Love is for Suckers

And boy was I a sucker. I was the worst sucker ever. I was lying there wishing that it had been the right time of the month for me to get pregnant because I was sure that we'd have done it. Then while I was imagining what our kids would look like and what we'd call them, I realized that Brandon was talking to me.

"Mona, I'm really sorry," he was saying. "We've never even talked about birth control or anything like that. I've never been this irresponsible in my life."

He sat up and looked at me and I just slapped the shit out of him. He just looked shocked. "Mona what's wrong?" he asked. "I told you, that you didn't do anything wrong. It was my fault. I'm the older one. Although we're both adults, I'm the older one. And I know you told me that I had a choice but I just...I should have thought about it and asked a few questions but you're so..."

"I'm so what?" I asked, holding my hand in position for another slap.

"You're so beautiful, Mona. And I've wanted you for weeks but I didn't want to be just another guy who took advantage of you," he said. "I'm really sorry."

"Brandon, what we just did was the most beautiful thing that has EVER happened to me. You didn't do anything wrong either. I started it. And then, while I'm lying there feeling cared about and warm and protected for once, you started apologizing and made it seem like we'd done something wrong. You took something truly special and tried to turn it cheap."

"But Mona, you should be saving yourself for someone special, not wasting it on..."

"Brandon shut up," I snapped. "I did give it to someone special. I gave it to someone who also treats me like I'M special. Let me ask you something. Do you want me to study automotive technology in school?"

"If that's what you want," he said. "I just want you to be happy."

"Maybe I should study paleontology," I said.

"I didn't know you liked dinosaurs," he said.

"It's not the fucking dinosaurs, Brandon," I smiled. "I want to study the fossils. I'm interested in one in particular."

"Ha ha ha," he laughed.

Over the next few months, my life got better and better. There were so many happy times and only a few sad ones. My birthday was a happy time. I woke up that morning and Brandon told me I should go over to the school to re-register as a student since I'd missed a semester and would need to sign up as a regular student instead of a scholarship case. I was sleepy and a little bit sad because I wasn't sure he knew that it was my birthday.

"Brandon, do you know what today is?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it's the day we're supposed to go and pick out some nice rims for the Boss 302," he said. "We can't do that until you get your ass back here."

"You aren't coming with me?" I asked.

"Nope," he said. I smiled because I thought he was going to let me drive his car.

"So,?" I said. "You're letting me drive your car?"

"Of course not," he spat.

"Then how will I get there?" I asked.

"Mona, drive YOUR car," he said. "Why do you always want to drive mine?"

He felt my forehead as if he was trying to see if I had a fever or something. Then we went outside and I noticed that there were two Mustangs in the driveway. Brandon's black one and a red convertible.

"Happy birthday, Mona," he smiled.

A few weeks after that was the day that Brandon got his final divorce papers from the court. I'd been sure he was over her but it was as if the ghost of Miriam just haunted the house for about a week afterward. We didn't have sex for that whole week either.

I think my favorite memory of the early summer was the Sunday that we were supposed to have Cliff and Tracy over for a brunch on our deck. We got along great with Cliff and Tracy and had entertained them and their kids several times.

Anyway, we woke up late and had leaped out of bed. Brandon told me that he'd shower first so he could go out and get the grill ready. I told him that we should just take a shower together. It struck me as funny that we slept together every night and he had been inside of every orifice on my body, but he got squeamish about us taking a shower together.

"Brandon, we're taking a shower together and that's it," I said.

"But Mona," he said.

"But Mona nothing ,"I said. "You stuck that huge thing up my ass last night and now you're worried about me seeing it when it's not dark? How many times have I had that thing in my mouth or my pussy? But you don't want me to see it?"

Ten minutes later we went out on our deck to wait for Cliff and Tracy. They stared at us and tried to keep from laughing. I looked at Tracy and she just burst out in gales of laughter.

"You told him didn't you?" she said.

"I told him what?" I asked.

"Uhm we heard your little pre-shower rant, Mona, the windows are open. I think everyone in the neighborhood knows where Brandon stuck his huge thing last night." I ran into the house and it took a while before I went back outside.

Everything was going well, until Tracy with the biggest smile on her face tapped me on my shoulder and asked, "Did it hurt, Mona?"

