THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN Chapter 12
I saw Brenda once during the following week. There was a new Bachelor, and then the Masked Singer. I believe that one day in the future (assuming that humanity survives), historians and anthropologists will cite that program as proof that Western Civilization was in its death throes. And I say that despite the fact that I was getting a blowjob at the time.
We made love, afterwards, and I was especially gentle and tender with her.
The next night, Sue fucked my brains out.
We got together three times that week - outside of dog-walking. Each time, it led to prolonged and very intense sex. I learned that Sue needed long sessions of foreplay before she could reach orgasm. She had never had an orgasm from vaginal intercourse alone.
- "Never?"
- "It's not that unusual, Dan."
- "No, I know. But you seem..."
- "Oh, I love sex. Fucking. I just can't come that way. That's why I love it when you're willing to go down on me for half an hour." She kissed me.
Sue was sexually adventurous, and loved variety. She let me eat her on her leather sofa, and then fuck her on it, until she was practically sticking to the darn thing.
We would walk the dogs, with her wearing that same ratty old jean jacket and a baseball cap, but she looked different to me now. I'd seen her the night of that fundraiser; I knew that she could do glamourous, and beautiful.
Brenda also had two looks: the comfortable, track pants and sweatshirt attire, perfect for a BJ on the couch, and the dressed to go out, with makeup and a nice dress. But we just didn't have all that much to talk about. I never had to worry about that with Sue.
It wasn't just that she was ideal for me; I was
perfect
for her. I knew what she was going through, looking after her Mother, the dog, and two properties. I was in a position to help her out, and I would certainly never put undue pressure on her.
For example, no public displays of affection. Ron, of course, knew the very next day that we'd had sex. I have absolutely no idea how. Willy was oblivious, and Tanya was too busy complaining about something, but Ron just smiled at us.
- "You two had a late night last night?" Honestly, it was as if he'd been camped out across the street from Sue's place, on a stakeout.
I let Sue determine our schedule. I might suggest something that we could do together, but let her decide when. I fully understood postponements or even last-minute cancellations, when her mother got demanding, or had a minor emergency. I had experienced plenty of those myself, with Mom.
I followed her to the garage, where she left her car for a tune-up and a brake job, and then drove her to work. I picked her up later, and went to get her car. She did feed me and fuck me afterwards.
There was a time or two when I walked Gucci for her, because she simply ran out of time to handle all of her commitments. I remembered how selflessly Lisa had helped me out, and I tried to be that person for Sue.
Meanwhile, I had launched 'Operation Brenda'. I took Pete (and later Josh) to Jimmy's for souvlaki. Neither of them would touch grilled calamari, but they were still ready to come along.
Josh was still depressed after Kim. He'd proposed, and she had told him the truth: she wasn't ready to settle down with one guy. Months later, he was still dwelling on it, getting maudlin and asking us what he'd done wrong.
- "You didn't do anything wrong, Josh. She told you the truth: she isn't ready."
Pete would have had to be blind to miss our waitress. Cute, sweet,
and
stacked? After the first two occasions, I had no trouble getting Pete to join me for the Tuesday night specials at Jimmy's.
He did notice that Brenda seemed fixated on me. I admitted that we'd been dating. That, of course, gave me a perfect reason to tell Pete how wonderful she was.
We went to play billiards as a foursome. I consoled Josh while Pete complimented Brenda on how good she was - and how fantastic she looked.
People often say that you shouldn't try matchmaking between your friends, and they're right - until it works like a charm.
***
I don't remember if it was Sue's idea, or mine (it might even have been Ron's), but we decided to introduce Mom to Sue's mother. It was only three streets away, but I drove Mom because she couldn't have walked that far.
How do
you
spell 'disaster'? Mom was cranky because we were on unfamiliar turf - someone else's home. We should have chosen a neutral site. For added fun, Mom could hardly hear anything, because she'd left her hearing aid at home.
- "How could you forget it?"
- "It bothers me. It hurts my ear, and it makes noises when it touches my hair!" She hadn't forgotten it; she'd left it behind on purpose.
Mom made comments about the decor, the furniture, and even the cups and dishes. They might have been construed as back-handed compliments - or as backhands to the face. Mom also didn't realize that some of her criticisms, which she probably intended only for me, were loud enough for everybody to hear. Do people who lose their hearing forget how to whisper?
Sue's mother complimented me for living with Mom, and said that I must have the patience of a saint. It was a dig at Mom, of course, but also a shot at Sue. The old woman ordered her around like a martinet, sending her to the kitchen for things we hadn't asked for, or had even turned down.
- "Would you like cream with that?"
- "No, thank you. I take it black, and Mom just likes a spot of milk."
- "Susan, get some cream for our guests."
I could see another reason why Sue was in such good shape. But she must have been under considerable stress: the urge to throttle her mother, and to choke the life out of her must have been hard to resist.
Sue and I had an apology contest afterwards, asking each other for forgiveness.
The following day, Ron just had to ask.
- "How did it go with your two mothers?"
- "Fuck off, Ron." said Sue.
***
Holly kept in touch. So did Lisa, who let me know that she was seeing another grad student at UVic. In turn, I told her about Sue.
Sue and I were having a quiet night in when she surprised me with a question.
- "When you had three girlfriends at once, didn't you say that they all knew about the others? You let them know that you weren't going to be exclusive?"
- "That's right."
- "I was just wondering..." she said. "Were you planning on having that conversation with me some day?"
- "Yes." I said. "Would tonight be okay?"
- "Oh? You were ready for this?"
- "Sue, I haven't been with Brenda - not physically, at least - since you and I... started. I've still been going to the restaurant where she works - she's a waitress - but I've been taking two of my friends from work along, so that they could meet. And we've been going out together, as a threesome, or a foursome - ah, not in a sexual sense..."
- "You're trying to set up your girlfriend with one of your friends?"
- "Ex-girlfriend. Brenda and I broke up a month ago." I'd used the broken heart clause, but I also asked Brenda if I could still see her, from time to time, as a friend. She agreed. I was pretty sure that Pete was going to call her - even if I had to make the call and put the phone in his hand.
- "So you want to be exclusive? With me?" said Sue.
- "Yes."
- "But you didn't ask me?"
- "I wouldn't have wanted you to run into us somewhere, or hear it from someone else. It's not that big a town - and I suspect that Ron has spies everywhere. I wanted to get Brenda settled - if you know what I mean."
Sue had to laugh. "You're a strange man, Dan."
- "So I've been told."
- "Is Brenda still going to be in love with you, years from now - like Aarti?"
- "I... hope not?"
