The Proposal Ch. 06

"Yes. Happily married, two years now."

"Happily married? Wait a minute. Is Rick the friend," Teri asks, makes tic marks in the air with her fingers, "that sent you the flowers? It was, wasn't it?"

Charlie trills out a giggle. "You caught me out. Yes, Rick's the one that sent me the flowers."

"Wow. My boyfriends never took me for a walk on the beach or sent me flowers. Well, not after we hooked up, anyway. And he sends you a dozen roses for an idea? If Giselle ever gets tired of him, send him my way. I don't care if he is old enough to be my father," Teri says while laughing gaily.

Charlie giggles. "Well, I guess I won't have to now since they will hear it for themselves." Teri blushes furiously but says nothing. Charlie laughs again. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll take it in the manner intended."

"Charlie, what do I look like?" Teri asks. "I'm sorry—what I mean to say is, what does Giselle look like? Do you have a photograph? All I know is I have red hair."

"How did you know Giselle has red hair?" Charlie asks, her surprise clear.

"It was blowing in my eyes."

"Oh, of course. Giselle is very pretty, very athletic. She's a little shorter than me with, as you noticed, beautiful red hair. She walks into a room and every eye in the place is on her."

"No pictures? Is she one of your other girls? Someone I haven't met?"

"No, she's a lawyer. I have some photographs, but I didn't ask her permission to share them. I'm sorry, I should have asked. I'll ask her later, and if she's okay with the idea, I'll ping one to you, okay?"

"That would be great. I would love to see what I—what Giselle looks like." Teri grows quiet for a moment then looks at Charlie. "Charlie, may I ask you a question? A personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Okay, sure. What's your question?"

"Is sex, making love, always like... that?" Teri asks, clearly eager for an answer but nonetheless embarrassed by her question.

"No. Not normally," Charlie answers honestly. "I think they were both on an emotional high, Giselle from being asked and Rick from being accepted, that made their lovemaking more... explosive than normal."

"That I know. But what I meant was, well, they seemed so in tune with each other. I've never felt like that with anyone."

"That's what love, and a steady relationship, gives you. Teri, I wanted you to experience this immersion exactly because of how badly you have been treated. It's not fair the way guys have treated you, both with the vid and all the rest, and I wanted you to see what you can have once you find the right person. He's out there, I know he is. Just don't give up before you find him," Charlie says, her tone eager.

"Yeah," Teri says quietly, "but how do I find him?"

"That... I wish I could tell you. I believe fate will eventually lead the two of you together, but you have to be strong and wait to find the right man. You will. I know you will. And when he comes along you'll know." Charlie pauses for a moment, trying to think how best to boost the girl's spirit. "I met Todd in high school, but Rick and Giselle were in their forties before they met. Look how happy they are now. Sometimes it just takes time to find the right person."

"Yeah, maybe," Teri mumbles.

"Listen, I want to ask you one more question. I need an honest answer, then we can go find us a cute waiter and talk about his ass while we eat lunch," Charlie says, clearly wrapping the interview up.

"Okay, what?"

"Do you feel better or worse about life, love, yourself, whatever, now than you did before you experienced the immersion?"

"Oh, that's easy," Teri says brightly. "Before I was kind of down on men. I was beginning to think they were all just bunch of lying asshole jerks after one thing. But now I see that there are some good-looking guys out there that aren't total assholes. Or even little bit assholes. I told you this was the greatest thing anyone has ever given me. I meant it. I feel... what's the word... invigorated? Rejuvenated! That's it, rejuvenated! I feel rejuvenated. It gives me hope, and strength and... I don't know... it's so hard to put into words. But I feel so much better about life now." She suddenly grows serious. "The only bad part is that it was a one-time thing. In a few months, a year, when life is grinding me down, it'd be nice to get that pick-me-up again if I haven't found my Rick, or my Todd. I don't want to wait twenty more years to have the feeling that Giselle has, but I will if that's what I have to do. But it would be nice to have this as a... crutch... to help make the wait a little easier, you know?"

Charlie rises out of her chair and crosses to Teri, crouching in front of her. "I promised Rick and Giselle to keep their identity a secret. But I'll also send them this vid, let them see how much this meant to you. I can't promise anything, but Rick is a good guy, a great guy, and Giselle is too. We'll see what happens, okay?"

