This is a follow up to my story, Halloween Surprise, which took place in October, 2017. This story begins around the Christmas the same year, and goes on from there. This part doesn’t have too much in the way of sex, but lays the groundwork for the parts to follow. It touches upon the incest topic raised in Halloween Surprise, and contains some friendly making out and sexual innuendo. A lot of people expressed questions about the epilogue in the first story. This is a telling of how they eventually reach the epilogue. This is Matt’s and Dianne’s Surprise. There will be two further Surprise stories to come, Chloe’s story and Elaine’s story, leading to the Epilogue Surprise. I love these characters, so don’t be surprised yourselves when they meet other characters you’ve met in other tales.
Summer Surprise, Pt 1
Elaine gave Matt the bad news the day after Christmas.
“I’m moving to Madison and living with Mom.”
“Why?” He pleaded. “We’re just getting to know each other again.”
“Because we’ve ended up naked in bed together twice in the last few days. If we don’t break ties now, we’re going to end up fucking again and I don’t want that to happen. I think we have to learn to be brother and sister again, not Frank and Ella, not the whore and the student, and certainly not boyfriend and girlfriend. We found each other under very emotional circumstances and now we care for each other too much. It’s clear to me that we can’t trust ourselves to be alone together. We need to get our feelings under control before we can safely be around each other.”
“We didn’t fuck,” Matt protested.
“Only two incredible strokes of luck stopped us: Mom calling on Christmas Eve to wish me a Merry Christmas and Chloe coming home early the next day. If those two things hadn’t happened, we’d have fucked again already. Don’t you remember? I sure do. I have hard time thinking about anything else.
“I was sitting on the couch on Christmas Eve drinking mulled apple cider, and watching the snow covered river when you walked in wearing those ridiculous boxer shorts covered in Santa’s elves. You sat down next to me and we started chatting about our plans for the next day. I imagined how funny it would be to see the elves jump as I stroked your cock.
“The sexual tension was overwhelming. I recall thinking that we were creating almost as much heat as a fire would when your hand found it’s way under my oversized tee and rubbed my hard nips. Before long, we were playing tonsil tag and groping each other like high school kids. Clothes went flying everywhere, hands and mouths sensuously moved all over each other, and then the phone rang just as you were going to shove your cock into me.
“We sprang apart as if we’d been scalded and I fumbled around looking for my cell phone. It turned out to be our mom calling to wish us a Merry Christmas. I remember the guilty looks we shared throughout that conversation, as well as, the awful gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach. Despite that, after the call ended, I was still so incredibly turned on I went to bed and spent the next half hour masturbating to fantasies of what might have happened if she hadn’t called, before drifting off into a fitful sleep.
“When I woke up the next morning, I heard you bustling about in the kitchen. I remember walking in and immediately noticing both how tired you looked, as if you hadn’t slept well, and that you were sporting an impressive erection. When I commented on both, you told me you didn’t get much sleep because you spent all night, tossing and turning, while fantasizing about me.
“We tried to lighten the mood, chatting about this and that over breakfast, but the underlying sexual tension never abated. I’ll never forget what happened next. You not so accidentally rubbed your cock up against my ass as I was cleaning up our breakfast dishes. You nuzzled my neck and rained kisses down along my shoulder. It made my skin so incredibly sensitive, I wondered if a person could die from sensory overload.
“When you turned me around and started to lift me up, to place me on the countertop, I shoved you back and dropped to my knees. I was thinking that I wanted to give you the best blow job of your life. I used every trick I knew to bring you to the brink of release without actually sucking your cock. Just as I was getting ready to slide you into my hot, wet, mouth, Chloe calls out from the other room that she’s come home early to get ready for the Christmas party she was attending. You fled the room and I scrambled to make myself presentable.”
“Look at how turned on we both are right now, just thinking about those two near misses. I can’t stay here. It’s too much and I can’t handle it. I don’t want to handle it. You’re my brother and that’s all you can be. We can’t be trusted around each other. We’re just not ready yet. Maybe one day we’ll be ready or we may never be, but we sure aren’t fucking ready now.”
“Elaine. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again so soon.”
“You’re not losing your sister. You’re only losing your girlfriend, which I can’t be. Mom arranged for my enrollment to change from La Crosse to Madison. When we see each other, it will be under more controlled conditions. It will give me a better opportunity to get to know Mom and Beth again. I know you too well and it’s not in a good way. I still think of your cock pumping into me and I crave it. She’s coming up here at 6 PM to pick me up. Chloe already knows she’s got to find a new roommate. You need to find a new girlfriend. You haven’t dated anyone else since you met me.”
“I wasn’t looking to date anyone when I met you. It’s not like I search for women to date. I’m busy working hard at school and looking for a part-time job now that football season has ended.”
“Matt, that is complete bullshit and you need to get past it because WE can’t happen. You don’t date because either Chloe, myself, or both of us are available to go along anytime you want to do something. We provide all the female attention you desire. As for school, your grades have done nothing but suffer since I arrived.
Shit! Matt thought. She was right. He knew she was right. They’d become too close, ending up in an emotionally and sexually rewarding relationship before they’d discovered they were siblings. What he wanted to do to her all the time could easily get them arrested. He’d never fallen as far or fast, for anyone, as he had for his older sister who’d been missing for ten years. She felt like a perfect match for him, her yin to his yang, regardless of the differences in their ages and the fact that she’d worked as a prostitute for most of the time she’d been missing. The truth is he was heartbroken she’d be moving away.
“I don’t want you there when Mom picks me up. I’ll see your miserable, hang-dog face, I might change my mind. So kiss me like you’ll miss me and say goodbye now.”
Resisting the urge to make it more, Matt hugged her tightly and kissed her goodbye before reluctantly letting her go. His heart breaking, he watched her walk down the hall, turn and waive, and then disappear down the stairs. When 6:00 pm rolled around Matt was staring down at the Mississippi River from his living room window. The river moved too swiftly to freeze except in isolated pockets. The world was white with new-fallen snow, interspersed with gray rocks and bare brown trees. More snow was falling, flurries dancing and swirling on the wind. There was a knock on Matt’s door which interrupted his reverie. Hoping that Elaine had changed her mind, he rushed to the door and threw it open.
Chloe stood outside, her hand poised to knock again.
“Come in,” Matt said, standing aside.
“Elaine sent me. She said you’d be miserable and I should come over and lend you a shoulder to cry on.”
Matt wrapped Chloe in his arms, hugged her hard, and started crying. “I love her so much,” he sobbed.
“Of course you do, you big dummy. I love her too. What’s not to love? But remember it’s for the best. I saw how guilty you two looked when I got home early. It would only end up in disaster. I’m sorry she turned out to be your sister. It’s the shits, but sometimes life sucks and you just have to soldier on to get past it. I’m here to provide you company for the evening. What were you doing?”
“Staring out the window.”
“Do you need help staring or should I make us something to eat?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Great. I’m not hungry either. Watching my girlish figure, you know. I brought three movies for your consideration: ‘An Affair to Remember’ if you want to continue crying some more; Adam’s Rib’ if you’d like to switch it up and get a few laughs; or ‘Of Human Bondage’ if you feel like hating on women for a little while before moving on. It’s the original, of course, with Bette Davis not the inferior later one with Kim Novak.”
“‘Adam’s Rib’ is the one where Spencer Davis and Katherine Hepburn are competing lawyers married to each other right?”
“You got it, tiger. Katherine Hepburn, my favorite actress in all the world.”
“Let’s watch that one,” Matt said.
Chloe put the movie in the DVD player, turned on the TV, sat on the couch, and cradled Matt’s head in her lap and they watched the movie. Although Matt laughed a little during the movie, she knew her plan had only partially worked. Unfortunately, she still had her work cut out for her.
******
Matthew made it back home to Madison to see Elaine a couple times during the first month. It was always good to see her, but as promised, Elaine never saw him alone. His Mom or Beth were always with her. He became very depressed when it finally sank in that Elaine was never going to be any more than a sister to him again. His grades suffered and he rarely left his apartment except for going to classes or work. He lost weight and stopped eating or sleeping well.
Chloe noticed that Matt was in a blue funk. She tried to nudge him to into taking an interest in things again but he was completely indifferent. Nothing seemed to snap him out of it. Even her attempts to introduce him to other women failed miserably.
Matt woke up one day to a loud banging on the door. When he opened the door, Chloe shouldered her way past him and into the room, not waiting for an invitation. She started taking off her clothes.
“What the fuck are you doing, Chloe?”
“What’s it look like I’m doing?”
“It looks like you’re getting naked.”
