Caroline's Karma

It took my sister a second to unfreeze her brain and say. "Hey, wait a minute you're..."

"His girlfriend and I'm so pleased to meet you," was her only reply.

Jason was still Jason, and my friend simply sat watching Toni and Caroline's conversation swing back and forth.

My sister went a little red. "How can you be my brothers girlfriend, we've only been gone three weeks?"

It was Caroline's turn to switch on that charming smile of hers and say. "He's a fast worker. I wasn't expecting to be his girlfriend three weeks ago either but your brother has a way of getting under your skin doesn't he."

My sister started to nod in agreement, but caught herself. She was determined that the charm offensive wouldn't work on her. "Are you going to tell us where you two met? Or is that something I will have to drag out of him, when we are alone?"

Her smile just got wider, I got the feeling she liked Toni. I told her she would, but somehow I didn't think she believed me when I said it. For the entire journey back to there apartment, Caroline told the tale of how we met rather abruptly at the airport and the three weeks leading up to now. Thankfully leaving out the blushing parts. Although I have no doubt at all that those would be told sometime in the future and when both were together.

Jason and I were now left to the luggage, while both the girls wandered into the apartment block, totally oblivious to us now. Not that it bothered me so much. I was bringing Jason up to speed on the business and reassuring him that I hadn't brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy in the three weeks that they had been away. My friend even managed to make it to the apartment before he really stuck his foot in it.

"You know Caroline. I can't help but think I've seen you before."

Even Toni stopped talking and looked again at her husband, her mouth open yet totally speechless. She then turned back to Caroline and shrugged her shoulders, that international woman's sign that simply meant, 'Men!' Both Caroline and I looked at each other, we had promised to play all this by ear. It seemed Jason blundering in with a comment like that simply let the gates open, the look in my sister's eyes telling us she wanted more from both of us before we left there apartment.

My friend took the silence to mean he had put his foot in it and came and sat next to Toni, she held his hand and kissed his cheek, letting him know he was fine. I got us all a drink and sat next to Caroline, I knew what she was about to do and truly felt for her, but it was her choice.

Looking directly at Toni, Caroline said, "Ask anything, as long as you understand I will ask you one question when you have finished, and I want as honest an answer as any I'm going to give you now."

For such a long moment Toni simply looked at Caroline, a free pass like that doesn't come often in this lifetime.

"You're Caroline Anderson?"

Jason nearly dropped his glass, looking directly at Caroline and then to me, his mind now connecting the dots. She simply nodded and took a sip of her drink, waiting for the questions Toni was building up to. "What is the wild child doing with my brother?"

"Wanting to live a normal life."

Toni pounced on that comment as we both figured she would. "Forgive me for saying this Caroline but I've read all about you in the gossip section's of the papers. My brother is a one woman for life type of man, not a train pulling tramp type of man."

Caroline flushed at her comment, although she could tell Toni had placed no venom in her statement. She wasn't about to let go, after all her own brothers girlfriend had given her a free pass and this was the relationship her brother was having that was the centerpiece to all of this. Toni drew breath and started in again. "It's well documented that you took on half the football team in college while the other half were outside the room waiting there turn."

Again she flushed, her eyes grew slightly distant as her past was handed to her from my little sister. I knew Caroline was reliving parts of that night, I could see the signs now, almost read her. The veins in her neck could clearly be seen, she had tightened her jaw to suppress the urge to counter Toni until my sister had finished. I just hoped that the two women I loved the most could work through this. I knew she desperately wanted Toni on board with the idea of her dating me.

I don't think either of us realized Toni had stopped talking. It was the look of defiance in her eyes. Caroline had given her that free pass and my sister had simply taken her up on the offer. It was Caroline's turn to look towards me. She smiled a little uncertainly and I nodded to her, even placing my hand on her thigh for reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere.

"I have sat and listened to your distorted version of my history. Now I will tell you what happened since I was there." Caroline took one more look at me. I could see the pain in her eyes as she knew that once again her past had come back to haunt her. "As you know my father owns Anderson industries. I didn't ask for it, I was born into it. The side effect of that is, I'm a celebrity, a catch for just about every suitor in the country and a few outside as well. That also made me a target in college."

The defiance in Toni's eyes began to crumble as Caroline went on to tell of that night at college. The night of the party that she didn't even want to go to but her sorority sisters took her to anyway. She got separated from them. By the time her friends realized she was missing and some of the people at the party had said she had been drinking heavily, it added to there own need to find her. When they found her four of the football team had her locked in one of the bedrooms taking it in turns with her.

"Oh crap." We all looked up and see the realization of what she was saying etched onto Jason's face. Caroline went back to her tale of that night. The girls forced their way into the room and pulled the guys off, but she was beyond help now, drunk and lust crazed she went around the room demanding more cock, when she couldn't get it she went down to the party naked and demanded more men fuck her. Caroline's sorority sisters covered her and took her back to the sorority house. Once what had happened spread amongst the sorority, they closed ranks. Within the hour, two of her fathers security team were outside but were refused entry to an all female sorority house.

