The Night Lovers by Ausin Mitchell - HTML preview

Chapter Three

That Saturday night, Greg and Harlene were out partying again. They were at a party in Norris.

“Yeah, baby, you’re enjoying yourself?”

“You know I always do, especially if I’m with you.”

He was glad that she didn’t mention Merryll. The only woman he would leave her for was Sue.

***

Sunday night, they went clubbing in Linstead at the Bamboo night

club. They were sitting in a corner and having refreshments and watching the happenings around them. When they were finished

eating and drinking, they returned to dancing.

***

The next week Friday night, they were at a party in Norris.

“You want to go to the Hill View with me, baby?”

But she shook her head.

“I don’t want to start sleeping with you and when Merryll comes out here, you just abandon me for her.”

He laughed and said.

“I have no idea when she’s returning home.”

“I think you do. She and you must speak regularly.”

“Remember that she’s a nurse. She just can’t come home any time she wishes.”

“You’re still along with her. If she comes out here tomorrow, you’re going to run to her.”

***

That Saturday night, they were again at the Bamboo night club. They danced together to several genres of music.

***

On Sunday night there was a social in Keswick and he took her there. The next week Saturday night, she agreed to go to the Hill View hotel with him.

“I don’t like going to bed with a man who’s not mine,” she told him as they were in his pickup going home.

“You have a great body, Harlene. You’re a very sexy girl.”

She was of brown complexion, about five feet six inches tall. She had a thin waist, but wide hips and ample breasts. He on the other hand was copper colored and almost six feet tall and athletic looking.

“It’s just you and me now, baby. As I said, I don’t know when she will be back home.”

“I want you to tell her about us.”

They had reached her gate now.

“She has always known about us. What more can I tell her?”

“Okay, but if she ever comes back out here and you abandon me like

you did that first time, I’ll never talk to you again,” she told him and

went into her house.

***

The next two weeks were a blur of activity. He and she went

partying in Kingston most times ending up at either the Hill View

or the River Road hotel.

***

A month later, Merryll returned home. He went to pick her up at the

airport. It was a Sunday afternoon. He took her to his house before

she went over to her sister’s house in Norris, two miles from

Keswick. They were in his living room talking. Outside it was

slightly drizzling.

“I have just returned to tidy up some business and then you might

not see me until a year’s time when I go on leave.”

“So long, I can’t wait that long.”

“I can’t come home for any unscheduled leave. I don’t want Winston

to get suspicious that I have a lover who I’m coming to look for.”

“So how long are you staying?”

“Just a week darling, but you’ll have me every night. So, who has

been keeping you company while I was away?”

“Nobody that you know.”

“I know who it was. It was that little girl, Harlene. Just tell her that

I’m back and you’ll be busy, so you don’t have any time for her.”

“She knows that already.”

***

That Sunday night he took her clubbing to the Bamboo night club.

They slept at the Hill View hotel.

***

He was on his farm the next day when his cell phone rang. Harlene

was on the line.

“Just because Merryll is here, you’ve abandoned me for her. When she’s gone, please don’t come calling me to go out with you.”

“You know it’s nothing permanent between me and her. By the end of the week, she’s going back home. After that we can take up where we left off.”

“I’m not prepared to play second fiddle to her. If you want me, get rid of her,” she told him and ended the call.

***

Merryll was at her sister’s house lying in her bed in the spare bedroom when her cell phone rang, Harlene was on the line. She wondered what she wanted.

“How can I help you, Harlene?”

“You can help me by leaving Greg, alone. Your husband can’t satisfy you, so you stole away to come and sleep with him. Ask him who he has been sleeping with while you were away.”

“But now I’m back, he doesn’t need you again. It’s obvious that I’m giving him what you didn’t give him.”

“You don’t have anything that I don’t have. I have big breasts, a narrow waist and wide hips. You can’t give it to him better than me.”

“So why did he run to me as soon as I returned to the island?” Merryll asked and cut off the call.

***

Greg was delivering some produce at the Keswick High school that Monday when he saw the teacher who was in charge of the canteen,

Reta Cameron. She was a tall, copper colored woman with moderate breasts, a narrow waist and wide hips. He had been trying to date

her, but she was resisting his overtures. She was a very beautiful girl, he thought. He guessed that she was about twenty-five years of age.

“Greg, how are you? I have the list of what you can supply us with. I will get the cook to check off the goods that you just brought for us.”

They went into her office.

“I know that you want us to be friends, but what about Harlene and Merryll. You and Harlene were all over the place up to a week ago and as soon as Merryll came out, you dropped her.”

“Merryll is only spending a week out here and Harlene has left me.”

“What you’re telling me is that as from next week you’re free. Suppose I want you from tonight?”

“I told you how it is. She’s my woman for the time being. I don’t want her to get jealous and leave me. Harlene has her boyfriend, Max, in Kingston and she has returned to him.”

“I too have my boyfriend, Bryan, down there too and I’m not about to give him up for you. Merryll is a terrible woman. She was sleeping with you even before her husband left the island.”

“I’ll see you around and we’ll talk.”

“If you want me, you’ve got to tell her about us.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said and left the office.

***

That Monday afternoon, he was in his small office when Harlene

called him. He wondered why she was calling him.

“Greg, I can’t wait to be along with you again. What we had was real love. Why are you throwing it away just because of Merryll?”

“What did I tell you, Harlene?”

“You’re putting her before me. Does she look better than me? The only thing she has over me is experience. Please leave me alone. When she goes away again, don’t call me. You have a baby mother

by the name of Deanne?”

“I have a baby mother, but we’re no longer together. I just give her money for the child she has for me.”

“What about Reta? Are you and her friends?

“She’s just a social friend of mine.”