"All rise. The Honorable Judge Porter presiding."
The bailiff said those words as the divorce proceedings for Tigg and Jenna were coming full circle in a musty courtroom.
"Good morning. You all may be seated."
This point was gut wrenching but needed, as the two of them had a nasty fallout long before she caught me getting my rammed by him. To put it all perspective they simply grew apart and could no longer fake being married, something that totally had me astonished as I once looked at them as inseparable. He showed me text traffic between them, as he played "good husband" dealing with her and her attitude, one I knew all too well as her brother. He claimed she was the one who cheated first, and that Arsenio wasn't the only "other person" as he learned of a few fellow female flight attendants she'd had affairs with.
"Tommy, I ain't telling you the half of what I know," he told me the night he came to live with me after she caught us.
We were in a courtroom on a Friday with low temperatures not from the air conditioning, but the vibrations carried over through a cloud of despair for eight months between this long tenured couple, as now they both just wanted to be done. The judge, a slender, black female with pretty gray hair, a gorgeous skin tone and a pearl earring in each ear, read so eloquently what was finalized between both sides as it pretty much was in favor of Jenna.
"I ask before we continue, are there any objections by either parties, counsel" the judge asked.
Jenna, sitting alone next to her disheveled, female lawyer to the left side of us, looked to be on the verge of smiling, while Tigg, in his suit, with a fresh shaven face, smelling of teakwood cologne, had a stoic appearance as either of side wouldn't interrupt. The judge continued on and in 20 minutes the gavel would drop as everything was done, the marriage, their dealings, and even my relationship with my sister.
"You can absolutely have him. You also need not contact me ever again. The house is up for sale and I'm moving. Congratulations on getting that fat cock you wanted so much," she messaged right after we all left the courtroom.
This would be the first time she said anything to me since "blessing" me along with Buster and Tigg. Jenna and I were siblings forever and had disagreements as kids, but never did I realize her slick her tongue was until she addressed me that fateful day she caught us. I sat in my car near the courthouse and bawled my eyes out, screaming for forgiveness and punching the air after she claimed I gained a man, yet lost her. I tried calling her, only find my number blocked. I tried social media, and talking to her through family members as they confirmed she wanted nothing to do with me. I sat for another hour or so just staring blindly as people walked past minding their business as I felt lost, taking a deep breath before cutting on the engine, and proceeding to head home.
"Hey. Carl and Steve are stopping by. I'm gonna put some steaks on the grill, along with a few potatoes," Tigg messaged. "Can you stop and grab some beer? Love ya."
This fool went through an official divorce and he wanted to celebrate with his ornery friends. I thought about it and realized Tigg had become a freeloading pain in the ass since he moved in. He'd just so happen to lose his job, and though it was good having him around, we weren't as intimate as we were when Jenna would go out of town and it bothered me. In fact, the last time we fucked me was when we were caught, but the consolation was that I no longer lonely, as I for years wanted someone to lay next to.
"Maybe get an ale, or something dark," he messaged when I asked what to bring.
I decided to reach out to Buster as maybe he wanted to hang, too, but my calls went to voice mail, and my texts went ignored
I ended up grabbing the beer and a few other necessities for the house before coming home, then seeing two "raised" pick up trucks that belonged to Tigg's buddies.
"Hey there homewrecker," one of them yelled as they were sitting on my porch.
"Fuck you," I barked back as the they watched me struggle with the groceries.
"Seems as if you already accomplished that," said Steve as I got closer to the steps. "Did you get the beer?"
Tigg would slyly blow a kiss at me when the guys weren't looking, then grabbed the bags while I smelled the scent of marijuana.
"The steaks and potatoes are cooking," he said before he placed all the items on the kitchen counter, and I would begin setting the dinner table.
Tigg would come behind and grab my waist from behind, while the others were on the porch.
"How you feeling," he asked.
"A little disappointed, but relieved, too," I told him after the day's events.
He'd hug and kiss me, then rushed outside to turn the food while I finished the table. Afterwards I placed ice into a cooler, then wedged the beers throughout the ice before placing the cooler on the kitchen table. Carl, the taller, younger half of Tigg's friends would come and sit first.
"You like Tigg living with you," he asked after sitting.
"It has its advantages, " I told him before I brought the basket of steaks.
Carl for years was a staple across the street at Jenna's, as he would often play apprentice under Tigg due to Tigg's skill as a mechanic. Carl, a younger version of Tigg who could pass as his brother, was someone Jenna mentioned "having the hots for her." I saw some of Tigg's tendencies in him, and shook my head at the similarities from the tattooed, slender white gentleman.
"How long you and Tigg been together," he asked.
I made him clarify "together."
"Been living together? Since he and Jenna split," he said as I realized Carl wasn't exactly the brightest light on a Christmas tree.
Tigg would come back into the house singing "Sweet Home Alabama," and placed the grilled potatoes in the middle of the table.
"Time to celebrate," he said to us before calling Steve to join.
He gave me a look and blew a smooch when no one looked with me acting as if I didn't see it. I'd learn the snide comment, the inquiry from Carl and Tigg being so hyper signified they were high, and Tigg seemed the most in the clouds as he was the most vocal. I couldn't judge him for it might've been his recourse to his new reality, being minus the larger house, motorcycle, numerous cars that were all owned by Jenna.
"Tigg is just a tag along with a nice dick," I remembered Jenna once telling me, and i slighted her, but she told the truth.
"Steve, you lazy bum, you'll say grace before we eat," Tigg told him as we all sat.
Steve, who was married to fat girl named Shana, was the father of a few kids, and a truck driver whom Tigg had known since they were in junior high. I didn't necessarily care for the fat, sloppy bear as he judged me strictly because I gay, playing homophobe without knowing his best friend enjoyed "digging me out."
"Jenna ain't do right by cutting you loose," he said as we all sat at the table. "Tigg, you need to have a discussion with her and go beg for forgiveness."
Steve in his deep southern drawl would then say a prayer, and the four of us would sit and eat as they ended up talking mostly about working on older and newer model cars. I kept quiet as Tigg's ribeye was savory to say the least, nibbling on every ounce slowly before cutting into the buttery potato.
"So how's it feel having Tigg stinking up your place," Steve asked me.
I looked back at him while facetiously licking my fingers.
"Is that some sort of naughty code," he asked before he tried to grab my hand. "Don't do that shit with me."
"Don't do what," I asked as I licked between my fingers to the palm.
Tigg giggled while Steve looked at me as if he was agitated. I wondered if Steve knew about us as he seemed to give me extra attitude of recent. Then I wondered maybe he was curious himself as he tried to pick on me.
"I don't know how Tigg does it, but I couldn't stay here with you and your little rainbow lifestyle," Steve added before sipping a beer.
"Maybe he could stay with you and Shana in that shack of yours," I jabbed back before Steve and I traded quips.
We'd all soon have a beer after commending Tigg of his culinary skills, as each one of our plates was licked clean.
I cleared the table and asked everyone to file into the living room.
"You're a good housewife, aren't you," Carl said as he'd already dusted off two or three beers.
They in fact knew, but Tigg set them straight as he let them know no disrespect would be tolerated.
