Best Friends Forever

"That was something," I said. I leaned into her, and I gave her one back. It had a lot of passion in it too a lot of stored up passion.

"And so was that," she said. I smiled a smile I hadn't smiled in forever.

Back at my place, I mulled over what Sammy had sort of suggested while we were at the Crossroads. Could Ann have been a set up by Claire or more likely Rodney to get me a woman? And what if one or the other of them had set me up? It was a hell of a coincidence, but Ann had said, or at least implied, that Rodney did not know of her injuries prior to meeting her for the first time at the barbecue. And, how should I react if it had been a set up? I had no intention of breaking off whatever it was that I had with Ann. Oh no, I'd actually come to the realization that I needed her.

But what might be real bad: what if Ann had been influenced in doing this, being with me, to get me to feel human again but had every intention of dumping me down the line. I couldn't believe that the two cheaters would stoop that low, but then again, they'd stooped way lower than that more than once. Oh yeah, they were capable of a stunt like that. But, with all that had happened in recent years the true fact was that I doubted that they would go that far this late in the game. I did, however, think it more than plausible that one or the other or both of them might have set it up for me to meet with her that was a very large possibility. I'd be finding out as soon as I could.

******

"I took a flyer yesterday and stopped by the Salvation Army office," said Claire.

"Oh," he said.

"Yes, I asked if they'd heard from Jim in the last few weeks. I mean, apart from hearing that Jim and the new girl, Ann, were dating we haven't heard anything from or about him per se," she said.

"Okay?" he said.

"He's moved back into town for sure. I know you thought that he might because it would be closer for him to be with his new woman if that's what she is," she said. "And, well, he has."

The man smiled. "I've avoided calling him knowing how little he wants to be around us, but I will now. Maybe we can even go out with them or something. You know kind of support him, them."

"Yes," she said, "that's a good idea."

******

"I like your place," I said. "I see you've made some effort to make it more easily accessible to folks like us."

"Well yeah," said Ann, "kind of a logical thing to do dontcha think."

"Yeah for sure. I've done it too, but not as much as you. I mean I'm renting at the Randall Arms. Not allowed to do all that much there, the rules you know," I said. He'd toured the three bedroom ranch style and now they were seated together on the couch in the front room. There was a large screen TV across from them but it wasn't on. Television was not the order of the day, evening.

I had my afghan across my lap. Yeah I was still self-conscious about my missing legs. Well, my stumps didn't look good and that was the long and the short of it, no pun intended.

She'd dimmed the lights, had one of those dimmer switches that some people have in their homes. If I ever got my own place I made a mental note to have one of those installed too.

I was nervous and she must've realized it: she took the lead. By lead, I mean she leaned in and kissed me.

"Wow! Man-oh-man!" I said, really more like whispered.

"Been a little while since I've kissed a man in a darkened room, actually a long while," she said.

"Trust me as far as that's concerned, I figure I've got the bragging rights," I said. "I'm quite sure it's been a lot longer for me since I've tasted a woman's lips. Oh, and if you had any doubts about it, yours are flat wonderful!" She smirked.

"Well, thank you for that," she said. "Dare I ask, how long has it been for you?"

"About eight years," I said. And, until tonight I had no hope of ever getting another romantic kiss again. My legs . . ."

"Hmm, yes they are a draw back. I do know something about that. It's been almost a year since my husband dumped me," she said. I nodded.

"Do you miss the guy, what's his name?" I said. She gave me a curious look.

"Hmm, his name is Carl, Carl rogers. And no, not since I realized what a bum he was. When a man treats his woman the way he treated me, well, he loses a lot of his allure if you know what I mean," she said. I nodded.

"I know exactly what you mean. But for me the hurt has never really faded. Too many elements to the betrayals to forgive and forget," I said.

"I understand," she says. "In my case I just made the decision to never speak to the asshole again and get on with my life."

"I've tried to do that, but the bunch of them keep bringing me back to heel. And, there is the fact of my daughter, as you've pointed out," I said.

"Yes, your situation is different for sure," she said.

"Yes, yes it is," I said.

"Anyway, maybe we should get down to business, whaddya think?" she said. I smiled what I was sure was a truly a winsome smile at her words.

"I think you've got a seriously good idea there," I said. "Oh yeah!"

