The Coolest Chick I Knew

"What, that you won't let him treat you like a whore?" I asked. "I'd be offended if you thought I could do something like that to you."

She smiled at me in thanks and patted my hand.

"You two are both so sweet," Brad said. "but I wonder if you've thought this through, Davita. If the shop goes under, we don't just lose the house. I won't be able to pay you any alimony, either. I"ll be out on my ass, too. You'll have to get a real job. No more playing at your little interior design thing."

"It's not playing," Davita said defensively.

"Yeah," Brad snorted derisively. "How much you pull in last year? You'd better reconsider this whole thing. I'm just saying."

"She probably wouldn't do it anyway," Kenny said. "I know bitches like her, Rick. She'd lead you on so you'd pay the money back, and then she wouldn't give you shit."

"Oh, so you're talking to me now?" I asked him sarcastically. "Thanks for the news flash. I've got one for you. Water's wet."

He slunk down into his chair. I hated to be part of the group that put him down, but, geez, the guy was insufferable and did have a part in things tonight. At the least, he was an accessory, so no mercy.

"Fair enough," Brad said. "The payment isn't due for, um..." he consulted his phone, "two and a half weeks. You don't have to pay me back if she doesn't do it. Plenty of time for you to get them in, but not too many so you'll be sick of her. It took me lots longer than that."

"God, you are such an ASSHOLE!" Davita seethed. "I can't get away from you fast enough."

"And, one more thing, baby," he said. "You probably won't even have to do it."

"What?"

"You're just collateral. He could lose and you won't have to do a thing with him. But he has to know you'll do it or he won't bet with me. And if I lose, you still have to go through with it, or it's not a bet, but that's between you and him."

"I'm not betting with you anyway," I said. "Well, lady and gents, this has been fun, but I think it's time I was on my way. I wish we'd never come to this stupid reunion, but we did. I'm looking forward to never seeing any of you ever again. I don't mean you, Davita, you seem really nice. I hope it all works out for you. If you want my help leaving..."

"No...wait...please," she said, grabbing my arm and looking into my eyes. "Rick, can't you just...I don't know..." she trailed off.

We spent a moment there, probably short by most people's standards, but it felt like a lifetime and a nanosecond at the same time.

I could do this for her.

"Okay, I'll play you one hand." I said.

"That's just great," Brad said, beaming. "Okay. Why don't you sit over there? I'll sit here. Rog, you want to deal?"

"Sure, why not?" Rog answered lazily, suddenly Mr. Smooth. He, Brad and Dave all crowded around the end of the table, making a united front. There was an empty chair for me on the other side. I didn't like the looks of it. The fix was in, somehow. God, these guys were terrible poker players. They couldn't hide anything, especially Roger.

"One thing, though," I said. "Doug, could you get my jacket? It's over there on the chair. Would you get the deck of cards in the outside pocket? It's on the left side, I think. I picked them up at the liquor store before I came."

"Cards?" Dave asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I think we should play this hand with a fresh deck, don't you? Since so much is riding on it and all."

He and Brad exchanged a look, but what could they do? Gotcha.

"Seriously, dude, Disney princesses?" Doug complained as he broke the seal on the new deck.

"Hey, it was either that or 'My Little Pony.' I'm no Brony." I deadpanned.

"I don't even know what that means," Davita said, but Kenny did. I could tell.

"Neither do I, really," I said. We shared a smile and the game was on.

Brad didn't seem able to win an honest game, or Lady Luck wasn't with him. Whatever. My full house beat his straight. He was only one card away from a straight flush, but too bad, so sad.

"I can't believe this," he said sourly. "Well, you two work it out, and when you get done with her, we'll make arrangements for you to wire me the money."

"I don't owe you any money," I said. "I never did."

"What? That was the deal, her for the money."

"Brad, have you ever gambled before?" asked Doug, who, somewhere along the line, was quits as a member of Brad's fan club. "It wasn't her FOR the money, it was her AGAINST the money. You lost a shitload. Then you put up something else and you lost that too. Boom. End of story."

"Let's go," Davita said quietly, taking my hand. "I don't ever want to see you again, Brad. Don't come to the house. However long we still have it, you're not welcome. Have Hope and her sister come and get your shit."

"Hope?"

