Bridget

"Really?" Ashlee asked while studying me a little more. "And just how many women has he been with since I last saw him? Thirty? Forty?"

I let out a soft chuckle as I shook my head and said, "Not even. It's been quite a few years since I last saw you, but I don't even average a woman a year, so don't make me sound like too much of a playboy!"

We all had a decent laugh for a minute until Ashlee turned her attention back to Bridget and stunned the both of us by nonchalantly asking, "Do you love him?"

I couldn't believe my old friend had been gutsy enough to ask the question point-blank. I think I was even more surprised when Bridget answered it.

"Yes."

I glanced at my brown-haired friend in awe. Talk of love in this day and age was almost as taboo as girls showing their bra straps back in the old days. I couldn't believe Bridget had confessed to such a thing. I know that sounds outrageous since we had spent the entire day rolling about with one another, but the "L" word always seemed to make people uncomfortable. I have to admit that hearing her say it made me feel ten feet tall.

"I figured as much," Ashlee sighed since she felt like she had lost me all over again. She turned her eyes to the glass of water on the coffee table as she apologized, "I'm sorry for kissing your man the way I did back in the club. It's just that I haven't seen him in so long, and even after all these years, I haven't been able to forget about him. He's definitely always been 'the one who got away,' so I'm sorry if I upset you in any way by laying my hands on him."

Bridget surprised me yet again...but this time, she even shocked Ashlee when she responded, "It didn't upset me at all. How could I be upset since I know that you and I love the same man...and he also loves both of us?"

The gothic beauty across the room from me stared at Bridget with her mouth agape...as did I. I'm not sure how I managed to find my voice in that moment, but I finally uttered, "Bridget..."

"You don't have to deny it, Marcus," the beautiful brunette said to me as she gazed in my direction with a loving light in her amber orbs. "I realize that you didn't say it with words, but you didn't have to since you expressed it with actions. I know exactly how you feel about me...and I know that you feel the same way for Ashlee."

I was very confused. What she said was one hundred percent true...I couldn't deny that. I have met some wonderful women in my time, and I can't begin to explain the impact each and every one of them have had on my life. I wouldn't take the time to tell stories about them if I didn't still care about them. I guess my shock and awe came from the fact that Bridget seemed to be totally cool with the fact that I adored both her and Ashlee as I sat in the same room with them.

"Whoa, hold on a second," Ashlee stammered as she waved her hands and stood up. "Marcus doesn't actually love me. Maybe he had some pretty strong feelings for me at one time, but that's in the past. Even if he takes the blame for what happened between us nearly two decades ago - and he shouldn't since that was my fault - he wouldn't have any kind of romantic feelings for me after all this time. He couldn't! He may still care about me in some small way, but it's nothing more than that! As much as I yearn to have his love again, he would never..."

"You're wrong, Ashlee," Bridget cut the gothic babe off. She intensely stared up into the dark eyes of my old friend as she told her, "Marcus is different than all other men. He's special."

"I know he is," Ashlee responded in a faraway voice as she avoided Bridget's gaze. "I've always known he was different than all the other guys around me."

The beautiful brunette nodded her agreement. "He doesn't just tell you in words, but he shows you through his actions. He has a way with making you feel...respected and cared for. He has a way of letting you know you're loved when you're with him."

Being the "cut right to the point" old Ashlee that I knew and adored so much, the gothic babe bluntly asked, "I'm assuming you've fucked him, right?"

Bridget was only slightly caught off guard by the question. She then truthfully answered as she replied, "Yes...but I wouldn't call it 'fucking' with Marcus. I would call it 'making love.' Sure, I'll shout the word with wild abandon while doing it in the heat of the moment, but when it's all said and done, I know that Marcus made love to me not because he wanted a quick roll in the hay or because he wanted the accolades in order to brag to his friends...no, Marcus loves a woman because he truly loves her. That's how I feel about it."

Ashlee's face showed that she respected the answer as she nodded. "Yeah, I would agree with that. I only had the honor of 'making love' to him once...but I still remember the passion I felt in that moment. It may have been a cold winter's night outside, but Marcus kept me warm and made me feel special...so yeah, I totally get where you're coming from."

