The Other Side of the Fence

Thinking about him was the second reason I was struggling to focus on my Professors. I was apprehensive about our conversation later today. I'd texted him this morning and he'd agreed to meet me for coffee after his last class. I was struggling with the best way to approach him.

In the end, it was both much easier and much harder than expected. We met in the student union hall sitting in a far corner away from most of the crowd. After he'd gotten us both coffee we sat and I took his hand.

"Are you doing okay Dan?" I asked him sincerely.

He gave me a sad smile and shrugged his shoulders saying, "I'm not going to lie to you Cadence. I'm sad this is ending, but I realize the reasons why. I'm angry at myself for the part I played in ending things."

"Try not to be too hard on yourself," I told him, "We both failed each other in that regard. And just because our relationship is ending doesn't mean I don't still love you. It just means I don't think I could ever be fully happy in our relationship. I think maybe I could have before I met Kelly..."

I hesitated here because I knew this part would be hard for him to hear.

"Before I fell in love with her," I finally finished. I didn't say it to hurt him. I just wanted him to know I wasn't casually casting him aside.

"I don't want to lose you from my life," I told him, "You've been to big a part of it. Sara and Kelly fill the same way and CK would be crushed without seeing her Uncle Dan at times." I assured him.

He looked uneasy at that which worried me.

"Come on, Dan," I begged while reaching across the table for his hand, "take some time for yourself if you need it. I can understand how it might be uncomfortable to be around me right now. I just want to know that in time we can be friends again. You matter too much to me to lose you altogether, please."

He held my hand a moment before squeezing it and saying, "I'm leaving school Cadence. I want you to know I've given this a lot of thought. I'm not disciplined enough to make a success of myself anyway. This has just given me the push I needed to make that decision."

I fought back my tears and said, "What are you going to do?"

"I've got a few options I'm looking at. I don't want to discuss them right now but I think they'll be able to give me what I need. I didn't attend classes this morning, instead I went and talked to a job recruiter about those options."

I didn't understand him being so vague.

"Will you stay in touch with us," I asked with hope in my voice.

He shook his head no and said, "I probably won't be able to the first several months. These jobs are all out of state and then there will be the move and an adjustment period on the job. After that though, I promise I will at least let you know where I am and how I'm doing. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to get back home but when I do I promise we'll get together."

"Besides," he said looking down at his cup of coffee, "I could use a little time away from you right now. Time to give the hurt a chance to heal. I think it might be good for us both."

He stood up and pulled me out of my chair. He hesitated briefly and then pulled me in for hug wrapping his strong arms around me. I tucked my head against his chest and let my tears go.

"Whatever you're planning on doing Dan, just promise me you'll take care of yourself and tone down the drinking. I want you to be happy more than you could ever know. So please, find something that does that for you." I told him softly.

I then reached up and grasped both his cheeks pulling him down and kissing him softly one final time.

Epilogue:

________________

A lot happened before we heard from Dan again.

Kelly, of course, came to visit me the following weekend. She was already looking healthier and informed me she'd actually already gained back five of the pounds she had previously lost. We, of course, struggled to keep our hands off each other long enough for her to get a chance to meet Shea and Alice. They were of course taken with her, particularly Alice which I found interesting.

When we retreated to my room for a little privacy I was instantly on her. Or to be more precise, down on her. Within about thirty seconds of the door closing I had her jeans off and my tongue buried in her pussy. I'd been fantasizing about it all week long and couldn't get enough of her taste. She had been thinking about it as well because less than two minutes later she was covering her head with a pillow to muffle her screams as she came. She then returned the favor by flipping me over and taking the dildo she'd purchased for me to bring to college and fucking me senseless with it while reaching around and rubbing my clit. When I came I had to bury my face in my pillow to stifle my screams of pleasure. It didn't do a lot of good. When we finally left the room Shea couldn't stop giggling and Alice was unable to look at me without turning red.

