Chad's Choice

"I met a woman. A damn fine woman. Hotter than hell and eager too. I met with her again over lunch, but found out she was married." Chad gripped his desk, his knuckles white.

"Oooeee, you should know better than most, my boy, that being hitched don't plug no holes with the women of today."

"When did that stop mattering, Jack?"

"Well, let's see. When was it that Eve got Adam kicked out of the garden?" Jack scratched his chin. "My guess is it stopped matterin about twenty years before that."

Chad couldn't help but smile at his friend. "You've been married, how long, to the same woman. Has she ever cheated on you?"

"Now that's a damn personal question, my boy." Jack paused and looked at Chad before continuing. "We've been married thirty-two years in August and she has had four affairs that I know of. We don't talk about them. Hell, I've fallen off the wagon a few times myself. People make mistakes. If you love someone you love them with all their problems."

Chad looked at Jack's face. There was no sign of joking on his face. "So you think I should have stayed with Jennifer?"

"Oh, hell no, boy! Four mistakes in thirty years ain't bad, but that whore bitch of yours was fucking every dog that sniffed her ass. A man can't put up with that." Jack laughed. "Hell, I probably should have told you, but she even made a play for me a time or two."

"Did you ever..."

Jack looked down. "I never fucked her but she gave me a blowjob once." He held up a hand, palm out. "Now don't think bad of me. It was right after you and I met, you remember the Fourth of July picnic? She drug me off behind some scrub and sucked me off. If it makes you feel any better I saw her tongue kissing Martin right after. He probably got snowballed by the slut."

Martin was a salesman that Chad never could get along with. He'd known for a while that Martin was one of Jennifer's conquests.

"It doesn't make me feel better. I feel like a dinosaur. Damn it Jack, I'm afraid my ex is turning my daughter into the same kind of slut she is. This weekend Becky asked me if I would still love her if she had lots of boyfriends."

Jack's face showed the pain he felt for his friend. "The world is changing, my boy, and not for the better. All you can do is love her and try to do your best for her."

Chad shook his head. "I hope that's enough."

After Jack left his office, Chad finished a little more of the neglected paperwork and then delivered some forms to the office administrator. "Hi, Sandy. Here is the maintenance report from April. Sorry it's late."

Sandy, a thin middle-aged woman with an unflattering Captain Kangaroo haircut looked up at him and smiled. "I suppose it's too much to ask to get the May report too? It was due two weeks ago."

"I haven't finished it yet. I'll get to it, I promise."

Sandy laughed. "Okay sit down, Chad. Momma Sandy will listen to your story."

He put his hands out, palm up. "It's a good thing I don't play poker with you or Jack."

She shrugged. "A man goes through what you're going through and his friends get to see deeper into him than most. It's okay, Chad. It doesn't make you weak. I don't know many men who could weather that storm as well as you have." She gave him a hard look. "So spill the beans. You have a ton of back paperwork piled up. You finished the April report because you needed to talk to me. So talk."

Chad blinked. Had he really picked the April report out of all his back paperwork so that he'd have an excuse to talk to Sandy? Maybe. She'd been his only other confidant during the split with Jennifer. Funny how the mind works, he thought.

"I met a woman. I really liked her and I thought she liked me. Today I found out she's married. I broke it off." His shoulders slumped.

Sandy eyed him closely. "Did you and her have sex?"

Chad nodded. "I didn't find out she was married until after. She said she and her husband were swingers, but admitted they weren't supposed to do it without the other. So it was still cheating."

"You were the victim here, Chad, not the bad guy."

"I should have known."

"How could you have known? Was she wearing a wedding ring?"

"No, but there was a mark on her finger. A lighter patch of skin where the ring would be. I honestly thought she was divorced. I should have asked." Chad shook his head. "I feel like I'm as bad as Martin."

"Oh, hell, Chad. I've known you six years and this is the first time you've had a pity party in front of me."

That was one of the things he liked about Sandy. She didn't pull punches or sugar coat things.

She continued. "Sit your big ass up straight and look me in the eye."

He sat up, only then realizing he had been slouching.

"That's better. Now you listen to me. Men are pigs and women are crazy bitches and the whole damned world is going to hell in a handbasket." She paused and looked at him for a moment. "And it has been that way since God snapped his fingers and started it all spinning. Your wife was a cheating slut. Get over it. You met another cheating slut. Get over it. There are good girls out there and most of them are just waiting around hoping a man like you notices them. Problem is, men don't notice them nearly often enough."

