Hartstein Ch. 11

Callie laughed and scooted out of reach of his free hand, and then went about policing the area of the remaining food and empty containers, putting them in a plastic garbage bag and tying it securely before tucking it away for the time being.

Paul decided to use the interlude to learn some things about the girls and began by asking Nadine why she wanted to be treated so disparagingly by the group. "I mean," He added, "you had to have had an ulterior motive, everyone does when doing what you've done.

Nadine retreated into her shy mode until goaded by Callie and Marti to tell him.

"It's---it's not easy to talk about, especially to a guy."

"Now that's pure bullshit, Nadine, and you know it!" he growled. "You'd have me over to tie you up and smack you around, so you wanted to be punished, but why Nadine?"

She lowered her head and refused to meet his eyes.

"So ... you feel guilty about something. You feel a need to be punished?"

She nodded again.

"So what the fuck are we talking about here? C'mon Nadine--- open up a little. Clue me in, maybe I can offer a guys perspective and help out."

"It's---it's Joey, you know him, right?"

It was Paul's turn to nod affirmatively.

"Joey---Joey asked me if I'd set a wedding date yet last night."

"And?" Paul said after Nadine paused for a long moment.

"Well, I said yes. I mean, we---we've been seeing each other for four months, you know, with everything that goes with seeing someone ... and he gave me a beautiful engagement ring and all."

Marti jumped in, saying, "It's a beautiful ring maybe three carats and well, it's really something!"

"Where is it, I'd like to see it and notice you're not wearing it," Paul said trying to avoid sounding sarcastic, but he had serious doubts about Nadine, or the others sincerity in the matter of her engagement.

"I umm, left it home. I feel like I've misrepresented myself to him," Nadine sounded miserable and for the first time, Paul began to think she had a real and not feigned problem in her relationship with Joey.

"Is it because you've fucked around a little during your relationship? I mean, lots of people do that. It's like having a last fling or two before settling down."

Just then Paul had a thought, and changed his course of inquiry, asking Nadine: "You know, the first time we met---back at the party---all three of you, I mean," he pointed a finger at Nadine and continued, "You told everyone, and I quote: 'I used to sit on this guy's face.'"

Marti's jaw fell open in surprise.

Callie gulped, but didn't change her expression. But Nadine's face flushed with embarrassment and she raised her hands trying to cover her face.

"No---no, you can't take the words back, Nadine," Paul said forcefully. "You sat on this guy's face. You said it, and you said: 'He begged me for it. I didn't tie him up or anything, but he would lie on the bed and I'd just sit on him. Sometime we did it for like an hour, but there was no sex! It was all we ever did!'"

When Paul paused, the room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Paul reached out and raised Nadine's face with his right hand. "The guy---the guy you're talking about was Joey, wasn't it?"

As Nadine nodded in agreement the tears began to flow, and then she began sobbing. Callie and Marti rushed to her with comforting words and hugs.

Paul swallowed and said: "You don't have to marry the guy, Nadine. No one's holding a gun to your head. Surely you and your friends here can think of a rational reason for calling the whole thing off.

I mean I wouldn't wait until the last minute and leave him standing at the altar. That would be mortifying to him and show a lack of respect on your part. I'm not sure I should be handing out platitudes' like this, but I really don't know what else to say and so I'm going to shut up."

And he sat down and kept quiet as the others tended to Nadine's troubled mind.

Less than twenty minutes later Nadine had calmed down and with the help of Callie and Marti, had formulated sound reasons for calling off the engagement.

"May I suggest," Paul said as he dressed,

"tonight never happened. It's our secret. It's no one else's business, especially Joey's, or his buddies. Can we agree?"

All three girls, in various stages of dressing, readily agreed.

"Can we see you again, Paul?" Marti inquired.

Paul laughed. "Of course, but I think we'd better make it one on one dates. The three of you are a little too much to handle. I mean, tonight was certainly a night to remember, and I will. But gee, I don't think I want to try doing this again, although I will cherish it forever."

________________________________________

The following Friday night Paul was at Ovid's Eye, listening to a new band that he had heard was the next thing to the Rolling Stones when he happened on his former roomie, Miles David and his girl, Jade Como, she of the wide mouth, great ass and of course, at least according to Miles, natural 34-D breasts.

"Have you heard the latest, Paul?" Miles asked with a grin.

"Umm, I'm not sure," Paul replied trying not to stare at Jade's breasts which were losing the battle to remain contained in the loose fitting dress she had chosen for the evening.

"You tell him, Jade," Miles said, thinking his date would relish the choice piece of gossip he wanted to share.

"Oh no, Miles, you do the honors, I'm sure Paul would rather hear it from you."

Paul noted the sarcasm in her voice, and that Miles missed it. He turned to his former roomie and college football teammate and said, "Looks like you get to tell me. So what's the juicy tidbit?"

"Joey and Nadine have split up." Miles said with a wry grin.

"They umm, were engaged weren't they?"

"Sure were, we were waiting for the wedding invitation, you know? And suddenly they broke it off. Joey's shook up, really shook up."

"Was any particular reason given?" Paul inquired, watching Jade's face for signs that she'd been clued in by the girls.

"She's not saying---at least not to us. Joey hasn't said anything either. He's not pissed, or so it seems. I think there's got to be a reason, but it beats the shit outta me."

"I'm sure there's a reason, Miles. I mean, there's always a reason. Thing is, we don't always get to know it. You know, one of them might have something seriously wrong, and after telling the other decided not to burden the other with it. You know, the 'in sickness' part of the marriage oath."

"Oh ... I hadn't thought of that," Miles answered.

Paul caught Jades snicker and filed it away.

Paul bought a round of drinks as the band came on. Miles excused himself to go to the men's room, and Jade leaned toward Paul, providing him with a decent look at her twin globes down to the areolas.

"You are so full of shit, Paul."

"Maybe," he conceded. "I am a writer. I make things up."

"I've heard things about you," she said as she pushed a card toward him. "Good things. I'd like it if you called that number on a Tuesday around seven."

Paul took the card and put it in his pocket. "Around seven, huh? Doesn't Miles program go on at eight-thirty?"

"Strangely enough it does," she said and squeezed his left knee. "This Tuesday works for me, Paul.

Oh, here comes Miles. Miles, this band is terrific, isn't it?"

To be continued...