Man-up, Pussy!

This story is a little different than my usual but I certainly hope you still enjoy it...and as always, I love to hear back from you.

*****

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, he had to walk into mine. Okay, it's not really my gin joint, but I did stop in after work from time to time. It was called Plato's Place. It was my refuge and I'd gotten to know Tony, the bartender, pretty well. I sure as hell didn't need HIM hanging around.

His name was Eugene Whistler. I used to go to school with him. I've seen him around occasionally since then and said Hi a couple times but he's no one I ever wanted to hang around with, that's for sure.

I guess he's a nice enough guy; he's just such a pussy. All through school guys used to taunt and bully him because they knew he'd never stand up for himself. Once, when we were high school freshmen, I saw him getting pushed around by three upper classmen. I always hated bullies, so like an idiot, I intervened. I charged right in the middle of it all and was hoping he'd at least have my back...silly me. He took off running like a scared rabbit. By the time he got back with a teacher I was laying on the ground with a bloody nose, a fat lip, and two black eyes.

Now here he was-sitting at my favorite bar. I was thinking about turning around and just walking out but Tony saw me and already had my beer sitting on the counter...right next to Eugene...Ugh. Oh well, my mother taught me to always be polite.

"Hi, Eugene, what's going on?" was my polite opening line as I took my seat.

He turned his head to see who was talking to him. It looked as though he'd been crying.

"Chase, hi; I...I just stopped in for a beer, that's all. What are you doing here?"

"Same thing; thought I'd have a cold one before going home." I really didn't want to tell him I was in there quite frequently. My next question popped out before my brain caught up with my run-a-way mouth. "You look a little down, everything okay?" He didn't answer right away—just kept looking into his beer glass. I was hoping he didn't hear me but no such luck.

"My...my wife is cheating on me and don't know what to do about it," he sniffled.

"Well, divorce comes to mind real quick there, partner. You know for sure or just have your suspicions?"

"Oh no, there's no doubt. She's with him right now. They kicked me out of the house so they could be alone."

I almost choked on my beer. "You're kidding...right?" I said with a small chuckle. I looked at him, waiting for the punch line but he just kept staring into that glass.

"They kicked you out of the house...your house?"

Shamefully, he nodded his head.

Yup, same old Eugene, he obviously hadn't learned a thing since high school. Damn, he was just so aggravating. I wondered how anyone could let something like that happen. This guy needs help, I told myself, but not from me. I wasn't going to get involved this time...not this time...

"So, you're down here crying in your beer while your wife and some asshole lover-boy are fucking in your house...in your bed? Eugene..."

"Well what can I do?" he interrupted, knowing what I was about to say.

I just shook my head in disbelief. Not only hadn't he learned anything, he was worse! "What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I want to go down there and kick'em both out of the house, but...you know I'm no fighter, Chase. Hell, my wife would laugh her head off while he kicked my ass, and besides that, I work for Lisa's dad. One word from her and I'll get fired. Then I'd have no wife AND no job."

"Yeah, but you'd have something else that's a lot more valuable," I told him.

He looked at me with a question mark on his face. "What?"

"Self-respect," I said. I was getting so frustrated with this ass-wipe I was finding it hard to contain my anger. "You do know what that is, don't you? It's when you walk with your head held high. It's when you feel good about yourself. Do you feel good about yourself, now?"

He shook his head. "Not really."

"Well what's more important...keeping a slut wife who doesn't love or respect you; a job that you can't keep without throwing away your own self-esteem , or being able to walk down the street looking people in the eye?"

I thought sure my little rah, rah speech would make him get off his duff and go charging home but he just sat there.

"Yeah, it's easy for you. People have always looked up to you. You've never been afraid of anybody but I'm not like you, Chase. I'm not brave like you. I admit it; I'm a coward, have been all my life. Hell, I've never even been in a fight because I've always run away. I don't imagine there's much likelihood of me all of a sudden becoming brave at this stage of the game."

By now my blood-pressure had just about reached the boiling point. What a whiney little bitch. I stood up, pulled a twenty from my wallet and threw it on the bar. "For both of us," I yelled to Tony. He just nodded and continued talking to some cute blond at the other end.

