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A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 02

By: carvohi



This is the second portion of a four part story. All prior comments still apply. Please comment and vote on each part or not; it's your decision. 



A Tale of Two Sisters: Part Two 

by carvohi

 How do I get at Marty? What to do? What to do? OK I thought it through. We used to play cards. We used to have card parties. We could have a card party, but we’d only invite one other couple. We’d done it before. In fact we’d done that frequently. I had just the couple in mind.   

I caught up with Marty Saturday morning at breakfast. She wanted to eat and leave, but I had the keys to her car in my hand. 

“Hey Marty when was the last time we invited anyone over to play cards.”

“I can’t remember. Give me my keys I’ve got a lot to do today,” she reached across the table for her keys.

I pulled back, “Wait a minute. Let’s invite a couple over for some cards. You know maybe some Hearts?”

“OK ,yeah sure, give me my keys.”

“You good with that then?”

“I said yes, now give me my keys.”

“Good I’ll call Allen and Yvonne. Maybe we can get together next week.”

Marty slouched back just a little. Her face paled, “Why them?”

“I think they’d be great. They’re the only couple we know who are our age and who have a child. I’ll be finished the PA program next year. I’ll get a good job. You could quit Walmart, and we could start a family.”

She sat up very straight. She started to fidget, “You’re getting a little ahead of yourself aren’t you Mister?”

“What we agreed we’d have kids one day. Don’t you want kids? Or is it you don’t want my kids;” I said that last with a little extra flair. I watched Marty’s reaction; she blushed.

“Of course I want your kids. You’re my husband. Go ahead, invite them.”

I called Yvonne and set it up for Friday November 15th at our house. I thought this could work pretty good because Thanksgiving was the following Thursday. I didn’t know where things would stand on Thanksgiving, but I knew they’d sure be different from the way they were right now. I half expected Marty would call Yvonne or Allen and try to find a way to break the thing up so I forewarned Yvonne by telling her I had something special planned for Marty and no matter what she said they needed to be there. Yvonne didn’t think it made much sense but she agreed.

The next few days were agony. I kept going to class and to work. I also kept the electronic equipment running. Marty continued to call her mom regularly. She and Allen managed a getaway at his house. I had their cutesy little planning conversations stored in the laptop and on USB. The two of them also must have met somewhere in his pick-up, and as expected our apartment was used once. 

I couldn’t help it; I had to watch every scene over and over. The more I watched the two of them the more I hated them.  To my surprise Marty graced me with a mercy fuck one Wednesday night. She went way out of her way to treat me nice. She put on one of her prettiest negligees, dolled herself all up in makeup, and for about three hours did her best to wear me out. I wondered what it was all about since we hadn’t done anything worth remembering in close to three months. I found out when I watched them Thursday.

The Thursday after my mercy fuck I found out the truth. Since Marty and her sister’s argument Marty might have grown suspicious that I might be on to them. After she and Allen finished fucking they talked about me. It wasn’t a pleasant conversation. It was short but devastating; I listened to it several times.

Marty said, “I got Gary off last night like you told me to do.”

“Good,” said Allen, “we don’t want him to suspect anything.”

Then she asked, “Do you think I should give him some more?”

I got the shock of my life when I heard Allen say, “No you promised you’d save yourself just for me. I don’t like sharing even if he is your husband.”

I had no idea Marty had agreed to cut me off. I was furious; it was just one more strike against her. I thought I’d try something to unravel her plans. The card get together was still a week away. I decided to seriously try to get her to break her promise to Allen. I decided to try this Saturday night. 

I was off that Saturday so I slept in. I went to the store and bought all the fixings for home cooked fried chicken. Marty liked fried chicken, and I could cook. She’d gotten back from her work and was taking a nap by the time I got back with the food so after I put the stuff in the refrigerator I slipped out and drove off with her car. I left her a note that I wanted to get her brakes checked. I kept the keys to my car so she wouldn’t be able to get away. I also told her my plans for dinner.

Guess where I took the car? Right, I took it to the garage where Allen was supervisor. Allen, being a tall man, had been selected by Yvonne’s father to sort of run the shop. He wasn’t that great working on cars, but his size was an intimidation factor when talking to other men who brought their cars and trucks in. It was all I could do to keep a straight face and not get mad when I was there.

Allen was Mr. Personality while I was there. He went out of his way to be extra friendly. While one of the other guys checked out Marty’s Avalon he walked me all around introducing me to several of the other guys. He seemed to always make a point of referring to me as Marty’s husband.   He must have thought I was really stupid. I knew what this was about. Yeah, he’d been bragging. I thought only an asshole would brag about cheating on his wife at the shop his wife’s father owned. I wondered how this would all play out when the shit finally hit the fan. 

Marty’s brakes were fine. When I got back to our apartment I fixed the chicken, made up a salad and some parsley potatoes. She fidgeted the whole time. I guessed I might have messed up her plans. It was a pretty good meal, and I could tell she liked it. Marty’s a wing and thigh person so I’d bought a packet of just those parts. She sure ate her share. After we ate I insisted she just relax while I cleaned the dishes. She tried to come up with some cock and bull story about having to go out to see a friend, but I wouldn’t let her.

By 6:30 I had everything ready. I went in the living room, sat down and said, “Marty I really enjoyed the time we had the other Wednesday night. You up for another go round?”

She tried to beg off, “Oh Gary I ate so much chicken I feel so full; plus I’m tired from work.”

I replied, “That’s OK. Let’s go to bed and I’ll give you a nice massage.”

Her answer was what I expected, “Gary I’m a little nauseous; maybe if we waited until tomorrow morning.”

I sat down beside her and took her hand, “If I didn’t know better I’d say you had a secret lover stashed away some place and you’ve made him a secret promise to never make love to me again. I don’t know maybe it’s a woman?”

First she blanched, then she pretended to get angry, “Well that settles it Mister! Any man who doesn’t trust his own wife should get nothing from her. So there, you’ll get nothing from me. I mean how dare you suggest I might be seeing someone else!”

She’d gone into tiger mode, but my suggesting it might be a woman made her even worse. I know I’d given her an extra card to play. She played it too.

“And I’m no lesbian. I love you. Only you! I would never play around. I would never do anything like that.”

I replied, “I know that honey. I know you love me. I know you’d never hurt me like that. I mean that’s the worst thing a woman could ever do to her man.”

She curled up and turned away so I couldn’t see her face. I didn’t know if she was laughing or getting ready to cry. She said, “I’m mad at you now. I’m going to go see my mother.”

“Oh please sweetie,” I said, “I’m sorry.”

That was all the ammunition she needed, “No I need to talk to my mom,” and with that she got up, put on her coat, grabbed her purse, and left.

I went to the door and watched as she pulled away. The stupid bitch was already on her phone. I went to the laptop and pulled up her cell. Oh yes, she was calling Allen.

Once he picked up she started, “Allen I think we need to cool it for a while. Gary’s on to something.”

I heard Allen say, “Awe come on. He’s as blind as a bat. I was with him this afternoon. He doesn’t suspect shit. We’ll talk about this when I come over Tuesday night.”

She replied, “OK, but I’m worried.”

Then he asked, “Where are you now?”

“I told him I was going to see my mother.”

Allen responded, “You better go over there a while just in case the dim wit calls.”

I heard her laugh, “Yeah he is a dim wit isn’t he.”

I turned the laptop off.  

++++++++++

It was Friday night and time to play some cards. I went all out. I got crab dip, onion dip, and I made my homemade shrimp dip. I bought regular, French onion, crab, and barbecue potato chips. I thought about what our professor said about potato chips. He called them wafers of salted grease. I knew Marty especially like cheese curls so I bought a bag of them.  Add to that the cheese fondue, my own sloppy Joe mix, and I thought we were pretty much ready, but as an aside I secured a small quantity of marijuana, one never knew.

Allen and Yvonne arrived shortly after seven. Marty took their coats while I got each of them a beer. Yvonne liked beer, but preferred Coors Lite so I’d loaded up on that. Marty liked her wine so I’d bought a bottle of inexpensive white. 

We started out in the living room. We covered most of the usual topics; the weather, politics, the chaos in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the nuclear menace from North Korea and Iran. Then we got to the more personal stuff like my job, Allen’s job, and how Travis was getting along. Finally it was time to play cards. We drifted into the kitchen where I’d set everything up. We played Hearts.

For the uninitiated it’s probably best to play as individuals so that’s what we did. The key to Hearts is to get as few points as possible. Point cards were any Heart and then the Queen of Spades. The worst card to get was the Queen of Spades since that was thirteen points. Sometimes a player might try to run the deck. That was when one player got all the point cards. If that happened then all the other players got twenty-six and the ‘runner’ got none.

We played a pretty steady game for a little better than an hour. Everyone helped themselves to the dip and chips. Marty scooped everybody up some sloppy Joe, and I was the gracious host by making sure I got the awful Queen of Spades most of the time. I had Owen’s laptop sitting in the corner by the trash can.

After a while the game slowed. Allen won most of the hands. I knew then it was time to spring my trap. I looked about the table and said, “A friend of mine at school is seriously thinking about dropping out and starting up his own surveillance business.”     

An unsuspecting Marty asked, “Surveillance what’s that. You mean like wiretapping and spying?”

I smiled and responded, “Marty that’s so old.  Private investigation is much different now. Owen’s been telling me all about it. In fact I even told him if he got good I might join him.”

Marty scoffed, “You? You’ve got to be kidding.”

‘Bingo’, I thought, “No Marty, Owen’s really into it, and he’s been showing me some stuff too,” I reached back for the laptop, “here let me show you.”

Allen and Yvonne were mildly interested, but I could tell Marty was incredulous. Who could blame her; she’d been fucking the guy across from me for weeks right in my home and as far as she knew I had no idea.

She laughed, “If I were you Gary I’d stick to bed pans.”

I ignored the insult, turned on the laptop, swiveled it around so the screen faced my wife and our guests, “No look here,” the screen showed everyone our bedroom, “Look, see. Our bedroom as it is right now.”

They all looked at it. I could see increased interest. I went on, “Owen and I set up a camera in our bedroom a few weeks ago. It’s been running and recording nonstop for nearly a month.”

I could see Allen didn’t get it, but Marty sensed something. She said, “You mean you’ve been taping us in bed for the last month?”

Allen sort of half-heartedly chuckled, “That could be just a picture; that doesn’t mean anything.”

I tapped another setting; it showed two people moving around the room. The lighting was softer, but the images were clearly Marty and me. The date was across the bottom. I said, “Read that date. That’s Marty and I getting ready for bed the night after her parents party, I replayed a piece of that night’s conversation that began with Marty castigating me for talking to her sister.



-------------------------



it began:



“What you told her about the Dungeon and me getting sick?”
“Well yeah.”
“Christ!  Will I ever live that down?”
“Shit Marty it’s been two years. Maybe I should have just let them haul you off and fuck the shit out of you?”
“Fuck you Gary! Just fuck you,” 


and ended.




-------------------------


I closed the laptop lid, looked at her dead on, and replied in a low serious voice, “I’ve been video and audio taping everything for a month.” 

Marty’s eyes were huge. In the softest of soft voices she murmured, “Everything?”

I peered over at Allen. We three were all on the same page now. It was time to shift gears. I said, “Listen to this,” I got out my cell phone and tapped in Marty’s number. Her phone started doing its little tune; she’d chosen Led Zeppelin’s ‘Ramble On.’ How appropriate I thought. Her phone was in her purse in the living room. I said, “Go on Marty. Go get it.”

She was trembling when she got up. In a second she was back.

“OK, answer it,” I said.

In a squeaky voice she said, “Hello.”

I replied, “Hello right back,” then I laid it on, I looked at Allen and Yvonne. Yvonne was still clueless. In fact she looked interested. Allen on the other hand had it all figured out. He sat there in stony silence just glaring at me. 

I closed my phone and turned back to my now almost cringing wife, “Now Marty I want you to call Allen.”

She was close to tears, “Allen? Why?”

“Call him” I said.

Marty tapped in Allen’s phone. It rang. He just sat there. I said, “Answer it Allen.”

He reached in his pocket, got out his phone, flipped it open, hit the button and said, “Hello.”

I reopened the laptop and turned up the speaker. All three of us could hear him loud and clear when he said hello. 

I looked at my wife, “You see I haven’t just been videotaping our bedroom, I’ve been recording everything; every single telephone conversation you’ve had for the last month. Here listen to this.” 

I turned back to the laptop and typed in the necessary keys. Almost immediately all four of us got to hear a private phone conversation between Marty and her mother that had taken place a cool four weeks earlier. 

I said, “This conversation is a month old,” I glared at Marty, “this was the Sunday right after your parent’s barbecue,” I gave Marty another very meaningful look, “you remember way back  then don’t you?”

Allen had heard enough. He got up, “Come on Yvonne; time to go home.”

Yvonne sat quite still, “Why? This is interesting.”

Marty was crying, “Yvonne please go home.”

I just sat there. All the damage had been done. Allen and Marty both knew I knew everything. They knew I had recordings of everything. They knew the chump cuckold wasn’t the dim wit they thought I was. 

I jumped up, “Let me get your coats,” I looked at Allen, “I’m such a dim wit. I almost forgot my manners,” I turned to Marty and in a low tone I said, “I’m a real dim wit aren’t I,” I could see by her expression and through her tears she knew exactly what conversation I was referring to. Marty and I got our guests their coats. Yvonne apologized for Allen’s behavior. I apologized for Marty’s. I felt bad for Yvonne; she was still very much in the dark. 

Just as our guests were about to leave Allen turned to me and said, “Fuck you Gary.”

I said, “No, I’m going to fuck you.”

Then with my arm slung casually over Marty’s shoulders I waved good bye as they walked to Yvonne’s car. Marty was trying to affectionately press against me, while I thought, ‘too late Marty’ you’re just too damn late.’

 After Yvonne and Allen were gone Marty tried to hold my hands. I let her. She asked, “What are you going to do Gary?”

Her tears looked beautiful to my eyes; a truly wonderful thing. I smiled at her, “you want to keep the onion dip?’

“Gary.”

I started back to the kitchen, “I really want to keep the crab dip and the shrimp dip, but the fondue and onion dip. I don’t know. What do you think? Tell me what to do with it.”

Marty followed me, “Gary you know what I mean.”

I started moving officiously about the kitchen, “I think we ought to trash all the chips that are out. They’re going to be stale soon anyway. What do you want to do with the left over sloppy Joe?”

She was doing some serious crying. She followed me as I went from the refrigerator to the trash can to the table. She kept trying to put her arms around me, but I stayed just one step ahead. Every time she missed she’d shake her hands and arms in frustration. She kept crying and pleading, “Gary talk to me. I need you to talk to me. Oh Gary honey please!”

I just kept putting things away. Finally, down the empty beer cans I said, “Honey I’m going to take these and put them outside in the recyclable container. Why don’t you go in the living room and see what’s on TV?”

She followed me to the door. She was crying her eyes out, “Gary I love you. Please Gary don’t do this. Don’t be so mean.”

I came back in, checked the clock, “Hey it’s early. We can still get the late news and then maybe watch some Letterman.”

I went in and sat on the sofa, found the remote, and turned on the TV. She kept crying. She followed me, and sat beside me on the sofa. She threw her arms around me. She snuggled her head against my neck. I stretched my left arm out on the back of the sofa to make it easier for her to nestle in closer. Her sobs were wracking her whole body, “Oh Gary honey. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. Please honey. Nothing meant anything. Oh God Gary I love you. Gary I love you so much. Say you forgive me.”

I heard her, but I remembered the things she’d said to Virna, “Wow,” I said, “Letterman’s got Juliana Margoles and the ‘Rawhide Rustlers’ Bluegrass Band on tonight,” I never liked Blue Grass music and had no idea who the ‘Rawhide Rustlers’ were.

She kept trying to hug me and hold me. I didn’t try to stop her; I didn’t encourage anything either. She kept begging, “Gary talk to me. Gary please say something!”

I never saw anyone cry as hard as Marty did that night. I finally gave in, “I’m still thirsty. Think I’ll get a beer. You want anything, a beer, maybe some more white wine?”

She wailed even louder then. She curled her feet up under her legs. She wrapped her head in her hands and arms and boo hooed up a storm, “Oh Gary I’m so sorry.”

I went and got another Coors. I came back in, sat back and watched the nightly news, and then Letterman until 12:30. I didn’t take my eyes off the screen except once to get another beer and one of the unopened bags of regular chips. Marty sat beside me the whole time and cried. At 12:30 I asked her, “You want to watch anymore?”

She burst into a whole new round of tears. I said, “Look I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” 

I got up and went back to the bedroom. Still sniffling and crying Marty followed. Her pretty blouse was soaked with tears. She kept begging me to say something.

Once I was undressed, in bed, and under the covers Marty climbed in with me. She whimpered, “You want to make love?”

I yawned, “No, not tonight, too tired. Besides you’re supposed to save yourself,” that really got her. She knew I’d heard the conversation about her not making love to me.

She rolled over. I listened while she cried herself to sleep.


A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 02



Did I enjoy our night of cards? Yes I guess I did, but at the same time it was the worst night of my life. I also considered what my next options were. Number one for certain Marty and I had absolutely nothing to talk about. I’d been giving the situation a whole a lot of thought. She’d been fucking me over for weeks, maybe months; now it was my turn.

++++++++++

There had been a really old movie I’d watched one night on cable called ‘The Paper Chase.’ The gist of the story was how this college kid got a thing going with the daughter of one of his professors. The professor found out and one day in class this professor peppered his students with questions, but he did it in an insidious way. He asked questions of every kid who sat in front of, behind, and beside the boy who was screwing his daughter. The boy certainly knew the professor knew. In short the kid knew the professor could really fuck over his grade, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

My plan was simple. I’d drop a series of bombs all around Marty. I needed to see Yvonne. I was sure Allen would be by whether I tried to see him or not so I’d get some revenge on him. I needed to see Yvonne’s father. Allen wasn’t that competent anyway. Maybe the old man would put him back to work changing tires. I hoped that’s what he would do; then I could go visit and see how he was getting along with his coworkers. That I thought could be fun. I needed to see Marty’s mom and dad too. I wasn’t looking forward to that, but before I did that I’d have to see Virna, that was if Virna hadn’t already stopped by to see me. 

Virna was still a mystery. There was the thing with Tammy. From what I’d heard Virna had strong feelings for me, but Marty was her sister and though the chemistry was volatile I got the sense that Virna’s first priority was always to protect her sister. Did I want to get with Virna?  I had to admit Virna drew me to her like a moth to a candle. I couldn’t explain why; she just did. But did I want to get involved with a woman who might be even more fucked up than her sister? Then again; after what I planned for Marty would she want to have anything to do with me?  Well I knew one thing; we’d all certainly find out, but we’d do it on my terms.

++++++++++

 Allen was even faster than I thought. He called me first thing the next morning. When the phone rang Marty was still asleep so I picked it up. It was Allen, “Gary we need to get together.”

“What for,” I asked?

“Don’t be stupid. How about the Wagon Wheel today at 1:00 o’clock?”

