Safe With Me, Part 2

by Shaina Richmond

  "We might be doing something soon. I'll let you know. It's been a long time.”

  "Too long. I'll give you a call." Sherry left to wait on another table. The restaurant was slowly filling up even though it was going on 9 pm.

  "So how long have you known Sherry?" I asked.

  "Since I lived here the first time. She and Lydia went to church together. So, when I took over Lydia's house I looked her up and she worked here. We've both been too busy for a while to keep up with each other like we should. I think I'll invite her over with Joan and Monica on Friday night."

  "Friday night?"

  "Yeah. Joan's sister Monica will be here. She's in graduate school at Harrison. Their midterm break is the week before ours, so Monica's coming in on Friday. She and Joan are coming over to my house for the night. I need to find out if it's okay with them if I invite Sherry. They probably won't care, but I don't want to be rude." She took her phone out of her purse and sent a quick text message.

  My food was quickly gone except for a few fries. I stacked my plates and set them away from me. I thought about asking Susie if she was going to eat the rest of her pancakes when I realized how full I was.

  "So," she said, then took a drink, "what were you and Joan really talking about today?"

  "Caleb. What did you think we were talking about?"

  "What did she say about him?"

  "Just that he hadn't called her in a while. But I don't want to betray her confidence by talking about it." How could she argue with that? I was telling the truth. And it made me sound like a good guy, which I considered myself to be.

  "Okay, that's fine. So, do you have any idea why he stopped calling her?"

  "No. We're guys. We don't share details like you women do."

  "Does Caleb know that you know me?"

  "Why? You know him?"

  She rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately."

  "What happened?" Oh no. Don't tell me Caleb is another one of her casualties….

  "Joan doesn't know anything about this. But since you're his roommate, if he ever starts badmouthing her you need to know the truth. Please don't repeat this."

  "I won't."

  "Joan is very sweet. Sort of naive. But she's great. Really, it doesn't get any better than her. She and her sister are closer to me than members of my own family. Which really isn't saying much… . but you get the point."

  I nodded and poured myself some more coffee.

  "She made the mistake of trusting him with a closely held secret. Oh, that jerk." She shook her head and groaned.

  "What secret?"

  "Well, apparently she was trying to impress him or something. He asked her if she had ever slept with another woman. She said 'yes, my friend Susie.' "

  My eyes opened wide. I didn't expect Susie to tell me about her and Joan. And I couldn't let on that I already knew.

  "You and Joan?" I asked.

  "Yes, we went through a phase. I'd still be okay with doing it once in a while if she hadn't tried to make it into something it wasn't. She's kind of needy. She falls in love with everyone she has sex with, like a lot of women."

  Except the one sitting here telling me this story.

  "How long ago was this?" I asked.

  "It probably ended a year ago. But she shouldn't have told Caleb about it. I met him a few times. I went out drinking with him, Joan, and a few other people over the summer. I think one was your roommate Joe."

  "Damn, where was I?"

  "Were you living there over the summer?"

  "Yes, I moved in at the beginning of May to take summer classes. I don't go out with them very often,” I said.

  "Then you were living there. I don’t know how we didn’t meet before. I went out with them for the last time probably the day after Joan told him about our past… encounters… "

  The way she said it was so hot. I took a drink of coffee to try to mask my intrigue.

  "So," she continued, "when I saw Caleb out the next night, he came up and started dancing with me. I didn't mind until he whispered in my ear that he wanted to have a threesome with me and Joan. That's when I knew Joan had messed up. You can’t tell stuff like that to a guy like Caleb. He's a man whore."

  I laughed. "Yes, I live on the other side of his wall. He would probably take that as a compliment."

  "Oh, I'm sure. So, he grabbed my boob and tried to kiss me. This was while Joan was away getting another drink. I hit him in the balls, but not too hard. Just enough to let him know he needed to stop. Then I told him to fuck off, and he left the bar without even saying goodbye to Joan. And he never called her again. I haven’t told her about it. She already has a complex about me or something."

