Betty's Choice

"I'm dating a guy and while it isn't serious I can't just bail on him. I told him that I'd go to the concert with him this weekend and he has already bought the tickets. Call me in a week or so okay?"

"Sure. I'll call you. Have fun at the concert."

After I hung up the phone I was thinking how dumb it was of me to come home and waste my time here. Fifteen days leave and fourteen days delay in route, twenty-nine days and not much to do. Then I got wild hair up my ass. I had twenty-seven days left and there wasn't any reason I couldn't spent some of that time driving up to see Betty. It was nine hundred miles, but so what? At seventy miles an hour on the Interstate and even allowing for a couple of rest stops I could be there in fourteen or fifteen hours. I told mom and dad what I was going to do and all they said was "Drive safe."

Sixteen hours later I turned onto the street where Betty's dorm was. I knew where I was going because two years previous I had helped Bob Fletcher move his sister up to school and Betty was living in the same dorm. It was just after four and I hoped that Betty's classes were over for the day and I'd catch her at the dorm. The last three hours of the drive I cursed myself for not calling Betty and letting her know I was coming, but I had wanted to surprise her. I parked and went inside the dorm and asked for Betty.

"You just missed her. She, Gwen and Judy just left. I think they went over to Carlo's Pizzeria."

I got the address and drove over to it. When I walked In I saw Betty sitting at a table with two other girls and three guys. Her back was to me, but I knew it was Betty because she as the only redhead in the building. As I moved toward the table the guy sitting next to Betty put his arm around her and she leaned into him and they kissed. It was a passionate kiss and the others at the table started hooting and hollering and saying things like;

"Get a room" and 'Hey you two take it to the motel."

Betty broke the kiss and said "As soon as we finish eating. Right lover?"

The guy said "You bet" and kissed her again.

I felt like I had been punched hard in the stomach and I actually staggered and grabbed a chair for support. One of the girls sitting opposite Betty saw it and said "Are you okay Mister?" That caused the three with their backs to me to turn to see what the girl was looking at. I saw Betty's face pale and she said "Oh shit!"

By then I'd gotten my wits back and I turned and headed back out the door. I was getting in the car as Betty ran out the door. She looked both ways, saw me and called out "Wait Jack, wait" but I started the car and pulled out leaving Betty standing there yelling at me to come back. A hundred miles later I was asking myself why I didn't talk to her, but by then it was too late.

I was hurting. Really really hurting and I pulled over to the side of the road and cried. I don't think I'd shed a tear since I was six years old and my dad spanked me for spray painting our dog red, but I shed a bucketful of tears by the side of the road that night. I finally got myself under control and got started on getting back home.

I'd known all along what Betty would probably end up doing at school and I'd made peace with it, but to actually see and hear what I had was a stab to the heart and I had no one to blame but myself. I should have called ahead instead of trying to surprise her. I got another hundred miles done before I was too whipped to continue. I pulled into a rest area, got myself as comfortable as I could and then sacked out. I woke up about four hours later, got out of the car to stretch and take a piss and then I hit the road again. Forty hours, almost to the minute, from the time I left I pulled into the driveway at home.

No one was home so I went up to my room, undressed, took a shower and then went to bed. I woke up at nine, went down to the kitchen and made myself a cup of tea and then I walked into the family room where I found my mother sitting on the couch reading a book. She looked up as I came in the room and said:

"I sure didn't expect you back this quick."

"Things just didn't work out."

She raised her eyebrows at that, but didn't say anything. After about a minute she said "Betty has called a half dozen times and someone named Nancy called and asked me to have you call her as soon as I saw you."

"Nancy Neubert. You should remember her. We went to school together and she was at some of my birthday parties."

"The blond with the braces?"

"That's her, but the braces are long gone."

I glanced at the clock and figured that Nancy wouldn't be in bed yet so I went out into the kitchen, picked up the phone and called her.

"Didn't expect to hear from you so soon."

