Making Choices

"Carlie, how you all doing here, honey?"

"Mr. Harrier," she said. "I'm not going to tell you again not to address me by my first name. We're not friends and if you call me honey one more time I'm going to make a complaint that you're creating a hostile work environment."

His jaw dropped. "You some kind of a dyke?" he was very angry. Of course that could be the only possible explanation for any woman not dropping to her knees in front of him.

"Your wife certainly didn't complain when I was licking her pussy," Carlie said. "She thought my tongue was bigger than your cock."

The girls gasped and he actually drew his hand back. I stood up and he got a look at me. He probably had me by twenty pounds and ten years but he was a bully and bullies really don't want to find any surprises. He didn't know me, so he went back and got in his truck.

"Girls, I'm so sorry I spoke like that," she said. "That man has been pestering me ever since I came here and I was sick of it. That's no excuse. I'm very sorry."

Bre hugged her. "That's okay, Miss Brooks. We don't like him anyway. He watches all the young girls on his track team. He's a creeper."

Carlie looked at me and we both burst out laughing. "Remind me not to piss you off," I told her. "You've got a mean streak there, Carlie."

The first runners started showing up and we were busy as bees for a while. I asked the girls if they wanted to take Carlie out for wings afterward, and they were very excited about that. She agreed to go with us and we went home and cleaned up. I know this place that has some of the best wings on the planet. It was called Hackett's and it was run by an old friend of mine. He was an elderly black man from Memphis, and he knows how to do wings. We had a blast and I didn't want it to end. Carlie and the girls kept my mind off of Sarah, and it felt good to just be human for a while. It couldn't last and when I got home I had a dozen missed calls from her on my phone. I had turned it off all day and it lit up like a Christmas tree the minute I turned it on.

I got the girls in bed and called her.

"Shell, I need to talk to you," she said. "Can I come over?"

"Don't you have a date?" I asked her. "Is Asshole too busy?"

She sobbed. "Please, just let me come over, Sheldon. I can explain."

"Okay, come on," I said. I ended the call and in thirty minutes, I heard her key in the door. I thought mean thoughts about changing the locks. When she came in she looked like a wreck. She tried to hug me, but I put out my hand and fended her off.

"Sarah, I swear to God if you touch me I'm going to puke on you," I told her.

She was immediately crying and she went over and sat down. "Can I just talk to you," she wept. "Let me just get it out."

I sat across the table from her again. She stared at the floor. "I know what Sophie said." He voice was so quite I could hardly hear her.

"So you decided to come clean?" I asked her.

"Yes. I didn't want to tell you before. I thought you'd hate me. She caught me, Shell. She threatened to tell you if I didn't. I told her I would, but I couldn't. You were so happy and I couldn't bear to think about how it would make you feel. It was just... no, I won't say it. I was drunk. We were at the girls' Christmas party at school one night. The kids had all gone home and you went with them. We started drinking. You know how it is at those Catholic school things. Even Father Peter was tipsy. Mark and Cloe were there. I just started to talk to him. He just kept telling me how hot I was. Do you know how long it's been since anyone besides you told me that? I feel like I'm getting old, Shell. My boobs are sagging a little and my ass isn't quite as firm as it used to be. I grow hair in unusual places and I don't think I'm as pretty as I used to be. Do you know how many men have hit on me over the years? I like for men to think I'm hot. I've danced with them and they tried to feel me up. I would let them sometimes. I always knew that at the end of the night I was going home to you and you were going to fuck my pussy until I walked funny. It just made me feel good to know that men wanted in my pants. They were never going to get there, but it made me feel good knowing they wanted to.

