Excerpt from Chapter 4 of My Three Beaus
Copyright 2005 by Shelia M Goss

The Juggling Act

“Are you still upset at me?” Dana asked.

She sat across from me on the sofa eating buttered popcorn as I flipped stations. I had two hundred channels, but still couldn’t find anything to catch my interest.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Correction. My job is to tell you the truth.”

I pretended to be enthralled with a hair growing commercial for bald men. I wasn’t a man nor was I bald, so Dana ignored it and continued to talk.

“What you need to do is decide on which one of these men you want to be with and stop playing the field. You’re like a female version of my ex.”

I squinted up my nose and rolled my eyes. “Please. Your ex was a bow wow dog to the tenth power.”

“Exactly. He was afraid of commitment and so are you.”

“No, I’m not.” I knew she was telling the truth, but I wasn’t going to admit it to her or anyone else for that matter.

“I can understand why. I would be too after dealing with Antonio, but don’t let what Antonio did to you stop you from having a meaningful and loving monogamous relationship. All men aren’t him.”

Disgusted at the way my quiet evening at home was turning out, I began flipping stations again. “Dana, if you don’t have anything positive to say, please keep your trap shut.”

“Don’t get mad at me. You need to be mad at yourself. I told you that juggling all these men would come back to haunt you.”

“I don’t have a problem. YET,” I assured her. I continued to say, “I’ll let Tyler know that we’ll continue as is and if something else develops then fine, but for now, I’m satisfied with how things are.”

Dana either wasn’t comprehending what I was saying or just plain ignored me. “Remember this day when it all comes back to bite you on the rear.”

“Thanks for your support.” I rolled my eyes at her for the umpteenth time.

Her voice crackled as she said, “What happens if you get pregnant? You won’t even know who the daddy is.”

I held my hand up. “Hold up. First of all, even though it isn’t any of your business, best friend or not, but I’m not sleeping with all of them. Secondly, even if I was, it’s my prerogative and I’m grown enough to know how to protect myself.”

She got up and threw her empty popcorn bag in the trash. Instead of sitting back down, she picked up her purse and said, “I’m leaving. Otherwise, I won’t be held accountable for what else I want to say.”

Sensing an attitude, I responded, “Don’t stop talking on my account. Speak your mind missy.”

“I better not,” Dana said, with a frown on her face.

She left without even a hug. I got up and locked the door.

I mumbled, “Fine. That’s why you don’t have a man and I have three.”

Verbalizing it out loud really didn’t sound too good. It actually made me sound sluttish and I’m not. Like I told Dana, I might be dating three men, but I’m by no means sleeping with all of them. I’m not that type of girl.

This night didn’t end up good at all. My failure to commit has brought some tension between me and my best friend.

After soaking in the tub for what seemed like an hour, I thought about my conversation with Dana. I decided to give her a few days to calm down before calling her again. I refused to let her rain on my parade, because she hasn’t been dating. It’s not my fault she’s allowed her business to become her lover.

¶ 11:49 AM

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