  "I feel really bad for her," I said. "She seems like a nice girl."

  "She is. I keep trying to tell her she needs to stop giving herself away like that. Just because a guy fucks you it doesn't mean he loves you. In fact, it never means that."

  "That's not true," I said.

  "Okay," she said.

  "I'm just saying… some guys do fall in love."

  "Yeah, maybe."

  "So, are you and Joan okay? Is it awkward now?"

  “It was for a little while. I think she was ashamed. But I think it was just something she needed to try so she could get it out of her system. I felt like a bad friend for a while, like I used her or something. I don't know if I could fall in love with a woman. But I can sure as hell give one a good time once in a while."

  I was suddenly jealous of Joan. I didn't like the thought of Susie desiring someone else the way she desired me, sexually. I wondered why I wasn't jealous when Joan told me about it earlier, but listening to Susie talk about it got my pulse rate up a bit, and not in a good way. Still, a part of me was curious to know a little more.

  "So, it was good with her then?" I asked.

  "Please don't tell me you want a three-way. That's completely out of the question."

  "No, not at all. Had you been with other women?"

  "Yes."

  "A lot? Are you bi?"

  "Not a whole lot. And no, I don't really consider myself anything. I don't like to use labels. It depends on what your definition of 'bi' is. I’m not sure I'd want a relationship with a woman. But sex with one occasionally can be nice."

  "But you don't even want a relationship with a man, right?"

  "Yeah, that's true. You got me there. But, if I were to have a relationship, it would probably only be with a man."

  I noticed she had a way of saying everything while saying absolutely nothing. I could almost take that to mean there was hope for me. Almost….

  "So, you were okay with just having sex with Joan and being friends? What was that like? How could you go back to just being friends?" I asked.

  "It wasn't that hard. It was a lot of fun when it first started. But I sort of got bored with it. If we had done it maybe once every couple of months, casually, I might still want it. But it happened a lot at first. Then she expected it and wanted something more. I'm still attracted to her on some level. I don't think about it every time I see her or anything. It's like it never happened, in a way. Once in a while if she were to catch me in the right mood and I had a little to drink, I'd probably go for it. But then again, I'm not sure. I remember how painful it was for her."

  I hoped she couldn't see the jealousy in my face. I wondered if I was the next Joan. Susie got bored with her. This wasn't a good story.

  We sat there and drank a little more coffee. Susie still had half of her pancakes left.

  "You're not going to eat that?" I asked.

  "No. I'm stuffed. You want me to take them home for you in case you're hungry later? They warm up well in the microwave."

  "Sure."

  Susie started to put the pancakes in a box Sherry had dropped off.

  I excused myself and found the restroom. I figured I should get it out of the way before we went back to her house. On my way back to the table, Sherry stopped me.

  "I'm glad she brought you with her
tonight. It's not safe for her here alone. Did she tell you what happened last time?" Sherry asked.

  "Yeah. But she seems fine."

  "I hope so." She shook her head. "I hate calling the cops."

  "Cops? Susie told me someone saw what happened and came outside to help."

  "Oh, someone did." She shook her head. "But it got pretty bad and we had to call the cops. She must've left that part out. We should've banned him from coming back here but he's been a long time customer and the owner… well, anyway." She looked at Susie sitting with her back toward us, out of earshot, "I called Joan. So you like her, huh?"

  "What?" I looked at Susie, trying to make sure she hadn't heard us. She was too far away. "I can't believe you already know that. I shouldn't have told her." Damn it, Joan! Don’t you know how to keep a secret?

  "No, it's okay. I've known these girls for a long time. They’re like my little sisters. Joan didn't just give up your business. I had a break for a minute and seeing Susie reminded me I should call Joan. She was happy when I told her you were here together."

  "Yeah. Susie told me to pretend to be her boyfriend because of those guys over there in the corner. She didn't want to come here alone."