"Come on," I almost yelled as I grabbed numb-nuts by the back of his collar and yanked him off the bar stool.

"Wait...wait, wh...where're we going?"

I had him half way out the door already. "To your house. You and I are going to kick some butt," I growled.

"Oh, Chase, I...I...I don't think..."

"Shut up, Eugene. Just get in the damn car and show me where you live."

He was so scared during the drive I was afraid he was going to pee himself while sitting on my leather seats. Once we got to his place he reluctantly led the way inside.

"Where's the bedroom?" I asked.

"Ah, up ah, up the stairs, down the hall to your left, but..."

"Come on," I snarled as I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him along. As we got to the top of the landing I looked down the hall. They didn't even have the decency to close the door. Still holding Eugene by his shirt I marched into the bedroom. They were so engrossed they didn't see us until we were right on top of them.

Eugene's wife started to scream just as I snarled my fingers into lover boy's golden locks and dragged him from the confines of her worn out pussy and off the bed. He surprised me a little by twisting around as much as he could and throwing a right cross at my head. The problem was I had a good hold of him and he couldn't turn enough so his punch landed on the back of my shoulder.

I wasn't about to let him get in a second shot. With Eugene's whore still screaming her head off, I twisted him around and gave Romeo a solid blow in the solar plexus. That took the fight out of him real quick. Pressing my advantage, I swung him around and smashed his face into the wall then gave him a hard punch in the kidney. He just slumped down and sat on the floor after that.

I had seen his pants lying next to the bed so I went over and grabbed his wallet. I pulled out his license and held on to it. I also noticed his phone sticking half way out of his pocket.

"Eugene; Eugene," screamed his half hysterical wife, "who is this man? Get him out of my house, NOW."

Eugene just stood there like he was in a fog.

"Eugene..."

"Shut up or I'll turn you over my knee and spank the hell out of you," I hollered back to her.

That shut her up at least long enough for me to scroll through dip-shit's phone and find his wife's number.

"Hello, honey. This is a pleasant surprise."

"Mrs. Cutter, this is going to be surprise but I'm afraid not a very pleasant one."

"Who...who is this. Why do you have my husband's phone? Is he okay? Has something happened?"

I looked over at the asshole who was still barely moving. "Well, to answer your questions, I'm a friend of the man whose wife your husband has been banging. I have his phone because I took it out of the pocket of his pants which are lying on the floor of my friend's bedroom. He's okay for now but you should keep him on a shorter leash because if I catch him sniffing around my friend's wife again I'll send him back to you in pieces."

I hung up before she could say anything in response. I found the camera function on the phone and took a picture of Eugene's wife before she could duck her head under the sheet. I took another one of her paramour who was just starting to get his wits about him again, then texted both pictures to Mrs. Cutter.

Shit for brains looked up and saw me with his phone. I think he just realized who I was talking to. "What...what did you do?"

"I just texted a picture of you two to your wife," I answered.

"NO...NO you can't. Please, I have kids!"

"Too late now, it's already done. You should have thought of them before threatening and kicking a man out of his own home so you could fuck his wife," I spewed. "Here," I said, throwing his pants at him. "Get dressed and get the fuck out of Eugene's house."

He looked at Lisa who was still cowering under the sheet. I guess he thought she was still in charge of things.

"NOW," I hollered, "and if Eugene here ever sees you around his wife again, I won't be so pleasant next time." While he was quickly pulling his pants on I took out my own cell phone and shot a picture of his driver's license then stuck it back into his wallet and threw it back to him. "Here you go, Mr. Arnold Cutter of 320 Landen Dr. Remember what I said about coming around here again."

He wasted no time in extricating himself from the scene.

I looked at Eugene who was still standing next to his bed looking as if he'd seen a ghost. "Okay, Eugene, the rest is up to you."

"What?" Me..."

"Of course; I can't do everything for you. You married her, you deal with her," I said.

"That's it," screeched the shrew. "I'm calling the police."

"And tell them what; that your husband came home with a friend and found you in bed with another man? Go ahead, maybe the local paper will pick it up and print it in their police blotter. I can see the headline now...'daughter of grocery store owner found in adulteress love nest.'"

