The Bridge Club Ch. 13

- "The bet was more important to you, Norm. Admit that, at least." she said.

- "No, it wasn't. Things changed. I was ... I was ready to court you, Christina. But then Emily joined the club. That wasn't my idea. But by the rules I had set with Massimo - well, you saw the rules. And then Beth broke up with Jake. I wanted you, Christina. That didn't change. But I also didn't want to lose the bet to him."

"And when it came to choosing between the two, I made a mistake. I thought that I could somehow have both. That I could win the bet, and still end up with you. The happy ending. The ending I wanted since the second game with the Bridge Club."

She didn't answer me. We sat in silence for a while, but she wouldn't make eye contact with me. Then she stood up.

"I need to use the ladies' room. Could you settle our bill? I'd like to go home."

When she came back, she continued to avoid eye contact. She also declined to let me drive her home.

'No, I'll take a cab." she said.

And she left me standing there.

******

I didn't dare call her until the next bridge game. It wasn't just cowardice; I also suspected that she needed a little space, or time. Leaving her alone for a bit might be the nicest thing I could do for her.

Carmen hosted the next bridge game. It had the potential to be very awkward, but Christina put me at ease as soon as she arrived. She smiled, and kissed me on the cheek. I took it as a sign that were OK. Or, at least, no worse than we had been.

I was able to relax and enjoy the cards, and the company of our friends. I played against Christina once, but not as her partner. She seemed a little distracted, but not angry or upset.

During the break between rubbers, I approached her. We exchanged inconsequential pleasantries. She got serious before I did.

"Thank you - for giving me time to think. I need a little more, though."

- "I understand." I told her.

Christina left shortly after Abigail and Pete. The moment she was out the door, Carmen and Beth pounced.

- "How is it going? How is she? How are you two?"

I could only tell them the truth. "I don't know."

- "Are you taking her out on Tuesday?" asked Carmen. Tuesday was Valentine's Day.

- "She asked me to give her more time."

- "That's good." said Carmen. "That's good, isn't it, Beth?"

Beth shook her head. "I don't know." she said.

I had already decided what to do. She wanted time, or space. But I wasn't going to let Valentine's Day go by without at least a gesture.

I chose a bouquet of orchids, for exotic beauty, because that was how I saw her. Then I picked a simple blank card, and I went to the well one more time, writing a quotation from Kahlil Gibran:

And what is it to work with love?

It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart

even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.

I drove to her house on Tuesday evening. I rang the bell, and held the bouquet in front of me. Give them to her, and leave. That was the plan.

A woman I had never seen before opened the door. I was startled, at first. Then I realized that this was probably Christina's sister, Reem. She had the same skin tone, but she was a little taller, and considerably heavier.

"These are for Christina." I said, holding up the bouquet.

Her sister gave me a good looking over, then turned her head and screamed: "CHRIS-TINA! SOMEONE'S HERE FOR YOU! IT'S A MA-AN!"

- "That's OK." I said. "Could you just give these to her? Thanks."

I left the flowers in her sister's arms, and beat a hasty retreat.

*********

The next few days were agonizing. She had asked for time, but how much? I didn't know whether to call her, or leave her alone. In the end, I decided that it was better to ask her out. She could always says no, right?

She said yes.

And she thanked me for the flowers.

I took her to a little blues bar, where young guys paid homage to Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. She liked it. I loved the music, but I also enjoyed watching her move to the beat. She wore a light yellow top over tight jeans; I was beginning to believe that Christina would look great in a burlap sack and wooden clogs.

After two sets, she asked if we go somewhere quieter. "Coffee, Maybe?"

The Library Cafe was only two blocks away, so we walked over. I waited for her to open the conversation this time. She waited until we were ensconced in a cozy corner.

"Thank you again for the orchids. And the card." she said. "They were both beautiful."

- "You're very welcome." I told her.

- "But - why did leave before I got to the door?"

I blushed. "Panic, I guess. You had asked me to give you time, and I didn't know if I should be there at all. When your sister opened the door - I don't know why, but I just panicked."

Christina smiled. "You made quite the impression on her. She insisted that I tell her everything. She wanted all of the details."

- "You didn't ..."

- "No way! My sister? Anything I told her would all over the city within minutes. But she knew I was hiding something, so she kept pressing me to tell her about you. Finally she said 'I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me what he's like.'"

So I started to describe you: good card player, smart, cute - yes, I said that. Then I added kind, and thoughtful ..." Christina blushed. "And I just kept thinking and saying nice things.

I sort of realized what I was doing, and I got self-conscious, so I stopped. Reem asked me 'How long have you two been together?'

And I said 'We're not together - yet.'"