“Good guess, brainiac. I want you to, you know, fuck me: nail me, drill me with your dick, screw me with your cock.””
“What about the whole lesbian thing?”
“We’ve fucked before. It didn’t kill me then and it won’t kill me now.”
Chloe finally had all her clothes off and she looked good standing in front of him naked. Maybe even better than when they dated, before she’d figured out who she was sexually.
“Put your clothes back on.”
Instead, Chloe moved closer and put her arms around him, pulling his head down for a passionate kiss. Matt pulled back and snatched her arms down from around his neck.
“I don’t want a pity fuck.”
“What other kind of fuck are you going to get? You don’t date anyone. You barely leave your apartment except for work or classes. You sit around all fucking day and night moping like some big doofus. We don’t do anything anymore and I’m sick of this shit. I’d be a lousy fucking friend if I didn’t try to kick your ass in gear. You need to do something to get kick-started and I figure sex will do the trick. So here I am to offer you a pity fuck because you’re not going to get any other kind unless you get the hell out of your apartment.”
“You don’t want to fuck me.”
“I also don’t want to look at your pitiful, woe is me, I can’t fuck my sister anymore, bullshit face either. Looks like neither one of us is going to get what we want, doesn’t it? I’m willing to throw you a bone because I’m your friend and I’m tired of what you’ve become.”
Matt looked at her and had to admit that she did look great. He felt his cock stir for the first time in a month..
“You look good, Chloe,” he said.
“I don’t look good, shit for brains, I look great, and you know it. Are we going to fuck or what?”
As tempted as he was, Matt replied, “Or what. Put your clothes back on.”
“Not unless you promise to come with me now and do something.”
“Like what?”
“Anything really; we could go for a walk, go to a restaurant, go swimming, go to a play or a movie, or go canoeing for fucks sake. I don’t really give a shit as long as you’re doing something besides sitting alone in here.”
“Fine, we’ll go for a walk and grab a pizza after.”
“Are you sure? I’m perfectly willing to share this gorgeous fucking bod with you to jump start your heart, dickhead.” She waved her hands up and down her body as she spoke.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m the wrong gender for you and you know it.”
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the sex, Matt. The emotions just weren’t there.”
“Fine. I get it. I’m a great lover who doesn’t know how to pick out girlfriends.”
“You certainly screw it up royally: first, a fucking lesbian; then, a self-centered twit; and finally, your sister. You can’t be trusted with these kinds of decisions. Someone else needs to make these choices for you, and that someone is me. Last chance. The clothes will be going on again if you don’t take advantage of these saucy boobs and this delicious cunt.”
Matt’s cock was seriously hard right now. “Really. Put your clothes back on.”
Chloe started putting her clothes back on. Matt politely turned away as she did; though, he couldn’t help sneaking a couple of peeks early on in the process. He really didn’t deserve a friend like Chloe. He had been a hermit and a jerk lately.
“You can look again, sad sack,” Chloe said. “Any chance that erection will go away on its own?”
“You weren’t supposed to see that.”
“What? I’m blind? Actually, it’s nice to know I can still give you a hard on. I don’t want only lesbian roles when I become a Hollywood actress. Need to be able to turn on the other half of the human race too. I want to have sex appeal to everyone.”
“You got your wish. You’re not lacking in sex appeal. Let’s go.”
They took a long walk along the river, remaining mostly silent, though occasionally talking about this and that. Having worked up a bit of an appetite, they went to their favorite pizza joint.
After ordering, Chloe said, “I’m serious, bud. Life is passing you by. You need to give up the whole depressed hermit routine and get back out there. While you’ve been wallowing, your grades have gone to shit, your social life has tanked, and your friend skills have sadly deteriorated. Just saying. It’s time to give up the pity party and join the human race again.”
“And do what?”
“Start going out again, for one. Elaine is not the only woman in the world, no matter how much you might think so now. Run a few new ones up the flagpole and see how it goes. Eventually, you’ll meet some nice woman who isn’t your sister. You’ve got a lot to offer the right girl, but you’ll never meet her if you continue hiding in your apartment. I’m going to start suggesting some nice hetero girls for you to go out with. It’s for your own good, believe me. Just remember, the alternative is me coming back to your apartment, stripping naked, and tying you to the bed while I fuck you senseless.”
“You don’t want to have sex with me,” Matthew said.
“Honestly, no I don’t. I much prefer the fairer sex. So, if you want to save me from your nasty male cock, you’ll quit fighting me on this. I know this cute little redhead who’d like to meet you. Here’s her number. I want you to call her before Wednesday and make a date for Friday. Eventually, we’ll find someone who sticks. Agreed?”
“Fine.” Matt took the slip of paper and looked at it. “Erin, huh.”
“Yeah, Irish I think. Looks Irish anyway. She works on costumes and set decoration. I know she’s into guys because she turned me down flat.”
“I’ll call her.”
“Great, otherwise you’re going to end up licking some lezzie labia. Just saying.”
Matt called Erin up and they went on a couple dates, but it never went anywhere. The cycle would repeat itself every couple of weeks. Chloe would introduce him to someone new, they’d go on a few dates, and then it quickly fizzled out. Matt tried to be polite but he knew he wasn’t putting enough effort into it. More often than not, he was sullen and taciturn, answering their questions monosyllabically. He didn’t ask them many questions because he didn’t care about the answers. After he crashed and burned with four of them, Chloe sort of gave up on introducing him to new women. She decided to leave well enough alone, since he’d at least left the confines of his apartment and was doing more with his life. She was glad to see that his grades started to get better and he was eating and working out again. His love life would just have wait until his misery eased.
******
It’s too bad Elaine had to leave for Madison, Chloe thought. We liked each other, got along well, and had some things in common. She found herself getting annoyed at the thought of interviewing roommate candidates for the third time. The last two roommates sure hadn’t lasted long. One was disturbed by all the lesbian sex going on and the other kept falling behind on her share of the rent. Chloe’s folks weren’t made of money and neither was she, so the hunt was still on for a suitable roommate; though, it was becoming truly tiresome.
Everyone she interviewed had issues with something: their attitude towards her sexuality, their not getting to fuck her, their inability to afford the rent or their other stupid bullshit. She hoped the next candidate wasn’t an obnoxious lesbophobe like the last person she interviewed. Gritting her teeth, she recalled that fiasco.
“You’re kidding me? You’re a lesbian?”
“It’s not a disease, honey. You can’t catch it.”
“I suppose you only want me to stay here so you can seduce me and get me involved in your filthy little habits?”
This one was already a no-go, but Chloe hated her attitude. My God, to think in this day and age anyone gave a flying fuck what anyone else did in private was too much.
“Only if you want to, sugar. I’m not a rapist. I find plenty of girls who enjoy what I have to offer. What I want is someone who’ll pay her share of the rent.”
“There’s no way I’m staying in a house with a pervert.”
“Fuck you! Thou doth protest too much, I think. You’re probably a closet queer. I bet I’d have you lapping my cunt in two weeks.”
“You’re disgusting!”
“And you’re a close minded bitch. I wouldn’t let you stay at my place on a bet.”
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Chloe mumbled as the bitch stormed out.
Realizing she had to get moving, Chloe took a couple aspirin to kill her sudden headache, breathed deeply, and then headed to the kitchen to interview the next potential roommate.
“Hi, my name is Chloe Hamilton and I’m a theater arts major and I’m looking for a roommate. What’s your story?”
“My name’s Dianne Rogers and I’m in accounting. The last lady who stormed out of here seemed pretty upset. What was her problem?”
“She had a problem with my sexuality, so let’s get that out in the open right away. I’m a lesbian. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Are you going to persist in trying to hook up with me even if I say no, I’m not interested?”
“No. I’m looking for a responsible person who can pay her share of the rent, not a girlfriend.”
“Then I don’t care about your sexual orientation.”
“Why are you going to college? Trying to snag a husband?” Chloe asked.
“Been there, done that. My husband died and I’m not looking for anything other than an education.”
“I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“He was killed by an IED blast while on tour in Afghanistan with the military. It happened over a year ago. The wounds aren’t fresh anymore but they still aren’t completely healed. I’m not looking for anyone to take his place, not ready for that just yet.”
“Accounting?”
“I have a facility for numbers and I’ll need something to pay the bills when his insurance money runs out.”
“That’s how you’re going to pay your share of the rent?”
“Yeah. I have some educational benefits from being the wife of a deceased soldier and we had some insurance, but I can’t live off it indefinitely.”
“Why not live in the dorms?”
“I don’t think I’d fit in. I’m a little older and a whole lot more mature. Having been married for over two years, I enjoy a little company but need more peace and quiet than a dorm offers.”