"Did what hurt?" I asked.

"When Brandon stuck his huge thing up your...?" I immediately ran back into the house as Tracy, Cliff and even Brandon laughed.

As summer wound down, I was happy. I had a nice place to live and had really begun to think of it as home. I had Brandon and we had friends. I loved my car and we were almost done with the Boss. I had even started customizing my own Mustang. The cool thing was buying parts and installing them and then showing Brandon what I'd done.

For the first time in my life, I was happy. Tracy had just left to go home when it happened. She and I had been having one of our really stupid talks.

I'd told her that my life was ruled by songs from the eighties. She asked me what I was talking about. I told her that Brandon had really Wang Chunged me the night before.

She laughed and told me that she loved that song. "Everybody have fun tonight," she sang.

"So you and Brandon had a good time?" she asked.

"Wrong song," I said.

"I didn't know that they had any others," she said. "What song?"

"They have another song called New God," I said. I got up and danced and started singing, "You'd better start praying to a new new God." She looked at me funny.

"Do you have a new God?" she asked.

"Yep," I laughed. "I worship Brandon's tongue and his huge thing." She laughed too.

I loved hanging out with Tracy. Brandon had gone to the college to start getting his lab and his new syllabus together because in a few weeks we'd both be starting back. After Tracy left, I started dinner and was really shocked when someone rang my doorbell.

I went to the door and opened it. I immediately went into shock. She walked right past me and into the house.

"Thanks whoever you are," she said. "For some reason, my key isn't working. Oh you're making Brandon's dinner. Well you can stop. As soon as he gets back we'll probably go out to celebrate me being back. "

I had no idea what to say, but it was my worst nightmare come true. "As a matter of fact we probably won't need you anymore," she said. "I'm going to concentrate on being the best wife I can be from now on. My little adventure made me realize how stupid I've been. You wouldn't believe some of the things that happened to me."

I was speechless. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to cry but I knew better. I'd known from the start. Just like with my dad, this was Brandon's dream come true. This bitch would only hurt him again but there was nothing I could do about it. I loved him and I wanted him to be happy. And I knew how much he loved her.

"I'll go upstairs and pack," I said.

"You do that," she smirked. "So Brandon let you live in my house, huh? Well I guess that makes us kind of even. This will be even better than I thought. You go ahead and pack, sweetie."

As I went up the stairs, the doorbell rang again. From upstairs while I packed, I heard her letting her parents in. Then I heard them talking about how good it was to have her home so they could all be together again.

It must have been about ten minutes later that Brandon came home. As soon as he walked in the door, things got quiet. Her parents seemed to sense that they needed to leave.

I heard her talking to Brandon. He hadn't said a word. I figured that he was so happy she was back that he was in shock. I decided that I would be a grown up about the situation. It was going to be difficult, so I'd make it easy on him. I just hoped that he'd honor his promise to support me for a year of school.

I went downstairs to see him and let him know that I understood. "What's taking you so long?" she asked. I hated her tone but what I hated more was the look on Brandon's face. He looked like one of those little playground bullies that just goes along with everything his friends say. He didn't stop her from talking to me like that or tell her to change her tone or be nicer to me at all.

It was like he knew which side he was on and anything that bitch wanted to do with me was fine as long as they were back together again. That hurt me even more.

"I just wanted to get all of my stuff so I don't have to come back and bother you," I said.

"Couldn't you do that some other time?" asked Miriam. "Tonight is a special night."

"Yes," agreed Brandon, driving yet another spike in my heart. "Tonight is a very special night for me. Maybe the most important night in a long time. Mona, just call a cab. Tonight is going to be very romantic. It's the beginning of the rest of my life. I have love in my heart and it's not just some silly thing I've been playing with. This is the real thing."

A tear rolled down my cheek and he didn't seem t notice it. He just shook his head. Maybe he did notice it and it just didn't matter to him.

"But what about my car?" I asked on the verge of tears.

"It belongs here, Mona," he said. "Now call the cab."

I dialed the number and called the taxi service. Since they were only a few blocks away the man told me they'd have someone out in just a few minutes. I started back up the stairs. And Brandon stopped me.

"That's smart, Honey" said Miriam. "You never leave the help alone. They may steal from you."

