At the End of the Day

Wade still wasn't sure what to do regarding Susan. She was so pretty, really did remind him of Susan Dey, the way she looked during her Partridge Family days, with her sensuous, finely formed lips, perfect nose and long, light-brown hair parted in the middle, a very nineteen-seventies doo in this eighties' era of big hair. She was a sweet girl, a twenty-one-year-old college student majoring in biology. They met on a Sunday morning while running around on a local high school track. Wade had approached her, made some glib remark that she tossed back to him, and they'd been dating ever since. He liked her a lot, hated the thought of hurting her, dumping her for another woman he also liked a lot and whose seductive sensuality he found impossible to resist.

Susan had one of her long, slender legs draped over one of his while she also held one of his hands, watching the show but also wondering about the novel circumstances he had mentioned. "Wade, who was that? If you don't mind me asking."

Wade, dressed in khaki shorts and a T-shirt, knew he needed to tread lightly. "Oh, just a friend's mom. I've known the family for years. We're former neighbors."

She nodded. "Not to be nosy, but what was she so upset about?"

"Something to do with her son Brian who lives in California. On occasion, she'll call to get my opinion about something. No big deal really."

She seemed satisfied and nudged closer to him. He draped an arm over her, pulled her even closer, then kissed her. By the time the show was over, she was practically on his lap, a place where she often ended up when whatever show they had been watching went off. Typically, they made love, sometimes right on the sofa, other times in his bedroom. She was on birth control, free for them to indulge when the spirit moved them, and tonight her spirit was all systems go. She grabbed the remote, clicked off the TV, then climbed on his lap and threw off her blouse.

Yum, the soft, sensuous feel and scent of a young girl's skin. Nothing like it, he thought, while his tongue roamed and his cock rose and his emotions ran amuck. He so liked this girl, this sweet girl, so pretty and so into him. He couldn't dump her, didn't want to dump her. He didn't want to deceive or cheat on her either, yet that was exactly what he was doing. No, they weren't married, weren't engaged, weren't even pinned or going steady. Even so, there was this contract of exclusivity between them, unspoken but undeniably present. He and Melinda had no such contract, at least not yet. In time, he figured she'd want one; most women did. And then what?

Meanwhile, back on the sofa, things were happening. Clothes were coming off, then tossed on the floor. Susan was on her knees, giving Wade oral, and Wade was thinking that he didn't want to stain the blue and gold upholstery on his sofa cushions, something that was likely to happen if he didn't throw a sheet over the cushions or take this to another venue.

He opted for the latter, and moments later, he held Susan in his arms, kissing her on his bed, enjoying her warm, soft lips on his and thinking he had been crazy for even thinking about dropping her. Quality girls like Susan didn't come along every day. "I'm so lucky I found you," he said.

She pulled back, looked at him curiously with her sparkling gray eyes. To her ears, it sounded like a non sequitur in light of what they were doing. "Thanks, and I feel lucky also. But what brought that on?"

"Just thinking, that's all," he said. "Sometimes, in moments like this, I think back to that hot Sunday morning we met. You were into your rhythm, running along, and I was sure you were going to tell me to get lost."

"If you had been anyone else, I might have. But you're Wade Kimball, and I couldn't resist that handsome face and athletic body, your infectious laugh and self-deprecating humor. You had me with that opening line I shall never forget. 'It's more motivating when you run with someone else,' you said. 'Besides that, I could use the company.' I loved that line."

"I remember it well," he said.

He felt closer to Susan tonight than he ever had and showed it by pouring more emotion into his love making than he normally did. Speaking of rhythm, he found his atop this amazing girl, while kissing her tenderly, from her navel to her lips. In close to a breathless whisper, she said, "Geeze, Wade, you're outdoing yourself tonight."

He was and he knew it and he knew why. He was trying to make up for going behind her back with Melinda.

*****

Speaking of whom...

Melinda was still upset, and she wished for nothing more at this moment than to be in Wade's comforting arms. He did sound rushed on the phone, like she might have been keeping him from something. Okay, he was watching Cheers. But how absorbed could one get watching a sitcom? She liked the show also, but absorbing drama it wasn't. Besides, the show should be over by now. Should she call him again? Or, do something she'd never done—hop in her white '84 Chrysler Laser, drive over to his apartment and surprise him. Already she missed him, even though it had been less than a week since their skating date. She couldn't be falling in love with this guy, could she? Oh my, that would complicate matters way beyond what she had expected or even wanted.

She paced her living room in her silk PJs debating what to do. Damn, she missed him, knew she could throw on some clothes, hop in her car and be there within a half hour. It was tempting, so tempting, even on this cold January night.

She didn't think too long, for minutes later, wearing a pair of wool slacks, sweater, coat, gloves and her fleece-lined boots, she was on her way over to the garden style apartment complex where Wade lived. Wade and Brian were the same age, yet Brian was already a home owner. She shook her head, ashamed at herself for thinking the way she once did about Wade not being accomplished enough professionally. He was plenty accomplished when it came to meeting her sexual and emotional needs, and the proof was in this somewhat irrational sense of desperation she felt.