The Wagon Wheel was a sleazy tavern easily a cut below the Eagles Nest; it was also one of Allen’s hangouts, “No,” I said, “but I’ll meet you at the Starbucks across from your father’s garage,” the comment about the garage and whose it was I thought lent a little extra poignancy.

I think he got it, “OK, 1:00 p.m.,” he said.

Marty was awake by then, “Who was that Gary?”

“Allen, he wants to see me later today.” I glanced over at her. She was kneeling on the bed. She didn’t look too good.

She asked, “What are you going to talk about?”

“What do you think,” I replied. I walked around the bed to the bathroom in the hall.

She got out of bed and followed me, “You can’t stay mad at me. Gary I love you, it was a mistake. I didn’t know what I was doing…”

I interrupted her, “You have to work today don’t you?”

She nodded, “But I can get off if you want me?”

“No you go on to work. Put in some extra hours if you can. You’re going to need the money.”

She was standing there in front of me while I brushed my teeth. She was wringing her hands and shifting her weight from foot to foot. It was cool in the bathroom and she looked uncomfortable. Her nipples were sticking out under the thin fabric of her nightie, “Gary I didn’t mean…Honey I’m so…I love you…”

I shoved passed her. I wanted to get dressed and get out of the apartment. I really wanted to lay into her. I had a lot I wanted to say, but I figured the longer I waited the better, “I’m going out for breakfast. Why don’t you run the vacuum while I’m gone?” Running the vacuum had always been one of my jobs. In fact all the household jobs had been mine. Yeah, Gary the dim wit; the guy who mistakenly believed the more he did the more it would matter; I learned the hard way, that’s not the way to earn respect. I finished getting dressed, slipped on my windbreaker and left.  


Allen was already there when I pulled in front of the Starbucks. I got out of my car and went in, got a coffee, and walked over to the table where Allen was sitting. I’d brought Owen’s laptop with me.

Allen stood up and held out his hand, “I’m glad you could come.”

I ignored the proffered hand and sat down, “So what do you want?”

He put the coffee he had in his hand on the table. Holding both hands out palms up he said, “Come on Gary you know what the problem is.”

I interrupted, “Yeah, you’ve been fucking my wife.”

He looked around like he was afraid someone might have heard what I just said. That was a joke. He leaned forward I guess so he could keep his voice down, “Geez Gary it’s not like it’s been some big love affair. She came on to me. She said you didn’t do it for her and she needed someone. Gary for Christ’s sake; you know anybody who ever turned a little ‘free’ down?”

“I have,” I answered, “Remember I work at a hospital; there’s attractive women around all the time, and they all know I’m working on my future. I go to college at night. There’ve been pretty coeds in all my classes.”

He looked at me with this real confused expression. I guess he never thought about what I just said. He sort of diffidently but at the same time a little arrogantly replied, “Look the thing with Marty and me was just sex. It was almost like shaking hands.”

I had to laugh, “Shaking hands; that’s good. I’ll be sure to tell Marty the sex you had with her was like shaking hands. I tell her that I bet she’ll rat you out to Yvonne and your father.”

“Oh shit,” he stuttered, “You can’t tell anybody.”

“Why not Allen, like you said it was just shaking hands.”

“No look Gary. Please no don’t. Don’t tell Yvonne’s father. Damn you can’t tell Yvonne either. That’s my job. Sure I’m a cheat, but Gary I really do love my wife. I have a family. My little boy; if she wanted to she could leave me, she could take my boy away from me.” 

I took a sip of coffee, smiled and said, “I’ll cry you a river Allen.”

Allen looked like he was going to cry, “You’re a no good son-of-a-bitch Gary.”

I gave him what I hoped was a good Cheshire grin, “That’s good, real good; I’m the no good son-of-a-bitch. What are you; Prince Fucking Charming? Allen you’ve been fucking my wife. Well good for you. In a few weeks or months you’ll be able to fuck her all you want. Hell you can now; call her up,” I was losing my cool but someone had to get it, “Know something else; by the time I’m done with you that little family you think you have will be just a memory. Hey cheer up; you’ll probably get to visit the kid every week or so. Allen you’re going to need a place to stay too.”

He got mad, “You bastard. You tell my wife and my father and I’ll tell everybody how I stole your wife right out from under you. I’ll tell everybody you weren’t man enough for her. I’ll say how she told me you couldn’t even get it up.”

I pushed my chair back and got up, “I’ll pass that on to Marty, and oh yeah, be sure you tell all your married friends how good you are at sliding into another man’s wife when he’s not home. I’m sure they’ll all want to hear that.”

He just sat there biting his fingernails, “You bastard. I’ll get you.”

I looked down at him, “You already did you pathetic piece of shit; now I‘m paying you back.” I left. There wasn’t much else to say. I was pretty sure Allen would try to say something to Yvonne before I got to her. Too bad, I’m the one who had the movies and the conversations. I went back out to my car; time to see Virna.

It was Saturday. Virna would be off probably doing something with her kid. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing. Why did I think it was important to see Virna? I didn’t owe her anything. I didn’t even like her. 

Virna lived in a rundown rental property; it was a small two bedroom townhouse on the edge of one the seedier sections of Hagerstown. Now Hagerstown isn’t a big city like Baltimore or Philadelphia; oh it has its slummy areas but they’re more old than dangerous. I drove down Main Street, made a couple turns and found her street. I’d been to Virna’s a few times, usually for something having to do with Tammy. Her place was old, rundown and ratty looking from the outside. It had a dilapidated looking front porch. The house looked like something from an old movie, but inside the place, whenever I’d been there, was always immaculate. I mean a person could eat off the floors. 

I drove down her street. It was Saturday but there weren’t that many people about. The people who lived here were poor, but they were the working poor, most of these people probably had full-time low paying jobs during the week but they also, a lot of them, probably had part-time weekend jobs too. 

I drove down the street and saw her. Virna was sitting on her porch. Tammy was sitting beside her. They were both eating apples. The weather was still kind of balmy so being outside wasn’t so bad for this time of day. She had on a pair of faded jeans and a pale blue button up blouse. Tammy had on a party dress.

I pulled to the curb, got out and started up her short sidewalk. Virna sort of half smiled, “Hello stranger.” 

Tammy smiled too, “Hi Uncle Gary.”

I got up close and sat on the bottom step. There were three wooden steps. They were painted grey. I lightly touched Virna’s knee, “Can we talk a minute?”

Virna ignored my hand, “I was getting ready to walk Tammy to a friend’s house. They’re having a special party today for the kids. Tammy’s friend is getting confirmed tomorrow.”

“Can I walk along with you,” I asked?

 Virna replied, “Don’t see why not. It’s only down the block,” she got up and held out Tammy’s windbreaker for her. The little girl slid it on effortlessly. I stood up. 

Tammy took my left hand in her right, and then she took her mom’s right hand in her left. She said, “Look we’re a family.”

I glanced over at Virna. Wonder of wonders; she was blushing. We walked down the sidewalk holding hands. We got to the party girl’s house. Tammy leaned up and kissed her mom; then she turned up to me for a kiss. I kissed her. It felt good. I liked Tammy. 

Virna told her, “Go on in. Have a good time. Mommy will be back in a couple hours.”

Tammy smiled and chirped, “OK mommy.” Virna and I both watched as Tammy skipped up the sidewalk to the open portal where another young woman was holding the front door open.

Once Tammy was inside Virna looked over at me, “This is about Marty isn’t it.”

I nodded.

“You found out.”

I nodded again.

“You don’t know what to do.”

“I’m leaving her. I’ll certainly get a divorce.”

Virna put her hand on my forearm, “You’re worried about my parents.”

I nodded.

She smiled at me. Damn, it was one of the softest smiles I’d ever seen, and coming from Virna it was totally out of character, “There’s a small deli down the street. You could use a corned beef sandwich,” she hooked her hand in my arm, “My treat.”

This wasn’t the Virna I’d come to know and detest. This was somebody else. I’d never met this person. Her hand felt warm and dry on my arm. I grew suspicious; I bet she was planning on how to keep me from telling her parents. We walked down the uneven sidewalk, her hand on my arm. We got to the deli; she ordered two corn beefs, two Cole-slaws and two cokes. We found a seat at one of the tables. As I sat down I bet not one piece of furniture in the place wasn’t in some state of disrepair; the table wobbled, my chair wobbled, and the chair Virna took creaked and groaned. 

As soon as we sat down Virna started, “Marty’s always been troublesome; she was a troubled child, she had problems all through middle school and high school. I mean she was a total mess; that is she was until she met you.”

I leaned back, “Look I don’t want to hear about how rough Marty’s had it. She betrayed me. Our whole marriage has been a sham. She never loved me. I’ve heard some of the things she’s said.”

Virna gave me a confused look, “You have?”

“Yeah I’ve been taping her. I even taped the conversation you and she had at our house Thursday night not long ago.”

“Oh…you did. Well listen. It’s been tough on Marty. She had some bad experiences when she was a kid.”

“What kind of bad experiences could she have had?”

Virna put her hand to her face. She covered her mouth with her index finger and looked out the delicatessen window. After what seemed like ten minutes but was only a few seconds she looked back at me, “I’m going to tell you something.”

I responded, “OK, but it won’t change anything.”

You’ve met our parents. You know me and Marty. We’re Italian. Anyone with eyes can see that. I have black hair, and Marty has black hair. Both of us have dark Mediterranean complexions.”

I interrupted her, “I like your complexions. I like your hair.”

She gifted me with a wan smile, “I know you do,” then she added, “You’ve heard the story why Italians don’t have freckles? We don’t have freckles because we’re greasy and they slide off.”

I’d never heard that. I laughed a little, but quickly stopped when I saw how it hurt, “I’m sorry. I never heard that before. It was a surprise that’s all.”

Virna rummaged around in her purse till she found her wallet, “You know we have a brother. His name is Dominick.  He’s one year younger than me. He’s in the navy. He’s a petty officer aboard an air assault ship. This is his picture,” she handed me a picture.

I took it and looked at it; it showed a tall man, light brown almost blond hair, obviously light blue eyes, and he had freckles. He looked nothing like his sisters or either of his parents. I handed it back, “So.”

He’s our half-brother. Our mother had an affair with a man who was one of our father’s best friends. Our mother nearly left us for him. It almost killed our father. Of course Marty wasn’t born yet,” she sighed.

I could tell Virna was having a tough time, “So Marty knows this and you’re saying this fucked her up?”

“Come on Gary, drop the profanity. We can talk without that,” she went on, “Our dad wanted a son. He wanted his own son, not somebody else’s son, but he loved our mom, he just couldn’t give her up so he beat the living daylights out of his friend. The friend, the interloper, left; we’ve never heard from him since.  Our mom didn’t want any more children, but dad forced himself on her. He was determined to have a son, his own son. He got Marty instead. My mom had the doctor’s tie her tubes while she was still in recovery after Marty came so she couldn’t have any more kids. Dad was stuck. Oh I’ll say he loved Dominick; he treated him like he was really his. He’s always treated Marty right too, but Marty found out somehow. She was little. Kids used to tease her. You know how kids can be. People had started using email. Everybody everywhere was all over her. Our mom had to go up to the school. Dad wouldn’t go. They teased her about Dominick; the older kids teased her saying she was a revenge child, a revenge fuck if you will. Sorry for the language. Gary it tore her up.”

I was curious, “What about Tammy; you and your brother?”

Virna shot me an angry look, but then she grinned, “Oh no, Dominick, me? No Tammy’s a whole different story. Tammy’s my little love child.”  

Somehow that made me feel better, but it didn’t change anything, “I’m still telling your parents.”

Virna looked sad, “I know, I understand. Marty’s been a disappointment. It’s like between the three of us kids the only one who’s worked out right was Dominick, the illegitimate one.”

I guess I must have huffed or something, “You piss me off you know that?”

Virna smiled, yeah she dumped this really beautiful smile on me then she got real serious, “Would you do me a favor?’

“I’d have to know what it is.”

“Let me tell my mom and dad.”

“Why would I do that?”

She smiled again, “I know you like my mom and dad, but you know what?”

“No what,” I was getting even madder. This conversation certainly hadn’t gone like I expected. These sisters were really alike; they both could really turn a conversation.

Then she floored me, “I think you’re kind of fond of me too.”

“You bitch! You fucking bitch! You’re really full of yourself aren’t you?”

She took my hand, “You’ll let me tell them? I won’t hold anything back.”

I had it figured. This was her chance to get at Marty, not that Marty didn’t deserve it, I just thought this was a little shitty even for Virna, “You want to hurt Marty that much?”

She squeezed my arm and gave me this incredibly sincere look. I almost believed it. Then she said, “This is my family Gary, our family. You’re a part of this family too. Even after you divorce Marty, and I expect you will, you’ll still always be one of the family.”

I felt like being nasty, “What is this like some Italian thing?”

“No, it’s a Virna thing.”

I got up, “OK you tell them. I’m off to see Yvonne.”

Then Virna drop kicked me again, “Yvonne already knows.”

“What?”

“Oh holy cow Gary; Yvonne’s Allen’s wife; she’s known almost from the beginning.”

I was flabbergasted. I hadn’t suspected a thing. How could Yvonne know? I asked, “How did she know so fast?” 

Virna didn’t say anything. She just held her index finger up and then let it drop down, “We women; we have our ways of knowing these things.”

I got up to leave, but then I sat back down, “So it’s this way. Your mother’s a whore, you’re a whore, your sister’s a whore, and your father’s a cuckold wimp. That about got it?”

Virna looked at me. I wasn’t sure of her thoughts; she just looked terribly sad. She said, “Gary I’m twenty-five. Tammy’s five. My mom’s forty-three. Marty just turned twenty-two. You do the math.”

It didn’t take me long to figure that up. I felt like a fresh pile of dog shit in the neighbor’s backyard. I had to retrieve something, “When you talked to Marty in our kitchen you said the guy who knocked you up was your only one.  Do you think I’m so stupid I could believe that?”

Virna folded her hands neatly on the table; she kept her eyes down, “I met the boy when I was in high school. He was a lot older; he was twenty-five. We dated for over a year before he got me. I remember the first time how I cried. I always wanted my first time to be after I got married. Gary I never touched his thing. I never did any of the stuff people talk about; you know cunnilingus and fellatio and such, I never did anything. We did it a grand total of six times. When we did I had all my clothes on; he only pulled my pantyhose and panties down. We did it in his car. It was the fall of my freshman year at Frostburg when we did it. I told him on Christmas day I was having his child. I thought it would be a special Christmas present for him. I thought he’d be delighted. I was mistaken. I spent that New Year’s alone. I haven’t seen him and I haven’t dated anyone since. I have a different life now. I have Tammy.”

Why was this woman able to so easily manipulate me? I told her, “OK, you can tell your parents. I’m still going to pay Yvonne a visit. I’ll be seeing her father as well.”

Virna replied, “I’m sorry Gary. You’re a great guy. You’re better than we are. You deserve better. Let me know how I can help.”

I got back up again, “Yeah well I’ll see you around. Tell Tammy I said hi,” I got out of that delicatessen as fast as I could. I didn’t look back. I hated Marty. I hated Virna. I hated that whole fucking fucked up family. What a bunch of religious hypocrites. I hated Hagerstown. I hated the hole fucking area. I wished I’d never come here. 




A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 02



I angrily strode out of the deli, got three feet past the door and looked back inside; my heart broke. Virna was still at the table, her head in her hands, I could see her shoulders shaking, she was crying. 

I went back inside and returned to the table where she was still seated. She didn’t see me come back in. I sat back down and I reached across and touched her elbow.

Virna looked up and saw me. She quickly grabbed some napkins from the small dispenser on the table and began to wipe her eyes, “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t know you’d come back in. Please, it was a mistake. I shouldn’t have told you…you have so much on your mind right now. You have enough to contend with.”

“Don’t apologize,” I said, “You’ve got more than enough on your plate without me making things worse. You see your parents. I’ll go see Yvonne. I’ll talk to your parents after you see them,” I watched and waited as she sniffed a couple times and recovered her poise.

“Thank you Gary. I appreciate that,” she sniffed again.

I got back up. Why I don’t know but I wanted to say something that would comfort her, “You take care of Tammy. I’ll handle this with Marty, and don’t worry I’ll treat her fairly.”   

A more fully recovered Virna smiled at me through red eyes, “I know.”

I still felt like I needed to say something more to her so I said, “Oh and I’m not mad at you.”

I watched Virna’s demeanor metamorphose from vulnerable openness to her more traditional ‘Gary smirk’. She muttered, “Asshole.”  

Though I still left the deli just as confused and angry as before; Virna’s last comment was somehow reassuring. I had Marty figured out; she was just a stupid fickle kid who’d thought she was in love. I was sure she believed she loved me when we got married, and she probably thought she could be a wife and eventually a mother, but once the realities of married life set in she just wasn’t up to it. 

Marty just wasn’t a grown up yet. The whole dating, engagement and marriage thing had been her acting out her own little unrealistic dream. She never had a clue about the realities of married life or what we needed to do as a couple. But then I was as stupid and fanciful as she was. I blindly believed a twenty year old spoiled brat could become a mature married woman. 

We both had made a big stupid mistake. My mom back in Taylorsville was right; it was best to just cut bait and move on. After I talked to Yvonne I’d go see a lawyer, get my ducks in line, get the divorce proceedings in order, and then move on. Hell, I’d move out, find a place nearby; there were apartments and rooms galore all over the area. I had a decent job and I was within a year of completing the PA program. Once I was armed with new credentials I could move back home. There were plenty of opportunities in Salisbury, Georgetown and even Dover.   

My only problem, if it was a problem, was…well I guess Virna. Did I owe her anything? No I didn’t. But then if I didn’t; why did I feel like I did? 

++++++++++

I visited Yvonne Sunday morning. Allen was still asleep. Virna was right, Yvonne knew. We talked and I gave her copies of the things I’d recorded. Our conversation was brief. I knew our friendship was probably at an end, and I felt bad about that but it wasn’t my fault. Yvonne said she’d keep the recordings.  She also said she’d probably not divorce Allen. She really did love him, and she wanted Travis to have his father. 

Yvonne was saddened by what happened, but she told me she knew he wasn’t trustworthy when she married him. She explained that aside from his philandering Allen was an honest hardworking man and a good father. She said she wanted to have more babies, and expected he’d be a lot more amendable to that and other things she wanted now that she had him by the short hairs. 

I asked her about her dad, and she said he’d already found out from one of the older men at work. Allen’s mouth had gotten him in trouble. She said her dad would soon have a talk with the ‘no good asshole’. She expected her father would lay down the law about Allen’s mouth and any future infidelities. Yvonne’s dad held the purse strings, and she said Allen had always been a little afraid of her father anyway. 

++++++++++

I was back in class Tuesday. It had been a grueling two days. When I was home, which wasn’t often, Marty followed me around like a puppy. I still didn’t know what her hours were, but she must have made some changes because now the apartment was the cleanest it had been since we moved in, and she was always dressed prettily, hair done up, makeup perfect. It was clear she was trying to fix things. Sometimes I even felt sorry for her, but I got over that quick.

