A Slow Ride

I love the outdoors, especially mountain biking. It is on one of the trails I met my current girlfriend of eighteen months, Tamzin. She is a good rider and we matched in our abilities on the trails. My name is Patrick McCarthy. Tamzin was a social butterfly, whereas I was far more reserved, a published author of a few novels, my chosen genre being action romance.

Right now we were at a bike park. Tamzin had a few friends who had joined us, camping at the bike park. They had a variety of routes for all skill levels, and we had done a black route during the day. It was sixty miles and almost eleven thousand feet of climbing combined. I had ridden the route a lot, as have Tamzin. Her friends, Michael and Rochelle were less experienced riders. The two of them were happily engaged. We were sitting next to a bonfire having a few beers. We had two more friends, Laney and Christina. Laney was also a great rider, but Christina did not have the body shape. She had a lot of passion, and loved to ride in any case. Christina did not join us on our ride, opting for an easier route.

I was troubled by her silence, as it seemed she could not share in the stories we told of the day's adventures. She was not overly large by any margin, but she was shapely. I suspected her power to weight ratio held her back, but Chrissie loved the sport in any case. I hated that she did not feel welcome to ride with us, even after I invited her on countless occasions. She always felt very selfconscious about holding us back.

The chosen topic around the fire was relationship quirks as we had out beers and wine. Soon the discussion meandered into threesomes. Tamzin nudged me.

"Would you consider a threesome?" she asked.

"Nope, not at all," I answered. I had seen an innocent threesome destroy a good friend's engagement because his girlfriend stepped over the agreed-upon boundaries, then refused to acknowledge she was at fault. Eventually, she left him for the threesome partner, and it became clear she was looking to fuck him for a while.

"Come on Patrick, two girls at the same time?" Michael prodded.

"Tamzin is hot enough for two girls," I countered and earned a kiss. Then she spoke.

"And if I wanted a threesome, Patrick?" she asked.

"Sorry Tamzin, It is not something I am open to discussing, either way."

I was sure she was disappointed with my answer. I let it go though, as I was sure the issue was me being controlling and not her wanting a threesome. Rochelle confirmed my suspicions.

"You cannot control her choices, Patrick. If Tamzin wants it you have no say, realistically."

"True, Tamzin is free and I would not hinder her decision. But I am also free. Choices have consequences, Rochie."

"True, and people normally act shocked when the consequences of their poor choices catch up o them," Chrissie added. She worked in a divorce lawyer's office as a paralegal so she had seen her share of trainwrecks. We bantered and joked around the topic. Eventually, we all retired to our huts. Tamzin was a little cold towards me, but we started to get intimate. I licked her gently, she liked it when my tongue caressed her pussy. She had two orgasms, and then I moved over her.

"I am tired, Patrick. Sorry baby," she said softly, but I knew exactly what it was about. She was making sure I honored her choice.

I let go of the idea of sex and felt my cock deflate. Tamzin also did not cuddle like normal. She fell asleep and I got up and made myself a coffee, sitting outside. The sounds of the forest surrounding us soothed me. I replayed the conversations, mostly for research, and recalled Tamzin's well-hidden disappointment that I would not consider sexual quirks. I was not sure if she wanted a threesome, because she had always vehemently vocalized her displeasure at any form of sexual contact with anyone other than her partner. At thirty-three, I had been around the block a few times, and I felt disquiet enter my mental process.

The next morning Tamzin was her usual self and we chatted a little. I suggested that we ride with Christina that day, but Tamzin did not want to, saying Christina held us back. She suggested that I ride with Christina if I was fine with being held back. Her tone was rather acerbic, so I declined for the sake of my mental peace. We rode a different route that day, not wanting to overwork ourselves on the most difficult route again. After we got back I washed the bikes and loaded them, ready for the two-hour drive back to the city. Christina made us a late lunch, and we left. Tamzin was quiet most of the way, texting. Christina was in the SUV with us, so I chatted with her. She often shared some stories that I would then adapt for my books.

I dropped her home, then asked Tamzin if she wanted to come to my place or hers. She opted for hers, saying she was tired. I dropped her and carried her bike into her apartment building for her. She kissed me goodnight and I left. Wednesday evening we had dinner and she spoke of the weekend.

