Decisions, Decisions

Julie shook her head, "No, I was still living with my folks when I married Tony. He had his own apartment, so I moved in there after the wedding."

Les gave it one more shot, but Julie was adamant about learning to live on her own. Once again, we made sure she had everything she needed before we left. Seeing Julie in that kind of pain was tearing at my own heart. It was a subdued ride home. We were both worried about our friend.

When we got home, I thought about Arnold, I hadn't talked to him in a while. I heated up a cup of coffee and sat in my recliner in anticipation of a long conversation. "Hi, Brian, how's it going?"

"Funny, that was going to be my question to you, how are YOU doing?"

"Ah, it's touch and go, you know; I'm fine one minute and find it hard not to break down the next."

"Yeah, Julie is the same way."

"Is she still staying at your place?"

"No, we just got back from helping her move into her own apartment."

"Good for her!" he said ardently.

"Arnie, why don't you come on over? I have three sports channels, I'm sure we can find someone to root for."

"I appreciate the offer, Brian, but I have the kids this weekend. They're putting their toys away right now, then we're going over to Putt-Putt to play some miniature golf."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Arnie, I didn't mean to encroach on time with your kids."

"No, no, that's okay, like I said, they're putting their toys away anyway. I am going to let you go though. Thanks for calling, maybe we can get together next weekend."

"I'd like that, just let me know, Arnie." I heard my wife call out from the kitchen as we hung up.

"Is Arnie coming over, Hon? Should I make some dip?"

"No, he has the kids this weekend."

Les came out to the living room with her own cup of coffee and sat on the couch. "How did he sound?"

"He sounded okay, but I'm sure the kids have a lot to do with that. He said he's still struggling with his emotions, and I'm sure being a part-time dad like that isn't helping. He lives for those kids."

"I know he does. What a mess, I wish we had a time machine and could go back."

"And have to go through this all over again? No thanks."

"That's not what I mean and you know it; maybe we could have stopped it somehow. If I had known what Sara was thinking, I might have been able to talk her out of it."

"Yeah, well, we don't have a time machine and the situation is what it is. Our happy little sextet is no longer. It would be nice if both Arnie and Julie find someone new, but I think the chances of that happening are slim to none, at least for a while."

"Why do you say that? They're both wonderful people, why are you so pessimistic?"

"I don't know, it's just that most of the divorced people I know are having a hard time of it. You heard Julie today; she thought they were happy. Hell, we all thought they were happy. You don't think she's going to be bitter going forward? The next guy she gets serious about will have to be a cross between Superman and Jesus Christ for her to trust him not to break her heart like Tony did.

"And poor Arnie, he not only has to find someone who'll be a good wife, but she has to be a good stepmother to his kids as well. That's going to be more crucial for him than the wife part.

"It's hard enough finding a life partner when you're young and naïve; being betrayed like Julie and Arnie were makes it ten times harder the next time around."

"I hope you're wrong. Maybe we can both be on the lookout for someone."

"No, you don't," I replied, "we're going to let them live their own lives according to their own schedules."

I wanted to ask Les if she was still talking to Sara, but chickened out. I knew we were both in the mood to show our love for each other later that night and didn't want to spoil it.

It turned out to be a good decision. We were still eating dinner when she started dropping hints about going to bed early. I was not opposed to her suggestions. It was barely nine o'clock when she asked me if I was ready. I started to follow her upstairs but she asked me to give her just a couple of minutes before joining her. I asked how long she needed and she told me I'd know when she was ready.

I waited downstairs but only for a few minutes. When I heard Sinatra singing, "Love is Here to Stay," from our bedroom, I knew it was my cue. I took the stairs two and a time and followed the music into the glowing candlelight illuminating our room. Les had changed into a slinky, floor length nightgown I'd never seen before. My face gave me away.

"You like?" she purred as she stepped up to give me a kiss.

"I love," I replied as I put my arms around her and kissed her back.

Next she had me sit on the edge of the bed as she slithered out of her nightgown. Damn! Under it, she had a matching set of lingerie including a tiny, push-up bra, matching panties, and a garter holding up sheer nylons in the same color red. As she started dancing slowly and sensually to the music, I told her I was about to come in my pants.