She pulled into the parking lot and saw his Camaro parked close to the entrance. A late model blue Toyota Corolla was parked right next to it. The car belonged to Wade's present house guest. Of course, she didn't know that. She sat in her car a few moments, trying to stay calm, to shake some of the nervousness she felt. Finally, she got up the nerve to enter his building, climb to the second level and then knock on his door.

*****

"Who could that be?" Susan asked.

"I have no idea, but it couldn't come at a more convenient time."

He was being sarcastic, of course, for at that very moment, he and Susan were stark naked, snuggled under the covers, enjoying each other's company. "Maybe they'll go away."

But "they" didn't. The knocks were followed by the ringing of the doorbell. "Oh crap, might as well see who it is," Wade said. He got up, threw on his terrycloth robe, then padded into the living room. It took only seconds after peering into the peephole that he realized he had a potential problem. "Melinda!"

"Yes. Can you open up?"

"Um, well, ah...Look, I'm kind of busy at the moment."

"You have company?"

"Well, ah, sort of. You see—"

Hearing footsteps behind him, Wade turned to see Susan standing there with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her. She asked, "Everything okay?"

"Um, well...oh, shit."

The barefoot Susan, her toenails neatly painted in bright red, stepped closer to the door. "Who is it?"

Then came this from the other side. "Wade, what's going on? Please open up."

"Not now, I can't."

"It sounds like you have company. Do you?"

Susan heard that. "Wade, who is it? Were you expecting someone?"

"No, I wasn't."

"Is it Susan, Wade? Is Susan with you?"

Susan heard that loud and clear. "Ohmygod! Who the hell is that woman and how does she know about me?"

Wade stepped away from the door. Then he whispered, "It's the woman who was on the phone, Brian's mom."

Excitedly, Susan said, "Boy, she must really be upset! I thought you resolved the problem. No big deal, you said."

In a shaky, on the verge of tears voice, Melinda said, "Wade, if you want me to leave, I will. I just thought I'd surprise you. But apparently the surprise is on me."

Susan shook her head and wrapped the blanket tighter against her. "Wade, correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the feeling there's more to this than what you're telling. Open the door."

"What?!"

"Open the door. I want her to tell me what's going on. I mean, she already knows who I am, so I'd like to know who she is."

"But—"

"Open the door, damnit!" Susan snapped, stamping her foot.

The proverbial rock and a hard place can be a very uncomfortable place to be. It's even more painful knowing there's no way out. As Wade knew, situations arise in life where all one can do is let the chips fall where they may, and he had no doubt that this was one of those situations. He opened the door. "You can come in if you'd like." He noticed her shaking.

Melinda nodded and stepped into the living room. She tried to stop shaking as she stared wide-eyed at the barefoot young woman wrapped in a blanket. "Hi, I'm Melinda Everette. You're Susan, I know. Sorry to interrupt, I didn't know that Wade had company."

Susan glared at Melinda. "Wade said you were a friend's mom and former neighbor. That you and Wade talk on the phone once in a while. Is there something else going on? Because it sure as hell looks like it."

Melinda started to say something. Then, shaking her head, she backed off. "I'll leave that to Wade. I think he should be the one to tell."

Wade sighed, braced himself for the task ahead. "Susan, Melinda's right. I've got some splainin to do. You might want to put some clothes on."

Susan sat on the edge of the sofa, huddled under the blanket, with her hands clasped tightly together. "No, that's okay, I want to hear this now."

Melinda sat on one of the lounge chairs while Wade kept standing, revealing what had been going on. He started with some backstory, how they were neighbors for years, his friendship with Brian, Melinda giving him the cold shoulder the day before Christmas. Then he told her about his seeing Melinda in Giant and how things progressed from there. "I didn't say anything to you because I didn't think the time was right," he concluded.

Susan spoke up, her tone full of outrage. "You didn't? Wade, we've been intimate for months. I was falling in love with you and you acted like you felt the same for me. And here you were, involved with someone else, a friend's mom yet." She shook her head, brushed a tear from her eyes. "Maybe you're not the guy I thought you were. And if that's the case, maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore." She got up and headed for the bedroom.

Wade began to follow her. Then Melinda stood up, slipped off her coat and said, "Wade, wait in here. I'll talk to her."

"Melinda, it's my problem, and I'll—"

She reached out and grabbed his arms. "Do you hope to see her again?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then let me handle this."

Reluctantly, Wade let her go. Her shaking gone, Melinda hustled down the hall to the bedroom where she found Susan going through her overnight bag. She closed the door. "Susan, can we talk?"

Susan took out panties and bra and began to dress. "What's there to talk about? A guy I trusted and adored betrayed me, cheated on me."