"Would you really not consider talking about my sexual needs?" She asked.

"A threesome is a recipe for disaster, Tamz. I am not sure I can deal with the idea of you with another man."

"And if it was a girl?"

"No, Tamzin. I cannot risk doing something that will pop up in a few years because we were not on the same page. You and I are working towards permanence."

"And if it a one-time thing?"

"Still no."

"Why are you so jealous?" she asked, and I heard a definite tone of frustration.

"I am not, fuck. How is this even an issue, Tamz. You hate the idea of sex outside a monogamous relationship."

"That is not my issue. I am bothered by you taking away my choice."

"I told you that you still have the freedom of choice, Tamzin. Please drop it now, because you are now trying to determine how I should react."

That evening I dropped her at home, as she was not in the mood for my company. I had two book signings the Thursday and Friday, so we did not really talk. Friday evening we had dinner with Michael and Rochelle. The threesome topic was left alone, and I was happy. We had a lot of jokes and laughing, and Tamzin was being very affectionate. Then she dropped the bomb.

"You said I am free to choose, correct?" she stated, rather than asked. I knew what was coming.

"Yes Tamzin, you are free to choose," I replied softly.

"I am going home with Michael and Rochelle, I choose to have a threesome with two friends I trust." I Iooked at Michael and Rochelle, and they were smug.

"Please, Tamzin. Don't," I asked softly.

"I want to try it, baby, just once," she answered, I knew there was no talking her out of it.

"And tomorrow? Where do we stand when we wake up, Tamzin?" I asked, knowing what my decision will be.

"That is up to you, Paddy," she answered, "You will also have a choice."

"Why not talk to me first, fuck? Why not really ask me? We have not had a proper discussion."

"I know what you will answer. Sorry for blindsiding you, Patrick. I love you deeply, but you are taking my freedom if you deny me this."

I got up, kissed her cheek, and walked out without a word after a last look at her face and the irritation on it. I knew, she would either text me to pick her up or come to my apartment. If neither of those things happened within the hour I would not have a girlfriend anymore, that is my choice. She had taken all the good choices off the table.

I did not sleep at all, my heart shattered as her call never came. The sun came up, and I gathered all her stuff that was at my apartment and packed it in cardboard boxes. I then called a locksmith and changed my locks as Tamzin had a key to my place. I drove to her apartment and dropped the boxes with the doorman of her building.

Back at home I called my publisher, and told him to schedule book signings in Seattle, then a few other cities.

"Patrick, can we start with Miami. I have a tentative signing scheduled with a group of authors, and two universities are wanting you as a guest lecturer," He asked me.

"Sure, set it up. I will be in Miami by morning."

He thanked me and I ended the call. I packed a bag, crying softly. I decided to take a taxi to the airport as I could not drive. I wrote some ideas out on the flight to try and distract myself, but they were very dark. It was not material I would use in a book unless I started writing gore. The process was rather cathartic though. My first novel came out of massive emotional trauma when my mother revealed I was not my deceased father's child. The revelation of her infidelity killed him, and I have not heard from her in more than a decade.

Tamzin knew how deeply I felt everything, and she chose to cut me in the deepest way possible, abandoning me for her selfish pleasures. After checking into my hotel I turned my phone on. Tamzin had left almost fifty messages, and as many missed calls. She begged me to not break up with her, that nothing happened, and other promises. Then my phone rang, as she tried calling again. I was in two minds to just block it.

"Tamzin?" I answered, sounding cold.

"What the fuck Patrick, you are breaking up with me. Please baby, it is not what you think."

"You made your decision, now I have made mine."

"Nothing happened Patrick, we had wine, and I slept alone."

"Can you prove it?" I asked.

"Michael and Rochelle will tell you, fuck Paddy, nothing happened."

"The problem is, they looked very smug last night when you claimed your freedom, so there is no way I would believe them. They seemed to want it as badly as you."

"Nothing happened, I promise you."

"Imagine for a moment that I believe you..."

"Please, believe me, my love."

"If I do, explain why you did it?" I asked.

"Because you said no. You sounded so toxic. I was wrong, baby."

"Yes, you tried to teach me a lesson by becoming a lying cheating bitch, Tamzin."

