The Devil's Bargain

THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN Chapter 11

I sent Kim an email through the office network.

Lunch. Today. I'll drive.

Even if our employers were reading our communications, that one should fly below the radar. Kim replied within the hour.

Cool. I'm there.

She came out of the building at 12 noon, on the dot. She knew exactly where my car was parked.

- "This is a treat!" she said. "What's the occasion?"

- "Get in." I said.

Once inside the car, she turned to me.

- "What's wrong? You seem upset."

- "That's because I am. How long have you been dating Josh?"

Kim made a face. "See - that's why I didn't tell you. I thought you might get your shorts in a knot. But wasn't it

your

idea that we should be non-exclusive?"

- "Yeah. My idea. But does Josh know that you aren't exclusive with him?"

- "What?"

- "Just what I said, Kim. Does Josh know that you're fucking other people? Does he know that you're fucking me twice a week?"

She didn't have a ready answer. But after a moment, she spoke. "Look, Dan - I thought that we had an agreement: you run your team, and I run mine."

- "No." I said. "That wasn't the agreement. We agreed that we wouldn't be exclusive. But have you told Josh the same thing? I don't think you have."

- "You've got other girls." she said.

- "Yes - and she knows that I see you. Does Josh know about me?"

- "I can fix this." she said.

- "You can't, Kim. You're keeping secrets from Josh, and from me. Do you even know how he feels about you?"

- "I do. He's in love with me. It's a real rush."

I couldn't see any regret, or remorse. I had a horrible vision, of Kim accepting Josh's ring, and then coming over to fuck me.

- "We're done, Kim. I don't want to see you anymore." I invoked the broken heart cause.

***

What had I learned? Quantity is good. Frequency is great. I'd been having sex five times a week, and feeling like the master of creation. Variety was

fantastic

. But quality was better. I was happier with Brenda alone, now that I'd seen the real Alanna and the real Kim. And I'd been happiest of all with just Lisa.

I tried to speak with Pete. He was closer to Josh than I was. I hinted that maybe Kim wasn't the best match for Josh, in terms of experience. Pete must have said something to Josh, because Josh didn't seem too pleased with me.

I took Brenda to a musical. I

hate

musicals. Her roommate was home, so I snuck Brenda into Mom's house. We went upstairs.

Brenda was sitting on my bed, with her pants pooled around her ankles, while I knelt between her legs, with my face glued to her pussy.

That was when I heard a thump at the bottom of the stairs.

- "Daniel?"

Was that Mom's voice?

"DANIEL!"

- "

I'll be right back

." I whispered.

Mom was at the foot of the stairs.

- "What are you doing?" she snapped. "Do you have a woman up there?"

I tried to remain calm. "I have a friend over, Mom. She's going to spend the night."

- "Not in MY house!" shouted Connie's Mom.

- "Technically speaking, it is your house. Realistically, though... don't you think that it's

my

house, too?"

- "I won't have you bringing strange women into my house!"

- "She's no stranger. I told you: she's a friend of mine."

-"I won't have it, Daniel. Not in my house."

I took a deep breath. Legally speaking, she was right.

- "Alright, Mom. Goodbye."

I went back upstairs.

"Brenda, can I stay at your place for a day or two?"

- "Trouble?" she said.

I explained the situation, as briefly as I could.

"You can stay as long as you have to." she said.

I kissed her, and looked into her eyes.

- "You're wonderful." I said.

***

It wasn't ideal, of course. I had to come back first thing in the morning, to walk Freya. Then I had to do the same thing after work. I went to a restaurant and ate alone, and then went back to take the dog out for her final walk of the evening. Once I'd put her to bed, I went back to Brenda's.

Each time I was there, Mom treated me to a stony silence. Fine - two could play that game.

Brenda's visit had caused a little kerfuffle in the neighbourhood as well. I found most of the dog club hotly debating the subject. Old Willy was the most animated.

- "Is it true, Dan?"

- "Is what true, Willy?"

- "That you brought hookers into your mother-in-law's house?"

- "Willy!" said Sue.

Ron apologized. "It's partly my fault." he said. "I've seen your... lady friends, but so had my wife." I understood immediately. Ron's wife was a one-woman neighbourhood watch committee. She wrote down the licence plates of strange cars, and tracked deliveries up and down the street. She'd seen Alanna, and now Brenda.

