What's Love Got to Do with It

Realism is in the mind of the reader, and I understand raw emotion as well as the next person. Some will take exception to my main character, whereas others will hopefully relate. I'd like to say that I've created a new storyline, but that would be a lie. I've begun to believe that authors try to take these common tropes and spin their version of reality to them.

What's Love Got to Do with It,

is not a play on the famous Tina Turner song. The title hit me midway through the story, and it's more of a reflection of decisions people make, professing their love on the one hand while systematically destroying that very love on the other.

It's just a story... expect errors.

Cheers,

C_T

What's Love got to do with it

Emma and David. They were the elite of our students at Victoria Park Collegiate, located in North York, just outside of Toronto proper. Not your typical power couple in a school population of over 1200 students, but nonetheless, they were the standard all couples were compared to.

Neither was ridiculously good-looking, but attractive. Emma was a petite, olive-skinned brunette with distinct European traits from Italy. Long chestnut hair, large brown eyes, and a nose a little large for her face. She was trim but curvy, with smaller breasts and hips that turned more than their fair share of heads. Her bottom was world-class and, truthfully, it was what set her apart from the other girls. David had more of a Norwegian look about him. He was large from the day he entered high school and only proceeded to get larger each year. I think he capped out at 6'6" by graduation. His massive head was square, and his blue eyes seemed too small for his head, perhaps due to the broad, flat nose and big lips. His shoulder-length blonde hair had a permanent flow that always seemed to land perfectly with every gust of wind or dramatic head nod.

What made them truly stand out was that they were both nice. Friendly with everyone, never saying a bad word about another. Along with their substantive height and size difference, they were also intellectually opposite. Emma was in every advanced level, well on her way to a prestigious university, whereas David was good with his hands and destined for a simpler, blue-collar life. Speaking of his hands, they were absolutely massive! I guess it only suited his frame, but both his feet and hands drew a lot of attention. Of course, the adage was accurate, at least in his case. All it took was my first gym class with David to see he was abnormally large down there, too. In fact, the whole school knew it. No one could figure out how the two would be compatible sexually. I suspected they may never have gone that far, as Emma never looked worse for wear.

Em and I were in many of the same classes from grade 9 until graduation. Intellectually, we were so alike, and it helped garner a good friendship. I had a severe crush on her, but I never jeopardized our friendship. Besides, there weren't many men who could compete with the likes of David... if you know what I mean. We never hung out outside of school, but we were familiar through the hallways of VPC. Both of us had qualified for substantial bursaries and scholarships to many prestigious universities, but while I opted to go out of the country to Harvard, Em stayed at Western, in London, Ontario, to be close to David, I assumed.

Fast forward 6 years, I returned home to begin my career in Human Resources, specifically as an intermediate between employers and unions. Being an arbitrator was right inside my wheelhouse. I loved the back-and-forth, playing devil's advocate when necessary. My bullshit radar had always been very good, and it did wonders for my career. This is how I found myself in meetings with Suncor Energy and its employees' union, Unifor National. Sadly, I wouldn't be in the driver's chair for the proceeding arbitration, as I had to declare a conflict of interest. As it turned out, Suncor's labor law team was staffed by none other than Ms. Emma Callio.

As an advisor only, I was able to gaze regularly at Emma. She hadn't changed one bit. Well, that wasn't true... she was even prettier to me. The last half-decade or so had refined a pretty girl into a beautiful woman, and based on her pantsuit, she still held world-class status in the rear-end department. She caught me looking a few times and gave me a little smile that caused me to blush. After the first day of fruitless meetings, I heard my name being hailed as I exited the building.

"Mason! Mason... wait a minute." I turned to see Emma making a beeline straight towards me. "My God, Mason. It's been six years, and you couldn't make a point of saying hello?" She gave me a stern stare.

"Honestly, Emma, I wasn't sure if you'd remember me. I didn't want to assume." I gave her a soft smile.

"Seriously? You were the best partner for every project I ever did! I could never forget you!" She flashed a warm smile. "You look great, Mason! Have you been working out?"

