Tina was 30, and already divorced. She'd married her college sweetheart shortly after graduation and went to work as an ER nurse, while he'd started his career as a software developer. The sex was good to start, and they'd put off having kids until after their debts were paid off. However, as they approached their 7th anniversary, he'd started becoming more distant and spending more time out with his friends instead of being at home with her, and stopped inviting her out with them altogether. Of course the sex started to fall off since he was spending more and more time away, and when he was home he was renovating their basement into a raunchy "man cave". Not that Tina minded, although she was straight she could still appreciate the female form, and didn't blame her husband for wanting to see more of it.
One day she was allowed to leave early due to the hospital being overstaffed, and arrived home to her husband snoring next to another woman. She stopped, shocked, in their bedroom doorway. The unmistakable aroma of sex hung in the air, and both of the individuals in the bed naked and intertwined. The surprise left her weak, and Tina faltered a bit and bumped into the door frame. This awoke the couple in the bed. The woman looked around as if wondering where she was, then noted Tina still leaning against the doorway, mouth agape. Her husband started straight awake, his eyes meeting Tina's in equal surprise. Obviously, he hadn't expected her home so soon.
The woman jumped out of bed and started pawing around for her clothes, which were scattered around the floor. Without bothering to put on her bra, she jerked a tank top over her head, catching her hair in the process and giving a gasp of pain. Tina noticed that it was long, thick, and dark-compared to her own practically short and more mousy colored. She then yanked on her panties and threw her legs into the short shorts that she'd picked up, then rushed out of the room, at least having the grace to flush deeply red and apologize to Tina on her way past, bra in hand. Tina also turned to leave, not sure of what she was doing or where she'd go. The sound of tires squealing from across the street accompanied Tina's exit from the front door. As Tina opened the door to her own car, her husband came rushing up behind her, having thrown on a pair of pants while Tina was caught up watching the brunette.
"So, I guess we're done. Let me know where you want the divorce papers sent," he told her bluntly. No apology, no attempts at explaining, no warning.
Tina just looked at him, shocked and empty, then stepped into the car and drove to the house of one of her coworkers. Thankfully, Sierra had been scheduled off for that day and welcomed her inside. Sierra grabbed a couple glasses of iced tea from the refrigerator and brought them to the island before realizing that Tina had a completely flat affect.
"What's wrong?" Sierra asked her.
"I got VTO this evening, and got home to find Mike sleeping next to another woman." Tina was shocked at the sound of her own voice-completely flat and emotionless. Maybe she was still in complete shutdown mode over the incident, but she still wasn't feeling anything. "He didn't try to explain it away, he didn't try to make excuses, he didn't try to rationalize it, he didn't try to apologize, or anything. I was out the door moments behind her, and he was right behind me, and just said that he was getting a divorce." Sierra put her hand over her mouth and gasped. Obviously, she'd never considered that either of them would do such a thing; most people considered them the perfect couple, and many had come to them over the last few years looking for relationship advice.
After an interminable silence, Tina took a sip of the tea-as much to break the monotony of just sitting there as to get moisture into her dry throat. It broke the spell for Sierra at least, who reached for Tina's free hand and squeezed hard.
"Do you want me to go talk to him, or just get your stuff?" she asked quietly. Still emotionally barren, Tina looked at her and thought.
"Just my clothes I guess. I'm not sure what's going to happen," Tina replied.
After a short discussion, Sierra convincing Tina to stay with her until things were decided and offering to get all of Tina's stuff, Sierra settled Tina into one of the spare bedrooms and left to go to Mike's house. Tina took a long, not shower, and was sitting on the bed wrapped in a towel when Sierra returned with several bags, fuming.
"That asshole's already got most of your stuff packed. It's like HE is throwing YOU out!" Sierra spat.
Tina just looked at her in surprise. "Why wouldn't he? It's not like he wants me around," she said. That sent Sierra off into a tirade about how great Tina was and how much she'd done for Mike, and how much of a jerk he was for putting Tina through this sort of trauma. Eventually, Sierra realized that she was more worked up about the situation and became concerned for Tina. Tina ended up spending a large portion of the rest of the evening calming Sierra down, and eventually Sierra went to her own room to sleep since she had to work the next day. Tina did as well, and the two decided to ride in together since they were on the same shift.