  "I don't blame her. But I think it's more than that. She didn't have to ask you to pretend to be her boyfriend. A friend could protect her just the same."

  "Maybe you're right. But I'm trying not to read so much into anything and get my hopes up."

  "You must really like her." She patted my back and smiled. "You're a sweet boy. I'll be praying for you. And I'll put in a good word for you on Friday night." Susie must have already gotten an answer to her text while I was in the bathroom. "I won't give away your secret, I swear. I've been praying that Susie would get with a nice guy and settle down. She's a good girl, you know? Despite what she tells people."

  "Thank you, Sherry. I really hope I can trust you."

  "Look, I'll tell you a secret as collateral." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Last year my mom needed chemo and she didn't have any insurance. My church got an anonymous donation to give to her to pay for the whole thing, plus extra. I'm not supposed to know this, but it was Susie. She still doesn't know I found out. I don't know why she doesn't want to take credit for it. But that's how she is."

  "Really? That's… . wow. I'm glad your mom is doing better. Is Susie rich or something?"

  "I gotta go, hon. People are waving me over. Praying for you!" She ran off to take an order.

  I had a lot to think about as I walked back to our booth. How can she afford to pay for someone's chemotherapy? It's not that she lives extravagantly. Her house was given to her. Her cars are old. But she basically told me earlier she didn't need a student loan. What am I supposed to think of all this?

  When I got back to the booth, Susie held her purse and sat at the edge of the booth. I picked up the take out box and extended my hand to help her up.

  "You need help?" I asked.

  "Uh huh." She reached for my hand and continued to hold it as we walked to the counter to pay.

  "I know you wanted to pay, but that would make me a really terrible boyfriend," I whispered in Susie's ear. We waited for Sherry to come back to the counter. I handed her some cash along with the receipt.

  "You two have a good night! It was nice to meet you, Tyler," Sherry said as she opened the cash register.

  "It was nice to meet you too, Sherry. Thanks for everything," I said.

  "Love you, Sherry. See you Friday,” Susie said.

  The night air was crisp. The light wind felt really good. I held Susie’s hand. My night of being her boyfriend had a few seconds left on the clock. As we walked to her car, I decided to see how far I could take it. The worst she could say was 'no.'

  I squeezed her hand. "You know, sweetie, it's customary for the boyfriend to drive. It's manly. I'm supposed to take care of you."

  "You just wanna drive the Mercedes." She reached into her purse for the keys. "Here you go."

  "Yes!" I unlocked her door first then ran around to the driver's side. I was thrilled. I had only driven a Mercedes a few times in the past, trying to diagnose their problems if Dad had one to repair at his shop. And since the area where we lived wasn't exactly affluent, I didn't get to drive many German made vehicles.

  It wasn't just the car that made me happy, though. It was the fact that she let me drive it at all. I felt protective of her ever since we arrived at the truck stop. As fiercely independent and strong as she was, she needed me that night.

  I backed out of the parking space and pulled out onto the road.

  "Wow, this car is really nice to drive," I said.

  "Yes. I love it," she said. "It's hard driving anything else after you get used to it."

  "Do you love it more than the Crown Vic?"

  "Mmm… I don't think so. I love them both in different ways but it's equal."

  "If your garage caught on fire and you only had enough time to save one, which would it be?" I turned to give her a quick glance.

  "Oh, that's a horrible question. Damn it, Tyler!" She balled up her first and lightly hit my thigh. "Don’t make me think about that."

  At least I knew she was capable of feeling love for something.

  "I'm so full," she said, groaning.

  "Really? You barely ate anything."

  "These pancakes are very dense. Did you see how much butter and syrup I used? I'll be on the treadmill tomorrow."

  "I'm full too. That was a big cheeseburger. I can barely move."

  "Hmmm… well, there goes our night I guess." She sounded disappointed.

  "Give it time sweetie…."

  She reached over and slowly ran her hand up my bicep to my shoulder. "You must work out all the time."