I laughed at that, mostly because it was true. I was no slouch at a tad under 6ft, but I was always slight. My roommate at Harvard got me into morning workouts, and between the weights, swimming, and cycling, I had beefed up in a lean kind of way. "You're one to talk. You look just like you did in high school!" I'm not sure, but I think she blushed.

We walked towards the subway station, catching up on our last six years, until the inevitable questions about relationships came up. I had been in a few during my schooling, but I struggled to make the timing work, and I was never wired for one-night stands or friends with benefits, so I just threw myself into school, workouts, and diet.

"How about you?" I asked in return. "Do you and David have any little ones yet?"

"No." She looked at the ground. Sensing I had hit a sensitive nerve, I was about to apologize, but she cut me off. "We just ran our course. I got busier in school, and he visited less, especially after he traveled out west to work in the oil industry."

"Suncor?" I gave her a curious look.

"Yeah. Ironic, isn't it? Anyway, we decided it wasn't going to work long-term, so we agreed to part and be friends."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I figured you two would be together forever."

"Forever is a long time, Mason, especially starting as young teens. You grow up and things take you in different directions... that's all."

I saw Emma a lot over the next three months, and we talked whenever time and situations allowed us. Based on our roles, there was no real conflict of interest, but we both erred on the side of caution. When the deal had been struck, she caught me by surprise and asked me out for a celebratory drink.

"I'm surprised you wanted to celebrate. Your employer had to make some pretty significant allowances." I smiled as I took a sip of my draft.

"Well, technically, I'm not their employee. I was hired under contract to help out. Honestly, it could have been worse. Rumor has it someone made some pretty bold suggestions, causing the labor team to soften on a few issues." She gave me a hard stare.

"Hey! I was just an advisor. I never even spoke to the union reps personally. All my suggestions came from private meetings with our staff. So, I had nothing to do with much."

She winked. "Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Mr. Johnston."

The evening was fun and relaxing, it was like we were back in advanced chemistry again. Her eyes were full of life, and her laughter was quickly becoming my favorite sound. Before we knew it, it was close to midnight, and we both decided it was time to call it a night.

"I'm sorry I kept you so late, Mason. I hope I'm not upsetting anyone who may be waiting for you."

I caught the hidden question in her statement. "Well, there is nobody currently, and there hasn't been for a while. How about you? Have you met anyone since you and David broke up?"

"I dated a little, but nothing long-term. I needed to get focused on my career, and my life with David was so ingrained as a routine, it wasn't fair to them." Inwardly, I knew it wasn't fair for any guy to follow David. "But... I'm getting there." She grasped my forearm gently. "I'm hoping some nice guy comes along and asks me out for dinner... soon." She held my gaze long enough for me to get the message.

"Say, Emma. Would you like to join me for dinner this Friday evening? I know a great little Greek restaurant just down on the Danforth."

"Why, Mason, that would be lovely." We both chuckled at each other and then said goodnight with contacts made and plans forthcoming.

Dinner that Friday and every subsequent dinner, lunch, movie, or coffee was amazing. I felt like I was making a real connection with Em, and I was starting to believe that it might be reciprocal. It was like I was in high school again and would get butterflies whenever we met. It all came crashing to a halt one evening while we were walking through a park. She surprised me by expressing her real feelings towards me. It was what I thought I wanted, but suddenly, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

"Mason? Do you even like me... I mean, other than as a friend? I've been dropping heavy hints for over a month, and you've done nothing more than offer me a peck goodnight. If I'm reading this wrong, please tell me. I thought we had something good going here." She held my hand firmly and stopped me in my tracks. I tried to avoid her eyes, but she stood in front of me and stared me down until I looked back.

"Yeah. I mean, I think you're amazing." I muttered.

"So why all the shy high school stuff, Mason? We're adults now. We can do adult stuff, you know. I've wanted to do adult stuff with you from our first drink." She smiled at me, but the best I could do was smirk. She looked hurt. "What is going on in your head, Mason? Talk to me... please."

Here it was. How do you talk about this without coming off as pathetic or weak? I wanted to puke... I wanted to run. Hell, I wanted to run and puke, but her grip on my hands gave me little in the way of options. So, I went with the tested and true line. "It's not you, Emma, it's me."