"Please, call Michael. Call Rochelle. Nothing happened. Please believe me, Patrick. I was so stupid."

"Yes you were, and no. I will not call them. My decision is made. Even if nothing happened, there is no way I will ever tolerate this type of behavior."

I ended the call and immediately blocked her number. I blocked her on all my messaging platforms and social media as well. Rochelle called me thirty minutes later, sobbing. She begged me to talk to Tamzin, telling me the same story. I refused to budge, as she could also not prove nothing happened. Then Michael called me, also crying. He begged for forgiveness, acknowledging it was a cruel prank. He also could not provide me with evidence.

"See Michael. None of you gave me any indication that you were not serious. All the facts point to you guys having a threesome, and you now need to prove me wrong. It will be sad if you are speaking the truth because Tamzin will never get a second chance without concrete proof. Do not contact me if you cannot provide anything more than the word of three sadistic cunts."

I hung up again, blocking them all. There was no way I would even consider their version as true. I dressed smartly and ventured to the hotel bar. It was half full, and I found a seat at the end of the bar and started my most relaxing past-time apart from cycling, studying human behavior, working out ways to describe the interactions I am observing.

I received a beer, courtesy of a very attractive forty-ish cougar. I accepted and she joined me. Her name was Joanna, recently divorced and out for fun. Joanna and I decided that we did not want to get drunk, so we went to my room. She was a petit blonde with a slim waistline. I kissed her gently as we closed the door, and she frowned in confusion.

"What?" I asked.

"I just thought we are getting to it," she answered.

"We are, but I really like the scenic route. Is that okay with you?"

"More than okay. I just hope there are some good stops," she snickered and I caught it in my mouth as we kissed again.

I slid my hands under her skirt, just cupping her ass, then using my fingertips to caress it. She started unbuttoning my shirt, and I let her pull it off. Then I pulled her blouse over her head. I kissed down her chest and sucked a nipple into my mouth through her lacey bra. She groaned, and I pulled the bra to one side. Her nipple was rock hard and I nibbled on it again. I pushed her back on the bed.

"I like your route, Patrick McCarthy," she hissed as I ran my hands under her skirt, touching her pussy for just a moment. I unclipped her skirt and pulled it down. She was wearing white lace lingerie, and I approved. I kissed her pussy through the panties, then pulled them down just enough to get to her clit. Joanna came hard, screaming into a pillow. I pulled her panties off completely, then I unhooked her bra. She had a shaved pussy, and it seemed rather unused for a woman of her age.

I stripped as well, and then made sure her pussy got more attention from my tongue. Joanna was impatient and grabbed my hair, pulling me up by it, and we started laughing at her desperation.

"Later stud, no I want to look into those baby blues as my pussy expands to your needs," she laughed, and then reached between us, smiling happily as she found my cock size to her liking.

I was average-sized, but her moans let me know it was enough for her. She was tight and very wet. I started to thrust gently, her mouth seeking mine. I loved the feel of her hard nipples on my chest and her hands on my ass, pulling me deeper into her with each thrust. I was now making love, and listening to Joanna's noises to tell me where she was at. I felt my own orgasm approach, and it hit just as her next one subsided. I held deep inside her, kissing her softly. We kissed, and then I started to feel my cock revive, so I made smaller thrusts.

"Thank you." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around my neck to kiss me as I started to thrust.

This time there was no clock on it, and I loved the feel of her body against me. Tamzin was skinnier and had a hard body. Joanna was softer, almost squishier, and warmer. I liked it a lot, so I never reared up to thrust, preferring to feel her against me. Joanna started to pull me against her, and her noises warned me as her orgasm approached. She wrapped her legs around me and pulled me deep into her as her pussy pulsed out her pleasure. She then flipped us over and lay on my chest, flexing her hips.

"Do you like this?" She asked.

"Yes, very much."

She never rode me hard, and we both came again. We had a shower, and I took her clothes off the bed and floor and put it on a chair. She watched me, amused.

"I assumed you want to sleep here, sorry. I should have asked," I apologized.

"I hoped for it, so you are forgiven. I like how you feel Patrick," She hugged me, we were still naked and I felt my cock respond again.