I would just like to point out that as I tell this story, I'm not editing it or changing what these two women were discussing in any way. They were actually speaking this highly of me and swapping stories about how they felt about me right in front of me. I was beyond confused in every conceivable way, but I continued to sit there in silence since I could think of nothing else to do. I almost thought about getting up at one point so I could grab Ashlee's glass of water and dump it over my own head. I thought maybe it would shock me back to reality since I figured I had to be dreaming.

Bridget decided to mention, "He was telling me the other day about how no matter how long he's been with a woman, as long as it's someone he truly cares for, he'll always have a place for her in his heart. While I didn't exactly understand him at first, I started to think about it and then saw how he acted as I got to know him a little better. I have to admit that I found this to be quite refreshing for a change. Most men speak quite poorly of their exes, and ninety-nine percent of them lump the blame for a failed relationship on the woman. I know we females aren't flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm fairly certain we're not always the cause of a breakup."

Ashlee nodded in agreement and then glanced my way again. "Do you really blame yourself for you and I splitting back in the day?"

I leaned against the back of the chair I sat on and finally met the brown eyes of the gothic beauty. Nodding, I told her, "I overreacted about the videotape. Yeah, I was upset at the time and thought you had backstabbed me, but a year after I was with you, I met a woman in college by the name of Madelyne. You got brought up one night, and Maddie asked why I wasn't with you anymore. After I told her about the videotape incident, she explained to me why you had shown your friends the tape...and she told me that in your own way, you were proud of me and showing me off. I wasn't sure if I believed that at first, but after dwelling on it for quite some time, I figured she was right."

Ashlee looked to be reminiscing about the time long set in the past and then sat back down on the couch. She fidgeted with her hands a bit as she stared down at them and said, "Well, this Maddie of yours was half right, Marcus. In all honestly, I really was infatuated with you...and showing the other girls that I scored with you meant the world to a nobody like me. I really felt like something, and having your love meant the world to me."

"Ashlee..."

"But where Maddie's wrong," the woman with raven tresses continued, "Is that the incident was my fault. I should've asked for your permission before showing that tape to anyone. Hell, it was wrong of me to even record it in the first place without so much as asking you. But I was just a young girl in love who wanted to have a memento of an unforgettable night." Ashlee couldn't help but let out an ironic laugh that held a hint of sadness as she informed me, "I actually still have the tape, if you can believe that. Actually had it converted to DVD a few years back, but I have the original also. Still watch it at least once a week."

"I wouldn't mind seeing that!" Bridget giggled in order to add a little levity to the situation. She then made my old friend laugh by stating, "As long as it would be okay with Marcus, that is!"

I caught the shot she was taking at me and took it in good sportsmanship. I then turned my attention to Ashlee and asked, "Do you really still watch it? Surely, you've had guys fawning over you while on the road and other groupies banging your door down..."

"Marcus," Ashlee spoke up in that hauntingly attractive voice she possessed, "I think there's something you need to know about yourself that Bridget here will agree with me on."

I couldn't help but notice the nebulous look in her otherworldly eyes as she stared through my very being and into my soul.

"To know and be sexually ravaged by Marcus Veovin is something a girl would never forget."

I felt a shiver down my spine when I realized Bridget had spoken the exact same words to me earlier in the club. For the briefest of seconds, I wondered if the two women in the room with me had some kind of telepathic link between them. It was downright unsettling that they had both said the same thing to me.

"Right?!" Bridget energetically agreed as she sat forward on her recliner. "I mean, the guy's not only INCREDIBLE in the sack, but he makes you feel special instead of like a piece of meat! When I'm with him, I feel important..."

"And did he check on you throughout the act to make sure you're okay?" Ashlee asked the gracious hostess. "He always cares enough to make sure you're comfortable..."

"YES!" Bridget shouted as she practically fell off her chair. She then focused her attention on me and placed a hand up in my direction as she lowered her voice a bit while lecturing, "And don't take this the wrong way, Marcus, but almost annoyingly so! You're too damn sweet for your own good! We'll be right in the middle of something earth-shattering when you stop to see if I'm okay! Am I right, Ashlee?"