"It's okay. Now that I've felt love, I mean real love, I'm not going to forget it." Her next remarks are clearly directed to the couple watching the video through Charlie. "Rick, Giselle, this is the greatest gift I've ever received." Teri's eyes begin to overflow with tears. "I don't know why you've given me this, but I can't possibly tell you how grateful I am for it. You both must be very special people to share something so personal with a stranger, simply to give them hope when I'd almost lost mine." Charlie's vision begins to blur with tears as Teri speaks to Rick and Giselle through her. "Someday I hope to meet you, so I can thank you in person. But until then ... just know..." Teri weeps into her hands before pulling herself together enough to finish. "How grateful I am to you."

Charlie moves in to pull her into a hug as the vid ends.

***

Rick and Giselle stare at each other, Giselle with tears in her eyes and Rick with a haunted look on his face. She pulls him in close as she draws strength from him.

"That poor girl," she says, sniffing back her tears.

He feels a deep burning shame. He was probably one of those asshole jerk bastards Teri was talking about. He never intentionally hurt any of the women he was with, but he never loved them, either. He always kept them at arm's length, never letting them get close to him until they grew tired of him, or he of them. How many women have I hurt through my carelessness? he wonders. He bites down on his emotions, trying to reel in the tears before they fall.

Giselle senses him wrestling with a dilemma. "Are you okay?" she asks as she pulls herself together.

"Yes. No," he croaks. "I'm not very proud of myself right now is all," he offers, but says nothing more. He scrunches his face as he fights for his composure.

Giselle watches Rick, trying to understand what's happening. He seems to be coming apart right in front of her eyes. "Rick, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he says, pushing his emotions down deep, clamping down on the hurt and fear. "Nothing," he says more normally. "I'm alright."

"Goddamn you, Rick Chamfer!" she snarls, lashes out at him. "Don't you push me away! Don't you fucking dare!" She stares into his face, waiting. "Tell me what's wrong. Let me help," she adds more gently.

Giselle's plea, the look of concern on her face, breaks his resolve to keep his emotions bottled up. She deserves to know. He begins to speak, his eyes full of tears. "I've been such a bastard, and I didn't even know it. All those asshole jerks that Teri was talking about, they could have been me." He looks at his hands, unable to meet her gaze. "I've treated you the same way, and I feel so ashamed."

She pulls him to her. "Shh... You were never like that, Rick. Never. I wouldn't have married if you were."

"But I was," he insists quietly, pulling back. "My girlfriends, if they were mad... well, back then, I figured they could just get over it. Same if they were sad, or hurt, or lonely. I just didn't care. It was their problem." He looks into her eyes, his guilt and sorrow making him ashamed for how he'd treated the woman he loves more than life itself. "Have I hurt people being like that? I'm afraid that I have." His gaze drops down again. "I never meant to hurt anyone. I never meant to hurt you."

"Rick, listen to me. Look at me," she says, and pauses until he looks into her eyes again. "You're not like that. You never were. You keep a lot bottled up inside, but that doesn't make you a bad person. Trust me, I like the fact that I don't have to worry about the emotional roller coaster with you that I've had in the past. But you have to learn when to let it go, to let someone else help you carry your burdens. You are always there for me. Let me be here for you. That's all love is, Rick. Sharing. The good and the bad." She takes a moment to collect her thoughts. "When I first met you, you would have never admitted that you were afraid you had wronged someone in the past. I don't respect you less for admitting it, I respect you more. I told you, you're a good man, doing what he thinks best. That's all any of us can do. Our best."

"But—"

"No buts," she interrupts. "Rick, you're not a bad person. You're not. Maybe you weren't as emotionally giving as some in your past relationships, but that doesn't make you a bad person. It just doesn't. And it isn't who you are now." She pauses. "I think you should talk to Teri. We'll take her to lunch or something. Let her tell you what real asshole bastard jerks are like. I think you'll agree that compared to some out there, you're positively a choir boy."

Giselle is suddenly distracted by a ping. "Hello, Charlie... Yes... Rick and I were just talking about it."

"Hello Charlie," Rick says, testing his voice to see how he sounds. It's less of a croak now.

"Charlie says hello," Giselle says. "Hang on a minute Charlie, I'm going to pull Rick in."