"Do you need to wake up early?"

"No," she kissed me, "We can sleep in."

"Thanks for this Joanna," I said, and detested the concern in her eyes as she saw a flicker of my emotion.

We got into bed and she mounted me, then had me tell her what I was running from. I broke my heart open and told her everything, needing to get it out of me. Joanna expressed her shock that people in this day and age could still be that stupid. She fell asleep on me, my cock in her. I got us room service the next morning and then got information as to where I could hire bikes. Joanna quickly went home and arrived back with a bag.

"Still hoping for a little more. We are not doing a relationship, but I want a more scenic route," she looked hopeful, and I saw a margin of uncertainty. I eased her worries by kissing her and taking her bag from her. She changed to a neon green bikini, which looked incredible on her. Then she covered it with a loose summer dress. The summer dress and the bikini came off and I made love to her again.

Then I dressed her again, feeling sheepish. Joanna found this very entertaining, but she also touched my face gently as she kissed me after I finished dressing her.

"I indubitably love the scenic route, Patrick," she said softly, then kissed me again. I felt wanted and respected by her, and I imagined she knew I needed that validation.

The hotel shuttle drove us to the beachfront store where we hired our bikes. Joanna and I cruised the beachfront lazily, chatting. We stopped for snacks whenever we wanted and then lay on a patch of grass, falling asleep. Late afternoon we returned the bikes and caught a taxi to the hotel, where he started our love session in the pool, getting each other properly horny. We migrated to the room and our passion was a little different. I was barely in the room when she had her bikini off and dragged me by my cock to the bed. She pulled me over her and I knew she wanted to fuck.

I slammed hard into her and kept it up as she started to moan and grunt. She came noisily, but I did not let up. After a short while, we again orgasmed together. We both came down from our frenzy, and I started to make love to her. We finished just before eight after I had managed to get two more loads into her. We dressed and went for dinner, then to a nearby club where we danced. We fucked once more after we got back and then slept. I asked her to stay with me for the whole time I was in Miami, and frankly, I needed the company. My itinerary was sent to me on Monday morning, I would be in Miami until Wednesday afternoon. The full itinerary had me on tour for five weeks in total.

Joanna was a school teacher, so she left early, after promising me she will be back. I spent most of the morning in a massive book store, signing books and posing for photos. Joanna joined me at a restaurant for a very late lunch, then she drove me to a mall where we watched a movie. I loved the lack of pretense, we were just having fun with no emotional requirements. I missed Tamzin at times, but her behavior that caused the breakup had tempered most of my feelings. The next two days flew by but always ended with Joanna and myself making love whenever we could. The week with her was cleansing, and I felt myself regain emotional equilibrium. I explained to Joanna what she had done for me, then bought her a diamond and amethyst necklace as a gift to express my thanks.

We exchanged numbers as she kissed me goodbye at the airport, and we both understood that we were friends, and if needed we would have no problem adding the benefits. The tour kept me very busy, and I was exhausted when I finally got back to my apartment.

Tamzin must have dropped a hundred letters for me. There were gifts too. She was desperately begging for forgiveness. I sent it all back to her, including the unopened letters. I called Christina after running some errands, something was nagging at me.

"Patrick, what the hell!" she sounded happy to hear my voice.

"Before we talk, know that I am not expecting you to take sides, Chrissie," I heard her sigh. I knew she wouldn't, but I also knew she would take my side as Tamzin was always a little snippy with her. Christina was Rochelle's friend initially.

"I am not choosing sides Paddy, but thanks."

"That Sunday morning I wanted to ride with you. She had a bitchy fit, so I didn't. I am sorry if I made you feel left out," I started, not wanting a discussion about the shit storm derailing my need to apologize to her.

"You did not, but I understand," she answered graciously, but I knew she was lying. I immediately decided that I will make it my mission to change her perception of herself on the trails.

"Are you still riding?" I asked.

"Yes, but mostly alone now. It just isn't the same without you." I heard her admission in the statement. She never traveled with Rochelle and Michael whenever we went out, always with me and Tamzin. Laney traveled with Rochelle but she was not a regular.

"Okay, tell you what. We take next weekend away. I miss your company too. Let's find a new place," I offered and heard her tone change immediately.