I didn't think about Steve's offer again for several weeks. Truthfully I forgot about it until a text message asking if I'd considered their offer brought it back to mind. A search of the internet was all it took. Without even checking with Gloria, I accepted.
Gloria was... well, what exactly was Gloria? My girlfriend? My sometimes fuckbuddy? My lover? Definitely my sometimes lover; we got together every few weeks to months, and every time was like a honeymoon. We'd met on a flight to San Diego, seat mates for nearly three hours. I was going home, she was going on an adventure -- with an online possible lover that turned out to not be whom he professed to be. A divorcee from a philandering high-school boyfriend, who pretty obviously married her not from love but because he'd knocked her up, I offered nothing but a place to stay when I had the feeling her weekend adventure might turn out to be less than desired. As it turned out, I was right, and she called me up at 1 in the morning to rescue her.
"Got any plans for the last weekend in October?" I asked her after we'd gotten over the "how are you's?" from my unexpected phone call.
"I don't know," she answered after a brief pause. I could hear her mind wandering through the possibilities, apparently deciding she didn't have any plans, "Do I?"
"You might. It's time to wean you off your boy-toy fuck buddy and come play with me."
Gloria, on her way to San Diego, had been a gorgeous divorcee from a scoundrel, with low self-esteem from the constant belittling of her ex. She didn't think of herself as gorgeous, she just considered herself "not ugly." She didn't consider herself sexy, and consequently the thought of getting together with anyone, no matter how sleazy, had seemed like the only option. Now, the difference was amazing. A self-confident, ultra-sexy woman, she not only could have any number of men, I knew she had recently seduced and a young nerdy co-worker, whether she realized it or not - training him to be a woman pleaser.
"Boy-Toy?" She said with what I could tell was mock indignation.
"Well? What would you call him?"
"Oh I don't know -- how about instead of "boy toy" I just say he was a "student of love?"
"Great. Then graduate your student because we're going to Florida."
"Too late."
"Too late -- what?"
"Too late, he's already graduated."
"Uh-oh..." I stated, leaving an opening for her to continue. "Everything OK? When did this happen? Did you cut it off or did he?" I asked when she didn't continue
"Oh, it's fine. It was three weeks ago, and I'd say it was really by mutual agreement..."
I hesitated, "But...?" She giggled in return.
"Well, it's kind of a long story."
"So? I'm not going anywhere. What happened? You cut him off or what? "
"Yeah, I did. You know I told you he's really come out of his shell, really becoming quite adorable?" I couldn't help but think she could also be talking about herself.
"I thought you said he was pretty cute anyway?"
"Yeah, he was, but he was definitely a nerd before. But even the girls that used to turn their nose up at him admit that he's pretty damn cute now. I've heard several of them talking that all he had to do was ask them out, but he never did. About a month ago they hired this new girl, Sherry. She's right at his age, just out of college and cute as a button. She shadowed me for two days before they finally got her a computer. He brought it over to her right at lunch time, and I swear I could see the sparks fly between them. We were literally just getting up to go to lunch when he arrived, so I asked him if he'd like to go with us. The two of them didn't say a thing to each other during lunch, but I saw them both checking each other out. We got back from lunch, he went through everything she would need to know about her new computer, and then told her if she needed anything else to give him a call. She didn't say a thing about him immediately afterward, but perhaps an hour later she off-handedly asked what I knew about Ronnie -- whether he was single, dating, or had a girlfriend. I said "He is kinda cute, isn't he?" and she agreed.
"So you set him up with her?" I interjected.
"No, I did not set him up with her. Well, I guess you could say I nudged him along. At least, I mentioned to him that weekend that she'd asked about him."
"That weekend?" I questioned, "Before or after you fucked his brains out?"
"That's none of your business!" she laughed, and then after a pause said, "More like during. We were resting and I asked him if he was interested in anyone else. He said, "Why would I be interested in anyone else when I've got you?" and I knew it was time. I told him that his thoughts were flattering, but we couldn't go on forever. I told him I was old enough to be his mother, and although the sex had been fun, it wasn't going to go any further and it was time to call it quits before someone found out about us and we got ourselves in trouble. I told him that Sherry had asked about him, and he couldn't believe that she had. He said he thought there was no way she would have been interested in him, she was out of his league. I told him that she should be the judge of that, but if he never asked her out, he'd never know."
"So you cut him off?"
"Well, I did have to give him a final exam"
"I'll bet you did." I laughed. "Was it an oral exam?"
Gloria giggled in return, "Partially. It was more of a hands-on practicum."
~
I was surprised the following afternoon on my way home from work when I looked down at the caller ID to see Gloria's name. "Are we that excited about Fantasy Fest?" I said when I pushed the answer button.