Rich Homeless Broken But Beautiful

by Ian Tremblay

  "I look forward to it, sir." Richard shook his hand and began to walk away. "Bye now."

  "Yeah, good-bye, Richard."

  Richard stopped for some groceries and then headed to the apartment. He unpacked his things quickly and then sat comfortably in front of the television to watch a game. He put his feet up on a low table and sunk into the couch with a cold beer in his hands. "Life is sweet," he surmised. "God, life is sweet." After the game he sent Linda a text saying he loved her and that everything had gone really well. She texted back that she loved him too and missed him and would have a lot to tell him that evening. They had agreed to text as often as they liked but to try to talk on the phone every day if possible.

  "Baby, baby, I miss you," Richard shouted, moving about the apartment holding the phone to his ear, his other arm gesticulating wildly in all directions; he had had a few beers, and he was excited and happy and wanted to share his joy with Linda.

  "Oh me too, Richard, me too, I miss you so much. I wish you were here with me," she shrieked, twisting and turning in every direction of the main lobby of the residence. She was excited and her voice was a notch higher than usual. A security guard, a heavyset black woman sitting at a desk near the front door of the residency, sent her a disapproving look. Linda lowered her voice, "I can't wait to be in your arms again and to touch you and kiss you. Oh, Richard, I miss you so much." Richard moaned and sent her several loud smooches.

  "I kiss every square inch of that incredible body of yours, my love and especially those wonderful lips."

  Linda broke out laughing. "Oh, Richard, you're so bad," she squealed. "Hey, you know what, Richard? The school is really great, and I love it, plus, everyone has been super nice, and you know what else? I've made a new friend. Her name is Peggy. I can't wait for you to meet her. She's really cool and sweet, and it's like we've known each other forever. Can you believe that?"

  "Oh really, baby, wow, that's great. I'm so happy for you." The lovers' conversation continued on, bubbly and oblivious to everything and to all, their chatter punctuated with multiple and repeated declarations of love, kissing noises and squeals of excitement. For over one hour they explained to each other in minute detail their new surroundings and the people in it. It was as if they had not spoken for months when in fact it had only been a few hours.

  "In fourteen days I'll be up to see you, I can't wait," Richard whispered languorously.

  "Me neither, baby. It's unbearable. It's going to be a long fourteen days," Linda said and giggled nervously. Finally the two young lovers hung up, each with his or her heart heavy, unable, because of the distance that separated them, to consume the desire that burned their bodies or to cure the ache that filled their hearts and souls.

  When Richard showed up two weekends later, the young lovers were fused together. They stayed in the bed of their rented motel room most of the time and made love continuously. They even ordered food in and ate in bed. It was the first time they had ever been separated for such a long period of time, and they just could not get enough of each other. The explosion of their pent-up love was like the eruption of a long silent volcano, whose power and potency had been contained for long time and who could at last rain mountains of fire and rocks on its surroundings and rumble thunderously, shaking the earth with the vibrations of its complete contentment.

  Alas, it was all over too quickly. Richard had to head back, and the parting was hard on both of them. Back at the residency, Linda sat in her room alone, depressed. The door opened slightly.

  "Anybody home?" Peggy called out.

  "Yeah, I'm here." Linda replied sullenly.

  Peggy walked in.

  "Oh, are we a bit sad?" Peggy asked, as if talking to a baby. She sat on the bed beside Linda, lowering her head trying to make eye contact with her; Linda was staring at the floor. "Come on, now, let's go have a coffee and talk girl talk. What do you say?" Linda turned slightly toward her and managed a smile.

  "Okay, Peggy, anything but sitting here alone and thinking about Richard. I miss him so much it hurts." Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and Peggy took her in her arms and hugged her.

  "Oh, it'll be okay. You'll see him again soon. Come on now, let's go." She took Linda's hand and got her to get up, and Linda wiped the tears from her face.

  "Thanks, Peggy. I'm such a baby. It's just that when I'm not with Richard, it hurts me here." Linda passed her hand on her stomach to indicate where it hurt. "Do you think I'm normal?" Peggy smiled.

