The Blonde Ch. 01

I called Alison to see if she was free that night; she was a woman I'd known for a couple of years, divorced like me, and we got together casually from time to time. Usually our get-togethers included sex. That Saturday night we went out for dinner, had drinks at her place, and fucked a couple of times. I enjoyed it too--one night with Tommie certainly hadn't blinded me to the appeal of other women--but it felt a little bit empty. I guess it felt the way "friends with benefits" sex usually feels, certainly no worse; but I'd just had something much better the night before.

To my pleasant surprise Tommie called me on Sunday, while I was haphazardly cleaning my apartment and listening to a Reds game on the Internet.

"Hey Jack, it's Tommie. How are you?"

"In a good mood now that I'm talking to you. How's your weekend been?"

We chatted amiably for a few minutes, and then she said, "do you think you might be free next Saturday night? I'm having dinner at Prestissimo with some good friends of mine, Katie and Eric, and it would be great if you could join us."

When Saturday came we had a very nice evening. Katie and Eric were both friendly and easy to talk to. Between me asking about how Katie and Tommie had met--they'd been in the same econ class in college--and Tommie and me regaling them with life at Minestra, we had a nonstop conversation, full of laughter.

Naturally I knew that Tommie had invited me at least partly so her friends could check me out. And, of course Katie had been the woman I'd overheard talking to Tommie in the Akropolis diner, though I never brought that up.

After dinner Eric invited us out to their place in the suburbs for coffee, promising to drive us back in later, and we agreed. They had a beautiful ranch house in a quiet neighborhood, and we sat out on their deck enjoying the calm evening.

Katie asked Tommie to join her in the kitchen "to help with the coffee," and as they walked away Eric caught me chuckling.

"What?" he said, smiling.

I said, "it's not like I claim to always understand women--far from it!--but I'd have to be pretty dumb not to know what's going on."

He grinned and said, "oh--discussing the new guy, you mean?"

"Exactly. And presumably you and I are supposed to have some incredibly revealing man-to-man talk out here, so that you can give Katie your impressions of me to pass along to Tommie later."

He laughed out loud and said, "I guess it was a little obvious, wasn't it? Okay quick: tell me all your deep dark secrets."

I leaned forward and lowered my voice. In a mock-serious tone I said, "well, when I was nine years old I threw a banana peel into a US mailbox."

Eric cracked up. "Really?" I nodded, and in no time we were chatting about stupid and/or dangerous stunts we'd pulled when we were kids. He was a very mellow guy, and funny--I found that I enjoyed him a lot.

When Eric dropped me and Tommie off at her apartment, we stood and talked for a minute after he drove away.

"How'd I do?"

She looked a little embarrassed. "Was it that obvious?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure you wanted to know what they thought of me. Frankly, Tommie, I feel really flattered that you invited me along to meet them--I can tell they're really close friends of yours, and I liked them a lot. I think they're terrific, in fact."

She put her arms around me. "Well, they liked you too--and so do I." She gave me a kiss, and then another one. "Want to come up?"

Carefully, I said, "only if you want me to. If tonight doesn't feel right, let's wait."

In a quiet voice she said, "wow, was that ever the right answer. Yeah, it feels right to me."

We made love half the night, and it was even better than the first time. We were more relaxed, more sure of one another. The joy of having her in my arms, of being inside her, was unlike anything I'd ever experienced in my life.

In the morning we showered together, then Tommie made us some breakfast and we talked and ate until about 1 pm. I was getting ready to leave, because she had a date to meet a friend in the afternoon, when she came up behind me while I was buttoning my shirt and put her arms around me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I said, and turned around. She had a tentative look on her face. I kissed her on the forehead and we sat down together on the bed.

"We--Jack, I haven't--"

I waited, and she said, "we haven't really talked at all about what we're doing here, what we mean to each other."

I said, "well, I think we're 'keeping company,' to use an old-fashioned phrase, and I'm loving every minute of it. I think you're terrific, Tommie, in case I haven't already made that clear."

She smiled, but the worried look didn't entirely disappear. "So then, are you comfortable ... I mean ...

"Oh Jesus, Jack--what I'm trying to say is, are we getting to be a couple? And are we exclusive?"

