Revenge

Hey.... when did -" he started, "did you just - umm.." He held the drinks lower, much like his defenses, when he saw them, almost losing his grip on both Redhooks. He caught himself, hands trembling. "Trace, this is..." he started again, with spurious amnesia.

The girl, 22, pretty, shot him the most _don't even_ of looks.

"Uh, we've met." Tracy eyed the young redhead seated across from her at their table - which seemed much smaller than just a little while ago, somehow - with an indistinguishable combination of suppressed, fading anger, and tentative curiosity.

"You've... met?"

"Yeah. You know, when people introduce themselves to other people and exchange a word or two about themselves. Names.." Tracy explained. "Have a seat, honey."

A nice, romantic evening - or, as much as you can actually get from a bar - with his lady, to make up for being such a shit so often; a little sweet talk, reassurance, three-sheets and a good, lengthy fuck to end the night on has a pretty reliable habit of wiping the slate clean.

Clearly, this was a kink in the plan.

Michael set the drinks on the table, took the only seat available, between them. He kept a mostly firm stare directly on the wall ahead, glancing side to side, but certain to not make eye contact.

Tracy grabbed her beer. "Michael, this is Nicole. She came in, like.."

"Five minutes ago," Nicole continued.

"She noticed you headed over to the bar, having left from our table. Here I sat, another woman, so naturally she felt inclined to join me, out of an overwhelming sense of curiosity. Now, I've got it, too."

"Look, I can totally expl -" Michael tried.

"Oh, you totally don't have to. Nicole, here, already briefed me," Tracy spoke, calmly and collected. "And.. in rather lengthy detail, which kind of surprises me considering how long you were away." She looked at him, full on. "Shocking how much you can learn in just a couple short minutes." She took a substantial quaff from her longneck.

"Wait, you gotta give me a chance to -" Michael started in, futilely. "Some of it, admittedly, I could've done without knowing, due to content. Like the time when you guys spent the afternoon together in Zilker Park, in.. 'each others' arms, was it? A Saturday." To Nicole, "The 24th, right?"

"The 24th," Nicole confirmed.

"A Saturday that I believe, if memory serves me, you said you spent with family members, or some shit.."

"Trace, baby -"

"Or, the time when _you_, Nicole, fucked _you_, my boyfriend, on the back seat of _my_ Nova. A car I enjoyed driving right up until the moment I found out infidelity was stained all over the goddamn upholstery."

"Could you just please let me -"

"Or - and God, this has to be my personal favorite, because it's just so.... simple. That time when you told her something, what was it.."

"I love you," Nicole finished.

"I _love_ you! Yes, that's it. I think I've heard that one myself, once or twice."

"Ok, stop, PLEASE. And give me a minute."

"Why should we?" Nicole cut in. "What could you possibly have to say for yourself, in light of the recent information divulged, that wouldn't be another fucking lie?"

"Hello. WE? I'm - " Michael said, signaling to Tracy, "just.." he put up a finger, for Nicole to give him and Tracy a chance to talk.

"No. Michael, she's right. You're caught, sweetie. I'm more than willing to listen to any half-assed, less than genuine reasoning for having lied to both of us, by not telling either of us about the other all this time, that you may have. In fact, I can't wait. But, don't tell her to shut up. Makes you look desperate."

"I didn't tell her to - Look. You know I love you."

"Ooh, yikes, here it comes. You love me. Yeah, that's what you told me," Tracy said.

"I said it, and I meant it. I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

"Sure you would," Nicole interrupted. "Withholding the truth is what you're good at. God knows you've had practice. Who knows what you're capable of at this point."

"I mean, I wouldn't lie about it now."

"You lied about it before?" Tracy asked.

"No. But even if I had, why would I NOW when, as you said, I'm caught? I could just tell you, both of you, to fuck off - I'm a shithead, and I can't help myself - and walk outta here and not look back."

"Maybe you will," Nicole pointed out.

"I won't. This is hypothetical, Nikki -"

"Nikki? You've got an abridged version of her name, even?"

"What I'm trying to tell you, Tracy, is that even if I HAD lied about being in love with you - which I did NOT - I wouldn't have to lie about it now, and doesn't that mean something to you? It means that there were, ARE, real feelings involved."

"Real feelings, not love..?" Tracy asked.

"No - yes, love. I consider love a real emotion."

"That's right. Love is a single emotion. It's one word, Michael."

"Ok - what? Uh, I mean.. more than love. Love, and then some. Love has a lot of different parts. It.... extends."