  "Yeah, you're normal. I've been there. I know the feeling. Don't worry, everything will be all right. Think about the next time you'll see him. Won't that be something now? It's not that far off, you know."

  "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Peggy, I'm so immature. Okay, let's go." They headed toward the residency cafeteria; Linda put her arm around Peggy's waist as they walked down the corridor.

  "Thanks, Peggy. Thanks for being my friend and understanding me." Linda looked toward her.

  "Oh, stop it now. That's what friends are for, right?" Peggy looked at her and smiled.

  "Yeah, that's what friends are for." Linda put her head on Peggy's shoulder, and a smile had come back on her face.

  Meanwhile, Diane Sorenson had been busily at work. Her plan to have Richard Benson was taking shape. She had done her homework, and a little flirting with a clerk at the admissions office had provided Richard's address, phone number, and school schedule. Plus, she had gotten a schedule of the football team's games and practices from the sports department, and as she was in two of Richard's classes, she organized things so as to have a few accidental encounters with him.

  One bright and sunny Tuesday morning, two weeks after classes had started; Richard was walking briskly to his first class of the day.

  "Richard, Richard Benson, wait up." It was Diane who was coming up behind him. She wore a short red summer skirt made of a very light and fluid fabric. Her semi-transparent white blouse was transparent just enough so that one could see the outline of her firm breasts sitting in a pretty pink bra. She wore an expensive pair of red sandals, and her toenails were painted a matching color. She had spent hours that morning doing her hair and makeup in anticipation of her encounter with Richard. On one of her shoulders and to one side, hung by only one strap, was a small black leather backpack. The pressure of the one strap on her blouse opened it just enough for some cleavage to show. In her loose hand she carried a few books. Of course the look and the encounter were all part of her meticulous plan. Richard had turned and waited for her to catch up.

  "Hi, Richard, can I walk with you to class?" Diane gave him her best smile as she caught up with him.

  "Sure, Diane," he gave her a quick look over and couldn't help but notice how sexy she looked. "So, Diane, how have you been?" He asked her as they began to walk together toward class.

  "I thought you'd never ask, Richard Benson. We've been here nearly three weeks, and you've barely spoken a word to me. I mean, we are from the same town and the same school, you know?"

  "I know, Diane. I'm sorry, but I've been really caught up in football practice and school and also, every second weekend, I go see Linda, and I don't have much time left for anything else." Richard's eyes kept falling toward her cleavage as they walked. Even though his glimpses only lasted a few seconds, Diane took note of the effect she was having on him.

  "But still, a little more than just hello would be nice." She gave him a mischievous smile, but she did not overdo it. "Anyway, to answer your question, Richard, I'm fine, thank you for asking. I miss my friends a lot, though. Also, you know James and I split up just before I left for school, and I've been single since then, and to be honest with you, I feel a bit lonely sometimes. Plus, I still haven't made any new friends here. I've been too busy with school and all that, you know." Her tone was meant to induce compassion and even a little pity from Richard, and it worked.

  "Oh come on, Diane, you'll make new friends in no time, and a boyfriend won't be a problem. I mean, look at you. You are an amazi
ngly beautiful woman. All these city guys here at college will be hounding you soon, mark my words."

  "You're just saying that because I'm a bit down right now, Richard. You've never told me I was beautiful before. Do you really mean that?" Diane looked toward him, her eyes begging for an affirmative answer.

  "Diane, I really mean it, okay? You're very beautiful and charming, and I've always thought very highly of you. I think you have great potential. I mean, you're not just beautiful, you are also intelligent and a really sharp person. We just never got to know each other much, because, well, I've been seeing Linda for all these years, and we never had the chance to talk. But there you are; now you know."

  "Oh, Richard, thank you, that's very sweet of you. It really makes me feel good. As for me, well I've always had a lot of respect and admiration for you. You are really a person that I look up to. It's funny how we went to the same school for four years and we never had a real conversation. Isn't that weird?"