He gets a ping and joins the conversion. "Hello, Charlie."

"Hey Rick. Thank you for the roses, they were lovely. You have a cold? You sound a little stuffy."

He sees Giselle grinning at him. "No. No cold. Just a bit of a stuffy nose is all."

"So you saw the vid? What did you think?"

"I don't know what to think. It was beautiful and terrible at the same time," Giselle says. "What is going on with that poor girl that she would react like that?"

"She's just had it rough the last few years." Charlie explains. "She's a tall girl, nearly as tall as you, Rick, so she tends to go for big tall guys. Jocks. And, well, they haven't been very nice to her. One recorded a vid of them having sex and posted it on the net. I don't know what he was bragging about, the prick, because it didn't look to me like Teri was enjoying it that much. That someone would do that without her knowledge and consent hurt her deeply. That's the worst of it. The rest is just men being men... no offense, Rick."

"None taken. I know what bastards men can be," he says with a meaningful look to Giselle.

"I doubt it," Charlie says. "If you want to see men at their worst, you should be a woman."

"But all the crying? That wasn't because she was upset, was it?" Giselle asks.

"Not at all. She just gets emotional when someone is nice to her. She got some really great news right before the immersion, and she was on top of the world. We had a nice lunch right after the vid ended and she was fine. Better than fine. We talked about a lot of stuff, but she kept coming back to how much she appreciates what you did for her, and how much better she feels about herself. It was a very positive experience for her, and I wanted you to see that for yourself."

"I'd like to meet her," Rick says.

Giselle looks at him sharply.

"What? You want to meet her?" Charlie squawks.

"I think I would. I can relate to the whole somebody did something nice for me thing. Does she, did she have a rough life at home?"

"No, I don't think so. Her dad is a doctor and her mom's a school teacher, something like that. Normal family, I guess. She is an only child, so I think she just needs someone to talk to, and I got elected. Are you sure you want to meet her? I know she'd love to meet both of you, but I thought..." Charlie trails off in confusion.

"Things change," he says. "I have to tell you, I was struck by what she said. I don't know why, but it kind of got to me."

"Rick, you big softy." Charlie laughs. "Sure, I'll set something up. You want me along to help break the ice?"

"Please," he says.

"How about you, Giselle? You want to meet her as well?"

"I would Charlie. I really would. Thank you."

"How about something this weekend. Maybe dinner out? Todd and me, you two, and Teri? She already knows Todd and me, and that will help grease any sticky spots in the evening. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Giselle says. "Just let us know when, okay?"

"I will," Charlie says, and then pauses. "I'm sure Teri will thank you for herself, but I want to thank you both as well. This is a good thing you did. I mean it. For both of us. I think Tip would approve." There is a brief pause before she finishes in a rush, her voice becoming ragged. "Okay, I have to go. I'll let you know something. Love you both. Bye." With that, she's gone.

Rick and Giselle sit, gazing at each other, neither saying anything until Rick sighs with a weary smile." "Shit, I'm drained."

Giselle laughs lightly. "I know how you feel."

He exhales a long, slow breath through puffed cheeks. "I dread to think what she's going to do with the other link."

"You could always cancel it."

"I could, but I won't. I've made it this far, I'll see it through to the end."

She kisses him lightly on the lips. "See? I told you that you were a good man." She gazes into his eyes for a moment and then adds, "Take me to bed, Rick. I need you to hold me."

He stands and pulls her gently to her feet. "Okay, but you have to promise to hold me later," he says, lightly tugging her into an embrace.

"Deal," she says, content to stand there as long as he has her in his arms.

This is second night in a row they've gone to bed before nine o'clock, but this night there is no carnal lust. Tonight, they reaffirm their love with cuddles, gentle strokes, kisses, and soft murmurs until, finally, they fall into sleep, still wrapped in each other's arms.

***

"Kate! Good to see you. Come in," Charlie says Wednesday afternoon, stepping back and opening the door wide in invitation. Katherine Thompson enters the room as Charlie waves her hand at the den chairs in a silent offer to sit down.

"You too, Charlie. You have something for me?" Kate asks.

Charlie has known Kate for years, but while Charlie stopped modeling, preferring to work normal hours and focus on the business side, Kate has continued with her modeling career. Pretty in the outdoorsy, 'girl next door' kind of way, Kate is the stereotypical gay divorcée. Forty-one years old and loving the single life, Kate is one of the rare models that can support herself on her earnings as a model without having to work another job.