I heard that last word loud and clear. I couldn't help myself. A huge, goofy smile spread across my face.

Christina laughed at me. "I know! I heard myself say it to Reem. And she just shook her head at me, and said 'Oh, Christina'."

I slid from my seat, and went down on one knee beside her chair. I reached out and took her hand between mine.

"Oh, Christina." I said.

She smiled at me, and in those lovely eyes I saw my future.

Our first kiss was soft, and gentle, and achingly sweet. I pulled Christina to her feet, and enfolded her in my arms. Her lips met mine this time, and we clung to each other, until a smattering of applause from the nearest tables distracted us.

Christina whispered in my ear: "We should go. I think you should take me home."

I leaned back to look at her. She nodded twice to confirm it.

"But we can finish our coffees first." she said, with a tinkling laugh. She sat down, and reached for the menu card. "And I've been wanting to try that blueberry cheesecake. I hear it's wonderful."

I'm sure the look on my face must have been priceless, because Christina laughed so hard, I thought she was going to cry.

"Your face! Oh my god - your face!" And she laughed some more. When she finally stopped, she smiled at me. "You've waited months, Norm - you can manage a few more minutes."

- "You got me." I admitted.

- "I'm still jealous." she told me.

- "You don't need to be." I told her.

- "I don't need to be, but I am." she said. "I'm jealous of Carmen. I want to be taken to the Chez Maurice, and then taken back to you place. I'm jealous of Abigail, too: I want to go rock climbing, and everything else you did with her."

- "We can. We will."

- "I'm serious, Norm. I want to be able to look at my girlfriends, and to know that they didn't get to experience anything with you that I didn't. I want the same as they had, and more. But I'm most jealous of Beth. I want dusk to dawn. In fact, I want a whole weekend. I want the best of everything from you. In every way."

- "Are you really going to order cheesecake?" I asked.

- "No. I was just making you suffer a bit. I want you to take me home now." she said.

I would have left without paying our bill if she hadn't pulled me back.

We walked to my car, hand in hand. I will never forget that short walk as long as I live, because I can't imagine being happier than I was at that moment, more vital, more filled with delicious anticipation. We stopped several times, for long, lingering kisses.

I tried to stick to the speed limit. It wasn't easy, with her hand on my thigh, and the promise in her eyes. Somehow, as we pulled up in front of her house, I came to my senses.

"Chris - I ... I don't have a condom." I told her.

-"I do." she said.

We managed to get inside the door before trying to pull each other's clothes off. The yellow top came off easily, to reveal a yellow bra. By that point, we were in her kitchen, lips pressed together, tongues entwined, hands travelling everywhere.

We nearly tripped over the couch. I briefly considered pinning her to it, but she fought me off. "No. No. Bedroom." she said.

I let her steer, and concentrated on getting her bra off, and unzipping her jeans. Somehow, she had undone my belt, and unzipped my pants. They were slipping down my legs, and beginning to seriously interfere with my mobility.

We got to her room. She reached for the light switch, but missed it as I pushed her past the doorway. She collided with the bed, and fell backwards, pulling me with her.

"Oof!" she grunted, as I landed atop her.

I slid down her body, kissing her neck and shoulders, before trailing my tongue across her chest. My fingers traced the outline of her breasts, while my lips sought out her nipple.

"Wait!" she gasped, stretching backwards, squirming away from me. She was reaching for the bedside night table. While she was thus occupied, I slid lower and tried to peel her blue jeans off her hips. It was a bit of a struggle, as she tried to reach into a drawer while I pulled down her lacy yellow panties.

I would call it a win. I got her jeans and panties completely off one leg and most of the way off the other, while she was only able to open a new box of condoms and pull one out. She dropped it.

While she tried to tear off another one, I managed to get my face between her legs and kiss her clean-shaven pussy. I began licking and kissing. But Christina was pulling me by the arms, dragging me onto the bed with her.

"No." she said. "No - in me. Inside me - now."

There was no resisting. I didn't want to resist. After all this time, I was just as eager to be finally joined with her. She pulled my pants over my ass as I got the condom on, and I plunged inside her.

It wasn't subtle, or smooth - but it was effective.

Our eyes were locked together. Christina wrapped her arms and legs around me, and pulled me down on top of her. I don't even remember the sexual sensations. I was almost entirely overwhelmed by the physical and emotional closeness. Finally, after so long, I was exactly where I wanted to be. Inches away from that beautiful face, and those smiling lips, which she eagerly pressed to mine.