  "Well, better late than never, Diane," they smiled to each other.

  "Well maybe we can have a drink or a bite to eat sometime-you know, to make up for lost time and to talk about the hometown. What do you say?" Diane eyed him from the corner of her eye to measure his reaction.

  "Sure, why not? I'll tell you what, Diane. Tomorrow after football practice, what do you say we go for some pizza and a few beers? Is that a deal?" "Richard’s proposition was sincere and bit naïve and he did not really know what he was getting into. He just wanted to be nice to someone from his hometown who he believed was lonely and homesick.

  "I'd love that, Richard. Thank you, that's very kind and generous of you. I really appreciate it."

  "It's nothing. Come on, so it's a date for tomorrow then?" He smiled.

  "Yeah, it's a date." Diane was beaming; it had been easier than she had thought. Richard was convinced that there was no harm done to have some pizza and a conversation with her. Of course, any self-respecting conniving female could have told him he was being played, but Richard, as most guys, was oblivious to the strategic intricacies of feminine charm tactics.

  As they got close to the building they were headed to, Diane pretended to trip and her books flew forward out of her hand. She grabbed Richard by the arm to break her fall and then, quickly ran toward her books and bent forward to retrieve them. She bent without bending her knees, and in such a way that she was sure that Richard would get a good glimpse up her short skirt. Diane had worn a very sexy pink G-string especially for this moment. She took an extra second or two before standing upright again and then turned in his direction and noticed that his face had turned crimson red.

  "Thank you for breaking my fall, Richard. I could have fallen and hurt myself," she said in a very innocent little girl voice while arranging her skirt.

  A very flustered Richard stuttered, "Are you okay? I mean, did you hurt yourself?"

  "No, I'm fine, thanks." She smiled, happy to see him blushing and at a loss for words.

  Richard's mind was flooded with thoughts of her ass in the pink G-string, and he was very troubled by his thoughts. Diane's plan had worked to perfection.

  They sat side by side in class, and Diane put her glasses on and pretended to be very absorbed in the professor's lecture. She crossed and uncrossed her legs every now and then and saw Richard catch fleeting glimpses of her breasts and legs from the corner of her eye. She pretended not to notice. Richard was very fidgety, and he leaned toward her and whispered, "Diane, that perfume you're wearing smells incredible."

  Of course that morning Diane had made sure to put on an extra dose of her best perfume for exactly that effect. She wrote on her notebook, "Thank you, I'm glad you like it. It's Chanel #5, and it cost daddy a fortune."

  Richard read the note and said mockingly through his clenched teeth, "Poor daddy."

  Diane smiled. Richard was falling into the trap, and she was certain that soon he would be hers. That thought gave her a warm, pulsating feeling deep inside her gut, a feeling she could not wait to assuage.

  Richard did not mention that day's encounter with Diane Sorenson to Linda when they spoke on the phone that night. He didn't want her getting any ideas-at least, that's what he told himself. Of course, telling her he had invited Diane for pizza after practice the next evening-well, he didn't even want to think how he would explain that to her or how Linda would react. So, he had decided to keep the whole thing to himself because in his mind it would be a one-time thing and therefore there was nothing to talk about-or at least that's what he deluded himself to believe.

  The next night when he walked out of practice, he was showered and shaved and had some clean clothes on. He felt good, but still, he was a bit nervous about meeting Diane. She was waiting for him at the locker room door, and she looked stunning. She wore a pair of tightly fitted designer jeans that had a low waist and a small diamond sparkled from the ring pierced in her belly button. Her very tight baby blue tank top made the outline of her breasts very visible and left no doubt about their size and shape. Her hair and makeup were perfect. In short, she was hot, and Richard could not help but notice.

  "Hi, Richard, how was practice?" Diane gave him her best smile. Richard was perturbed by her, and he tried to hide it by answering in a matter of fact way.

  "Okay. I think everyone is anxious to put the first game behind them."

  "That's Saturday, isn't it?" Diane moved about in front of him, loving the effect she was having on him. Richard stared to the ground.