Ron's wife loved to talk just as much as she enjoyed snooping. She noticed that my car wasn't in Mom's driveway late that night - and then again the following night. She went over to ask Mom about it - and got an earful.

- "Sorry, Willy." I said. "No hookers. I did have a friend over, and Connie's Mom... objected. So we're in a sort of... cold war. Just for the moment."

- "Sorry, Dan." said Ron again.

- "But... how long have you been a widower?" asked Sue.

- "Five years."

- "Five years? And your mother-in-law is giving you grief? Damn!" Sue was sympathetic. She was divorced, but still looking after her own mother, who lived a mere two blocks away. "You've got to lay down the law with her - if it's not too late already."

Sue was right. This was another power struggle.

I took Freya back to Mom's place, and pulled out a legal pad. I began writing down names and numbers. I had to look up a few on my phone. When I was done, I tore off the page, and left it on Mom's kitchen table.

- "What's that?" she said. There was still a little snark in her tone.

- "Important phone numbers." I said. "First is Sylvia (the cleaning lady). You'll have to make arrangements to pay her yourself, unless you want to get someone else. Then there's Fred; he'll take care of snow removal. You can work out a pay schedule with him. Again, if you find somebody who's better, or cheaper... that's great."

I'd left her names and numbers for grass-cutting, landscaping, and pool opening and closing. I also included the numbers for three taxi services. The message was clear: I wasn't going to be doing these things for her.

"I'll try to find a place for Freya as soon as I can. Some of my furniture may take longer, because I can't evict my tenants until next July. If you really want everything gone, I can get a storage unit."

- "What... what are you talking about?"

- "It's quite simple, Mom: you're kicking me out. And I don't see why I should be helping you out if I'm not welcome here."

- "I never said you weren't welcome."

- "You made it quite clear that my girlfriend isn't welcome. That means that I'm not welcome, either."

- "What?" Mom was confused, and more than a little frightened. I had her sit down at the kitchen table.

- "Mom... Connie passed away over five years ago. And I don't know if she ever said anything to you, but... we hadn't been

intimate

for years before that - even before she got sick."

This wasn't news, of course - except that maybe it was. Mom had never considered anything from any perspective other than her own.

She cried a little bit, at the memory of her only child. That didn't soften my heart; just like her only child, Mom was a potential tyrant. But the whip wasn't in her hands. I was a free agent, and she desperately needed to re-sign me to a long-term contract.

- "I... might have overreacted... a little." she finally admitted.

***

Christmas came, and with it several (mostly) pleasant experiences.

The office party was a restrained affair. Josh and Kim appeared arm in arm, announcing that they were a couple - though there was no mention of an engagement. Pete got hammered, and I drove him home.

Willy hosted a party of sorts for the dog-walking club. Ron and Sue were there, along with Tracy and Jeff, and a younger woman named Tanya - and all of our dogs.

Mom gave in to my request, and we had a quiet dinner on Christmas day: just her, me, and Brenda. Mom was horrified at how young she was, but also pleasantly surprised when Brenda pitched in to help clean up. Overall, she was reasonably hospitable.

I gave Brenda the necklace I'd bought her. It brought tears to her eyes.

George and Anna invited me over on Boxing Day. It was the first time I'd seen Lisa in a year. She looked... well, spectacular.

- "Victoria agrees with you." I said.

- "It's a wonderful place. You'd love it. I know - it would be difficult to bring Freya

and

your mother-in-law."

George filled me on the neighbourhood gossip, but Anna wanted to hear firsthand about Lisa's experiences at UVic - as did I. Lisa wasn't shy; she described her studies, the university, her program, and her social life - including the short relationships she'd been in -three weeks with one guy (a loser), and three months with another (a less obvious Mr. Wrong).

- "You can't give up, sweetie." said Anna. "You'll find Mr. Right."

- "I agree. There's somebody out there for you." I said.

- "Hopefully, more than one." she said, with a semi-smile.

Holly sent me a long email, from Thunder Bay, of all places. She was spending Christmas with her boyfriend's family.

And yet I find myself thinking of you at odd times of the day... and I wonder what we might have become, if I hadn't been so foolish...

Brenda invited me to a New Year's party: I was the only invited guest.

***

George and Anna had me over for dinner again in January. We talked about the neighbourhood, and their daughter.

