he considered to be far too long, he'd decided at the age of twenty-eight it was time to go for it. Jesse used his home as collateral, got a small-business loan and pursued his dream. He'd been running a successful business for more than eleven years and he was looking to expand by opening up another store but he wouldn't achieve that goal married to a woman with a gambling problem, like JoAnn. Jesse was about to call his cousin Regina to vent with her about his circumstances and what he'd planned to do when he heard someone enter the store. It was after hours and he'd locked the door, or at least he thought he had. Jesse rushed to the front of the store.
"So, how long do you plan on being mad at me?" It was JoAnn. She'd let herself in.
"What are you doing here?" Jesse asked. She was the last person he wanted to see.
"I came here to clear the air between us," JoAnn said, as she locked the door behind her. She walked over and sat down on a small bench near the section of the store filled with running shoes. Jesse leaned against a glass display case filled with sunglasses and folded his arms.
"Are you in here alone?" JoAnn asked.
"What does that have to do with anything, JoAnn?" Jesse snapped at her. He didn't appreciate her intruding on his quiet time away from her.
"Come on, Jesse, we can't go on like this forever. I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me? Why can't we just move on?" JoAnn asked.
"You've got some damn nerve, JoAnn. Sometimes I'm utterly amazed by how bold you are."
"Okay, I'll admit, I'm foolish, I'm dumb, I'm an idiot. Is that what you want to hear?" JoAnn asked, locking her gaze on his.
"I've gone through the ups and downs of your gambling addiction once, JoAnn. I'll be damned if I'm going to go through it again." Jesse's words hurt her.
"I know." JoAnn placed her face in the palms of her hands. "I had a relapse. I'll admit to that."
"How long have you been sneaking around behind my back gambling?"
"I swear to you I haven't been gambling. Not like I was before."
"Bullshit! I don't believe you. I've had this business for almost twelve years now. You almost put us in the poorhouse once, and I'll be damned if I'll allow you to do it again." JoAnn remained silent.
"I went to counseling with you and stuck by you through all of your gambling addictions. When you were working nine to five, you couldn't even make it home on payday without going to the casino. Once we got over that, then you started betting on horses. After that relapse, I discovered you were gambling on the fucking Internet. I even stood by you through that shit. I've had enough, JoAnn. I can't take any more. I refuse to put up with it. I'll admit taking you to Las Vegas wasn't so smart on either of our parts, but I honestly believed that you'd gotten over your problem."
"So, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I can't give any more. You've pushed me to the point that I've tried to kill you. I believe that our relationship has gone as far as it can go."
"Jesse, baby." JoAnn stood up and approached him. "You don't really mean that. I know you don't. We can work through this. I swear I'll do whatever it takes to get better. And if from time to time you have to kick my ass to keep me in line, so be it. I know that sometimes I deserve to have my ass kicked."
Jesse swiveled his head disapprovingly. "What kind of example is that to set for Trina? I don't want her to think that I'm the type of man who beats up on women. Why would you even think that was okay?"
"Look, I agree with you on everything, but we can't throw in the towel. Not yet." JoAnn hadn't expected the conversation to take this twist. "Don't you still love me? When did you stop loving me?"
"I can't love a woman I don't trust. When we went to Las Vegas, I fully trusted you." Jesse paused. "It's not all your fault. I knew about your gambling problems, and, honestly, I should have made sure the money made it to the bank myself." Jesse paused
"So, how long do you plan on being mad at me?" It was JoAnn. She'd let herself in.
"What are you doing here?" Jesse asked. She was the last person he wanted to see.
"I came here to clear the air between us," JoAnn said, as she locked the door behind her. She walked over and sat down on a small bench near the section of the store filled with running shoes. Jesse leaned against a glass display case filled with sunglasses and folded his arms.
"Are you in here alone?" JoAnn asked.
"What does that have to do with anything, JoAnn?" Jesse snapped at her. He didn't appreciate her intruding on his quiet time away from her.
"Come on, Jesse, we can't go on like this forever. I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me? Why can't we just move on?" JoAnn asked.
"You've got some damn nerve, JoAnn. Sometimes I'm utterly amazed by how bold you are."
"Okay, I'll admit, I'm foolish, I'm dumb, I'm an idiot. Is that what you want to hear?" JoAnn asked, locking her gaze on his.
"I've gone through the ups and downs of your gambling addiction once, JoAnn. I'll be damned if I'm going to go through it again." Jesse's words hurt her.
"I know." JoAnn placed her face in the palms of her hands. "I had a relapse. I'll admit to that."
"How long have you been sneaking around behind my back gambling?"
"I swear to you I haven't been gambling. Not like I was before."
"Bullshit! I don't believe you. I've had this business for almost twelve years now. You almost put us in the poorhouse once, and I'll be damned if I'll allow you to do it again." JoAnn remained silent.
"I went to counseling with you and stuck by you through all of your gambling addictions. When you were working nine to five, you couldn't even make it home on payday without going to the casino. Once we got over that, then you started betting on horses. After that relapse, I discovered you were gambling on the fucking Internet. I even stood by you through that shit. I've had enough, JoAnn. I can't take any more. I refuse to put up with it. I'll admit taking you to Las Vegas wasn't so smart on either of our parts, but I honestly believed that you'd gotten over your problem."
"So, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I can't give any more. You've pushed me to the point that I've tried to kill you. I believe that our relationship has gone as far as it can go."
"Jesse, baby." JoAnn stood up and approached him. "You don't really mean that. I know you don't. We can work through this. I swear I'll do whatever it takes to get better. And if from time to time you have to kick my ass to keep me in line, so be it. I know that sometimes I deserve to have my ass kicked."
Jesse swiveled his head disapprovingly. "What kind of example is that to set for Trina? I don't want her to think that I'm the type of man who beats up on women. Why would you even think that was okay?"
"Look, I agree with you on everything, but we can't throw in the towel. Not yet." JoAnn hadn't expected the conversation to take this twist. "Don't you still love me? When did you stop loving me?"
"I can't love a woman I don't trust. When we went to Las Vegas, I fully trusted you." Jesse paused. "It's not all your fault. I knew about your gambling problems, and, honestly, I should have made sure the money made it to the bank myself." Jesse paused
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