Left Hand, Third Finger

Six Months Later, Josie's Bar...A Saturday afternoon.....

Cock Robbins sat in a booth in Josie's bar, holding court....Kevin and Clerow sat opposite him, while the Lawyer Conrad and his friend and sometime client Sean sat beside him.. He was in a very jubilant mood. He bought drinks for everyone in the booth... a first for him...and was regaling the guys about how well his Semi-Pro team was doing...They were five and three, but he had high hopes of them moving up in the ranks and making the playoffs. For once he wasn't bragging about his exploits, but about his "boys"...He talked on and on about his students at the
local high school...He had gotten his certification and was teaching in the Philadelphia school system. Between his teaching and his coaching, he had made enough money to buy himself a nice home. He had traded his used car in and had bought himself a new car , the type his girlfriends had often allowed him him to" hold.."He had become a new man, and what's more..he had reached out and gotten something he had seldom had before...male friends. Kevin had forgiven him after much prodding from Clerow. (Sepia hadn't, but that was another story...) and Sean and Conrad had got to know him through Kevin. He and Vanessa had watched Clerow and Cora Beth's baby, giving them time to go out on the town a few nights and He and Vanessa had enjoyed one of Mabel's home cooked meals over at Mabel's house with her man. He had even gotten to know, Blake and Paris and they had come to a few of his team's football games. When
he wasn't with the guys..He and his mentor Slim would sit and drink gin and talk about his days of semi-pro football playing with Slim's friend, Deacon Larry Weatherford. The Deacon's new wife, the former Victoria Struthers would often serve them dinner.. He was feeling really good right about now, with his new life and his new friends.

'Clerow my man, I want to thank you
for letting me live in your rental home
until I got my new home..can't thank you
enough man..and you are welcome to come
over my place when Ness and I get it set up
anytime you want...In fact...I'm gon have a
house warming party.." laughed Cock Robbins.

'Aw man, it wasn't no thing...Glad I could be of some help." said Clerow graciously.

While Cock was sitting in the booth laughing it up, A brown skinned ,buxum young woman with a
blond weave and way too much make up was staring at him..She liked what she saw...and she wanted a peice of the action...She told Gus the bartender to send a drink over to the booth to him. Then she gingerly opened her blouse a bit...and applied more lip gloss. Her name was "Honey" Brown and she had had her share of guys at Josie's Bar...In fact they had a nickname for her. "Two O'Clock" ,because at two am, you could bet that she was leaving with someone.

"Hey Cock...the lady over there in
the yellow dress and the red pumps
just sent you a drink" he said as he turned
a shot glass upside down and placed it in front
of Cock.

Everyone stared at Cock to see what he would do next...He weakly smiled her way, and took the
shot glass and raised it to her as if in a mock toast...She opened her blouse a little more to show her cleavage and the lacy black bra she was wearing..Cock stared at her and he blushed a little and then gave her a sheepish grin....but that was about the extent of it..He continued to talk to the guys. They all knew that Honey Brown had him in her sights..They all collectively wondered
what Cock's next move would be.


"Man, I can't believe that you're married."
laughed Kevin.

"You know something Kev, I can't believe it
myself..it's been six months now...We met
on a boat in Jamaica and we haven't left each
other's sight since we got back.."

"And you been straight? No other women?
asked Kevin...

"Aww come on man, give him a break" said
Clerow..

"Nah, I gotta know.." asked Kevin ,still laughing.

"Yeah man, I been straight ,I aint looked at another woman."
said Cock.

Kevin, Clerow, Sean and Conrad and even Gus looked at him side eyed......

"Okay, I looked...I'm only human,
but I haven't cheated...I don't even
flirt wit women." said Cock.

'She must be a very special lady"
said Conrad.

"She is...but I had a lot of very special
ladies...it wasn't them...it was me..I'm
different now...I aint that guy no more
that I used to be.." He said.

Gus came over with a peice of paper..It had perfume on it and a phone number...Cock looked over at the woman and she had opened her blouse all the way, giving him (and everybody else) a complete view of the goods.

'Cock..that fool girl is gon throw
her draws over here in a second if you
don't make a move.." laughed Gus.

"Tell her I'm married man." said Cock.

"You Tell her yourself player, she coming
this way." laughed Gus....

"Handle your business bruh, we out." said
Kevin , who was leaving with Clerow.

"It's never good to be the third and fourth wheel
,ya know." said Conrad and Sean as they got up.

Cock sat there in the booth alone as the woman walked over to his table...He placed his left hand squarely on the counter so she could see the gold band on his third finger from the thumb,
yet before the pinkie..

"Oh.....so you married huh" she smirked..

"Yupper" said Cock, something he would have
never told a woman like this before.

'But do you love her?" she asked.

"Apparently ,I do..." He said. Annoyed that she would ask a question like that. Another first for him.

"Well, hmmph...that's nice..I was beginning
to think you was gay." she said..

"Nope...not Gay.." he replied, now totally annoyed and totally turned off by this woman.

"Well if you ever are not married or if you
want to try a little somethin different,
you have my number...my name is Honey,
Honey Brown.." she said as she sauntered away.

Cock paid his tab and walked out of the bar ,alone...He tossed the number in the trash can outside and walked to his car. He drove off....He had come full circle...He felt full now...and not empty like before... He walked down his block and he saw Vanessa , standing in the doorway...

"What are you doing up?" He asked her..

"Getting some fresh air.." she said.

"No you wasn't, you was up waitin
for me..." He laughed...

"I could've been waiting for my secret lover
for all you know." she said..

"Fat chance of that.." he laughed..

She was wearing some white capri pants and an aqua blouse...It reminded him of Jamaica...He knew that she knew that....

"Well let's go in and maybe I'll
persuade you to leave him for me."
said Cock...

"You think I'll need much persuadin
Mistah Cockraine..?" she mock asked..

"Nah...after about five minutes with
me, your mind will be pretty much made
up Mrs. Robbins.." He said, liking the
way that sounded..

She laughed and ran inside..He charged after her, forgetting that the door was unlocked...Not
really caring.

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"Every Saint has a past and Every Sinner has a future."