"If she left here without me knowing she would be stealing," said Brandon.

"Well you don't have to worry about it honey," said Miriam. "I fired her ass."

"You didn't hire her, Miri," said Brandon. "I have to do it." He looked at me and said, "Mona, you no longer have a job here." I tried to be strong. But I broke down then. Brandon wiped my tears and told me it would be over in a few minutes and it would be worth it.

"You're too nice to them, Honey," said Miriam. "That was one of our biggest problems. You need to spend more of your time on me."

We heard a horn sounding from outside. Brandon opened the door and took my hand and led me outside. He stood on the porch still holding my hand. Miriam came outside too.

"Alrighty then. Thanks for stopping by. Hit the bricks bitch," snapped Brandon. "And don't cha come back no more."

I couldn't believe he'd said that to me.

Miriam was fighting to hold in her laughter. I started to walk towards the cab, but Brandon wouldn't let go of my hand. "Brandon," I said quietly. "I can't leave if you won't let my hand go."

"Mona, you're not leaving," he said. "She is."

"What?" screamed Miriam.

"Look you dried up old cunt," snapped Brandon. "I meant every word I fucking said."

"Tonight is going to be a very special night I hope," he said. "Because it really is the first night of the rest of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with someone that I love and who loves me. Someone who'd never hurt me and is always there for me. Someone who knows how to give and not just take. Someone named Mona."

"Mona, for months I've realized that I love you far more than I ever loved Miriam, but I've just been waiting for that last shoe to drop to end that part of my life. It's over Miri. Hit the bricks," he said.

"But you fired her," wailed Miriam.

"Yep, I did," said Brandon. "I told her she no longer has a job here. Because I don't want it to be a job. This is her home too. I want for us to live here together for as long as she wants."

"Oh Miri, these are yours," said Brandon. He handed her a stack of papers.

"Divorced," she wailed. "We can't be divorced. I don't want a divorce."

"I didn't want a wife who walked out on me with another man either," said Brandon. "But in retrospect it was the best fucking day of my life. If you look through the stack you'll find a restraining order there too. If you don't get your boney ass off of our porch I'll have you arrested. You'd better hurry up it looks like your cab driver got tired of waiting."

As Brandon pulled me back into the house we watched as Miriam tried to run down the street screaming, "Wait," at the disappearing Taxi.

Brandon closed the door behind us and took me into his arms. Relief poured over me and I couldn't help it, I started crying. "I thought..." I began.

"Shhh," he said kissing me.

"But you..." he kissed me again.

"Do you know that I..." Another kiss and he nodded his head.

"Then why did you...?" I asked.

"Mona, everything I said was true," he said. "It was just directed at her not you. And Honey, a big part of this is really your fault." I opened my eyes and stepped back. Some of my confidence was coming back.

"How was this my fault?" I snapped.

"Well..." he said. "You let her into the house. You actually listened to that garbage she was spewing. And you really believed on some level that I'd take her back after what she did to me."

"But you love her," I said.

"No Mona," he said smiling. "I LOVED her; LOVED that's past tense. I LOVE you. That's the present."

That was when the tears started up again. I knew I needed to come up with something snappy to say, though my heart was overflowing with emotion. "That had better be the future too, buster," I said. Then I threw in, "For the record, I love you too, Brandon. And I have for a long time."

"I know, Honey," he said. "I've known for a long time. At first I wasn't ready for it. I was still dealing with the hurt and pain of Miriam's crap. But it just wrapped itself around me and supported me. And finally it just took all of the pieces of my broken heart and put them back together."

"You didn't know crap," I smirked.

"Oh, Mona," he sighed. "What about months ago; the first time when you made me lick your pussy? You said, "I love...then there was this big pause and you caught yourself then threw in something about the way that what I was doing felt. I knew even then."

I just hugged him then and he hugged me right back. "Brandon, don't ever let me go," I said.

A few moments later the phone rang. It was Miriam's parents. They wanted to talk about the whole situation. Brandon agreed. I was shocked.

"Mona, what do you do to a car with a dull finish?" he asked.

"Polish it," I said.

"Well, my life with Miriam had a dull finish. How do we put the polish on?" he asked.

"You rub it in," I said, still not understanding.

