Bless This Broken Road

"Can we talk?" she said softly.

I stood there silently staring her. It was obvious she was uncomfortable She was beautiful but I wasn't sure this was a conversation I wanted to have since I was still trying to put our last meeting behind me.

"Please?" she said peering into my soul with those deep green eyes.

"Alright," I said sighing.

She flashed me her smile and it brought a smile of my own to my face. She led me outside to the back patio and we found a couple chairs to sit in. I guess the patio light was out because it was dark out there. The only the light was coming from inside the house so where we were sitting was draped in shadows. Sitting in the dark helped hide her distracting looks and I relaxed.

She was quiet for a moment before she spoke.

"I'm not a slut," she said her voice wavering. I could tell she was trying not to cry.

"Listen," I said hoping to end the conversation before it really got started. "There were a lot of things said—"

"No!" she said loudly, "I mean yes there were a lot of things said but no, I'm really not a slut like you think. What happened that night wasn't a normal for me. I saw Bobby with that redhead earlier and got a little wild trying to show everyone, including myself, that I was over him."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I didn't know you still had a thing for him. I'd like to say I wouldn't have taken you home with me if I'd known, but I can't honestly say that. It's not often I have a beautiful girl throwing herself at me."

I could hear her snort, and then softly laugh.

"Well like I said I normally don't get so wasted and I sure don't act like that. I haven't been that stupid since I was a first semester freshman. And as for being hung up on my ex, not likely, it was more a pride thing. He showed up in my home trying to rub our break-up in my face. I acted more out of anger than hurt."

We sat quietly for a few minutes before I heard her softly giggle.

"So... you think I've got a sweet ass?" she teased.

"Britney, you know you do. You're not stupid. You know damn well how you look and what that does to most guys."

"Yeah, some guys are easy," I could hear her smile. "Right now I'm only interested in how I affect one guy though."

I paused, wondering if she was toying with me. Then I wondered if I really cared or not.

"And who is this guy and does he want to be your next victim?"

I heard her get up and she stepped into the light. She looked incredible. I was sure there were prettier and hotter looking girls on campus but at the time I couldn't think of one.

"Well," she said smiling. "As far as being a victim, that's totally up to him. However, I hope he'll look at it as a reward for taking care of me when I was vulnerable. Or he could view it as me trying to give him the most sincere apology I can for how I reacted the morning after."

"I... umm Britney..."

"Brad, its Brit. And I would like you to take me back to your apartment where I can thank you properly."

Even in the poor lighting I think she could see my less than enthusiastic response.

"Wow," she said softly. "Rejected."

"I'm sorry Brit," I said gently then chuckled. "Although I doubt that's happened to you often, but then again hopefully you don't go calling many guys rapists."

She grimaced. "No," she said softly. "That was the first and only time."

"So you see," I calmly explained, "I'm more than a little wary about what will happen if I take you to my apartment again. Is this some kinda revenge or setup? Hopefully you see my concern. Hot drunk girl comes on to me then calls me a rapist, then offers herself to me a second time? Sounds like a porn fantasy, doesn't it?"

I watched her smile spread across her face.

"Well," she said grinning, "some fantasies can come true. Let's see if we can make this one a reality."

She took me by the hand and led me back into the house. After looking around she dragged me in the direction of her best friend Anna and some guy standing beside her.

"Anna! Tim!" Brit shouted before we got close.

Anna's smile disappeared as soon as she saw me. I thought I saw her mouth the words 'oh shit.' I was sure when we walked up to them.

"Oh shit," Anna said staring at Brit. "You're really going to do it, aren't you?"

Brit grinned and nodded.

"Well, I will if he accepts my offer."

"Yeah right," Anna smirked, "like any guy with a pulse would turn that down!"

Anna's boyfriend looked at all three of us confused. Anna looked at him and smiled.

"This is Brad," she explained.

Tim must have known the story and recognized my name because he nodded and went back to drinking his beer.

"And Brit," Anna continued, "is going to take him home and give him an 'I'm sorry I was such a bitch' fuck!"

