The Change

The Change

© Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All characters depicted are 18 years and over.

Stephanie:

"I won't do it! I hate that man."

"Oh, Stephanie. Be reasonable. It's just one date."

"No! The man is rude and insensitive. And he just rubs me the wrong way."

Mary was exasperated. Stephanie was her last option, even though she knew it was a long shot. She really wanted to go with Chris to the concert but he would not go without his friend Gary. And Gary was not well liked. In fact, most people did not like him. He could be loud and obnoxious and he had more money than was good for someone that young. The combination was toxic to any and all relationships.

After calming a bit, Mary decided to take a different track.

"Look, I really want this date with Chris. So please, do this for me? I promise I will find a way to pay you back somehow. Pretty please?"

Stephanie was not unreasonable, she just did not like Gary. But Mary was her best friend. Maybe she could sacrifice one night for her friendship. She sighed and gave in.

"Okay, but don't you ever ask me to do this type of thing again."

Mary held up her right hand. "I promise, I swear. Thank you."

"At least you will have a good time. There's no telling what my night will be like. But I guess I can get through it for you."

Mary hugged her best friend. When they broke the embrace they sat on the bed.

"So tell me about Chris. How did you meet him?"

"I was at lunch on Monday and it was really crowded. I got the last table and I had not been there five minutes when he asked if he could join me. We talked all through lunch and he asked me out on the following Friday. Our date was really nice. He took me to a deli and then to a movie and we really had a good time. He was so nice and polite."

"Did you have sex with him?"

"No, silly. But I want to."

"And he is friends with Gary?"

"Yeah. He's known Gary for years. They apparently were best friends all through school. He knows all of his faults, but to him, it's just Gary. He claims he is not really a bad guy, just a little wild. He thinks he will eventually be tamed by the woman he falls in love with. You and I know that's probably a lot of crap. But who knows, maybe you're the one that can tame him."

"Me! I don't even like the guy. Why would I want to attempt to tame him if I don't even like him?"

"I know, I know. It was just a thought."

"So what is the concert?"

"Well, it's an up and coming group. They are playing over at the The Club House."

"The Club House! That's a really small venue."

"Yeah, but Chris says they are really good. He and Gary heard them before and really liked them. They write their own music and lyrics and are a mixed group of men and women."

"At least they sound like they might be good. The night might not be a total loss."

Gary:

"Well, do you want to come with me or not?"

"I don't know."

"Look, Gary. I already lined up a date for you. It will be your first date in a while and she is a nice girl."

"Who is it?"

"Her name is Stephanie."

"Not Stephanie Bradford!? She hates my guts."

"You barely even know her. And anyway, she has agreed to the date. You disappoint her and I guarantee no girl will ever date you again. And I assure you that I will never go anywhere with you again either. I really want this date with Mary and if you bungle it we will be quits."

"Okay, okay, I will be a good boy. I promise. But if she starts giving me a bad time, all bets are off."

Gary sighed. "I know I can come off loud and obnoxious but I swear I am giving it my best to change. I will try to be extra good this time."

Chris looked at his friend. In truth, he felt sorry for him. He knew he was doing his best to change but it was hard to change a lifetime of behavior. Even if there were good reasons for that behavior, they had been removed when Gary's parents passed away a year ago. While they had not been physically abusive to him, they had pressured him beyond reason to excel at everything he did. Gary had rebelled as best he could through his behavior while away from them at school. While he had not been too bad in high school, it had gotten much worse in college. And the last straw came when his parents claimed they could not attend his graduation. It almost broke him. And then they were killed when their private jet had gone down in Switzerland leaving Gary their entire estate. It was more money than Gary would need for the rest of his life, even if he never worked another day.

Since that time he had kept working and dating but it was all bad. He had lost all the purpose he had in life. He could no longer hate his parents and his previous behavior spoiled every date he tried. His work had suffered as he had no friends there he could confide in, so he had quit. No one wanted to be anywhere near him, except Chris. He had stuck with him through it all and remained his one and only true friend.