"How do I meet one of those good girls you are talking about?"

Sandy leaned forward, her bony hands lying on the desk in front of her. "I don't normally do matchmaking, but maybe just this once."

Chad grimaced.

"Now don't do that! Denise is a very nice girl. Just quiet and reserved. She works for Symtech, well for now anyway. Symtech has had a rough year so far and there is talk of layoffs. Anyway, she's single, not in a relationship, and is a really good person." Sandy watched Chad carefully. "She is what you need, Chad, to restore your faith in women."

Chad nodded. Suddenly everyone wanted to set him up with someone. He must look like a pathetic little puppy dog. He certainly felt that way. "Why not. And you are right, Sandy, as usual. I need to stop with the self-pity and get on with life."

"Let me talk to Denise. If she is okay with it, I'll give you her number. If I do, you better call her and you better be a gentleman, but not too much of a gentleman." She winked at him.

"I will, Sandy."

"I know you will, Chad. And if you don't or aren't, I'll have your balls for breakfast."

Chad laughed. She would too!

It was late Wednesday afternoon when Chad got a text from Sandy. It simply read, "Denise Longly." followed by a phone number. A photograph of a pleasant looking woman with jet black hair and fair skin was attached. Chad read the text and studied the picture. He wasn't sure about this at all, but he'd told Sandy he would call. He waited until after he'd eaten that night, left-over pizza and a can of Bud Light before he keyed the number. Three rings later the receiver clicked and a woman's voice greeted him.

"Hello."

"Um, hi, is this Denise? Denise Longly?"

"Yes. Are you the man from Sandy's work she told me about?"

"That would be me. Chad Derry. Wow, this is more awkward than I thought it would be."

Denise laughed. "Yeah."

"So, would you like to go out to dinner, maybe Friday night? We could meet at Pappadeaux. Unless you don't like seafood."

"I love seafood. But it might be better if you picked me up and we only took one car. Parking is never easy there."

"I was worried you might not want to give me your address, you know, until after we met at least." Chad felt like a teenager. He pulled his phone away from his ear and took a deep breath.

"Sweet, but if Sandy vouches for you then I think you're probably safe." There was a pause and then Denise took a deep breath. "Look, before we go out, let's get some stuff straight. I don't fuck on the first date. If you're looking for an easy lay then let's not bother. It'll save you the cost of an expensive dinner and me a wasted night. I know what I'm looking for in a man. Let me tell you what it is and if you're not him, then just be straight up and tell me, okay."

"Okay."

"I'm a one man woman and if we start really dating then I will expect you to be a one woman man. I expect honesty from the start. You lie to me and it's over. I want a gentleman who knows to open a door for a woman but not a chauvinist who thinks I can't open a door for myself. Don't order for me, you don't know what I want to eat, and don't talk down to me. I have a masters degree in chemical engineering and I'm not stupid. I'm not a skinny little model and I'm not a buff body builder either. If you're looking for a trophy, I'm not it. What I am is devoted, loyal, fun, unless I'm pissed off, and usually totally invisible. Have I scared you off yet?"

Chad, grinning like a school boy, laughed. "Nope, but you have peaked my interest."

"Really? Well then, tell me what you are looking for so I can tell you to piss off."

Chad shrugged. He realized she couldn't see him shrug so he said, "well, I liked what you said about devoted and loyal. I think I could use a little loyalty in my next relationship. You said you wanted honesty, so I'll be up front. I've got more baggage than American Airlines. I'm divorced and my ex cheated on me and broke my heart. I have a six-year-old daughter that I pay eighteen-hundred dollars a month to get one weekend with. She has my heart and always will have. Right now, I don't know what I want and that is the God-awful truth, but I know I don't want to be cheated on ever again and I won't cheat on anyone either. I like opening doors for women and fixing their stopped up sinks and doing little things for them, but that's not because I don't think they can do it for themselves, it's just because I think it is a nice thing to do."

"So you're a nice chauvinist." Denise broke in drolly.

Chad laughed. "Yeah, probably."

"Well, Mr. Chauvinist, pick me up at seven on Friday if you are still interested. Sandy would rip my toenails out through my nose if I didn't give you at least one date anyway. But don't think you're getting into my pants on the first date."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be there. Oh, do you mind riding in a pickup. I'm afraid that's what I drive."

"I love pickups." Denise laughed. "Just don't make me listen to country music, okay?"