I leaned in once again and kissed her. It was such an animalistic thing to do. And, I felt like an animal, a tiger in search of a tigress, and she was it!

She was wearing a long sleeved lavender dress that fell below her knee. My hand was resting on that knee and she didn't object. It, my hand, began to slowly inch its way up her thigh. I was almost fainting from the intoxication of the smell of her. She tasted like juicy-fruit when I kissed her and smelled like jasmine in spring time when I nuzzled her neck.

The two of us were sure as heck missing a lot of flesh and bone, but at that moment it didn't make a darn bit of difference. My hand paused not two inches from her pussy and massaged, gently massaged, the flesh near it. She was actually panting and dribbling spit from the side of her mouth which I mopped up with my tongue. Our faces smelled acidic from all of our kissing and sucking and licking.

I pressed my luck, I pushed her panties to the side and cupped her labia, and the feeling I got was so personal so wonderful so almost a new thing that I could have died at that moment and had no regrets. But, I didn't die and I pushed a finger as deep as I could inside of her. She shivered a little but her eyes were closed and her arm dangled motionless at her right side. I pulled my finger out and sucked her woman juice from it.

Her eyes opened and she leaned in and kissed me. Her hand wandered down to the front of my pants and squeezed my steel hard manhood.

"I see your little man is ready for me," she whispered.

"Oh my yes," I said. She unbuckled my pants and pulled my zipper down. The one thing I didn't want was to take my abbreviated pants completely off. I wanted her to pull them down but not off. She seemed to get it and did exactly as I hoped she would: down but only almost off. She played with my sex for a few moments and then leaning down she took me in her mouth. My God the woman was a true expert at driving a man totally over the top!

I couldn't hold back, but a few minutes of her sucking my cock and squeezing my balls and I came, and I mean I really came! I collapsed backwards into a semi-coma on the couch.

"You're not even done, buster," she said. I knew what she meant and I pulled myself together and, rolling over on my belly on the couch, I pulled her panties completely off and went at her pussy with my mouth in a display of desperation that could not have had all that many equals, oh no, and that for a flat fact. She laid herself back on the seven foot couch and spread for me. I wriggled my way up her body and pressed home my cock as best I could. She was tight but she was also slick from my sucking on her treasure. I soon found out that I could indeed fuck a woman no legs or not. I was pounding into her as I never had Claire even in our salad days, well, what I thought had been our salad days.

I discovered several things during the next two hours. One, I could fuck my woman, and that's how I was seeing her at that moment. Two, Missionary was pretty much it for me. We could do cowgirl and we did, but doggy was too much of a challenge for me at my present skill level.

We lay semi-comatose after what for me, and I think for her as well, was pretty much a sexual marathon.

"Okay for you?" she said.

"Is that a serious question?" I said.

"It was good for me too and necessary actually," she said.

"Oh yeah," I said. "Necessary is the term I would use."

******

After my resurrection from the depths of angst and despair, I had an overwhelming desire to share my good feelings. I called my buds. We'd be meeting at the Crossroads, where else.

I was sipping on two fingers of Gentleman Jack waiting for my buds o arrive. I'd gotten to like that particular splash of amber the best.

I was near the bottom of my first round when I saw them enter. They saw me; they joined me.

"Well, you sounded happy," said Sammy, coming up to me.

"Yeah, positively ebullient," said Henry, sidling up a nano second after Sam.

"I'm sure I did," I said. "It'd official; I have a girlfriend."

"Well congrats and all of that," said Henry.

"Yeah," said Sammy. "So tell."

"It's one of those things where a guy's got a lot to tell but can't because the details are kinda like, delicate, if you know what I mean," I said. The two friends looked at each other.

"Okay, but it's time to be indelicate," said Sammy.

"Well, if you insist," I said. "Ann and I are a couple as I just told you. Last night we got it on and it was good, I mean really really good!"

"Okay, now's the part where you tell us to forget getting any of the details," said Henry.

"Like I was about to say boys, forget about getting any of the details," I said, smirking.

"Hmm, well what else. I mean are you going to move in together? Thinking maybe of doing the big thing? What?" said Sammy.

"Haven't gotten that far into any planning but it is a very large possibility if it's left up to me," I said. "As for us moving in together any time soon that hasn't come up yet either."