Chris clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh with you. I just really want this date with Mary to go well. I've only known her for a little while but we seemed to have formed this connection with each other and I don't want to lose that."

Gary looked up at Chris. "So you like her, huh?"

Chris turned a little red. "Yeah, I admit it. I do like her, better than anyone in a long time."

Gary grinned at his friend. "Then for you, I will be a good boy and keep my mouth shut all night. And I will try to be as polite as I can to Stephanie."

Chris grinned back at him. "That's all I ask of you my friend."

Stephanie:

Stephanie had been putting her makeup on when she became distracted by herself in the mirror. She looked at her reflection wondering just what she was seeing. She saw a woman in her twenties with medium length dark red hair, slightly wavy. She had deep green eyes and beautiful lips with a slightly upturned nose. And only a light set of freckles on her chest and arms. Her breasts were full and firm and her waist a little smaller than usual. Her best asset was probably her legs. While she was not tall, her legs seemed to go on forever only to meet a really nice set of hips and buttocks. Her pussy was neatly trimmed and easily became wet when stimulated. All in all, not a bad package. So what was bothering her?

She continued applying her makeup. She never used much, just a little blush, lipstick, and perfume behind her ears and between her breasts. And then she had it.

Why was she even bothering? It is not like she was going to let Gary anywhere near her tonight, or any other time. Oh well, she was just doing it out of habit, too late to change now.

When she finished her makeup she went to her bedroom closet to pick out what to wear. She chose a nice dark green skirt with a very light green blouse she really loved. You never know who you might be going home with, no matter who brought you to the party. She picked out a nice bra and pantie set and put them on. She rarely put on hose and tonight was not any different. Now she put on the blouse and skirt and looked at her possibilities for evening shoes. Ah, the greenish-blue set of pumps. She put them on and looked one last time at her reflection in the mirror.

Damn, she looked good, she thought. Good enough to be eaten and fucked. If only it wasn't Gary. She just had to get through tonight for the sake of Mary, then it would all be over. Just put on a happy smile and mostly ignore your date.

She went into the living room to wait for Gary to pick her up. Mary had already passed on her address to Chris and then to Gary. He hoped he wasn't going to be late. She looked at her watch and it was 7:20, ten more minutes. What would she do if he didn't show? Good question. God she hoped this was not going to be as bad as she expected. As she leaned back on the couch she closed her eyes and tried to remember the last time she had been fucked. It was at least three weeks ago on that date with Fred. She smiled as she remembered how he fumbled with everything, dinner, drinks, desert, almost crashing the car on the way home, undressing her, getting the condom on, just everything. At least he knew how to get her off twice.

Just then the doorbell rang so she had to get herself together and open the door.

"Stephanie?"

"That's me. Come on in a minute while I get my coat."

She left and got her coat and went back to him at the front door.

"Uh, I brought you a little gift for this evening."

Gary pulled out a single green rose corsage from behind his back. Stephanie had never seen one this color and it was quite striking.

"May I pin it on you?"

She took it from him to examine it first. She had to admit, it was very beautiful and perfectly matched her outfit. She handed it back to him.

"Just be careful of the of the blouse, I would hate to damage it."

"I promise to be careful."

As promised, Gary was careful and pinned the rose through the blouse and then through the bra underneath and then back out so that it could be fastened. When done he stepped back and admired her.

"It looks perfect on you. You are beautiful but the rose enhances that beauty."

Stephanie was almost shocked. She had not expected him to be so nice.

"Thank you."

He extended his arm to her. "Shall we go?"

Gary:

Gary escorted her out to his car and opened the passenger door for her.

"Thank you."

He waited for to fasten her seat belt and closed the door. After he got in the driver's door he turned to her and asked "Comfy?"

"Oh yes. But I kind of expected a flashy sports car, not an American sedan."

He smiled at her. "Well, I'm not trying to impress anyone tonight. And I like driving this car. It gets me where I want to go and it's practical."

Stephanie did not know what to say. This was completely unexpected.