"Do you like Jimmy Buffett?"

"That'll do. Maybe I'll bring an 'Air Supply' CD. Uh, your pickup does have a CD player doesn't it?" Denise laughed. She had a pleasant laugh. It sounded real and unforced.

"Yeah, but if you bring 'Air Supply' I'm bringing Hank Williams. Senior, not Junior."

"Jimmy Buffett it is." Denise laughed again. "See you at seven on Friday." She gave him her address and added, "Don't be late."

The phone clicked and Chad smiled. He'd have to thank Sandy. He immediately called Pappadeaux and made reservations for Friday night at eight.

The next afternoon at work Chad was headed into the company boardroom for a meeting with his boss and a few other managers when his phone rang with a number he didn't recognize. Caller ID said the name was Alice Zane. He didn't know anyone by that name and fully expected it to be a wrong number or a sales call. He answered it thinking it would be a quick call.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Chad?" The voice was feminine but husky and sexy.

"Yeah, what can I do for you?

"Lilly Melendez gave me your number and said you were one hell of a fuck."

Chad nearly dropped the phone. The image of Lilly's amazing body flashed in front of him. He'd completely forgotten that she had asked if she could give her friend his number. Now he wasn't sure what to do.

"You there?" The woman asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm not used to women I don't know saying things like that to me."

"Oh, I thought you were a friend of Lilly's. I guess I just assumed you were..." her voice trailed off.

"No, I'm really not. I had a brief affair with Lilly and I really liked her, but I wasn't in her circle of friends or anything."

"Got it. Well, what about it. Want to meet and see if there is anything between us?" Her voice was intriguing but he wondered would it be cheating on Denise if he went out with this woman? Hell, he'd never even met Denise, only talked to her on the phone. He dithered.

"Um, look, I need to head to a meeting. Is there any way I can call you back later, like tonight, and we can talk then?"

"Sure, I didn't mean to catch you at a bad time." Her voice had gone cold.

Chad didn't want to put her off, he just needed time to think. "Um, wait. What's your name and is this a good number to call you at?"

"Alice and yeah, this is my cell."

"I'll call tonight. Six-thirty okay?"

"Sure, babe." The phone clicked.

Damn! Chad thought, she seemed mad. Maybe she wouldn't be when he called her back. All through the meeting Chad was distracted, but he made it through the meeting without looking like a total idiot or over committing his department to anything and he counted that as a win. He got home around six, grabbed a beer, and pulled his boots off. There's nothing better than taking boots off. Even with good boots that didn't hurt your feet, it always felt wonderful right after you took them off. He popped the tab on his beer and then pulled up the history on his phone.

Alice Zane. He wondered who she was and what she was like. Lilly had said she was single, but she and Lilly must have swung together, based on Lilly's premise for giving her his number. Was that what Chad wanted? It offered the possibility of him seeing Lilly again, without cheating on her husband. Could he do that? Could he have sex with Lilly with her husband there? Did he even want to explore that lifestyle? Jennifer had mentioned it a few times and he'd blown up at her. Would it make him a hypocrite if he now was open to it with Lilly?

The clock inched closer to his self-imposed deadline. The screen on his phone went dark and he tapped the screen to bring it to life again. Should he call? He'd told her he would. That made up his mind. He'd told her he would so he did.

"Hi, Chad." Alice's voice said after just two rings. "I didn't think you'd call. Did you really have a meeting?"

"I really did, Alice. Sorry if I sounded like I was putting you off."

"No biggie. I mean you called back, right. So you want to get together?"

"Yeah, you busy tonight?" Chad thought, might as well go for it.

"I might be later." She snickered. "Do you like bar-b-que?"

"Yeah, love it. What do you have in mind?"

"You ever been to Nasty Jack's?"

Chad laughed. It was an Icon in the Fort Worth area. Nasty Jack's Bleeding Ass Bar-B-Que. It was really pretty good bar-b-que if you could take the heat. Even the mildest sauce there would set your mouth on fire and he was pretty sure their hottest was classified as toxic waste.

"Yeah, I know the place."

"Can you be there by seven-thirty?"

"Sure."

"I'll text you a picture so you'll be able to spot me." Alice laughed. "See you there."

It was only a couple of minutes later his phone buzzed with a text. Opening it up there was a picture of a nude buxom redhead lying back on a couch with her legs spread. High up on the inside of her right thigh she had a tattoo of a lizard using its long serpentine tongue to lick its own enormous penis. Her completely shaved pussy was gaping and looked very wet. Chad stared at the picture for a while. Alice wasn't as stunningly beautiful as Lilly but she was certainly sexy.