Tuesday night after class Owen and I talked about my prospects. He said he doubted if it would be worth my while to keep any of the monitors going in the house, but to leave them running anyway. He explained Marty knew they were there and any future conversations or activities in those places would be unlikely, but if anything did transpire they’d probably be deliberate efforts to show her renewed fidelity. I’d brought his laptop with me, and he had a new piece of audio. He configured it for easy use with his laptop and told me to hide it in her car. He doubted she’d be dumb enough to talk to Allen or anybody else while in her car, but he explained that it was probably my last frontier. I liked the analogy. He told me Marty might suspect I hid something in her car and she might get Allen to look it over so Owen showed me the best place to hide it.

When I got home Tuesday night it was late. Marty was up and dressed in a cute two piece pajama set. When I ignored her she ran to the bedroom, jumped in bed, and pulled the covers over her head. I heard her whimpering; I figured she’d get over it and go to sleep. There was a message there from Marty’s mom and dad. They asked if they could see me when it was convenient. Thursday was Thanksgiving so I called and left a message suggesting Wednesday night after I got off work. 

I felt stupid right after I turned off my phone. Why had I suggested a meeting before Thanksgiving? The reason was the stupidest thing imaginable; Tammy had come to mind. I didn’t want to fuck up her Thanksgiving. Crap, who was Tammy to me? She wasn’t my kid; why did I even care. Why did I even still think about going to Marty’s parents for the holiday? But then back in October I’d worked a deal with an older woman who had no family. She’d agreed to take my Thanksgiving daytime hours, and I’d agreed to take her later hours. 

I realized that my problems weren’t just going to go away; the biggest thing is how separation and divorce cuts up families. I kept fighting the same internal battle; either I was a reasonable intelligent man who’d made a mistake, or I was a pissed off husband who wanted to fucking kill someone or break something. 

I was gone as far as Marty was concerned, but I was still upset with her. She hurt me; she really did. The wound was fresh and raw. I was still bobbling back and forth between the rational and insane anger. I understood that. I figured I’d be angry at her for a long time, but it didn’t make it go away by saying it. 

Sometimes I felt like rushing through the apartment and breaking everything I could get my hands on. Marty had this curio cabinet. I think she’d had it since she was a little kid; it was certainly a piece of furniture she treasured. Most of the stuff inside it was worthless junk, but there were a few things I knew she valued. There were a couple old knick knacks that had been her grandmother’s. I wanted to hurt her. I really wanted to hurt her. I knew if I took a hammer and broke up that cabinet and turned everything in it to tiny shards of glass I’d succeed. I also knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I never touched it. I wanted to, but I didn’t.

I knew the scars caused by infidelity didn’t heal quickly; for some people I knew they never healed. But I liked Marty’s family. I liked her mom and dad, and I guess I didn’t dislike Virna as much as I thought. I liked Tammy. I liked her innocence. I sure didn’t want to hurt her. It was like I enjoyed hearing Marty cry. She had it coming. I was ambivalent about Virna’s tears; even if she was a bitch I felt bad when she’d cried at the deli. But Tammy, Tammy shouldn’t…she just shouldn’t…anything bad.  It was hard to articulate how I felt about the little girl.

I checked the local newspapers and located a room in a house near a town called Flintstone. I made arrangement to visit the place the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If I took the place it would put me well west of Hagerstown and Marty’s people and I’d be pretty far from work, but I’d still be close to where I went to class. The price was good; it was furnished, and it had Internet.

++++++++++

The meeting with Marty’s parents proved anticlimactic. We got together at the apartment. Marty stayed in the bedroom the whole time. Virna had delivered the message, and she’d done a good job. Her mom and dad seemed to accept the idea of divorce as a fait accompli. They didn’t blame me; in fact they apologized. They told me they’d been afraid Marty wasn’t mature enough to take on marriage and remain steadfast. They said Marty wanted to keep the engagement and weddings rings I’d bought, and they offered to pay for them.  I told them Marty could have them and not to worry about the money. Hell they’d hemmed and spliced up her mom’s wedding dress, and that had been pretty expensive. Plus they’d footed the bill for a reception, a rehearsal dinner my people could never afford, and they’d bought Marty’s going away dress. 

They were pretty somber the whole time we talked. I guess it was kind of funereal. I mean a separation and divorce are a kind of death. Marty had agreed not to fight; whatever my lawyer wanted she’d agree to.

As sad and terminal as our conversation was I couldn’t help but notice both mom and dad kept veering back toward Virna. They made occasional references to their older daughter; it was like ‘Virna said this’ or ‘Virna said that’. Somewhere near the end of our conversation it occurred to me neither Marty and nor Marty’s parents were emotionally equipped to deal with what was happening. For all her shittiness toward me it was Virna who was navigating her sister and her parents through this crisis.

After Marty’s parents left I sat down in the living room. Marty stayed in the bedroom. I reflected on what we’d talked about; the things that were said. Marty was still very much a child; I knew that, but so were her parents. It was like the things her parents said to me had been rehearsed, and it seemed unnatural. I knew enough about her father to know he was an aggressive and volatile man. He was a fighter, an arguer, a belligerent so and so. Marty’s mom was something of the rock hard determined sort; a classic stubborn passive aggressive. If she wanted to she could hold out in silence for days, probably weeks. I wondered how likely was it for them to come into their daughter’s apartment and so easily acquiesce to everything someone like me demanded. Hell, I was an outsider, a conservative Protestant, by their standards a well-educated, maybe too well educated man who held a woman’s job, and I admit I hadn’t tried to be especially nice. 

I’d expected an argument. I half expected a fight. I got none of it. Someone had already taken them on. Someone had done my fighting for me. It had to have been Virna. Why would Virna do that? She couldn’t have done it for me. I mean why would she?  


I went in another direction with the household electronics. I lied and told Marty I’d removed all the listening devices. I took the additional audio tool Owen had provided and hid it in the living room. I figured putting it in Marty’s car would be a waste of time. If Marty was in her car she was driving, and when she was driving she was always speeding, and usually either talking on her cell or putting on makeup. 

Thanksgiving came and went. Everyone centered everything on Tammy. We all pretended like nothing was wrong. I didn’t have class that night; it was a holiday. Marty and I went back to our apartment. I stayed only long enough to clean up. Thankfully, I had to go to work. 

I worked all day Friday, and was so tired Friday night I collapsed into bed. Marty had a long Friday; I believe she worked from midafternoon till close to midnight. When she got home I was sound asleep. Saturday turned about to be that day of days.

Saturday started bad and ended worse. First I told Marty we’d be meeting with a lawyer early Tuesday evening so she should adjust her work schedule accordingly. Then I told her this was the day I’d be moving out. Like a thunderclap she hit me! 

Marty had been pretty cooperative all week. In fact she’d been downright nice. I realized why; she’d been delusional. She’d been pretending if she was good the whole divorce thing would go away. 

I was long past the punishment stage. Oh I was still mad, but I just wanted to leave. Marty decided she wanted to fight that one last battle. It was awful!

Here is how it started, she smiled at me and said, “Gary I know you want to leave me, but can’t we just stay together a few more weeks?”

“No Marty. I’ve made up my mind.”

“I’ve been good Gary. I haven’t seen Allen or anybody. I’ve been taking care of our place. Come on Gary just a few days.”

“No Marty I’m leaving today,” I didn’t have much to pack so I just used a few garbage bags. She followed me every step of the way.

“Gary let’s stay together. I’m sorry.”

“No Marty it’s over.”

“Gary I was wrong. I was so wrong. Allen didn’t mean anything. I love you Gary.”

I kept my cool, “I love you too Marty, but there’s no future in it.”

“Gary you remember how you rescued me? Gary remember our honeymoon and how we went to see your grandparents?  Gary I love you. I want to stay married to you.”

“Marty you’re not trustworthy. You’re too immature.”

“Oh Gary please. I promise if you’ll just stay I’ll show you that you can trust me. I’ll be good. From now on I’ll be the best wife. Just please,” she started crying.

I had six bags of stuff so it looked like two trips to the car. She followed me back and forth each time.

“Gary don’t do this. Gary don’t leave. Gary please don’t leave me. God Gary I love you. I love you so much.” 

While I was carrying my second load out I realized I had a problem. I went back inside and found her purse. I rummaged around and found her key chain. I took the key to her car off and put it in my pocket. I told her, “I’m leaving now. I’ll drop the key to your car off at Virna’s. She’ll bring it back. I don’t want you following me.”

At last I walked out to my car. Marty grabbed me and threw her arms around me. She cried and clung on me all the way to my car. She was desperate. She kept clinging to me all the while and making these simpering childish little steps. She kept begging, “Gary don’t leave me. Gary I love you. Please don’t go. Gary I promise. Oh Gary Gary. Please I’ll be good. I’ll do whatever you want.”

She didn’t yell, but her voice got that deep husky sound; the sound someone has when they’re really miserable. God just a week or so ago I dreamed of a day like this; a day when I’d hear Marty beg. Now it was here and I hated it. 

At last we reached my car. I told her, “I kept a key to the apartment. If I’ve forgotten something I might need I’ll have to come back,” I added, “Marty I don’t think you should try to stay here. I doubt you make enough money to cover the rent. When the month is out I’ll come back and together we’ll pack up and put everything in storage. I want you to have everything. I’ll help get you set up back at your parents.” I didn’t mean for that to hurt, but I saw it really did.

As I got in my car she tried to cling to me. I had to take her hands and pull then push her away. She tried to get in the car with me. Luckily the windows were rolled up. She kept putting her hands on my driver’s window. She kept begging me not to leave. I turned on the ignition and started to drive away. For a few yards she tried to keep up by running alongside the car, but as I sped up she couldn’t keep up. The last I saw of her she was standing in the middle of the road. She was crying.     

It was over. She’d cheated. I caught her. I punished her. I was getting a divorce. I’d won, and I felt terrible. I’d loved her. I still did I guess. She was a sweet girl, an adorable cuddly little lovable teddy-bear in bed. The sex had never been wildly passionate, but she’d always been warm and affectionate. She’d always been eager. Well eager up until Allen showed up. He’d really fucked us up. 

Marty had been a cuddler and snuggler. I was no Don Juan, but in spite of the comments Virna had made I knew Marty had been a novice in bed. No she hadn’t been a virgin, but I hadn’t missed that milestone by much. I realized I was going to miss her. I supposed all that was left now was the denouement; that came two weeks later.

++++++++++
 I got settled in at Flintstone. I found the best way to get by was to work my ass off. When I wasn’t at my job or in class I was studying. Marty called two or three times a day at first, but I only answered once and told her not to call more than once. At first she tried to beg me to come back, and that invariably led to tears. I told her I wouldn’t answer the phone if that was all I got so after that we’d hold one good conversation a day. I never called her, but she pretty much knew my hours so she called me. Honestly I looked forward to her calls, and I think she perked up when we talked. 

We did see the lawyer together. She held up well. We split the money evenly, and she kept all the furniture. I agreed to keep her on my insurance until Walmart picked her up, I agreed to pay her car insurance through the middle of 2013, I also promised to send her a small alimony check; and last, talk about black humor; when the money was finally all accounted for the lawyer got more than either one of us.

Then a couple weeks later there was the final pack up; I’d gone through the apartment two days before we moved out and cleared out the electronic stuff. That night I looked at the USBs and the one CD that housed all the evidence I thought I’d need to force a divorce. I felt absolutely horrible; Marty had never asked me to confirm what I had. Not once had she asked to see or hear anything. It was kind of unnerving; no matter how much I mistrusted her she’d trusted me implicitly right up to the end. I’d married a child, a trusting child. Bitter, bitter was the only word that came to mind.  

The last day was especially traumatic for Marty. And me too. It had been in June 2011 when I’d officially taken her out of her parents’ home, and now it was December 2012 and I would be taking her back. Poor Marty, she’d had an eighteen month foray into adulthood and she had failed miserably. I mean I hated her, well I hated what she did, but I felt terribly sorry for her too.

Our last official act came the Saturday we moved everything out of the apartment. I rented a small U-Haul trailer and hitched it to the back of my car. Together we loaded everything up. I rented a storage unit and agreed to pay the monthly rent until she decided what to do with everything. We drove to the storage unit, and stowed everything away. There were two keys. I gave them both to her, but she insisted I keep one. There was something brutally sad about putting that stuff away. Most of it was used and pretty worn out when we’d bought it. Sure it was just junk, but it meant something once. That ratty crappy old kitchen table had been where we’d sat and made our plans, where we’d dreamed and talked about our future together. We’d talked about kids; we’d even picked out names. 

We took one last look at all the stuff. I rolled down the sliding door. I was closing the door on a lot more than just a bunch of old furniture. She put the lock on. I locked it. Then we wrapped our arms around each other, we held each other real tight, and we both had a good cry. She felt so small and vulnerable; just like the night I’d stepped in at the Dungeon. I felt so sad.




A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 02



It occurred to me I’d never had my moment of blood and gore; a time when I could’ve told Marty how bad I’d felt, how badly she’d betrayed me. I was glad we’d never gone through any of that. She’d begged and cried enough. I didn’t think she could’ve handled it. I was still rescuing her.

A few minutes later we each got in our cars and drove to the exit. The whole place was beside just a regular two lane road. This storage place, like all the others had an electric gate. We had to wait for a few seconds before the damn thing opened. I glanced across the road. Parked on the soft shoulder on the other side was Virna; she was already on her cell phone. I looked into Marty’s car and watched her get her phone out of her purse. Virna, God bless her, the big sister, like always, was there for her little sister. 

Marty made the right that would take her back to Hagerstown and her parents. Virna pulled out behind her. I made a left and started for Flintstone. 

Our marriage was over. 

This is the end of part two.





















A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 03



This is the third of a four part story involving two confused sisters and an equally confused young man. 

++++++++++

Sunday, December 23rd 2012

Since the day Marty and I made our final split, the day I watched as she drove back toward Hagerstown with Virna her sister in her car following I'd been working to put my life back in order. The fall semester was just about over. I'd signed up for an easy class offering during the winter session. After that there'd only be one more class and I'd be in a position to apply for jobs back on the Eastern Shore. Yeah I'd be out of this shit hole. I could start my life over back home.

Well it was Christmas; I'd sent everyone in Marty's family presents. I figured I'd be going home Christmas day. I normally pulled the day shift on Tuesdays, but had changed with a nurse who wanted to be home Christmas night. My plan was to finish up Monday's shift, get in my car, drive to the Shore, see my folks all day, and get back in time for my friend's shift, but then my friend called at almost the last minute and changed her mind. She wanted her regular hours back so it looked like a working Christmas for me.

I still had the recordings of Marty when she was with Allen and when she'd talked to her relatives. I thought until I got the final decree in March I'd better hold on to them. Anyway it was Sunday morning and I didn't have to go in till 4:00 p.m. I thought I'd waste some more time by listening to hear if the recorder I'd hidden in our old apartment living room had anything. Of course anything on it was pretty old, but curiosity, being what it is, got the better of me so I turned the dumb thing on.

Mostly what I heard was nonsense; just noise from the kitchen and the bedroom, the television once in a while, and some occasional crying. It was Marty doing the crying; yeah poor sweet little Mariella Ricarda Milano boo hooing because she'd cheated and lost her man. 

I didn't know much about Italian names but Ricarda sounded like a boy's name. I guessed her father had to stick something in somewhere. 

Now I'd converted to Catholicism to marry Marty, but I was still a Presbyterian at heart. Presbyterians are an odd lot. Anyone would think considering some of the basic tenets of the denomination they'd be depressed as hell but all in all they're pretty upbeat. 

For the uninitiated Presbyterians are Calvinists; and at the core that means we believe in predestination, we believe people are all naturally inclined toward evil, and free will is just one of the jokes God plays on us. Come on; don't believe me? God builds a paradisial garden; he gives man mastery of it, but slips in one plant he can't touch. Then oh yeah, he gives the man a brain, a natural sense of curiosity, and then he provides the fool with a meddlesome helpmate, a woman. It doesn't take a Steven Hawking to figure that sooner or later one of them is going to taste the forbidden plant. Even so God must have gotten impatient because he slithered in a serpent. Yeah, free will my ass. God knew, sooner or later they'd try the forbidden fruit, and once that happened, well show time! 

So back to the recording; what do they say - 'it was curiosity that killed the cat'. I listened to the fucking tape. It was dated the Friday a week before I had moved out.

Like I said most of the recording was trash, but there was one conversation that well...when I heard it I felt I wasn't done with the Milanos, not quite yet.

Marty and her scheming sister had been in the living room. I got an ear full. 

Marty started, "Virna I know he still loves me. I'm going to keep him."

"Marty," Virna started, "he might love you till the day he dies, but he's leaving. You can't change it."

"No Virna I'm gonna keep him. I'll make love to him. I'll get him in bed. You'll see."

"You might get him to have sex with you Marty, but it won't be love, not for him. Marty sweetie you burned that bridge. I know him. He might sleep with you. He might even enjoy it, but that man, he's too deep, he's too much of a thinker. He'll screw you but he'll be thinking about Allen. He'll think about the things you said to Allen. He'll lie there and think about what he saw. You'll only make it worse. Hell Marty he might not even be able to get it up. If I know Gary; the pain could be too intense." 

Marty retorted, "Then I'll be good. I mean extra good around the house. He likes to look at me. I'll dress prettily. He'll see me trying. I'll work hard to keep the apartment nice for him. I'll be super sweet. I'll win him back. You watch."

I was surprised at the depth of Virna's understanding when she replied, "Marty honey let me tell you about men, and let me explain something about Gary. You do all that and he'll only see guilt. He's a man; he'll think you're behaving that way out of guilt, but that won't matter. I think he'd forgive you anyway. I think he'd try to assuage your guilt, but there's more to it with him. There's trust. Gary would take a lazy wife, even a bitchy wife, but he needs trust."

I heard Marty try to say something but Virna must have held up her hand or something because it was Virna who kept talking, "No Marty it won't work. Look dear you were never lazy; a little sloppy maybe but never lazy. And bitchy? Not you. I'm the bitch in the family. You were good around Gary; at least up until Allen showed up. When you started in with Allen you changed. I saw it so you know he did. Come on once you were as sweet as a piece of fresh fudge then you became a prickly pear. Marty you've lost Gary's trust. You can't just get that back. Why even if he took you back every time he'd go to work or to some class he'd wonder. It would tear him up inside. In the end it would destroy what love he still has."

"You think he still loves me?"

"Of course he does. I bet he's cried his eyes out. He lost something, or someone, special, and he knows he's never getting that back."

I heard what sounded like some kind of movement so one or the other of them must have drawn closer. It must have been Virna, "Give him up Marty. You're just a kid. He hasn't left you any packages like Tommy left me. You can get past this. There'll be other guys. Use this experience to make you stronger."

I heard Marty whimper, "I'm sorry Virna. I stole him from you. You wanted him. It's not too late...maybe you could..."

I heard Virna interrupt. Virna did that a lot. She always liked to have the last word. I heard her say, "No he's gone. He'll most likely move back to 'Sandy Bottom' or 'Dog Patch', or whatever that place is where he came from. No, Western Maryland was his big adventure. I wouldn't be surprised if he moved back and never got married again," I heard her chuckle, "he is an asshole after all."