Gary started the car and they left for the concert. Both of them were silent most of the way there, but finally it got to Stephanie.

"Gary, why are you being so nice to me? I mean, I like it, but I just did not expect it from you."

Gary hesitated and then spoke. "If I have been rude to you in the past, I apologize. I guess I've been an ass to most everyone over the years. Just know that I am trying to change because now I have a reason to change."

"May I ask the reason?"

"My parents put a lot of pressure on me growing up. While I was not physically abused, the mental abuse was worse in some respects. So I rebelled in the only way I could get away with. I became a loud mouth and probably drove most everyone away from me except Chris. He has been my only friend for longer than I can remember and stuck by me when no one else would. But now it's time to change. My parents have been dead a year now and I have no more reason to hate them. I hope you can forgive me."

Stephanie was shocked. It was quite an admission. She had not known any of this. She needed time to absorb all this.

"Uh, I didn't know."

She was having to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about Gary. While it was all suddenly clear to her why he was the way he was, she needed a little more time. But there was one thing she could say now.

"Gary, I'm sorry that you had to go through what you did. Your reaction was actually pretty normal, I guess. But it did have the obvious impact on me and turned me against you. Now that I know and understand what you were going through I am having to change a little myself. So please forgive me if I can not turn myself around at the moment. But I do want you to know that I am sorry for hating you without knowing all the facts. If you can forgive me, I can certainly forgive you."

He actually smiled at her. "Of course I can forgive you. Pax?"

She smiled back at him. "Pax."

Gary pulled into the parking lot of the club and then opened the passenger door for her. They went to the club entrance and he payed the front cover fee and they waited inside for Mary and Chris. They were there in a short time and were seated at a table toward the back of the main hall. They ordered some drinks and waited for the show to start.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. They talked about nothing of importance, just adjusting to everyone as two couples. Stephanie watched Mary and Chris as they held hands and enjoyed casually touching each other. They seemed to be having a good time. She turned to Gary and smiled at him and he returned it and then took her hand and held it. He was gentle and did not seem to want more than a connection to her. She liked his touch and gave his hand a little squeeze. He returned it.

The place was crowded now. Soon the lights went down and the band entered the stage. Stephanie thought it was the strangest music she had ever encountered, but she also became totally fascinated with it. It wasn't rock, soul, African, Polynesian, or anything else she had ever heard. It seemed to be a strange mix of all of them. But it always had a great beat and seemed to be completely dance-able. She liked it.

She could see that the others in her party also seemed to be really enjoying it. The show lasted about an hour and a half. When it was done, Gary spoke to her.

He leaned in so he could be heard by her. "Would you like to get something to eat. The food here is not all that good."

She had to admit she was hungry. "Yes. I don't have a real preference so you pick."

"Okay." And then he smiled at her again. She smiled back at him and also had to admit that she liked his smile.

The four of them went outside the club. Gary asked Chris and Mary if they wanted to join them, but they declined. He escorted Stephanie to his car and when they both were inside he turned to her.

"How about something casual. I know a great hamburger place that you probably never heard of that stays open really late. I guarantee you the best cheese burger you ever ate."

"Sure, sounds good."

He started the car and got them out of the parking lot. Once on the street Stephanie began thinking about the good time she had already this night.

"Gary, thank you for bringing me. I really enjoyed the group. They are really good and their music is like nothing I have ever heard, and I really liked it. So, thank you again."

"No, thank you for accepting. I also had a good time." He reached over and took her hand in his and squeezed it a little. They talked a little until they were close to their destination. Then he needed his hand again to steer the car properly. The burger place was actually a small restaurant in a little shopping center, a kind of mom and pop place.

He got her out of the car and they went in. The place had about ten tables and only two were occupied. Gary picked his usual table and seated them since it was that kind of an informal place. They had just sat down when an older lady came from the back and greeted them.

"Gary! It's good to see you again. And who is this you have brought to us tonight?"

"Evening Mama. This is Stephanie. We are hungry for one of you special cheese burgers."

