Man-up, Pussy!

"No, no, Chase, we'd never do that to you," Gene jumped in quickly trying to defend their honor.

"But we have been talking, Chase," Mel added. "We...we want to explore a relationship together."

My eyes were diverted to her.

"Chase, you're a fantastic guy, you really are. But let's face it, you're not real big on committed relationships. We've been going together for over a year and we've had some great times, but as a couple, we're no closer now than we were when we first started dating. I need more. I want a husband, Chase. I want a man who is there for me twenty-four-seven. I want children, a family. I want the house with the white, picket fence. I want it all, Chase."

I sat there and heard the words but my rising anger wouldn't allow them to penetrate. I looked at Eugene again. "What about Bev? I thought you and her had something going. You just going to dump her?"

"Chase, she's dating two other guys besides me. She has no real feelings for me. When I told her we couldn't see each other again she simply said, 'okay,' and that was it."

I sat there still not believing my ears...or my eyes.

"Chase, I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. Gene and I have not slept together. We hadn't even kissed until last night, but we've been working together and the more time we've spent with each other the more we found we have in common. We both want the same things out of life.

"Chase, I still want you and I to be friends, just not with the benefits part."

"Me too, Chase," Gene eagerly added. "I really hope this won't affect our friendship."

I've never been the kind of guy that could sit and calmly contemplate all the nuances of a situation before doing something. I was a reactionary kind of guy and I usually went with what my gut was telling me in the moment. And in that moment all I could see was a friend who I had helped and my girl stabbing me in the back. It was betrayal and it hurt.

"I hope you two will be very happy together," I snidely cursed as I stood. I pulled out a ten and threw it on the table. "I'll pay for my own fucking beers," I said with as much venom as I could. "Don't either of you ever call me your friend again. Don't call me, don't stop by. I never want to see either of you ever again. And, Gene, if you ever try to contact me or approach me, I don't care how tough you think you are, so help me God, I'll knock you into the middle of next week."

"Chase, wait—please..." cried Mel as I walked away.

I heard Tony call my name, asking what was wrong as I left but I didn't answer him. I had to get out of there.

I couldn't believe my eyes were tearing up as I drove home. I'd never cried over a woman before. You big pussy, stop your crying; she's only another cunt, I told myself. When I got home I made a dash for a cold one from the fridge. I hadn't drunk much of the one I left behind.

I couldn't believe how much I was hurting. I took a couple swigs of brew while my mind swirled in an endless pattern of chaos. Should I fight for her, I wondered? Should I drive back and tell her I loved her...did I love her? I knew I loved having sex with her, but was that the same? It must be, why else would I hurt so badly. But if I did, could I really go through with it. Could I give her all the things she wanted? That was the sixty-four dollar question, and to tell you the truth, I couldn't answer it.

Finally, after two more beers and a never-ending sea of unanswerable questions, I drifted off to sleep in my chair. I had work the next day but that Friday, after leaving the office, I did something I hadn't done in years; I threw my tent and trusty fly rod in the trunk of my car and went camping. I guess I'm strange that way. They say misery loves company. You'd think I'd shoot right over to Plato's and drown my sorrows in beer but that wasn't me. When I felt like shit I liked being alone.

I found a quiet little place along the Vermilion River where I set up camp and caught dinner. It was too hot to sleep in the tent so I set up my hammock later that night. There's nothing like nature to bring things into perspective. I laid back, stuck my hands behind my head and gazed up at the night sky. It was filled with twinkling stars. An army of crickets played love songs on their hind legs and the rippling waters of the Vermilion added to the tranquility that only the night can offer.

It was then that I had my answer. Did I love Mel? I had to be honest with myself...no, at least not like she needed to be loved. If I did I wouldn't be where I was. I'd be at her side, fighting with everything I had to keep her. No, she was right. It still felt like a betrayal; maybe because I had brought them together in the first place, I don't know.

There's nothing like losing a girlfriend to make a person do an introspective analysis. Maybe I was mellowing because the thought of actually marrying someone no longer made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Mel was the closest I'd ever come to falling in love. That told me that just maybe there is someone out there; someone who I WILL fight to keep for the rest of my life.