Tim choked on his beer as both girls laughed. Anna turned her attention back to me and studied me.

"You having doubts this is on the level?" she asked already knowing the answer.

I nodded.

"Hell I would too, but I can tell you it is. Brit's talked about this a lot since that morning. We both felt like shit for the way we treated you ..." Anna paused and smirked again. "But don't you go fantasizing about a threesome! I'm not that sorry and these tits are reserved for my boyfriend here."

"So those are mine?" Tim said grinning.

Brit and Anna laughed.

"They should be," Anna chuckled, "You play with them even more than I do!"

Tim's face turned beet red and I found myself laughing with the girls. Then Tim's face began to morph into a huge toothy grin.

"So does that mean I get to fantasize about a threesome if Brad can't?"

This time both Tim and I laughed as the two girls were momentarily stunned.

"Only in your dreams," Anna scolded as she slapped him on the arm.

I guess that was Brit's cue for us to leave. We said our goodbyes and headed for the door. Just as we were leaving Brit turned and yelled back at Anna.

"Don't wait up, Mom!"

I froze like I'd been hit by lightning and Brit tripped over me. She stared up at me with a deep concern.

"That's the same thing you said that night," I explained through gritted teeth.

I saw her concern turn briefly to fear and then she got a determined look on her face. "Come on," she said calmly. "We've got some bad memories we need to erase and I know just the memories I want to replace them with!"

In all honesty she did just that. When we got to my apartment she broke any tension by teasingly asking if it was a new couch. It was. She then led me into my bedroom and began undressing me. Within a couple minutes she had me flat on my back and had impaled herself on me. Whatever alcohol distorted memories I had of her that first night were nothing compared to the stone sober vision I now had as she ground and rode on top me, driving us both to a quick explosive orgasm. Her body was as tight and soft as I'd remembered and her passion was overwhelming.

She took me four times before the sun came up the next morning. The first two times were pure animal lust but the last two were something more. She still couldn't give a blow job worth a shit. But her ass and body, the exquisite taste and heat of her kisses, the way she rolled her hips as she ground herself into me and the mewing sounds she made as she orgasmed; those were things quickly burned into my memory.

Brit told me later that the first time was because she really was sorry, the second time because she wanted me so damn bad and the third and fourth time ... because she was falling in love with me and never wanted to leave.

After that night, I didn't want her to leave either.

****

"You were thinking of her again, weren't you," Jordan's soft, Southern voice asked bringing me back to the present.

She'd rolled over and we were now face-to-face. I stared into her mesmerizing hazel eyes that were full of concern.

"Huh?"

"You were thinking of her again."

"Kind of," I replied quietly. "More like I was thinking of my own broken road and that always involves Britney."

I smiled, leaned over and kissed her gently. Softly I began singing again.

"Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms."

She smiled, rolled back over then snuggled deep into me. I felt her tight little butt press hard into my groin. My response was both immediate and extremely noticeable.

"Sweetheart," I whispered in her ear, "you do that and we'll have a little repeat of last night."

"Promise?" she giggled and wiggled her butt even more.

"Oh yeah," I groaned.

"Hmm, well tell you what, you hold me for a little while then I'll make sure you can't get out of bed until noon."

I laughed. I knew there was no way we'd be able to stay in bed until noon but the thought of her trying to make it happen sure was interesting.

"Deal," I said kissing the back of her neck.

****

Brit and I had a rollercoaster romance. We were both overly passionate and that led to some mind blowing sex and many days right out of a fairytale storybook. That same passion made for some monumental fights as well. The good times were great, but those few bad times were painful.

Brit was still a party girl and her girl's night out with Anna was a constant source of arguments. However the makeup sex was incredible and as far as I knew she never cheated on me. We both thought we were in love so twenty months after we'd met, we were both saying 'I do' while standing in front of a church full of friends and family. Well they were mainly her family since only my aunt and uncle showed up at the wedding. I was kind of surprised they came. I'm ashamed to admit it but my wedding was only the second time I'd seen them since I'd left for college.

