This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between the real world or anyone else's story is just coincidence.
Breaking Point
He had a plan. It was cowardly. He knew that it was, but she was so forceful and oh so hot.
...
Over the phone.
"Rob, this is Tim. Do you have a minute?"
"Sure, Tim. For you, no problem. What's up?"
"I need to ask a huge favor. I've had it with Cheryl. That mouth of hers and her drinking. I'm done with it." Tim said.
"I understand. She can be abrasive at times." Rob tried to soft spin it.
Tim laughed out loud. "That's putting it mildly. She is rude and hurtful. I can't believe the shit that she says. Add in a little alcohol and she has the nastiest mouth I've ever heard. We had dinner with my sister and her husband last weekend. She insulted both of them and laughed about it. Sis walked out crying. That's it, man. I'm done."
"I've known her a long time. She has gotten worse lately, drinking more and more abusive. I think her career is suffering from it. Do you want me to talk to her?" Rob asked.
"No." Tim answered. "I don't know how you stay her friend. She says terrible things about you and your lifestyle. Then she laughs. She ridicules everything and everybody. She blurts out things without thinking. She thinks she's so funny. I cringe when she starts up."
"So, what do you want me to do, buddy. Anything you want." Rob said.
Tim's desperation was showing in his voice. "Cheryl is out of town until Monday. I need you to go to her place with me. I'm going to get my things with you as a witness. Then I'm giving you my key to give to her."
"Wow." Rob said. "Are you going to talk to her?"
"Oh, yes. I'm not going to text dump her. I'll say my piece. I just can't take any more of her verbal abuse. You shouldn't either, in my opinion." Tim said. "She's really hard on you about gay sex and stuff. I bet you don't take boyfriends around her."
"She's always gotten away with it because she's so hot. Hell, I enjoy looking at her." Rob hesitated, then. "Tim, I hope you and I can stay friends. I haven't socialized much lately. You and Cheryl have been my only friends."
"Damn, dude. That's sad." Tim said and started laughing.
Rob laughed too. "Saturday good for you?"
"Sounds good." Tim said. "I'll give you a call."
...
Tim picked up Rob at his apartment, Saturday morning. They were quiet until they got near Cheryl's place.
"I'm nervous about this, a little upset too." Tim said, driving slowly.
"We can talk about it. She's out of town. We can take as much time as you like." Rob tried to be supportive.
"If she ever kept any food around, we could raid her fridge." Tim said smiling.
"We can drink her booze." Rob said. That got a chuckle out of Tim.
"I've got a couple of bottles at her place. We can work on those after this is done."
"Damn, Tim. It sounds like we're going to knock her off."
"Hey, that's an idea." Tim said to the biggest laugh of the morning. After that they were silent until they were in the woman's apartment. Tim had brought a laundry basket filled with Cheryl's things from his place. That and a few hanging items of clothing were all she had left there. They never considered moving in together.
Tim dumped the contents of the basket on the bed. Rob hung the clothes, then straightened the items on the bed. He didn't like the way they looked just dumped in a pile. Tim filled the basket from his drawer in her bedroom. He had a couple of shirts and a pair of slacks hanging. He placed them beside the door. In the kitchen, he gathered his cooking knives, two bottles of liquor from under the sink and his coffee cups. Rob sat on the sofa and watched Tim sort out a few DVD's and CD's and drop them in the basket.
"That's my Blu-ray player, but I have a better one at my place. She can have that one." Tim said. He got a little overwhelmed and sat down for a few minutes. "I hate that I wasted this time with her. We could have been great if she wasn't such an asshole."
"You know she has said some pretty nasty things in mixed company, foul language in front of kids and such." Rob said. "She has said some disgusting things about sex and relationships. She can't be trusted with a secret either."
"Oh, I know. If we got wild in bed, she had to tell everyone. She told her mother that I licked her ass." Tim said, embarrassed.
"Well, good for you." Rob said.
"Good I'm dumping her or good that I licked her ass?" Tim asked.
Rob blushed and laughed. "Both, I guess. She talked to me several times about us having a threesome."
"Oh, I know that too. She pitched it to me. I knew she would tell everybody and then ridicule you and I afterward. Can you imagine the abuse she would dish out if you and I played together?"
"Oh, God. Perish the thought." Rob said. "Is that all that stopped you?"
"That's the biggest part of it. You are a great guy and nice looking. I could have seen it happen. But not with that bitch. Sorry." Tim said.
Tim finished his mission in somber silence. He carefully went through the apartment. He finished by deleting some pictures and videos from her computer. Rob didn't ask questions. He just watched and tried to think of things to say. He drew a blank. He thought of how Tim didn't react negatively to the idea of have a threesome with Cheryl and him.
"I think that's all of it. Nothing else of importance. You mind lending a hand, Robbie?"
"Not at all. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"
"I'm thinking about a good lunch and then that bottle of Four Roses." Tim said.
"Sounds good. How about that Mexican joint we like then watch the game at my place?" Rob asked.
"What game?" Tim asked.
"I don't know. There's always some kind of game on." Rob said and blushed. He felt like he had just been caught trying to act straight.
"Yeah. It doesn't matter. I've got a bottle of Scotch if the bourbon isn't enough."
...
Tim felt as if part of a heavy load had been lifted from his shoulders. Dealing with the properties was a step that would not have been easy if he broke up with his girlfriend first. He didn't feel as cowardly as couscous. Beside being a horrible person, Cheryl had a nasty temper.
"You need to relax your mind and try and think of anything else you need to take to or from her place." Rob said. They were having a nice lunch and conversation at a restaurant they liked.
"I had a mental list. I never took anything over there that I couldn't lose. I always knew she was volatile. Besides, with a body like that, she could run off with some celebrity at any time. She's always around models and I'm just an engineer." Tim said.
"You'll bounce back fast. You are a handsome dude. Girls look at you all the time. A few guys too." Rob said with a blush.
"I'll deal with her next week and put it behind me. At least she doesn't care enough to stalk me."
"I have to say, Tim, she wanted it to work with you. She just didn't know how."
...