"Barbara Janson was there. You remember her? She was a freshman when we were seniors. She was a pretty little blonde thing that always thought she was something special. She married one of the teachers at the girl's school. She said something to me about looking old. I was drunk and it really hurt my feelings. Then Mark came over and asked me if I wanted to dance. He was as charming and handsome as ever and he kept telling me how hot I was. He kept telling me how good it was back in school. I was as drunk as hell and I let him talk me into going outside on the porch in the back. It was so stupid, but I was just feeling very vulnerable. I gave him a blow job, Shell. I'm so sorry. I felt disgusted with myself after I did it. I just couldn't believe I was the kind of person that would do something like that. I let him feel me up and I sucked him off. I didn't fuck him Sheldon. I just wanted to pay that bitch back by showing her I could take a hunky man if I wanted to. I'm so sorry. Sophie came out on the porch with her date and caught me. She threatened to tell you. She called me all sorts of names and told me I was nuts for messing around on you. She said if I told you she wouldn't mention it. I couldn't tell you. I was so ashamed and I was so afraid that you would leave me. I told her that I told you and you had forgiven me. I wish I had told you. That's when it all started again. I fucked up, Shell. I'm a stupid bitch and I fucked up. I'm very sorry. I hate myself and if I've made you hate me I don't know how I'll live with myself. I've never loved anyone but you. I never will. Please, Shell; don't hate me. Please forgive me. I swear to God that if you let me make this up to you I'll work like a slave to do it. I'll do anything you say. Please don't leave me! Please don't take my girls away from me. What can I do? I'll do anything. I know now that you'll never accept it."

"Sarah, I don't know what you can do," I said. "I haven't had time to decide what I'm going to do. How can I trust you? You've lied to me, several times. You told me you were working late when you were really shaking your ass and fucking the Asshole. What if I forgive you and one day you have to work late? What am I supposed to think? How will I keep from wondering if you're fucking some guy or giving him a blow job? How does that work?"

She was crying uncontrollably. "I don't know, Shell. I only know I love you and the girls and I see what I've done. I see how my stupidity has damaged us and our family. I don't want sex anymore with anyone besides you, Shell. I've just been insane. You're an amazing lover but I just got so horny thinking about what we did back then. It should be easy for me. I've got the message. What do you want to do? Do you still love me?"

"That's the problem, Sarah, I do still love you. I'm just not sure you ever loved me. I'm not sure I believe you about anything. No, I'm sure I don't. I have to assume everything you tell me is a lie. Are you coming clean with me here? I'll never know, and I don't think I'll ever believe anything you tell me. Here's your chance. If you're hiding something, you should tell me now. It won't make any difference. I couldn't possibly be any more angry with you than I am right now. This is your one chance."

"I swear to God I'm being honest," she said. "There isn't anything else. I love you Sheldon. I don't love anyone else and I never have. I did it. It was just... "

"Don't say it, Sarah," I interrupted her. "You were going to cheat and you did cheat."

"It wasn't... No, okay, I know you don't want to hear it. I just want you to understand it didn't mean anything to me. I'm not in love with Mark and Cloe. It was just exciting sex. I thought you might like to join us. I can see now that you never would and it was a mistake."

"Well, it sure as hell meant something to me," I told her. "The fact that it didn't mean anything to you is the problem. If I ate some stranger's pussy, would that mean anything to you?"

"It's not the same thing," she said. "We were going to include you. You were going to get to fuck Cloe. She's hot for you, Sheldon."

"It's exactly the same thing," I told her. "Fuck this. If you're going to try to slide around and evade responsibility and minimize what you've done this isn't going to work. I'm going to see a lawyer tomorrow, Sarah. I suggest you do the same."

"Why?" she asked. "Why do I need to see a lawyer?"

"When I file for divorce you'll need one," I told her.

She gave a little screech and collapsed. I didn't say anything and she wept for about five minutes before she could speak. "I don't want a divorce," she sobbed. "Please Shell, why do you want a divorce? I told you I'd do anything!"

"You won't even step up and accept how badly you fucked up," I told her. "You're trying to make excuses and minimize your cheating like it wasn't anything."

"No, I'm not," she protested. "I see how badly this has hurt you and I'm so sorry. I'm just trying to get you to understand that I love only you. They didn't mean anything to me. You're my man."

"So you were willing to fuck me over for people that didn't mean anything to you? Is that what you're telling me? Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"I don't know what I'm saying," she wept. "I'll say anything you want me to. I'm just trying to say something to get another chance; to get you to forgive me. Tell me what you want me to say."

"How about, 'I'm sorry Sheldon. I fucked up and it will never happen again?'"