Marty must have perked up, "You still like him. I think he cares about you too. I bet he'd marry you if you asked."

Virna had a comeback, and I didn't like it, "Marty there's too much going on now. He married one Milano girl. He's not the type to try a second. Besides why would I want him around with you here? There'd be too much heartbreak. No he's gone. As a marriage partner, even if he did want me, he's out of the question."

To my surprise Marty had a truly lucid moment, "You care about him don't you. You love him Virna. Gee, if I'd hadn't...you'd marry him wouldn't you. You would wouldn't you."

The silence that percolated through the recording was like ice; Virna finally said something, "Tammy's crazy about him. I think for Tammy...," I heard her; she started to cry. Pretty soon Marty was crying too. I started to turn the damn thing off but changed my mind. I needed to hear it all.

I wish I hadn't. I heard Virna really open up, "I do have feelings for him. I guess yes, yes I do love him. Marty he was so noble that night you were drunk. He stood up to a mean crowd. I tell you they really wanted you. He stood up to them. He was really brave. Ever since then I've watched him. He's always done the manly thing. He's a true American hero, he's 'the real McCoy'. God Marty if you hadn't," she was crying again.

They must have been in a particularly tight embrace. Marty's crying and tears sounded as close as Virna's weepy comments. I heard another odd noise; one must have kissed the other. I bet it was Virna kissing Marty. She was sobbing, "It's not that I'd necessarily ever marry him; it's just that..." she gasped out a sob, "he's going to leave. He'll be out of our lives, and we'll never see him again, Jesus Marty he'll be gone. Oh I wish..." they both seemed to burst into an avalanche of tears then. 

I turned off the recorder. I'd had no idea.

++++++++++ 

Things had certainly gotten more complicated. Virna had made some difficult observations. For one did I want to say goodbye to the Milanos, to Virna, to Marty forever? I'd become connected to these people, to the two women. In retrospect I realized I'd been around Virna almost as much as I'd been around my former wife. 

Just as bad, Virna might be right; I could see myself moving back in with my foster parents, getting a job, and taking care of them till they died. Sure I'd see other women, but just for the sex. I could see myself dying a lonely old bachelor. 

I needed to clear the air. I was confused. I needed to wrap my feelings around who I was and what I wanted; a good dose of Virna the bitch might just do the trick. Yeah, I ought to go see Virna; no real chance of that though, not for a while. This was Sunday, and Sunday's she spent with Tammy. I couldn't impose on her and her daughter two days before Christmas. Monday was Christmas Eve, and Tuesday was Christmas; both family days, and the last thing I wanted to do was be around the Milanos on Christmas. 

I'd sent them all presents. I'd sent Mom and dad Milano each gift cards; dad got a Lowes card, mom got one for Walmart. I'd played it safe with the girls. I'd looked all around till I found a boutique that sold specialty items. They agreed to monogram three sets of handkerchiefs; one set had M.R.M. for Marty, a second set had T.T.M. for Tammy Maria Milano, and the third set had V.C.M. for Virna Cella Milano. I remembered when I did it that I thought Marty could still pretend the last M could stand for her married name. I also remembered the V.C.M. and the T.M.M. could have been for Matthews too, but I knew that was stupid. 

So it was Sunday and I didn't have to work yet. I went in the front room of my new apartment, turned on the radio, laid on the lumpy old sofa, and jerked off. Funny, I jerked off to a mental image of Virna wearing a pale blue mini-dress with translucent sleeves, with very feminine nearly transparent capped shoulders, a scooped neck, and with frilly little ruffles everywhere. I imagined I could see through the dress to her dark nipples and furry patch. I'd never actually seen her puss, but I imagined it was dark, neatly trimmed, and scrumptiously furry. It was quite delightful. In my mind's eye I was gently stroking her head with my hand while she languorously, no lovingly took me in her mouth. In my fantasy she finished and smiled up at me adoringly. 

After I was finished I sighed. I took some napkins and cleaned up the gooey mess. I lay there all rested and relaxed and then I did it again. 

Monday sucked; I worked and jerked off again. I thought about going to Midnight Mass, but chickened out. I didn't want to risk running into the Milanos. 

Tuesday came and after another quickie fantasy with Virna I went in to work. I thought, 'shit I better stop. I'd wanked off more in the last two days than all last year. I was sure God took a dim view of that kind of thing.' 

Hard core Calvinists believed there was this 'Book of Life' somewhere. A person got their name in it only at conception, and only a few people got written in. No matter who a person was, no matter how faithfully they believed, no matter how good their life was, if they weren't in 'The Book' at the start they couldn't get to Heaven. However, one misstep, just one mistake, and a person's name could be rubbed out. I sure didn't want to get rubbed out because of a severe case of blue balls, and I knew I sure couldn't blame it on Virna, she was Catholic and played by a different set of rules. 

That wasn't right either; one of the priests warned me that a man's semen was the 'conceptus', and masturbation was a mortal sin, kind of like 'man abortion'. Shit I was damned either way. What the hell, if that was the case it didn't matter. Just before I left for work I lay back on the bed, put my left arm over my eyes, imagined Virna on her knees at my feet, and jerked off again. As I got back up I chuckled to myself, 'I wondered if Virna knew what she was doing to me.' Yeah, I wondered did she know it would be her fault if I went to hell.

++++++++++

I was in a patient's room, an older woman whose eyesight wasn't too good. She'd broken her hip and was recovering from surgery. She was only sixty-seven so the likelihood of a full recovery was pretty good. She looked lonely. She said something to me, "You look kind of out of it son. You all right?"

I smiled, "I'm fine. Your hip's good. How do you feel?"

She started in, "I miss my husband. He died in August. The kids have all moved away. They only call when they need something; they usually only need money. I think they've already started to divide up what they're going to get when I die. I've been thinking about cutting them all out and giving the money to charity," she smiled at the last thing. She and I knew she'd never do that. Kids were supposed to leave home.

I checked her temperature; it was up a little, "Children are important," I told her.

She asked, "You have any?"

I thought about Tammy, then I replied, "No, can't say that I do."

"A man needs a family. He needs a good woman. You married?"

I'd taken my wedding ring off, but the indentation was still there. I think she noticed it, "No, not anymore, getting a divorce," I changed the subject, "Were you married long?"

"This would have been our golden wedding anniversary."

"You miss him very much?"

"I do and I don't. I don't get to see him, but he's with me all the time. I know I'm young yet, but I tell you I'm ready to go."

I smiled and placed a cup of ice beside her head, "I've got to go now, but I'll check back soon."

She nodded and seemed to drift off after that. I left her room for my next patient; a boy who'd broken both legs on a motorcycle. He was lucky; he should've ended up a quadriplegic. I hoped he knew it. 

I checked in the nurses' station on my way by. Harry, another male nurse stopped me, "You got a message. Someone said to call when you got off."

"They leave a number," I asked?

Harry said they did. I checked the number but didn't recognize it. I looked at the clock. I was off in a little while. I'd call then.

++++++++++

My shift was finally over so I grabbed my cell and tapped in the number. After the second ring I got a man's voice, "Hello."

"Hello this Gary Matthews. I'm returning your call."

The voice on the other end replied, "Oh good you responded. My name is Dominick Milano. My parents and I want to know what you're doing tonight."

'Oh shit', I thought, 'my ex-wife's brother'. I replied, "Well I was planning to go home and do some studying, then clean up a..."

He interrupted me, "Good. Stay where you are. I'm only a couple minutes away. I'll pick you up."

"But I..."

"Be at the front of the hospital, the main entrance, the family's been holding dinner. I'm dying to meet you."

"I, uh"

"Don't go anywhere. I'm on my way," he hung up.

'Damn. Shit', I thought.

I was outside when a man driving Mr. Milano's Chevy Silverado pulled up. The electric windrow rolled down, "You Gary Matthews?"

I nodded.

The big man inside smiled, "Come on get in. Everybody's starving. We've waited dinner."

As I got in I said, "This is crazy; they shouldn't have..." 

He interrupted me...again, "I'm glad you replied to my phone call. They've all been waiting. Mom deliberately waited till late before she put the bird in."

I was incredulous, completely out of sorts, "You know I..."

Again I didn't get to finish, "I know pretty much the whole story about you and Marty," he leaned toward me and added, "You're part of the family Gary."

Jesus this was nuts. I nodded, "OK."

He smiled and nodded back, "OK, Good."

It took us about fifteen minutes to get to the Milano's. It should have taken half an hour, but Dominick didn't seem to notice the speed limit signs. We got to their house, and the two of us got out and went in. He was behind me kind of pushing me forward. 

I walked in the front door directly into their living room. The whole room was lit up; it looked and felt warm. They had their Christmas tree in the corner. I heard Mrs. Milano and Marty in the kitchen. Mr. Milano was in his lazy boy dozing off while the television had the second NFL game on. Actually I think it was a reply of an old Super Bowl. Virna and Tammy were on the floor on a blanket fiddling with something, a toy it looked like, a doll.

Tammy had on the same party dress she'd worn when she'd gone to her friend's confirmation party. Virna had on a dark green silky button up neatly tailored blouse and this longish pleated skirt. It was swirled out all around covering her thighs and most of her calves. It was dark brown. She had her hair up in a bun, but a long strand of it was curled down and around the side of her head and her neck. She took my breath away. 'Buster' the little fellow between my legs must have recognized her too; he started to fill up with blood, independent rascal.

Virna didn't say anything; but she nodded to Tammy and then in my direction. In an instant Tammy was on her feet and running toward me, "Uncle Gary," she exclaimed!

I got down on one knee and she leaped in my arms. She kissed me and yelled in my ear, "Merry Christmas!"

Virna had gotten up but hadn't said anything. Marty came out from the kitchen; she looked tired. She had an apron on and was wiping her hands in it. I thought she looked pretty. I felt kind of sad, she said, "Hi Gary. Merry Christmas!"

I smiled, "Merry Christmas Marty," I nodded toward Virna, "Merry Christmas," she ignored me.

Most of the rest of the evening was anti-climactic. Everyone was on their very best behavior. We men talked sports while the women concentrated on passing the food and keeping quiet. Every now and then I caught Marty giving me wistful looks, but that was about all. Virna never looked at me at all; she concentrated on Tammy.

After dinner we went in to see the tree. I got to see what everybody got; it was mostly clothes. Everyone thanked me for their presents. Someone had bought me a pair of jeans. Tammy got an American Girl doll; she said it was the one named Emily. At the start I didn't know much about them, but Tammy filled me in.

Tammy is a beautiful little girl. Her mother might be the classic bitch, but Tammy's the proof the woman knows what it means to love someone. 

Tammy's a little girl. I'm not saying that because she's only five and a child; she's a little girl. She's like her mom, aunt and grandmom when it comes to looks. Her hair is so black it casts this shimmering blue hue when the light falls on it. It's long and thick and curly. Virna's hair was up in a bun, but Tammy's was allowed to hang freely, and it was all over the place. She's got beautiful green eyes, a cute little turned up nose, and, like her mom and aunt, a gorgeous olive complexion. 

I rediscovered pretty quick something I already knew; Tammy's a climber. She wanted to show me her American Girl Doll so she insisted I get down on the floor with her. I sat on the floor with my back against the sofa. Virna was already on the floor.

Tammy took her doll and climbed up on my lap. Let me just say those heels, wrists and hard little knees were tough to take as she crawled back and forth on my kegs trying to get settled. Finally she did; she was plopped on my lap with her back against my chest. She moved her doll; the doll's name was Emily, all around showing me things about it. 




A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 03



Every now and then she'd lean up with her head under my chin. She expected me to kiss the top of her head while she held her left hand up against my cheek. She told me too, she said, 'You can kiss me," and she'd lean a little so I could kiss one of her ears, then she'd look at her mom and say something like, "look I'm on Uncle Gary's lap, and he's kissing me."

I guess I got a little embarrassed. I could feel myself blush.

The whole time Tammy was on my lap Virna didn't look at me once; she looked at Tammy though. Looking at Virna looking at Tammy was an experience in and of itself. All the bitchiness I was accustomed to was something reserved for people like me. I swear the love Virna had for her daughter was immeasurable; Virna's face glowed when she looked at her child. No one except maybe the old people back home ever looked at me that way.

The warmth in Virna's facial expressions coupled with the way her body seemed to curve and curl around on the floor in front of me made her look absolutely beautiful. She was so disarming I guess I was kind of glad she didn't look at me or say anything.  

While Tammy sat and squirmed on my lap I asked her if she got everything she wanted for Christmas. She said almost. She said there was still one thing missing. When I asked her what it was she told me she wasn't allowed to say so I left it alone.

By then it was close to 9:00. Marty, Virna, Mr. Milano all had to go to work the next morning, and Tammy was long overdue for bed. Virna loaded up Tammy's loot, they said their good byes and left. I got a kiss on the cheek from Tammy; I felt like it left a warm spot. Though she kissed everyone else Virna only shook my hand. 

Pretty soon it was only Dominick and I left. I asked, "Maybe I should get back to my place now?"

Dominick said, "There's no hurry. I have a bottle stashed." He pulled out a bottle of Jim Beam, two glasses, and poured us each a good one.

I thanked him and took a sip, "Dominick I should be going..."

He interrupted me, "Not just yet. Let's stay and talk a while." 

I didn't have much choice.

Dominick started by talking about what he was doing, "I'm a Petty Officer aboard an Air Assault Ship. You know much about them?"

I told him I'd looked them up on the Internet.

He smiled, "That's a good start. I'm not supposed to say too much, but I'll tell you this. We have eleven ships like mine. We're all over the world. Lately we've been back and forth between the South China Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. We've been up and down the Arabian Peninsula, all around the Gulf of Aden, and up the Persian Gulf as far as Kuwait. We pick up and drop off marines every couple of weeks. I can tell you this. Everywhere we go we scare the shit out of people. We can project American power hundreds of miles in all directions, and with the marines on board we can go anywhere and occupy anything."

I was impressed.

He went on, "If we had the technology we have now back in 1992 all that mess in Somalia would never have happened. We would have either cleaned the place out with a couple drones or we'd have dropped in a couple hundred marines. There would never have been that in and out crap. I mean it; we scare the shit out of people. You should see the Iranians when we coast up along their shoreline. Let me tell you; they stay well clear of us. No sir, no more USS Coles, not anymore."

What he was saying was fascinating, but I could tell he had something else on his mind. He finally opened up, "That's not what I want to talk about Gary."

I started, "I want to apolo..."

He clipped me again. I knew where Virna got it, "Gary I know you're sorry. That's OK. I love Marty. She's had it pretty tough. I know Virna's filled you in on all that, or at least as much as you need to know, but I don't want to tell you about Marty."

"No," I asked. Jesus I got a word in. 

He asked me, "What do you know about my other sister?"

"Virna," I said, "well she had Tammy out of wedlock, and she doesn't particularly like men."

He drank down his glass of Jim Beam and refilled it, "That's what I thought. Let me help you out a little. Virna's the oldest of us three. Mom and dad had high hopes. She had a good Catholic education. She was probably the most Catholic kid at school. For a long time mom and dad thought she would join a convent, maybe become a nun. You know someone like Mother Teresa. Gary you have no idea how devout she was. Still is actually."

I started to say something, "Yeah..."

I got cut off, "Let me tell you Gary that girl was like the Virgin Mary, but then this guy, this creep named Tommy Watson showed up. Man he was smooth; he had money, a car, and he was a lot older. You know what Virna looks like; she's a stunner. He zeroed in on her like a heat seeking missile. She was so naïve, so trusting, she never had a chance. Man he swept her off her feet. At the time I was having troubles of my own, and Marty was up against it. Nobody thought about Virna." Then he asked, "Gary?" 

He paused. I thought he was going to have another drink, but he was waiting for me to say something so I started, "I agree..."

He cut me off again, "You see she's pretty too. I watched you tonight. You think she's gorgeous don't you?" 

He didn't wait for an answer, "Everybody's always seen that, but nobody thought about how innocent she was, still is. Tommy took advantage of her. Gary I tell you; she fell head over heels in love. In her eyes he could do no wrong. When I tried to say something she'd cut me off. She'd either cry or get mad. Well he got her; he knocked her up." 

I started to say 'I see' but never got a chance.

"Gary she was this very religious girl. If she didn't give herself to God she was going to her marital bed a virgin. Gary, that prick Tommy stole that away from her. Even so she believed he really loved her. She believed he'd stand by her. It never happened. She told him she was pregnant, and he disappeared."

I got in a word, "She must have been seriously pissed."

He blocked me, "Virna? Her? Not her. She refused to believe he'd abandoned her. She held out right up to the time she went to the hospital to deliver Tammy. Even after Tammy came she still talked about him like she thought he'd come back. Gary it took her over a year after Tammy was born to realize the prick wasn't ever coming back; then she went into some serious depression."

I never knew any of this.

He kept talking, "She went from disbelief to depression, to anger, to hate. For a long time she hated all men. I mean she even disliked me! I was away by then. I joined the navy right about the time she got knocked up. Eventually she and I started to write. Gary she was so down. I was afraid for her, but then something else happened."

"What was that," I asked?

He answered, "You happened."

"Me?"

"You saved Marty's life. It was like you rode into town on a white horse, you rescued Marty, and your kindness overwhelmed Virna. I've got her letters if you want to read them. It was like you cast a spell on her. But then Marty went to work on you. Marty can be something when she wants to be. She swept you off your feet. She yanked you right out of Virna's grasp."

I was stumped. I knew Virna felt something, but I thought it was more disdain than anything else. I said, "You don't say."

"Man," he said, "Virna did a complete one-eighty. You went from hero to stupid asshole overnight."

"And now," I asked?

"I don't know," Dominick replied, "What I do know is you hold the emotional well-being of both my sisters in the palm of your hand. One wishes she could get you back, but she knows she can't. The other one, Virna, she wants a daddy for her daughter, and believe it or not I think she wants you for herself. But, and this is the tricky part, she wants to protect her sister too." 

I shook my head. Inside my brain was telling me I needed to get the fuck out of Dodge as fast as I could, but my heart was telling me I needed to hang around. I needed to try to help the sisters sort things out.

Dominick looked at me, "Well Gary what're you going to do?"

I shrugged, "The divorce isn't final till March. I'm still in school till at least May. I'm not going anywhere. I guess I could..."

He interrupted me again, "I knew it. I knew it as soon as I saw you out on the hospital parking lot. You're not the type to cut and run. You'll see this through. Marty and Virna are both confused right now, but I know my man. Yes sir I do. You won't let them down."

I tried to get a word, "I could stop in from time to time."

He grinned, "I knew it. You're one of the good ones."

"Can I go home now," I asked?

Dominick got up, "Oh yeah, sure. Grab your coat. I'll start the truck."

++++++++++

After Dominick got me to my car I drove back to Flintstone. I knew I was talking myself into doing some stupid things. One thing I thought I'd do was move again. I decided I needed to be closer to the Milanos; poor Marty, though I hated what she did, the woman probably needed some help, I thought emotional support. I thought about Tammy; she could use some attention, or maybe it was that I could use some attention. I liked the kid; she didn't make a lot of demands and she wasn't judgmental like I thought some people were, and then there was Virna. I needed to set the record straight with Virna. More's the truth about Virna; I'd heard the things she'd said, or inferred about me, they were flattering, they stroked my ego. 