“As long as you don’t care if I’m a rug muncher and you can pay your share of the rent, it sounds like a good fit to me. Do you have any questions or issues you’d like to discuss?”
“Are you noisy? I’d like to be able to study.”
“No more than the next person. I like the occasional party with my friends, but usually not more than once a month.”
“How do we handle food?”
“We buy and eat our own.”
“Bathroom time?”
“Each of the bedrooms has its own bath. We don’t have to share.”
“I’m satisfied. When can I move in?” Dianne asked.
“I have another interview scheduled, but I’m pretty sure you’re a shoo-in. You’ll be able to move in tomorrow if the other girl doesn’t blow me out of the water. Give me your phone number and I’ll give you a call either way.”
Dianne gave Chloe her phone number and went off fairly satisfied she’d found a place to stay. Her beliefs proved well founded when Chloe called her with the good news a half hour later. She didn’t even fully unpack her car at the motel she’d rented for the night. The next day found her moving her things into the apartment. Chloe helped her with some of the heavier items, the bed and mattress and a desk to study at. She was buying the books she needed for her first semester at the bookstore the following day.
Chloe was a good roommate. She wasn’t loud, obnoxious, or rude, was funny, and pretty much left her alone unless she initiated conversation. Chloe was flamboyant, and had a number of friends she had over for sex, but they were quiet and never bothered her. Occasionally, she’d find one naked in the kitchen grabbing a snack, but mere nudity wasn’t an issue for her. Apparently, Chloe told them she was off limits and no one hit on her. She welcomed being left alone. The pain of her husband’s death was still a raw wound in her heart and she didn’t want to be shedding sexual propositions from men or women.
There was one person who would sometimes visit Chloe, a young man with an ineffable sadness to him. He didn’t seem to notice her when she was around and she gradually came to believe he was gay himself, if gay could be used to describe someone so doleful. He didn’t seem to pay attention to any women except Chloe who he seemed to be close to.
Dianne asked Chloe about him one day after he’d left.
“Who’s the young guy who just left?”
“My ex-boyfriend, Matt.”
“You had a boyfriend?” Dianne asked, surprised because Chloe didn’t seem even the slightest bit bisexual.
“Freshman year, before I realized guys and I didn’t mix well. He came home once and found me making love to a girl. It ended the romantic relationship, but we’ve remained good friends.”
“So he isn’t a homosexual?”
“Hell no. Matt’s as straight as they come.”
“Why does he seem so unhappy all the time?”
“Long story and very sad.”
“I’m done studying for the night. I could listen to a long story.”
“It’s got some twisted shit in it. Stuff you don’t normally hear about. Can you listen without being too judgmental? I don’t want you to think badly of him. It wasn’t really his fault.”
“I don’t give you a hard time about the parade of girls you have in here, why should I think less of him?”
Chloe laughed. “Good point.”
“I promise to listen with an open mind,” Dianne said.
“Grab a drink and take a seat. This might take awhile.”
Dianne made herself some tea and offered Chloe some. Chloe accepted the offer and started to tell the story.
“Once upon a time, a family lived in Tennessee, a mom with a daughter from a first marriage where the husband died. She marries a new man, and they have two more kids. While the eldest daughter was still in high school, her step-father started to molest her while mom was working in the evenings as a waitress. Finally, the daughter is graduating, and told her mom what step-dad was doing and asked her to make it stop. Mom didn’t believe her, called her a liar and told her to leave.
“Eldest daughter leaves home, going to LA, where she runs into a pimp who turns her out as a prostitute as many runaways end up doing. She eventually leaves the pimp and goes to work for herself, primarily doing blow jobs for eager young college boys, essentially making a living on blow jobs alone.
“Meanwhile, the family ends up moving to Madison, Wisconsin and the boy starts college at La Crosse. The woman in LA decides she wants to see New York, ice skate at Rockefeller Center, see the Statue of Liberty, visit the Empire State Building, and all the rest New York has to offer. She begins to work her way to New York, campus by campus, blow job by blow job.
“Around Halloween of last year, said boy is at a party where a woman is giving blow jobs to the boys at $20 a pop.”
Dianne’s eyes widened. She can see the ending now and it isn’t pretty; an unvoiced ‘Oh, no,’ on her lips.
“Just before boy is going to get his bell rung, the woman calls a halt, having swallowed enough cum for the night. Boy convinces woman to have something to eat and drink somewhere with him, and if she feels like it afterward, give him the blow job for $20 he missed out on. Woman accepts his offer and since it’s Halloween and they’re both dressed in costumes, start calling themselves Frank N. Stein and Ella for Vampirella. They eat, he seems like a decent chap, they go to his place. He gets his blow job.”
“It’s his sister,” Dianne said, eyes wide in horrible understanding. “My God! What a terrible thing to happen.”
“Story isn’t over yet and it gets worse, much worse.”
“How much worse could it get?”
“It doesn’t end with a simple blow job. They end up boinking like bunnies and quickly fall in love. The boy is handsome, smart, kind and nice. He woos her by taking her ice skating for the very first time, with me, so she can learn to skate before going to New York. He tells her that she can’t be a prostitute forever and should instead go to school, even if she has to pay for it by giving blow jobs. Shortly thereafter, she decides to immediately give up her life of prostitution. The boy gives her six grand of his own money so she can support herself until she gets a real job.
“Despite their age differences, they agree to try to be together romantically. They tell each other their real names and tragically discover that they’re estranged siblings who haven’t seen one another for close to eleven years. Concerned for their other sibling they reach out and discover that dear old dad was about to start molesting his own daughter. Thankfully, that’s nipped in the bud and mom and daughter have a rapprochement. Knowing they can’t be together anymore the sister leaves after a couple close calls. The boy is bereft. Giving up his true love leaves him heartbroken. Granted it’s not quite as bad as losing your husband, but I’d say it’s pretty bad nonetheless.”
“How awful,” Dianne said. “I feel so sorry for them. No wonder he’s down.”
“Matt went into a deep depression and would barely leave his apartment. I finally convinced him to go out on a few dates, but that didn’t go so well. Now he doesn’t want to date anyone else and he’s stuck down in the dumps.”
“I can imagine.”
“Actually, I think you’d be perfect for him, but I know you’re dealing with your own loss and I didn’t want to push you guys together until you’re ready.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I know it’s been over a year, but I’m not ready yet.”
“I understand perfectly. I’m not sure Matt’s ready either, but at least he’s not hiding in his apartment any longer.”
“What a terrible tragedy,” Dianne said. “I’m glad you told me.”
Dianne kept to herself most of the time, studying, exercising, and hanging out in her room, but occasionally she’d catch a glimpse of Matt and find herself pondering the boy who fell in love with his sister.
******
Dianne was in her room studying when she heard a commotion at the front door. Several voices were raised in greeting like they hadn’t seen each other for a while. Peeking out of her room, she saw Chloe at the front door welcoming three women into the apartment: a woman around her age, a much older woman, and a girl who appeared to be around eighteen. She wondered if this was Chloe’s family. Chloe noticed Dianne watching from her bedroom door and invited her to come meet everyone.
“Dianne, this is Matt’s family, his elder sister, Elaine, his mother, Georgina and his younger sister, Beth. Everyone, this is Dianne Rogers, my roommate.”
So this was Matt’s family, except for the evil father, Dianne thought. Taking a moment to study Elaine, she noted how gorgeous she was despite the air of sadness which surrounded her.
“Oh, you know Matt, too?” Georgina said.
“Not really,” Dianne said. “I’ve seen him around some. He comes to visit Chloe sometimes. He seems like a nice guy, though.” Except for the fact he could be the poster child for clinical depression, Dianne thought.
“So, why are you guys in town?” Chloe asked.
“I wanted to return the money Matt gave me,” Elaine said. “The cash from fucktards life insurance policies are coming in and I don’t need his money anymore. He wasn’t at his room. I think he’s in class. We can’t just leave it outside his door, so we decided to drop it off here because we know you see him several times a week.”
“It’s been so long since we’ve seen you, Chloe,” Georgina said. “Let’s chat over some lunch. I can make everyone some sandwiches.”
“Sure. I’ve never been one to turn down free labor. I even have food in the fridge since Dianne pays her share of the rent on time.”
“Dianne, why don’t you join us. It would be nice to get to know one of Chloe’s friends. Beth, help me make the food.”
Beth gave her a dirty look, getting an equally dirty one back. “Fine, as long as we have time to talk after we eat. You’re not the only one who hasn’t seen Chloe in a while.”
They both went into the kitchen.
