The threesome was done. It felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I realized then that I had been dreading the entire affair, rather than looking forward to it. I didn't feel the slightest urge for a repeat with Emily. Marina was more intriguing, but she was gay, and with Carmen. I liked her, and would keep fond memories of the threesome because of her.
But more than anything, now, I wanted to win Christina back. She DID like me - at least, before Massimo revealed the bet. Somehow, some way, I would have to remind her of the things about me that she liked, and rekindle the attraction. In other words, I had to convince Christina that I wasn't a complete asshole.
I was at the fitness centre, to play a game of squash against a newcomer who had climbed the ladder rather quickly. He beat Massimo, in the 4th spot, on his first attempt, and had now challenged me.
Markus was a big guy, tall and well-built. He was good-looking, blonde, and tanned. His racquet, clothing and footwear were expensive, top of the line stuff. I was prepared to dislike him right away. Then he cleaned my clock.
This guy wiped the floor with me. I was a little out of practice, but even on my best day, he would have beat me handily. He smiled the whole time, and complimented me when I made a good shot, or dove for a return. Now I was ready to cordially hate him.
We met for the traditional beverage afterwards - winner buys. I had a beer, while Markus ordered a fruit juice. He was a vegetarian, but not a fanatic. To my surprise, he turned out to be a nice guy. He came from a Swedish family, still had a strong accent, skied in the winter, and had just moved here to take up a new job. I found myself liking Markus.
Then I remembered: "You don't play bridge, by any chance, do you?"
He gave me a huge, toothy smile. "I love britch."
********************************
I called the others, and told them that I had found a new player. Both Carmen and Beth wanted to know more, but all I would tell them was that Markus was male, and reasonably good-looking. I offered to host the next game.
When I spoke to Christina, I was tempted to ask her out. A safe date, like to see a band, or an afternoon coffee. But I held back. Better to give her a little time, to forget the threesome. I could use the bridge game to test the waters and see how she responded to me.
Markus was, as you might have guessed, a huge hit. Carmen was awestruck. Beth had a whispered conversation with her, reminding Carmen that she was still with Marina. Darren was impressed, too; I had to remind him to close his mouth, and wipe the drool from his chin.
The big Swede could play bridge, too. Was there anything he couldn't do? Markus was a hit with everyone there.
- "Where did you find him?" asked Beth.
- "Are there more like him?" Darren wanted to know.
- "How much are plane tickets to Sweden?" was Carmen's question. "I
love
his accent."
Abigail and Christina went out of their way to help him fit in. But it wasn't very hard. He was immeasurably more pleasant than Emily, and we finally had eight good bridge players again. The fact that he was easy on the eyes for the girls (and Darren) was an added bonus. Even Christina had something positive to say.
- "Good work, Norm." she said, with a half-smile.
I waited four more days before calling Christina. When I did, I had a foolproof idea. There was a new cafe in town, where the walls were lined with old bookcases, their shelves loaded with new and used books. The tables were set in little nooks, which offered considerable privacy for those who wanted to read, or share a quiet conversation. The books were for sale, or you could sample them and read a few chapters for free. It would be the kind of place Christina would enjoy.
"Oh, I heard about it - it sounds wonderful." she said. "But ..."
- "But?"
- "But I have plans that afternoon. I'm sorry, Norm. I won't be able to go."
- "What about Sunday?" I asked.
- "No good either. I'm helping my sister on Sunday. Sorry, Norm. I'll have to take a raincheque."
- "Anytime." I told her. But I was surprised. Disappointed, obviously, but also surprised. Yet I shouldn't have been. What did I expect: that Christina had been sitting around waiting for me to finish fucking Emily and Marina so that she could go out with me? Patience, I told myself.
I waited until the following week, and then invited her to meet me for a drink after work.
"I can't, Norm." she said.
- "How about dinner? My treat. You have to eat." I heard my own tone of voice and realized that I sounded a little bit desperate.
- "Norm - I can't. I'm sorry. Listen - I'll see you at Bridge Club, and I'll explain, OK? I have to go, though. I have to finish this before I can leave."
- "Alright. See you Saturday." I said, and then hung up.
Shit! What the hell did that mean? What did she have to explain?
**********************************
My questions were answered at the Bridge Club.
Christina arrived late, as she often did. With Markus. And they were holding hands.
I was very proud of myself, for how I acted that evening. I smiled, and greeted them warmly. I shook Markus' hand (once he had let go of Christina's), and I kissed her on the cheek. I acted like nothing was wrong.
Abigail was hosting the game, with an assist from Pete. His own apartment was a one-bedroom bachelor pad, so he wouldn't be able to have us all over. But they were a couple, and appeared quite happy to co-host at her place.
I concentrated on playing cards, and tried to be as pleasant as possible to everyone. I don't think I fooled anybody.