++++++++++

I did move back. I got a room back in Hagerstown about three blocks from where Virna lived. Once I was resettled I decided to stop back in at the Eagles Nest to see Virna and check up on Tammy and Marty. It was just after New Year's, and brother did I get a rude awakening. 

I stopped off at the Eagles Nest early Tuesday evening. I remember it was January 8th because it was freezing cold and they were calling for snow. The tavern was open late, but I knew Virna was usually off by 9:00; she liked to be home as soon as possible just in case Tammy awakened. Virna's mom usually got her ready for bed. 

My fall class had been on Tuesday, but the class I was taking during the shorter winter session was Wednesday night. Dominick had emailed; he was back in California. Though I knew he'd be writing and emailing his sisters, I promised to keep him up to date. So it was Tuesday, close to 9:00, and I sort of sauntered into the bar. Maybe I overdid it a little; I guess I was just a little full of myself. I had my reasons; I'd heard the recordings, I'd talked to Dominick. Hell I guess I figured my shit didn't stink. 

I went in; the place was nearly empty, probably because of the weather. I stepped up to the bar and waited for 'Bitch Girl' to see me. She saw me all right; she ignored me too. I sat at one end of the bar. She stood behind the bar at the other end. Finally I went down and asked, "Can a man get a beer around here?"

Virna turned to the owner, a nice fellow named Mel, "Mel I'm leaving now. This guy needs a beer," without a word to me she walked to the door that led to the back.

I was dumbstruck. What had I done now? Not knowing what else to do I left the bar, outside I found Virna's car and waited for her. I wasn't long; she slipped out, saw me, hesitated for a second, and then walked over.

I stood by her car and asked, "OK what'd I do?"

She pushed by me and reached for the handle of her car door; she'd already hit the key thing so it was unlocked. She swung the door open almost hitting me, she got in, and as she closed the door she said, "Nothing, now leave me alone." 

I stepped back and watched her drive away. I hadn't expected a brass band, but maybe a hello or something would have been nice. I'd checked her out when she got in. I thought she looked exhausted. I also noticed she only had a lightweight windbreaker on.  

I wasn't made of money, but I knew I could afford a coat. It was only 9:00. There were stores aplenty open. I slipped over to my car and bee-lined it to the nearby Kohl's. Kohl's might not be Macy's, but they still had some pretty nice stuff and I could guess at Virna's size. I went in, found the womens' winter coat rack, selected what I thought was a pretty nice dark brown suede coat with fur lined collar. I took it up, bought it, went back out, got in my car, and made my way to Virna's.

I got to her house, walked up the steps to her front door and knocked. I waited. I waited some more. Finally she got to the door and opened it a crack. I know she saw the bag. She said, "What do you want?"

I asked, "Can I come in?"

"What for," she asked?

I asked, "Is Tammy asleep? I bought you something." 

I heard a soft little girl voice, "Is that Uncle Gary mommy?"

Virna turned slightly, "Go to bed Tammy."

Tammy's darling child's voice replied, "Mommy can I see Uncle Gary?"

Virna glared at me evilly as she opened the door slightly, "Just for a minute sweetie."

I stepped inside, saw Tammy and went to my knees, "Hey Tammy. How's my girl?"

She ran into my arms. I dropped the bag I was carrying and hugged and kissed her. She kissed my cheek and started laughing. I hadn't shaved all day, and I think my whiskers tickled her. I glanced to my left where Virna was standing. Why was she so angry? I gently pushed Tammy away, "I think mommy wants you to go to bed."

Tammy jumped away, turned and skipped toward the stairs, did a childish pirouette blew me a kiss, actually the pirouette was pretty good, "goodnight Uncle Gary," and she was off, running up the stairs. 

Virna stood back and reopened the front door as if to usher me out.

I stood up, "I bought you something," I opened the bag and held up the coat.

Virna looked from the coat to me, "Thanks but I have a winter coat, now please leave, and take your coat with you."

I put the coat on a nearby chair; it was a rickety old thing. I told her, "I saw what you had on tonight. I want you to keep the coat. It's cold out there, if you get pneumonia or something you might give it to Tammy," I left the way I came. As I started down her porch steps I felt something hit the backs of my calves. I looked down and saw the coat. I left it there and went on to my car, got in, and drove home.

I had no idea what I'd done to make her so mad. I hadn't caused the divorce. I was trying to live up to my promise to Dominick. Hell, Marty was still technically my wife, and though I hated what she'd done to us I still loved her. I cared a lot about Virna and Tammy too. Oh fuck Virna; fuck her spongy headed kid too. What did I care why Virna kept being such a bitch?

A couple days later when I got off from work I found an envelope inside my mailbox. Opening the envelope I found the exact amount of money the coat cost. I wondered if she'd returned the coat or had she found out its price and paid me for it. Later that night I was parked on the Eagles Nest lot when Virna came out; she was still wearing a lightweight windbreaker. I guess I had my answer. I made up my mind right then and here I'd get even.

How would I get even with Virna? That was easy; I'd be nice to Tammy. Tammy liked American Girl dolls. I checked them out on the Internet; they weren't cheap. I scanned the prices and thought I'd buy some accessories. Then I saw something that caught my eye. Emily wasn't the main doll. Emily was supposed to be another girl's English friend. The American friend was named Molly, but Molly had been discontinued. 

I sifted through e-bay and sure enough I found a Molly doll; a new one too! I emailed the owner with an offer. Bingo! They needed the money. We exchanged addresses. I went to the bank, got a cashier's check and mailed it off. Two weeks later I had a message in my mailbox; they had a large package for me. Molly had arrived!

++++++++++

So Thursday, January 26th I hauled my ass back over to Virna's. I guess I couldn't have picked a worse night. I got there shortly after 7:00 p.m. Mrs. Milano's Pontiac was parked in front. I wondered what was going on. Oh well, I figured I've got the doll and some accessories; I'm going on in there.

I reached the door and knocked. Virna opened it right away. Jesus she looked terrific. She had on this black skirt and white blouse, her hair was all done up, and she must have been wearing four inch spikes.

She opened the door with this big smile on her face; then she saw it was me and the smile evaporated. She said, "What do you want?"

I held up the big box, "I bought something for Tammy," 

I heard Tammy in the background "Is that Uncle Gary?"

Virna growled, "Yeah, he says he has something for you," she opened the door to let me in.

I held up the box. Molly was inside the box but protected by a cellophane cover. Tammy yelled, "Molly," she dashed up to the door, "You got Molly for me?"

I knelt down. By then Mrs. Milano had stepped into the living room. I'd already surreptitiously scoped out Virna's work schedule at the Eagles nest and I knew she was off on Thursdays. I wondered why Mrs. Milano was at Virna's this late. I smiled at Tammy, "I heard Molly was Emily's friend so I got her for you."

Tammy grabbed the box, but not before she hugged and kissed me, "Uncle Gary you're the best!"

I had it figured. I'd give her the doll. Virna was off. Tammy and I and Virna would play with the Molly and Emily dolls, and I could figure out what Virna hated me for this time. Boy was I wrong.

Just as Tammy started to unwrap the cellophane I heard another knock on the front door. Virna opened it, and there stood Morgan, the Hopkins heart surgeon. Virna stood aside and he walked in, "I'm not late am I?"

Virna smiled at him and said, "No you're right on time."

He saw me, "Its Gregg isn't it - the nurse."

I replied, "No it's Gary."

He had his coat over his arm when he looked at Virna, "If you're ready we have just enough time to make it."

I watched Virna as she walked to the hall closet and got out a full length shiny black leather overcoat. Morgan walked over and helped her put it on. I heard him say to Virna, "It's not too big is it?"

She glanced over at me, "No it's a perfect fit," she smiled at Tammy, "You and Uncle Gary have a good time playing with your new doll, and remember Tammy; when Grandmom says it's time for bed you listen."

I looked from Tammy to Virna to Morgan. He'd obviously bought her the leather coat. I bet it must have cost $1,000.00, and it made the suede I'd tried to give her look like a garbage bag. Just the same I thought it was too much coat; it looked heavy on her, and she looked like she was swallowed up in it.

Virna was wearing her typical 'Gary you're stupid' smirk. Morgan had on what looked like an $800.00 three piece suit; yeah it even had a vest. He looked like one of those football players that hosted the NFL Channel. I watched as he wrapped his arm around Virna like he owned her. Damn I thought he acted like some African chief and Virna was this white virgin he'd just bought. 

I got up, "I hadn't planned on staying. I just wanted to drop the doll off on my way to see a friend of mine."

Morgan kept his arm on Virna's shoulder. He had this proprietary expression on his face, in that huge black coat she looked like some trinket. I thought a condescending grin flitted across his face, and then he said, "You have a date too?"

I replied, "No not a date; just seeing a classmate."

Morgan held up his arm and checked the time. Yeah, he was wearing a Rolex, "We've got to run. Big date you know." 

As they walked out the front door I forced a grin, "Have a good time," neither one of them responded. I turned back to Tammy, "I can stay a little while."

She smiled, "Wait here while I go get Emily."

I put thoughts of her stupid shitty mother out of my head. I'd solve her problem some other time. I called after Tammy as she ran up the steps, "I didn't know so I went ahead and bought the Molly movie. We can watch it if you want."




A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 03



Tammy yelled down, "We can watch it while we play with the girls."

I stayed the whole time until Mrs. Milano said Tammy had to go to bed. Then I stayed a little longer and had a talk with Mrs. Milano. I found out a little.

Mrs. Milano told me Marty was still having a tough time. She said Virna was mad at me because she thought I should be trying to help her get through the separation. I didn't say anything. I was having my own postpartum blues. I asked her how she and Mr. Milano were doing. Though I'd just exchanged emails I still asked about Dominick. I also asked after Virna.

Mrs. Milano gave me something of an earful. Marty had quit her job and just sat around the house all day eating junk food and crying. Mrs. Milano said she and her husband were arguing a lot. They were worried about both of their girls; Marty because she was so listless, and Virna because they didn't like this Morgan fellow. Mrs. Milano said she and her husband, though they weren't prejudiced, thought Morgan was. They'd heard through the grapevine he'd been married before to another white woman, and he'd dated a few other women, all of them white. 

Mrs. Milano said Mr. Milano said Morgan acted like a pimp. She said they were afraid to say anything to Virna because lately, especially since Marty and I'd separated, she, Virna, had become increasingly belligerent. She said they'd hoped Dominick would have talked some sense into her when he was here, but the two of them never got hooked up long enough to really talk.

I definitely got the message. I remembered when I was in high school how 'jungle fever' had swept up some of the white girls. I never fully understood it at the time, but I eventually realized a lot had been going on. For one thing there was a lot of societal pressure. The media kept pushing the gay rights thing, the homosexual thing, and interracial relationships. It was like if someone disagreed with the most extreme liberal idea they were a bigot.

Then there was the cold hard fact that a lot of white boys were just too damned awkward and backward when it came to girls. I remembered how shy I was. Add to that more than a few of the black boys weren't age appropriate, and some of them were really aggressive when it came to getting at that 'white nookie'. I can remember hearing some of them bragging when they thought no one was listening; they'd brag about scoring with this or that 'white' girl. It was tough enough for a lot of white boys to get up the courage to ask a girl out, but then to have to compete with some black kid who was two or three years older and in the same grade, man that was a daunting task. And of course last, a lot of girls just did things to piss their parents off, and for a great many families on the Eastern Shore nothing could piss some white parents off more than to have their sweet little daughters go out with some 'Negro'. I refuse to consider the word they really used.

I listened to everything Mrs. Milano had to say. I felt bad about Marty, but that was something she'd have to work through. I hated to admit it, but I still missed her. I missed her more than I ever thought I would. I still broke down now and then, but I knew we were over, I could never trust her. I thought maybe I'd call her every now and then.

The deal with Virna; well I'd seen firsthand the fruits of what Mrs. Milano was worried about. Virna already had one child out of wedlock, and if Mr. and Mrs. Milano's suspicions were accurate I thought Virna could be playing with fire. But was I my ex-sister's keeper? I thought not! Still, as long as I was in the area I owed it to myself, and I guess to Dominick, to try to be friendly. I guess I should try to stop in at the Eagles Nest a little more often. Yeah I'd do that.

++++++++++

My first move was to email Dominick. He was still in port, and though he was taking classes and doing maintenance he still had enough time to spare for me. We back and forthed several times, and he filled me on what he knew. He told me some things I wished I hadn't heard.

I guess my biggest question had been how a Western Maryland girl like Virna ever got to know a Johns Hopkins heart specialist. Dominick told me Virna had been born with a mildly irregular heartbeat; it was a kind of arrhythmia I had some familiarity with and I knew it could easily become life threatening. In fact according to Dominick that is exactly what happened. 

It was after Tammy had been born, and Virna was working at some warehouse. She'd been up all night working and guzzling caffeine. Well she apparently collapsed right in front of a tow motor as it was unloading a truck. One of the workmen recognized her problem as cardiac arrest; he administered CPR, and saved her life. They called in an ambulance and got her to a hospital. A few days later after being released her dad took her to Baltimore for further analysis. They made a complete diagnosis, prescribed the necessary drugs, mostly anticoagulants, and her dad brought her home. Of course she changed jobs, changed her diet, and since then she's been compelled to make regular visits to local health care facilities where they track her blood and thyroid. It was when she went through the procedures at Hopkins that she met Dr. Morgan Benedict, and he'd been sniffing around ever since. 

Honestly, her warehouse crisis had occurred before I ever showed up, and though the doctor and Virna had been acquainted for at least three years I'd never seen or heard of him before the party at her parents in October. He must have been traveling well below the radar, but then I remember hearing from Dominick he was divorced. I suppose his separation must have been fairly recent, and he probably remembered Virna's single status. 

Dominick and I continued to email, but Virna's medical condition was the only thing that came up that was of any significance. I thought I might be able to use it as an opening if I ever got a chance to talk to her; that chance did finally come but not through anything I did.

Tammy was more than just another pretty little girl; she was a precocious ball of fire just loaded with talent. I'd seen some of the things she liked, but dancing seemed to be her true love. I knew she'd been taking dancing lessons, but I never knew just how good she was. Anyway she was good enough to be considered for a slot in a private dance school. It would cost a little money, but I knew Mr. Milano was a middle manager at an electronics corporation, Sierra-Nevada Corporation, or something. I know he did a lot of traveling. Actually he was more on the technical side than the management thing. He made good money. 

One of Tammy's teachers had set up a performance for Tammy; actually it was an audition but Tammy didn't know it. Tammy insisted that I get an invitation.

The performance was scheduled for a Saturday. My schedule had changed so I had to arrange to get off. I got to the location early; it was set up to take place at the Maryland Theater, a facility in Hagerstown where the Maryland Symphony played. Tammy had been scheduled for two different performances, a lyrical thing and some kind of acrobatic skit. Her two acts were just a part of dozens of things to be done by more than thirty different children. 

Even though I was early the place was nearly filled up. Virna was backstage with Tammy, but Mrs. Milano had told me to save two seats down in front; one for Tammy and the other for Virna. The Milanos and Marty planned on sitting further back. I smelled a set up.

Tammy's first performance came almost right away, but her second wasn't scheduled until near the end. Tammy did her lyrical and the two of them came out. We had at least two hours before they had to go backstage again. I thought this could be good; we had two things we could talk about, Tammy and Virna's condition. 

They came out. Tammy was still in her costume; she looked adorable. Virna was wearing a dark green blouse, a soft wool sweater, jeans, and tennis shoes. Virna saw me and the empty seats, but started toward the rear of the theater. Then Tammy saw me and insisted they sit where I was.

They squeezed between the other patrons till they reached me. Virna plopped Tammy in the middle seat and proceeded to look in every direction but mine. Tammy had no such reservations; she left her seat and climbed on my lap. Then she turned to Virna and said, "Come on mommy move over and sit with us."

Virna had no choice but to move over. Lucky for me someone else asked to take the seat Virna vacated. There was no way she could escape.

I smiled at Virna, "She did a nice job didn't she."

Virna avoided eye contact, "I thought so."

Tammy interjected, "I missed two steps in my routine."

I chuckled, "You could've fooled me."

Tammy squirmed; she had the hardest elbows and knees, "The judges saw it."

Virna said, "Maybe not."

Tammy added, "I'm not worried I'll kill them when I do my acrobatic routine."

I asked, "You're good?"

Virna caught my eye, "Good? You just watch."

I asked Virna, "You ever do anything like this?"

"I used to," she curtly replied.

I gave her a serious look, "Yeah I guess that wouldn't be a good idea now would it?"

Tammy proffered, "My mom has a bad heart."

I smiled, "I know."

Virna got agitated, "Who told you?"

"Dominick," I said.

Virna looked angry, "Why are you so nosy? There's no reason for you to be snooping into my life."

Tammy was watching us talk; her head was going back and forth like a ping pong ball. She looked at me, "You like my mommy don't you."

It wasn't a question, more a statement of fact, "Yes I do Tammy. I like her very much."

Tammy grinned at me, "My mommy likes you too."

Virna scowled, "That's enough Tammy."

This was great, I asked, "Does she talk about me? What does she say?"

"She talks about you all the time," replied Tammy, "she says your very kind, and I'm lucky to have an uncle like you."

That sounded good, but kind of generic. Not that I cared, but I wondered if there might be more, "does she say anything else?'

Virna warned, "Tammy."

Tammy looked from her mother to me, and then she said, "I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I think you're my mommy's Mr. Right."

Virna got up, "Come on Tammy we need to go to the ladies room, and then get you changed," she pointedly avoided looking at me.

Tammy surprised me as much as she surprised her mother. At a loss for words I asked, "Should I save your seat?"

I got a brusque reply, "No."

I stayed and watched till the end of the program. Tammy did wow everyone with her acrobatic routine. When it was over I went to the back to meet up with Mrs. Milano, Marty, and hopefully Tammy and Virna. Once in the back I got a disquieting message. Mrs. Milano told me Virna and Tammy were hooking up with Morgan Benedict for an early supper. Marty asked me to join her and her mom, but I begged off. I lied and told them I had to work the late shift. I told them that had been the trade-off I'd made to get to see Tammy. Marty looked disappointed, but Mrs. Milano seemed relieved.

I drove back to my apartment and thought things over. I knew Dominick didn't like the doctor, and I suspected much the same was true with Mr. and Mrs. Milano. I also knew Dominick expected me to find a way to head the doctor off. I knew I had no business sticking my neck into Virna's personal life and though I knew I shouldn't I still had this disquieting feeling that if I didn't I'd be sorry for it.

++++++++++

I got off work at 6:00 Monday and drove over to the Eagles Nest. Virna was already there when I went in. I pulled up a stool at the bar right in front of her. She started to walk away. I called to her loudly, "Virna don't walk away from me."

