The Deal's Who's Who:
Diana Hughes - mother of Matthew Hughes, widow of the late David Hughes, started the Deal
Matthew Hughes- Diana's son, boyfriend of Cindy Morgan
Cindy Morgan - Matt's girlfriend, lives with the Hughes
Craig Lynn - Matt's best friend, son of Jeff and Susan Lynn, brother to Cindy Lynn
Susan Lynn - Diana's best friend, wife of Jeff and mother of Craig and Cindy Lynn
Jeff Lynn - Husband of Susan and father of Craig and Cindy Lynn
Chip Hamilton - close friend to Matt and Craig
Kim Hamilton - close friend of Diana's, wife of Adam, mother of Chip
Adam Hamilton - husband of Kim and father of Craig
Lacey Brock - neighbor and former old friend of Diana, Susan and Kim.
Jenny Clark - friend of Craig Lynn, going to same college as Craig
Steven DeForest - Former Biology teacher for Matt, Craig and Chip, interested in Diana Hughes
Gwen Hollister - brunette haired sister to Gwen, new neighbors of the Hughes and owners of Dreamland adult store
Stephanie Hollister - blonde haired sister to Stephanie, new neighbors of the Hughes and owners of Dreamland adult store.
All characters engaged in any sexual activity are at least eighteen years of age.
*****
"Hey stranger."
Diana swiveled around to see her best friend, Sue Lynn, push her shopping cart toward her.
The two hugged and looked at each other.
"I haven't seen you in ages, girl," Sue smiled.
The two looked at the full carts filled with all sorts of snack foods. "Don't tell me, a big party to settle the test anxious son," Diana said.
"Yeah, that Physics test took a lot out of Craig. How about Matt?"
"Same," Di answered waving her hand across the open cart, "Ninety percent of this is all for him."
Sue chuckled, "Remember when we use to shop together for our big parties."
Diana laughed, "Yeah and we always ended up too tired later to eat even half of it."
"Somehow I think our boys could still work up an appetite if they had been there."
The two lost themselves in thought over their shared past.
Eventually Diana gleamed, "How about we make it a big party with all of us? After all Craig, Matt and Chip all had that test."
"Do you mean a normal party for the boys or one of our old parties?" Sue asked.
"Heh, I think it's high time we pass the torch of debauchery onto the next generation," Di laughed.
Sue gasped, "With everybody? All three families together? We haven't had one of those parties in what? Twenty years?"
Diana nodded her head, "About time, don't you think?"
Sue's smile grew bigger, "That would be a great warm up for the graduation orgy...errrr party we have planned in June."
Diana's face beamed as she took her phone from her purse in the top shelf area of her cart.
In a moment Sue listened to Diana talk to Kim Hamilton as she looked around to see if anyone could hear them but everyone moved by oblivious to the conversation.
Diana plopped her phone back into her purse, "The Hamilton's are in and even offered their place for the festivities."
Sue hooted, "We are back in business just like the old days."
Diana quietly looked at her ringless finger. Sue caught her breath.
Diana looked at her best friend without a response.
Sue flushed, "Let's get this shopping done. I need to have a talk with you."
Soon the two were back at the Hughes house. Sue sat quietly while Diana made coffee for the two of them.
Diana put a steaming cup down next to Sue before sitting down across from her with her own cup.
"Sue? What's going on? I've never seen you like this before."
Sue gave a half smile then called out, "Matt, can you join us, please?"
Diana watched nervously as Matt came in and joined them.
Both Hughes looked equally confused at the face of the clearly nervous Susan Lynn.
"Diana, you are the very best friend I've ever had in my entire life," Sue started.
Diana reached out to hold her hand, "You know you are my best friend, baby. You can tell me anything."
Sue took a deep breath.
"Please, please don't hate me."
Diana gasped, "I don't understand?"
Sue looked down at her lap and spoke in a rush, "When he was sick, David came to me and we, we slept together a bunch of times."
Diana's mouth dropped up and she gasped.
Matt just looked on stunned.
"Why?" Diana asked.
Sue looked up at Diana with tears running down her face. "He was so, so sad. At first he came to me just to talk out his frustrations because he didn't want you more upset."
"More upset? He was my life and I was losing him. He had me. I thought I had him."
Tears continued to pour down Sue's face, "He was scared. He was scared of so many things. He was dying. He was losing you. He was losing his chance for a long life with you. He was so angry. He was so scared. But he only wanted to be brave for you and spare you."
"I was his wife. I didn't need him to be brave or be spared. I needed him."
Sue nodded, tears splattering the table, "I couldn't tell him otherwise. I tried. You know how stubborn he was."
Diana softly nodded, "Go on."
"He was afraid of how you seeing him like that would make things so much worse for you. And Diana, I was the shoulder you cried on too. You were terribly upset as you had every right to be. Everything sucked about what was happening with his dying."
"He cried so much, Diana. And he refused to around you. It broke my heart."
"When did he start sleeping with you?"
"He came over three or four times a week at first just to talk, mostly cry. You and Jeff were at work and Craig and Matt were in school. I was still a stay home mom with Cindy. He was hurting so much. He wasn't thinking straight. He believed that he couldn't have sex with you because it hurt him so much feeling what he was going to lose, and he didn't want you to miss him that much more when he was gone. Eventually, he was hurting so much I just couldn't help it but try to make him feel better any way I could."
Diana shook her head, tears coming down her face now as well. "That stupid, stupid man."
Sue gave a soft smile, "Believe me, I called him those exact words many times."
Diana smiled softly as well, "I can hear you saying that."
Sue took the smile as a good sign and reached out tentatively to hold Diana's hand that was resting near her cup. She smiled more when Diana curled it to squeeze her fingers.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Sue ducked her head again, "He made me promise, literally a death bed promise. I was scared of losing you. I was a stupid, stupid woman. Take your pick."
Sue sat quietly crying with her head down. She heard the scrape of a chair. Suddenly she felt Diana's arms around her hugging her tightly. Her tears turned to sobs when she heard Diana speak softly in her ear, "Thank you for being there for both of us. Thank you for being a better best friend than I could ever dream possible."
Matt came over and wrapped his arms around Sue on the other side.
"Thank you," he softly said.
Sue reached up to clutch them both and cried.
Matt walked into the busy restaurant and smiled at the sight of his girlfriend behind the podium near the entrance.
"Matt," Cindy yelled as she ran over to the beaming youth kissing him.
Matt returned the kiss as the two walked over to the order counter. Matt looked through the glass at the trays of sliced pizza pies on display for sale.
"Can I get two slices of the chicken, bacon ranch pizza?" Matt asked the worker behind the display.