Choices & Decisions Ch. 02

"Keep it," Dennis said as Norman James left the dining area. "Having to look at all us ugly rough necks? You earned it."

"Aw, not all of y'all are ugly," the waitress smiled and scampered away.

"Gentlemen," Dennis called out loudly. "Seminar in twenty minutes."

"Then I better go use the little boy's room," Clay said.

"Son, this is Texas," Jack affected an exaggerated drawl. "Ain't nothing little in Texas."

"Oh, I know that; just didn't want any of you guys to feel threatened," Clay smiled and the men laughed.

In the men's room, Terry and another man growled angrily at Clay, calling him an 'ass kiss' and 'suck up.'

"Gentlemen," Ray Greene said as he came out of another stall.

Terry and the second man shut up. Ray made quick work of washing and drying his hands and left the room.

"Mother fucker, you knew he was right there," Terry accused as Clay dried his hands.

"Yeah, Terry; I can see through walls," Clay said and shook his head.

Chapter 13

Clay smiled; Court's car was in the Visitor's space at the apartment. He turned off the car and sat, looking around at the apartment complex. Then, he grabbed the suitcase from the rear seat, zipped up his heavy coat, and pushed the car door open.

"Hey! I'm home!" Clay called out as he entered the apartment.

"Hey," Ash sullenly greeted him from the kitchen.

Court did not even greet him, just kept chopping the onions.

Clay looked at the two women, puzzled.

Then he went to his bedroom, put his suitcase on the bed, hung up his heavy coat and returned.

"Hey," he said, putting his arms around Ash from behind.

He kissed her neck, then felt her shake.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, turning her around to face him.

She resisted his efforts, but finally did turn. Clay looked at her tear streaked face.

"What? What happened?" he asked, concerned.

"How could you?" she sobbed and punched him on his chest.

"Ow, how could I what?" Clay asked as she punched him again.

"How could you?" she screamed, sobbing hard. "How could you make love to me, then just leave?"

"What?" Clay asked and caught her next attempted punch.

"You knew I was in love with you," Ash sobbed, struggling to pull her fist free. "You knew how much I loved you and then we make love and first job you get, 'la de dah bye, see you.'"

"And how could you?" Clay said and pulled Ash in for a hug. "Huh? How could you think I could ever leave you?"

He kissed her on her forehead, squeezing her tight.

"Huh? You really think I'd ever leave you? Or Court? Really?" he asked.

"But you took that job," Court defended.

"In Lowridge and that's what? Eight hundred miles away?" Ash said. "You're not going to drive that..."

"And there's Norman's College right there and I got you both admissions packets," Clay said. "And I rented us a two bedroom apartment and get this, it's got two bathrooms."

"You got..." Court digested the information.

"And if your grant doesn't transfer, I'll pay the tuition," Clay promised.

Ash leaned heavily against Clay, sobbing, but this time in relief.

"Really?" he asked, also hugging the now crying Court. "You really thought I'd ever leave you?"

"Well, I mean, you're all excited, they offered you a job in Houston or in Lowridge and..." Ash defended.

"And first thing I thought was 'Ash and Court would hate Houston,' I was there only a couple of days and I hated it so I asked Norman James; he's the owner of PPEDI and I asked him about Lowridge so we flew over there in his jet," Clay said.

"What did you tell him?" Court asked.

"What do you mean, what did I tell him? I told him I didn't care for Houston but..." Clay asked and stopped talking as Ash was trying to kiss him.

"About us," Court asked, indicating herself, Ash, and Clay with a wave of her hand.

"Told him the truth," Clay said when Ash pulled back and rested her head on his chest. "That I was a sucker for two college girls and needed to make sure they were taken care of."

"So, when do you start?" Ash asked, wiping her nose.

"January fourth; said there's no point in me getting out there only to have to turn around and come back here for the Holidays and all," Clay said.

"January, but that only gives us three, God! We better get busy!" Court said.

"Uh, first things first; weren't y'all making dinner?" Clay asked.

"Oh no! I only defrosted two leg quarters!" Ash said.

"Two, but you knew I was coming home tonight," Clay said.

"Yeah, but I figured you could learn how to eat on your own," Ash admitted.

"Mean, mean women, I swear," Clay said and pinched her on her rear.

"And we were going to put a lot of tomatoes in it," Court suggested with a giggle.

"Mean, mean women," Clay said and pinched Court on her rear as well.

"Oh, and oh my God, their Farmer's Market? God, Ash, you'd lose your mind," Clay said.