"Oh, no you're not," she said, kneeling in front of me, "you're going to come in my mouth." She quickly undid my belt and pulled my pants down to my ankles. It only took a minute, maybe less, before I shot my load down her throat. It took me a moment to recover, then it was my turn.

I dropped down on my knees and felt her fingers stroking my hair as I started pulling her panties down with my teeth. I could hear the delicate fabric tearing but I didn't care; I'd buy her a new pair. "Oh, God," she cried with excitement as I tugged at the panties with the savagery of a Pit Bull. The side of the dainty garment finally ripped in two and hung salaciously down one leg, partially exposing only a portion of the pussy I loved.

I stood up, swooped her up in my arms, and laid her down on the bed before removing the rest of her clothes in a more traditional way. That night, we made love until the sun came up.

Arnie did come over the following weekend. I never saw any tears, but he was quieter than usual. Les convinced him to stay for dinner and actually got him to open up a little. I think it helped him to get some of it off his chest. He said the hardest part of missing Sara was waking up in the morning without feeling her arms around him. Like Juile, he searched for reasons behind the cheating but came up empty.

He also talked about missing the kids and tucking them in at night. What was once a nightly routine was now four nights a month.

Unfortunately, over time, my predictions were truer than not. Arnie worked out a deal with Sara where he got the kids every weekend. She told him she was doing it out of the goodness of her heart. She knew how much he missed them, and after all, she had them all week, but she wasn't fooling Arnie; he knew she wanted the weekends for dating.

He, on the other hand, had little interest in dating. He stayed home most nights watching old TV reruns that reminded him of better times. I did my best to keep in touch, but it was always me who made the initial phone call, or sometimes, the invitation for an occasional beer after work.

Julie was doing a little better, but not much. She was at least dating, but like I predicted, after two or three dates with the same guy, she'd find some kind of red flag and cut him loose. I don't know if she realized it or not, but it was obviously a self-preservation device.

We were approaching the end of another Chicago winter without much change. Les and I, like every year, had spent Christmas Eve with her parents and Christmas Day with mine, but we both missed our usual New Year's Eve party with the gang. It was always the six of us plus a few other friends and we always had a great time. Instead, Les and I spent New Year's alone in the house watching the ball drop. We did celebrate by dancing in the sheets later that night.

By the end of February, I had pretty much forgotten about any insecurities in my own marriage. Leslie still hadn't come completely down from my surprise Valentine's Day weekend which included a posh room at the Hyatt, breakfast in bed, two romantic dinners, and theater tickets. I was still reaping the benefits a week later.

March came in like a lion with five inches of snow. I was cold and tired when Les met me at the door with her usual kiss as I returned home from work. She had a fresh pot of hot coffee for me and waited until I took my first sip.

"You're going to have to step it up on Valentine's Day from now on if you want to keep up with Levi," she said.

Suddenly, some of those insecurities were coming back, "Levi... who the hell is Levi," I asked, "and why is giving my wife Valentine's Day presents?"

"Not me, silly. He's the guy Julie's been dating for the last four months. He took her skiing on a Valentine's Day vacation."

"Skiing? I didn't know she skied."

"She doesn't, or at least didn't. He arranged for a couple of lessons for her when they first got there, then he took her to the bunny hill. She said he was so patient with her she felt guilty because I guess he can really ski, but he spent the whole time helping her."

"She's been dating the same guy for four months, I think that's a record, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think so. She really seems to like this guy. I hope he's the real thing and not just some player."

"Yeah, me too. So, when do we get to meet Mr. Perfect?"

"I don't know; she didn't mention anything about getting together. I was thinking about having a Memorial Day cookout, what do you think?"

"That's three months from now, Honey; we don't get to meet him till then? What if she drops him beforehand? That's a distinct possibility you know."

"It's a possibility but I don't think it'll happen. She's absolutely gaga over this guy, and from what she says, it seems to be mutual. We can invite some of our other friends as well and we have to make sure Arnie comes and brings the kids."

Just the way she said it; the inflection in her voice, like he needed to come with the kids, I knew she had something up her sleeve. "Les... what are you up to?"