"Yes, I am sorry. I fucked up and I won't do it again. Can I please come back home Shell? I'm dying without you. It's killing me that I can't be around the girls. I'll do anything. I'll sleep in the spare bedroom. I'll be your slave. I'll cook and clean and you can use me any way you want to. You can have girlfriends or whatever you need to get over this."

"I actually might," I told her. "Do you know that I met someone I'm very interested in?"

"I was afraid of that," she said. "Go on a date with her. Bring her over here and I'll cook for you. I'm as serious as I can be, Shell. I'll do anything to be part of your life. I'll serve the dinner and eat her pussy afterward if that's what you want. I just want to live with you and the girls. If you want to fuck me, we'll just be fuck buddies. Just give me a chance to win you back. I'll never have another man for as long as I live. If you need to get revenge or punish me, I know I deserve it. I'll take my lumps and I'll never complain. Just give me a chance."

"Let me think about it," I told her. "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know what I decide. Don't say one word to the girls, okay?"

"No, I won't. I'll do anything you say. Thank you for talking to me, Sheldon. I know I don't even deserve that. You're a good man and I'm taking advantage of you. I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I'm dying inside being apart from my family."

"Maybe you should have thought of that... No, forget that. I won't beat you up," I said. "I need you to talk to some people, Sarah. Pastors or rabbis or counselors or something. I don't think you have the right moral compass. Will you do that?"

"Yes, I'll do anything," she said.

She left and I lay awake most of the night thinking. I didn't want her back. The idea that she couldn't take what she had done seriously, that it didn't mean anything to her fucked with my head. How could I take her back when she didn't even see anything wrong with what she did? The only thing she regretted was hurting me and nearly losing her family. That was so fucked up on so many levels I didn't know where to start. The problem was the girls. How could I destroy my babies' lives by kicking their mother to the curb? I drifted off to sleep still confused about what I should do. I got some clarity in the morning. The girls loved their mother and she was a wonderful mom. They didn't deserve any of this and I needed to make their lives as good as possible. I was certain that living with a cheating slut wasn't good for them. I called in to work and got the day off. When the girls got up I told them I was taking them out of school so we could talk. It was the most difficult talk of my life.

I didn't tell them that their mother was a cheating slut. I just told them that we had some issues that we needed to work out. She wouldn't be living with us and we were trying to work on our problems. They cried like someone had died. At first they accused me of ruining everything, but when I told them I hadn't done anything they figured it out.

"Did Mom do something bad?" Cambre asked. "Daddy, did she cheat on you?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything bad about your mother," I told them. "She loves you very much and you shouldn't blame her for anything. This has nothing to do with you girls. You're the best girls I could ever imagine and we both love you with all our hearts. Just give me a chance to work this out, okay?"

They reluctantly agreed and we talked for a long time. I called Sarah and we met for lunch. She was distraught when I told her I needed some space. "I get angry every time I look at you, Sarah," I told her. "You need to stay away from me. I've decided that I can never forget what you did. You may have cost me any relationship I have with any of my family. I'm divorcing you, Sarah. I'll let you see the girls any time you want to. We have a prenuptial agreement that if either of us ever cheated the innocent party keeps the house. You won't be hurting for money, I'll make sure of that."

Now the bitch came out to play. She called me every name in the book, promised to turn the girls against me and clean me out in court. I wished her well and walked away.

Carlie called me after school and she was worried about the girls. She noticed that they weren't at school and she was very concerned. I promised her that they were okay and she asked me if she could come over Saturday and talk to me. There was a car event on Saturday and I was planning to drive in it. I asked her to go and she agreed. Sarah picked the girls up in the morning and I went to pick up Carlie. She was as gorgeous as ever. She had the tightest jeans on I had ever seen, and the sight of her ass jiggling in those jeans was enough to give a dead man a hard on. Her big tits swaying under her button up shirt, plainly without a bra to restrain them, made it hard for me to speak. I felt like my throat was dry all the time.