"What the fuck does that mean? You give me a cheap breakup line, and we're not even really dating. Come on, Mason, I deserve better than that." She glared at me. Challenging me to come clean.

I took a deep breath and decided it was now or never. "Em. You must know that I'm not... I mean I'm..."

"Spill it, Mason." She was getting testy with me.

"I'm not David, okay!" I blurted it out. At first, she looked at me with a 'no shit' expression, but I could see the realization come to her as her eyes softened.

"Seriously, Mason?" I looked away in embarrassment. "Are you that insecure?"

Her statement struck a nerve. "You said it yourself, Emma. You lived in a routine that made it hard for other men. He isn't just larger... he's enormous! AND, you dated him for like 6 years! Hard to go back to eating hot dogs when you've dined on steak for years." She looked at me and then suddenly started giggling. Needless to say, I was feeling worse now, and I yanked my hands away. She immediately grabbed them back.

"I'm not laughing at you, but you have to admit your metaphor leaves a lot to be desired." I looked everywhere but at her until she put her hands on my cheeks and directed my face towards her. "Mason, will you come home with me? We don't need to do anything but talk. I can understand how this might be a barrier for you, but maybe we can talk it out and you can learn a few things about me."

Well, she didn't walk away laughing, I thought. She wanted to talk, so where was the harm in that, I figured. Next thing I knew, I drove her home, and she was quietly guiding me through the door of her apartment. Without a word, she sat me on her couch, removed her coat, and disappeared into the hall. I shyly looked around her place and realized she had much the same tastes as I did in art and furniture. She even had a massive flat screen that rivaled mine.

"Did you want something to drink?" She asked down the hall.

"No thanks."

A few minutes later, she came back into the room wearing a pair of yoga pants and an old sweatshirt from Western. She plunked herself down beside me and held out a purple journal that had clearly been weathered by use.

"What's this?" I asked.

"My diary... or the adult version would be a journal. It's something I've done since I was 12. Here, I want you to read this."

"I can't read this, Emma. These are your private thoughts, for your eyes only. I can't invade your privacy."

"It's not an invasion if I ask you to read it. I don't want you to read everything, but I've got a few entries I want you to see." She opened the book, flipped to a section, and handed it to me. "Here I wrote this in grade 11." She pushed it into my hands.

I know I really like David, but is it love? I wanted to save myself for the man I love. I know he wants to, but I'm not ready. In fact, I'm very nervous. I know David is much larger than most boys; I've felt it against my stomach more than once. I just don't know.

She flipped a bunch of pages and handed it back to me, nodding for me to continue. It was dated the summer before grade 12.

I don't know how much longer I can put David off. I know it's not fair, and I'm turning 18 next month. I won't be able to use that as an excuse soon. Tonight, he asked me to take it out and touch it. IT WAS SOOOOO BIG!

She reached over and flipped a few more pages until she got to where she wanted.

I know I love David, but I don't think we'll work out. He's just too big, or maybe I'm just too small. He wants to do it all the time, but it always hurts. I want to tell him, but I know it would hurt his feelings. I wish I could interest him in other things, like books and movies. All he wants to do is work on his truck and fuck.

"That was right before grad. I made him wait until I was 18, and then I no longer had an excuse. A part of me loved David. He was caring, in his own way, and made me feel safe, but we had little else in common than our social life. Once sex factored in, that's all he wanted. I had to learn how to jerk him off just so I could rest up. You see, Mason. It wasn't all high-powered sex with screaming orgasms. We had our issues. By the time I was well into university, I knew I needed someone I could relate to intellectually and physically. We were routine, but it wasn't a healthy, long-term routine."

I never once thought that a woman wouldn't be absolutely crazy for a massive cock. But here I just read her own words, and it clearly was the case for Emma. It was her feelings for David that made her hang in there, but she wasn't happy with all aspects of their relationship... specifically his weapon of mass destruction. I looked into her eyes and could see she was waiting for my response.

"I guess... I mean, I assumed you would be ruined for a normal guy after dating him for so long. I'm sorry you had to deal with the difficulties of balancing young love and duty."

