Author's notes: This is a short story that's been rattling around in my brain for a while This has themes of a reluctant cuckold and what some will say is a coward's response to the issues. But this is far more common of a reaction than becoming a green beret and hurting someone.
Thanks again to my group of friends here on LW that have read and critiqued this ahead of time. You know who you are!
I hope you enjoy the story, and I look forward to constructive comments.
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As I was sitting it in the bar sipping my drink, I thought about my past and the girl of my dreams that I lost to her ex-boyfriend. Her name was Kerry, and she was my everything. We separated over a year ago, but I never truly got over her. In fact, she tore my heart out and I hadn't been serious with anyone sense. I went on a few dates and even had a hook up or two over the last year, but no one could hold a candle to the feelings I had for her. We were planning on kids and had even picked out baby names. She was going to be with me until the day we died....... until my world came crashing down.
I work in sales, and three days ago, I went to visit a client for lunch to close a deal and hopefully drum up some additional business. As I shook the customer's hand and was leaving, I glanced back into the restaurant and saw Kerry sitting at a table with some guy. She was twirling her hair and laughing at his jokes while she touched his arm. In that split second, I was devasted again and back to the same spot I was when I broke it off with her. I left the restaurant as fast as I could and sat in my car for about 10 minutes trying to calm down enough to drive. Kerry had really done a number on me.
I wasn't sure how I would ever get over her and have a relationship that would last. How would I ever trust someone again?
While these questions rattled around in my head, I sipped my drink and stared mindlessly at the Football game being shown on the TV above the bar.
While I was trying to contemplate how to get over her yet again, I was woken out of my thoughts by a guy who sat down at the bar next to me.
"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."
As I turned toward him, he stuck his hand out to shake mine. This was the same guy that had been seated next to Kerry at lunch.
"Name's Kurt, what's yours?"
Instinctually I just shook his hand. "Grant". I couldn't understand why this guy was sitting here in the same bar as me and I certainly couldn't understand why he was striking up a conversation. Had he seen me at the restaurant 3 days ago? I tried to look stoic and uninterested in his banter, but it didn't work.
"So, what's your story Grant? You look like you are one step away from being catatonic. Care to share your story over a beer?"
I just couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. He didn't get the hint that when someone was sitting by himself in deep thought, they might not want to talk about personal things to a random person.
I just stared at him for a moment without saying anything.
Kurt just smiled at me and then continued. "What's the worst thing that could happen if you bare your soul to a stranger?"
"Why are you so interested Kurt?"
Kurt smirked a little knowing he was getting closer to me opening up to him. "Well, I normally stop by here a few nights a week on my wife home. My fiancé works later than I do so it gives me a chance to unwind and clear my head. Each evening, I've watched you sit here sipping a beer and watching that screen. You've probably never even noticed me sitting across the bar each night watching you stare at that TV. I'm a writer and I'm always looking for interesting people and stories. But when I saw you the other day you look different than the other guys that come in here. I love to hear stories that affect people. You look like you have a great one."
I took a sip of my beer and then looked straight at him. "Why would you want to hear my story?"
Kurt's face lit up, motioning the bartender for two more beers. "Come on, it will be healthy to get it off your chest. My fiancé is a shrink, and I've listened to her so much I feel like listening to people unburden themselves helps them move on from whatever has them stuck in a rut."
"And you come here all the time to write? Why don't you write at home or something?"
"Well, my fiancé travels a lot to speak at conventions and other things. The house is so empty when she isn't there, so this is the next best thing for me."
I looked on a little intrigued. "So, she travels a whole lot and is a shrink? I wouldn't think that would require so much travel. Don't most people come to her?"
"Most do, but she is working on a series of articles about sexual behavior and how it affects different people different ways. So, she is in high demand right now talking about her work. I think that is one of the things that attracted me to her is her curiosity about things. Which has rubbed off on me. That's why I wanted to hear your story."
I sighed a little and then said, "You asked for it."
Grant's Story
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I've never had good luck with girls. I was always the lanky nerd in my class. I made good grades, played video games and watched the latest sci-fi movies on opening weekend, by myself.
I met a girl in my senior year of high school. We started hanging out and having fun. I really felt like we were meant for one another. She was a few months older than me, and she took my virginity on my eighteenth birthday. I was totally in love with her.