She turned and looked, but continued to move toward the other end of the bar. I got up and followed her. When she stopped I stopped, "Virna we have to talk."

She looked right through me, "Pabst?"

I replied, "Jim Beam, straight."

That got her attention but only for a second, "You want a water chaser?"

I said, "No I want to talk."

Virna looked at Mel her boss, "I'll only be a minute," she got me my bourbon and water. She poured herself a water, walked around the bar and pointed to an empty booth. I followed her over. We sat down opposite each other.

She glared at me, "I resent you hanging around. I want you to leave me and my daughter alone."

I responded, "Can't do that."

"Yeah, you better. I could get a restraining order out on you for stalking."

I got mad. I answered, "OK. I hear you." I quaffed down my bourbon, stood up and started toward the door.

That's when I heard her, "Wait a minute."

I turned back around and returned her glare with a steely gaze of my own, "What for?"

She tapped the side of the table where'd I been seated, "Come back and sit down."

I hesitated a second and saw her genuine desire to see me come back so I did. After retaking my seat I said, "I didn't cheat on Marty; she cheated on me. I couldn't live with that. I didn't chase you to the dance recital, Tammy invited me. I didn't go to your parents for Christmas to see you. Dominick called me. I'll admit it bothers me that you hate me. I guess I just wanted to understand why, but I see now it doesn't matter. If Tammy asks about me just tell her I'm busy with work and school. I promise. I'll leave you alone," I started to get up again.

"No wait," she proffered me a seat again. I didn't take the offer this time. I just stood there.

Virna said, "Look I have to work right now. When are you off next?"

"I go in late tomorrow, not till 6:00."

She tried to hold my gaze but I wouldn't let her, she said, "Look I'm done my day job at 4:00, maybe we could meet someplace."

I didn't want to make this easy, "I'll stop by your house."

That surprised her, "No...I meant."

"I know what you meant. No I'll see you at your house or we can just forget it."

"Why my house," she asked?

"I like Tammy; it might be the last time I'll ever get to see her."

She was flustered, "No that's not..."

I interrupted her. I leaned down on the table and firmly and not very kindly told her, "I don't need this shit Virna. Dominick asked me to do him a favor and I said I'd try. Well I tried. I said I liked your daughter, and I do. I really do. I'm still struggling with Marty issues, and though I don't know why, I even like you. You want to play house with a Hopkins doctor, well good for you. He can't fuck up your life any more than it already is. Like I said I'm sick of the whole fucking mess," I turned to go.

She said, "OK, my house tomorrow. I'll bring home a pizza."

I started to walk away, "Don't put yourself out."

She called after me, "You'll come. You'll be there?"

I glanced back, "Yeah," and I stalked on out of the bar. 

++++++++++

I got to Virna's at 4:00 sharp; she was already there. When she let me in I could smell the pizza. 

I asked her, "You already ordered the stuff?"

"No, I took the day off; you're getting homemade."

"Why all the trouble," I asked?"

"Tammy likes it."

Just then Tammy rushed in, "Uncle Gary!" I got a big hug.

I scooped her up and kissed her, "How's my girl? I enjoyed your dancing. You really did wow them with the acrobatic didn't you?"

She laughed, "You stayed? Mommy said you left."

I gave her a squeeze, "I wouldn't have done that, not for the world," I put her back down.

Tammy said, "I already had some pizza. I have to go in the living room now. Mommy said you were going to have a serious discussion," then she skipped off to the living room.

I looked at Virna, "Serious discussion?"

"Come in the kitchen. You want a beer?"

"No coke or coffee is better. I have to be at work at 6:00."

We went in. Virna handed me two slices of cheese pizza on a plate, and poured me a coke. We both sat down.

Virna said, "It's not whether I like you or not; it's just that I don't see any future in being around you."

I agreed, "I don't see any future in it either," I took a bite of pizza; it was quite good, still hot, it burned the top of my mouth.

"Gary you married my sister and it didn't work. Now all she does is cry and apologize. My dad and mom are at their wits end. I get emails from Dominick warning me about Dr. Benedict. He says Morgan just wants to get in my pants. I'm not sure. I think the doctor's sincere. I know he cares about Tammy. You're a nice guy Gary, a great guy actually, but you need to get away from this family."

I didn't say anything. I just put the pizza down and watched her. All this that I was hearing from her was just nervous blather. She stopped and just sat there. She kept fiddling with the edge of the table. She started drumming her fingertips on the tabletop. She was wearing a white blouse and a lacy white bra underneath. I could see her dark aureole; her nipples were pressed against the material. I realized that was certainly why she'd picked the outfit. She looked up at me and kept blinking her eyes.

I don't know which one of us got up first, but I suddenly found my arms around her and my lips were on hers. She had her hand on the back of my neck. It was a long slow languid kiss, and then it was over.

Virna stepped back, "Maybe you should go."

I nodded, "Maybe you're right," I got up, grabbed my coat and left as quickly as I could.

++++++++++

I didn't drive away. I walked down to the delicatessen where she'd bought me the corned beef. I ordered another and sat down. I had to think this through. I did try to think. I tried to think about what had happened. Hell, I didn't like Virna. I didn't hate her, but I sure didn't like her, not that way. But that kiss, that kiss was something else. I felt something, and I knew she felt something too. I figured it would probably be best if she hooked up with the doctor. Who knows, he might even marry her. Yeah, that was the best thing. He could provide for Tammy. He might even become a good husband. 

I sat back and looked out the window. It was just another grey wintery day. Did I really think Morgan Benedict was a good choice for Virna? Though my family held some pretty strong views, I never considered myself a racist, but the idea of his black hands groping all over her body, his lips covering hers, his...I put those thoughts out of my mind. 

I thought about the two of them getting married. I bet he'd buy her a big diamond, maybe two or three carats. Her mom would probably re-alter her wedding gown again. She'd get a new long veil; it would be starkly and beautifully white. I felt my stomach knot up at the thought of her walking down the church aisle, the church where Marty and I were married, the church I still attended. That doctor would be waiting at the other end. He'd take her hand; he'd lift that veil. He'd kiss her. I felt sick. He didn't belong there. He didn't fit the picture. Somebody else needed to be there waiting for her.

I thought about the sight of Virna in that over-long black leather coat; it just didn't suit her, it wasn't her. I couldn't help it I saw Virna in a much shorter suede with an open fur collar. Virna didn't get it; she was a short mid-thigh brown suede not a long ankle length black leather.

I realized this wasn't getting me anywhere. I was stuck in Western Maryland at least until June. That hit a nerve; if they got married it would most likely be a June wedding. If only for Tammy I'd be expected to show up. I just didn't see Virna marrying him. The thought of him lifting her veil, kissing her, me shaking his hand as I passed through the receiving line; it all revolted me. He just wasn't the right man. I couldn't finish the corned beef.

I checked my watch, 5:30. I pulled out my cell phone and called in sick. I put my coat back on and walked back up to Virna's. I knew she'd be going to work soon, but I still had to say something. 




A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 04



This is the final part to this story. I hope you read it, and I hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to leave a comment at the end. Vote if you like.

*****

So I guess I decided; it probably wasn't very smart, but I was going to get Virna to marry me. The whole idea probably didn't make any sense, but I'd made up my mind that's what I was going to do.

For sure Virna had pretty much been one hellaciously nasty bitch toward me, but then maybe she had her reasons. I remember when I was a kid; I hadn't been with my foster parents very long and the kids at school were roasting me for being what they called a 'rent a kid'. Most of the kids who taunted me were a whole lot bigger than me and I stood no chance at beating any of them. So I guess for four or five days in a row I came home and beat up on one of our dogs. I couldn't explain why I beat this one particular dog; she was an old bitch, she'd already had a couple litters and she was kind of crippled up. 

Anyway my foster father heard me out in the barn with the dog. He came out and caught me smacking her with this switch. He yanked the switch out of my hand. I fully expected him to beat the shit out of me. He didn't. He dragged me over to a bale of hay, sat me down, and asked me what the problem was. I remember he held me real tight, but not so tight as to hurt.

I broke down and cried. I never cried, I mean hardly ever, but I cried then. I cried because of the three dogs on the farm it was that old bitch that had really taken to me; that old dog loved me and I'd repaid that love with pain.

I told my foster dad I was sorry. I didn't mean to hurt Maggie; that was the dog's name, Maggie. I told him I was just so mad. I even told him I wouldn't blame him if he took me back to the group home for what I did.

Well he got me to talk about school, and how the bigger kids were picking on me. He never got mad, and he didn't punish me or anything. He only explained that people always ended up hurting the ones they loved the most. He said I'd hurt Maggie because I loved her so much. Then he gave me two jobs. He said from then on Maggie was my dog. I had to be the one feed her, walk her, groom her and just generally take care of her. He said she was my responsibility. Second he said I was to go back to school, pick out my biggest tormentor, and beat him up. I told him I didn't think I could. He said he didn't care; all I had to do was try. 

The next day I went to school, picked a fight with the biggest kid there, and got the living shit kicked out of me. I got suspended from school and since I was a foster child the principal called social services. My foster dad had to go to the school to see the principal and to talk to the social services lady. 

I was really scared. I shouldn't have been. My foster dad told them he ordered me to start the fight. He told them why too. He told them what a good boy I'd been, and he was proud of me. The principal listened and warned me not to start anymore fights. He told my foster dad he couldn't discipline the other kid because I'd started the fight but that he'd have a talk with him. The social services lady warned my foster dad that he shouldn't have done that. He agreed with her, but he said at least this way 'his boy', he called me 'his boy', got a lesson in self-respect. That was the day I knew, I really knew, I had a home.

About Maggie; she was an old dog, and she was already all crippled up, but I took care of her. She lived another seven years after she became officially mine. As she got older she could hardly move around. My foster mom and dad had a policy; no animals in the house. But when Maggie got really feeble they let her come inside in the winter. That was the only time they ever did that.

I was in high school when her time finally came. I remember she'd gotten incontinent that last winter, and I'd often get to school late because I had to remake her bed and clean her up before I left. 

On her last day I had to take her out back behind the barn and put a bullet in her head. I used my twenty-two to do it. I remember how I'd cried when I'd watched 'Old Yeller'. I cried like that over Maggie. Maggie was a big old black dog; she was mostly grey at the end. I had to dig her hole before I killed her. I remembered how she laid there beside me panting and watching me while I dug her grave. 

After I shot her my foster dad and mom and my sisters and little brother came out and helped me put her in the ground. We buried her in an old blanket. I put one of my shoes and an old ball in the blanket with her. I loved that old dog. Instead of a cross I planted a maple tree on top of her. I did it for the shade for her.

So Virna had been extra nasty toward me. Maybe she was doing to me what I'd done to Maggie? I thought that was what most likely had been going on. I believed that. So I'd made up my mind; Virna was going to be my wife.

++++++++++

If I was going to get this woman to marry me I knew I'd have to find ways to get around her emotional roadblocks, by that I was thinking about her hostility toward men and me. I needed to tear down her artificial beliefs that she was somehow 'mother protector' of her kid sister. I needed to get her to see me as more than just the nurse and Marty's ex-husband, and I needed to get her out of that fucking leather coat. OK, I planned my strategies; I'd play the inside game to the doctor's outside game.

For the inside game I knew I had allies; though he was thousands of miles away I had Dominick, I thought I had Mrs. Milano, but most of all I had Tammy. Until the weather got a little warmer I'd play the inside; I'd play small ball.

+++++

I checked the newspapers. I studied the Internet. I called around. Blake Sheldon and Kelly Pickler were going to be at the Largo Arena down just outside D.C. The tickets cost and arm and a leg but I got three for the Friday night show. Inside move number one; take Virna and Tammy to a country music concert. This was good, because Blake Sheldon and Kelly Pickler, like almost all country music singers, were family types. We'd go and I bet there'd be dozens if not hundreds of kids there, mostly girls. 

Ticket receipt in had I stopped by Virna's, "Hey guess what I got?'

"Herpes," Virna replied; she was her old self again.

"No I got three tickets to see Blake Sheldon and Kelly Pickler," I showed her the receipt.

She looked at the ticket receipt, "Oh that's too bad. Morgan and I have plans."

My first reaction was 'fuck'; then I thought so what. I replied, "Were you taking Tammy?"

Virna replied, "No I..."

I grinned, "Then it's settled. I'll take Tammy and your mom. You go have your fun with the doctor. I'll take Tammy to the concert."

By then Tammy was at the door, "Concert. We're going to a concert?"

Virna looked at Tammy with sad eyes, "No honey I..."

I was getting better at the interrupting thing, "Come on Virna. Where is Dr. Bicuspid taking you?"

She squared her shoulders back, "Dr. Benedict is taking me to New York to see 'Phantom of the Opera'."

"All right," I said, "while you're in New York at the opera with Dr. Kildaire I'll take your mom and Tammy to the 'Opry' to see Blake Sheldon and Kelly Pickler down in D.C."

Tammy was beside herself, "Oh mommy Blake Sheldon's married to Miranda Lambert! I love Miranda!"

I threw in the chaser, "They say Miranda might be there."

"Mommy", Tammy squealed!

Virna glared at me, "I know what you're doing."

I smiled, "So do I."

+++++

So we went to the concert. Kelly Pickler was there, Blake Sheldon sang, and Lady Antebellum was on hand. And guess what? Yes, Miranda made a cameo. She didn't sing, but she sure was a hit. Like I figured; the place was packed with families, kids were everywhere. Tammy made some new friends, and they exchanged addresses and emails. We ate pizza, drank soda, gobbled popcorn, and just had a whale of a good time. I got Mrs. Milano, Virna, and Tammy all Tee shirts, and we listed all the songs we liked. I had a second plan for the songs.

Virna's trip to New York had been only for one day. I was pleased; she didn't give in to an overnighter. They'd taken the rail, took in a matinee, and were back long before Tammy and me.

In fact Tammy, Mrs. Milano, and I didn't get back till after 1:00 a.m. Virna had been back for hours and she was frantic. 

We walked in the door singing a Pickler song; Virna was at the door, and she was pissed. I mean deeply pissed. I thought, 'Oh Glory hallelujah!'

She stood there, arms folded on her chest, "Where have you been? The concert ended hours ago."

Mrs. Milano stared her down, "Give it up Virna. We were out having a good time"

Tammy kept singing.

Virna scowled at her daughter, "You upstairs. Get ready for bed!"

Tammy started crying, "Oh mommy, do you have to ruin everything," she ran upstairs.

Mrs. Milano scolded, "You had to do that didn't you. Up until we got home everything was perfect."

I had to say something, "How was your date with Shaka?"

She frowned, for a moment she'd forgotten Shaka was the name of a Zulu king. Then she remembered, "Get the fuck out of here!"

OK, the Shaka comment was kind of racist, but I wasn't into playing fair. I wasn't through, I gave her my best Cheshire, "But honey we bought you a Tee shirt?" I held up a Tee shirt with Blake Sheldon's name on it.

God was she pissed, "I said get the fuck out!"

Boy this was great. Virna never cussed. I added, "It'll look good under your big black leather."

She lost it, "All right I know what you're after; well if you must know my date sucked. I hated the play. We had lousy seats. The train ride was awful, and I was the only white person there."

I asked, "The coat?"

"The fucking coat weighs a ton, and I felt like I was on display the whole night. I was not only the only white person; I was the only woman! Morgan was fine, but some of his friends spent the whole night trying to look down my blouse. Now are you satisfied?"

I settled down, "Tammy and I have a date to go to the mall Monday evening. We're going to the record store and make a mix of some country songs on cd."

She placed her hands on her hips, "Did I say you could that? Besides I have to work Monday night. And how is it you're off so much?"

I had to admit to myself my classwork was suffering, but I'd made up the lost regular hours by picking up work from other nurses. I told her, "Overtime my dear and about permission, your mom said it would be OK."

"You son-of-a-bitch," was all she said.

I threw my coat over my shoulder, "Tell Tammy and your mom I'll be by for them around 6:00."

"My mom?"

"I can't take Tammy to the mall without a woman. What if she needs to pee?"

She yelled at me, "You bastard!" She slammed the door in my face.

++++++++++

Before I got to Virna's that Monday I stopped in at Walmart and bought Tammy a mid-priced cd player. I also had made up another special treat. 

I got to Virna's; Virna, as expected was already gone. Mrs. Milano already had her coat on and was helping Tammy with hers. I said, "Before we leave I have two presents for you."

Tammy got real curious, but didn't say anything. I imagined her mother had warned her away from accepting anything else from me.

I was right, Tammy said, "You're not supposed to give me anything else unless mommy approves it."

I knelt down, "These will be OK," I handed her the cd player, "You'll need this to play our songs," then I pulled something from my pocket, "and this is a love checkbook."

Mrs. Milano knew what it was, but Tammy had never heard of it, "A love checkbook; what's that Uncle Gary?"

I said, "Its ten checks. One says I have to take you to any pizza parlor of your choice whenever you want. One is for three bedtimes stories. Another is for a free night of babysitting. There's one in there for a trip to the mall, one is for an afternoon of bowling, another is for the zoo, two are blank for things you might want to do or like, one just says free kisses, and the last one is a renewal. You get ten more any time you want." 

Tammy held the little stapled checkbook in her hand, "What if I want more than three stories?"

I took the checkbook back, found the sheet that said stories and erased the number three, "Now you get all the stories you want."

Mrs. Milano was standing by. I thought she looked really happy.

Tammy burst into my arms and got her mouth up close to my ear. She whispered, "You know what I really want?"

I whispered back, "No what?"

"I want you to be my daddy."

I kissed the side of her head and whispered, "We're working on that."

She whispered even more quietly, "I know, we're a team."

I lifted her up, "Come on teammate. Off to the mall."

We had another great time. In fact I thought Mrs. Milano had more fun than Tammy or I. We made two cds. After I left the house that evening I had to laugh. Now every time Virna was home Tammy would be playing 'our songs'; just another not so subtle reminder that I was always nearby.

++++++ 

The checkbook turned out to be the smartest move I'd made so far. Virna couldn't turn it back, and it gave me free entry into her house almost whenever I wanted. I busted my ass to get my work schedule to match Virna's time off. If I could I wanted to be there every night when she put Tammy to bed. I bought a half dozen story books. I wasn't stupid though, I only brought over a couple at a time. 

The doctor was turning up the pressure too. He'd bought Tammy a giant teddy bear, but other than that he concentrated all his efforts on Virna. Man he had the money. He bought himself and Virna two tickets on a local plane that flew them all over the region. They got an eagle eye view of the area. He took her to DC for a night of dining and dancing. They flew up to New York where he tried to surprise her with a cruise up the Hudson River. It was an overnighter and that didn't go over so well. He had to bring her back.

Meanwhile Virna joined Tammy and me on a date to Chucky Cheese. Though it was late in the season Virna was still wearing what I'd started calling her 'buffalo robe'. This was when I finally got her out of it. 

I talked her into letting me take the two of them to Kohl's. The suede coat, or another version of it, was still there, plus there was a smaller child's coat that looked similar. It took some talking but with Tammy's help I got her to agree to let me buy them both the suede coats. Tammy was pleased on two counts. First she and her mommy were dressed alike, but second Tammy, not knowing suede was leather too, told her mom their coats were more 'eco-friendly'. Neither of us disabused her of the notion. 

