Hello, everyone. Here is Chapter Four of Choices. I certainly hope you enjoyed the previous chapters. Thank you for continuing to read this story.
Thanks to my friend Jim for simply being there and offering to listen and help when I call. Also for beta reading for me.
It is self-edited, so any mistakes are my own. But please don't let any errors you may find distract from the story.
Please read and comment. Your thoughts are welcomed and I really want to know what you think. So now, on to the story "Choices, Chapter 4".
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Tom sat with his brother admiring pictures of his niece. He had to admit, she was a beautiful little girl, but what else would you expect from
the Golden Boy
. Laughing at his own pun, Tom decided to let it go. He was a grown man and it was time to stop envying his brother.
Stephen had just finished pleading with him to call Terri. Tom started to tell him to back off when the doorbell rang.
"Get the door boys!" Momma yelled from the back of the house.
A reprieve, he could get away from Stephen and his pitch for Terri. Tom went to answer the door.
Tom opened the door and standing there on the doorstep stood, Terri. His heart raced as he took in her beauty. He stared so long that he barely heard Stephen clearing his throat from behind him breaking his trance. Standing right behind Terri stood Lottie, his first real girlfriend.
Tom, chuckling, moved aside and quickly invited both women in.
Stephen, even though he wanted to see Terri and his brother connect, was struck dumb by the appearance of the two women at his mother's home.
Stephen never liked Lottie. Not even when she dated Tom. Something about her annoyed him. She and Terri were best friends and had a sexual relationship when they were in college. He had no problem with her being gay, but he felt that she influenced his wife in a bad way.
When they married, Stephen discouraged Terri from being around Lottie. Eventually, their friendship died. Now that she and Stephen had divorced, her best friend, Lottie was back in her life.
Terri was so much happier. She realized that even without Stephen life goes on. Seeing Tom again only added the last part of the jigsaw that she was sure would make her happiness complete. She wanted to leap into Tom's arms, but not with Stephen standing there. Even though she wasn't married, she couldn't bring herself to be that spiteful to Stephen .
Terri! What was going on? What was Mom up to?
"Hey, Terri, Lottie, welcome." Tom greeted his sister in law and her friend, kissing first Lottie then Terri both on the cheek much to an annoyed Stephen.
"Oh my goodness, Tom!" Lottie greeted her old friend with a bear hug. "How have you been? Old Stephen here didn't even hint that you'd be home. Terri neither."
Terri felt a stab of anger at the familiar way her girlfriend hugged her ex brother in law and irritation at the fact that he seemed to actually enjoy embracing the other woman..
"Hey Tom, welcome home." Terri chimed in as soon as he and Lottie parted.
Tom pulled Terri into a quick embrace and felt his pulse quicken but knew he couldn't hold on too long.
"Terri, how are you? You're looking good girl." He greeted her in a friendly manner, wanting to hold her longer but not wanting to show Stephen just how much he wanted her back in his arms after such a long time away from her.
The feel of Tom's arms encircling her was all she'd dreamed about for the past year. She never wanted to let him go. Then her brain registered his question.
"Tom, I'm good. It's so good to see you. I, um we really missed you." She added staring deep into his brown eyes.
Lottie, walked over to Stephen, much to his vexation. She decided to mess with him, "Hey old man. Or should I call you pops." A big smile spread across his face at the thought of his little angel.
Stephen barely noticed her teasing; he was watching the interaction between Tom and Terri. They looked so good together. He'd do all he could to make that happen.
Lottie realized what he was staring at. "Um, she's not available son. Besides, you blew your chance."
Stephen looked at Lottie and smiled. "Are you two serious, or is your relationship just FWB, friends with benefits?"
Lottie looked at him. She and Stephen had always had a tumultuous relationship which had culminated months earlier when she and Terri moved in together as roommates. The two parties reached a stalemate and decided to simply not cross paths. Stephen still cared for Terri and didn't want to see her hurt.
Stephen accused Lottie of taking advantage of Terri when she was vulnerable, but that wasn't the case. They were both single women with needs. And they were already familiar with each other. So making love with each other was easy for them.
What he failed to realized was out of the two women, Lottie was the one with the most to lose. She and Terri had a history and were lovers in college. Since they'd been living together for the past year, they'd resumed their relationships as lovers.
She knew that Terri could be insatiable and they spent the first two weeks in some state of nakedness. But she knew Terri's heart wasn't hers. It belonged to one man now. And that man was the guy holding her so close as if he never wanted to let go.
Lottie knew a day would come when her relationship with Terri might end. She'd miss the sex, but they'd still be friends. So for now, until Terri said something, nothing would change.
Lottie wondered would she be willing to share. One look at the way she gazed at that man disabused her of that notion. Lottie didn't blame her. If she could find a partner like Tom, she'd be the same way.
"Ummm hmm mmm!" Stephen cleared his throat interrupting both Terri and Tom.
When Stephen cleared his throat, she looked up and her eyes landed on Lottie. Terri loved her friend and knew she'd understand. Besides, they'd already talked about it and Lottie said that if she got
Tom was here, standing right in front of her. She didn't care what it took; he was not walking out of her life again. Tom could not take his eyes off of her. She was pure perfection. She was going to be his.
At that moment, Patricia walked in and greeted both young women.
"Lottie, Terri, I'm so glad you could make it. Lottie, let me introduce you to my sons." Patricia turned to face her boys.
"I know you know my oldest Stephen, but this is my youngest son, Tom." Patricia boasted.
Lottie laughed and then said, "Patricia, Tom and I are old friends, aren't we buddy." She said as she embraced her old friend.
Terri knew exactly what she meant and for the first time in her life, she was ready to actually hurt someone. Tom was hers and she had no intention of losing him again. Not because of something she'd done and definitely not to another woman.