Choices Ch. 10

I had a list of people and the presents we were going to get for each. The first on the list was a shearling coat for Linda. It would be expensive, but I couldn't manage without her. Also, I had seen the crowd she ran with and how they dressed. Linda was no slouch in the looks department, but she was living in a city where appearances were important. She was no longer in a sleepy college town.

Bobby and I entered the store and went directly to the coat area and immediately to the rack of leather coats. The colors were white, black or tan. Within five minutes, I had guided Bobby to pick out the best color for Linda and my MasterCard was verifying my credit-worthiness.

So it went. Sight game; stalk game; shoot game. Mission accomplished. My Nan-and-Jean problems were thrust to a dark closet in my mind and shut away. The cheeriness of the holidays and being with my son was all I worried about.

We shopped for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and miscellaneous relatives that come with Southern families. At six o'clock, we walked back into the house tired, but done for another year.

Linda had fixed a hot stew with apple crisp for desert, which Bobby and I fell upon like the starving hunters we were. Bobby even managed to stay awake for another chapter of Alice In Wonderland before nodding off. After I tucked him in, I went downstairs and fixed myself a double scotch on the rocks.

Linda was reading a book and half-watching something on television. "Last night was weird. Let me give you the view from ten thousand feet. If you need more detail, ask. We've shared a lot and I think this may be important."

"Okay." She closed the book and muted the television.

"When I met Nan at The Purple Giraffe close to 10 o'clock, she was talking to another girl. I bought drinks, but Nan continued to talk to this gal, sort of ignoring me."

"Was she mad at you for being late?"

"Nah. I had told her earlier in the week that I might have to work late, so I don't think she was mad about that. I wasn't too concerned. I know women love to gab and sometimes I'm fine just listening. But then the three of us went to dance. She danced with me some, but she danced with the other girl a lot."

"Well, you already knew she likes girls."

"Yeah, and again this didn't bother me at the time. I've certainly benefited from her likes. So we go back to her apartment. On the way, she's got this gal in her lap and they're making out. She grabs me but just holds on, focused on the new gal."

"Okay."

"At her place, they're together and paying me no attention. I'm watching, but it's like through a window. I'm not part of this. Finally, Nan calls me over and asks me to, uh, uh-"

"Perform intercourse? Do the dirty deed?" Linda grinned at my hesitation in telling her.

"Yeah. Nan slid down so that her, uh, pussy was at the edge of the couch. We'd done this before, so I moved around. But by the time I got into position, Aaliyah, the other girl, had moved to kiss Nan and was almost lying across her. All I could see was the lower half. It was like I was using a plastic doll, a beautiful and warm plastic doll, but no interaction."

"When I finished, the two girls went back to each other in a 69. Well, Nan licked around down there for a while and then pulled Aaliyah's legs up and all but ordered me to do her anally. I was able to, um, rise to the occasion, but as soon as I finished, Nan was back down there licking everything up. When she finished, the two of them cuddled away from me."

"So you felt left out?"

"Yep, alone and ignored."

"Well, it would be hard to balance three people. You remember my story. Dan might have felt left out some, but I tried to include him. Then also, the new partner throws things out of whack."

"But that's not the capper." I went on to describe the final scene with Cass. "I think Nan is in love with Cass."

"You don't think she loves you?"

"I'm not sure. I thought she loved me. When I was in Saudi, I got to talk to our liaison with the Saudi Army. They allow four wives there."

"Go on."

"He said that the Prophet allowed four wives, but that you have to love them equally. I don't think that's possible. If Nan loves me and Cass, then she has to decide."

Linda contemplated this for a few minutes. I was silent waiting for her comment.

"What about you?" She looked directly into my eyes. It was a parent-to-child look that demanded an answer.

"What about me? This isn't my fault. Nan has to decide."

"What about YOU?" Linda repeated her question.

"Oh." The question had suddenly become clear. I had to decide. "I guess I've got a little more thinking to do."

I took my drink to my room and plugged in my ear buds. I started my Classic Country play list. Tonight was a night for songs about love gone wrong.