For months we were inseparable, and I was looking forward to prom, graduating and starting college with my future wife. That all came to an end when she announced a week before prom that she was invited to go with the Quarterback. She said she had never had a chance to hang out with the popular crowd and couldn't turn this opportunity down. She said that it would just be for prom and that he had already reserved a cabin in the mountains for the two of them for the weekend to celebrate. Then she would be back like it never happened.
I was totally crushed. I told her that I wouldn't accept that and if she went, we were through.
She shrugged her shoulders and walked away. I spent prom night at home watching movies and then stayed away from her for the 3 months until we graduated. It wasn't easy and sometimes I would see her hanging on his arm, but I was done with her. If she couldn't be faithful to me, I certainly didn't owe her anything.
I graduated, picked a college and moved to a university in the next state, never looking back. For the next two years I studied and worked a part time job. I got a job at a local large department store and excelled with stocking shelves and taking care of the customers. I was noticed by the manager and after six months I was an assistant manager.
Going into my Junior year in college, my life was a nice routine. I would study, go to class and work at the store. Until my junior year I never even thought about dating. I was too busy working on my degree in accounting and moving up in the store. My hope was to one day either run my own store or own my own accounting company.
In that whole time, I never went home, except for the holidays. I would Facetime my parents weekly and tried to stay close to them, but going back to the site of my humiliation was not in the cards for me. My parents were obviously sad about this, but they would come see me at Christmas and Thanksgiving. I would drive in and stay at their house, barely going out until the holiday was over and then driving directly back home. I never wanted to see my classmates and especially my ex. I had heard that the Quarterback dumped her right after graduation, but I didn't care. She wasn't my concern anymore and I just wanted to move on.
My life changed when my roommate finally convinced me to go out for a drink and I relented. It was at a bar that I met Kerry. We shared a drink and talked for about 20 minutes before her friends convinced her to leave and go to another club. I said my goodbyes and hoped to see her again sometime soon.
It was two weeks later when I was drinking in the same bar that she tapped me on the shoulder. She was beautiful. Her hair was shoulder length and blonde. She was about 5'-6" tall with a nice body from years in gymnastics. We ended up talking for the rest of the evening and we clicked. At the end of the evening, she put her phone number into my phone and asked me to call her sometime. I took two days to call her and ask her out. She said yes rather quickly and before long, we were seeing each other every day. It took about two months before we were in bed and really hit it off sexually together. She knew about my past and how I was hurt. She was appalled by what my Ex-girlfriend had done to me and swore that she could never do that to anyone.
We had been together for almost a year, and I was looking forward to my last year of school and starting my career. Kerry was studying to be a psychologist and was at the top of her class. The summer after our junior year, we decided to save money and move in together in her apartment. We would spend every Saturday in bed together and went out a few nights a week for drinks and dancing.
The start of Kerry's senior year started off rough with a few classes that had her stressed out. She started getting snippy with me and would argue with me over little things like not taking out the garbage or not making the bed.
I would bring her flowers and write her love notes to try to cheer her up. It worked for a while, so I let my guard down. I think that was my first mistake, thinking we were okay.
One Friday night, I took her out to dinner, and we laughed and joked just like we did when we met. Kerry had two glasses of wine during dinner and then suggested we go to a bar for a few drinks before we went home. As we were having a beer and discussing a future trip, Kerry's face took on a look of shock and then she stood from her barstool, brushed past me and screeched as she hugged someone who was walking up right behind me.
After a few moments of catching up and ignoring me, I cleared my throat bringing her out of her bubble. She turned to face me but still held onto this unknown guy's arm with her right hand and as she moved to face me, she moved him also and left her left hand on his chest.
"Grant, this is Jason, we dated a few years ago until he moved away to start his career."
I took the opportunity to look Jason up and down. He was a few inches taller than 6 foot and had wavy dark hair. His polo shirt showed off his biceps as he stood there with an egotistical smirk on his face. I instantly disliked this guy.
He reached out and shook my hand a little too hard. I couldn't believe this guy was trying to intimidate me right in front of Kerry. As I pulled my hand back, I shook it a little and Kerry giggled. Then she said, "Stop the Jason, don't hurt him, you are just showing off."