Before I could reply she rushed onward. "Because I just don't ... I mean I can't handle a casual, sleeping-together kind of relationship. Opening up to someone doesn't come easy for me, and I--"

I took her hand. "If you're asking what I'd like, I'd like us to be a couple. And exclusive."

I laughed, and got down on one knee and said, "how about if we say we're going steady? Tommie, will you go steady with me?"

"Don't tease, Jack."

"I'm sorry--I was being playful, but I didn't mean to tease you. I want to be the man in your life, for as long as you'll have me. And there won't be any other women in mine."

"That's the way I want it too," she said, very seriously, looking intently into my eyes. And we kissed for a few minutes, just to seal the deal.

****************

On Monday at lunch things were different. Tommie seemed to have come to some sort of decision. She gave me an extra-warm smile when we all met at the elevators, and when we got to Armando's she made sure we were sitting next to one another.

I liked what I was seeing, but at first neither of us said anything to the others. The conversation was the usual joking and complaining about work: the bonuses might be canceled this year because of the economy, none of the upper management had a clue about how hard we worked, etc.

And then Connie started complaining about how boring Indianapolis was, how there was nothing to do, we should all move to Chicago or New York, blah blah blah. This was a familiar lament of hers. But Tommie just said, "oh, I don't know--I really don't think it's so bad.

"The Symphony is great, for instance. Jack and I have been to several concerts and they were terrific."

There was a surprised silence, and then everyone started speaking at once--mostly teasing. "Oh my God, they're a couple!" "Are you guys really going out?" "How did you ever get her to date you, Jack?" "Why would you waste your time on a loser like him?" And so on.

Tommie just took my hand in hers and we grinned at them, bearing the good-natured abuse patiently (most of it aimed at me, of course). Finally I said, "what can I tell you guys? I just swept her off her feet!" (Tommie smacked my arm when I said that.)

"You all have somehow failed to see my many fine inner qualities, but Tommie is obviously more perceptive than the rest of you!" (Loud booing and Bronx cheers, while Tommie kissed me on the cheek.)

After that day I had to endure a few weeks of shit from my male co-workers. Monty cornered me in the men's room the next day and wouldn't let up.

"You're really fucking her? My God, that must be good pussy. What's it like, Jack? How does she like doing it?" And on and on. "How can you even make yourself stop, when it's time to come to work?"

"Jesus, Monty," I said, "do you really think I'm going to talk to you about any of that? Tommie is a wonderful person and I care for her a lot, not that it's any of your fucking business. I'm certainly not going to talk to you about our private life."

"Is she really as hot as she looks? God, she must be an absolute firecracker, Jack--is she?" What an asshole. He didn't slow down for a minute, and it didn't matter what I said to him. I got similar crap from several of my other male co-workers, though I never told them a thing.

****************

I can tell you exactly how long things were great: seven weeks. They were better than great, they were fantastic. Tommie and I saw a lot of each other, probably spending three or four nights a week together at her place or mine. Most weekends we were together all the time.

We went out to eat, we rented bikes and rode around, we got together with Eric and Katie or with other friends, we went to the movies, we sat and talked. We did all the stuff you do when you're with somebody you're crazy about--somebody you're falling in love with. We might have even held hands and run through a field in slow motion with our hair blowing behind us, but I don't exactly remember.

We had a lot of sex, too. Tommie was not a wild woman; she didn't scream "fuck me harder with that big hard log, you stud!" or anything like that. (Are there any women who do shit like that? Outside of porn, I mean? Maybe there are a few, but I've never met any of them.)

Our lovemaking was sometimes gentle, sometimes energetic and frantic, but always there was a sweetness to it. For her I think it's because that's the kind of person she is; for me it was above all because I was falling in love with her: I wanted to be sweet with her, careful with her.

It didn't matter if I was rubbing her scalp, if we were fucking with her legs over my shoulders, or if I was going down on her, using my tongue and fingers to get her very wild--it was all great. Touching her, feeling her around me, smelling the scent of her arousal, everything was fantastic.

I've always been a nickname person (except with Amy, for some reason--and maybe there's some significance in that), and I found myself calling her "Tap," for Tommie Ann Parker. I wouldn't have done it if she didn't like it, but she seemed to. Sometimes I even turned it into "Tappy" or "Tapster," but she usually rolled her eyes at stuff like that.