“Are you Chloe’s girlfriend?” Elaine asked. “It’s hard to keep track, she goes through them so fast.”
“Not likely, I’m strictly straight,” Dianne said. ” Besides, like you say, she tends to burn through girlfriends pretty fast. Best I not get on the merry-go-round or I might have to leave if she got sick of me.”
“Are you dating anyone?”
“Nope. I was married for a couple years, but about fifteen months ago my husband was killed in action during an IED attack in Afghanistan. I’m still kinda mourning so I’m not ready to do the dating thing yet. I’m just focusing of getting a college degree right now.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. That’s tragic.”
“Everyone has their story to tell, some of it good, some of it bad. At least it’s not fresh anymore and the ache is starting to go away. The only thing I regret is that we spent so little time together, roughly a year out of the two we were married, because the rest of the time he was overseas.”
“You’re right. Everyone has stories,” Elaine said.
Dianne didn’t think it appropriate to talk about Elaine’s story since she barely knew her. Perhaps Chloe wasn’t supposed to say anything. It would be horrible if Georgina and Beth didn’t know about what happened between her and Matt and she spilled the beans.
“Chloe said you’re going to school in Madison. What are you studying?”
“Public Relations, you?”
“Accounting. I like numbers and I’m good at them. I need something to pay the bills when the insurance money runs out.”
“More stable than being a theater major, right Chloe?”
“Are you kidding? I’m going to be a star; I’ll make more money than both of you put together.”
“You’re certainly not lacking in confidence, that’s for sure,” Elaine laughed. “I swear, one of the worst things about going to school in Madison was giving you up as a roommate.”
“Are you dating anyone?” Dianne asked.
“No. I’ve sworn off sex for the time being. Not sure I could find anyone nice anyway.”
“Why not?”
“I used to be a prostitute. I figure no one decent would be interested once they found out. The rest would just want sex.”
“Does your family know?”
“Oh, Mom and sis, yeah, they know. I don’t keep many secrets from them.”
“What was it like?”
“Prostitution? About what you’d expect. It doesn’t leave you with warm, wonderful thoughts about the opposite sex. Far too many men wearing wedding rings hiring my services. Cheap bastards who don’t want to pay. Some men who get rough or want more than they paid for. It was about as degrading as you’d expect.”
“Why tell anyone? It’s in your past.”
“It’s an awfully big secret to keep. I was a prostitute in Los Angeles for ten years. I mostly sucked a lot of cock, but occasionally I fucked for money, posed for nude photoshoots, and acted as an extra in porn movies. That’s a lot of exposure and I’m certain some of that stuff is still floating around out there. Probably not a good idea to start a long-term relationship trying to keep that kind of shit a secret. I can’t imagine it going well if a future hubby was perusing porn sites one day and came across a picture of me taking it in the ass or sucking some other guy’s dick. Just the kind of girl someone wants as a wife and mother, right?”
“That’s so sad.”
“Tell me about it. I’m pretty much resigned to remaining single.”
“That’s bullshit,” Chloe said. “There are more men like Matt in the world. You just haven’t found one yet for the same reason Matt hasn’t found a new girlfriend; neither one of you is looking.”
“How is Matt doing now?” Elaine asked.
“It was touch and go for about six weeks. His grades slipped. He was brooding in his apartment, not doing anything. I finally went over there, stripped off my clothes and told him to fuck me. He was too much the gentleman to accept, but I finally broke through enough to drag him into real life again.”
“I’ve seen you running around enough in the apartment to know how good you look; why didn’t he fuck you?” Dianne asked.
“He said he didn’t want a pity fuck from his gay ex-girlfriend. Gave him a boner though,” Chloe laughed. “Men can’t hide when they’re interested.”
“When was this?” Dianne asked
“About two weeks before you moved in. You’ve only seen the quasi-good Matt. You didn’t see the totally depressed, woe is me, total dumpster fire, Matt.”
“The Matt I’ve seen is the quasi-good Matt? I thought he was the dictionary definition of depression.”
“You didn’t see him before. The current Matt isn’t the real Matt. The real Matt is the greatest guy in the world, the ‘let me give you a massage,’ Matt,” Chloe said. “The current Matt is the okay, you don’t have to drown me, Matt.”
“Oh, the massages,” Elaine said. “They were the fucking best weren’t they? They made me want to melt.”
“No kidding,” Chloe said. “Receiving a massage from him almost makes me want to give up women. I mean, I love Matt like a brother, but I occasionally wish it could have been more. He’s such a fucking sweetheart.”
“I know,” Elaine said, sadly. “The world’s best.”
“Too bad neither of us could give Matt what he needs,” Chloe said, putting her hand on Elaine’s shoulder and leaning her head in to touch Elaine’s.
Elaine smiled wistfully. “Yes,” she whispered.
Dianne thought she’d like to make the acquaintance of the real Matt. The one she’d encountered so far wasn’t any prize, but the one they talked about sounded like someone she’d like to meet.
“You three ready to eat?” Georgina said. “Food’s ready. I hope you like egg salad sandwiches and tuna salad over lettuce and cucumbers?”
“Any meal I don’t have to make myself is the best meal in the world, Mrs. S.,” Chloe said. “Color me hungry.”
They spent the next hour and a half laughing and talking up a storm. Dianne had a wonderful time with all of them. Georgina and Beth were both nice people who were fun to be around, Elaine was sweet despite the air of sadness that clung to her, and Chloe was her usual bright, vivacious self. It left her wondering about the ghost in the room, the missing real Matt.
******
When Matt came to the apartment to pick up the money Elaine had left, Dianne tried to meet the so called real Matt. She didn’t. He came across as disengaged, only asking Chloe how Elaine was doing and about his mom and Beth, but little else. Most of her attempts at conversation with him went nowhere. His responses to questions were monosyllabic or as brief as possible, offering only the bare minimum response. Nothing to carry on the conversation beyond the initial question. He seemed disinterested in getting to know her better and didn’t ask her anything about herself. It was pretty much like carrying on a conversation with a door knob.
When he left, Dianne said, “I hoped to meet the real Matt. He’s still not at home. I guess he didn’t find me attractive.”
“Nonsense. You’ve got everything in all the right places. It’s no reflection on you at all. He’s still too wrapped up in his own fantasy world to really notice anyone.”
“The way you and Elaine talk about the old Matt makes it sound like he’d be an interesting guy to meet. I wish I could get to meet that version of Matt.”
“What? You’re ready to date again?”
“With the right guy, I’d maybe consider it. Nothing too serious to start.”
“I think you’d be perfect for Matt. Serious, grown up, not some kind of party girl.”
“Except he doesn’t pay the slightest bit of attention to me.”
“He isn’t paying attention to anyone right now, so that’s nothing against you. What you need is some kind of hook to get him to really look at you.”
“Like what? Do what you did? Strip off all my clothes and ask him to fuck me?”
“No way. That would probably turn him off. I got away with it because I was a friend. Matt’s a rescuer. He needs a damsel in distress. He didn’t intend to fall in love with Elaine, he was just trying to rescue her from a life of prostitution. The love came out of that, hers and his.”
“So pretend to be a prostitute?”
“Fuck no. Totally unbelievable. Nothing about you screams ‘Prostitute, I’ll fuck you for money.’ We need something different, something believable and closer to the truth. The best acting comes from the truth of who you are. Grieving widow. That should do it.”
“I could probably pull that off. When and where? I mean, he’s seen me a couple times and I haven’t been exactly crying up a storm.”
“Too true. We need some kind of special date to make it significant to you. When did you get married?”
“November, 2014.”
“November is too far away. When did you meet?”
“Memorial Day, same year.”
“Perfect! Memorial Day is coming up. I bought Matt a day trip on a Mississippi riverboat on Memorial Day. Anything to get him out of his apartment. You need to get on the same boat and then do something that screams distress, without actually screaming help, in which case a bunch of other people might leap in to try and save you. It’s completely perfect. It makes total sense you’d be distraught on the anniversary of such an important day in your relationship.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. I can’t figure out everything. Sometimes you have improvise, ad-lib, play it by ear. You know, see what opportunity presents itself. Just remember – damsel in distress. Here’s the details for the cruise.”
Chloe gave Dianne the brochure she’d purchased the cruise from.
“Book yourself on the same cruise.”
Dianne looked at the brochure for a rear paddle wheeler river cruise. It was scheduled to leave the berthing spot on the Mississippi River at La Crosse at 10 am and travel down to Prairie du Chen where it would reverse course for the return trip back up the river. It included two meals, lunch and dinner. It was fairly expensive, but doable. Even if it didn’t work as a key to unlocking Matt’s funk, it would still be fun. She’d never done anything like it before. She booked herself on the cruise.