And when she lay back, temporarily, I could look into her eyes. She reached up with both hands to caress the sides of my face. We both smiled, then, at what we could read in the other. Skin to skin, as close as I could get, I gently rocked between her hips. There would be time, later, for desire and lust, for frenzied fucking and slow, drawn-out lovemaking. I was already committed to trying every position I could think of with Christina, and then discovering new ones.

But for those moments, I simply gloried in being who I was, and where I was, with her.

********

EPILOGUE

Weeks later, I walked into Massimo's little office.

"What do you want?" he snarled. He was well aware of what day it was, and why I was there. "I have a 2:00 appointment." He consulted his calendar. "A Mr. Poe is waiting to see me."

- "I'm your 2:00." I told him. "Mr. Poe is with me."

-"The bet is off." said Massimo. He waved a hand in dismissal. "It was over months ago, when you kicked me out and brought the little lez in."

- "It ended yesterday." I reminded him. "On the anniversary of our agreement. One year. I've had sex with Carmen, Abigail, and Beth. And then Emily, Marina, and Christina." I saw Massimo's lip curl when I mentioned those last names. "By the terms of our agreement, you owe me $6,000."

Massimo stood up behind his desk. "Fuck you, Normie. You can whistle for your six thousand. You ain't gonna see a dime of it."

Right on time, Darren, Pete and Markus arrived.

"What the fuck is this?" roared Massimo. "You think I'm gonna be intimidated by this ... fucking queer club! I'll still kick your ass!"

Maybe numbers meant nothing to Massimo. But when Markus stood between him and Darren, he had to think again. The Swede was taller, wider, and more muscular. And, judging from the expression on his face, Markus was in no mood for bullshit.

- "My friends are just here because they asked to come along. But Pete, here, is also my advisor in certain technical matters." I said.

- "What the fuck are you talkin' about?" Massimo had backed up a step, but he was still in a feisty mood.

- "Pete works with me." I explained. "His specialty, though, is website design. I'm going to give you one week, Massimo, to make the first down-payment. I don't expect that you have six grand in cash lying around. We can start with two thousand. I will give you a month to come up with the other four thousand.

Because if you don't pay up, Pete will set up a new website called 'Massimo'. Or, maybe, 'Massimo is a welsher'. Anybody who does a search for your name - and you have to admit, it's not the most common name - will find this site. Your bosses, future employers, girls you hit on ... anybody who wants to - they'll be directed to a site devoted to our bet. Pictures of you, the napkin with our agreement on it, testimonials from the girls ..."

They were right on time. Carmen, Abigail, Beth and Christina walked in. Darren and Peter moved out, to make room for them, though big Markus stayed right where he was.

The girls all had all worked on their looks of disdain and derision, and they now treated Massimo to a four-barrelled sneer of absolute contempt. Beth took over.

"If the website isn't enough, the four of us will also tell every girl in the building about the bet, and how you cheated, and then refused to pay up. After that, we'll go to the neighboring buildings, and tell them, too." she said.

Abigail chipped in. "And I'll tell everyone at the fitness club."

Massimo looked as if his predicament was beginning to sink in. His eyes were darting from face to face, as if seeking an ally, or a way out. There was none.

- "If you should decide to quit your job," I went on, "I will e-mail every member of the old high school football team, and tell them the whole story, with links to Pete's website. Then I will go back to our home town, and call on your parents in person. Your cousins, too. You get the idea, Mass?"

- "You wouldn't do that." he said. But he was licking dry lips as he said it.

- "I most certainly would." I said. "I've been ready for this day since we made the bet. I knew from day one that you were a liar, and a cheat. You broke the bro code when we were still in high school, when you went after my girlfriend. You told Christina about the bet, and then lied about it. I knew that you would try to wiggle out of paying up. That's why I'm very glad that we had one more bit of help."

Marina was right on time, bless her heart. She stomped into Massimo's crowded office, squeezed through the other girls, and held up her phone.

"Now?" she asked me.

- "Whenever you like." I said.

Marina pressed play. We all heard her recorded voice clearly.

- "Eeww, no way." she said. Massimo's face went white.

Then we all heard his voice: "C'mon, sweetie: two thousand dollars. For one quick fuck. Hey, you'll probably like it."

Marina held her phone up. "You pay, Massimo. Or this message goes on the website, too. And then I will play it for my boss. Your boss, too. Sexual harassment, right?"

******

Three weeks later, Massimo paid up.

As Christina wanted, we donated the money to charity.

THE END

*******

Thank you for reading this far. The positive comments and messages were very encouraging.

For those who were annoyed by certain technical aspects of my writing, such as the dashes (not hyphens) before dialogue, I use them to indicate a new speaker. It's to help me keep the conversation straight for myself as much as for my readers. It's something I learned in grade school.