Although they had been friendly previously, Sierra and Tina had never really been friends. However, with no one else to turn to since Tina was an only child and her parents had both died shortly after college graduation, the two women became close with Tina formally moving in. The divorce papers arrived within a week, and much to Sierra's ire Tina only pushed for full division of assets. "You could be taking him to the cleaner's for this and be set for life, " Sierra fumed. Tina, however, couldn't bring herself to do that. Part of the problem was that work was exhausting-they'd just entered the summer months of "trauma season", and with everyone taking vacations with their families it seemed that Tina just worked herself to the bone each shift and didn't have the energy to deal with the legal process when she was off.
When fall arrived, she was still living with Sierra. However, Tina had become more of a hermit, leaving the house to go to work or do essentials. She was paying half of Sierra's mortgage as rent, so Sierra allowed her to do quite a bit of redecorating. Occasionally, Sierra teased her about being a shut in, but the friendship between the two solidified. Sierra led a fairly active social life, often having people over for get-togethers or going out, while Tina entered into a graduate program.
The two women lived together for several years, with Tina working and studying and Sierra being outgoing and charming. Sierra would tease Tina about growing old and wilting, and Tina would ignore the occasional male visitor who spent the night making Sierra shriek in sexual bliss. One of those visitors became a regular shortly after Tina got a job as a nursing professor at the nearby university, and Tina realized that she'd have to find another place to live. It seemed like she'd no sooner found an apartment and moved in when Sierra and her beau announced their engagement. While the two friends had lived together, Sierra had payed off the mortgage, and after the engagement announcement sat Tina down and mentioned that she was looking to sell the place.
"Steve lives in an apartment, but we both decided that we don't want to live in town anymore," she told Tina. "We found a terrific place just outside the city that we both like and want to put an offer on. So that leaves you with two options since you've done so much around here. You can buy me out for half of the value of the house, or you can take half of the sale price. You've earned it, and you've been a great friend to me." Tina argued that Sierra had done more for her than she'd done for Sierra, but the other woman wouldn't be moved. Eventually the house sold, and Tina talked Sierra into 30% rather than the half Sierra had been pushing. She successfully argued that Sierra and Steve would be starting a family and that the extra money would come in handy, whereas Tina was doing pretty well from her divorce settlement and working.
Tina was Sierra's matron of honor and actually found herself enjoying all of the wedding preparations for her friend. She was proud of Sierra during the ceremony, and enjoyed the reception. She talked a few of the groomsmen into stealing a lot of the newlyweds' underclothes from their luggage, convincing them that they wouldn't be needed. During her speech, she thoroughly embarrassed Sierra by holding up a pair of fluffy handcuffs and talking about how many times she'd been trying to sleep while Steve was making Sierra rattle them against the headboard.
After the speech while taking bills during the "First Dance", one of the guys in line was especially chatty. She'd been flirtatious and happy all evening, and was especially sucked into it with this man. She agreed to dance with him later, and actually did several times. Sierra wasn't so caught up that she didn't notice Tina enjoying herself with the guy, who turned out to be a distant relative of Steve. She laughingly encouraged her to enjoy herself, and that Dan was going to be a bigshot someday.
Dan, as it turned out, was into technology like Mike had been, and actually knew Tina's ex-husband. He told her about how Mike had already remarried and divorced twice over the years, but it was mentioned more as a casual remark while they drifted across other subjects. At the end of the reception, long after the newlyweds had left, Dan was still around. As she worked to close things down, he asked her to meet him for coffee the next day. She had been hoping that he was interested in her, and quickly agreed.
Coffee was enjoyable, and their flirtation escalated. In a flash, a couple of hours had passed, and they parted ways after swapping phone numbers. As she pulled into her parking spot, her phone vibrated with a message from Dan. "Why hasn't anyone grabbed you up yet?" it read. She thought, then replied seriously, "I guess I'm just too much of a stick in the mud!" She was barely out of the car when it vibrated again, "I don't think you are! Tomorrow's Saturday, go out with me again tomorrow." They set up a meeting at one of the city parks.