Josh was still somewhat distant with me, but Pete and I got along fine. Whatever was bothering Josh, it wasn't something that he'd shared with his best friend. Pete was single, lonely, and trying a little too hard.

The Dog Club began socializing a little more. Maybe Willy's Christmas Party was what we needed to get started. Sometimes you meet a person, and immediately like them; but there are also times when you spend a lot of hours with people, and gradually discover their admirable qualities.

Willy was an old fool, but an entertaining old fool. Ron was a walking encyclopedia, when it came to dogs, other animals, and plants. He had an endless fund of anecdotes and stories. I preferred Jeff over his wife, Tracy. I didn't care all that much for Tanya, or her dog, an Alsatian named Rufus.

Rufus was bad-tempered, and occasionally snapped at the other dogs; they gave him a wide berth. Jeff and Tracy's Ridgeback snapped back. Gucci, the little Chihuahua, was the only one who wasn't afraid of either dog.

Gucci's owner, Sue, was my favourite member of the DC. She was 42 (to my 46 and a half), and looked after her mother the same way I took care of Connie's Mom. Besides Ron and me, she became the most consistent person in the club. Quite often, it was just the three of us. Ron would talk (and talk), while Sue and I would exchange glances and the occasional eye-roll.

She usually wore faded jeans, sensible footwear, and a jean jacket that looked older than both of us put together. In the winter, she favoured a big black coat and a black tuque.

It so happened, a couple of times, that it was just Freya and Gucci - meaning just the two of us. We talked about the joys of looking after aging (and demanding) mothers. Sue was exactly where I'd been: looking after two houses, and two yards.

- "Glad I missed the fun of cleaning two pools." she said.

- "You could always come and practice on Mom's." I suggested.

- "Pass."

Freya was letting the Gooch chase her through the snow.

"Hey, Dan...?" said Sue. "Can I ask you something?"

- "Shoot."

- "It's... a bit personal."

- "Okay."

- "Are you really seeing three women at once?"

- "No. I was, for a while last year. But just one, now."

- "Oh. Getting more serious with her, then?"

- "Not really. We're still pretty casual."

- "Umm... sorry if this too personal again but... did she know about the other two?"

- "Yes. All three knew about the others. I made it clear as soon as we started dating."

Sue nodded her head. "Yeah, you don't seem like the type to cheat."

I didn't know how to answer that. Was it cheating, to use the magic phrases? And on several women at the same time? But Sue was looking very thoughtful.

- "Bad experience?" I guessed.

- "More than one." she said. "I was married. You knew that, right? Seven years, we lasted - and he'd been cheating for the last three. I felt so stupid - like I was the last person to know."

- "That sounds awful."

- "It gets worse. Two years later, I met a really decent guy, and we started dating. I was leery of getting into a relationship, you know? But he was patient, and persistent, and finally I gave in. It took me a whole year to find out that he was married. How gullible is that?"

- "I'd call it unlucky." I said. "Trusting someone isn't the same as gullibility."

- "Maybe." she said. I could see that she was thinking about it.

Two weeks later, Freya and Gucci were the only two dogs that showed up, so that Sue and I were alone again.

- "I'm still thinking about what you said, the other day."

- "What did I say? Was it something intelligent? That could be a first."

- "I think it was pretty smart. You said that trust wasn't the same as gullibility. I'm still wondering about it two weeks later. Pretty deep."

We walked a little further through the fresh snow.

"Your wife passed away, didn't she?"

- "Cancer." I said. "A little over five years ago."

- "That must have been tough."

- "Not as bad as what you went through." I said. The words were out of my mouth before I realized that it might not have been the most sensitive thing to say.

I tried to explain. "She'd really left me several years earlier - even before she got sick." I described some of the ways that Connie had been pulling away from me, and my feeling that I was one of the less important things in her life. "I looked after her out of duty - it was more of an obligation than a labour of love."

- "That's

way

worse, Dan."

***

In February, I received an email from Holly. Her relationship had broken up (she didn't specify who had done the breaking).

We were supposed to go skiing in B.C..

she wrote.

Now I have a week's holiday and nowhere to go. Thought I would visit family, but... any chance I could spend part of my holiday with you?

It was very flattering that Holly still wanted to be with me, three years after she'd take the promotion and gone to Calgary. I know - it was the magic. Still.

Brenda wasn't going to miss me for a weekend, since she'd be working. I booked a chalet at a spa. Saunas and massages are even better in the middle of winter.