Ash did what she could to make a meal that they could all eat and both she and Court looked over the packets from Norman's College.

Then, Court kissed them both and prepared to leave the apartment.

"You sure you don't want me and Ash with you when you tell your momma?" Clay asked as Court zipped up the heavy coat.

"No, no, need to break it to her on my own," Court finally said.

"Okay," Ash said quietly, kissed her and went to her room.

Clay closed the door behind Court and went to his room. He smiled; Ash was gathering up her things for a bubble bath.

"Really?" Clay said as he unpacked his suitcase. "You really thought I'd just up and leave you?"

"Clay, I'm in love with you," Ash said from the doorway of his room. "But I've been in love with you forever. Like I had any idea how you feel about me?"

"I'm in love with you; thought for the longest time you were gay and thought, 'God, what a waste; I'd love to be with someone as beautiful and as sweet as her,'" Clay said and grabbed his clothes hamper. "Need that robe."

Ash looked at him for a moment, then smiled and shrugged out of the fluffy robe, revealing her nude body.

"Laundry can wait; shit, I'm not doing anything tomorrow," Clay said and put the hamper down.

"Go," Ash giggled as she scampered to the bathroom. "And don't forget; there's chicken bones and a wrapper in the garbage."

"Hate that stupid rule," Clay yelled as Ash laughed from the other side of the bathroom door.

As Clay was taking the trash out to the dumpster, Court was pulling up to her home. She felt a flood of relief; Mr. Harrison's car was parked behind her mother's car. She would be spared of making the announcement of her leaving to her mother and brother.

"No, no, damn it, Courtney; we need to grow up," Court said.

She said a silent prayer to God for strength and courage and got out of the car.

Inside, Court saw a few cardboard boxes and wrinkled her face in confusion.

"Oh, um, hi, you're here," Helen said, looking a little flustered.

"Hi, yeah, I uh, I'm here; where's Trevor?" Court asked, nodding to Cole Harrison.

"He uh, he's in his room, he's uh..." Helen stammered.

"I asked, I uh, I got a place about seven blocks over," Cole stammered.

Court smiled, getting the picture. This was going to be a little easier than she'd thought.

Mom, I talk with you? And with Trevor?" Court said. "And uh, I guess you too, Mr. Harrison; you're going to hear about it anyway."

She did tighten her face slightly when Doug followed Trevor out of Trevor's room but bit her lip and plunged ahead.

"Clay took a job in Texas, in Lowridge, Texas and he's asked Ash and me to go with him," she blurted out.

"He know about you and Ash?" Helen asked after the shock wore off.

"What about her and Ash?" Trevor asked.

"Yes, he knows about me and Ash," Court said, shutting her eyes as her face flamed bright red.

"Wait, you mean, ew! You and that girl are...? Y'all do that?" Doug screeched.

"Shush, Doug," Helen barked.

"Her and that girl are what?" Trevor asked.

"They're gay, Trevor," Doug shrilled.

It was easier to have her family think that she was gay than to try to explain to them that she was actually bisexual, that she was in a relationship with both Clay and Ash.

While Court was listening to her mother and Trevor tell her about their upcoming move, Clay was pulling the last of his clothes out of the dryers.

Clay returned to their apartment to find Ash stretched out, face

Down on his bed.

He smiled as she wordlessly held up a bottle of lotion.

"Ew, it smells all girly," he mock complained when he squirted some into his hand.

"Guess what?" Ash mumbled. "I am all girly."

"Yes you are," he agreed and kissed her left buttock as he took her left foot into his hands.

She moaned in appreciation as he massaged the lotion into her skin. He wanted to rush, to skip her feet, calves and thighs and just go straight for her cute little bottom. But he slowly, steadily worked the floral scented lotion into her.

"I love you so much; I was so broken-hearted when I thought you were leaving me," Ash mumbled into her pillow.

"And it breaks my heart you'd even think that," Clay admitted as he started on her right foot.

She pulled her long hair aside as he began to rub her lower back. Her phone chimed from the other room and she jerked slightly.

"Want me to get that; it might be Court," Clay asked.

"Yeah," she mumbled, languid, relaxed.

"It is Court; it says 'Yes' and has a bunch of smiley faces," Clay announced and slid the phone into her hand as he again began to rub her back.

"Yes what?" Ash asked out loud as she typed the message.

"Yes, Texas," Court responded with a bunch more smiley faces.

In her room, Court looked, tried to decide what to bring, what to throw away, and what to ask her mother, and Mr. Harrison to store for her.

