There was going to be waiting involved.

I had a choice of either reading or writing.

I wrote.



Usually our group is small, last night there were eight of us, double the usual size.

Cathy was there, she incorporated herself into our group. Cathy is the one who took me to her home one night.

When the time was near for some of us to go, we ordered a round of shots and because I was the one most familiar with the place I was asked to choose the shot. It was mixed company so I chose a Washington Apple.

Everyone seemed to like the shots so we ordered another round. Cathy was having a cigarette and wasn’t there for the first shot so I let her know she was welcome to do the second shot with us.

“What’s in a Washington Apple?” she asked

“Whiskey, cranberry juice, apple pucker, something else …I don’t really know”

“Well, I don’t like whiskey.”

“I don’t think you can taste it”

“Okay”

After six of us down the shots she said “I think I could taste the whiskey”, I just shrugged my shoulders and gave a sorry-about-that look.

After that, some of my group had to go, Cathy choose to leave as well, she was going to the bar next door and she offered to share a cab ride home and that if I was interested that I knew where to find her. “Let me know. We’re practically next door neighbors. There is no reason that we can’t just share a cab ride home” was what she said as she was leaving.

“It’s so obvious she wants you” Jill said after Cathy left me with a kiss on the cheek. I was a little surprised by Jill’s statement. Cathy was rather subdued that day and she was talking to all the guys in the group, it seemed to me she was almost ignoring me until she was leaving.

Jill’s a statuesque brunette, who often asks personal questions. She’ll answer them as well so, if the question isn’t too personal I’ll answer them, plus we’ve built up a trust between us. I know she isn’t a gossip.

I took a moment to try and figure out how much Jill might know about Cathy and myself. I know she’s often at lunch with one of my poker buddies and I know most of my poker buddies know that one night I left the bar with Cathy. Jill’s no gossip but that poker buddy of mine might be, so I figured Jill might know something, so I decided to tell her everything.

“I went home with her once” is how I started and I watched for a reaction. The reaction was one of surprise.

“But nothing happened” I continued. I told her there was kissing and touching and some nudity but when it came right down to it all I could think about was her relationship, my relationship with Lady G, and how it would be for us the next morning.

“So, then you admit you have a relationship with Lady G then” Jill asked.

“Yes”

Jill has met Lady G and she often tries to establish what type of relationship the two of us have, I would be more helpful in telling her if I knew for myself. Our relationship isn’t exclusive by design it just often works out that way. When pressed hard I usually just say we’re good friends, even though I think the bond is greater than just friendship.

“And you are sleeping with her, right?”

“No”

“You haven’t slept with her yet?!”

“No. We’ve been to London, Paris and Mexico together but I still haven’t slept with her yet”

I stood back up straight because this whole conversation was being discussed by me leaning over a bit and talking into her ear and letting her talk into mine because the bar was loud and the conversation semi-private.

I was still standing straight up when I more saw than heard her say “You’re a good man”

I leaned back in and explained “I had every intention of sleeping with her” as I motioned to the still empty bar stool next to Jill, the stool that Cathy had just been occupying.

Jill again repeated her statement.

“Lady G has trust issues. Most of the men in her life have left after some point in time. I just try to be patient”. I didn’t mention my own trust issues.

I forget the rest of the conversation, my mind was elsewhere. Our group was down to three and the three of us all take a similar route home, we took that similar route together. Jill had no further questions. We walked to the trolley station, took a trolley one stop and then got on the subway. My stop is the furthest down the line so, by my stop, all the goodbyes were already said, it was just me and my thoughts.

I was debating on whether to read the book I had with me or just do some more thinking when my cell phone rang.

It was Lady G.

“Can you pick me up at the airport?”

I had questions but I put them on hold and just said “Sure, but it will take me about fifteen minutes.” It was actually more like twenty five.

From the passenger seat of my truck she explained that she was trying to escape the kids for a couple of days but her flight out fell through. She then pulled out one of those little single person size bottle of Pinot Grigio from her carryon bag and started drinking. She told me she would have offered me one but she didn’t think I should be drinking and driving.

“This is good stuff” she said

“I know I like Pinot Grigio”

“Where do you get wine?!”

“At the liquor store, I get a bottle from time to time”

She then told me she would have to change her wine to something different because some rapper had just mentioned Pinot Grigio in one of his songs.

By then I was pulling into her parking lot and by then she had finished off bottle number two. I put the truck into the parking gear and reached for the door.

“Can we just sit and talk?” she asked as she went looking for her third and last bottle. I don’t know how she does it but she can speak delicately with out speaking softly. I think it’s in the tone, or something.

“Sure”

There was silence after that but not the awkward kind, it was the comfortable kind, the kind where two people can just be with each other without having to speak.

The silence was edged out of the truck when she asked “When are we getting married?”

“When do you want to?”

“When the kids are out of the house” she then told me of her plans of a single family home and worldwide travel. We talked about some other things, some more immediate things and that she still might try to catch a flight out before I carried her luggage into her apartment.

I placed her bags where she usually drops them after a trip, and she had me check on a couple household chores that she has been asking me about for some time and for an equal amount of time I’ve been putting off. I had my head in a closet when I heard her say, “Tim, come help me take my pants off. I’m drunk.” I helped her take off her pants.

The rest of our conversation took place at the foot of her bed, she was sitting in unmatching underthings, a black lace bra above and below something with cheetah spots only the spots where quite smaller than real cheetah spots.

She asked for a ride to the airport for the next day and a couple other favors she needed because she wasn’t going to be around.

“Is that all right?” she asked

“How can I say no to the requests of a beautiful, semi-nude woman?”

“Yeah, I know. Why do you think the pants came off?”

Her flight at that time was still in question but she called me in the morning. Driving her to the airport, I pulled out one of those plastic bubble container things you get from a gumball machine, from one of the trucks cup holders and handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a ring”

She took the ring out. It was silver toned and had a white heart shaped something sitting in the setting. The white heart had a smiley face painted in purple paint. She handed the ring to me and held out her left ring finger. The ring fit.

“Is this a promise ring? …a promise for something better? she laughed.

“Yeah, the next one will be gold toned”