"Thank you, Mason. I appreciate that." She snuggled tighter and put her hand on my leg. "I'm no different than any other woman, Mason. I've had good experiences, and I've had bad experiences. In the end, I just want to find the experience that goes the distance. Sexual chemistry is important, but there's so much more to a successful relationship. That's... what I'm looking for. What about you?" I blushed heavily, causing her to giggle. "What? What, Mason?"

I lifted my eyes to her. "I've never had a one-night stand in my life, nor do I want to." She smiled at me. "Friends with benefits? I can't do that either. I'd be too invested."

"Those are all good traits by my book, Mason." She affirmed.

"Plus..." I started. "Plus, I had a huge crush on you in high school, but never wanted to make things awkward between us, and besides, I liked David too." I took a deep breath. "I guess I'm just surprised, or amazed, that I'm sitting here with you, at this moment." Before I could blush again, she swooped in and gave me a toe-curling kiss, caressing my lips like an angel.

"You are an amazing man, Mason Johnston." Her hand slipped between my legs and squeezed my already hardening cock. "And hot as fuck!"

She leaned in and began kissing me harder, while her hand navigated the contours and length of my cock, through my pants. I momentarily froze, waiting for her disappointment to kick in, but her passion only increased, and so I let myself enjoy the situation by returning the amorous touch, by grabbing her small but firm breasts. I could feel her hands working on my zipper as we kissed. I thought of stopping her, but she was pushing me past my resistance.

"Undo your belt." She mumbled between kisses. I released her breasts and did as I was told. She then began slipping to the floor between my legs and carefully pulled my pants down to my ankles. She stared at my tented spandex boxers and smiled at the little wet spot I started. She looked me in the eyes as she reached for the waistband. "Help a girl out and lift your butt." Again, I did as I was told.

I closed my eyes as my cock was revealed. I don't know what I was expecting. I mean, it's not like I'm tiny down there. Back in high school, I measured myself like every other red-blooded boy. Depending on my state of arousal, I was pushing 6.5 inches, and right now I felt like I was as hard as I had ever been. I didn't realize how hard I was squeezing my eyes until I felt her thumb on my forehead, pushing my stress lines up.

"Mason... relax. You're perfect!" I opened my eyes just before she took me into her mouth. Her look spoke to my heart, and I finally relaxed.

After a small smirk, she engulfed me. Three of four head bobs later, she had me down to the root. She stayed there, breathing through her nose, and swallowed around my shaft. It was heaven! While the sensations sent shivers up my spine, that little section of my brain (ego?) couldn't help but notice how easily she did it.

Taking a break from her oral assault on me, Em pulled off and slowly stroked me with all the saliva she had stringing from her lips. "Fuck, I love that feeling!" I don't know if I was physically tense or if my face gave it away, but she read my thoughts immediately. "No, I could never do that to David, but I love doing it... with you." She licked me like an ice cream cone. "I hope you know, Mason, that the only one thinking about David is you. I'm right here with you. It's where I want to be."

With that, she dove back down and gave me the deepthroat blowjob of my life! It became a regular thing after that day, and over the next 9 months, we experienced everything with each other... and I mean everything. She taught me how to eat her pussy the way she likes (something David would never do, apparently). We fucked in every position, but both agreed that doggy was our favorite, especially when we did anal! Life was good... no, scratch that. It was amazing! The shadow of David crept up on me now and again, but Em was quick to put it to rest, and unless she was an incredible actress, our sex life was unbelievable.

I knew I loved Em within the first few weeks, but I needed to make sure she truly felt the same. I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a phase or a checkmark in a box. Almost 10 months to the day, I asked Em to marry me.

David remained in our past until he moved back to the Greater Toronto area. His job was two weeks in and two weeks out, so he decided to buy his grandfather's house, just outside Vaughn. We were married for two years, and when Emma told me he reached out, I felt worried about our future. After her reassuring placated me, they had met for coffee one Sunday. That was followed by the three of us going out for dinner one night. David surprised me with his blessing and happiness that we found each other. The older version of him was just as unique and genuine as his younger self, and we departed like old high school friends. It became clear to me that while David and Emma had a storied past, it was all history now...