  "Yeah, Saturday, too bad Linda can't come. She has a part-time job now, and plus she has to study." The thought that Linda would miss his first game saddened him, and mentioning her name made him feel less guilty about Diane's presence.

  "Oh really, that's too bad. I'm sure she'll miss a good game." Diane was having trouble hiding her joy about Linda not being around. "But hey, Richard, the whole school will be there to cheer you on, and so will I, I promise." Diane had leaned slightly toward him and taken one of his hands and patted it in a gentle and affectionate manner. Richard blushed, but he did not remove his hand from hers right away. After a few moments he pulled it away and said, "What do you say we go eat now? I'm starving."

  "Sure, Richard, me too."

  They went to the favorite student hang out. It was a bar and restaurant with live bands, pool tables and a lot of rowdy students. They shared a pizza and a few beers. Diane got Richard talking about football, and he got animated and passionate while he explained to her the intricacies of the game. Diane played along and acted genuinely interested, asking questions and following his lead very well. All the time they were sitting, she directed the conversation skillfully, staying away from things like Linda, his studies, and any other subject that could have changed the mood of the moment. Richard was completely unaware of her strategies, and he talked endlessly about his favorite subject, convinced that he was having a deep and interesting conversation with her.

  "So, Richard, want to shoot some pool?"

  "You play pool, Diane?" Richard was surprised; Linda did not like the game and never played.

  " Sure I do," she turned her back to him and walked suggestively toward the pool tables, making sure he got a good long look at her ass, which she knew looked fabulous in those jeans. She turned to him and shouted, "Loser pays the shooters."

  Richard smiled as he walked to the pool table. He had eaten her with his eyes as she had walked across the room, and he was trying very hard to repress the thoughts he was having. Diane was happy because she knew that it didn't really matter who won or who lost; they were going to have shooters, no matter what. That is, he was going to have shooters. She had come in earlier and had bribed the waitress to bring Richard real shots of tequila and colored water for her. She had told the girl, "We're from the same town, and I want to play a little innocent trick on him." She had winked at the girl as she had slipped her a twenty. The waitress had obligingly played along.

  They played six or seven games, and the tequila shots they ordered after
every game began to hit Richard hard.

  "I think we'd better call it quits, Diane. I'm not used to drinking like this."

  "Okay, Richard, let's get out of here. I need some air too,"

  They walked out of the bar, and Richard was a little unsteady on his feet.

  "Hey, Diane, you hold up pretty good on that tequila, and you shoot a mean game of pool. I'm impressed."

  "I've had a lot of practice with James. He had a pool table at home, and his father buys tequila by the case. We indulged his bar a few times, so I can handle it pretty good."

  "Wow, that's great, Diane." Richard's words were becoming slurred as the tequila ripped into him. "I always thought you were a little bit, you know, fancy and precious, but you have some rock and roll in you, girl." Diane smiled and took him by the arm to help steady him. When they got to his car, she took the car keys away from him, and he protested mildly, but the reality was that he was just too drunk to drive or even wonder why she was not as drunk as he was. He sat in the passenger seat with a silly smile on his face, gazing straight ahead and bobbing to the music.

  "You are quite a woman, Diane, I must admit, really quite a woman." Richard's head swayed from side to side.

  "Thank you, Richard, it means a lot to me." She put her hand on his thigh and slowly ran it up and down, stopping only inches from his private parts. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and moaned imperceptibly. When they got to his building, Diane got out and went over to his side of the car and opened the door.

  "Come on, Richard, I'll walk you up." He did not protest as she put her arm around his waist.

  "I'm okay, Diane, really I'm okay," he said, but he did nothing to disengage himself from her or to stop their movement toward his apartment. Diane unlocked the door, and they let themselves in.

  "Where's the bathroom, Richard?"

  "Over there." He pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

  Diane took a long time in the bathroom; she put on some extra perfume and took off her bra and put it in her purse. When she walked out, there was music playing, and some candles were burning. Richard was sitting on the couch; he had gotten two glasses of ice-cold water that he had placed on the table in front of him.