"I should have called ahead instead of trying to surprise her."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It wasn't."

"The reason I called is that Mike had a death in the family and had to fly to Denver. He gave me the concert tickets. Would you like to go?"

"Sure."

"How about right now? You doing anything?"

"Not a thing?"

"You want to do something? And don't you dare ask what I have in mind."

"I can be there in twenty."

"I'll be ready."

As I was leaving mom asked me what she should tell Betty if she called again.

"Tell her to enjoy her college experience and I'll call her when I get discharged" and then I was gone before she could reply.

Nancy was waiting when I got to her place and she was out of the house and in the car before I even got it out of drive and into park. She opened the door, got in, slid over next to me and said "The Starlight is the closest. Go!"

On the way she asked me about the trip and I told her what had happened and she said "I don't like being an I told you so, but I did say you were being a little unrealistic in expecting her not to play."

"It isn't that. I'd already resigned myself to it. I knew she couldn't go without, but having it hit me in the face like it did was brutal."

"In a way I'm glad. It means that I'll be able to take advantage of the situation."

And take advantage of the situation she did!

I will never understand why the female of the species was designed to be able to go on and on and on and the male was shortchanged in that department. Try as hard as I might there wasn't any way in the world that I could have kept up with Nancy that night. She got five times out of me and was doing her absolute best to get a sixth out of me. She finally admitted defeat and curled up next to me and we faded off to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning Nancy was wrapped around me. When I stirred her eyes popped open and she said "Got to start the day out right and she reached for 'ole one eye' and started trying to work her magic. I thought she was wasting her time. I thought it would be sometime in the evening before I recovered enough from the hurt she had put on me before we fell asleep to be able to do her any good, but the girl proved me wrong. She was able to get one out of me before we showered and went to the Village Inn for breakfast.

After we ordered I asked "When I take you home am I going to have to worry about your dad and his shotgun?"

"Daddy is out of town on business, but even if he wasn't he understands that I am a big girl now. But you do need to get me home. I have a ten o'clock class that I can't afford to miss and I do need to change and get my book bag."

When I dropped her off at her house she said "I get home around four." It was said in a tone and in a way that I knew was an invitation and so I said "I can be here at five." She smiled, said "See you then" and got out of the car.

When I got home mom told me that Betty had called again. "I told her what you said I should tell her and the poor girl broke down and started crying. You need to talk to her Jack."

"Not a good idea mom. She really wouldn't want to hear what I might say right now. If we ever do talk it will need to be in the future after I've had time to get over a few things."

Mom let it drop and asked me what I would like for dinner and I told her that I had a dinner date with Nancy. She made a face at that, but then shook off whatever she was thinking and said:

"Try not to make any other plans for Sunday. I've invited the family to dinner so they can all see you."

"I'll be here, but be aware that I might bring a date."

She frowned, but didn't say anything.

My date with Nancy couldn't really be called a date in the regular sense of the word in that we didn't do what most people do on a date. We didn't have dinner, catch a show, or go dancing. When I picked her up I asked her what she would like to do and all she said was:

"You haven't forgotten the way to the Starlight have you?"

I did manage to find it and after several hours of strenuous exercise we did go out for a bite to eat. I told her about the family dinner on Sunday and asked her if she would like to be my date. I was surprised when she said no.

"It is too soon for me to start meeting family. We need to be a little farther along in our relationship before I'll be ready for that."

"That brings up a question. How are we ever going to develop a relationship if all we do is find a motel and get it on?"

"I'm not going to waste time building a relationship with you until you get out of the Army. A lot can happen in three years. Like I told you earlier I know me and I won't get into a serious relationship until I'm out of college and working and you will be home by then. What I am doing now is giving you reason to think that there might be an 'us' when you get home for good. I want you thinking about me while you are away.