She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye. "There's a woman at work..."

"Les, I said..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you said but listen to me, her name is Sabrina and she loves kids; the problem is, she can't have any. She and her former husband tried for a couple of years but it never happened. They finally got tested and found out there was a problem with her eggs. When her husband found out, he divorced her."

"Nice guy," I sarcastically remarked.

"Yeah, she's been through a lot. She deserves a good man in her life, Brian."

"Les, you can't force two people together."

"I'm not forcing anything, Honey; I simply want to introduce them and let nature take its course." I don't like meddling in other people's affairs, but Les is usually a pretty good judge of character so I backed off.

The following month we went out to dinner with Julie and Levi. My big brother protection syndrome kicked in and I carefully scrutinized every square inch of him. He was intelligent, personable, and had a great sense of humor... he was perceptive as well. Toward the end of the evening the girls went to powder their noses leaving him and I alone at the table.

"You think Leslie will give me a favorable rating?"

I was going to play dumb. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, come on, Brian. We both know the reason they went to the bathroom together; right now, Julie is asking your wife what she thinks of me."

I smiled, "I'm sure my wife is giving you a glowing endorsement."

"And what about you? You've been watching me like a hawk all night. I hate to sound insecure, but Julie told me how supportive you guys have been. She thinks the world of both of you and I think the world of her, so your opinion is very important to me."

He was obviously straightforward, too. I liked that, and answered in kind, "Are you ever going to break her heart?"

"God, no. I've never met anyone like Julie before. When she told me her ex cheated on her, I found it hard to believe; I mean, who in their right mind would chance losing someone like her for any reason, let alone a stupid tryst? I'd never do anything to lose her trust or respect."

Words are cheap, I wanted more. "What is it about Julie that you find so attractive?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Aside from her physical attributes, she's a genuinely nice person. I don't think she has a malicious bone in her body. On our first date, it took me about fifteen minutes to know I was seeing and talking to the real Julie. She didn't try to put on airs or strike any kind of attitude, she was honest about who she is; I think that's when I fell in love with her."

"That soon; fifteen minutes into your first date?"

"Sometimes you just know, Brian; you meet someone who completes you and you just know you want to spend the rest of your life with them. I'll bet you experienced the same thing with Leslie, you just knew she was the one."

Even the skeptic in me was satisfied; it may have taken me longer than fifteen minutes, but there's a point when you just know it's right, "Okay, Levi, you've convinced me. Please don't let me down."

"I won't, Brian. I want to ask her to marry me, but after what she went through with her ex, I think it might be too soon."

"I don't know what to tell you, there; Les would be the one to ask."

A few days later I got a call from an unknown number, "This is Brian Lundewal."

"Hi, Brian, it's Levi, how are you?"

"I'm good, Levi, what can I help you with?"

"I never got a chance to ask your wife about marrying Julie the other night. Would you mind if I called her?"

"No, of course not."

"Then, would you mind giving me her number?"

I chuckled, "I guess that would help, wouldn't it?"

When I got home that night, I was greeted the usual way, with a kiss from my lovely wife. Usually, after her kiss, I would return it with a peck on the lips before going upstairs to change out of my suit, but instead, I closed my eyes and started rubbing my temples like a mind reader. "I'm getting strong vibrations from you, Les. I sense a disturbance In your regular routine. A... a phone call from another man, a man with romantic intentions."

The look on her face was priceless; I had her going, but not for long. "Oh, he called you to get my number, didn't he?" she asked while slapping my arm.

"Who?" I asked, trying to keep it going but she saw right through me.

"You know darn well who."

"So, what'd you tell him?"

"To hold off for a couple of months."

"Why, I thought she was apeshit over the guy?"

"She is, but she's also still a little gun-shy. She needs to be more comfortable with the situation."

"I'll bet Levi wasn't too happy to hear that."

"Actually, he took it in stride and thanked me for being honest. He understands; I really like him."

"Yeah, me too, I just hope he's as genuine as he seems. Hey, maybe he'll propose at the barbecue."

"Then you've decided to have it?"

"Yeah, why not; we'll invite a few people we haven't seen in a while."

"Can I invite Sabrina, the woman from work I told you about?"