Forty-five minutes later Chad pulled into the parking lot. A sign above the door pictured a mule with blood dripping from its flank being tugged by a grizzled old man with a bushy beard. Under the picture was the name of the restaurant. "Nasty Jack's Bleeding Ass Bar-B-Que." Flashing red neon tubing circled the sign.

The building had old faded cedar shingles on its outside walls giving it a very rustic look, but the parking lot was nearly completely full as usual. Inside there were only a handful of people waiting to be seated and Chad gave his name, took the pager, and made his way to the bar. He'd just found an open stool when his phone buzzed. He pulled it from the case he wore and glanced at the text.

"Are you here?" It was from Alice.

Chad took a deep breath. He wasn't used to dating and was just hoping tonight wouldn't be a disaster. He typed out "Yeah. At the bar. 10 minute wait."

"KK see ya soon."

It was only a minute or so later that the woman with the lizard tattoo walked in. Alice wore an American flag print stretchy blouse that hugged her curvy frame tight, revealing a good bit of her rounded breasts. A bright blue loose skirt that reached mid-thigh revealed her muscled legs. On her feet she had a simple pair of strapped two-inch heels. When she walked the skirt revealed the tail of her tattoo. She scanned the room and he got up and walked toward her. About halfway there their eyes met and he smiled. She smiled back.

"Hi, Alice." Chad said as he reached her.

She looked him up and down, licking her lips. "Mmm mmm, you must be Chad. I'm gonna owe Lily for this." She winked at him.

Back at the bar, he ordered a beer and she ordered a white Russian, telling the bartender not to skimp on the vodka.

"It's okay, you're taking me home. I had a friend drop me off."

Chad nodded. "I like that. I like confident women."

"I can always call a cab if you turn out to be a jackass." She smiled as she shrugged. "So did you like the picture I sent you?"

Chad blushed and grinned. "Quite impressive. Can't say that I've ever had a girl sext me before the first date before."

"I don't like to waste time and I figured it would improve my chance of getting laid tonight. I am getting laid, right?"

Chad laughed. "Why don't we see how the meal goes first?"

"You'd miss out on my hot little cunt because some line cook screwed up your bar-b-que?" Her eyes were laughing at him and she winked.

"I guess I was talking more about whether or not we hit it off. You know, I may turn out to be a jackass after all." Chad smiled back at her.

Alice grinned at him, gave him a wink and then smiled. "Even if you turn out to be a jackass, I'll still get laid tonight. Just not by you." She grinned at him and then laughed at his expression. "Lilly said you were a gentleman. Kinda odd for a gentleman to meet a woman in a liquor store, take her home and fuck her brains out. Doesn't sound like a gentleman to me, but hey, who am I to judge."

Their drinks came and Alice drank half her white Russian in a single gulp. Chad nursed his Bud Light.

"So what do you do for a living, Alice?" Chad asked, trying to turn the conversation to something more normal.

"I'm a V.P. for Starlings. I make sure product stays on the shelves." She chugged the rest of her white Russian and signaled the bartender to get her another.

"So, you're the purchaser for them?" Chad asked.

Turning toward him, she ran her foot up his calf. "Nope, I'm in logistics. I manage warehouse inventory, truck routes, store inventory, all of that boring crap. Let's talk about your cock. Are you as talented as Lilly says?"

He nearly spewed beer on the bar. Coughing, he looked at her. She was smiling at him.

"I don't know how to answer that." He finally got out, feeling embarrassed and yet intrigued by Alice.

Just then the buzzer in his pocket went off.

"Our table is ready." He said with a grin, feeling like he'd been given a reprieve.

Alice laughed and then winked at him. "Guess I'll have to wait to get my answer then."

Once they were seated, Chad pulled a menu from the wire rack on the table. Alice just put her hands together, fingers entwined, and laid her chin on them. She was beautiful. Not like Lilly, not that heart-stopping, nut-busting, drop-dead gorgeous kind of beautiful, but still very pleasant to look at. Her eyes were bright, surprising since she was now working on her third white Russian, and the odd light in the restaurant made her freckles practically glow on her fair skin giving her a very exotic look. The blouse she was wearing also appeared to be glowing and it set off the exposed skin of her breasts beautifully. He wondered if that was why she'd worn that blouse.