Yeah, I recognized her as soon as I saw her. Lisa Schultz, at least that was her maiden name. She was a year behind us in school. I was finding it hard to believe that she was married to Eugene. Her dad owned two grocery stores in the area and she used to parade around like she had been decreed, "Queen Lisa."

"Fine," she replied in a huff, "will you at least leave the room so I can get dressed? Eugene, you go with him."

I looked at her wimp husband and saw his shoulders start to sag. I think he was so used to following orders he didn't even realize he was doing it anymore. "Eugene, this is your house, your bedroom, and your wife; I'm going down stairs but if I were you I'd stop taking orders and start giving some." With that I turned and went back down stairs. I could hear her screaming at him so I thought I'd grab a beer from the fridge and wait to see who emerged victoriously...of course there was really no question but I'd stick around anyway in case he needed a ride to the hospital. I had no doubt she could take him.

I sat at the kitchen table and listened. Mostly all I heard was Lisa but every once in a while I'd hear Eugene raise his voice. I wondered how many times in his marriage he'd done that.

I was almost done with my beer when things seemed to be quieting down. I kind of expected her to come down the stairs dragging his body behind her but when she appeared from around the staircase she was alone. She glanced around until she spotted me then headed in my direction. If looks could kill, not even a defibrillator could have saved me. I figured Eugene was probably dead on the floor above me and now she was coming for me. I sure hoped I could take her.

"What did you say to him?" she growled.

"Not much; just that if he ever wanted to walk with his head held high..."

She cut right in. "Huh, that'll be the day," she scoffed.

I continued..."I told him that if he ever wanted to walk with his head held high he'd have to dump your cheating ass," I sneered back.

"Well thanks to you he's up there packing. I hope you're satisfied."

I looked at her with what I hoped was a smug expression. "Yeah, I'm pretty satisfied."

"You think you're so smart, don't you. Well I guaranty you, he won't be gone long. I give him three days at the most. Then he'll come crawling back on his hands and knees and when he does, I'm going to make his life a living hell. And he'll have you to thank for it."

I just maintained the self-assured grin I had on my face but in my mind I wondered if she was right. I'm sure she knew him better than I did. Suddenly I wasn't so self-assured.

About that time Eugene came down stairs with a suitcase. I saw him through the doorway but Lisa had her back to him.

"Ready to go?" I called out.

Lisa turned around. "Eugene Whistler, if you walk out that door, don't count on coming back."

For a second I thought he was going to cave but then he answered me. "I'm ready, Chase. Let's go."

I stood and left the kitchen, heading for the front door. We were about halfway outside when we heard her last volley.

"I mean it, Eugene, don't bother coming back."

I looked over at him. He was scared shitless. I could see it in his face.

"Now what?" he asked.

As I heard his question I remembered Lisa's words about him crawling back; it occurred to me that I may have just ruined this poor guy's life. As shitty as it was, I had no doubt she could make it even worse. Suddenly I wasn't so sure I was doing the right thing.

We drove back to Plato's and I dropped him off by his car. He...or I guess I should say WE had decided he'd stay in a motel for the night. I told him to meet me back there at seven the following evening. The first beer was on me.

I had a tough time getting to sleep that night. I kept wondering if I was doing the right thing and cursing myself for getting involved in the first place. Never again, I vowed.

The next day I walked into Plato's around six, my usual time. Tony popped the top off of a Miller's and set it on the bar in front of me.

"How's your friend from yesterday? He seemed a little down in the dumps."

I had just taken a sip from my long-neck. "Problems with the wife," I said. I wasn't going to go into any more detail than that. If Eugene wanted everyone to know his business, he could tell them. I did want to ask Tony's advice though.

"You ever get yourself mixed up in someone else's marital problems, Tony?"

He looked at me like I was dumb. "I'm a bartender, it's my job," he answered with a laugh.

"No, I mean, really. Last night I was instrumental in him leaving his wife. She was treating him like crap, so at the time I thought I was doing him a favor but now I'm not so sure."

"What's got you second guessing yourself?"

I thought for a second. "I don't know. I mean...what right did I have-she's not my wife, thank God," I joked. "I guess it was her confidence. She was so sure he'd go crawling back to her. If he does she promised to make his life even more miserable than it was before. I probably shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. For all I know he's on his knees graveling at her feet as we speak."