"My dear, you can invite anyone you want," then I thought for a second, "except Tony and Sara."

"She hasn't even seen Tony in months," Leslie said.

Well, I thought, that answers that unasked question. I was disappointed that she was still talking to Sara, but evidently, she was capable of supporting both Julie and Sara; whether either of them knew she was maintaining her friendship with the other, I have no idea, I just know it was something I couldn't do.

She continued, "Have you heard anything about Tony, lately?"

"No, and I don't care to."

"Well, Sara thinks he got fired from his job. She heard through the grapevine that he showed up with liquor on his breath and that was it, they canned him."

"There must have been more to it than that," I said; "he's worked there for twelve years or more."

"Yeah, I'm guessing it wasn't the first time. I understand he started drinking pretty heavily after the divorce."

I wasn't like my wife; I really didn't care. "Let's talk about something else, huh? I couldn't care less about what happens to Tony."

Les looked at me and I could see disappointment in her eyes. "Brian," she said in an exasperated voice, "he's your best friend, maybe if you'd had shown him a little support he wouldn't have turned into a drunk."

Once again, I got angry. "He WAS my best friend, Les, he's NOT my friend any longer, not my BEST friend, not ANY kind of friend, when are you going to get that through your head?

"Look, you're still friends with Sara. I don't agree with that, but I respect your decision, please respect mine, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," she answered with a small sigh. "Diner's almost ready; why don't you go up and change," which is exactly what I did. For the next week, we kind of avoided one another again, and again, I was even more pissed at our former friends for disturbing the usual peace and harmony in my own marriage. Leslie eventually apologized and we had some great make-up sex.

It rained almost every day for the first three weeks in May. I was looking into renting a large overhead tent for the party when the sun came out and stayed out. Les and I were still setting up the tables and getting everything ready when I heard Levi's voice. I looked over and saw him coming around the side of the house with a smile and a case of beer. "We thought you might need a hand with getting things set up."

I looked but didn't see Julie. "Where's your better half?"

"She went inside to see if she could help Leslie with the food."

"Yeah, I appreciate the help. The beer goes in one of those coolers," I said, indicating their location with a nod.

After filling the cooler, he came over and helped me set up one of the folding tables. Just then, Les and Julie came out with a few bowls of snacks. Levi and I spread a paper tablecloth down and the girls anchored it down with the bowls so it wouldn't blow off in the breeze. With Julie and Levi's help, we had everything ready with time to spare, so we each popped the top on a beer and sat down to relax.

After some light conversation, I walked over to get the grill ready. Levi asked if he could use the washroom and Les told him where it was. I guess the girls thought both of us guys were out of earshot. Julie leaned toward Les, "Tony's moved back in with his parents, can you imagine that?"

"Gloating a little bit, are we?" Les asked with a smile.

"Yeah, maybe a little; he ripped my heart out, Les. I think I have a right to gloat."

"I agree," Les told her, "and now you have a new man in your life. You should be proud of yourself, you didn't let Tony bring you down; in fact, it's just the opposite."

"Thanks, Les, yeah, Levi is quite a guy. You know, so far, we've never had a cross word with each other? That doesn't mean he gives in to everything I say and do. He lets me know when he disagrees with me, but he does it so logically it's hard to argue with him," she said with a chuckle.

Just then we heard the gate and a woman I didn't know walked in with a large bowl. "Sabrina," Les yelled, welcoming her friend, "I'm so glad you could make it." Les introduced her to all of us as her friend from work and a few minutes later our neighbors showed up with their two kids. It wasn't long after that when Arnie showed up with his two kids, Angela, and Evie. It'd been a while since I'd seen them and couldn't believe how they'd grown.

By one o'clock, the party was in full swing. I was busy manning the grill but kept an eye on Les to make sure she wasn't trying to push Arnie and Sabrina together. Thankfully, she introduced them and then left them alone. When it came time to eat, we all paired up and sat at one of three long aluminum folding tables. The kids took one and the adults the other two. I smiled as Arnie squeezed in next to Sabrina who scooted over to make room for him. Just then, I felt a slight jab in my ribs. I looked over to see my wife looking at me with a triumphant grin.