The goth chick laughed since she knew exactly what the brunette meant.

I couldn't believe it. Under normal circumstances, a guy being reunited with a lost love in front of a current love would cause all sorts of problems...but these two women had practically become best friends in the last fifteen minutes. Again, I can't stress enough how happy I was to be seeing them so cordial with one another, but it just didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"I can honestly see why you've missed this guy so much over the years," Bridget then spoke up. "Hell, if he disappeared from my life..."

"Wait a minute," I then spoke up as I cut the bountiful brunette off. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I have a few questions."

Four of the most enchanting eyes I had ever seen were on me.

I scratched the back of my head as I tried to word my first query correctly. When I was finally ready to ask it, I think I kind of butchered it by simply asking, "Huh?"

Both women stared at me with quizzical expressions on their charming faces.

I stood up and waved my hands about while closing my eyes and trying to collect my thoughts. I stood in front of the coffee table as I stated, "I'm truly thankful that the two of you have hit it off and get along, but this seems a little...odd, doesn't it?"

Again, both women continued to stare at me. It was Bridget who finally replied, "How so, Marcus?"

"Shouldn't one or both of you be mad at me?"

"What for?" Bridget asked again. "You didn't do anything wrong."

I'm not saying women are difficult, but usually, females are a lot more difficult than this. I mean that in a respectful way, of course.

Bridget suddenly stood up as well and then walked over to the couch to have a seat next to Ashlee. The gothic beauty moved over a bit in order to give the bountiful brunette more room, and once Bridget was seated, she glanced up at me as she told me, "Marcus, there's something about you that I can't express in words...I only know it exists because I can feel it."

I had no idea what my brown-haired compeer meant, but I was more than willing to listen to her explanation.

Bridget placed a hand on Ashlee's left thigh and then asked me, "Marcus, if I was to walk out my front door at this very instant and a truck came cruising down the road at me, what would you do?"

"Well," I spoke up, "That scenario seems a little farfetched since the only vehicle I've seen around here in the road other than my own has been that horse-drawn carriage..."

"Marcus!"

Answering the question to the best of my ability, I told the beautiful brunette, "I would bolt out into the road and shove you out of the way, of course. I would do my utmost best to do so in a way that you wouldn't wrench an arm on the way down, but you'd have to be a little lenient with me if I did so since I would more than likely be getting splattered in that moment."

With a smile of victory on her gorgeous countenance, Bridget then motioned toward the woman beside her and asked, "Same scenario, but it was Ashlee crossing the street."

I glanced at the raven-tressed beauty and honestly answered, "The same. I would push her out of the way because I couldn't bear to see her hurt. The very thought of something bad happening to one of you..."

Bridget still had a look of triumph on her face as she patted Ashlee's leg again and asked, "Do you see it yet, Marcus?"

"See what?"

"If another person around town - let's say Rutger - was crossing the street and that happened, would you save him?"

"Hell no!" I chuckled. "Why would I want to help that guy?"

"Okay. Maybe that was a bad example. How about Cathy?"

"Um, I know she's your co-worker and friend and all, but no."

"How about a mother carrying a baby?"

I knew my answer wasn't going to be popular, but I couldn't lie about how I felt. "I'm sorry if I come off like an ass for saying this, but no. It's not that I'm a heartless bastard or anything, but...well, maybe when I say it like that, I am, but I'm not willing to sacrifice myself for someone I don't care about."

Bridget slapped her hands against her thighs as she smiled and called out, "Don't you see it yet, Marcus? You're not a heartless bastard or anything of the sort...you're just an honest guy who knows what he cares about!"

I still wasn't seeing the connection. I understood the fact that I was being straightforward with my answers, but I couldn't see why they excited the brunette...and apparently the dark-haired beauty next to her as well. I could see Ashlee actually smiling...and I had missed that amazing expression. Both women looked ravishing when they smiled.

"I'm going to give you one more scenario, Marcus," Bridget then told me as she straightened herself out on the couch and became deathly serious. "Now, I want you to think about this and give me an honest answer. Neither Ashlee or I will be offended by how you answer because this is quite the moral dilemma. Are you ready?"