"Well, I can tell you unequivocally he's not on his knees...at least not right now."

"Oh," I chuckled, "and how can you be so sure?"

"Bartender's intuition...besides he just walked in," he said with a smile.

I turned around and sure-enough. He was early...and he was grinning.

"Hi, Chase, hi, Tony, beer is on me," he said, never losing the grin.

"Okay, I'll bite; why so happy?"

"Chase, I feel liberated, I really do. Do you think you could teach me how to fight?"

"Fight! What brought all this on? Who do you want to fight?"

"Nobody...I mean not right now anyway. I...I just want to learn how to defend myself; just in case, you know. It should have been me throwing that guy out of my house yesterday, not you. It should have been me. Next time..."

I didn't like the sound of that. "Next time? You thinking about going back to Lisa?"

He looked at me and for the first time since I'd known him, instead of fear, I saw anger in his eyes.

"Are you kidding me, the way she treated me—no way, never!" he said emphatically.

I got a sense of relief. Maybe there was more to Eugene than I thought. Maybe he just needed a kick in the ass.

He continued. "No, I'm just tired of backing down all the time. I...I stood my ground today and it felt good. I want to keep doing it."

"Stood your ground? What'd you do, tell her off?"

"Lisa? No, I haven't even talked to her. No, I stood up to her dad for the first time. He was so shocked he forgot to fire me," he joked.

"Really?"

"Actually, it was better than that; he's not going to fire me. He stopped by the State Street store this afternoon. That's the one I work at. When he called me into his office I figured that was it. Anyway, at first he said he'd talked to Lisa and she told him I walked out on her. He told me she was really pissed and if I knew what was good for me I'd better go straight home after work.

"I felt like a little boy getting scolded for something and was just about to say, 'yes, sir,' but instead I thought, what would Chase say?"

He turned his head and looked straight at me with a big smile. "Chase, I said sorry sir, that's not going to happen. She continually cheated on me and I've had enough. He got so flustered I thought he was going to swallow his cigar. God, Chase, I can't tell you how good that felt. For the first time in my life I faced up to somebody...and not just anybody, my father-in-law. Next to you he's the most intimidating guy I know."

That gave me a chuckle. I never thought of myself as intimidating. "Good for you," I said.

"Yeah, anyway—when I asked him if I was fired, he said no. He said he never mixed in the private lives of his employees. Chase, I think he actually respected me. Before I left his office he looked at me, smiled and nodded his head like he was giving me his approval."

"Well fantastic, Eugene. See, it feels good to earn a little respect, doesn't it."

"Yeah, it sure does. Now what about it, will you teach me to fight?"

"Eugene, I don't think I'm the one you want to teach you. Hell, I've probably lost more than I ever won. There're all kinds of places that teach that stuff. There're martial arts schools, self-defense courses, even gyms where you can go and learn to box. If you want to learn to fight you should go to a professional."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," he said.

We talked for about another hour before he called Tony over so he could pay for the beers, then left.

"Still think you did wrong?" Tony asked.

"You heard him, huh?"

"I caught bits and pieces of the conversation. He's walking on cloud nine, right now."

"Yeah, who knows, he might even turn out to be an okay guy." I glanced at my watch. "Geez, I got to get out of here myself. I have a date with Mel tonight."

Ah, Mel—short for Melony; the love of my life...well, figuratively speaking, of course. We'd been going out for the last six months, which to date, was the longest lasting relationship I'd ever had. She wasn't the most gorgeous girl in town but she had a petite, little body that drove me nuts. She also had a great sense of humor, something I'd found lacking in a lot of women. In addition to all that she was smart and really seemed to like me.

I liked her too, but to tell the truth, the word love just never seemed to fit into my dating vocabulary. I'm not sure if I'm just not capable, or if it's that the right girl has yet to come along, but so far I've never truthfully told any girl that I loved her. Mel's about as close as I've ever come; who knows, maybe in time...

I said so-long to Tony and lit out for home. I grabbed a quick shower, changed clothes, and was knocking on Mel's door with two minutes to spare. We were supposed to go out for dinner then to a movie, after which we'd wind up either back here or at my place for some nookie.