As I got closer to her she spat out, “You bastard.” Her words were venomous.
I didn’t know what to say or do. So I went for the old standby. I apologized.
“Sorry? What are you sorry for? Do you even know?” Her tone was scathing.
She had me there. I didn’t know. Sorry for hurting her I guess.
“Why are you dating me, if that’s what you’re coming home to? How am I supposed to compete with that? What are you some kind of sick bastard just teasing me?” She had retreated even further from me, and was huddled in the corner.
“Beth, I really am sorry. This happened so suddenly. Three weeks ago, you and I had only just been dating for a short while. I was looking at this place, and Karen and Debbie were in really a tough situation and needed a place to stay.”
“Well, you’re a pretty sick fuck if you take advantage of them like that and make them sleep with you just to have a roof for their kids.”
The words struck closer to home than I cared to admit. “Listen, it wasn’t even my idea. It was Karen’s and the idea was just that while we were together, we could, well, be intimate. But there was no commitment, other than they had a place to stay, while we all got our lives in order.”
“If that’s all you want, well I’m not just going to put out for you.” She looked miserable.
“I don’t know what I want. I was dating you because I liked you. I knew you for a while from our league. I liked being with you. You are so pretty, so cheerful. Yes, I was frustrated because I was getting nowhere with you, but that’s not why this happened.”
“If you were with me, you know you couldn’t be with those women.”
“Beth. I don’t want to be in a relationship like that right now. I want to finish my house. I want to help Debbie straighten up her life. She’s had some really hard times lately and I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Yeah, I saw the kind of ‘hard’ time she’s had lately.” She said, nastily.
“No, really. She had no place to live; she was living in Karen’s living room. All her possessions fit in the trunk of her 11-year-old car. I just wanted to help. Then when she made herself available to me, well, I’m sorry. I’m a guy and she’s just beautiful. And I wasn’t getting any anywhere else. It had been a while. I mean, my God, any guy would kill to be with her, how could I resist that?” Stupid me was digging an even deeper hole.
“I know. I’m just…” she started, hesitating. “She’s very pretty. I understand you wanting to be with her. I just thought that maybe we…” She sounded as if she was on the verge of crying.
I moved forward to hold her, and she pulled away from me, hugging herself and sobbing.
“Beth. I’m sorry. I really do like you a lot. But there is so much going on right now in my life…”
“You know, I could do those things for you.” She told me, looking at me coldly. “I’ve never been with anybody. You were going to be my first. You still could be. You could teach me. I could do anything you wanted. Be everything you ever wanted” She looked at me with a strange look, anticipatory.
“Beth, that’s not what I want.” I was lying of course. I did want that. But I was greedy. I wanted everything. My cake and eat it too.
“I know I’m not as pretty as her, or as experienced. But I thought we had something. I know you wanted me. I could be yours.” She was eyeing me intensely, going out on such a limb.
“That’s not what I mean. This is not a competition. I don’t want to force you into something. You are a very pretty girl, and very sexy, and I love being around you. Of course I’d love to be with you, but not like this.”
“You’re such a god-damn liar. Last night you would have wanted me any way you could get me.” She marched out of there, without looking back. Of course she was right.
* * * *
By the end of the day, the ladies seemed to have come to some uneasy truce. The house was completely roofed, and the old drywall, wiring, and most of the framing for the upstairs were cleared out. Originally, the guys had said that most of them were going to be there the next day. I was wondering how much that was going to change, once they got home and the wives put their collective foot down.
We had a hamburger and hot-dog barbecue feast, which the women orchestrated, and no one left hungry. I think everyone was amazed at how much we’d gotten done, in just a day, and we were all feeling pretty optimistic about what the morning would bring.
I knew however, the phone lines would be singing that night. I shuddered to think what some of those conversations might sound like.
I went home, alone, and spent a miserable night. I was a little surprised at myself over how upset I was over the whole situation. I had always liked Cathy a lot. She had even teased me for years, telling me if Joe ever died, she and the girls would be staying with me and I’d have to take care of them. She was an attractive woman, and we had great fun together. She’d even been known to star in a few fantasies of mine. I didn’t want her hating me.
And Beth. Beth. I did like Beth. But to paraphrase one of the great thinkers, two birds in the hand, beat the hell out of one in the bush. She didn’t deserve what had happened today, and I was determined that in the near future, I would do what I could to straighten things out, and to finish with her cleanly. I doubted I’d see her anytime soon, after what I’d put her through.
I don’t know how long it took, but I did eventually fall asleep. I couldn’t even get up the energy that night to jerk-off. I needed help.
* * * *
If Saturday was a maelstrom, Sunday was a hurricane. No, an earthquake. Maybe a huge meteor strike.
Everybody showed up, brothers, friends, wives, and neighbors. It was to the point of being ridiculous. I guess everyone thought that there would be some great fireworks, and I know that some of the guys wanted to see this Debbie they’d heard about, as well as Beth.
I mean everyone showed up. I couldn’t believe it but Beth was back. I thought for sure that she’d never speak to me again. Cathy was there, still hot as a Dallas sidewalk in July. She did speak to me. She finally approached me to tell me I could be such an asshole and what was I thinking.
My boss from work was there. Who had invited her to the activities, I have no idea, but when she caught my eye, she had the biggest shit-eating grin. I had no doubt she was fully informed as to everything that was going on. She stopped by to tousle my hair like some kid of hers that was up to mischief.
Half the guys from work showed up, as did all but one of Joe’s brothers, and the rest of the men’s softball team. Friends of Karen’s were there that I didn’t even recognize. There was even a little hottie that worked with Beth at the day care. It was a madhouse.
I was a hero. I was a villain. I was a jerk. I was a fool. I was a genius. I was a male, letting his hormones run his life. I was a typical guy, letting the little head do all the thinking.
Most of all I was just a confused guy, in way over his head.
Debbie looked incredible. She was wearing short shorts, and had a t-shirt tied off, hooter-girl style. She clearly was NOT wearing a bra.
Beth looked divine. Open legged shorts, with a very tight, scoop-neck tee, that left about two inches of her midriff exposed.
Karen looked like the cat that caught the canary. She was clearly one of the centers of attention, and reveling in her new role.