Our marriage started off great. Brit graduated and got a job locally while I finished up my last year and got my degree. Anna and Tim ended up getting married and moved to Dallas. I graduated a year later and got a job with the same company as Tim. Within a month, Brit had a job in Dallas and we'd moved into a home just four houses down from Anna and Tim.

I found out later, this had all been planned years earlier by Brit and Anna. Anna had persuaded Tim to recommend me to his company so we could move closer to them. I wasn't too upset since I'd gotten a great job right out of college and Tim and I became best friends.

Over the next couple years we settled into a twenty-something, yuppie, married lifestyle. Life was busy but good. Our marriage was going great, and the sex was off the Richter scale. Brit and Anna had toned down their party girl tendencies and they only did a girl's night out once a month.

Tim and Anna did have a party at their house once a month. There were eight couples that made up the core of our group of friends. Two were wives Brit and Anna went to college with. They lived only a couple miles away, so once a month it was like a mini- college reunion. The other four couples were from the housing edition. The husbands all got along well although we weren't all close. It was the women who formed some kind of a sisterhood.

Things flowed smoothly and soon I was looking forward to the next phase of our lives. I wanted to start a family, but I knew Brit didn't want to even consider being a mother until we reached our thirties. It was something we'd discussed and agreed to before the wedding. Still I went ahead approached her about starting our family earlier than we'd planned. Her response was less than enthusiastic. I was disappointed but not surprised.

Brit enjoyed her job and I loved mine. Both Tim and I were construction engineers; he worked mainly on new, commercial developments while I found my niche in restoration jobs. Work was good even though it involved many Saturdays and a few overnight trips.

Things began to change a couple of years after we moved to Dallas. There was always an additional couple or a stray single that showed up at our monthly parties. They were usually relatives or guests of someone within the group. They typically came a few times then wandered off, so I wasn't overly concerned when a good-looking guy a few years older than us showed up one month.

His name was Derek Prendergast and I found out later he was some kind of a heartthrob back in college. Brit, Anna and their two college friends all had a crush on him back in school. Each one had dated him for a short time. It was quickly evident he'd been a pussy hound back then. Evidently things hadn't changed much. He was a year out of law school and had been transferred to Dallas by his daddy's law firm down in Houston.

He was married but unfortunately his wife had stayed in Houston. Good for her, I guess, but bad for any husband who had a wife that caught his eye.

I instantly disliked him, so did Tim. However, we were quickly outvoted by the sisterhood, so Derek became a mainstay at our parties. A few months later Fate intervened again. I started working on a long term project that made it impossible for me to attend our monthly parties.

I had my concerns about Brit attending those parties without me and shared them with her. It wasn't that I didn't trust her but more than I didn't trust him. What resulted were some of the worst fights we'd ever had. Anna and Tim ended up talking to me and reassured me they'd keep a close eye on things. Reluctantly, I conceded.

It only took a few months before I noticed things weren't right. It didn't take a psychic to figure Derek was at the center of it. Brit had sung Derek's praises non-stop for the first two months and then... nothing.

One day I overheard Brit talking on her cell to Anna. Her words set off alarms. When she told Anna, "Don't wait up, Mom," my stomach turned. Over the next couple months I was suspicious. I watched her and even checked up on her several times but found nothing.

I confided in Tim about my suspicions. He and Anna again met with me trying to alleviate my concerns. Tim said he'd never seen anything inappropriate and Anna assured me there wasn't anything going on. It wasn't until I showed up at the next monthly party unannounced that I found out the truth.

It was late summer so when I got to Tim and Anna's house I knew most everyone would be in the backyard lounging around the pool or grill. I wanted to make a surprise appearance so I came in through the front door. Brit's two college mates were sitting in the living room visiting and laughing. When I came in, their laughter abruptly stopped. I watched their eyes dart towards the stairs as the color drained from their faces.

If I hadn't suspected something was wrong before, my spider sense now was just screaming things weren't right. One woman tried to distract me as the other stood up.

"Don't," I growled and she quickly sat back down. I started walking towards the stairs and then I heard one of them speak.

"Please Brad," she said quietly, her voice shaking. "Please don't go up there."

