My story begins with an ending, or what I thought was an ending. The end of my first marriage to my high school sweetheart, Laura.
Laura and I had been dating since tenth grade. We later got really serious after high school, and married when I turned twenty.
Needless to say, marriage was not as easy as we thought. I was the only one working. We struggled. We froze during our first winter in a trailer together until we abandoned it to move into her mother's house til spring. This was a good move, because there was no sex had in the freezing trailer.
Her mother, who married a wealthy businessman, vacationed out west until things got warm again, so we had the run of the house til April. By the time they returned, they were not happy we were still there. I pushed Laura to look for work so we could get out quicker, as our savings were not enough to escape this trap we were in. I also applied for more lucrative work at several places in the area.
By May, I had landed a new job that offered a lot more money and benefits. Laura still had not found any work. Our families were either unable or unwilling to help us move out. I knew my family could not afford to help as my sister had been sick.
Then my sister died of cancer.
And everything seemed to change in my life. My life became a blur of grief and pain. My wife was with me, but was strangely distant. At the time I thought Laura was grieving, but I soon found out she was under pressure from her mother and step father to do something drastic with her life. I went to my new job, and tried to deal with it, with the loss of my sister, and the pressure to move out.
A week after my sister died, I was told by Laura she wanted a divorce, and that her step father, Roger, had a lawyer draw up the paperwork for it. I had gotten blindsided. I felt hurt and numb. They told me that i needed to move out, and that the paperwork would be ready to sign next week. I left, and crashed at my parents house. My life had come full circle in a year.
I was back at my parents house, in my old room, with my stuff, and soon to be single again. The next week, i went to the court house, met Laura and the lawyer, signed the paperwork, said nothing, and walked away.
By the end of that week, it was payday, and i was off that weekend. I set out after work to visit Dale's, the local department store. I don't actually remember what i was looking for. Its likely I was just looking around, wasting time. But i remember buying stuff and getting in line to check out, when i met a young woman i had not seen in over four years. She was my cashier.
Her name was Diane and she was an Amazon. She stood at least six foot two, and weighed at least two hundred and thirty pounds. She was big boned, big hipped, and big breasted. She had long blonde hair, and big blue eyes. She greeted with a big smile. Everything about her was big!
'Hello, Robby.' Diane said.
'Hi, Diane, how are you?' I asked.
'I am fine. And yourself?' she asked, giving me a look that seemed a bit interesting.
'Uh, I am okay, I guess...' I said sheepishly. I did not want to lie. Everything sucked right now.
'Oh. I heard you got married to that girl you used to date...' Diane said, adding up my last purchase.
'Yeah, that didn't work out, I guess. We are getting a divorce. I actually signed the separation papers this week.' I admitted.
'That's too bad, honey. I am sorry to hear that. You know, we used to be good friends, why don't you give me a call, and maybe we can get together and talk.' Diane had said all this with no indication of intent.
I thought for a second. Why not? We did used to be friends. We had rode the same bus together, even though we were a couple grades apart. Diane used to save me a seat on the bus, and we would talk a lot on the long bus rides. Until she quit school...
'Sure,' I said, with a broad smile.
'Okay' she said, writing her number down on my receipt, and putting it my hand. Her hand felt large and warm. Did she hold my hand a few seconds longer than normal?
Smiled at me and said goodbye, and I did the same.
I walked out of the store with a new purpose in life. I had reconnected with an old friend who might be interested in more than just friendship.
I didn't call that night. I knew she was working. I just left her at work. But all I did was think about her. I began to remember things about our friendship. How she always was so nice to me. How she laughed when I told her that I ran into a pole chasing her fool brother Mitchell around at school one day. How she talked about her relationship with her boyfriend at the time. How I felt the one time she gave me a hug at Christmas. How she towered over me by about four inches...
She was a big girl back then. She looked bigger now. Especially those breasts. What had happened to her? Hadn't I heard she got married?
I then did what any man should do with a new woman on his mind. I got drunk and fell asleep.
By the time the beer wore off, i woke up in time to catch a few cartoons and eat breakfast with my father. Yeah, i love cartoons, wanna make something of it?