"Yeah, well don't forget to send us an invitation," said Sammy.

"Yeah, like I'd forget to do that," I said. The laughter was good: it gave me a good feeling.

******

For the second time in recent times his secretary announced an unscheduled visitor, and it was the same as the last unscheduled visitor.

"Yes, yes, send him in," said Rodney Pollard.

The man rose from behind his desk to greet his visitor. "Sammy, good to see you; what brings you to my throne room today?" said Rodney.

"Good to see you too," said Sam.

"So, friend, what've you got?" said Rodney.

"I know you know that Jim and Ann are dating, right?" said Sammy.

"Yes, I've heard that, her sister is my secretary," said Rod.

"Oh, really?" said Sam.

"Yes."

"Well, the night before last they made love and Henry and I visited with him at the Crossroads last night. He's ecstatic! He's hoping to maybe take their relationship to the next level," said Sam.

"The next level?" said Rod.

"Yes, the married level," said Sam. His host gave him a look the major element of which was disbelief!

"Really," said Rod.

"Yes, and well, I know you and Claire have an interest in seeing him be happy, so I thought you might want to know," said Sam.

"Sam you are absolutely right, and thank you for the heads up. I'll be talking to Claire about this tonight," he said. "I introduced him so I have bragging rights. But, oh man, I didn't dare hope for news this 'maybe' good!"

"Yes well, I completely agree; this man needs a woman; hell, all of us guys do, but him especially," said Sammy.

******

"Yes, that's what he said," said Rodney. "Our guy may finally have someone to hold onto and a path out of his misery."

"Oh my," said Claire, "if only it does truly work out. It won't exonerate you and me; but at least we won't have to spend half of our waking hours feeling guilty about destroying him."

"It sure was a piece of good luck Denise asking to bring her sister to our impromptu barbecue," she said.

"Uh—yes it was," he said. She gave him a look.

"Rodney?" she said.

"What?" he said.

"Rodney is there something you're not telling me?" she said, suspicion fairly dripping in her tone of voice.

"What do you mean?" he said.

"Rodney, did you set our man up? I mean did you set him up with Ann Rogers?" she said. He looked away.

"You did didn't you? Damn it, Rod, you were supposed to keep me in the loop about any of that kind of thing. I did you!" she said.

"Claire, we've tried so hard on so many levels. I just didn't want you to be part of another failed idea. If it worked out good, if not, well then not," he said.

"Well, how do you like them apples," she said, more to herself than to him.

"Well it's working out, maybe," he said. "It does look good according to Sammy."

"And thank God for that good man. If he ever needs any help or if there is anything we can ever do for him and Colleen, we gotta do it.

"Question, does Denise know you set her sister up?" she said.

"No, she just considers it a lucky break. I don't think Ann is keeping her up to date either. At least she's not said anything to me about knowing anything other than they're dating, not about you know what," he said. "And yes as to helping out Sammy and Colleen if the opportunity presents itself."

"Hmm, well they don't live together. I talked to Denise and Ann both at the barbecue. They're close but not around each other all that much was the way I got it," said Claire. "So maybe it's not all that much of a mystery that Denise isn't in the know about everything."

"Yes, I figure that that's about the size of it," he said.

"So do we want to get more involved than we obviously are at this point?" she said.

"No, I don't think so. And, I should add, that Ann doesn't know about my minimal involvement either. And bear in mind my involvement has been purely passive. I didn't exactly set them up. Not overtly. All I really did was get them together in the same place at the same time to see what might happen. I didn't even think about them getting to where they might actually be at the moment; that's just frosting on the cake as the saying goes," he said. "I was just hoping he'd find in her a woman he could talk to and maybe be able to empathize with each other's situations." She nodded.

"Okay, so we don't do anything except stay the heck out of the way for now, right?" she said.

"Yes, exactly," he said.

******

"Father has a girlfriend!" said Rebecca.

"Yes, and we are all, all of us Pollards, staying the heck out of it. If your father brings her into the conversation, then fine; then we're in. If not then not," said Claire. Her daughter snorted.

"It's not like we get a lot of opportunities to talk to him," said Rebecca. "I know some of that is my fault, but I never, never meant to cause him pain, honest."