On her birthday I did take her out for surf and turf. Eric and Katie joined us, we had two bottles of champagne, ate until we were stuffed, and went home by taxi. That night Tommie gave me the first blow job she'd ever given me, and while it may not have been the best I ever received from a technical point of view (whatever that means), it was loving and slow and it made me crazy--the good kind of crazy.

After that I licked and sucked on her pussy and clit until she came a couple of times, and was yelling and pulling me up by the ears. Then I climbed on top of her and we fucked like a couple of drunk people--which we were. It was sloppy and uninhibited and fantastic.

A couple of times we hung out at my favorite bar with Rudy and Cliff, two buddies I'd known ever since college. I'd warned them in advance to tone down the horndog routine, that Tommie was special and a little uncomfortable with that stuff, but it didn't make a bit of difference.

As soon as we'd sat down and I'd introduced her Cliff said, "wow! our boy sure is moving up in the world. Tell me, Tommie, how much is this stiff paying you for your time? I'll double it!"

Tommie blushed, and I said, "Jesus, Cliff, will you shut the hell up? I guess it's been so long since you saw a lady, you've forgotten how to talk to one.

"Sorry, Tap," I said, turning to her. "These guys aren't so bad, really, but they're a little rough around the edges."

"No rougher than you, Jack!" said Rudy, laughing. "You remember those Tri-Delts we knew junior year? They were--"

"Shut it, Rudy!" Now I was blushing. There never had been any Tri-Delts, but I couldn't tell if Tommie knew that. "We're going to change the tone here--let's talk about the ballet, shall we? Did you fellows get to see this year's production of 'The Nutcracker'? I felt that the Sugarplum Fairy's performance was absolutely divine!"

To my great relief Tommie had relaxed and was laughing along with us. Rudy and Cliff cut out the raunchier parts of their teasing--though they never really let up on me--and we had a fun evening. On the way home Tommie was joking about how "charming" my friends were, so I guess everything was all right.

****************

So, like I said, seven weeks. Until a Sunday afternoon in early August, around 2:00. We'd slept late at my apartment, made love, cooked some breakfast, then gone out to do the grocery shopping. We thought we'd lie around and read the paper for a while (I was hoping we'd have a "nap"), then Tommie was going to cook me dinner--she found a recipe in the Star she wanted to try.

As I unlocked the door, our arms full of grocery bags, we could hear the phone ringing. Tommie wanted to hurry and get it, but I just said, "forget it, honey--the machine will pick up." I put the bags down and went downstairs to get the last two which were by the front door of the building.

As I got back Tommie was rushing out the door of my apartment, tears on her face.

"Tap, what the--"

"You BASTARD!" she shouted, glaring at me furiously. She ran straight for the stairs and disappeared. I put the bags down on the floor and raced after her, but by the time I got to the front door she was pulling away in a cab.

What the hell?! I went back upstairs and let myself in. It had to be the phone call, so I pushed the button on the answering machine.

"Hey baby, it's Alison! Sunday's maybe a strange time for a booty call, but I feel like spending the afternoon bouncing up and down on something big and hard--ya think you've got time for me? I'd love to squeeze you in, heh heh. Gimme a call!"

Shit. Shit shit shit. I hadn't talked to Alison in two months, since our night together the week before Tommie and I got serious. I hadn't spoken to her, missed her, or even thought about her. But Tommie had no way to know that.

I called Tommie five or six times that afternoon and evening but she wouldn't pick up the phone. So after the third or fourth time I left a brief, careful message.

"Tommie, I swear Alison is just a casual friend, somebody I used to have sex with once in a while. I haven't seen her in more than two months--not since you and I had our conversation about being exclusive. Please, I'm telling you the complete truth. Please give me a call."

She never called back, and my instinct on Monday morning was to race down the hall to her desk and confront her, but I decided not to. I also skipped the lunch group that day and ate by myself. But that night I called Katie and had a long, serious conversation with her. Thank goodness she liked me, and I'm pretty sure she believed my story.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Jack. As you probably know, Tommie's been badly hurt by guys in the past, and she's sometimes quick to believe the worst."