"Yeah, I found out about that, too, you jerk. Maybe her husband will let you stay with them. I'll ask him for you."

"Davita, I..."

"Just shut up," she said and we were out the door.

"Your room or mine?" she asked.

"Oh, yours, definitely. "I said. "There's a rumpled bed in mine that smells like her."

We sat down in the two chairs in her room and stared at each other. After a moment or two, she got up and got two waters, handing me one.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

"About what?"

"About her."

"Ahhh," I said. "We're pretty much done. It's all over but the shouting."

"You sure about that? You've been together a long time. You're perfect for each other."

"You think?" I snorted. "Well, that's one woman's opinion, and it doesn't happen to be hers."

"I don't think that's true at all." she said. "I think she got caught up in something and it got out of hand. That's all."

"No offense, Dee Dee," I grated, "but you've been willing to accept a lot more than I ever would. The plans she had...the things she said in those texts...how can I possibly forgive those?"

"Can you forgive, but maybe never forget?" she asked, smiling.

"That's just a cliché, and why are you smiling?" I was starting to get upset. "This isn't funny. I don't find it funny."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quickly. "It wasn't that, sorry."

"Well, what then?"

"You called me Dee Dee. You never have before."

"You never let me."

"That is so not true."

"I never knew you well enough." I said. "You were up there on the pedestal. Prom queen. I was down here. There's no Dee Dee down here, just Davita."

"I need to apologize to you, too, I think."

"Nah, you never did anything to me. You were always nice to me. I was just beneath your notice." I said. "Not your fault.

"I'm not going to do it, you know." I said.

"Do what?"

"Any of it. I'm going to give him back the money. If I could separate it so it didn't affect you, I'd nail him in a second, but I'd never be able to live with myself if I hurt you with all this."

"Oh, Rick, you are just the sweetest man," she sniffed, "but you do what you want."

"No."

"Seriously, you can. I'm not nearly as worthless as he makes me out to be. He just likes to hold me down."

"Still..."

"No, I mean it. I admit that I don't have much going on here, but that's just because it's here. I'm actually pretty good. I have a degree. I have contacts. There's plenty of opportunities for me if I move to the city."

"That's where we are."

"I see..."

"Correction, that's where I am." I said. "Damn it, I have to start thinking about everything in a different way."

"Don't rush it, Rick," she said, getting up and sitting on the bed next to the chair so she could put her arm around me. "It's going to take time. It's going to hurt. A lot."

"What's your secret?" I asked. "It seems like we're in the same boat."

"Not even," she laughed. "My ship sailed a long, long time ago. I've had six years to come to grips with this."

"Wow, six years."

"I know. Don't say it." she said. "You don't have to. I know I'm weak. I'm a coward. I should have left so long ago, but I've been afraid."

"It's hard," I said. "I'm not judging you, I promise."

"And I've had serious job offers," she said defensively. "Plenty of them."

"I believe you."

"I can make a few calls and have a job - no, a career - by the end of next week. I wouldn't be entry level."

"That's great."

"I just have to move to the city."

We sat without talking, each of us lost in our thoughts.

"So..." she said.

"So what?"

"Twenty-two times."

"I told you we're not doing that," I said.

"Then why did you play?" she asked.

"I thought you wanted me to."

"No...yes, I don't know."

"Oh, well..."

She looked intently into my eyes, then, "Oh no, you did it to let me off the hook, didn't you? You were trying to give it all back. For me."

"Yeah."

"But that's so much money. And he hurt you so bad."

I shrugged.

"And they say chivalry is dead." she leaned in and hugged me, hard. "Why'd you play the princes cards, then?"

"They were trying to screw me over. A man has his pride, you know. You wouldn't think so after tonight, but..."

"Oh, you do," she said. "And it just turned out that way, then?"

"Well," I smiled. "I can't make him win. Clearly."

"Clearly," she laughed. "You're awesome."

"You think so, huh?" I laughed back.

"So, back to the bet," she said.

"I told you not to worry about it," I said, testily. "It was never about that. You don't have to do it."

"What if I want to?"

"What?"

"I've always liked you, Rick."

"Right."

"No, really, I mean it."

"Oh, do tell." I had to smile. "Since when?"

"Since WAY back when," she said. "Please tell me you remember the way I used to bend over in front of you all the time. Don't hurt a girl's pride like that."