******
The closer she got to the date of the cruise, the more nervous Dianne got.
“This is stupid,” she said to Chloe. “I feel like I’m going to be throwing myself at him. That’s not me.”
“Nonsense, just remember you’re going on this cruise because it’s a sad day for you and you want to get out of your head. You’re giving him a chance to notice you and talk to you, that’s it. You don’t even have to kiss him. Unhappy fellow meets an unhappy girl and the rest should flow naturally. You might not hit it off, though I think you will. I have a nose for this shit. Just wear something a little nicer than most students would. It might be nippy, especially on the water, so bring a sweater.”
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Regardless of what happens with Matt, just have a good time. Good food, late spring day, nice cruise on the Father of Waters, what’s not to enjoy? Don’t look at it like a date, it’s more like an opportunity to quit studying.”
******
Matthew called Chloe the day before Memorial Day.
“Chloe, I can’t go on this cruise. I just don’t feel like going. I don’t feel all that social.”
“Matthew Sanders, you dumb shit. Don’t you dare cancel on me. I put big bucks out for this cruise for you. It’s non-refundable. You’d just be wasting my fucking money.”
“I can pay you back. Elaine returned all the money I gave her.”
“And do what? Go sit and brood in your room all day. I bought this for you to get you out of your apartment. You’re pale, like Casper the fucking ghost, pale from sulking in your room all winter and spring. Even if you spend the entire cruise sitting on a bench staring out at the river like you usually do in your apartment, at least you’ll be out in the fresh air and sunshine.”
“At least come with me. I’ll buy your ticket.”
“You really want to hang around with your gay ex-girlfriend some more? Besides even if the boat isn’t already fully booked, I have rehearsal on Memorial Day.”
“For what? The college has already put on its last spring play?”
“I’ve got a one woman show opening next week at the La Crosse Community Theater for two weeks; written, directed, produced and starring your favorite artsy-fartsy ex, moi.”
“Really? How come I don’t know about it?”
“Because you’re lost in your own little world and have been for the last six months. Do you even know the name of my current roommate? She’s been here three months. Even your mother and sisters know who it is.”
“Are you sleeping with her?”
“Roommate, not girlfriend.”
Matt was silent for a while, thinking. “Rhianne, LeeAnn, something with N’s in it.”
“Wonderful! I’ve introduced you three times and you don’t even remember her name. Is it any wonder you don’t know about my one woman show. Go on the fucking day cruise and get your head on right. You’re the poorest excuse for an ex-boyfriend I’ve ever had, and there were three before you.”
“Was I the only one who found you making out with another girl?”
“Yeah, so what? Is that your excuse for why you’re so miserable?”
“You know it isn’t.”
“Well, I got news for you, bub. Your love affair with Elaine ended when you found out she was your sister. That relationship ain’t gonna be more, it can’t be more, so get over it already. I’m sick of your disconsolate carcass. Your melancholy bullshit isn’t cool. If you don’t go on the ‘River Queen’ tomorrow, don’t bother coming back here.”
“Chloe!”
“You’re bringing me down, Matt. You know me. Ever seen me without a smile on my face, a smart ass remark on my tongue, and dripping anything less than sunshine?
“No.”
“Well, it’s getting harder and harder to do. I’m sick and tired of trying to be the bright spot in your life. I need to get laid every time I see you just to get geared up for another day, and I don’t have enough sex for that, I’m too busy. You seriously need to stop being the anchor dragging me down. Figure it out.”
Chloe ended the call. That was one of the toughest phone calls she’d ever had. She hoped it worked like a kick in the pants and put him on that boat tomorrow. She was running out of ideas.
******
Matt stared at the phone in his hand. He thought about the last several months. Okay, he could admit he hadn’t been pleasant company, maybe even a downer, but she couldn’t be serious. Shit! He couldn’t see a life without Chloe someplace in it. She was the best friend he’d ever had. She always went above and beyond what any other friend would do. He remembered her coming over to his apartment, stripping, and telling him he should fuck her. Who does that? Chloe, that’s who.
She also wasn’t wrong about being the only bright spot in his week. The days seemed like a gray fog swirling around him, broken a little by the ray of sunshine that was Chloe attempting to burst through the mists. Imagining days without that tiny spark was too much. He’d better be on that boat tomorrow or he might as well end his own life. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
******
Chloe informed Dianne that Matt had called and said he might not go.
“I told him to forget ever coming over again if he didn’t go, but who knows.”
“You wouldn’t do it, would you?”
“It’s damn hard to kick your brother out of your life and that’s kinda what Matt is to me, but I needed to threaten him with something he might take seriously. Hopefully, that will do the trick, but be forewarned he might not show. What are you going to wear?”
“I’ve got this corduroy dress which might keep me warm enough, and I’ll bring a cashmere sweater my husband gave me our last Christmas together.”
“Where was he stationed?”
“Fort Bragg.”
“Fairly big climate change. What made you come to La Crosse instead of staying in North Carolina?”
“Too many reminders of Robert. Too much army surrounding the base. Thought it would be good to have a complete change of scenery.”
“You’re going to be seeing some of the change in scenery tomorrow.”
******
It was 51 outside when Dianne got up, warming to 55 by the time she got on the ‘River Queen’ at nine. It was scheduled to get up to 65 around two, so she wouldn’t freeze, no matter what happened. She got on the boat early so she could see if Matt got on and where he went. She could search for him for a couple hours if she missed him.
Arriving at 9:45, Matt was one of the last passengers to board. She wasn’t surprised when he walked directly past her without recognizing who she was. She followed behind him as he made his way to the second deck, back near the paddlewheel. The vast majority of the passengers were either on the top deck or near the front of the boat enjoying the view, which left them relatively secluded and isolated. Dianne decided this was an ideal place to become distressed; though, she struggled to decide how to go about it. She knew she had to appear distraught enough to make him think she needed rescue, but only to the level that led to talking as opposed to a 911 call.
Matt was just sitting and quietly staring out at the water, almost unmoving, as if his mind was drifting and unfocused. Suddenly an inkling of an idea occurred to Dianne. Without looking at him, she walked to the railing, swung her legs over it, and then stood staring out at the water as if she was contemplating jumping in. She hoped he’d notice before she began to look ridiculous or she accidentally fell in.
“Please don’t jump in. I’d feel compelled to go in after you and the water’s still pretty damn cold this time of the year.”
Dianne closed her eyes in relief. She grabbed the vertical post she was poised near and turned to look at him.
“Shit! I didn’t see you sitting there. I don’t think I would have jumped, though I’ve certainly contemplated something like it the last year.”
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Matt said.
“You should. I’m Chloe’s roommate, Dianne. You’re Matt right.”
“Dianne. I couldn’t remember your name when Chloe asked me yesterday.”
“Not surprising. You haven’t paid much attention to me when you’ve come by.”
“Mind telling me what you’re doing standing on that side of railing? Better yet, how about coming back to this side.”
“Could you help me. I don’t want to slip by accident, since neither of us wants to get wet and cold. I don’t want to ruin this sweater, either.”
Matt stood up, stepped to the railing, and grabbed Dianne’s arms in a strong grip. He held her firmly until she’d swung both legs back over the railing and had safely slid down to the deck.
“Thanks, Matt.”
“Want to tell me now, about the railing, and the sweater too, while you’re at it.”
“I met my former husband, Robert, on Memorial Day, 2014. These days, I tend to get sad during our anniversaries. This sweater was one of the things he gave me our last Christmas together.”
“Divorced now?”
“Widowed. IED in Afghanistan, January, 2017.”
“Shit! I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No reason you should. We haven’t conversed much. Chloe recommended I take this cruise because she knew I had an anniversary coming up. I don’t think I would have jumped, but I have had some bad thoughts about it on occasion.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Are you sure you want to listen? Listening to other people’s problems isn’t a great way to spend a nice day like this.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t really want to come on this thing either.”
Dianne sat beside Matt and began recounting the story of her marriage to Robert. She was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to talk to him and thoroughly enjoyed how he really paid attention as she described her brief marriage to a good man, whom she deeply loved, who died before she got to spend much time with him.
He made it easy to share her loving summation, which encompassed all the little things her husband had done to show his love and appreciation, as well as, the good-natured teasing he’d done every time he saw her, such as asking her which window her lover had just ducked out of.
As it turned out, she didn’t have to fake any crying. Matt was such a good listener, asking all the right questions, that she ended up crying all over his sleeve as he cradled her, avidly listening as she talked. She shared stories about a lot of the things she hadn’t spoken of with anyone else since Robert died, and it felt wonderful to unburden herself. They talked for hours, ate lunch, talking some more, ate dinner, and were still talking when the boat re-docked.