Ron agreed to take care of Freya both mornings, when he was walking his own dog, Izzy. Sue would take care of the afternoon walk. I was very grateful.

- "It's no trouble." she said. "Freya and Gucci get along well."

I picked Holly up at her family home, less than an hour away. She had let her hair grow, and looked even younger than I remembered. She had dressed more casually, too.

- "You look fantastic." I told her.

- "Good start." she said. "You're a sight for sore eyes, too."

It was a really nice weekend. We drove for an hour, to the resort. Holly had plenty to tell me, about her new position at work, and the end of her most serious relationship since me. She also wanted to know how I was adjusting to living with Mom.

Holly was delighted with the spa's location. It started snowing just a few minutes before we arrived, which was also very nice. She didn't rush anything, as we checked in. She showered, and changed for dinner. Again, she dressed more casually than I remembered.

- "This is a real treat." she said. "I can't thank you enough."

- "You're worth it."

- "Do you... ever miss me, Dan? I think of you all the time. I've been kicking myself for letting you go... almost from the moment I got to Calgary."

- "But you love your job, don't you?"

- "Yes." she admitted. "But every so often, I still wonder if I wouldn't have been happier... with you."

Dinner was nice, and we had fancy coffees while watching the snow fall outside. The wind was picking up, and it looked cold as hell, while we were toasty warm, inside. The anticipation was building, too.

Brenda and I had a very warm, very comfortable relationship. The sex was wonderful, and I couldn't complain about the frequency of the blowjobs (but I was beginning to link oral sex and reality TV, in my mind). Holly, though, promised to be something quite different.

She didn't disappoint. She'd lost a little weight, and seemed even more slender. Holly was eager for bed, and impatient to have me inside her. It wasn't until round two, in doggy style, that I noticed the strange tattoo in the middle of her back. It looked like Chinese characters. I was distracted for a while.

Some tattoos are very appealing. Most of the time, though, I find myself wondering why someone would get one. Wouldn't a t-shirt be just as good? (with the added benefit that you can take it off when you get tired of it). I don't have the same posters in my room as I did when I was 22.

- "What does it mean? Your tattoo."

- "It's Chinese. It says 'The Day is Yours'. Do you like it?"

- "It's great." I lied.

We had sex five times that weekend, and four of them were excellent. The sauna and massages were first-rate, and it was nice to swim in an indoor heated pool. The food was great, Holly was fun to be with, the sex was wonderful...

But I was a little troubled by the tattoo. That, and the fact that Holly couldn't stop talking about work, telling me about people I didn't know, big movers and shakers in our industry (in other words, people I wasn't interested in at all). Did she know me so little?

We both had fun, and in one sense, it ended too soon. But I couldn't escape the conclusion I came to: Holly wasn't ready to come home.

***

I felt guilty for a week or so, and then booked the spa again. Once more I called on Ron and Sue to take care of Freya while I was gone.

- "You owe me now." said Ron.

- "I do."

I took Brenda to the resort. She deserved it, too. She dressed up, and brought her make-up. She frowned when I told her the rules of the establishment. No blowjobs - only cunnilingus.

- "That's not a real rule."

- "It is for us."

Brenda loved the place, too, and enjoyed every part of it - including the sex.

- "Especially the sex." she said.

***

Ron never did cash in the chips that I owed him. Sue did, though: I walked Gucci in the morning, and again that evening, while she was away. Then she asked if I had a strong friend.

- "I need two strong men to carry an old washer and dryer out of my Mother's place, and then to carry the new ones in and hook them up. I can pay in pizza and beer."

I asked Pete. I knew that he had a dolly, and that he'd be willing to help out. He was that type of friend - the one you can always count on.

Sue was very grateful. Only a few days later, she and I were once again the only members of the Dog Walking Club to show up. It was early April, and the ground was wet and muddy. I'd have to give Freya a bath after we were done.

I got a sudden impulse, and went with it.

- "Hey, Sue - would you like to come over for a coffee tomorrow?"

- "Coffee? What's the occasion?"

- "Sunday afternoon. International hour of the coffee bean."

- "Dan, are you asking me on a date?"

- "What? No - it's just a coffee. Mom will be there."

- "Have you had Ron or Willy over, for coffee?" she asked.

She had me there. "Not yet. I thought I'd... ask you first."

- "I'll call you tomorrow, to let you know if I can make it."