"Of course I do," I said, smiling at the memory. "It was one of the highlights of my life back then."

"Just back then?" she pouted prettily.

"No, it still is. But didn't you do that for everybody?"

"I absolutely did not," she said, offended. "I admit I teased the jocks a lot, but who else besides them and you did I ever do that for?"

"Kenny said you did, and so did, um...what's his name...I saw him tonight...oh, Pat Lowry."

"They're liars. I never did anything for them. Never."

"Why me, then?"

"Honestly, it was Gloria that started it." she said, embarrassed. "You were so nice, so brave to be with her when you took so much shit. I really admired you for it. I started paying attention to you and realized how kind and funny and smart you were.'

"So let me get this straight." I said. "You were impressed by how I treated Gloria, my girlfriend, so you teased me to get me to notice you?"

"I know, I know," she grinned at me. "I was young, okay? I didn't know a lot of ways to let a boy know I liked him. That was my go to."

"What do you do now?" I asked, grinning back.

"Pretty much the same thing," she said, leaning forward and putting a hand on my chest. "My vocabulary's a little better, maybe."

She leaned in and left her face hanging there, making it my choice. I leaned in and our lips gently touched.

I'd never kissed anyone besides Gloria, and I couldn't help but compare for a second until I pushed that aside and decided to live in the moment.

It was nice and lasted just the right amount of time.

"Would you have gone out with me if I'd asked?" I asked when we broke apart.

"I don't know." she said. "Honestly, who can say? So many things would have had to happen for that to happen."

"Oh." It sounded like she was letting me down easy, but even now, ten years later, it was still a no.

"But I do know I liked you." she said, leaning forward to kiss me again. This one lasted longer and was more. She rubbed my chest, but I still kept my hands to myself. She noticed.

"I know this is probably too soon," she said, "but if it isn't..."

I didn't have to think about it, not even a little bit. Gloria and I were done. My sexual future was uncertain. I knew I was no great shakes, but this gorgeous woman not only wanted me, she liked me, too. It didn't feel like a mercy fuck.

"Not too soon," I growled and leaned in for a much stronger kiss. She squealed and pulled me back to lay on top of her on the bed. We kissed, running our hands all over each other. I lightly caressed her soft, full breasts, leaving no part unexplored.

"Rick," she asked dreamily. "This first time...can I...can I ask for something? I know you won, so it's whatever you want, but..."

"This isn't about the bet," I said angrily, pulling myself away from her. "I wish you'd get that through your pretty head."

"Okay," she smiled up at me. "Sorry. We can do whatever you want later, I promise you, but this first time..."

"Yeah?"

"Will you make love to me?"

"I though that's what we were getting ready to do," I said, confused.

"Rick, I want you to make LOVE to me, not fuck me. All anybody does is fuck me. That's all Brad ever does, and everybody before him, too. They were all boys. I have a feeling things will be different with you."

"I'll do my best." I said. "Don't worry, I can do that."

"Because, like you said, Brad just got done treating me like a whore," she said, almost crying. "I don't think I could take it if you did it too."

"I would never do that," I promised. "Unless we're doing some kinky role play somewhere down the road."

"You're funny. I don't even know what I'm asking for, exactly."

"I think we can figure it out," I said.

We kissed for the longest time; long, gentle explorations as we gently removed each other's clothes. It wasn't a chore to go slow with her. She was only the second person I'd ever been with, and she was exquisite. I wanted to see, touch and taste everything, so damn straight I was going to take my time. I was just glad she was on the same page and brave enough to let me know what she wanted.

I was starting to kiss her throat, ready to move down further, when I decided to address the elephant in the living room head on.

"You know I've never been with anyone but her," I said.

"I know." she said, pulling me back up to hug me. "Are you worried?"

"A little," I admitted. "I know this is a mood breaker, what I'm doing now, but the things she said in those texts has me..."

"Shh," she said, pushing me down so my face was between her breasts. "She never said anything about this. She said some awful things, but they weren't about this."

"But I..."

"I'm not her, I'll never be her," she said. "but I think I've got my own thing going on. I think you'll like me," she said with a smile.

"Most definitely," I said, reaching down under her to gently cup her ass.