“I’m sorry I ruined your cruise, Matt. I’m sure you have your own problems too,” Dianne said.
“You didn’t ruin it. Actually, this is the best I’ve felt in a long time. I was so engrossed in listening to your problems, I finally forgot about all of my own issues and remembered that I am not the only person in the world who has difficulties. Would you mind if I walked you back to Chloe’s? I have to thank her.”
“What for?”
“For making me go on this cruise. I was ready to bail.”
“No problem, we can both thank her. I need to thank her too, for pushing me to go and making sure you didn’t bail. Who knows what could have happened if you weren’t there.”
Matt laughed. “Hopefully, nothing. Pretty ladies like yourself shouldn’t be removing themselves from the gene pool. The human race is ugly enough as it is.”
“You flatterer.”
Matt took her hand and walked Dianne back to her apartment. Chloe was up rehearsing her lines when they arrived.
“You must have gone today since you’re showing your ugly mug around my apartment again.” Chloe said.
“Yes, and I want to thank you. Why didn’t you tell me you had such a beautiful roommate?”
“What’s her name?”
“Dianne.”
“Oh, goody. Not Rhianne, or LeeAnn or whatever name you might have come up with that has N’s in it.”
Matt laughed again. “No, Dianne.”
“She tried to hold a conversation with you the last time you were here. It was like talking to a fence post. Glad you finally figured out how to carry on a conversation again. Dianne, did he drool in his food or can he be let out in polite society again?”
“Matt was actually quite nice. He has a good shoulder to cry on.”
“Congratulations, Matt. If Dianne thinks you’re ready to rejoin society again, you must be getting better. Get out of here. We need to have some girl chat. Maybe I’ll make out with her a little to see if she’s a good kisser. Beat it.”
“Thank you, Matt, for listening while I unloaded all the grief I’d built up, and for walking me home.”
Dianne stood on her tiptoes and kissed Matt’s forehead.
“Any chance I can talk to you more some other day?” Matt asked.
“Absolutely. I need to study the next few days, but I should be free next weekend. Give me a call.”
“What’s your number?”
“The same as Chloe’s.”
“Shit! Right. Duh. Roommates.”
“You’re embarrassing me, Matt,” Chloe said. “I told Dianne you were my best friend. You want her to think I choose social retards for friends?”
“Right. Thanks, Dianne, Chloe. Talk to you both later.”
As soon as Matt was gone, Chloe asked, “Well?”
“He has potential. I liked this version of Matt better than last week’s.”
“What damsel in distress move did you pull on him?”
“Standing on the outer edge of the railing like I was thinking about jumping.”
“Good one. You weren’t really, were you?”
“No. The first six months, the thought crossed my mind a few times, but I’m past it now. He really is a good listener.”
“Yes he is. It’s what makes him a good rescuer. He helped get me through my sexual identity crisis even though I was cheating on him with a girl. You can’t beat it in a man. He listens as well as most women do. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Dianne laughed. “Aren’t you going to kiss me? See how well I kiss?”
Chloe looked at her for a few moments, then laughed. “You wish. Good night, Dianne.”
“Good night, Chloe.”
Chloe smiled and went into her room.
Dianne showered and got ready for bed. As she relaxed for sleep, she thought about Matt before she thought about Robert. It was the first time she could remember doing so since he died.
******
Matt called her on Thursday.
“I didn’t wait too long to call did I? You haven’t made other plans?”
“No plans. I haven’t really dated or anything since, you know.”
“Right, and you did say you’d be free on the weekend, so I hoped, Friday night, pizza and soda, or whatever.”
“Pizza and soda sound fine.”
“I’ll swing by at 6:30 and walk you to my favorite joint.”
“Cool. I hope you’re not expecting much. I haven’t dated for four years and I don’t want you thinking I’m ready for more than pizza. Not yet.”
“Yeah, I get that. Chloe would kill me if I pushed too hard.”
“I admire the friendship you have. It’s pretty amazing.”
“It is. I’m lucky.”
“I think she’s lucky too. You seem like a good guy.”
“I hope you continue to think that.”
“We’ll see how it plays out. I’m not expecting anything, so I can be pleasantly surprised, or mildly disappointed.”
“I’d like to keep you in the pleasantly surprised column.”
******
Matt came by at the appointed time and took Dianne to an old timey pizza place. It had the ambiance of a Mom and Pop store transplanted from New York, or maybe Italy, except everyone spoke Midwestern English. They served beer, but both Matt and Dianne decided to have soft drinks. They chatted about this and that, keeping things fairly light-hearted. Matt talked about his favorite books and movies, his education, and his plans for the future. Dianne talked about the classes she was currently taking, her life as a military wife, and her family residing in Georgia: one brother, younger; one sister, older; and both parents, still living. About midway through the meal, Matt brought up the topic of Robert.
“What made you decide to get married to Robert?”
“Because I couldn’t imagine a life without him.”
“You really loved the guy, didn’t you?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Do you think it’s possible to love two guys that much?”
“I don’t know. I’ll tell you if I ever do.” Dianne smiled at him.
Dianne offered to pay for half the meal when the bill came. “You don’t have any more money than I do,” she said.
“No. I got this. Maybe later we can split costs, but tonight is on me because this was something I wanted.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
They started to walk back to Dianne’s. “Would you mind walking along the river for awhile?” Matt asked. “I’m not quite ready for the night to be over.”
“Not at all. I could use the exercise.”
As Matt steered her towards the river, Dianne looked at him and asked “Matt, is there anyone from your past, that was special, that you’d like to tell me about? I talked to you for hours about my husband, but you’ve never mentioned anyone.”
Dianne wanted to know what he was willing to tell her about Elaine and what had happened. It didn’t have to be tonight, but he would have to talk about it eventually. Plus, she had her own confession to make.
“I guess that’s why I wanted more time to talk. There’s something you need to know about me. I hope it doesn’t affect how you look at me, but it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t tell you.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
Matt told Dianne all about last year’s Halloween surprise when he fucked and fell in love with his older sister before either of them realized who they were to each other.
“So, do you think I’m a sicko pervert? Are you disgusted now you know and don’t want to have anything to do with me anymore?”
“Actually, I think it’s a little sad. It’s a little like losing Robert. She may not be dead, but she’s gone in a way because you can’t be with her anymore. I feel sorry for you both.”
“Really?”
“Really. Do your mom and sister know?”
“No. After what happened with dad, it would have devastated mom to know. This firmly goes into the skeleton closet.”
“I have my own confession to make.”
“What’s that?”
“I had absolutely no intention of jumping off the boat. I was trying to get your attention since you never seemed to notice me when you came over. Chloe told me you were a rescuer and you needed a damsel in distress to rescue. She told me to buy a ticket and get your attention somehow. Pretending I was thinking about jumping off the boat was the distressed damsel part.”
“So none of that was real? Was all that stuff you told me about meeting Robert on Memorial Day also a lie?”
“No, it was all real, except for the suicide bit. I abandoned that idea eight months ago. That’s when I decided to go to college and get on with my life. Believe me, that outpouring of my heart was one hundred percent genuine. I’m not a good enough actress to fake all that emotion, Chloe might be, but certainly not me.”
“If I ignored you all the time, why did you want my attention?”
“Because every time I saw you, you were so sad. I understood that sadness, felt it often enough in my own life. Plus, when your Mom, Elaine and Beth came to bring your money, both Chloe and Elaine talked about you in such glowing terms, I wanted to meet that person, the person they both loved, not the sad sack who was stumbling around life waiting to die.
“Which brings up my second confession. I wondered why you were so miserable and Chloe told me the reason. I already knew about you and Elaine, but I figured you’d need to talk about it at some point. That would be a pretty weighty millstone to bring into a new relationship. I was actually surprised you told me on our first real date. I know how much it must have embarrassed you to admit that to me. I knew even before your family came. So when Elaine spoke so highly of you, I knew where she was coming from. Not just as a brother, but as a boyfriend. It made me curious about the boyfriend. Plus, if Chloe can remain so close to you even though you’re an ex, it must make you pretty special. I had to find out.”
“You didn’t say anything to Mom or Beth, did you?”
“Not my place to say anything. I’m an outsider. It’s for you to figure out, not me.”
“So what kind of impression have you formed of me so far?”
“Nothing that would cause me to refuse a second date, that is if you’re not turned off by how I got you to notice me in the first place.”
“That was pretty sneaky and underhanded.”
“It was, no question.”