It was almost two months later by the time I walked into Plato's again. I'm not sure why it took so long, I guess I just didn't want to return to the scene of the crime.

Tony looked shocked when I walked in. "Jesus; you are still alive. I'd given up on you," he said, setting down my usual.

"No, I'm still around—just haven't felt very sociable I guess."

"Yeah, I can understand that. I'd be pissed too. If it's any consolation, Mel cried her eyes out after you left that night."

I knew Tony was trying to give me some support but he wasn't helping. "No, it's really not. She was right, Tony. Mel wants the whole domestic thing and she knew I'd never give it to her. We were just so damn good together in the bedroom and that's tough to let go of."

I saw Tony smile. "I knew you'd come around," he said. "She's been in here a couple times since then."

"Yeah? They still together?"

"As far as I know. She asked me if I thought you'd ever forgive her."

"What'd you tell her?"

"That it had to be a shock; that I was sure you felt betrayed—especially by Eugene. But I also told her that in time, after the pain died down, you'd look at it from a rational standpoint; that you'd realize they didn't do it to hurt you.

"Then I told her something she already knew...that you were a stand-up guy and I was confident that you would not only forgive them, but someday they'd be able to call you friend again.

"I must admit, you had me worried though when you stopped coming in. I was beginning to wonder if I'd misjudged you."

"You're a pretty smart fella, Tony. I just needed some time to be alone. I wasn't ready to share my gloom with anybody—not even with you."

"So-if I see Mel again is it okay to tell her you forgive her? I know it would mean a lot to her."

I thought about it for a few seconds before I answered him. For just an instant I toyed with the idea of letting her dangle just a little longer. Then I admonished myself for the thought. "Yeah, go ahead."

He smiled again. "You're a good man, Chase." I guess he felt we'd covered the subject of Mel and Eugen because he leaned both elbows on the bar in front of me and rested his chin in his hands. "Now," he said, "since I haven't seen you in a while, who you banging these days?"

I laughed at his subtleness. "Nobody, Tony, not a soul; I do have to get out there again, though. My self-imposed exile ends tonight," I stated with nod of my head while hitting the bar with my fist for emphasis.

By the end of the following week I had a date with Charlene, a cute little number I met at the grocery store. Unfortunately she wasn't my type. All she wanted to do was talk, even during sex.

After Charlene came Sandy, then Michelle and Eva. Then there was Carol. Carol was insatiable. She'd come over three or four times a week to drain me of every ounce of love juice I had, then leave me for dead...ah, but what a way to go!

It had been seven months from the night of Mel and Eugene's announcement. I was sitting on my usual barstool listening to Tony pontificate about owning his own bar some day when he looked passed me and stopped talking. I looked behind me.

His shoulders no longer drooped. He stood straight and carried himself, not with arrogance, but with confidence. He took a seat next to me. "Beers are on me, Tony."

Mel, I had forgiven, I still wasn't so sure about Eugene. I didn't say a word while I sat there trying to decide what I was going to do.

"I saw your car in the lot as I was driving by," he said.

"Good for you," I replied, staring straight ahead.

"Mel says you've forgiven her. I guess that doesn't apply to me though, does it."

I didn't say anything.

"I love her, Chase; and she loves me."

I still didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, Chase, I really am. I'm sorry it was Mel. I wish it was anyone but her because I know you cared for her but... would you have married her? Were you prepared to spend the rest of your life with her; to give her children and a home?"

"I guess we'll never know, will we?" I spit out. Yeah, I was being a dick. I didn't care. Oh, there was no doubt I'd wind up wishing them a happy life together someday, but I had to get it out of my system. I heard him sigh.

"When Mel said you were in a forgiving mood I prayed it extended to me, too. You're the only real friend I ever had. We're getting married next May," he said while pulling something from his wallet. "My number's on the card," he said, dropping the business card on the bar. "I know you're going to think I've got brass balls for asking, but I'm hoping you'll be my best man."