When we had finished pleasuring one another we showered together and returned to my room to get ready for dinner. Once we were dressed I sat down and started doing my makeup. I saw Kelly come up behind me and reach around to hand me a rectangular box.

"What's this?" I asked surprised.

She put her hands on my shoulders and said, "Why don't you open it and find out."

Inside the box, I found an intricately beautiful necklace. The chain itself was made of interlocking solid plates that were connected in the front with a two-inch Celtic infinity symbol, hanging from that was an "O" ring.

"It's a discrete submissive collar. You can wear this every day and most people won't have a clue what it means, only people involved in the scene. I had it made for you by a silversmith who's into BDSM herself. It's solid silver, not plated. I measured your neck while you were sleeping one morning so it should fit perfectly," she told me.

As she placed it around my neck she said, "Here, this goes with it."

She handed me a small silver lock. As I looked at it, I noticed it was engraved. On one side it said in script text "Property of MK" while on the other were our initials interlocking.

I immediately teared up as she took the lock and used a small silver key to open it. I could feel her run it through the clasp and heard the lock snap into place.

I stood and turned to her wrapping my arms around her neck kissing her all over her face.

"You are so sweet. I love it so much. It's just beautiful and what it means just makes me feel so special to wear it. I'll wear it always," I told her.

We all went out that night and had dinner and went dancing, even Alice which was unusual for her. We had a great time with Kelly garnering a lot of attention from the guys in attendance, most of whom seemed either offended upon discovering the fact she was gay or were seemingly titillated by the fact we were together. There were more than a few women that offered to buy her a drink and several that were even brazen enough to ask her to dance despite the fact we were standing there arm in arm. After a particularly arrogant raven-haired beauty suggested she trade up from the little girl she was currently with, Kelly and Shea had to grab hold of me to keep me from ripping her extensions out.

Interestingly enough the one person Kelly did take out on the dance floor other than me was Alice. She'd mentioned earlier in the night she was fairly certain the shy girl was gay even if she was closeted. I thought it was sweet she asked her to dance and Alice seemed to get into it. After seeing her on the floor with Kelly, several other girls asked her to dance as well.

Kelly had gotten a hotel room for the weekend so once she and I made it back there, we didn't make it back out until Sunday morning. All-day Saturday and on into the early hours of Sunday morning were spent in a haze of lesbian debauchery. We woke up late on Sunday morning and went to brunch. Kelly informed me she had a two o'clock meeting but didn't tell me what it was about telling me only that if it worked out, it would be great for us.

Despite my begging, she would say no more so she dropped me back by my dorm to hang out with my roommates.

Alice and I were sitting around discussing our previous night dancing which had been the highlight of her social life when Kelly called around five o'clock.

"Okay Cady, I need you to go put on a pretty dress because we're heading out to celebrate. I'll be there by six to pick you up," she told me cryptically.

And despite my begging and pleading that was all I was able to get out of her. Alice and I speculated about what the celebration might be about while she helped me get ready and pin up my hair. I was wearing a little black dress that ended about an inch above my knees along with a pair of black five-inch heels. As Kelly had instructed me when I dressed the night before, I wore sheer silk thigh high stockings with no panties. She said she should always have easy access to "her" cunt when we were out on a date.

Alice surprised me a bit while doing my hair as I worked on my make up.

"You look so good in that dress I bet you money Kelly has it hiked up and making you scream before the date is over," she said mischievously.

"Alice!" I said with a look of shock. She was usually far too reserved to say such things.

"What?" she said with an embarrassed little giggle, "Shea and I heard the way she made you scream Friday night before we went out. I couldn't stop thinking about it all night long."

I took a chance and gently asked, "You know you don't have to answer this question Alice, as it's none of my business, but are you gay?"

She didn't look up from my hair and for a second I thought she'd just chose to ignore the question altogether, but finally, she said, "Yes, not that I've ever done anything about it, but I've known since I was about sixteen."

I turned around and stood up and hugged her asking, "Does anybody know?"