We had a fifty-mile drive, and we talked a lot. She finally broke down and told me her story. She had been engaged to a businessman in the town where she grew up. They met in high school and fell in love. She was so happy she thought she must have missed some obvious signs, because she had caught her fiancé in the cloakroom with one of her bridesmaids at the wedding. She left without ever saying a word to anyone and just drove away. She had never contacted anyone in her hometown again. She wound up in our town and got a job teaching in the school where the girls went. She was obviously upset, and the memories still fresh and painful to her. I knew exactly how she felt. I told her what was going on with Sarah and me.

Her eyes were filled with tears when I got through talking, and mine were a little misty too. She leaned over and put her head on my shoulder. Her hair was just a big mop. There were all these curls that were about a foot long and they stuck up every which way. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen.

My phone buzzed after we got to the show, and it was Mom.

"Sheldon, we need to sit down and talk," she said. "I'm calling a family meeting. Gail and Helen are driving down and we'll meet here at the house."

"Is Asshole going to be there?" I asked.

"Your brother has some things he needs to tell you," she said.

"I told you what was going to happen," I said. "Don't call me again, ex-Mom."

"Sheldon, don't be like that," she begged. "Okay, he won't be there. Will you come?"

"Hold on a minute," I told her. Carlie was trying to get my attention.

"Talk to them, Sheldon," she said. "It's the only way to move on."

"Have you talked to your family?" I asked her.

She grinned ruefully. "No, but I know I should, and so should you."

"Okay, Mom, when is this meeting?" I asked.

"Dinner tonight at six," she said.

"No dinner," I told her. "I'll be there at seven-thirty." I ended the call.

I had a good time with Carlie and she held my hand while we checked out the cars. We talked quite a bit on the way home and I asked her if she would come over afterward so I could fill her in. She promised, and I dropped her off at her place.

I was dreading the hell out of this. I went home to my empty house and tried to eat a little. It just made my stomach upset and I took a couple of antacids. I got the old Charger out and fired it up. It just felt right, and that rumble soothed my nerves. I'm sure they heard me coming a block away, and Mom came to the door before I got there. She hugged me and I just stood there, stiff as a post.

When she looked up at me there were tears in her eyes. She didn't say anything; she just took my hand and led me inside. I heard the lock click behind me and Dad was standing in front of the door with a baseball bat.

"We're not going to let you tear this family apart with your stubborn pride," he said. "Go and set your ass down."

Well, this was going to be interesting. My sisters, Gail and Helen took my arms and I sat between them. Then, out of Mom's bedroom marched the three cheaters. I looked over at Mom.

"He's your brother, she's your wife, Cloe's your sister-in-law," she said. "We can get past this."

"Okay, ex-Mom," I told her. "You just lost your son and your only two grandchildren. He's an asshole, not my brother, she's a bisexual bitch and that's the slut. I guess that makes you Mama-slut. That's the Pimp over there by the door and what are you two?" I asked my sisters.

"We just love you, Shell," Gail said. "We're down with whatever you want."

"I want to leave," I said. "You want to come and stay with me tonight? I want to introduce you to someone."

"Girls, I thought you were going to help," the Mama-slut started to panic.

"Yes, we're going to help Sheldon," Helen said. "What, you thought we were here to help these scuzz-buckets?"

We stood up together and walked toward the door. The Pimp made a motion with his bat and I kicked him in the nuts. He dropped his bat and sank to the floor, making a little wheezing scream. I picked up the bat and turned around. The Asshole saw death in my eyes and took off running through the kitchen and out the back door. I turned to the Bitch. Her eyes went wide and she started scrambling to follow her asshole husband.

I threw back my head and laughed. "I'm filing charges against you for unlawful imprisonment," I told Mama-slut. "Don't call, don't write, don't send cards, and don't attempt to contact the girls. I'm getting a restraining order against all of you."

She sank to her knees, weeping hysterically. "Please, Sheldon, don't do that. I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you."

"Too late," I told her. "You had your chance; you picked a side. Good luck with the rest of your life. Too bad you're going to spend it with people who cheat on their spouses."

"The restraining order is going to be for you too," I told the Slut. "You're mentally unstable and I'll never leave the girls alone with you again."

Helen went upstairs and got the twins. They looked at everyone oddly, but they didn't say anything.

The Slut was crying hysterically. The girls and I went out without another word and walked down the driveway.

"You want to drive?" I asked Gail. I tossed her the keys.