"Exactly," he smirked. "My life will be so much better with you, Mona. That bitch really hurt me but now I'm happier than I've ever been. So we're going to rub it in her face."

He'd agreed to meet at our house for dinner the next evening. When we woke the next morning we were still exhausted because Brandon wanted to play a third of a round of golf. A full round of golf is eighteen holes. A third of a round is six holes so Brandon used all three of mine, twice. I was still tingling all over. After our run and breakfast, we went out to the garage to work on the Boss for a while. I wanted Brandon to help me install a CDC aggressive chin spoiler on my Mustang. Brandon had the classic chin spoiler and I wanted my car to be different from his. Normally Brandon does what I want but this morning he insisted that we work on the Boss, which surprised me. I was thinking that maybe since he knew I was his, he was trying to prove who was in charge of our relationship. Tracy had told me to always let the guy think he's the Boss. It makes it easier to get what you want from them.

"Mona, line up the carb and put it on, but don't bolt it down yet," he said. He was smiling as he told me to do that.

"You like ordering me around don't you Mister?" I said smiling. He came over and swatted me on my ass.

"You'd better stop doing that," I said playfully.

"You love it," he said. "Now line up that carburetor."

I was bent over the engine with Brandon looking at my ass. He came around to the other side and was, I thought, staring down my shirt at my tits. My God, he sees them every night, I thought. But Brandon was actually looking at something else. I couldn't get the carb to line up correctly.

"Brandon, it won't go in," I said in frustration.

"Why?" he asked smiling.

I was getting pissed because he was no help at all. This wasn't the way we usually worked. We usually did everything together.

"Maybe there's something blocking it from going in," I spat.

"Finally using your brain," he spat back. I rested the carburetor on a table near the car and reached for the opening in the manifold that it went into. "There is something in here," I said.

"Well, pull it out," he said. I felt around inside. I thought that maybe it was a washer or something.

"What is it?" asked Brandon, with a big smirk on his face. I was in shock. It was a gold engagement ring with a big pretty diamond on it.

"Braaaaanndooooon!" I shrieked. My mind wouldn't form thoughts. I just kept staring at the ring and getting oil from my greasy fingers all over it.

"Okay, I'll take it back," he said.

"Noooooooo!" I screamed.

"Well if that's your answer, I'll definitely take it back," he said.

"Whyyyyyyyy?" I asked.

"Well, I gave you the ring," he said calmly. "That meant that I was asking you to marry me. But instead of saying yes or no you just yelled my name at me. Then you yelled no. Maybe I'll find someone who does want to marry me."

"I'm her you idiot," I said. "You can't just drop something like that on a girl out of the blue. Can we have a do over?"

"I guess," he said dubiously. "How about next Thursday?"

"How about now," I smirked.

"Mona, will you marry me?" he asked.

"Yes! Brandon," I said.

I rushed over to show Tracy my ring.

Four hours later, Brandon and I were finally installing my chin spoiler. Well he was reading me the instructions and making me do all of the work. It wasn't very hard to do. I had to drill a couple of holes and make some measurements to assure the positioning was good. Most of the installation was done with 3M double sided automotive tape.

Just as I was getting ready to drill the first hole, Miriam and her parents drove up.

We all went out onto the deck and Brandon lit the grill. As I brought out the meat Miriam noticed my ring.

Her mother started in first. "Brandon, that way you treated Miriam wasn't very nice. I think that before we even start talking you owe her an apology. She's your wife for God's sake."

"So, was it nice for her to just wait for me to come home and hit me over the head with the fact that she was screwing some other guy while we were still married and then just leave with him?" asked Brandon.

"Do you know the last thing she told me?" he asked.

"But Brandon, I was going through some things," said Miriam. "I didn't appreciate what we have."

"Had," said Brandon.

"We've contacted our lawyer," said Miriam's father.

"There's no need," said Brandon. "There's nothing he can do."

"Well, we're looking for some sort of alimony or even counseling and reconciliation," he said.

"If we were just starting the divorce today, you might have a case," said Brandon. "But I filed for divorce two days after Miriam left. I didn't file on the infidelity. I filed for abandonment. Our divorce was final two months ago. If Miriam wanted to contest the divorce, she had to do it before the final court decree. There's really nothing you can do about it now."