I wrote to Nina the day after we got back. I thanked her - and asked her to pass on my thanks to her friend Jen - for their hospitality, and their kindness. At the end, it just felt wrong to sign off with 'Sincerely Yours'. I struggled to find something that wouldn't sound too formal, or too distant.
Eventually, I just wrote 'Love', and then signed my name. It felt right. I had no idea when I would see Nina again, but I did love her.
Meanwhile, school got ridiculous. The classes - three quarters of them, anyway - were dull, but the Profs tried to make us take them seriously by piling on the work. Much of it seemed pointless - just busy-work - but it was starting to interfere with my job.
Then came my first practice teaching session. We observed a veteran teacher's class for a few days, and then took over two weeks. I spent the entire weekend preparing. My first day teaching the class, I burned through all of the material that I thought would last three days.
That night, I got home at 6:00, after Debating Club (trying to score some Brownie points with my associate). I scarfed some macaroni and cheese, and got right to work. By 1:00 A.M., I figured I was ready for the next day of class.
The two weeks flew by. But in that time, I didn't work a single shift at the warehouse, or go out with my friends, except for a couple of pints, one night, at the pub with Steve.
- "You look like shit." he said.
- "Thanks."
- "You should try sleeping." he suggested.
When the practice sessions were over, all the student teachers wanted to share our experiences - the good and the bad. Two students had dropped out. The rest of us were in agreement: virtually everything they had taught us in September was bullshit.
Do as we say, not as we do ... cover your ass ... don't be too friendly with the students. After a real classroom - even if it was only for two weeks - few of us had the patience to listen to their tripe. I killed time by writing letters: my annual letter to Celine, and my regular, monthly letter to Nina.
I tried to go out with one of the girls from school, but that was a mistake. It started to seem that I had gone from juggling two lives to having no life at all.
Glen and Ellen invited Steve and me to a Halloween costume bash. It was just the kind of blowout I needed. Steve dressed as a pirate; I went as Gandalf.
Yes, Moe was there. She arrived late, with a few friends. By the time I saw her, she was a little unsteady on her feet, and her eyes were unnaturally bright. She was dressed as a Wild West saloon girl, in a costume that revealed a lot more skin than I would have expected from Moe.
She saw me, and wobbled over on her high heels. She didn't wear those very often, either. Yep - I could smell her breath. She was at least three sheets to the wind.
- "Hey, Chris!" she said. She tried to kiss me on the lips, but got a mouthful of beard instead.
- "Hi, beautiful." I said. I pulled down the beard, and kissed her on the cheek.
- "I
am
beautiful." she said. "I agree with you." She leaned forward a bit, giving me a perfect view straight down her cleavage. Drunk as she was, Moe knew exactly what she was doing.
"How do you like my costume?" she asked.
- "Sure shows a lot of Moe." I said.
- "Yeah. Trying to be less ... predictable."
- "You've succeeded." I told her.
- "You're so cute." she said. She put her arms around me, spilling her drink down the back of my wizard's robe. Then she leaned in, and put her head against my chest.
Deep breath. Sigh. "I miss you, sometimes." she said.
- "Me too." I admitted.
She didn't move for a bit. I started to wonder if she had dozed off. One of her friends came over to check on her.
- "I'll make sure she gets home all right." said the girlfriend.
- "Aww." said Moe - she hadn't quite passed out. "Don't poop my party."
- "Come on, Stinky." said her girlfriend. "Time to get you home." I was surprised at how easily her friend led her away. Wait - 'Stinky'?
- "Bye, Chris..." said Moe.
***
Moe called me a week later, to ask if I could meet her on a Friday evening, for a drink. She named a quiet place, not far from my apartment. But she called me back the day before.
- "Sorry." she said. "My car is giving me grief. Can you get over here on Friday? I'll put some beer in the fridge. I just ... really need to talk to you."
- "Sure." I said.
Steve agreed to lend me his car.
Moe had trouble meeting my eye when she opened the door for me. I just laughed.
- "Moe - you don't have to feel embarrassed. If you're worried about Halloween ... it was kind of cute, actually."
- "Just sit down. Beer?"
- "Sure."
She brought two DABs, God bless her. Instead of sitting on the couch, next to me, though, Moe sat on her coffee table, right in front of me.
- "I'm really sorry." she said.
- "You didn't -"
- "I did. I was drunk, and I got stupid. I shouldn't have."
- "No harm done." I assured her.
- "You sure?"
- "Absolutely. Moe - it was no big deal."
I didn't tell her that I went home and masturbated that night, thinking of her in that revealing costume - but otherwise, no big deal.
- How was your trip to Chicago?" she asked.
- "Great." I said.
- "Tell me. Tell me how it went."
I did. I told her the whole story.
- "Wow." said Moe, quietly. "When will you see her again?"
- "I don't know." I admitted.
- "So ... is she your girlfriend?"
- "I don't know. I write to her, but ... we both understand that it's pretty weird. I mean, when I was seeing you, Nina was dating a guy, too. It was just ... coincidence, that we were both single when I was there."
- "Are you in love with her?" asked Moe.
I answered without thinking. "Sort of." I said. "She's perfect, in a way. We've never had a fight - not even a mild disagreement. But neither of us knows if we'll even see each other again. It's just ... weird."
Moe nodded. "I get it. Sort of. Did you ... did you ever ... love me like that?"
I heard doubt, and uncertainty - and even pain, in Moe's voice.
- "Are you serious?" I asked her. "Moe - you saved me. I was a wreck -" I never got to finish my sentence, because Moe lunged forward and kissed me. Not a peck on the lips, either. She grabbed me by the back of the neck, and pulled my face closer, so that she could plunge her tongue into my mouth.
I was stunned, for a moment. But it was Moe - Moe, remember - so I responded. Next thing I knew, her shirt was off, and I was fondling her bare breasts, as she rubbed my cock through my pants.
It just ... happened. I ate her pussy on the couch, but she stopped me before she came, and went down on me. She was gagging as she tried to deep-throat me. I pushed her off, and somehow - I don't quite remember how - ended up balls deep inside her, with Moe on her back on her coffee table.
I was sawing back and forth, giving her long, deep thrusts - when I realized that I didn't have a condom on. Moe was complaining - I guess the bare glass of her coffee table was too cold on her back. She pushed me off, and spun around, presenting me with that taut ass, and a fantastic view of her distended pussy lips.