"I want to tell you something," she said, leaning up to give me a little kiss. "And I'm not just saying this, either. The way you've treated me already, the way you kiss me, is already better than anything I've ever had. I'm so excited to make love with you I can hardly stand it."

"Oh."

Nice to hear.

"So can we get to it, already?" she asked, nipping my nose. "I want to feel your tongue everywhere."

They say that each woman is different and you have to learn a new language every time you make love to someone new, but I found out that a few things were universal. It didn't take me long before I was playing Davita's body like the most responsive stringed instrument with my fingers and tongue. Her g-spot was harder to find, but when I did, she came like fireworks. Not demonstrably, but her whole body shook with the cutest little tremors, something there was no way she could possibly have faked.

Of course I made comparisons, enjoying her olive complexion and fuller breasts. Her stomach was by no means flabby, but it wasn't the rock hard washboard that Gloria's was. I found that tremendously sexy and spent a lot of time kissing and licking it, much to Davita's amusement and delight. She was rounder, curvier, girlier, but after a while I was able to shut down those thoughts and appreciate her for who she was. She came many times from my ministrations before I finally entered her, not allowing her to take my cock in her mouth, determined that this time it was her pleasure that was important.

When I did take her, I didn't do it as gently as she probably expected. We were way past that, but I was still tender. I did stroke her slowly and firmly, taking the control she so desperately wanted to give me while still kissing and fondling her sweetly. I didn't change positions and throw her around, either. She had specifically asked I not do that, even though she didn't know she had. By the end, when I shortened my strokes and finally worked for my own release, she had come plenty, her tremors accompanied by heavy breathing and the cutest little yelps.

When I finished spraying as much as I ever had inside her, I dropped off to the side and we lay there, smiling at each other.

"That was...that was..." she said, reaching over to put her hand on my chest. "I don't even know what to say that was."

"It won't always be like this," I said.

"I know," she sighed. "How soon until the magic dies, is that what you're saying? Now, that's what a mood killer is, Rick."

"I'm saying the opposite, silly," I said. "This was the first one. It's only going to get better. Just imagine how good it's going to be when we learn each other's bodies better."

"Perish the thought," she grinned, running the back of her hand across her forehead, then got serious. "Rick, I'm going to say this just this once, because part of it might hurt. I've been with both of you now, and her giving this up for even five minutes with him...I have to tell you that when she wakes up, she's going to be the sorriest bitch on this planet."

"Davita..."

"No, I mean it. She's going to come after you hard. You're going to have to be strong to resist her, if you want to, because you two have a lot of history together."

"Yeah, well, our recent history isn't so great." I groused. "and it calls into question all our history. So she can come at me as hard as she wants, but it's not looking good for her."

"That's probably best for now," Davita said, snuggling into me. "because I can't believe I have to do this twenty more times."

"Would you get off that?" I asked angrily, trying to pull away.

"And would you listen to the tone of a conversation?" she asked, holding me in a surprisingly strong grip. "Can't you hear what I'm saying? Do I have to tell you we just had the best sex I've ever had? The only good sex I've ever had? Is that what you need to hear?"

"Is it true?"

"You'd better believe it, buster," she said. "The sun rises and sets with you."

"Well then, yeah, I do need to hear that," I rolled her over onto her back and began to kiss her breasts, nipping around her nipples playfully.

"Ass," she said, drawing in a short breath when I did something good. "But you probably did need to hear that. I'm sure you were wondering."

"I was, a little," I confessed sheepishly.

"So now you heard it. Don't make me say it again unless you really need it. I don't need you getting out of control on me."

"You sure about that?" I asked, finally taking a nipple into my mouth and pulling on it hard as I started gentle, lazy circles on the outside of her pussy lips with the flat of my fingers.

"No...oh..OH, no...I'm not sure." she panted. "Wait, hold up a second."

"What?"

"What's you schedule for today?"

"I don't really have one," I said. "I have to go to see her at 12:30. I would blow it off, but I promised her mother that I would be there. And then I have to get back home for work tomorrow, so I have to leave here no later than, say, 8:30 or so."

"12:30 is still far away. Here's what I think. We're probably both hungry, but we can put that off for a while. I think we should fuck, take a shower, and then you go to your meeting. Then you come back here and take me out to eat."

"Sounds good."

"And somewhere nice. A little birdie told me you have enough cash to take me to a nice place."