It took time for her father's security team to call on female members of the team and find a female doctor. Both her Mom and Dad weren't even in the country but once the news reached them they came back as quickly as they could. Something like this isn't in the bodyguard's manual so their was little they could do that night other than wait and try to keep the fuss to a minimum. By morning the whole campus had the story that she pulled the train even coming down to the party demanding more men join in. Since there weren't any witnesses to the contrary the four guys got away with it.

She herself simply couldn't remember anything other than being walked across campus by her sisters. Both Caroline and Toni were in tears. Toni held onto Jason, the knuckles turning white on her hand, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times slowly a voice filled with some much uncertainty asked. "Was it a date rape drug? Why didn't you go to the police?"

For a moment a smile danced across Caroline's lips, she wiped her tears and set about explaining to Toni. "This is something that's known to only three people outside of my family. I have a low tolerance to alcohol, couple that with one of the four guys working a bar job gives you a man who knows what drinks to add to a fruit punch so that it doesn't taste like alcohol." Caroline still felt the need to push her point home when she said. "What could I tell them? I think I was raped? There are four people that say I was willing and a party full of students who can testify that I came down stairs naked demanding more men join in."

"Toni what happened, happened. I cannot change that. My father knew the truth and to me the fact my folks knew I didn't do it intentionally was the only thing that kept me sane after that night. But reputations follow and ever since then, that night has grown in lies but never in fact."

The tears that had built within my sister burst forth and Caroline rushed over and held her in her arms. My heart went to both of them at that moment. All Jason and I could do was sit and wait for the crying to stop. Well Jason did. I ordered pizza and by the time any semblance of normalcy had returned to the room, the aroma of pizza had wafted towards the girls. My sister rushed to the bathroom to wash her face and Caroline came up to me and gave me a hug.

She buried her face into my neck for a moment, sighed and pulled her face back to look at me. Gave me a kiss on the cheek and then said, "Thank you, you always seem to know what to do at just the right moment. I love you so much for letting me do this. You're my rock and my soul mate all rolled into one." Hell what can you say to your girlfriend when she comes out with something like that? She saw me blushing just before I pulled her to me and gave her a hug. "Too late, I spotted it. But thanks for the hug anyway. This has been harder than telling my folks. I like her Jeff, she is definitely your sister."

Jason wandered off to check on Toni and later came back with a bottle of wine, poured two very large glasses for the girls and he had the rest as we all tucked into pizza. One of the things that astounds me is the resilience of women. Not ten minutes after being an emotional train wreck, both girls are now deep in conversation about going shopping together. Now that's a head shaker if ever there was one.

At least Toni finished her pizza before saying. "Have you moved in with him yet?"

"No. I know we will but when we touch on the subject we can't agree whose apartment we want to move into. Both of us agree that we don't want to move anywhere else. That park of ours was the draw to both of us being here and that's never going to change."

It took us close to a month to finally decide which of the apartments would be called home for both of us. It seemed mine won by a walk-in wardrobe and an extra two feet of space in the living room. That's how Caroline and her new sidekick Toni finally managed to pick. As for me I gave up worrying about it weeks ago and thankfully that's about the same time they stopped asking my advice. The girls were adamant that the right decision was going to be made so that there would be no regrets later.

There did seem to be some ulterior motives in all this as well. A week after Caroline moved in and she got the cleaners in to her old apartment. Jason told me that they were moving. I smiled and told him to get with the program, he's married now and should recite the words 'yes dear' more often. Trouble was Janice heard me and gave me a slap on the arm when she left the office.

******* I couldn't say there was any major shift in our living together. When I went away on business sometimes she would come with me. Other times I would either see her on the TV at some charity bash with her folks, or we would talk on the phone half the evening. We still jogged the park and I reluctantly dropped a bit more speed into it, just to give Caroline a run for her money so to speak. One perk I did find out about was that Anderson Industries had their own box at the stadium, so when Marco, Jason and I went to watch the game Caroline's father let us use it.

We even managed, with both Caroline and her Mom's help of course, to get her Father along as well for a guys day at the game. I tell you, that man can scream and cheer just like the rest of us. It was also one of the days I found out why he is head of Anderson Industries. While Jason and Marco screamed obscenities at the referees and our players for there dismal performance that day, Caroline's father and I sat at the back of the company box.

"You have some unanswered question about Caroline don't you Jeff?"

"None sir, she's the one I'm happy with. We both know her background and drawn a line under it all. We are us and nothing comes between that."

For such a long time he paused, looking closely at my two friends as they banged on the glass partition, letting the players know how they would have won the game. He smiled and looked back at me and for just a moment I was very afraid.

"I couldn't do that Jeff, those bums hurt my little girl in such a bad way and I simply couldn't allow them to get away with it. Each and every one of them has found pain in there lives Jeff. I can't stop the rumor mill as much as I would like to, but my little girl rose above all that and now she has found you." He took another sip from his glass and continued. Even though I was still playing catch up with the last piece of information he had just shared with me. "The thing that held all four of those girls together all these years has been this karma Jeff. Her own Mom tried to steer her away from it and find her a kind man but she wouldn't have any of it. When my people were given your name to check out I gave them every asset they may need, and I have watched as this karma for my little girl and her friends has been proved right."