Virna looked like dynamite; the shorter coat with the modest fur collar made her look more feminine. She didn't say anything, but I could tell she thought so too. One thing though, she wondered where I was getting all the money. I told her not to worry.

++++++++++

Actually money had been a problem; it got so bad I did something I swore I'd never do. I called my foster parents. In all my life, though I had asked for things, I'd never asked for money. Well I needed it now, I really needed it. 

I called home asked for my foster father, "Hello dad I need your help."

He gave me the usual, "Well we'll do what we can."

"Dad I need some money."

"Money!"

I heard my foster mother; she's gotten a little hard of hearing and dad must have put their phone on speaker, "Is that Gary? Did he say he needed money? Find out if he's in any trouble." 

"You in any trouble son?"

"I'm not in trouble. I just need some money," I knew what was coming.

"What for?"

I knew this would never work, "You know dad I'm divorcing Marty..."

He interrupted me, "We're not paying for that mistake..."

I interrupted him. I knew I was probably shit out luck, "It's about my ex-wife's sister."

I heard my dad speak to my mom, "He's got a problem with his ex-wife's sister. I hope he didn't get her in trouble."

My mom, "Not Gary, not likely; ask him what it's for."

"What's it for?"

"Dad I know you're not going to believe this, but I'm in love with the older sister. I think she was the one I should have married all along..."

Dad interrupted me, "We knew that."

I started to say something smart like, 'why didn't you tell me', but I needed money so I said, "Dad I'm trying to win her over, but she'd dating this real rich guy. He's a doctor. He's been divorced once already. I just can't compete."

Dad said, "You think she's worth it?"

"Yeah dad I think so."

"You're sure?"

I heard my mom, "He needs money, what for?"

My dad told her, "He's trying get the older sister to marry him, but this rich guy's holding all the cards."

My mom said to my dad, "Oh he wants the good one now."

My dad said to my mom, "That's what he said."

My mom said, "Ask him how much he needs."

I heard my dad say to my mom, "You've got to be kidding. This is Gary; he won't ask for anything."

I said, "Dad I could use a little help; consider it a loan. I'll pay it back."

Dad said, "Loan my ass; is $10,000.00 enough?"

That was way more than I ever imagined. I told him, "Dad that's way too..."

Why does everybody think they can interrupt me? Dad said, "I'll wire you the money today. Let us know if you need more. When are you coming home?"

I felt like crying, but if I did anything like that over the phone he'd probably get mad and change his mind. I told him, "Classes end in May. I should be home shortly after that, and dad when I come home it'll be for good."

He answered, "Don't forget the girl."

"I'll try dad."

My dad hung up.

Not in my wildest imaginings had I thought they'd come up with that kind of money. I didn't know what to think. The next day I got a call from my older foster sister Allyson. I have two foster sisters, Allyson who's three years older than me and Miriam who's two years older.

Allyson, being the oldest had gotten out of the house as fast as she could. She found a good looking man who was starting his own carpentry business, married him, and started making babies. Her husband was a hard worker; he'd wanted me to come in with him, but I had my own dreams. 

Allyson got me on the phone, "Gary mom and dad said you needed help. How much do you need?"

I was stupefied. I replied, "I'm good, thanks though."

She told me, "If you need more money call me first. I'm going to tell Miriam and Clell. They'll probably want to help too."

Miriam was a florist down by Ocean City. Clell was my younger foster brother. I heard he'd had a bad break up, and was pretty low. He had two fishing/cruise boats; he sometimes took vacationers out in the summer to fish.

++++++++++

For a while it was kind of back and forth, nip and tuck. The doctor had the bread; all I had was my imagination. 

One Saturday he got Virna to accompany him to some political event outside Washington. I grabbed Tammy and Mrs. Milano. We whipped up a snack pack and drove down to Greenbrier State Park. Greenbrier has a nice lake; something like forty acres. Technically the park was still closed, but official opening was only two weeks away. The locals had been sneaking in since the end of February. I finagled a trip the same Saturday Virna was in D.C. with Dr. Zhivago. They got back around 6:00 p.m. Virna was flaunting some kind of bracelet on her left wrist. 

Tammy shot her down. She held up a string with a small, maybe five inch fish, "Look mom! I got a bluegill!

Maundy Thursday came around and the good doctor talked her into some kind of lecture on Tachycardia; one of the aspects of arrhythmia, something Virna should have been interested in but wasn't. I played hooky from class and Tammy, Mrs. Milano and I dyed Easter eggs; that got to Virna, since that was something she'd been looking forward to.

The doctor shied away Easter Sunday. I pulled an all day and all-nighter to be able to be on hand when Tammy awakened Easter morning. I was dead on my ass, but we went to mass and then to the afternoon church Easter egg hunt. Though the air was a little crisp it was still a beautiful sunny day. Virna and Tammy wore their matching suede coats. They were beautiful. That was probably the best day we'd had so far.




A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 04



What with the love checks I got to spend more time at Virna's, but Morgan the doctor was putting on the full court press. I could see Virna might be slipping away. I had to come up with something more. Honestly I was about out of ideas; he had all the money and all the charm.

One night while I was there Virna told me Morgan was coming; I remember it was a Friday in early April. They were going out to the local dinner theater. I wondered how he managed to get so much time away from his other responsibilities. 

There was another thing too. Virna wasn't exactly swamped with money, but every time I saw her she had something new on. And to be frankly objective I didn't like most of it. For one thing I didn't especially like the colors. Virna looked good in blue, especially dark blue, or in white, or dark red. Lately the stuff she was wearing was yellow looking. 

I liked her in good old fashioned cotton blouses and dresses. I remembered that light blue dress thingy she'd worn at her parent's party. It had been pretty nice. I particularly like it when she wore things that had angles; like a stiffly starched angular button up blouse, or sharply creased dark slacks. I liked her in suits where she wore a crisp white blouse, a good A-lined skirt, and a tailored jacket. 

Lately everything had this chiffon look; all see through and filmy and all cumbered up with lace and flouncy things. I thought the stuff made her look trashy; it was like someone was trying to show her off, like she was on display or for sale or something. 

I even asked her about her clothes. She said Morgan bought her some things. She said he liked her to look feminine. She told me she liked them too. Crap I wanted her to look like a woman, not some cheap whore, and I thought when did unmarried women accept clothes from men? Wasn't Virna supposed to be this good Catholic girl? I kept my mouth shut though.

So Morgan was on his way; I got a wild hair up my ass. Virna was sitting in the kitchen waiting. She was sitting there in this dress that looked more like a negligee than a real dress. Oh it was long enough if mid-thigh was OK, but the empire waist and flimsy looking lower half just wasn't Virna's style. I mean the dress she had on had that 'go ahead and reach up and grab my ass' look. I was on the floor with Tammy playing with Emily and Molly. I said, "Why don't you wear the suede tonight?"

She looked at me like I was a fool, "What and not wear my leather?"

"Yeah," I said, "see what Morgan says."

She got defensive, "He won't care."

"OK then; wear the suede and make me look like a fool."

A few minutes later Morgan was at the door. I went and answered it. He came in. He looked at me kind of funny, "You the babysitter tonight?"

I felt sarcastic. Virna had just come in from the kitchen. I answered, "Two dollars an hour."

Morgan reached around, pulled out his wallet, and handed me a twenty, "Here you go Glenn."

I took the twenty, "Thanks Buzz."

He smiled. Virna came in wearing the suede coat I'd bought her. Morgan looked at her, "Where's your good leather coat?"

She smiled, "I thought I'd wear this tonight."

He wasn't smiling, "I think you should wear the leather coat I got you."

Virna smiled, "No I think I'll wear this tonight."

Morgan got gruff, "I said put on the leather coat."

She was kind of taken aback; she tried to keep smiling but it was plastic now, "Morgan it's just a coat."

He was getting madder by the second, "Yes, so put on my leather coat."

I was surprised at how meekly Virna succumbed, "All right Morgan," she took off the suede and pulled the leather out of the closet. She glanced over at me and sort of feebly shrugged.

Morgan helped her pull it on. He put both his hands on her shoulders. It was like he was holding some prostitute, kind of groping and pawing all around her arms and all. I didn't like it. I didn't like the way he looked down the front of her dress. He said, "That's more like it. Now you're my girl."

She glanced at me again with this meek subservient look.

I had to say something, softly under my breath I mumbled, "Um-gowa."

Virna heard me; her shy meek look turned to a scowl.

Morgan looked over, "What was that?"

I replied, "I said thanks for the twenty."

He gave me this superior smile, "We'll probably be quite late."

I smirked at Virna, "What no curfew?"

She tossed her head back and the two of them left. I smiled as she closed the door, but I couldn't help thinking I'd lost that little exchange. Yeah, I was afraid I was on the losing end, but the night wasn't over. It turned out to be a night full of surprises.

I stayed and played with Tammy. At 9:00 I took her upstairs and read her a couple stories. She was kind of weepy. I asked her what was wrong. She told me she didn't want Mr. Morgan to be her daddy; she wanted me. I told her not to worry; her mom would do what she thought was right. I thought Tammy saw what was happening too; it looked like I was on the losing end.

I had to admit it; I'd missed some good chances. Shrove Tuesday had come and gone. I missed a good one there; most Protestant churches had what they called Pancake Tuesday. I never thought of it till it was passed. We did go to mass together on Ash Wednesday. We prayed, we got our ashes together, and I drove her home. When we got there Morgan was waiting. He took her right back out. But I did get Maundy Thursday and Easter; that had to mean something.

++++++++++

True to his word Morgan kept her out quite late. It was a Friday so she didn't have to work. I did have to go in that Saturday morning though so any chance of a post-date talk was pretty much out of the question. Stupid me; never underestimate a woman. 

They got to the front door after 1:00 a.m. I thought it was unusually late since they'd just gone to the local dinner theater. He made a big display of embracing and planting an especially deep kiss on her. His hands were all over her shoulders and her waist. He wrapped his hands around her neck; his thumbs were up on her cheeks. He slid his hands up and down her sides pulling the flimsy dress all up and down. I got a clear shot of her upper thigh all the way to her panties. I figured it was more for my benefit than hers; he was kind of showing me he'd staked his claim and I was shit out of luck. It hurt; I figured it was just about over.

After she said good bye I went to the closet and got my coat. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. I didn't want her to see me cry, "Guess I'll be going."

Virna asked me, "You got a minute?"

I put my coat down, "Sure."

I was and wasn't surprised when she took my hand and led me to the sofa. I figured this would be when I'd hear the old, 'I like you Gary but...' She still had this filmy chiffon dress on; it was hard not to notice how exposed she looked. I did a good job though. She sat down and then she pulled me down, "Morgan wanted to take me to a motel tonight."

I gulped; no bullet in the head yet, but I still had a feeling it was coming, I asked, "Did you go?"

She replied, "He wanted me to. I thought about it. He said he wanted to make love to me. He said he needed to have me. I told him I wasn't ready. He said he was."

"What happened then?"

"Oh we sat in his car and kissed. He felt me up outside my clothes. He reached down inside the top of the dress and squeezed my breasts, and he touched me down here," she indicated her womb, "he wanted me to pull the top of my dress down so he could see me better. He said he wanted to kiss my breasts."

"Did you?"

"I started to but changed my mind. Then he got mad. He said he'd been more than patient. He said he really cared for me. He said he wanted our relationship to go to the next level."

I was breathing really heavy. I got up, "I'll be right back," I went in her kitchen, got a paper bag and breathed into. It felt like I was being water boarded or something. I cringed; was this her final revenge?

She followed me, "What are you doing?"

I tried to smile, "I just had a hot flash."

She took my hand again and led me back in the living room. That dress kept swishing and swirling all around her thighs; it was hard to concentrate. We both sat back down. She asked me, "What do you think I should do?"

Her hair had been up in a bun; it was coming all undone; thick strands of the stuff were drooping down around her face and chest. I could smell her perfume. Her face had a glow, a low sheen on it. Her lips still had lip gloss and were slightly parted. Jesus I still needed the fucking bag. Why was she asking me this? Didn't she know anything? I sort of got it together, "Do you want a smooth answer or do you want to know what I think?"

She sighed; when she sighed her breasts heaved up and down, "I want to know what you think."

I gulped and took a deep breath, "I think the next time you see him you should give him his coat back. I think you should tell him you don't want to see him anymore."

She looked at me like I was kind of off my rocker, but in a kind of indiscernible quizzical, no I'd say amused too, "Why would I do that?"

My stomach felt queasy when I answered, "If you did that then you could spend all your free time with me." My hands were shaking.

She sat there and stared at me. Finally she said, "Gary would you take your shirt off?"

I was going to hyperventilate again, "My shirt, why?" 

"Just take it off."

I took off my long sleeved muscle shirt and the white Tee shirt that was underneath. My guess was that though Morgan was twice my size, he probably carried a lot of fat. I was glad I kept myself fit and trim, my hands kept shaking. I kept my eyes on what I was doing, but I still could see her décolletage and her very visible and very deep cleavage. My eyes were watering up.

Virna didn't say anything. She slowly took both her hands, her fingers actually, and started to trace them over my upper torso. She used her fingertips to trace around my neck and my clavicles. She was giving me chills. She touched my ears. She rubbed her palms all around my shoulders, and then down to my nipples. She was like smoothing her hands over me. She took the palms of her hands and rubbed them over my nipples; then she took her fingers and squeezed my nipples together. 

The whole time she did this she kept watching where her hands were going. She had this inquisitive look on her face, and she kept biting her tongue and licking her lips. I was falling apart.

I did recover some. I managed to wipe away a single tear with the back of my forearm, but I was a nervous wreck. I shivered. I wondered if she knew the affect she was having on me. I was afraid. Gee I might ejaculate in my pants or worse. Fuck! What could be worse?

I felt awful. I mean I was terrified, excited, and half-crazy with lust. She kept taking her fingers and going round and round my nipples. Then she started to slowly move down to my stomach and waist. I felt like making her stop, but I was afraid if I did it would mean the end of, well everything, but if I didn't it might be just as bad. 

Virna leaned forward and kissed each one of my nipples. That got a deep sigh out of me. Then she said some things I never dreamed I'd hear, "Gary you know I'm not a virgin. But what you don't know is this is the first time I've ever touched a man. I mean like this. When Tommy and I were together it was all in his car with clothes on. I never even saw his thing."

I was stumped, rather hoarsely I whispered, "No I didn't know."

She leaned into me and rested her head on my chest for a second she kissed my chest; then she leaned back and put her hands on my stomach. She sort of softly rubbed around my waist just above my pants belt. Christ she leaned down and kissed my navel. Was I ever glad I had an innie. 

"Gary."

"Yes Virna."

"I can trust you can't I?"

"Yeah sure, well that depends."

She looked suspicious, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well Virna, this, what you're doing right now is making me awfully nervous. I'm still a man you know."

She sort of half smiled-half-sulked, "That's a funny thing to say."

I was puzzled. I was having trouble breathing, "Why do you say that?"

She seemed to sigh. I thought she was ready to break into tears, "Gary if I ever asked Morgan to take his shirt off so I could touch his chest I'm sure he'd be all over me. I think most guys would, but you, you're different. I don't know. I don't think...I mean you're not gay, and I know you're no coward, but you're not like...I expected. I work in a tavern where men hit on me all the time. Most of the lines I hear are pretty stupid. Morgan he's got his own set of lines; they're a lot more sophisticated but they're still lines. You've never been like that; not with me anyway. It's like you're more man than most men I've met. It's hard to explain."

I wasn't sure if she wasn't throwing me a line right now so I kept my mouth shut. I know I was too tense to move.

Virna leaned her head back on the sofa; her left ear touched my arm. I felt her head press against my forearm, her hair was out of the braided bun she'd had it in and it was all over me. Her hair felt soft on my skin. Her face was close to mine; her breath smelled good. I didn't know what kind of perfume she was wearing but it had a real faint but terrific aroma. If I didn't know better...

She interrupted my fantasy, "Gary you are one in a million; a real anomaly. I've seen you out with Marty; before your break up I mean. You never tried to like show her off or put her on display. OK I admit you may have said some things about Morgan, I don't know maybe you didn't, maybe I just thought you did. But Morgan does put me on display."

I was feeling anxious and my Johnson was trying to tear through my jeans, but what Virna was saying was interesting. I tried to control myself. She must have noticed.

Maybe a little irritably Virna asked, "Are you listening to me?'

I nodded and replied, "Yes I am."

That seemed to assuage her, she went on, "When we were in New York when I was the only woman I overheard something. One of Morgan's doctor friends asked him if I was wearing his colors."

I knew what that meant but stayed quiet. I didn't need to...

"You know what that means don't you," Virna asked.

I nodded, "Yes I do."

"I'm not you know."

"Not what," I asked. I only asked to be smart.

She huffed, "I'm not wearing his or any man's colors!"

I replied, "I didn't think so. I just said that."

She grimaced, "Sometimes...," she sighed; she started to fidget. She slipped the fingers of her right hand under the waist of my pants. All of a sudden, just like that, she was fretfully undoing my belt buckle. Mother Teresa was undoing my pants. This was totally crazy!

She nervously whispered, "Stand up please and take your pants off."

I stood up, dropped my jeans, but left my boxers on, "You want me to take my underpants off too?"

She nodded her head yes.

I slipped my boxers to the floor. I had the biggest hard on I could ever remember having.

She got on her knees; she knelt there on the floor and looked at my engorged penis. She seemed curious, not even remotely excited, not sexually anyway. Not like me; I was near panic. 

She was really concentrating on my penis, looking at it like it was a specimen or something, she murmured, "I don't know why I'm doing this," she took her index finger and lightly touched me on the head of my penis. She looked up at me, "That's what Marty did at the Dungeon that night."

I was afraid to say or do anything. I was still having trouble breathing. I was terrified. I didn't want to spoil this moment, I whispered, "I remember."

She kept staring at my penis, "That stripper shot his sperm all in her face."

My heart was racing; my adrenal glands were in overdrive. I answered, "Yeah, I remember," man my voice was so low I could barely hear myself.

She said again, "Gary I don't know why I'm doing this. I don't know why I'm doing this with you. Gary I'm going to kiss your thing. When I kiss it do you think you'll shoot all over me?"

Honestly I felt like hollering or yelling something, anything. I was almost gasping for breath. This made no sense, but it was like I was just so close to being with this woman, and yet I felt like I was getting farther and farther away. My voice kind of quavered, but I answered her, it came out sounding like a childish squeak, "I don't know. I might...lose control. I don't think I want to. I wouldn't want to mess up your pretty face." Didn't she know what she was doing to me?

She reached out and took my penis in her left hand; looking up at me she said, "I've never done anything like this before." She held my penis in her hand for several seconds; I guessed she was working up the courage. I wanted her to keep going, but I wanted her to stop too. I felt my Johnson throbbing in her hand.

She looked up at me again, "I'm only doing this with you because I think I can trust you," she looked at my penis again, then back at me, "I can...I can trust you. You wouldn't tell anybody. You wouldn't tell my mom."