Even though I had no idea what was coming, I nodded. I prayed with every fiber of my being that it wasn't going to be a question that could emotionally harm one of the women seated before me.

"Let's pretend that in the mountains near here," Bridget started, "That a wizard suddenly appeared waving a magic wand around."

"A wizard?" I asked, no longer taking the story seriously.

"Yes! A wizard!"

"Shouldn't he have a staff or rod or something? A wand sounds like something a street magician would carry around."

I could see Ashlee giggling since she and I had at one time played a lot of RPGs together. She understood my nerdy sense of humor.

"Hey!" Bridget called out. "Whose story is this, anyway?"

"I'm sorry," I apologized with a bit of a snicker. "Wizard in the mountains with a wand. Got it. Go on."

Ashlee continued to laugh as Bridget tried to become serious again and said, "If you don't like my wizard, I'll make him a sorcerer!"

"Isn't that in essence the same thing?" I teased the brunette.

"Not necessarily," Ashlee chimed in. "Most wizards are sorcerers, but not all sorcerers are..."

"You too, Ashlee?" Bridget squeaked.

The gothic beauty laughed again...and looked wonderful while doing so. I was so glad to see her happy. "I'm sorry, Bridget! I couldn't resist!"

The brunette regained her bearings and then faced me once again. Getting down to business, she finally said, "A wizard in the mountains - and yes, that's what I'm going with - decides one day to descend the slopes and comes for the village. He has the power and magic at his disposal to raze the entire community to the ground. He sees you, Marcus, and gives you a choice: He tells you he will spare the town and all of its inhabitants by not using his magic on it as long as you give Ashlee up. Would you do it?"

"What about you?" I asked my brunette friend as I took her scenario to heart. "Are you counted amongst the villagers, or did you get out?"

"I got out. It's everybody else...or Ashlee."

"Oh," I let out a sigh of relief. "That makes it easy. I'd take Ashlee and tell him to fry the town...no offense to your friends, or anything. I mean, you said you were safely out, so since you're out of harm's way, I'd take Ashlee, come find you, and get the hell out. Problem solved."

"What if that wasn't the case?" Ashlee decided to get involved. "What if Bridget was with the others and you had to make a choice?"

I spoke from the heart as I told my raven-haired friend, "Then I would find a way to knock the wizard out and get the two of you to safety. I wouldn't let him harm either one of you."

"What about all the other people?" Bridget asked. "There's at least three hundred people here...maybe more. You would let all of them die just to save the two of us?"

I solemnly nodded.

Bridget looked deep within my soul as she sternly asked, "Morally, you could live with the decision that you let an entire village of people die just so two women could live?" She sounded almost disgusted.

I was an honest man and had never cared what anyone else thought of the decisions I made in life. Sure, I didn't want to upset the two wonderful females seated before me, but I wasn't going to lie about what I would do if something - no matter how outrageous - like Bridget said came to pass. "I could...and I would gladly do so if meant keeping the two of you alive. What I couldn't live with, Bridget, is knowing that I would have had the chance to spare the two of you and screwed it up."

Ashlee gained my attention by inquiring, "You would let hundreds of men, women...and even children die just to save the two of us?"

I stared deeply into the beautiful, brown eyes of my old friend as I simply nodded and said, "I don't care if it makes me sound like a monster...I would do anything for the two of you. And that goes for the other women who have made a difference in my life as well. You ladies are all that truly matters to me, and thoughts of past loves have kept me going through some pretty dismal times on the road."

It was Bridget's turn to add to her make-believe plot as she added, "So, if Eve and this Maddie you mentioned were added to the mix..."

"I would save them, too. I love them just as much as the two of you...and if a meteor came screeching toward the planet, I would take it head on if I knew it would do anything to secure the fate of you all."

Surprisingly, Bridget suddenly smiled as she placed her hands out and asked, "Do you see it now, Marcus?"

I was once again thoroughly confused by the beautiful brunette's behavior. When my eyes went to Ashlee, I could see that she seemed to understand what the woman beside her was saying. I was beginning to wonder why I was the only one not catching on...