"Hello, Stephanie. Pay no attention to this brat of a man. He is soft underneath once you get through that thick crust of his."

"So I am finding out."

They all laughed at that. They gave her their orders and she left to get their drinks. When she was gone she looked at him and said "Are you really that soft underneath?"

"I think so. I guess you will have to judge for yourself."

She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. They held each others hand until Mama returned with their drinks. She gazed at both of them.

"Treat her nice, Gary. I think you have something there. And believe me, I should know after fifty five years of marriage."

They both blushed at her proclamation. She left them alone again.

"Do you come here a lot? She seems to know you too well."

"I guess I do. Living alone is bad unless you get out at least sometimes. I like this place and Mama and Pauli, her husband, are both just the nicest people."

"From just the little I know about Mama I can imagine that they are good people." She hesitated a moment. "Gary, where do you live?"

He smiled. "The answer may surprise you. I have a little house just outside of downtown. It's only about two thousand square feet but it has a nice little back yard and a detached two car garage. I live there with my dog, Alfonso."

She was shocked again. "You have a dog?"

He chuckled a little. "Yeah, he's a little mutt I got from the pound. We think he's about two years old and he is a real stinker. I've been training him and he's taught me nearly as much as I have him. It would be hard living without him and I've only had him six months. Want to see a picture?"

"Of course I do."

He took out his phone and brought up the directory of all Alfonso's pictures. He handed the phone to Stephanie.

"Oh my God, he is cute!" She was still scrolling through the pictures when Mama brought their burgers to them. As Mama was setting the baskets down she handed the phone back to Gary.

"Enjoy, you two."

The smell was unbelievable. And she was surprised how little grease there was.

"Did you forget to tell them to add extra grease?" she teased.

"That is what makes this place really special. They make the best burgers and somehow cut about ninety percent of the grease out of it."

She spread her napkin and then tasted the burger. The look on her face was priceless to Gary.

After swallowing she said, "That is the best burger I have ever tasted."

He swallowed his first bit before answering. "Yep, definitely."

They ate in silence for a while, each enjoying the food and the company. When they were done Mama came out and picked up things and refilled their drinks. Gary gave her a credit card for the meal.

"You kids hang out as long as you want. I'll be back in a minute."

The place was now empty except for another couple at a table across the room.

"How does this place stay open? There's so little business."

Gary chuckled. "They open at eleven in the morning and close again at two. Then open again at five and close at midnight. The lunch crowd is when they make their real money. Then in the evening they make enough to break even. Mama and Pauli are both retired from AT&T and do this for fun. Their kids are all gone now and they close on Sunday and Monday. They do okay. And I swear that they know every patron's name which is why they have a loyal following. That and the food."

"You mean she will really remember my name?"

"If you return even in a year she will remember you. She has a phenomenal memory."

Mama returned with Gary's credit card. As he was signing it her husband came out from the kitchen.

"Gary, it's good to see you again. Been keeping out of trouble?"

"As best I can. Pauli, this is Stephanie."

Pauli took her hand from the table and kissed it. "Delighted to know you. Has this oaf been treating you right?"

"He's been a perfect gentleman this evening."

"Good to hear it. Otherwise I would have to take him over my knee and teach him some manners."

Stephanie thought he looked like he could do just that. For an older man, he was built like a man forty years younger and lifted heavy weights. But he was also almost a jolly as Santa Claus.

"Come on, Pauli. Let's leave the couple alone. It was good seeing you again, Gary. And also nice to have met you, Stephanie. I hope we get to see you again."

"I promise to be back. This is a terrific place and you two are the cherry on top." she said.

They turned and went back to the kitchen together.

"You're right. They are the really nice people. Maybe I will have to come back again."

Gary considered her answer, then said, "Maybe I could bring you?"

She was surprised at him again. "Are you asking for another date?"

"I guess I am."

She smiled at him. "If anyone had asked me before tonight if I would ever date you, I would have said 'no'. But you have successfully changed my mind about you. So my answer to you is 'yes'."