"Ok," Tracy said, "so which part went to me, and which part went to her?"

"I know which part went to me," Nicole answered, rather smugly.

A good question, though. He was stumped for an answer, be it the right one (the truth), or the one he thought she wanted to hear.

"And you can't say, absolutely can't, that you loved both of us equally, because it would reduce the degree to which you may have at one point given both of us whatever your concept of love is, and it wouldn't mollify this whole fucked situation in the least," Tracy warned.

A waitress made her way over. "Anybody need anything?"

"I'll have a shot of 151," Tracy said.

"Make that two," Nicole said.

"Three," Michael said.

"Three shots," the waitress noted, and was off.

Composed, he thought, Michael began. "I love you, Tracy." He turned to Nicole, "And I love you Nicole.."

"You can't love us both," Nicole stopped him.

"Why not? I do. When I'm with you, I'm excited and turned on, and enthralled.." He turned to Tracy, "And when I'm with you, I feel..... satisfied. I'm content and satisfied with both of you, it's like a great thing multiplied. Why would I deny it?"

"You don't deny it," Tracy pointed out, "you deny your_self_ it. As a sign of maturity, if nothing else. Otherwise, have it for a while, wallow in this personal nirvana you speak so fondly of, but be honest with anyone else who might be involved - namely us - because I think we have a say. Come clean. You can't withhold shit like who you're _also_ fucking. It's not fair, and then it's cruel." Firmly, "Be honest. Be a man when it comes to relationships. Give us a chance, maybe we can work with it."

The waitress returned with three shots. "These together?" Tracy nodded, handed her - probably without thinking, or caring - a twenty. "Keep it."

"Work with it, what do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean mutual agreement, all parties equal," Tracy said, slammed her shot. "I mean, consenting adults with the intellectual capacity to decide what is or is not right for them. I mean - not this. I'll let you in on a little secret, Michael, that anyone with a heart not set on mendacious auto-pilot already knows: Love doesn't strictly revolve around sex, even though, admittedly, we had it real good in that department. Love is also respect. And trust - oh God that must sound ridiculous coming from me. Look where trust gets ya... But anyway, both those things are, like.... gone, now, for me for you," she indicated her drink, "and I'm dry. Excuse me."

With that, Tracy stormed on up to the bar.

There was a suitable and just, yet nevertheless uneasy, silence in her absence. She'd laid it out, leaving a terse air of truth and exposure behind for the stranger and the culprit to deal with. Which they couldn't. No room for discussion.

Nicole eyed her lover, a moment or two, waiting for a possible come back, or explanation. Or, perhaps simply seeing him in a different way for the very first time, made to feel a bit easy herself that she wasn't the only one this was happening to.

"So, what's up?"

"What do you mean?" Michael asked.

"I mean, which one of us gets the pink slip? How do you expect this to work, now?"

"I'm not sure.."

"Well, you have to've had time to think about it."

"Not really. You guys are like one person to me, I'm serious."

"So, basically, you don't know what to do. That it?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Ahh.. how sweet. Why is it you didn't tell her or me that we've been sharing the same man when it first started, or maybe even a month into it, when that would've been much less hurtful than this? Why wait till we'd both feel stupid and used, or why not cover your track a little better? Just wondering.."

With that, she left him sit. Walked up to the bar, beside Tracy. The bartender handed Tracy a drink, which Nicole payed for.

"You okay?" Nicole said, then felt stupid for having. "That's a stupid question, of course you're not okay."

"I'm fine," Tracy assured. "This is the most pissed off I've ever _been_..."

"You don't look pissed off. I'd hate to see you get really mad."

"Yeah, well. This is as public as public places get. Maybe I've got too much consideration for how much I want to explode all over his misogynist ass right now might be for him. Here. It would embarrass me," Tracy said. "Hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, hell no. He deserved it. Women don't get the chance to put a guy in his place often enough. And then when they do, they don't."

"It's not over, yet. He can take some more. Just, maybe not here."

"I think you need another drink."

Tracy only nodded. She looked back to their table, and saw that Michael was no longer around. Probably left. Fucker..

Then, he was there at the bar with them. Wounded dog look intact. Nicole noticed him, it, and merely smirked. "We're not drunk enough, yet, for that to be cute. Why'n't cha give us a few hours."

"Can we get out of here?" Michael asked, sincerely. "Can we please continue this thing in private?"

Tracy drank.