I paused and stared at the two women. It dawned on me that not only did they know what was happening upstairs, they were apparently okay with it. Score one for the sisterhood! I knew Anna and Ashley were the de facto leaders of the group, but I had no idea some of the wives would follow them like lemmings.

I shook my head in disgust and headed up the stairs. I knew where I thought they'd be. There were three upstairs bedrooms. One had been converted into an office and the other into a home gym. That left the guest bedroom as the logical choice.

I was both right and wrong. I was right they were in that room, but I was wrong if I thought I was prepared to see them together. When I opened the door, the asshole was just pulling up his pants while my wife lay there, sprawled out naked on the bed. She was still basking in her post-coital bliss.

"Oh shit," Brit said seeing me first. "Brad!"

"Hi honey," I spat. "Surprise!"

Derek looked at me first with shock and then smirked. Well ... he did until he got a good look at my face. Then he took a couple steps back.

I'm six foot and weigh in at about 190 pounds. Not all that impressive but there wasn't lot of fat so it wasn't too bad either. This Don Juan wannabe was a couple inches taller and a good twenty pounds heavier but it was evident it was all show with little to back it up.

"Listen dude..." he started before Brit cut him off.

"Derek please, let me talk to him."

"Not a whole lot to say is there Brit? Not when I find my slut of a wife fucking this piss ant."

"Derek, would you leave us alone for a few minutes so we can talk?" she said ignoring my comment.

Derek grabbed the rest of his clothes and left.

"Brad—" she said standing up.

"You might want to get a towel or a cork," I growled glancing down at the moisture dripping down her leg, "depending on what your intentions are."

She looked down and quickly grabbed a towel. Looking back up she at least had the decency to appear embarrassed. "Brad, I'm sorry," she said softly. "You weren't supposed to find out this way."

"Find out what?" I yelled. "That my wife's a cheating whore?"

"No," she stated coldly. "That I love Derek and want a divorce."

The next several minutes weren't as much a discussion as a shouting match. In the end, I learned their affair had been going on for several months. They'd been discrete except for these monthly parties. Apparently our circle of friends had fully accepted them as a couple now. It was also evident the sisterhood had pressured some of the husbands into silence.

Brit said she had always had a thing for Derek and now he was in a position to divorce his wife and they would be together. She continued to destroy my world by telling me she still loved me but Derek was her one true love.

When I asked what the hell she was talking about. She told me she and Derek had fallen in love her freshman year in college but his family had pressured him into law school and into a political marriage. It had been common knowledge between her and her college friends.

I was stunned.

I'd been aware they had gone out a few times but I never knew there had been anything serious between them. The ramifications of what my soon to be ex-wife was saying began eating away at me.

If what she said was true, then Anna and Tim would've been aware of what was happening. Not only that, they would have had to allow it to happen, possibly even encouraged it, all while lying to my face. That would have been true for the sisterhood as well. Those who were supposedly my friends had betrayed me. The pain was almost as bad as the one I felt being betrayed by the woman I'd loved.

What I was feeling at the time I really couldn't say. Mercifully I was in shock so I was numb.

I went downstairs and was met by Anna and Tim and the crowd of strangers who once claimed to be my friends. I saw the emotions on their faces, the embarrassment, the shame, the sorrow but the pity was the worse was by far. I felt a cold rage beginning to build as Anna and Tim approached me.

"Brad," Anna said with tears in her eyes, "she's my best friend and she loves him. What could I do?"

"Well mom ... fuck off, you lying bitch! If this is how you treat someone you call a friend, I'd hate to see how you'd treat someone you disliked."

I glared at my ex-best friend.

"You stay the hell away from me from now on or I swear to God I'll cripple you," I seethed. "And you better sure as hell keep away from me at work or I'll make sure we both get fired. Understand me, you back-stabbing piece of shit?"

Tim looked at me with an intense pain etched into his face. His eyes were starting to tear as he nodded.

"Damn dude," a voice said behind me. Turning around I was face-to-face with Prendergast.

"It's not like it's a surprise she'd want to improve herself," he continued. "And it's not the end of the world, she's not the only—"