?”
“Nah, man. You’ve done more than enough. Go ahead and leave. I’ll pay you extra for today.”
“No need. The last week’s on me. I’m sorry you had to find out like this man. I never thought Tess would do this. If you ever need anything, just call me and let me know.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk you you…” Jason let his voice trail off before he closed his phone shut.
Jason didn’t know what to do. He was only 27 years old and had been married for nearly ten years. He and Tess married straight out of high school. She was the only woman he’d been with since then, and thought he was the only man she would ever be with. He had thought wrong.
Jason drove home with many thoughts swirling in his head. He wondered if he knew this due or what he looked like. And most importantly, how he made a married woman stray.
He nervously approached his front door and turned the knob. He eased the door closed and saw the trail of clothing leading down the hall and up the stairs. His heart began to beat rapidly and he started to sweat. He couldn’t believe she would cheat on him, and most of all, have the audacity to bring another man into a home he’d created for both of them to grow old in. His sadness quickly became anger as he walked down the hall. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, wondering what he would do nest. He then tip-toed up the staircase, but stopped on the second to the last step. He heard Tess’ soft moans as her and her lover indulged in something he held sacred between the two of them. He almost broke down and cried right there, but Jason realized she’d let this man make love to her on a bed that they’d shared for nearly ten years as man and wife.
That gave him the fuel he needed to finish climbing the stairs and advance towards the room.
They were both so engrossed in their sexual act that they never noticed to door open. Jason stood at the foot of the bed, staring at his wife getting pleasure from someone that wasn’t him.
He was there for nearly two minutes before Tess opened her eyes and saw him.
“Jason!” she screamed and tried to push her lover, but he wouldn’t budge.
“No, baby, I ain’t that punk ass husband of yours,” he said and leaned down to kiss her.
“Nah, I’m her punk ass husband,” Jason said when he finally found his voice.
They mysterious man rolled off Tess and stared at Jason. Both of them were at a loss for words. All three of them stared until Tess said, “Listen, Jason, I can explain…”
Jason’s temper then shot through the roof. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THERE TO EXPLAIN?! YOU FUCKIN SOME OTHA NIGGA IN A HOUSE WE SHARE! IN OUR BED!”
Jason was beyond hurt. He just couldn’t believe it, even thought he’d just walked in on the act. “You are the most trifling bitch I know. Who would fuck another man in the bed she and her husband share? I’m done with you! I’m filing for divorce today. By the time I get back from my lawyers office, I want this nigga, you, and all ya shit out of my house.”
He hurriedly walked out of the house and into the breezy April weather with no destination in mind. Even though he had a car, he wanted to walk so he could have more time to think. How could she? What did he do wrong? What did the other man do right? How many times had she bought him there? How many times had she cheated on him? All these questions he had and didn’t have an answer for a single one.
He arrived at a local, deserted park about a half mile from his house, sat on a swing, and cried.



Chapter Two


Jason woke up at 4:17 a.m., with sweat beads covering his face. This was the 4th time this week he’d dreamed about catching Tess. He’d been divorced for almost 4 years and every year, without fail, exactly a week before the anniversary of the date he’d caught Tess in bed with another man, he would dream about it. It wasn’t like he wasn’t over Tess, he just wasn’t over the hurt and pain she caused him. It had been 3 plus years since he had a partner and he missed the companionship. Be he was afraid to date anyone or try to start a relationship with anyone, for the fear they would do him the way Tess had done him.
Shortly after their divorce, he and Tess talked, well she talked. What she said completely floored him.
“Jason, I love you, but you are a bore. There is no excitement in our lives. You work all the time and you hardly have time for me. You stopped making me feel special and loved. Whether you know it or not, it was you who drove me into the arms of another man.
“If you would have shown me some emotion and talked to me like you used to, none of this would have happened. You used to care. Now, I don’t think you love me anymore, just the idea of me. I’m tired of lying in the shadow of you job. Maybe this is for the best. You take care of yourself,” she said and walked out of his life forever.
He hadn’t seen her since, but from what he heard, she and the guy, Brian, he found out his name at the divorce hearing, got married and moved to the West Coast.
Jason rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom. He figured since he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, he might as well take a shower and get ready for the day. He turned the shower on and removed his clothes while he waited for the water to get hot. He stepped inside the shower and let the scorching water wash away his pain. While he was in the shower, he thought. Thought about in 3 days he would be divorced for 4 years. Thought about how in just 7 days he would be turning 31. Thought about how he would be a 31-year old, successful, unmarried, lonely man. He thought about how he would spend his birthday alone.
He shook his thoughts away as he began to lather his body with soap. As he brushed past his penis, he felt a familiar, but distant sensation. He ran his hand across it again and saw himself began to rise. He mindlessly began to stroke himself as his mind slipped into nothingness. This was the first time in almost 4 years that he’d aroused himself. As the pleasure began to take over him, he pumped himself harder and faster. He felt an orgasm building up and heard himself release a soft moan. His body shook and he watched his love juice be released from his body and down the drain of the shower.
It was then and only then, that he knew he needed to get some action and fast!

* * * * *

Jason arrived at work an hour early so he could get started on the proposal to build condos for a rich dude from Texas. Of all the sketches he had to do, he had doing condos the most, but the guy was willing to pay the best contractor very handsomely, so who was he to argue?
He started working and had about three drafts that he was very proud of. If he didn’t like one, he had options to choose from.
Jason owned the company that he currently worked, so he really didn’t have to come in. But since the divorce, he rarely stayed at home. He couldn’t bear going home to an empty house.
Placing the drafts in an oversized folder, Jason rose to exit the conference room he was working in. Just as he rounded the corner, he ran head first, or should he say chest first, into Skye Suarez, his half-black, half-Puerto Rican corporate manager. She hadn’t seen him coming because she was looking down at her Treo, making business plans with her clients in Canada. She bumped into him and fell backward, crying out in pain as she landed flat on her ass. He quickly apologized and began to help her up.
Skye chuckled, brushed herself off and picked up her phone. “Don’t worry about it. If I were watching where I was going, I would have seen you coming,” she told Jason, putting him at ease, because he thought he seriously hurt her.