"What's to continue?" Nicole asked. "You cheated on her with me - that makes you an asshole. You cheated on me with her - that makes you a double asshole. You're just one big, lying, cheating, two-time double-dealing, mean, mistreating..."

Tracy couldn't fight a laugh.

"... asshole." To Tracy, "what?"

"Patty Loveless, 'Blame it on Your Heart'," Tracy informed her.

"So...?" Michael inquired, once more.

"You are free to leave whenever you like," Tracy said.

"But, we came in your car."

"Call a cab."

"You'd make me do that?" he asked.

Tracy turned, glared him down. He backed off.

"Will you be okay?" he asked, whole-hearted.

"Fuck do you care," she answered, and faced the bar, again.

Michael watched the both of them a few seconds longer, and headed out.

"Now what?" Nicole asked.

"Find an oblivion, and drink into it."

"I have a bottle of tequila at my place," Nicole suggested.

"I've got two. Shall we?"

Nicole grinned, flirtatiously. Followed her out.

LATER ON

Tracy parked the car in Their driveway. Killed the motor. Hesitated before getting out.

"What's wrong?" Nicole asked, the same salacious grin on her face.

"Nothing. It's just... Michael may be here."

"Why would he be here? D'you give him your key, or something?"

"We live together."

"Roomies..?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah, so. We'll have to be quiet."

"Respecting his sleep..?"

"Not even. I just don't want to deal with.. him. Again. Tonight."

"That's understandable. Well, we can grab the shit and git. Onward to my casa," Nicole offered.

"If he gets up, yeah - I mean, if he is here, and we wake him."

Nicole placed an _ok, then_ hand on Tracy's knee, gave it a light squeeze.

Tracy, the slightest bit tipsy, lead them to the front door. Pulled out a set of keys, and slowly pushed the house key into the MasterLock with minimal rattling.

The lights were off inside. Tracy took Nicole's hand, lead her over to the bar. Nicole giggled as they stumbled through, trying their best to keep quiet but making noise as they moved nonetheless.

"Shhh..." Tracy pleaded, laughing at the same time. Which made Nicole laugh. Tracy pulled her over to the counter, put her hands on Nicole's hips. Keeping her still. Tracy's smile receded by half, to make her "shh..." command more authority, and Nicole obliged. She bit her lip to control any further outbursts.

"Ok," Tracy said, softly. "I'm going to get the glasses and, the.... the..."

"Booze," Nicole reminded, cracking up again.

"Shh. Now, you stay right here, and I'll go get everything ready." She stepped over to the cabinets. Quickly removed her shoes for hushed mobility.

Nicole took her's off, as well.

Tracy clanked the two small glasses together on the bar. "Shit," she said, still holding the bottle. She paused a second. "Ok, yeah - we have to be more quiet than this."

Nicole joined her. Took the bottle of Cuervo from her. She kept full eye contact on Tracy as she slowly, deliberately twisted off the cap. Poured two shots.

They toasted, before drinking. Nicole proceeded to pour refills.

"Men are so.... I mean I've always heard..... it's such a fucking cliche, but it's true. They've got that tuning fork between their legs that just goes off whenever anything with a nice pair of legs and tits walks by -"

"- ooh, don't forget about the ass," Nicole added, gleefully.

"- and there seems to be some set of repercussions only they know about to not paying attention to the goddamn thing - which must plain scare the shit out of them. And it's like.. even if you've found the guy who's sure to contradict all of that, the one guy you can show off to all you're friends and not have to worry about which one of them he'll be fucking 48 hours later.. turns out all that perfect fella was was some mental fabrication created to blind us from reality, God knows why, who's gonna stray the devotion path because it's easier than staying faithful." Tracy downed her drink, quickly. "Cocks, man... we love 'em, they're evil."

"There are fine alternatives to the male penis, love," Nicole said, suggestively. "How do you think he did it?"

"I just told you. Like what?"

"No, I mean how, for so long? We've been together a month and a half, almost. You guys?"

"Year," Tracy sighed.

"Really??" Nicole asked, genuinely surprised.

"There about."

"Well... that's commitment," Nicole pointed out, getting more and more steadily off subject.

"Sure, if you think of a serious relationship in terms of day. Like some work assignment with a deadline. I thought we had something, not to sound too corny, something that would last, when all I did was devote approximately 365 days of my life to every guy there's ever been, all wrapped into one single body. I should've been a porn star."

"You were going to be a porn star?!" Nicole asked.

"No, it was a joke. God, I feel like such a moron!"

"Me, too," Nicole agreed.