"Another reason is I'm not sure how much time you would be able to spend on building a relationship with me this trip. There is no doubt in my mind that Betty isn't going to try and mend fences with you. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Betty isn't already home and trying to reach you or on her way. I'm not dumb Jack; I know that I've got an uphill fight to latch onto you. You and Betty have too much of a history for me not to believe that there is a good chance you both will get back together. Face it lover; you had already accepted that she would play while she at school."

"True, but another thing that I've pretty much accepted is that she will find someone there more to her liking and I will end up being replaced. Enough about Betty. What about the concert? Where it is and what time do we need to be there? What time do I have to pick you up?"

"At the fairgrounds and the concert starts at seven. If you pick me up at six we can probably get there early enough to get good seats. But that isn't until tomorrow night. What are we going to do for the rest of this night?"

"We have the motel room until checkout time tomorrow. We can stop at the store, get a deck of cards and go back to the room and play gin rummy."

"I'll go along with the playing part, but it damned sure won't be cards."

Nance had something to do with her parents in the morning so I had her home by eight. We kissed and I told her I would see her at six and then I headed on home.

Nancy hit the nail on the head when she said Betty was either already home or on the way. When I walked into the house I found Betty sitting at the kitchen table having coffee with my mom.

"There you are" Mom said, "We wondered if we would see you this morning." She looked at her watch and then said "Got to go or I'll be late for my hair appointment" and she got up and left me with Betty. Betty started to get up and I thought she probably intended to come over to me for a hug and a kiss and I said:

"Just stay there Betty. I'll get a cup of coffee and then join you at the table."

I got a cup (mom always had a pot on until noonish) and then sat down at the table and said "What brings you here at this hour Betty?"

"We need to talk Jack and since you won't return my calls I had to come here."

"I don't understand Betty. What is it that we have to talk about?"

"About what you walked in on when you came up to school."

"No need to talk about it Betty. I'd already come to terms with the fact that you weren't going to be a nun while you were up there. In fact, if you will remember, we had already discussed the matter."

"Then why did you react the way you did? Why wouldn't you stay and talk with me? Why did you drive off and leave me there calling after you?"

"Because it confirmed my fears and I just couldn't handle it."

"Confirmed your fears?"

"It all goes back to when you said you wouldn't wait for me and that I shouldn't expect you to be there when I came back. I knew then, in my heart, that you would meet someone at school and I'd lose you to him. We had our talk and I agreed with you on how to treat the years I would be gone. I accepted the fact that you would have sexual relationships and that was something that I could live with, but the problem is that I always knew in my heart you would end up in an emotional relationship and it would be over for us. Once I saw what was going on at the pizzeria I knew that we were over. There was no need for me to stick around and talk about it."

"Bullshit Jack! Of course there was a need for us to talk about it. I'm not emotionally involved with anyone. Tyler is just a guy I date from time to time."

"My turn to call bullshit! You had only been back at school for less than a week and the others at that table were treating the two of you like an established couple. That doesn't happen in less than a week. I saw the way you kissed and I heard the tone of your voice when you called him lover and when you said you were going to take it to a room or motel when you finished eating and I also saw that second lingering kiss. There isn't any doubt in my mind - none at all - that that could have happened in less than a week or with a guy you only dated from time to time. No way Betty. There was an established relationship there and we both know it."

"Okay Jack; I admit it. There is a relationship between Tyler and me, but it isn't an emotional one at least not in the romantic and inclined to be married sense. Tyler and I are in the same boat. He has a girlfriend back home, but he is like me. He needs a sex life. I knew early on that I needed to find a guy that I could stick with. If I bounced from guy to guy I would end up with the reputation of a round-heeled slut and I most definitely did not want that. When we graduate he will be going home to Maggie and I'll be coming home to you."

I wanted to believe her; I really did want to, but I couldn't. She was going to spend two more years with this Tyler guy and she wouldn't get emotionally involved? I didn't think so, but given the circumstances I could afford to take a wait and see position so I said:

"I've still got almost a year and a half to go on my enlistment so we will just have to wait and see where things are when I get back home."