After the first rubber, Carmen asked me if I was alright. Beth gave me a hug, for moral support. Abigail just looked sad. Even Darren patted me on the shoulder.
"Tough luck, man." he said. "You OK?"
- "Fine. I'm fine."
Markus smiled a lot, and did his tall, good-looking, blonde and tanned thing. I really couldn't hold it against him. He was a nice guy. He wasn't deliberately trying to cut in on me. How could he have known? Even Edgar Allan Poe couldn't find fault with him.
As for Christina ... I wasn't angry at her, either. How could I be, if I was truly in love with her? Sure, I wanted her. But didn't I want her to be happy? If he was the right guy for her, then good luck to both of them.
And if he wasn't, then I could wait. There was nothing else to do in the meantime, but grin and bear it. She looked so good, though, wearing a lilac-colored outfit that suited her dark skin perfectly. Her hair had been done in corn rows, which somehow complimented her exotic features. She had on a little more makeup than usual, and she was showing a bit of cleavage. Christina looked good enough to eat.
As I say, I behaved myself. I played reasonably well, aided by a series of remarkably good hands. My cards were so good that everyone noticed.
"You're getting the cards tonight, Norm." said Darren, my partner. "That's some run of luck."
And then Carmen put her foot in it. "Lucky at cards, unlucky at - " Then she realized what she was saying, and froze. Her partner was Christina.
We sat there for four very uncomfortable seconds of absolute silence.
My partner bailed us all out.
"Well, he deserves a little luck." said Darren. "If I recall correctly, you had terrible cards the last
two
times we played. You couldn't
buy
a decent hand."
Carmen shot Darren a grateful look, but Christina didn't raise her eyes. I just smiled.
-"All good things come to those that wait." I said. Let her make of that what she would.
Later that evening, Christina found me in the kitchen. She smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry, Norm." she said.
- "It's cool." I told her. "Happy for you. He's great."
Somehow I managed not to embarrass myself. I waited until I got home to howl at the moon.
**************************************
Carmen texted me the next day to apologize for the 'Lucky' comment, and to ask me how I was. Beth phoned me to ask the same thing. Neither of them had known that Christina and Markus were an item. Both were as surprised as I was.
Christmas was upon us. I managed to swing a few days off work, and went home to spend some time with my folks. Some old friends got together, and treated me to a night out. One or two asked me how Massimo was doing. I admitted that I hadn't seen him in a while. I did my best not to think about Christina. And failed.
The next Bridge Club was held the second week of January. At Christina's house.
It was excruciating. She and Markus spent the whole evening close together. She frequently reached out to touch him on the arm, or the hand, and smiled at him non-stop. I could handle that. Mostly.
Christina had never once given me a dirty look, or uttered an unkind word when I was sleeping with Carmen or Abigail. She had given me permission to have sex with Beth, and then never said anything about it to either of us. I was determined to be as classy as she was. She would have no reason to reproach me.
The hardest thing to bear were the pitying looks I got from Beth, Abigail and Carmen.
Pete invited me out to a sports bar, to watch a playoff game.
"It sucks, Norm." he said. "I mean, you go and find me, and I start going out with Abigail - for which I will be eternally in your debt. Then you bring in Marina, and she hooks up with Carmen. And now Markus ..."
- "I know." I said.
- "It's like you're cursed, you know? I mean, you should stop inviting new players, if you have any interest in Beth. I mean -"
- "I get it, Pete. Thanks."
The girls took me out, too - well, Beth, Carmen, and Marina did. They chose a ritzy supper club with a small dance floor. All three took a turn at consoling me, despite my protestations that I was fine.
- "You don't look fine to me, Norm." said Carmen.
Marina had her own suggestion for cheering me up. "You know, you could come home with us later. If you want to, that is. It might ... make you feel better."
Beth helped me talk it out. "I don't know what's going on with her, Norm. She never even dropped a hint that she was interested in Markus. That's not like her. What if I was interested in him, too? She should have told me, so that we weren't competing."
- "Were you interested in Markus?" I asked her.
- "No. Not really. But that's not the point. And then ever since they started dating, she hasn't said a word to me. To any of us." said Beth.
- "Maybe it's private." I suggested. "You said yourself that you girls don't always share all of the details."
Beth shook her head. "That's not it. She doesn't have to tell us ... what they do in private. But Christina doesn't keep secrets. And we always introduce new boyfriends to each other. We should have gone out as a group, to welcome him - you know what I mean? That's how we met Massimo. Carmen brought him out to meet us. That's how he ended up in the bridge club. And Abigail brought Pete out with us one night, even though we had already met him."
- "Maybe ... I don't know. Maybe her relationship with Markus is different." I offered.
- "I don't care! She's treating
us