“If I put half the blame on Chloe, I guess I could go out with you again. She did say I needed a kick in the ass.”
“Yes, she did. I’d look forward to it.”
“Tomorrow night, then?”
“Fine. Two conditions. First, we can’t spend money like this every time we go out, so I’ll make something for supper. Just bring a DVD movie you want to watch. I don’t really care what. I can watch almost anything but pure smut. Second, tomorrow night is the last night for a week. I’m serious about my education and I want to save my goofing off for the weekends.”
“I can agree to that.”
“What time should I expect you?”
“Six.”
“Supper will be on the table at 6:15. Don’t be late. Being a ex-military wife, I appreciate promptness.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Dianne smiled at him. At her apartment, she wished him good night, kissed him on the forehead, and entered the dwelling.
Walking into the living room with her arm around her most recent girlfriend, Chloe asked, “How did the first date go?”
“It went okay for a first date,” Dianne said. “We got through most of the awkward stuff okay. Tomorrow is movie night. Want to come?”
“What movie? Something good?”
“I have no clue. I told him to bring whatever he wants except smut.”
“You do know he’s a guy, right? Probably some superhero, action stuff. By the way, good smut is highly underrated. It can put you in a really good mood, if you know what I mean.” Chloe kissed her girlfriend to emphasize the point.
“I don’t want to be in a good mood yet. Too early for good moods.”
“Suit yourself.” Chloe patted the girlfriends ass. “How about you, Charmaine? Are you in a good mood?”
Charmaine. Dianne had stopped trying to keep track. They changed about twice a month.
“I’m in a great mood, Chloe,” Charmaine said. “Let’s fuck.”
Charmaine might not last the week. Chloe liked more mystery than Charmaine had. It didn’t stop her from pushing Charmaine into the bedroom and closing the door behind her. Mystery only went so far.
******
Dianne prepared a salad and giant hot dish of chicken, stuffing and broccoli that was big enough to feed everyone tonight and perhaps have leftovers for Sunday. Matt arrived a little before 6 PM with a bottle of wine and a movie.
“I didn’t know whether to get a white or red, so I split the difference and got a rose. Is Chloe going to eat with us?”
“I don’t know for sure. It might depend on which movie you brought?”
“Love Story, with Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal. Have you seen it?”
“No, before my time. Have you?”
“I saw part of it on a late night movie channel.”
“Is it any good?”
“It has its moments. I’ll tell you why I thought it was worth watching at the end.”
“If you’ll help me by setting the table and opening the wine, then I’ll see if Chloe will join us.”
Dianne knocked on Chloe’s door.
“What is it?” Chloe said, voice muffled.
“Movie night. You in?”
“What’s the movie?”
“Love Story, with Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw.”
“Neither are notable actors, but at least I haven’t seen it and it doesn’t sound like a gore fest. I’ll be there as soon as I get dressed.”
“Will that be one or two additional place settings?”
“Just one. Charmaine is history.”
Matt had opened the bottle of wine and set the table for four.
“We only need three tonight. Chloe is alone.”
He nodded and removed the fourth plate. Dianne put wine and water glasses on the the table, while Matt added the silverware. Five minutes later, Chloe walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.
“Damn, Charmaine was insatiable. Kept me up all night long.”
“What was wrong with her?” Matt asked.
“Too vapid. The only things she talked about were clothes and make-up. She could sure lick pussy though. If I didn’t need her to talk once in awhile she’d have been fine. Dianne would be the perfect girlfriend for me if she’d just loosen up on her no pussy restriction.”
Matt laughed and Dianne smiled. Chloe put an arm around Dianne’s shoulder.
“What about it, mon cherie? I can show you pleasures you’ve only dreamed about.”
“Sure. As soon as Matt leaves, we can have a rug munching fest,” Dianne said, kissing Chloe on the cheek.
“No! Chloe, you’re not going to try to steal this one from me, are you?”
“Relax, cowboy. Dianne’s about as gay as you are. You haven’t been hiding anything from me, have you? Some cock sucking talents I know nothing about?”
Matt laughed. “What you see is what you get.”
“An open book, Dianne. Just what I told you,” Chloe said, plucking a carrot slice from the salad and crunching it.
“What have you guys said about me?”
“Only that you don’t like your girlfriends gay,” Chloe responded, “but otherwise you’re not bad boyfriend material.”
“She also mentioned you have excruciating taste in movies,” Dianne said. “She asked why I let you pick out the movie.”
“Why did you let me pick out the movie?” Matt asked.
“To see what it said about you. What kind of movie you’d show me on a second date.”
“What does ‘Love Story’ say about me?”
“Don’t know. Haven’t seen the movie yet.”
“Mmm,” Chloe said. “Interesting. I might have to try that one on prospective girlfriends. Might show me how much substance they have.”
“By the way, Chloe, I have a bone to pick with you.”
“What would that be, Matthew Sanders?”
“You set up that whole river boat cruise thing?”
“No I didn’t.”
“You bought me a ticket.”
“Yes I did. You needed to get out of your apartment again. You were too pasty. Doesn’t he look better with a little tan on his cheeks, Dianne?”
“Definitely does.”
“Then you told Dianne to buy a ticket.”
“I did, but that was after I got yours. I didn’t think Dianne was ready to start dating again. If I’d plotted the whole thing out, I’d have purchased both your tickets and at the same time.”
“Well, you did tell her I’m a rescuer.”
“Self evident, Sanders. You’re here and she’s here. You saved her from leaping to a watery grave.”
“She wasn’t going to kill herself.”
“You didn’t know that.” Chloe smiled. “Get over it, Sanders. I haven’t seen you this perky in months. I’m glad Dianne could drag you back into the world from whatever pit you fell into.”
The timer on the stove went off.
“Dinner’s done,” Dianne said, pulling the hot dish out of the stove. “Pour the wine, Matt.”
Chloe held out a glass. “Yeah, pour the wine, Matt. You should be thanking me. I’ve given up trying to seduce her because you’re finally showing an interest in something.”
Matt laughed and then he hugged Chloe before pouring her some wine.
“Welcome back, dickhead,” Chloe said, raising her glass. “My thanks to you, Dianne, for bringing my friend back to life. Try not to break his heart again. I don’t know how many more cracks it can take.”
“We’ll see,” Dianne said. “I’m not promising anything yet. He shouldn’t give his heart away until he knows I’m ready for it.”
Matt looked at her, smiling.
“Don’t eat too much. I have popcorn,” Chloe said.
******
Dianne and Matt sat on the couch, Chloe taking a seat on the floor in front of Matt. They each had a soda over ice and shared a big bowl of popcorn between them.
“If your hands are otherwise free, big guy, use your magic fingers on my shoulders and neck, please and thank you,” Chloe said.
During the first half of the movie, Matt sporadically massaged Chloe’s neck and shoulders.
“Come on,” Chloe said, “what a load of crap. Love means never having to say you’re sorry? Loved ones are the ones you should apologize to the most. Who cares if you never apologize to some dickwad you flipped the bird to. Can you imagine if Georgina never apologized to Elaine for not believing her husband was molesting her? They still wouldn’t be speaking. You owe the people you love apologies more than anyone else. I even apologize to you.”
“It’s a nice sentiment, but I agree,” Dianne said. “Eventually everyone says, or does, something to someone they love which they need to say they’re sorry for. Failing to do so means you don’t care about their feelings, and won’t care if you do it again.”
“See, Matt,” Chloe said. “If you use this as a guideline for love, you will seriously be pissing two gorgeous women off. Don’t do it.”
“That’s not why I got the movie. Don’t worry about it.”
“Why did you get the movie?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Dianne, switch places with me. You have to feel Matt’s magic fingers do their work.”
“Okay. Switch.”
Chloe and Dianne switched places and Matt began working on Dianne’s neck and shoulders. She could feel herself start to melt. They felt so good.
By the time the movie reached its inevitably sorrowful conclusion, Chloe and Dianne were openly crying and Matt wasn’t dry eyed either.
“Pure schmaltz,” Chloe said, “but they yanked on every single heartstring they could.”
“Is that why you brought this movie, Matt. You wanted to see me cry all over again. I would have thought you’d had enough of my crying on our boat ride?”
“No, that isn’t the reason either.”
“So what was the reason, Sanders?” Chloe asked. “This isn’t your usual movie fare.”
“It was a selfish one,” Matt said. “Dianne only wants to see me on the weekends because she’s serious about her schoolwork, and I wanted to show her it was possible to simultaneously spend time together and be studious by simply studying together.”
Dianne laughed. “The scenes where he’s studying for law school and she’s grading her kid’s papers or reading a book. That’s the reason you wanted me to see this movie?”