"What about now?"

"What do you mean what about now?"

"How long are you home for and what are you going to do?"

"Twenty-five days left. I have enough money that I thought I could get a motel room and spend a week with you when you were out of class, but that didn't work out too well."

"It still can."

"I don't know if it can work now."

"Why not?"

"Because of you and this Tyler guy."

"He doesn't matter to me. You do."

"What are all of your friends going to think?"

"They will understand or they won't. It doesn't matter to me."

"Okay sweetie; I'll do it, but it won't be for a couple of days. I've committed to doing something for mom and dad since my trip to see you didn't work out."

That was an outright lie. I had nothing going with mom and dad, but I did have to deal with Nancy and in such a way that I wouldn't burn any bridges. And I had a big problem. I'd already committed to go to the concert with Nancy. Still, when it came down to choices it was always going to be Betty over Nancy. My new problem was how could I gracefully get out of the date and still keep some sort of a relationship with Nancy and all sorts of ideas were running through my mind when suddenly I got lucky. Betty misread the look on my face and said:

"You don't need to call the motel and get us a room. I wasn't sure how meeting with you would turn out so when daddy found out I was coming home this weekend he committed me to attend one of his business social functions and I told him I would go."

That took me off the hook where Nancy was concerned, but it did prompt a question. "Why does your father think he can commit you to do things like that?"

"Because he always has and I've never said no."

"But why?"

"Because there is usually a dance band and a lot of men don't bring their wives or dates and they can use a dance partner. And one of the other reasons I don't say no is that I will be going to work for daddy when I graduate and it will help me to know some of the people I'm going to be working with."

"No doubt there are a lot of single guys there also?"

"There are usually some."

The thought that planted in my mind was not good. I could see her father's hand in it, but wisely (at least I though it wise) I decided not to say a word. Then Betty smiled and said:

"If you wanted to pick me up at eight in the morning we probably could spend some time in a motel."

"Like I would say no?"

We moved to the living room and necked on the couch for a while until she had to leave. Before she left I told her about the family dinner set for the next day and asked her if she wanted to be my date.

"I'll do it, but I probably won't be too happy about it?"

"Why not? I thought you liked my family."

"I do, but it will cut into our motel time."

"I'll try to give you enough to hold you until I can get up to school and get a room and I can always keep the room and we can go back to it after the dinner and the social hour later."

"Deal!"

On the way to the fairgrounds I told Nancy about Bettys coming home and I told her about me going up to spend a week with her.

"It figures."

"What figures?"

"Just when I thought I was going to have you all to myself until your leave was up things change on me."

"That depends on you and what you are willing to settle for."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you have to decide on what you are willing to do. You said it yourself that you were facing an uphill fight. I'm not going to try and put a stop to your trying, but you have to decide whether you want what time I don't give to Betty or not. There isn't a doubt one in my mind that Betty won't go back to school and fuck this guy Tyler's eyes out to keep him on the line until I leave and they can get back to their friends with benefits relationship. I know she is going to be fucking someone else so I see no reason why I can't also. You can have as much time with me as you want when Betty isn't around, but only you can decide if you are willing to settle for that.

"Total honesty here Nance. Betty will always be my first choice. Only she can end us. If she decides she wants someone else there isn't anything I can do about it and we will be through. And you aren't the only one facing an uphill fight. In addition to what can happen up at school there is also the fact that her father can't stand me. He told me flat out when I first met him that I wasn't good enough for his little girl and he will do everything in his power to keep me from becoming a family member. Betty pooh poohs this and thinks she can bend him to see things her way. He will use his money and influence to keep me out of his family.

"I already know that she is going to go to work for him when she graduates and I just know he will be pushing her toward the up and coming single men in his companies and will do his best to set her up with the sons of his rich friends. It is by no means a sure thing that Betty and I will end up together."