"Listen, it wasn't like that. And I can vouch for the fact that Wade adores you back."

Susan was on her knees, pulling a sweater and a pair of jeans from the travel bag. She looked up and said, "He apparently adores you also, with the feeling being mutual."

Melinda sighed and eased onto the edge of Wade's bed. "Honey, I know how you must feel. But before you charge out of here, will you at least listen to what I have to say? I came in here because I think a woman to woman talk is in order."

Without looking at her, Susan slipped on her jeans, then her green sweater. She then looked at Melinda and said, "Look, I'm not angry at you. I'm just very hurt and disillusioned. I'm..." She sank into Wade's big black desk chair, bent over and began to cry.

Melinda got up and started rubbing her back in round, even swirls. "I understand, I get it. Men can be such a-holes. But please listen to me before you do something you might regret. Then you can do whatever you have to do."

Susan wiped her eyes and sat up. "Fine."

Melinda once again sat on the bed and faced her. "First off, you're right. I'm very fond of Wade and wasn't comfortable with his seeing someone else. But I didn't force the issue because I had no right to. He met you first, someone close to his age, someone he could possibly have a future with as opposed to a woman over twenty years older. Wade is a prince of a guy. But, like so many guys, young guys, he's got a raging libido that he's all too willing to satisfy if and when the opportunity presents itself. That's where I came in, his older woman fantasy, his Mrs. Robinson."

"Mrs. Robinson?"

Melinda chuckled. "I guess you didn't see The Graduate. Before your time. It's about an affair between a college graduate and one of his parents' friends, this Mrs. Robinson. You should rent it some time. Anyway, that's pretty much what we had going on. I was Wade's Mrs. Robinson. Guys have two brains, honey. One up here and one down there, and too often they think with the one down there. I'm sure you know that already."

Susan cracked a smile. "Okay, but what was he to you? Does your sexual needs include seducing young guys?"

"Um, well, no, not on a regular basis. Wade is actually the first one, the first and last after this. Look, we have sides to ourselves that we can't fully explain, that come out when we least expect it, often later in life. After talking with Wade in Giant, I got this roaring craving. Call it my inner cougar." She covered her mouth and fought back tears knowing full well that her feelings for Wade ran much deeper, however exciting the bedroom pyrotechnics had been. "Anyway, I acted on those raw sexual feelings."

Susan relaxed her shoulders, then took one of those deep breaths of relief. "So, where's your inner cougar now?"

"Back where he belongs, back in his den to hibernate." She paused for a few moments to allow Susan to absorb that, then continued. "Anyway, take the advice from an older woman and not let this ruin what you and Wade had going, what you still have going from what I see."

Susan bent over, elbows on knees, squeezing her long hair against the sides of her head. She held that position for a few moments. Then she sat up. "Well, what about you and that inner cougar of yours? I mean, will he stay in his den?"

"Absolutely. Honestly, if you or anyone else weren't in the picture, I'd continue to see Wade. But not now. Plus, at the end of the day, I think his heart belongs to you." She let Susan think about that for a while. Then she said, "Anyway, thanks for listening. And good luck with whatever you decide. Meanwhile, I think it's time for me to go." They walked back into the living room together.

Wade stopped pacing the floor. "Well?"

Melinda grabbed her coat from the chair and slipped it on. "Susan and I had a nice little talk. And pardon my middle-age woman's intuition, but I think you two will be just fine. Just be good to one another." Then she was out the door.

Wade, still unsure about where Susan stood, remained tense. "You're out of your blanket," he said. "I hope that doesn't mean you're going somewhere. At least not tonight."

"Truthfully, I was until Melinda came in. She said some things that made sense to me. I can see why you like her. She's not only wise, but very nice."

"I like you too, you know. A lot. I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Susan brushed that aside and said, "She said that at the end of the day, your heart belongs to me." She stepped toward him, gripped the lapels of his robe and looked into his eyes. "Is that true, Wade Kimball?"

"Melinda knows whereof she speaks." He pulled her close to him and held her, feeling the tension evaporate. "My heart does belong to you. At the end of the day and at the beginning of the day. Now, do you think you can put those clothes back in your bag and then resume where we left off?"

She unsnapped her jeans, then stepped out of them, leaving nothing on but her bra, panties and sweater "I think I can manage that. And one more thing."

"What's that?"

"If there's another knock on your door, just ignore it. Okay?" She then took his hand and led him back to the bedroom.

*****

The tears that she had staunched now flowed as Melinda drove home. She did a good thing, she knew, and she felt good about that but she was hurting something awful. If it had just been her inner cougar not getting what he wanted, it wouldn't be so painful. But it was more than that, and she'd need time to heal. At the end of the day...She'd been right about that, about Wade's feelings for Susan. Sweet girl. So pretty. And so forgiving, it appeared. How could he not adore her? She wished them well. Brian, she knew, would be relieved to know that his good friend would no longer be "schtupping" his mom. She laughed in spite of her tears.