“I figure if they can do it; there’s no reason we can’t either.”
“You do realize it’s a movie, right? They can make it seem possible to do anything.”
“It looked possible.”
“Fine. I’ll give you a Wednesday evening, but it’s the last weekday night you get if we don’t study.
“Put me to the test. I like it.”
“You do know you made me think of my husband again, and how little time we got to spend together?”
“I don’t ever expect you to forget Robert and the time you had together.”
“Ooh! Good one, Matt. Brownie points out the wazoo for that one,” Chloe said. “What’s the one thing you’ve ever done you most needed to apologize for? I’ll start.”
“Okay,” the others agreed.
“The worst thing I’ve ever done was letting Matt walk in on me making out with a girl, instead of explaining to him that I’d started having feelings for women and breaking up with him. It wasn’t intentional, by the way, I lost track of the time, but it never should have happened that way. It was a nasty way to find out about me. Matt was such a good sport that I ended up feeling like a horrible person. It would have been better if he screamed and raged about it. I know I said sorry like fifty times, but I apologize all over again because it was an extremely shitty thing to do.”
“Unnecessary, but thanks.”
“I’ll go next,” Dianne said. “I actually thought about this during the movie. When I met Robert, I was living in Georgia near Fort Benning where he was attending basic training. It was Memorial Day and the large military community surrounding the base was hosting an ice cream social and barbecue for the soldiers. We hit it off right away and immediately started dating. We’d gone out two or three times and arranged to meet up again one evening, when I ran into an old flame from high school. This was a guy I’d had sex with, but he was never the overwhelming passion of my life and so we’d parted as friends.
“Anyway, I spent a few hours catching up with this guy and got so wrapped up in talking to him that I lost complete track of time and missed my date with Robert. When Robert came to my house to see why I hadn’t showed up for our date, he arrived just in time to see me kissing my old flame goodbye on the porch. It was nothing special as far as kisses go, but it was on the lips and right in front of him.
“He could have to tried to beat this ex-boyfriend to a pulp or he could have seen me, turned around, and walked out of my life forever. He did neither. He walked up and introduced himself. ‘Hi, my name’s Robert? What’s yours?’ My old flame replied, ‘Robert, you must be the fellow Dianne’s been going on and on about. My name is Kenny. Dianne and I used to date in high school. We ran into each other a few hours ago and have been catching up on everything that’s happened since we graduated. She couldn’t stop talking about this guy named Robert she was thinking was the one for her. I’m pleased to meet you.’ Kenny stuck out his hand and Robert shook it and responded, ‘Pleased to make your acquaintance. Ex-boyfriend you say.’ Kenny nodded and replied, ‘Yeah, the kiss. Sorry about that. It was actually a good bye kiss. Dianne told me she planned to follow you wherever you’re headed next, so I knew I wouldn’t be seeing her again.’
“Kenny left soon thereafter, and I profusely apologized to Robert for missing our date and kissing Kenny. Robert blew off my apologies and told me, ‘The only thing of any importance to me was the part where you said you planned on following me anywhere. Is that true?’ I told him I was pretty sure that I wanted to, despite us having only known each other for such a brief time. He kissed hell out of me, picked me up, and carried me into my parents house. We made love for the first time on my bed, quickly followed by a second time. Thankfully, the rest of my family weren’t there at the time; though, I’m not sure it would have stopped us even if they were. He bought my engagement ring the next day and we got married before he got transferred to Fort Bragg. He invited Kenny to the wedding. Said he owed Kenny a debt of thanks for not snagging me himself.”
“Oh, God. How sweet was that? No wonder you fell in love with the guy. You don’t mind if I use that someplace in my writing, do you?” Chloe asked.
“Use away. Matt, you’re next.”
“Mine is kind of two pronged,” Matt said. “The first part of it is not recognizing Dad was having sex with Elaine when I caught him at it during that thunderstorm. I’ve regretted that a thousand times since I found out what he’d been doing.”
Dianne looked confused. “I’ll explain it later,” Chloe said. “Go on, Matt.”
“Anyway, it put Elaine through a lot of hell because I didn’t know and didn’t say anything.”
“What’s part two?” Dianne asked.
“That I couldn’t let go of Elaine easier and sooner than I did.”
“You never know, Matt. Sometimes things happen for a reason,” Chloe said. “Maybe it wasn’t time yet.”
“You believe in fate, Chloe?” Matt asked.
“I have to. It’s the only reason I’m not a star already. It just isn’t my time, yet.”
“That’s it,” Matt said. “It’s the only reason you’re not a star. That and the fact you’re a college student in La Crosse, Wisconsin, who is seen by maybe a hundred people at a time, none of them movers and shakers on Broadway or Hollywood.”
“Exactly. It’s not my time yet, but it will be.”
Matt kissed her on the cheek. “I love your unbridled optimism.”
“I guess I know what our next real date is going to be, Matt,” Dianne said.
“What’s that?”
“Going to Chloe’s one woman show.”
“That’s a date,” Matt said.
Dianne kissed him on the cheek before he left. It was slightly longer than the peck he’d gotten on the forehead last night, so this was progress Matt could live with.
******
Wednesday night, Matt and Dianne got together to study. The majority of the evening was devoted to completing their respective homework; though, they did take a brief break midway through to drink a soda. After all their homework was done, they sat on the couch and talked for a half-hour before deciding to call it a night. As Matt was getting ready to leave, Dianne squeezed his hand, in addition to giving him a peck on the cheek.
Friday, they went to the opening night of Chloe’s one woman show at the Community Theater. It dealt with the vicissitudes of a lesbian student at college. It was funny, charming and educational. Matt recognized the scene when he’d walked in on Chloe and her first woman lover. It was amazing she could do it as a single character, missing the other two principals, just talking to them as if they were there. Dianne recognized the fight with the potential roommate who’d obsessed about Chloe being a lesbian. It ended with a monologue of Chloe talking about the pressures of growing up different.
“If your child ever comes to you and says he or she is gay, take them seriously. Don’t think they haven’t thought about the ramifications of their homosexuality. Your child did not choose this life. It’s the way we’re made. We don’t want to disappoint you by choosing to be different. We don’t want to live with a lifetime of vilification from narrow minded people who hate us because we’re different. It would be so much easier for us if we fit in with everyone else.
“I wish the friends I had in high school hadn’t been so narrow-minded that they dropped me as a friend once they found out I was gay. I would love for people to not pull their children away from me like I’m a disease they have to be protected from. I’m not a disease. I’m not a pedophile. I’m not going to seduce your children and try to make them like me.
“I’m not a vampire. I can’t create others like me. I can’t bite someone’s neck and make them gay. Those feelings exist in people already. I can’t compel someone to like me or be like me anymore than you can compel someone to like you or be like you. I’m a normal, ordinary, human female, who just happens to find herself attracted to other females. I eat the same, drink the same, love the same, as anyone else.
“Don’t cut your child off if they’re like me. Instead, cherish them and hold them closer as they will need more of your love because of the hate they’ll receive from others. Don’t make them choose between their family and their sexual identity. They deserve to be loved, like any other person. Thank you.”
The stage went dark to a standing ovation.
“That was wonderful,” Dianne said. “Does she get along with her family?”
Matt replied, “She does now. At first, they didn’t accept that she was a lesbian. They thought she could be deprogrammed and turned heterosexual if they just put enough pressure on her to conform. I think I helped them see it was okay that Chloe was different. When I didn’t dump her as a friend, even though we broke up, it enabled them to see that she was still the same old Chloe and therefore didn’t deserve to be treated differently just because she was a lesbian. It took them about a year to completely come around and welcome her back into the fold. It helps that she doesn’t rub their faces in it. To date, I don’t think she’s brought any girls home to meet the folks; though, that’s partly because she hasn’t found someone she’s really interested in.
“The other part of it is her career goals. She is driven to succeed at this show business thing. She’s focused on that instead of romance, so it’s not necessary to bring someone home. When the time is right, it will happen.”
“Listening to her practice her lines really doesn’t give you the impact of how powerful they are and how good she is, does it?”
“No, not really. Getting the lines down is just memorization. It isn’t until she’s got them memorized that she starts playing with intonation, stressing some words more than others, and creating the emotion behind the words. Chloe said she sometimes changes things in the middle of a scene because she’s reacting to what her costars are doing with their lines. If they’re moving in a certain direction emotionally, she’ll go with that flow, even if she doesn’t agree with it. She says that’s better than creating internal discord between herself and what the others are projecting. The next performance can be different in feel from the last one for that reason. The lines are the same, but the feel of it is different. She really is very good.”