"No, I mean really, really dumb. As in, beyond the legal limit of acceptable stupidity. If there is one. And, I'm blonde, too - this doesn't help."

"I love your hair."

"How many people have you been with?" Tracy asked, directly.

"I dunno."

"Well, I've been with about twenty, counting some during me and Michael and some from before - mostly before. I don't know if that's a lot, but it feels like a lot, and in all that time the only thing that's changed is the size of the genitalia, the way it hangs or stands up. Men tell you they love you, you're their best friend, this is it for them, it's right, they've never felt like this before, and all of it is aimed at either getting you into bed, feeling momentary security that they are wanted goods, or to protect themselves from something. So, how are you supposed to believe a word any of them say enough to feel safe, and get some security of your own, when experience has taught you it's probably just bullshit? I feel. So. Stupid."

Nicole poured more shots. "I hate him."

"You do?"

"Yeah," Nicole said. "Why, don't you?"

"I hate what he did. As a human being, I think it's reprehensible. But, I don't know that I'd go so far as to say I actually hate him. Everybody's got it in them to do the wrong thing. Even you, I bet. Even me."

"What've you done wrong, lately?" Nicole pried.

"Nothing on scale with Michael's behavior, that's for sure. Though, I did cheat, too.." She takes just a second or two to consider that. "But, I mean, little things. Like, yelling at someone because you just feel like it and not because they deserve it. Or, getting into an argument over nothing. Wait, maybe those are one in the same," Tracy said, words trailing off in thought. "I don't know. Shit like that."

"Yeah. I guess I'm guilty, too."

"We all are. That isn't the point. I can't get over what he did. Maybe you're right, maybe I should hate him. But, I can't, because I can't stop thinking about how mostly great it was an hour ago before you showed up. I'm glad you did, don't get me wrong, but... I liked that feeling. Being with him."

"Being with him was nice," Nicole pondered. "In a strictly sexual sense. I mean, I'm sure I didn't have what you had with him."

"It was nice. What we shared.." Tracy said.. then, on second, "But, you know what, maybe it wasn't nice. He was never truthful - until forced to be - about this little emotional scam he's been running. Not for a second. Maybe nothing else was genuine, either. Maybe it was all just complete bullshit from day one." She slammed yet another shot. "Hurts to think about it like that, damn.."

"Love sucks," Nicole then stated.

"You were in love with him?"

"Lust sucks," Nicole corrected herself. "Were you?"

"In love? Or, in lust?"

"Either," Nicole asked.

"I liked fucking him a lot. Love? I can't be sure."

"I'm going to miss that."

"What?" Tracy asked, not altogether interested with the answer. She grabbed the bottle, freshened their glasses.

"Fucking him," Nicole clarified. "When I would give him head, he had this way of getting so.. all," gesturing, as Michael might have, "coming... now.." she continued, with exaggerated incomprehension. "Made him sound like a complete dork, but I loved it. The way I could drive him to a point where the words didn't come out quite like they should."

"You liked the feeling of control?" Tracy asked. Stated, rather.

"Oh, yeah."

"What else did you do with him?"

"Lots of things. Everything. It was never really boring with Michael. He liked sex a lot. Even more than me, if that's possible. Oral sex, that was the biggest thing. And anal sex, too."

"You like anal?" Tracy asked, slightly apprehensive to the idea.

"Oh yes," Nicole said, with emphatic preference. "You don't?"

"No. Hurts like a bitch."

"It hurts at first, I agree. But, do it a while, and you build up a resistance. And, then it feels way nice."

"I guess that's true with anything," was Tracy's only comment.

"What did he do with you?"

"Conventional stuff. I'd be on top, he'd be on top."

"Interesting."

"Not too. But, we did it often enough to make up for any lack of creativity there might've been," Tracy verified.

"He's a bastard. Bastard scum. What are we gonna do?"

"There's nothing to do. He's had his way with us. All that's left is to sever the ties that bound."

"I don't know if I'm ready to," Nicole admitted.

"Yeah, me either."

"So, what should we do?"

"Well, I'd say trash the place, but I have to live here, too."

"Too bad," Nicole mourned.

"Are you leaving him?"

"Yes."

"For sure?" Tracy asked, persistent.

"I think.."

"Well, then, if you leave and I leave, then he'll be alone."

"All except for the other one."

"You think he has someone else?" Tracy thought aloud.

"Maybe. Probably. Who knows? Who knows who would've shown up at that bar after me if we'd stuck around a while longer. It could have turned into a screwball comedy, or something."