"Quit that Down Low shit, my brother, you like pussy and you like dick, it's cool, there's worst things in the world, believe me," Natalie Etienne said, and with that, she looked Achilles "A.C." Browne up and down, smirking while waiting for his answer. Achilles Charles Browne seemed to flinch, if only for a moment, and the big and tall, somber-faced yet handsome young man remained unequivocally silent.
Achilles had been sitting at a quiet corner of the UMass-Amherst library, studying up for his Ethics of Engineering midterm, and after hours of solving problems and reviewing concepts, he got bored. That's why he decided to discretely check out some porn. The videos he liked featured handsome, well-hung Black guys and Latino guys getting their freak on, sometimes with kinky females in the mix. Bisexual porn, now that was definitely Achilles's guilty pleasure.
Achilles had been so absorbed by the video he was watching, a scene involving a muscular Black guy, a well-built Latino guy and a freaky chick who looked Filipina, getting their freak on, that he hadn't noticed that he wasn't alone. Natalie had been standing quietly behind Achilles, long enough to witness him checking out that which he craved...sex in both female and male forms. Like the tart she was, Natalie confronted Achilles about his sexual proclivities...
"Well, Natalie, I don't know what to say," Achilles said finally, and he sighed deeply. His broad shoulders seemed to sag, and he looked at Natalie, wondering where she was going with this. She knows who and what I am, Achilles thought, alarmed. In today's America, a Black man who didn't toe the line might as hell commit social suicide. For Achilles, being outed as bisexual meant that his world was ending...
Achilles Charles Browne came to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to study Civil Engineering, and indulge his passion for playing varsity football. UMass-Amherst had one of the top football teams in New England, and for Achilles, playing for them was an honor. He wore his jersey proudly, win or lose, knowing that his parents were usually in the stands, cheering loudly for him.
Born in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, to a Jamaican immigrant father, Clinton Browne, and a white American mother, Joanna Brigida, Achilles Charles Browne grew up unique, which wasn't always seen as a good thing, even in liberal Boston. Difficult economic times led his parents to move into a rented townhouse in the neighborhood of Roxbury, where, sometimes, Achilles could go for days without seeing a white face other than his mother's.
Yeah, Achilles knew all about being different. He was too Black for the few whites in his Roxbury stomping grounds and too pale for the brothers. It taught him to be self-reliant and do his own thing. At the age of twenty one he stood six-foot-three, broad-shouldered and brown-skinned, with kinky dark hair and lime-green eyes. His friends often commented on how much he looked like NBA champion Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Achilles, a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics, claimed not to see the resemblance...
At Achilles's school, there were lots of hot girls and sexy guys. UMass-Amherst is a truly diverse school frequented by students of all hues. Achilles felt drawn to a lot of them, but his strict Christian upbringing and his guilt about his bisexual desires made him choose abstinence. Achilles was part of the campus chapter of the Christian Outreach Circle, and he attended their meetings twice a week, with service at a nearby building on Sunday mornings at ten. Avoid temptation, Achilles told himself.
"Cat got your tongue?" Natalie asked slyly, and from the look in her eyes, Achilles could tell that she thought she had him over a barrel. Achilles, a strong-minded young man of good character, wasn't about to allow Natalie to bully him, no matter what she thought she had on him. Achilles had never had sex with anyone, female or male, so as far as he was concerned, he was straight. Well, straight but curious. Let Natalie start whatever damn rumors she wanted...
Achilles had known that Natalie Etienne was trouble from the moment he laid eyes on her. They met during the first week of his only elective, Humanities 101. Natalie was a sociology major, a newcomer to UMass-Amherst by way of Montreal, Quebec. Five feet ten inches tall and curvy, with mahogany-hued skin, long dreads and a fondness for tight shirts and short skirts, Natalie Etienne was smoking hot and didn't mind showing it to the world. To Achilles's Christian sensibilities, Natalie was downright scandalous...
"Look, um, Natalie, I was bored, and I clicked on a few sites, that's all, and it's none of your business, I say this respectfully," Achilles replied, looking into her brown eyes. Natalie grinned and licked her lips, a gesture which registered with a certain part of Achilles's masculine form. She looked like the Afro-Brazilian beauties in the ethnic porn videos he sometimes watched, when he wasn't cruising online for bisexual and transsexual videos.
"Achilles, you're a switch-hitter, and that's cool, you don't have to lie to me," Natalie said, and with that, she patted him on the shoulder and walked away. Achilles sat there, seemingly frozen on his chair, watching Natalie as she sashayed her way to the exit. Her big ass was ready to burst out of her ultra-short skirt, and those thick thighs definitely caught his attention. Still, she knew his secret and his carefully built life on campus was in danger of being unraveled...
"Dammit, the bitch," Achilles said, slamming his fist on the keyboard, and a librarian walking by shot him a look. Achilles smiled and apologized, then saved his work. He got up, fully intent on following Natalie and confronting her. He looked around and couldn't find her. Damn. While walking around the library building looking for Natalie, Achilles ran into...Alton.