Dad fixed breakfast for me, which was great. He made coffee that could make a dead man stand up. Dad and I got along great after I became an adult, as he soon figured out that maybe I would not be a complete and total failure.
By late afternoon, the local wrestling show had went off, and i was thinking about doing some wrestling of my own. I could not help but think about sex, because it had been a while since Laura and I got along well enough to have any. And I young and wanted it everyday. I made the phone call.
Diane was there. We talked a bit. I wanted to come over at eight. She said ten. I said great. I got her address, and told I would be there on time. I planned on leaving early of course. The monster in my pants was controlling my thoughts at this point.
I proceeded then to feel very good about things.
Until the phone rang. Like a fool, I answered it.
'Hello?' I asked.
'Hello. Robby? Its Laura.' my heart sank. I felt angry. I felt guilty. I felt upset.
'Yeah, what do want?' I asked, doing my best to keep a civil tone.
'I was just wondering how you were doing' she asked. She sounded upset.
'I am okay. Been working. Staying busy. Going out later to hang out with friends.' This, of course, was not a complete lie. I was not about to tell her the friend was a woman.
'Yeah, um, I am supposed to go out to the VFW to with my sisters to dance tonight. I just thought I would call and check on you. I thought maybe we could still be friends.'
She spoke these words in a strange way. I wondered maybe if she thought I might show up there.
And then what? Catch her dancing with another guy? Get in a fight? Go to jail? We had already signed the paperwork. Why let her drive me crazy?
'Well, i guess you go have a good time. As far as being friends, we'll see. I gotta go. Bye.' I hung up the phone as she said bye. i had barely let her get it out.
I got myself ready to go out, and decided to let Laura go. I was through chasing her. I had did it for years for through high school and afterward. I was done as far as I was concerned.
I got ready to leave, and left early for my date. Or my visit. Or whatever.
I got to Diane's door about ten, and she let me in. She was dressed in a very seductive gown. It was a pretty green, and very free flowing, and she looked like a very tall angel come to take me away.
'Shhh' Diane said, as she let me in. She darted over, and checked in a room off to one side, then came back.
I thought, Uh Oh, sleeping husband? Had I completely misjudged this situation?
'Sorry, my son is asleep in there. That is why I had you come over so late.' Diane said quietly.
'Oh, okay, that is great' I said, genuinely relieved that no sleeping boyfriend or husband would not come out and split my head open or shoot me. This was the South. People get shot all the time here for less.
Diane left the door open. The night air was cool and crisp coming in through the screen door. She moved back into the main room and sat down, and then motioned for me to take a chair closest to her. I sat down close to her and we began to talk.
'So, when did you have your son in there? Is that why you left school?' I knew i was being nosy, but we were friends after all.
'Yes. I got married at sixteen when I got pregnant, and quit school. I married my boyfriend Stephen. You remember him?' Diane asked.
'I do remember you talking about him a lot. Are you guys still married?' I thought i would go ahead and ask the hard questions.
'No, we broke up about a year ago. It was all my fault. I slept with a friend of his who was into casual sex.'
Diane had said this so casually that I felt a little uncomfortable. It clearly did not bother her. Apparently, she had this conversation before.
'I have custody of my child, but I only have friends over late, so it won't cause any problems.' Diane said, looking at me directly.
I just nodded my understanding.
'You see, what started with my ex-husband's friend changed my life. I am into casual sex now, and I wanted to know, if you would like to try it with me.'
Well, I had hit jackpot. I was going to run all the bases. I smiled like an idiot.
'Yes. I would love to do...' i stammered a little.
'To try that with you.' I said, barely getting the words out.
Diane smiled at me, as if she seemed to know I was semi hard already.
Suddenly, there was a tap at the screen door. Diane motioned at the figure standing outside to step in. The man who stepped in was a tall, surly looking, fellow who was not particularly muscular. He was skinny and his height made him seem scrawny, instead of wiry or muscular. He wore a seventies mustache that was popular back in 1973.
'Robby, this is Tom,' Diane said, as I rose, holding out my hand to shake his.