The Cheating Curve Read Online Free PDF Page B

for just the right word, “…unbound?”
    “You absolutely can, but if you want me to attend your pity party because your husband would rather, oh, I don’t know, massage your feet after a long day at work than beat your ass with a belt—sorry, but I won’t be RSVPing to that affair,” Aminah said, shaking her head in disbelief.
    Lang finished off her disappointing cup of coffee, slouched down in her seat, and pouted.
    “I’m sorry, Lang. I’m trying to follow you, I really am. But after all I’ve been through with Fame, I just don’t get it, and I’m not sure I really want to,” Aminah admitted.
    “Well, then, let’s not do this,” Lang said, folding her arms and casually glancing over at the boys playing basketball across the street.
    Aminah also looked over at the basketball game and, once again, she found herself hating the actions of someone she loved. It was all so conflicting for her. She gestured for the waitress to bring the check. “Lang, I’m really trying to be your friend here, but you know where I’m coming from,” she said, reaching out for Lang’s hands and making her unfold her arms.
    “I know, Minah,” Lang said. “I mean, why do you think I’ve kept him from you for so long? If Dante hadn’t shown up at Pretty Inside, we wouldn’t even be talking about this right now. I’m not gonna lie. I know it’s selfish. I do. But for some reason it doesn’t feel so wrong. It feels perfect for right now.”
    “Lang, are you catching feelings for this kid?” Aminah asked. “I thought it was just physical—I mean, mental—I mean, sexual.” Aminah got flustered.
    “It’s all those things,” Lang admitted. “But, no, there are no feelings involved. I mean, I can’t say there’s an emotional attachment.”
    Aminah nodded her head, trying to make sense of what her best friend was saying. She signed the receipt and suggested they walk and talk. Lang grabbed Aminah’s hand as they exited the restaurant and swung it like she had when they were little girls in elementary school.
    “Aminah, just you trying to understand what it is I’m doing here means the world to me,” Lang admitted. “If I were you, I don’t think I could stomach listening to a girlfriend justify having an affair. It’s all fun and games for me, but you’ve been on the painful side of it. This is the first time I’ve ever felt so uncomfortable discussing something with you.”
    As Langston spoke, tears welled up in Aminah’s eyes. “The other side does hurt, Lang,” Aminah said, fighting back the tears.
    “I know, baby,” Lang said, stopping in front of Aminah’s car and hugging her best friend tightly. “Let’s stop, huh? I mean, really, what’s the point in me sharing this with you?”
    “You’re my best friend. That’s the point,” Aminah said, pulling from her embrace. “And it’s not a game, Lang. It’s lives, real lives you’re messing with here. And I can’t just silently watch you ruin your marriage. It’s not worth it, Lang. I promise you it’s not worth it.”
    “But I can’t walk away from this, Minah,” Lang said, stepping back from Aminah and shaking her head. “Not now anyway. Not yet.” Lang gently wiped Aminah’s face with her hands and kissed her on the forehead.
    “You know, at first I thought I wanted to know everything about this affair,” Aminah admitted. “No, no, I’m lying. At first I thought I was gonna be sick when you finally confessed. But then I thought, as crazy as it sounds, I thought maybe, just maybe hearing you explain why you’d cheat on Sean would help me understand Fame’s rationale for cheating on me. But now…” Aminah shook her head, pacing next to her car. “Now I know I was right. It is as crazy as it sounds. Listening to you and this bullshit about not being able to get your freak on with your husband is ludicrous. I’m sorry, Lang, but I just don’t get how you could feel even remotely justified entertaining the idea of having sex