"No, not today, but I think we're going to get a bite on the local car show in the Jeep pavilion again this year. I talked to the show promoter last week and I think they're going to want you back again. Seems you made a good impression last year."

Kate makes a face. "Ugh... my feet were killing me after two days there last year."

"Yeah, I know. All part of the glamorous life of modeling, huh?"

Kate laughs, a deep, throaty laugh that turns men's heads every time. "If people only knew. The upside was I got my toes curled by this Italian Stallion from the Fiat booth, and that made all the sore feet in the world worth it," Kate says while fanning herself with her hands.

Charlie laughs at Kate's antics. She would probably kill Kate if they were roommates, but in small doses Kate is an absolute hoot. "Were his toes curled in return?"

Kate grins evilly. "Oh yeah. He was back for a second helping the next night. Hisa English wassa not so good, but hea spokea my language," she says in a horrible fake Italian accent.

Charlie shakes her head in mock disgust. "You are incorrigible. One other thing that I am working on. I had a ping from a firearms manufacturer. I can't say more than that. They're looking for someone just like you. That could be a big break for you if it comes through. How do you feel about guns?"

"The bigger a guy's gun, the better," Kate replies. Charlie gives her a 'would you be serious?' look, so she amends her statement. "I'm fine around guns. I own a handgun myself, a 9mm, and I have a concealed carry."

Charlie's eyebrows rise. "Really? I didn't know that."

"Yep. Can't be too careful, ya know?"

Intrigued Charlie can't help but ask, "What are you afraid of?"

"Not a damn thing," Kate states matter-of-factly before bursting into giggles. "Seriously? I've owned it for a long time, about twenty years, I guess. I thought I was going to be raped once, and that was a real eye opener. The guy—I was just starting to date him at the time—had a little too much to drink and, well, let's say he got a little grabby. He finally backed off and it was okay, but right after that I bought the gun. Now I carry it mostly for the feeling of power it gives me. Woe unto the man that catches my fancy after I've been to the shooting range." She grins. "There's a guy there that runs the range that I see him sometimes. He's a retired Marine, about fifty I guess, but my God is he good looking. I'd like to take him out on the firing range and absolutely fuck his brains out. The problem is, he has a wedding band on. Dammit." She sighs as if in longing.

Charlie stares at Kate in wide-eyed surprise. "I don't know what to say."

"Nothing to say. I was a little more... pure... back then. I've only had to use the gun one time since. I was at a bar with a girlfriend and another drunk was getting a little too familiar. With her, not me. Anyway, I pulled the gun out, holster and all, and simply laid it on the table. I didn't say a word. That guy wilted faster than a dime store hooker in church and got real, real nice." She grins with the memory. "I find that most men are really nice guys, once you lay down a few rules. Know what I mean?"

Charlie stares at Kate a moment before laughing long and hard. "I would have given a lot to have seen that," she says, her voice full of admiration.

"Men are like dogs. They can be great companions, but they need a little training."

"Kate, you are priceless. Don't ever change," Charlie says with a huge smile. "You are the perfect candidate for something I'm investigating."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I have an immersion that deals with, well, let's just call it adult-centric issues. Love..."

"Charlie! Did you and Todd make a porn immersion? That's fantastic! What was it like?" Kate asks, cutting her off.

Charlie begins to blush, "Noooo... Todd and I did not make a porn immersion. While the immersion does have some great sex, it really isn't about the sex. Or at least it wasn't with Todd and me. And that's where you come in. I wanted to get your take on the immersion. A take from someone that is free of emotional entanglements and proud of it."

"But you and Todd aren't in it?" Kate asks, sounding a bit disappointed.

"No, we're not in it."

"That's too bad. I think I could have gotten off on experiencing Todd banging the shit out of you."

Charlie feels her mouth drop open, but then she sees the twinkle in Kate's eye and begins to laugh. "Kate! You're awful!"

"I am. I really am," Kate agrees, but she doesn't sound the least bit remorseful.

"So you're game then?"

"The sex is good?"

"The sex is... exceptional. You will be only the third woman to experience it, but I guarantee it will curl your toes," Charlie says, giving Kate's words back to her.