"I uh, I grew up in Weeding, Texas; about forty miles northwest of that Lowridge," Cole said from the doorway.

"No kidding?" Court asked, smiling as she decided she definitely bring her cowboy hat and boots.

"Yeah, it's uh, um, alternative lifestyles? Uh, this Chinese girl moved into our neighborhood? They found out she had her a white husband? There was actually talk about burning their trailer down," Cole said. "I mean, Lowridge is a college town so they might be a little more open-minded, but you got to remember, it's still an oil town and it's in Texas, and Lowridge is right there on the Bible belt."

"Thanks, Mr. Cole," Court smiled as she flipped open one of the five boxes Cole had brought to her bedroom for her.

"Just be careful," Cole said, relieved that the talk had gone a little easier than he'd thought it would. "Anyone gets in your face, just back off, and let them think they won the fight. Ain't nothing worth getting killed over."

Clothing, books. A few of the keepsakes, the mementos Court had scattered around her room just didn't hold the same sentimental value they had held just a few months ago.

She found a birthday card and smiled. Trevor had just learned Braille and had brailed out he loved her.

That memento went into her box for her to keep. Even if Trevor had misspelled Courtney's name, it was the first thing he'd ever written.

"You told your dad yet?" Helen asked from the doorway.

"Think I really need to?" Court asked.

"He's your dad," Helen said simply.

"Really? Thanks for clearing that little mystery up," Court wanted to say.

"I know he's my father, but he's really not much of a dad," Court said and dumped some more summer clothes into the box. "But if you really think I need to tell him, then I will."

"I'd appreciate it," Helen agreed.

"Because I'd rather he hear it from you and not from me, she thought as she walked back to her own bedroom.

"Listen, I got to go," Cole said as Helen entered the bedroom. "Got to let Samson and Delilah out; didn't realize it's already nine o'clock."

"I go with you?" Trevor asked. "I want to see the dogs."

"Yeah, sure," Cole said after getting a head nod from Helen. "Need get your toothbrush and something sleep in, all right?"

"Courtney, honey, we're leaving," Helen called out.

Court decided the rest of her packing could wait until the morning, shot Clay and Ash a text message and pulled on her coat.

Ash was already sound asleep; her emotions had run high all day, then had plummeted when she found out that she would be going with her man instead of being left behind. Then, a steaming, soothing bubble bath, a loving massage from her man, then making warm, slow love with her man.

She snored lightly, unaware that there was a text message waiting for her on her phone. Next to her, Clay was almost asleep, but he had read the text and was waiting on Court.

Clay opened the door and smiled as Court rushed in, shivering from the cold.

"They said 'yes' and I'm coming with you to Texas," she enthused.

"And I love you," she said as she flung her coat to the couch and kissed him.

"And I love you too; ooh, that nose is so cold," he laughed. "Need to go put that on Ash, hear?"

Ash was vaguely aware of the bed jostling and assumed Clay had gone to the bathroom and was just getting back into bed.

She shrieked when two ice cold hands grabbed her naked buttocks and a cold face was pressed against her bare shoulder blade.

"Damn it, Court!" she screamed as Court and Clay laughed. "It's not funny!"

"Then why are we laughing?" Court asked and kissed her.

Chapter 14

Clay drove the large U-Haul and towed Court's car behind the large truck. In front of him, Ash and Court drove his Chrysler and towed Ash's car behind them. Derek, Ash's brother, had finally gotten off his fat ass and finished repairing the small car just in time for their road trip.

He nodded his head 'yes' when the passenger window of his car came down and Court stuck her hand out and pointed. He put the right blinker on and slowed down to take the exit.

At Waffle House, they again memorized the address of their new apartment and figured they'd be there in roughly three hours.

"Hey, Durbin?" Clay said into his cell phone. "Yeah, about three hours all right?"

"Durbin? That a guy or a girl?" Ash asked and smiled tightly as Clay's completely unhealthy meal was put in front of him.

Court stuck her tongue out at Ash and dug in to her All-Star breakfast as well.

"And a BLT, toasted, not grilled; anything else?" the waitress asked, butting Ash's dinner down.

"Durbin's his last name, don't ask me what his first name is," Clay said.

Their math was pretty good and Durbin and his four men were also pretty good at math and made quick work of unloading the U-Haul and the three automobiles. With the exception of a bathroom adjoining the larger, front bedroom, the layout of the new apartment was nearly identical to the old one. The kitchen even had the same number of cupboards so Clay had no trouble putting their plates and cups away.

He smiled as he purposefully put the wrong blades with the wrong food processors.