"I know, dear, none of us want to cause him pain. But people, including us, are often careless and thoughtless and cause hurt especially to the ones who are most vulnerable and that's just the way life is, the way people are," said Claire.

"Mom, can I ask, how did you find out that Missus Rogers was his girlfriend," said Rebecca.

"One of his friends actually came to us and told us. But let me be clear, we really don't know for sure if they are boyfriend-girlfriend just that at the moment it looks like it," said Claire. Her daughter nodded.

"Are we going to be seeing him or them soon, mom?" she said.

"Not sure, maybe. Your dad is working on it. So maybe, but just how soon is the question," said Claire.

"Okay, mom, thanks for telling me the news. I sure hope that it's true. Even as young as I am I know that all of us need a significant other. You've got dad. Oh, and I've got a boyfriend," said Rebecca kind of softly.

"Pardon me!" said Claire. "And just who is this young man you're talking about in that tone of voice?"

"His name is Gerald, Gerald McCready," said Rebecca. "He's my age. We have classes together at school. He's a gentleman, mom. Gerald's a good guy. You've met, a long time ago." She was pleading now. Knowing how protective her parents were it seemed her best hope of gaining their approval.

"Your father is going to want to meet him, and for that matter so am I," said Claire. "You say I've met him before, but I don't remember him so . . ."

"Mom!" whined her daughter.

"What, you don't want us to meet this fine young man of yours," said Claire.

"No, I mean of course I do. But do you have to be so negative?" said Rebecca.

"I'm not being negative. I'm just withholding judgement until I meet the young man—again. Is that so hard for you to understand?" said her mother.

"No, I guess not," said Rebecca. "Uh—mom?"

"What Rebecca?" said Claire.

******

My buds and I had had a pretty good night of celebrating. Well, it was celebrating for me. Annie Rogers was going to be my girl if I had to kidnap her and carry her off into the jungle, and yes with no legs to do so does make that more of a figure of speech than an actual threat, but it's the way I felt.

There had to be a god. No other possibility exists that could explain my good luck at finding a woman so pretty and willing to be with me. Even if it didn't last, our relationship, at the least it gave me some hope that I wasn't a complete loser when it came to women.

And now I had another date with my personal Venus. I am going to be finding out just what her interest might be and how far she would be interested in taking whatever our relationship was. Yeah it was still kinda soon, but I really couldn't wait. I needed to know what I was letting myself in for. Oh yeah.

CHAPTER 20:

The Crossroads had become our place of choice in doing the casual thing as opposed to the formal thing. We still did the fancy dinner at the fancy bistro. We still liked those kinds of things too. But most of the time when we met, or got together with friends, we met at the C. The company was good, the bartenders professional, and the mood of the place suited us. We were here again.

Having been deposited by the cab, van, we had our usual table near the back and far enough from the disco guy to hear ourselves talk.

"Glad you were free tonight," I said, unnecessarily.

"Me too, but the reality is that I am free almost any time," she said. "I mean apart from you I don't have a lot of people calling to ask me out or to join the group as one might be inclined to say."

"Yeah, well, me either," I said. "I just feel lucky as hell that we met. That we did it at my ex-best friend's place is some kind of coincidence. You said that night that your sister had told you he was interviewing you for a job or words to that effect. You heard anything about that yet?"

"No, not yet. Denise told me that he is working on it. She said I could have an office job right off, but that the one open at his place was kind of low on the pay and benefit scale, so he was looking to get me a better deal."

"It's been almost two months. Your sister give you any time line on that?" I said.

"Hmm, yes, maybe. There's a company that needs a clerk and that he's kind of in tight with that might hire me. It'll be $30K annual if I get it plus the usual benefits. That plus my military disability will take care of me pretty good," she said.

"Good, sounds good," I said. "Wish I could do as well. I'm getting by on maybe twenty grand at the moment. But, I'm looking for something I can do as well, you know like you."

"For sure," she said.

"You know, I know you said that the reason for having you and your sister come to their house that day was to kind of feel you out about a job, but still, it seems almost too coincidental you and I meeting up like that.

"Oh and don't misunderstand me. I'm grateful as hell to my lucky stars that it worked out, but knowing my ex-best friend like I do, I still wonder if he might not have had a dual purpose in mind. Know what I mean?" I said.