  "Not really. Only when I feel like it. Cyrus has some weights I use once in a while but not regularly. I guess I'm just built like this."

  "You must have so many women after you."

  "Yeah, right,” I said.

  "Come on, I know you do. Have you had a lot of girlfriends?"

  Why was she interested in this? I took it as a good sign.

  "I've had five or six. Especially in high school and then when I started college the first time. I haven't had much time for it since my dad died."

  "Yeah, women are trouble, aren't they?" She sounded like she knew exactly what I was talking about.

  "I don't know if 'trouble' is the word I would use. But they do require a lot of time and attention. I tend to attract the ones who are really shallow and act like I owe them something just for the privilege of being in their presence."

  "I know a lot of women like that. I can't stand the ones who are really bossy and disrespectful." She made a disgusted grunting sound. "A few weeks ago I was out shopping and this really whiny girl behind me in line was talking to her friend about how her boyfriend wanted to take her to the same place for Valentine's Day as he did for her birthday. And it was a really nice restaurant that I liked myself. She was upset with him and her friend went along with it. She said to make up for it he bought her a gift or something. She was trashing him like he was so mean and she was the poor victim."

  "Did you say anything?"

  She giggled. "Yes. I said 'I feel bad for him. You're not worth it.’ I don't know what got into me. They were standing behind me in line for a long time so she went on about him for like, ten minutes. I mean, really? So, I paid and picked up my bags and said that to her. She and her friend got really mad. Her friend said something like 'you're just jealous because you're fat.' I said, 'no, I'm angry because I've had to endure your moronic conversation for the last ten minutes. I'd rather be fat than have a spineless pussy for a boyfriend.'" And I walked away. They were just like 'whatever' and put their clothes on the counter to pay. The lady behind them in line told me she agreed with me. The cashier smiled."

  "I can't believe you did that!"

  "Me neither. I don't usually confront people. I just felt she needed to be taken down a peg. But hey, he co
uld break up with her if he wanted. I think most guys put up with way too much crap. I mean, is she really that good? Or are you just afraid you're not going to get it anywhere else?" She sighed. "It makes me sad."

  "You don't seem like you'd be that way, Susie. It was fun being your boyfriend tonight."

  "Awww… thank you! I liked being your girlfriend too."

  I searched for the right words to say. I didn't want to scare her off, but I also wanted to somehow let her know that I'd be interested in being her real boyfriend all the time.

  "You know, you're really not fat,” I said.

  "Oh, yes I am. It's okay with me."

  "You're beautiful though. From head to toe."

  "Thank you. You're very flattering. But just so you know, 'fat' doesn't mean ugly to me. I think it's okay to be a little thick."

  "Well, I don't mind it one bit." I wanted to pull the car over and show her how much I loved her body.

  She ran her hands across my arm and shoulder again. "You're very sweet. Do you have any idea how much I'm attracted to you?"

  I swallowed.

  "Make sure you think about what you want during the ten hours I'll owe you for the tune up,” she said.

  Damn. I was only joking about increasing it from two hours. But I'll take it.

  "Do I have to cash it in all at once, or can I use a little at a time?" I asked.

  "Hmmm…" She paused for a few seconds. "What about two five-hour increments?"

  "Five hours?"

  "I'll make sure there's enough food in the house."

  We both laughed.

  "What about a five hour, a three hour, and a two hour?" I asked.

  "Hmmm… I can maybe swing that. Although, my preference would be 10 hours all at once."

  "Really? It should be my choice though, right?" I asked.

  "Absolutely. Yes,” she said. I could hear her breathing a little harder. "Do you have ideas about what you want yet?"

  "I have a few floating around in my head but I think I'd rather surprise you if that's okay. I'll give you fair warning if you need to make any special preparations." I loved that she was so into the idea. And that it was her idea to begin with.

  "That's perfectly fine with me," she said. "It would be nice to have a hint though… or maybe you could just brainstorm for me?"