"Just you," she answered me quietly with a small grin, "and I don't mind if you tell Kelly. Seeing you two together and how happy you seem to make each other has finally got me motivated to want to experience that sexual side of myself. Hearing how Kelly made you sound and dancing with those girls, feeling my body against theirs, had me so worked up I was up two hours after I got home masturbating."

I hugged her again and told her how happy I was for her. I then promised I would only tell Kelly and that we wouldn't mention it to anyone else. I then made her promise to ask for my help if she ever needed any advice in exploring her sexuality.

Kelly knocked on the door promptly at six. Alice greeted her and let her in. When I came out of my room the sight of her took my breath away. She was dressed in a silver dress that ended just above her knee. It was fairly low cut in the front, it was the back though that was the true show stopper. It was open almost all the way down the back and showed off her tight, tanned sexy body to it's fullest benefit. Her "stripper shoes" as my Dad liked to call them only served to accentuate her calves and taut backside even more. She had her shorter hair slicked back opening up her beautiful face. From her ears dangled silver earings with the same Celtic symbol for infinity as was on my necklace.

"Wow," was all I could get out.

She walked over to me and handed me a rose, leaning in and kissing me softly. I looked over at Alice who was just standing there smiling like she was so happy for me she could cry.

As she held my door for me to get in her car I asked her, "Where are we headed, or is that a secret too?"

She just grinned at me and leaned in to help me buckle up kissing me again, this time a little less chaste.

"We're headed to an upscale restaurant downtown for dinner and maybe a little slow dancing and then I have something I really need to tell you," she whispered in my ear.

When she got behind the steering wheel and started the car I again begged her to tell me what was going on. She told me she wouldn't say until she had a glass of bubbly sitting in front of both of us.

Once we'd been seated at a table and finally been served our champagne, she gave me her news. News that couldn't have made me happier.

She held up her champagne glass and said, "A toast,"

I held up my glass and asked very cheeky, "And do I finally get to know what we're toasting about?"

"You do," she said smiling at my sarcasm, "We're toasting to my new job here in town and to our new apartment we'll be living in while I do it and you attend school."

I was stunned to say the least.

"How?" I asked.

"The guy that owns the gym I work at had mentioned to me several months ago that he was looking to open another location here near the university. He thought it would do well with the college crowd. He had mentioned then that he'd need someone to manage it for him and asked if I would be interested but I'd told him no. I mean, I knew at the time from Dan that you'd both be going to school here but I was happy where I was and had Sara and CK to think about. I didn't want to leave them."

She paused and took a drink of her bubbly while I waited patiently for her to continue.

"Well, I had just assumed that the job had already been filled. It wasn't until several weeks after you and Dan had started classes that I found out he was still looking for the right person for the job. I called him last Saturday while you were out talking to Dan on the phone and told him if the job was still available that I was interested in taking it. He told me that I would have to meet with him and his investors up here and interview, but if that went well the job was mine. Well, that was the meeting I had today. Sis had helped me work all week on my interview skills and putting together a proposal of the way I thought we could market it to the student and general population. Marketing of course was was the field she got her degree in. Anyway they loved it. They loved me! They offered me the job on the spot. The building is ready. I just have to get it equipped and staffed. We open in just over a month."

I was just giddy with excitement by then and asked, "So when do you move here?"

She grinned, "I'm headed home in the morning to pack my things and spend a few days with Sara and CK. I'll be back here on Friday to take possession of our new apartment. We can get you moved in on Saturday."

I was almost bouncing in my seat at the thought of having her here with me full time. Of being able to wake up next to her every morning as well as the things she could now do to me on a full-time basis.

"How close to the campus is the apartment?" I asked while wondering what kind of commute I'd have.

She took another sip of her champagne and said, "It's less than a half-mile from campus. It's in that new high rise off State Street. You can practically see your dorm from our living room window."

"But I've heard that place is high dollar. How could you possibly afford to buy an apartment there?" I asked incredulously.

She faked being hurt at my question and said, "And what makes you think I couldn't afford it?"