"I know that, Katie, and I feel terrible--but I really didn't do anything wrong. I love Tommie. I haven't quite come out and said it yet, but that was mainly because I didn't want to pressure her."

She sighed. "Let me see what I can do, okay Jack? I'll try to meet her for lunch, and I'll give you a call after I see her. It may take me a few days though."

"Thanks, Katie--I really owe you. I don't want to lose her, and I don't want her to be hurt because of a simple misunderstanding."

On Tuesday I thought I'd risk having lunch with the usual group, but Tommie wasn't there. And she didn't show up on Wednesday, either. Irene must have seen the look on my face--she asked me if something was going on, but I just shook my head and she didn't press it any further.

Thursday I decided to eat on my own again, and as I came out of the building I saw Tommie walking by herself, maybe 50 yards in front of me. I just followed to see where she was headed--I wasn't going to bother her until Katie had talked to her.

I was astonished at how many guys tried to hit on her! It was lunchtime, so the streets were crowded, but in three blocks I swear there must have been eight or ten guys who tried to strike up a conversation with her. I couldn't see what she said or did but she managed to chase them away--though one guy kept at it for a block and a half, until she actually stuck a finger in his face and shouted at him.

I saw her go into a little café, so I went off and had lunch by myself, thinking about Tommie and what it must be like to get that kind of attention from men all the time. Jesus, no wonder she was gun-shy.

That night after dinner Katie called me. "She's better, Jack. We had lunch today downtown. She's calmed down a lot and I can tell she misses you, though she wouldn't exactly admit it.

"She started off crying to me about how you were just the same as all the other guys who've fucked her over, and I let her go on for a few minutes. Then when we'd eaten I told her about my conversation with you, and tried to get her to see that it wasn't what she thought.

"What really helped is that she trusts my opinion a lot, and she knows I like you. Anyway, the long and short of it is you should call her--I think she's ready to hear your side of things in person."

"God, thank you, Katie! I don't know what I would have done without you--that's corny but it's true. I've really been trying to be patient, but I was afraid she'd just give up on me without even giving me a chance."

We got off the phone and I called Tommie right away. When she answered I said, "hi, Tommie--please don't hang up! Do you think you could give me a chance to explain that message, before you just drop out of my life?"

"Okay, Jack," she said--sounding sad and discouraged. "Katie convinced me I have to at least talk to you. Why don't we have lunch somewhere tomorrow?"

"If you want to I could be over in ten minutes," I said, but she just sighed and said, "no, I don't think so. I don't want you in my place right now. I'll meet you for lunch at 12:15, all right?"

"Could we make it dinner instead? I don't want us to have to interrupt our conversation and rush back to work."

There was a silence, and then she reluctantly agreed.

"Thanks, Tommie--I appreciate it. How about we meet at the Akropolis diner?"

****************

I didn't see Tommie at all the next day, and I skipped the lunch group at Armando's. When I got to the Akropolis at 5:45 she was waiting for me in a booth, looking tired and unhappy. I bent down to kiss her cheek but she pulled away and shook her head, so I just sat down on the seat across from her.

"Hello Jack," she said without much energy. "Let's order first, okay?"

After we'd looked through the menu and given the waitress our orders, I said, "I'd like to speak first, Tommie, is that okay?"

She nodded. "But I'm not in the mood for bullshit, Jack. If you don't want to be straight with me, we can just stand up and walk out of here and go our separate ways." I saw her eyes starting to fill with tears.

I reached across the table to take her hands--she tried to pull away, but I gently held on and she relaxed, letting me hold them.

"Tap--Tommie. I love you. I haven't said it before, because I didn't want to come on too strong and freak you out, but I do. I want to explain Alison's message. I will tell you the absolute, complete truth, and answer any questions you have.

"If after that you want to tell me to take a hike---

"Well, I hope you won't! Let's leave it at that!" I grinned at her, and she smiled a little despite herself.

"Before you and I started seeing each other I went out from time to time with a couple of women, including Alison. All of them were casual, non-exclusive relationships. Alison and I were basically 'friends with benefits,' except we're not even especially close friends. We used to see each other maybe every other month or so, when one of us was lonely or horny.

"I haven't seen her since May--since the night after the first Friday night you stayed with me." Tommie's face tightened but she didn't say anything, and I went right on.