"Got the girls in the front bedroom?" Durbin asked and two of his men nodded their heads.

"Mr. James' already took care of all that," Durbin said when Clay reached for his wallet.

"Hey Mom; yeah, we're here, just finished unpacking, yeah, okay, love you," Ash said into her cell phone.

"Hey, Mr. Cole, yeah, we're here, God, I'm worn out and I didn't even do anything," Court said into her phone.

Clay felt an odd emptiness as he listened to Ash talking to her mother, her father and her brother and Court talking to her mother, her brother, and her mother's lover, and even Doug. He had told his mother about his move and the first thing his mother said was she had no money for him to borrow.

Ash hung up her phone and looked, puzzled, when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, it's Clay, I uh, just wanted to let you know, I'm here, in Texas, yeah, yeah, I'm safe and sound, whew what a trip, I am beat, you hear?" Clay said.

"Hey," Ash said, finding him in the kitchen.

"Hey, had no one else to call," Clay said.

"Well, you always got me," Ash agreed and kissed him.

"Yeah Dad, I'm here, we're here, yes Dad, I know, all the trees in Louisiana lean to the west because Texas sucks," Court said and looked up as Clay and Ash walked past, heading toward the bedroom.

"Got to go Dad; we still got a lot of unpacking to do," Court said, already kicking off her shoes.

She wanted to laugh; Ash was making Clay make the bed before they used it to make love.

"I just cannot stand to get into an unmade bed," Ash smiled and kissed Court and helped Court slip out of her blouse.

"I remember you used to not even own a set of sheets," Clay complained.

"Uh huh, and then I moved in with Mr. Neat Freak," Ash agreed and shuddered as Court bent and kissed her nipple, then gave it a quick little lick.

Court placed her clothing on top of Ash's clothing on the small padded vanity chair and squealed when Clay gave her buttock a pinch.

The pillows were then arranged and Ash pulled Court down onto the bed and gave her a soft kiss. Their kiss grew in intensity and they began to fondle each other's breasts.

"Mmm," Ash sighed as she and Court lay back, lay on the soft comforter.

"You scared?" Ash asked Court.

"Scared? Of what?" Court asked.

"We moved halfway across the country; don't know a soul out here, I'm scared to death," Ash admitted softly as Clay lay down behind her and pulled her tightly against him.

"Well, yeah, that, but Ash, we're here together," Court admitted and kissed her again.

"I love you," Ash murmured over her shoulder to Clay.

Clay pulled Ash into the center of the bed then began to kiss his way down to her pussy. Court pulled his legs over and began to fondle his balls and erect cock. Ash rolled back onto her left side and pulled Court's legs closer and lightly rubbed Court's wet slit.

Clay urged Ash's right leg up and pushed his mouth to her slit.

"Mmph!" Ash moaned as Clay lightly tongued her clitoris.

Ash pushed her mouth over Court's wet pussy and jammed her tongue into Court. Court slid her mouth over the head of Clay's cock and continued to fondle his heavy balls.

Court was the first to orgasm, then Ash drenched Clay's face with her own excitement and Clay pumped his semen into Court's sucking mouth.

In the morning, Clay dressed in his best suit and went to his new office. Court and Ash cleaned the kitchen; there was a new rule in place. Ash and Court did the cooking and the cleaning, Clay did the earning.

Clay also still did the trash duties and laundry duties while Ash and Court did the student duties.

The bathroom that adjoined the larger bedroom had a walk in shower and both girls availed themselves of it, soaping up each other's backs, then soaping up each other's fronts and found out, a twenty five gallon water tank is not conducive for making love in a shower.

"Cold, cold, cold," they both complained as they rinsed the soap off their skin.

Then they used Ash's car and drove out to see the campus of Norman's College.

"God, it's beautiful," they agreed and even walked around the quadrangle, trying to guess what buildings their classes would be in.

Clay came home that evening and smiled. Obviously, Ash had located the local farmer's market; the apartment was filled with the smells of her cooking.

"And there's our man," Court said.

"Uh huh; remember? I'm not talking to him," Ash said.

"You're not?" Clay asked, bending and kissing Court. "Why not?"

"You know why not," Ash accused.

"I do?" Clay asked.

"Osterizer blades do not go with the Hamilton Beach food processor, you big butt hole," Ash complained and punched him.

Then she kissed him.

"But how was your first day at the office?" she asked and began chopping up the vegetables for the stove top grill pan.

Later that night, just as Clay was about to drift off to sleep, ash rolled over and put her head on his chest.