"It's been a long road for so many of us Jeff, my little girl has you and I'm so grateful the scars of her past have not changed how you feel about her. I just wanted you to know Jeff, those four bums took advantage and I have dealt with it in my own way."

*******

Now I will admit to being smart, just as much as I will admit to being stupid. The trouble was it was left to me to figure out which one I was being right now. It had started out as the look in her eyes sometimes, as the weeks went by even my sister started to have that same look.

Not even a week later Jason seemed to have it as well. Marco that one last Bastian of fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants relationships seemed to have that look now. It dawned on me eventually. Getting the ring wasn't hard since my sister helped. Okay, after she sat me down and ripped into me for taking so long about it. Then she said she would help. As for me I now had my own decision to make and suddenly understood that this could be the point where I lose Caroline forever. My actions the next day showed me that it would also be by my own hand.

We had just come back from our morning jog and breakfast at Charlie's and were washing each other in the shower. It was as she turned towards me that she noticed the ring in my hand, other than a seconds worth of confusion she simply took it and placed it on her finger. Her hands then went around my neck and pulled me to her and kissed me on the cheek before saying thank you and getting out of the shower, placed a robe on and left.

I found her in the kitchen standing over the sink and crying. As my arms went around her she went rigid, instinctively I backed away and gave her space. Slowly she turned and wrapped her arms around me her head then buried itself into my neck. For so long all I could hear were muffled sounds of pain wracked sobs followed by yet another wave of tears. Even with my arms around Caroline the tears continued to burst forth and every minute this went on my heart weighed heavier within me knowing that my own single-mindedness had caused this.

As the tears finally started to cease and the tension within her came to an end I said the only thing I knew to be honest.

"I'm sorry Caroline." Her hand came up and touched my cheek as she pulled away from me, her eyes still so full of tears and looking like she was still so close to crying again.

"You have love in your heart and I know what you just did wasn't intentional. I know something is bothering you deeply yet I can't figure out what. Just know this Jeff, you're my soul mate and everyday I'm with you I can't help but love you more. So either tell me what it is so I can help or do something about it knowing I will support anything you choose to do."

For such a long time I simply looked at her, then smiled and kissed her. It was only now I realized how much pain I had caused the woman in my arms, the love of my life and I felt like I had just pushed her through a meat grinder and all because I didn't do the one thing all relationships thrive on. I simply didn't talk to her, confide in her. Since it was also her relationship we were soul mates and I kept her from a discussion that would eventually concern her. So I sat her down and told her everything.

The first thing she did when I finished was leap across the seat and with her body now crashing into mine I fell backwards onto the couch. Her legs straddled my body the smile on her face now banishing the sadness of a few moments ago. Caroline then pulled my robe apart and placed her hand on my chest. The look in her eyes changed so quickly that the smile on my own face froze.

"The quickest way to a man's heart is with a sharp knife between the ribs. You exclude me from anything that has to do with this relationship, my future marriage to you and happiness there in ever again then you had better remember that buster."

With that warning hanging in the air she leaned down and kissed me before getting up and walking over to the phone. As I lay there I only heard one half of the conversation she had with my sister. Something about 'he finally got around to it' and 'yes the ring is stunning.' Then she said something about I wouldn't be into work today and could Jason cover and she would explain it all to both of them at dinner tonight. There seemed to be a long pause on the phone with a lot of nodding of Caroline's head before she finally said something about seeing them tonight and thanking my sister once again before putting the phone down.

The other phone call was to her Mom. She asked were her Father was and then asked her Mom to keep this afternoon clear and could both of them meet us at her Father's office. Her Mom must have said a lot as well because there was an awful lot of Caroline nodding her head and dropping a few 'yes Mom' into the conversation before she hung up. The woman who walked away from the phone and towards me was the Caroline I knew and loved. As she stood over me she held out her hand and together we went back to bed and made love.

The afternoon with her folks was tense to say the least. My opinion of the whole thing held firm and with Caroline standing right next to me I got my way on most things. Others were already out of all our hands so I had no choice and neither did she. When we got to my sister's apartment, Caroline thrust her hand out as soon as the door opened and the sound of two screaming women filled the corridor. Two of the neighbors stuck there heads out there front doors, looked down the corridor to find two women bouncing around by the entrance to my sister apartment as I stood to one side smiling meekly and shrugging my shoulders.

Dinner was all one sided. Well, when I say one sided it was actually two women talking and us guys getting elbows in the ribs to grunt the appropriate 'yes dear' as they went along. Toni looked up from her drink and then at me and said. "I assume she got you to sign a pre-nup."

We both looked at each other and smiled, my sister noticed and went after the truth, looking expectantly at Caroline who smiled once more. Putting her hand over mine, she knew the story had to be told and wanted to be the one to tell it. "We met Daddy and the lawyers got called into his office, they handed Jeff the pre-nup and he tore it up. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave it to them."

She reached into her bag and handed my sister an envelope, telling her that it was a copy of what we had both signed and given to daddy's lawyer. She read it laughed and handed it to Jason. The only thing I could do was sit next to Caroline feeling very uncomfortable.