Carla 13 The Bitter Liquid

Recap: I'm Kate, Carla's best friend, and housemate with her and Tom, her boyfriend.

We had been living at his for nearly a year now, me in the Annexe when I wasn't away with work.

Tonight, I was at the Business Network function at a nearby local yacht club and presented on the topic Small is Beautiful: To The Moon about RocketFactory's achievements.

After the presentation, I mingled for a while, and then from behind, I heard Rockeeet Giirlll. I knew that it could only be Carla's ex James, as that was his nickname for me. I liked James when he was Carla's BF, but my guard was up to respect Carla. I turned around and said, "Hi." We chatted politely for a bit and then he said, "Guess who I saw just now?"

I looked at him quizzically no idea. He continued, "Kelly" [Tom's miserable ex]. I shot him an evil glance which he smiled at and continued, "I heard her bitching to some people that her ex had hooked up with a busty tart and she hoped the tart could cope with his feelings towards his ex'. I decided to have some fun, so I walked over to her and with a smile said 'Hi sexy, remember me?' They all looked at me wondering who I was, and Misery said 'No idea.'"

I was thinking James is hot but even clothed, Tom is hotter, and inside me, Tom is pussy melting hot.

He continued," 'Thought so. I'm the 'Busty Chemical Engineer' [emphasis] Tart's' [sneer] ex. They are happy together and I'm happy for them.' Her face dropped like a brick at that, and I said 'You're very pretty, ' pausing to let the compliment sink in, 'but you've always been miserable. Now you're pretty, miserable, bitter, and very jealous' and I walked off."

I smiled at James and said quietly and sadly, "Not Ex, late. We miss her too."

James looked puzzled at my comment and then he got the meaning [Jo was Tom's late fiancé. We knew her as she was our classmate] and as then the ball dropped, he smiled sadly at what Kelly's jealousy had put Tom through and replied quietly. "Tom's a great guy, are they happy?"

Despite the throng, I felt the room go dark and quiet as he experienced Tom's Dark.

I said, "Very. We are in with him. Me in the annexe."

Just then, Jenna, his girlfriend appeared, smiling and happy. Her smile died as she saw our mood. She friendly-hugged me, but felt my limp feeling, then hugged James and felt his sorrow too. She said to him "What's up?"

He hesitated and I said acidly, "You see that group over there," pointing at where Kelly was, "We know that jealous bitch very well. She is Tom's ex. Your boy's just sunk her," and pursed my lips, glaring.

Jenna was shocked at my response. We had previously met at The Dog run and also worked together.

He turned to Jenna and said, "When you met Carla at The Dog, what was your first impression?"

She hesitated and said, "You're both pretty, but taller than me. Carla's slightly taller than you."

James said, "And.."

She moved over and whispered in my ear, "You looked like you'd just been fucked, maybe by the same guy."

I ran two fingers briefly on her side. Then she released me and said to James, "Relaxed."

I could see James was hesitating, so I said in my Mission Control Voice, "Like my babies [boosters], straight up boy."

Jenna gently smiled at the comment, except when we'd worked together, my baby was falling, and she was upfront trying to catch it.

James said sorrowfully, "Tart?".

She replied in her pilot voice, "Fuck No. That bitch said that about her?"

James leaned over and gave her a peck saying, "I heard her say that about Carla, so I went over and sunk her," as a deep sadness appeared on his face and conveyed by his voice, from what I'd just told him about Tom: that Kelly was jealous of two people now. He realised what she had put Tom through when they were together, and he knew and liked Tom since he was with Carla. His respect for Tom had increased when Tom opened up about his new relationship with Carla, his now ex.

My time here is over, it's time for Jenna to shine her light into James' dark like we do to Tom, I thought and said to Jenna, "You have a great guy. He won't call a bitch for what she is in front of you. Bye," and forced a smile as I broke away to the sorrowful rasp that is Mark Koffler's Romeo and Juliet, grabbed my jacket and headed out for a contemplative, moonlit walk home.

Jenna, feeling her boyfriend's sadness, hugged him tightly, but gently and looked into his eyes saying, "How well did you know them?"

He said in a voice that would make a church mouse seem raucous, "We," [Him, Carla, and Kate] "knew them from The Dog." He's a nice, friendly guy, but Misery was always standoffish, sullen, and borderline rude. When we got home, they used to muse about whether they knew him from somewhere, but after a while, that thread stopped. I thought they either found out or gave up."

Jenna said, "You didn't ask?"

He replied, "No. I respected them to tell me if I needed to know. Now I know and understand why I didn't need to then. How well do you know Kate?"

She said, "We had 2 goes [at catching falling boosters]. I'd have her back again anytime [in the helicopter]."

James said, "Personally?"

She replied, "She's nice. Gave me the headlines on Tom and Carla."

He said sorrowfully, "'Not Ex, late. We miss her too.'"

She replied, "Kate said that?"

He nodded, holding her close, "She respects me and decided I needed the truth. Poor sod, having to deal with that. That's why they stopped going on about him: they twigged. Now he's got someone great," as a sorrowful smile forced its way onto his lips.

Acknowledging his generosity, she kissed him gently.

"Sometimes the cork would shift, and the rich liquid would seep, sending him into a sudden darkness. Another bottle's contents turned rancid, and it fell to the floor, shattering and headed down the drain. A third bottle was growing and a different, but deepening liquid was filling it." She mused as he looked in disbelief at her.

She continued, "His Soul: The Love Shelf, or something like that. Can't remember where I read it. But the first bottle had been slowly filled by a sweet, rich liquid, then suddenly the tap was removed, and the cork slammed shut."

He said, "First one: Love found and lost. Second one sounds like jealousy or envy. Third one, new and trusting relationship," and hugged her tighter.

She peck-kissed him on the lips, "Drip," another peck kiss, "Drip," kiss, "Drip," and held the final kiss.

"Us," she concluded, and they walked out into the cold night.