I think I was more anxious than she was. What if she did this, and then let it become something that came between us? I took my hands; I guess I kind of timorously cupped her cheeks in my palms. I pulled her face up so she had to look at me; her innocent guileless gaze gave me confidence. "Virna," I said, "this thing you're about to do I'm afraid it could become something that might end up pushing you away from me. If you think it might change your feelings about me, I'd rather you didn't do it."

She shook my hands away, "No I've got to do this."

For a second I got angry. If this went on another second I was going to ejaculate. I asked her, "Are you doing this because you might do it again later with the doctor, or are you doing it because it's me?"

She looked bewildered, "I don't know Gary. I think...no, I know I can do this with you."

"Look," I said, "I don't want this to come between us later that's all. Tell me, say to me it won't." I was desperate, despairing of my future.

Virna just shook her head; had she shaken my comment and my concerns away? I didn't know if that meant it wouldn't hurt any relationship I hoped someday we might have or it wouldn't hurt because no relationship would ever happen. In spite of my very obvious excitement I felt numb. 

In that split second I wondered what it felt like to be at the edge of death; the very second before this life ended. Was there dread, a sense of adventure, feelings of foreboding? That's where I felt I was. I wished she wouldn't do it. I wished she'd change her mind and back away, but she didn't. 

She leaned forward. I felt her warm lips as they touched the head of my organ. She pressed her tongue against its very tip and licked upward; the gentle roughness of her tongue's surface across the bottom of my head was unfamiliar but unbelievably exhilarating. The warmth of her lips, her tongue, her mouth on my body, my penis, was too much for me. I was no good. 

I shot! I ejaculated all over the place! There was easily a month's supply reservoired inside me; it went all in her face, in her hair, on the top of her dress. I was humiliated. I knew she was going to hate me for what I did.

Virna jerked back and away and grimaced, but she didn't get up, "Ooh, shaking her head she said, "that smells and it's sticky."

I knelt down in front of her. I grabbed my white Tee shirt and started to nervously wipe her face and hair, "I'm sorry Virna. It just happened. I didn't mean to do it. Please don't be angry." I was breaking into a cold sweat. My body was releasing all this spent adrenaline, if something didn't happen soon I knew I'd break down and start blubbering. I fought for control. I began some controlled breathing exercises. 





A Tale of Two Sisters Ch. 04



She took a doily off of one of the arms of her sofa and used it to continue her wiping. 

Her use of the doily both pleased and hurt me. The doily was, to me anyway so Italian, so like Virna, so discreetly a woman's thing, but I believed something that could never impugn the masculinity of any man in her life. I could see and be comfortable with doilies on all the furniture in my imaginary house. Yet it seemed hurtful; I felt like my semen had soiled that image. I was unworthy.

When we were nearly finished she got up. She looked and acted nervous, like she wasn't very sure about what she wanted to do, "I'm going upstairs a minute. Will you stay till I get back?"

I answered, "I'll stay. Do you want me to put my clothes back on?"

She looked at me and my body thoughtfully. I tucked in my abs; by the look on her face I knew she liked what she saw. I could tell she was as uncertain as I was; it was reassuring. She murmured more to herself than to me, "No stay undressed. Go in the kitchen and clean off though." 

I did as I was told. I went back to her kitchen and used some damp paper towels to clean off. I hurried back in the living room sat down and waited. Virna came back down a couple minutes later. Her hair was down; it was long, black, shimmery, it coiled and curled around her shoulders and down her back. She was wearing a white camisole with matching panties. She was pretty. Fuck that; she was adorable! I'd never seen her like this before. She looked like a Madonna. Men went to war over women like this. She looked scared too. 

She sat down beside me, "Do you know what this is?" She touched her nightie. She used her fingertips and daintily lifted the hem of the nightie out and let it drop.

Stumped; I was stumped by that one, I stammered out, "N...N...No, I guess it's one of your nightgowns."

"It's the outfit I bought for Tommy right after I told him I was pregnant. I thought I'd wear it for him on our wedding night."

God she looked so beautiful, so unsullied, so pure and innocent. Innocent! God damn right! She was innocent, perfection! I reached across, took her hands, and pulled her to me. I mean it wasn't sexual; well it was maybe a little, but not really, more worshipful than anything. I pressed her to my chest. I kissed the top of her head. I put her face between my two hands and kissed her eyes, her cheeks, and then her lips. 

My heart went onto overdrive. I was Jimmy Stewart. She was Donna Reed. We were in that old movie 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Hell not so long ago I'd been day dreaming about that Shenandoah song and the moon and all that. That old song 'Buffalo Gal' started swirling around in my head. I even felt a little dizzy.

She tried to push me away, "Gary no."

I didn't let go, "No Virna it's not that kind of hug. I just want to hold you."

She relaxed in my arms, "Gary would you have said the things Morgan said?"

I kept holding her. I kissed her head again, "No,"

She sort of murmured no it sounded more like a purr, "What would you have said?'

I answered the best I could, "I think I would have said that I love you, that I want to make you happy, that I want to care for you and protect you. I want to help you raise Tammy, be beside you when she goes to her first prom, when she graduates, and that I want to be with you forever and just well say that I love you."

She continued to rest her head on my chest. Her whole body had gone all soft. I felt soft too; well, everywhere but one place. She took her right hand and started to touch my abdomen. Her fingertips drifted down to my lower abdomen just above my penis; they lingered there moving only so slightly. 

She touched the tip of my penis again; then she abruptly leaned back, "Gary I want you to go home now."

Jesus I was ready to ejaculate again! I had to ask. I hated to do it. I hated to press, "Why? Why do I have to leave? Before I go can you tell me something? I mean something about us? I mean is there an us?"

She looked so sad, confused, but I thought hopeful too, "Gary I don't know. I'm so confused. There's so much..."

I had to say something more, I was grasping at straws, "I know there's a lot there; my divorce, your concern for your sister, public opinion, and Morgan's a rich man. I understand and I'll wait, but Virna remember this; I'd never let you down. I'd be a good father for Tammy. About Marty; remember she broke faith with me. I know what that feels like; I could never do that to anyone, certainly never to you. Virna I'm Gary, not Tommy. I would never run out. And I'm not Morgan. I would never try to own you or boss you around," she sort of flinched, maybe tensed at the last remark. I'd hit that one right on the money, but it didn't work like I might have hoped.

She leaned back, "You better go home now Gary," she got up, she didn't look back; she went straight toward the stairs.

I was scared. I was afraid to leave. I felt like if I left I'd never be back. I reached out, I grabbed her arm, and I pulled her back. I could tell she didn't like it, but I had to say one more thing, "Virna you're beautiful. Your white camisole...you're angelic. I think it would be a wonderful thing to wear on your wedding night."

She looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes, her mouth, her face were so full of emotion, they were filled with unspent tears and unmentioned words.

I gulped and added, "On that night...I mean the night you wear it...I'd like to be the one there beside you."

She took a step toward the stairs, then another, she made several desultory moves up the stairs, she turned around, "Gary?"

I realized what I'd just said, and for a split second it scared me, but...

She just stood there about three steps up the stairs. 

I stood motionless about four feet from the bottom step, I told her, "I know what I just said. I mean it. I'm not taking it back." 

God I thought, 'was this the venomous bitch who'd been making me miserable for so long?' She looked so vulnerable, so beautiful; the white camisole and panties made her look virginal, clean, pure. 

I watched her as she self-consciously took her hands and smoothed her outfit. She looked at her chest and placed her hands on her breasts. She looked up at me and put her fingers to her lips like she was trying to hide what she wanted to say. At last she said, "You better go home now," then she turned and I'd have to say fled up the stairs. 

I got dressed, slipped on my coat and went home.

++++++++++

I was exhausted all the next day. I don't think it was just lack of sleep; it was nervous tension. Somehow I felt like whatever could happen with Virna wasn't going to happen; it was just that sense of impending doom. I checked in the nurse's station as usual and found I had left my cell phone on. Some nurses, and all the doctors didn't care, but as a rule I left mine off. Who knew, the electronic equipment, a call or text at an inconvenient time, I just wasn't into it. In fact I wasn't into anything all day.

I checked my cell anyway. Mrs. Milano had left a message; she wanted to talk to me. I was working extra hours, but I guessed I could stop by her house around 8:00. 

++++++++++

I left work at 8:00 sharp and was at the Milano's front door by 8:30. I rang the bell, Mrs. Milano was right there, "Come in Gary. Let's talk." I saw Marty was there too. We all went back to their kitchen.

I loved their house. I loved the smells, the furniture; I loved the way she kept it. I loved the whole thing. We went in and sat down.

"Gary," Mrs. Milano started, "What did you say to my daughter last night?"

I looked at Marty then Mrs. Milano, "You mean Virna."

"Gary she called me late last night. She was crying. I couldn't get her to stop. She wouldn't tell me anything except that you and she had a long talk. So what happened?"

Marty started to get up. I said, "No sit down Marty. You need to be here."

Mrs. Milano looked at Marty but didn't say anything. She looked at me and sat there...waiting.

"Virna went out with her doctor friend again. After he dropped her off we talked. She said he talked a lot about their relationship, and what he wanted to do. When she asked me what I would have said I told her."

"What did he say? What did you say?"

I was careful, "He said he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. He wanted to have sex with her. He said he cared about her."

"What about you? What did you say?"

"I said I that I loved her. I said if it were me I'd do whatever I could to make her happy. I told her I'd never run out on her like that Tommy did," I glanced at Marty, "I told her I'd never cheat on her. I said I'd try to be a good father for Tammy...and I told her she should dump the doctor."

Mrs. Milano seemed impatient, "No, no skip all that. Do you remember; what the last thing was you said to her?"

I grew concerned. I'd promised not to tell anybody anything, especially her mother, about her confused behavior. I said, "Well...she mentioned this white camisole, a camisole she said she'd bought for her wedding night and that she'd hoped to share with that guy Tommy..."

Mrs. Milano didn't give away the farm. She lifted her hand and looked at her fingernails, and then at me, "I think you better go see her again."

I got stupid, "It's Saturday night; won't she be out with the doctor?"

Marty looked miffed. So far she hadn't said anything; she did then, "Gary that's stupid. It's 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. Mom and I are here with you. Now how could she be out with the doctor and all of us be here?"

She was right, "Marty you know how I feel about..."

She interrupted me, "I know how you feel; I know how you feel about me, about my family, about Virna. Gary I love you. I love Virna too. Make me happy. Go see her. Go see her now, tonight."

I got up and kissed my ex-wife, "I love you Marty. I really do, but like you say, I've got to go."

Marty and her mom walked me to the door. As I stepped out Mrs. Milano said, "Be gentle son."

++++++++++

This was it. I ran to my car, got in started it up and was on my way. It took me just under thirty minutes to get to Virna's. I saw the lights were still on. I found a space to park, jumped out, and ran up the steps to her front door. I knocked. She opened the door.

I gasped. She was wearing that white camisole again. Damn it; she knew I was coming! She stepped back to let me in. I walked in. She fell into my arms. My coat hit the floor. Our arms entwined. Her hands, her soft delicate hands were around my neck, her hair, all undone, was hanging halfway down the back of her thighs. Her golden eyes glistened with adoration. We kissed.

I couldn't say exactly how long we stood there in the front of her living room. I couldn't say how long that kiss lasted, but her lips were soft, her breasts pressed against my chest and they were warm and firm. Her whole body felt hot and dry, I'd say feverish.

At last when we separated she let her head lean down slightly until it rested on my chest, she placed her hands sweetly on my shoulders and with her soft beautiful upturned eyes she whispered, "The answer's yes."

I reached around, I picked her up and carried her to the sofa, we kissed again; then she gently pushed me away, "Gary before this goes any further I have some things I need to say."

I sat back slightly. I let my left arm casually hang on the back of the sofa. I wanted to wrap it around her shoulders, but thought better of it. I didn't want to act over-possessive. I did place my right hand lightly on her left thigh, she felt downright hot to the touch. I could smell her woman's aroma. Her supple breasts curled upward almost like they were reaching for me. Her furry Mons peeked out at me through her translucent panties. I didn't say anything, I just waited.

"Gary I'm sorry..."

I guess I flinched; afraid maybe about where that 'sorry' might lead.

She looked at me and touched my mouth with her fingers, "No not about the 'yes', but about other things. I guess first I'm sorry for being such a bitch with you. You're a good man; you've been good to Marty. You've been careful of my parent's pride. You've shown almost God-like forbearance toward me, and you're the darling of my little girl's heart. I'm sorry about another thing. I've been confused I guess." 

She leaned forward and kissed me, "the doctor...well he was a mistake, but he was a mistake that I sort of planned," she kissed me again, "I never took him as seriously you might have thought. I mean I guess I acted serious, but from the start, from the day at my parent's party I knew you and Marty were on the way out. I had called the doctor and invited him to come that day. He jumped at the chance. He's really something Morgan is. He'd been hitting on me long before you ever showed up."

"Jesus,' I thought, 'was I that stupid? No, she was...'

"Gary you're not listening."

"Yes I am. You used Morgan to make me jealous."

"Sort of I guess," she evinced just a hint of a smile and murmured, "It worked didn't it."

'Damn,' I thought, 'I am a fool,' I got a little mad, "Yes I guess it did."

She put her right hand on my cheek, "I wasn't sure. I mean there was Marty. I love her. She was torn up about you, but I love you too. I've felt something for you I guess since that night at the Dungeon, but Marty blindsided me." 

Virna leaned her head on my chest, "I knew Allen had always had more than just a passing interest in her. I guess you might say I encouraged what happened. I mean I encouraged Allen, a little anyway," she peered up at me with her big golden eyes, she blinked at me. God her lashes were so long.

I was shocked, I was torn by the warmth of her presence and the anger I felt at being so easily misled; was I that much of a stupid asshole? I said, "You mean you engineered Marty's affair with..."

Damn I got interrupted again. She said, "That was easy. Like I said Allen liked Marty before you came, and I didn't feel guilty at all about Yvonne because Travis isn't even Allen's anyway."

"What," I said, "You mean Yvonne used her pregnancy to get Allen."

She kissed my chin, "That was Yvonne's doing. Before she married Allen Yvonne was I suppose you'd say a busy girl," she leaned back some and smiled reassuringly, "she's been good ever since," she pressed herself back into my chest; she traced her index finger over my chin.

"So," I said, "you manipulated the whole thing."

She smiled faintly; she looked so innocent, so free of guile, "Not exactly, but I guess I did in a way," she sat up; she took her right hand and stroked my face, "Gary you were supposed to be mine. I..."

"What the f..."

Again I got interrupted, she whispered, she sort of bounced up and down, her breasts with their dark aureole and extruding nipples joined in with a soft easy rhythm, "It's all right. I've confessed to almost everybody. I told Marty, I even told my mom. I haven't told Dominick yet. We can never tell my..."

"You tricked me! You've been scheming and..."

She climbed on my lap; her legs straddled mine. My dick was hard as a rock. Her thighs pressed in on my legs forcing my Johnson up against her Mons. She put her hands on my face, she kissed me, "Gary...think of Tammy, think of us, think of our children..."

"And Morgan," I said, "what about..."

"Shush" she whispered as she wiped her hands around my face.

God damn it. She did it that time! She shushed me!

She kissed me on my lips again and again; then she very quietly went on, "I called him this morning. He told me he figured something a while ago. He just wants his coat back. Gary he's being a gentleman about the whole thing."

"Let me get this straight. You plotted and schemed this thing out the whole time. You..."

The pressure of her hard Mound of Venus on my manhood was driving me crazy, "Gary you've loved me all along anyway. Marty was a mistake. She tricked you. I just tricked her back. So now you're mine. You're not mad at me are you?"

"You, what do you mean? How...Of course I'm mad!"

She jumped up, "Wait here! I'll be just one second," she ran back to her kitchen. 

I watched that fabulous ass as she disappeared into the kitchen. I sat there like the true asshole I was. Elvis Presley had a song about this, 'Hard Headed Woman.' How did that go, "Hard headed woman, soft hearted man; that's the way it's been ever since the world began..." Damn, was I that stupid?

Virna was back. She jumped back in my lap; her thighs were in full squeeze mode again. How was I supposed to fight all this? She had something in her hand. She held it up; it was a fucking apple! "Here," was all she said.

I took the apple. I looked at her, "So..."

"Gary it is what it is; you're supposed to be mine."

"You tricked..." She put her fingers to my mouth. I thought again! Will I ever get a word in?

Virna swept me away with another one of her adorable smiles. Her eyes were big and bright. I forgot how long her eyelashes were. That nose...that nose needed to be kissed. What great cheekbones! Her hair was spilling down around her ears, her tiny ears. Her breasts were pushing through the thin fabric of her camisole. I could barely breathe. Was I confused? I couldn't think. All this time...

She softly said, "I thought a June wedding. The malls are open tomorrow. You and I and Tammy can go pick out our rings. Don't worry I talked to Miriam. She told me about the money you're dad sent you..."

She talked to Miriam? Who else was in on this? I interrupted her, "Is there anything you haven't already figured out?"

She made a little noise, it sounded like a giggle, she kissed me, "Don't worry your dad knows. I haven't decided where we'll live yet. I like Western Maryland, but I know how you feel about the Eastern Shore. I thought maybe a small farm, ten or fifteen acres. Daddy, that's your daddy, he's already...well he said we'll like it. You could get a job in Salisbury. And me..."

I got her that time, "Yeah what about you?"

"Me Gary; why Gary I'll be making our babies..." She cuddled up under my chin on that one. I was buried in thick black hair. I had to blow it out of my face.

I couldn't let it go by. I grabbed her, pulled her close and started to kiss her. 

She pushed me back and held up her left hand and pointed to her ring finger, "Oh no Mr.; not till I see some gold on this finger."

I whispered, "Not even?"

She reached down and ever so lightly touched my Johnson. I think it's size scared her. She pulled her hand away and said, "Remember I'm a good girl, a Catholic girl, but maybe once in a while you'll get a little treat just to remind you what you've got to look forward to."

She sat there on my lap waiting for me to say something. And me; now that I had a chance to talk without being interrupted I couldn't think of a single thing to say. All I could think of was that dumb fucking song. I started singing real low, "Buffalo girl won't you come out tonight, come out to..."

Virna crushed me in her arms, "Gary Matthews I'm going to love you till the day I die." She leaned up and kissed me again, and she didn't even call me stupid. Damn, we'd been on the same page the whole time; who'd a thunk it?

++++++++++

And that was that! Virna was right all along. She might not have said it later, but she knew. I was stupid, a stupid asshole. First her sister and then she had played me like a fine violin. But I knew something too. Yeah I might be stupid, and I might be an asshole, but I loved Virna and she loved me. Both of us knew what betrayal felt like, and both of us knew we were staring at the real thing. Together somehow we'd won; yeah, we'd run the deck.

The end.

Here it is the epilogue:

We did get married. I figured anybody that had worked as hard as Virna did to get what she wanted deserved it; it was pretty flattering really. The wedding was huge; as big as my first one with Marty. Marty was Virna's maid of honor. Clell agreed to come up for what he called 'the second show.'