That surprised me. I looked into his face and saw tears leaking from his eyes.

"I'm hoping between now and then you'll forgive me, Chase."

With those parting words he headed for the door, wiping his tears as he left.

Tony didn't say anything. He just wandered over, staring at me.

"I suppose you think I should do it?" I asked.

"Hey, it's not my decision," he said.

"You know—I almost wish they had gone behind my back and fucked each other. At least then I'd be in the right to carry a grudge. They didn't though. They did the honorable thing and came to me before doing anything."

"Uh—huh," was Tony's confirming comment.

I picked up the card. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Tony smiled like he knew something I didn't yet.

"I'll tell you one thing, though; I know I've said it a million times but I've never been more sincere than I am right now. Never EVER again will I get mixed up in someone else's business..."

Before I could finish my thought we both heard a woman's voice loudly asking somebody to, "Let go!"

I looked over in the direction of the ruckus and saw a woman struggling to get away from a guy who had his hand tightly clapped around her wrist. She was shaking her arm, trying to break his grip but with no success.

"Hey," I yelled as I launched myself in their direction, "let her go!"

Epilogue:

I was impressed with the pictures. I don't look half bad in a monkey suit. Yeah, you guessed it. I agreed to be Gene's best man. He sure was nervous at the reception when I got up to give my speech, though.

You're probably wondering what happened that night in Plato's. Well, in spite of my sincere proclamation to never get involved again, I couldn't just stand by while some asshole man-handled a woman.

Her name is Rita and it turned out the guy was her abusive, live-in boyfriend. She had, had enough and told him he had to move out. That's when he grabbed her wrist and told her he was taking her home to beat the shit out of her.

He was real brave when it came to beating up women but Tony and I were a different matter. We both marched him out the door. As he reached the safety of his car he turned back and vowed to get even with Rita.

When we got back inside, the poor woman was shaking and crying with fear. Tony got her some water and brought it back to her while I tried to calm her down. She was sure he was headed back to her apartment to destroy everything he could get his hands on. He also had a key and could come and go as he pleased which did nothing to insure her safety.

I called the cops and tried to explain the situation to them, but they started giving me all kinds of flak, asking if his name was on the lease and did he physically harm her, did she have bruises, had she reported any other incidents of abuse? I finally said forget it and made another call.

Gene met us at Rita's door. As soon as we got inside we could hear the jackass in the bedroom. Rita waited in the living room as Gene and I went in to see him shredding her clothes with a knife. As we approached he turned the blade on us but before I could react, Gene did some kind of Steven Seagal imitation, flipping the guy ass over end and almost breaking his wrist as he disarmed him. I remember thinking-I've got to check out those classes he's taking.

Rita grabbed some plastic garbage bags that we stuffed with asshole's clothes as Gene took the apartment key off his ring. We both sent him packing with a warning to never return.

Even though it appeared to be all over, the stress was more than the beautiful redhead could take. She broke down and admitted she still feared him coming back.

She didn't have the money to spend for a motel room, so of course, me being the Good Samaritan that I am; I offered her my spare bedroom until things settled down. That was almost a year ago and she's still there. Maybe I should clarify. By, 'still there,' I don't mean she's still in the guest room. After the first couple of months we decided she should move her clothes into my bedroom. For the first time in my life, no matter what day of the week it was, I fell asleep and awakened the next morning with a woman cuddled in my arms...a woman I cared for...a woman with whom I was falling in love.

Yup, the 'L' word; I almost couldn't believe it myself but there was no doubt that she was the one. In fact, I'm going to be a little late getting home tonight...I had to stop at the Jewelry store and pick up the engagement ring I've had on lay-a-way for the past three months.

I have it all planned out. Saturday night, after dinner at our favorite restaurant, we'll take a walk along the lakefront. As the full moon shines down on us, I'll drop to one knee and ask for her hand. I have no doubt she'll accept. In fact Gene has already agreed to be my best man...oh, and I heard through the grapevine...who just happens to be a former girlfriend, that he's going to give Rita and me five shares in his company as a wedding present. This time I won't turn it down.

The End.