I rolled my eyes at her and replied, "Well you do live with your sister in law and drive a ten-year-old car, so unless you've been keeping secrets, I don't get it."

She laughed, "Okay, you got me there. I didn't buy it. Your big sister did."

That really confused me. As far as I knew Sara was living off the proceeds of her life insurance and I couldn't see that giving her enough to purchase the apartment and still leave her enough to raise CK. I knew she owned her house outright, but raising kids was expensive.

When I expressed my concern Kelly smiled and asked, "She never told you about the settlement she got did she?"

"What settlement? I asked.

Kelly shook her head and said, "She doesn't mention it much but the drunk driver that killed Ryan worked for a national delivery company. He had been out drinking when he was called in to replace a driver that was out sick. He told his supervisor that he'd had a few drinks but the guy let him get behind the wheel of the delivery truck anyways. Once your sisters' lawyers were able to depose the driver, who survived the crash by the way with minor injuries, the corporate law firm representing the delivery company swooped in with a huge settlement offer."

She paused and took another drink and then said, "The company knew that civil damages alone could be worth a couple of million dollars. But it was punitive damages that really scared them as well as the prospect of a public trial. That could have really hurt their stock prices. They offered Sara a settlement in the mid eight figures but her lawyers convinced her to say no to the initial offer. It paid off because the next offer was in the high eight figures. All she had to do was sign a nondisclosure agreement and she got all the money she and CK would ever need."

"She lives so modestly," I said still stunned.

Kelly shook her head and said, "That's just Sara. She wants CK to grow up as a normal kid. She doesn't want her to feel entitled. That little girl will never want for anything she needs though. And if I know your sister, neither will you."

"I know she loves me," I said, "but she doesn't owe me anything."

Kelly laughed and said, "When Ryan first met your sister she explained what happened between her and her family. Her one real regret in the entire matter was losing you. She loved you like you were her own child and couldn't stand the thought of you having to grow up under the same conditions she did and without her there to look out for you."

She then smiled and said, "She even had Ryan hire a private detective to take snapshots of you outside your school so she could see how you'd grown up. Until CK came along to occupy her time, you were all she ever talked about."

She paused and shook her head, laughing. I asked her what was so funny.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how I used to get so tired of hearing about her snotty little sister," she said with a grin.

After I stuck my tongue out at her she asked me to dance. We slow danced to several songs before she paid the check.

She then ran me back to the dorm where I excitedly told Alice and Shea about her news as I was gathering some clothes and other things I would need for my classes the next day. They were sad to hear they would be losing me as a roommate but thrilled for me otherwise.

Of course, I called Sara that night and thanked her for everything. I told her I'd have loved her regardless but she had no idea of how happy she'd made me. She assured me that was her reason for doing it.

Kelly and I had been living together for almost four months the first time I heard from Dan. I'd had my mail forwarded to me from the university. A letter he'd sent to my old address showed up in our mail one day. I noticed that it was postmarked from South Carolina.

It turned out the "job" opportunities he'd told me about consisted of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. He had joined the Marine Corp and was getting ready to graduate from boot camp. He said once he did he would receive a ten-day furlough before having to report for something called SOI training in North Carolina. He promised that he would call as soon as he could to let us know when he'd be home and was looking forward to seeing us all.

Kelly was as surprised as I was but Sara said he'd mentioned to her one night early on after they'd met how he'd considered enlisting instead of going to college. He'd told her that while we were broken up, so the news really didn't surprise her as much.

Kelly joked, "Great, now I have to meet up with a guy whose girlfriend I stole and now he's a trained killer."

At least she said it like she was joking. I think deep down there was a little truth to it.

It was just a few weeks later when he called and told me he only had a minute to talk, but that he would be home in less than a week on the following Monday. He said if I could arrange it with Sara, he hoped to spend the weekend with her and CK and Kelly. I didn't mention to him that Kelly lived with me now. I thought it best to wait until we were face to face. I just told him to consider it done and promised him I would be there to see him.