settled into being a night owl, so she was wide awake and ready to listen. They went to the first all-night diner they saw, and Callie ordered a burger, hoping that it would sit well in her somersaulting stomach.
While they ate, Callie went through all of the highlights and the lowlights of the past few weeks, appreciating the sympathetic comments Terri made along the way.
“What do you think you’re going to do?” Terri asked.
“I don’t see that I have any choice.” Pushing her coffee cup away, she stacked her fists on the table and rested her head on them. “How can I maintain any sense of self-respect if I let her lie to me over and over like this?”
Terri reached over and gently rubbed Callie’s back. “Why is this a deal breaker for you?”
Callie turned her head enough to be able to make eye contact. “Lying and cheating isn’t enough?”
“It would be for me, but it surprises me that it is for you.”
“I do have a little self-respect left.” Callie’s cheeks colored and her eyes showed a rare fire.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I meant that it makes sense to me that Marina lied. She was just covering her ass and trying to make it sound like less of a big deal than it was. In a way, she was trying to make it easier for you.”
Callie sat up and looked at her friend suspiciously. “I’ve never heard you defend anything that Marina has done.”
“I’m not sure I’m defending her now. I’m just surprised that this is what makes you want to throw in the towel. This all seems like it’s part and parcel of the same crime; and if you forgive her for the crime this seems like it goes along with it.”
“But she lied, Terri.”
“She lied by cheating too. To me, that’s a much bigger issue. But that’s how I look at the world. Monogamy is the only thing that works for me.”
Callie smiled at her fondly. “I know two of your former girlfriends who’d agree that’s your rule.”
“Women are dogs,” Terri said, shaking her head. “I don’t know why you ever got mixed up with one.”
“Men are dogs too. Maybe I should just get a dog.” She tossed her head back and ran her fingers through her hair a few times. “I don’t think a dog would have me given how I must look.”
Terri reached over and pinched her cheek. “You look adorable as always. Now let’s get out of here and get some sleep. We can cut Marina up tomorrow.”
*
The next morning, Callie woke and had to spend a few moments figuring out where she was. She turned and saw Terri also just starting to wake up. “Thanks for letting me sleep with you,” she said, yawning.
“I didn’t want to make you sleep on the couch, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to.”
“You’re a good friend. And as much as I dislike Phoenix, I’m moving back here if Marina and I break up. I like you more than I dislike my hometown.”
Terri put her hands behind her head and lay there contemplatively for a few moments. “How do you decide who’s on the approved list?”
“You really want to know? You’ve always expressed a real disinterest in how we set things up.”
Turning on her side, Terri gazed at Callie in sober reflection. “I’m interested. I always have been. But you didn’t ask me for advice when you were first getting together and I didn’t want to pry.”
Callie reached across the space that separated them and ruffled Terri’s dark hair. “Why do you want to pry now?”
“I don’t want to, and if I am, tell me to butt out.”
“You’re not. I’m just curious why you want to know.”
“I think I could understand better if I knew why that skanky slut wouldn’t have been on the list.”
“I don’t think Angela’s a skanky slut. If I’m really being honest, it was probably Marina’s fault.”
Terri turned and lay on her back again. “That’s kind of an amazing thing to hear you say.” She paused a few seconds then added, “I wish you felt you deserved better.”
“Knock it
While they ate, Callie went through all of the highlights and the lowlights of the past few weeks, appreciating the sympathetic comments Terri made along the way.
“What do you think you’re going to do?” Terri asked.
“I don’t see that I have any choice.” Pushing her coffee cup away, she stacked her fists on the table and rested her head on them. “How can I maintain any sense of self-respect if I let her lie to me over and over like this?”
Terri reached over and gently rubbed Callie’s back. “Why is this a deal breaker for you?”
Callie turned her head enough to be able to make eye contact. “Lying and cheating isn’t enough?”
“It would be for me, but it surprises me that it is for you.”
“I do have a little self-respect left.” Callie’s cheeks colored and her eyes showed a rare fire.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I meant that it makes sense to me that Marina lied. She was just covering her ass and trying to make it sound like less of a big deal than it was. In a way, she was trying to make it easier for you.”
Callie sat up and looked at her friend suspiciously. “I’ve never heard you defend anything that Marina has done.”
“I’m not sure I’m defending her now. I’m just surprised that this is what makes you want to throw in the towel. This all seems like it’s part and parcel of the same crime; and if you forgive her for the crime this seems like it goes along with it.”
“But she lied, Terri.”
“She lied by cheating too. To me, that’s a much bigger issue. But that’s how I look at the world. Monogamy is the only thing that works for me.”
Callie smiled at her fondly. “I know two of your former girlfriends who’d agree that’s your rule.”
“Women are dogs,” Terri said, shaking her head. “I don’t know why you ever got mixed up with one.”
“Men are dogs too. Maybe I should just get a dog.” She tossed her head back and ran her fingers through her hair a few times. “I don’t think a dog would have me given how I must look.”
Terri reached over and pinched her cheek. “You look adorable as always. Now let’s get out of here and get some sleep. We can cut Marina up tomorrow.”
*
The next morning, Callie woke and had to spend a few moments figuring out where she was. She turned and saw Terri also just starting to wake up. “Thanks for letting me sleep with you,” she said, yawning.
“I didn’t want to make you sleep on the couch, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to.”
“You’re a good friend. And as much as I dislike Phoenix, I’m moving back here if Marina and I break up. I like you more than I dislike my hometown.”
Terri put her hands behind her head and lay there contemplatively for a few moments. “How do you decide who’s on the approved list?”
“You really want to know? You’ve always expressed a real disinterest in how we set things up.”
Turning on her side, Terri gazed at Callie in sober reflection. “I’m interested. I always have been. But you didn’t ask me for advice when you were first getting together and I didn’t want to pry.”
Callie reached across the space that separated them and ruffled Terri’s dark hair. “Why do you want to pry now?”
“I don’t want to, and if I am, tell me to butt out.”
“You’re not. I’m just curious why you want to know.”
“I think I could understand better if I knew why that skanky slut wouldn’t have been on the list.”
“I don’t think Angela’s a skanky slut. If I’m really being honest, it was probably Marina’s fault.”
Terri turned and lay on her back again. “That’s kind of an amazing thing to hear you say.” She paused a few seconds then added, “I wish you felt you deserved better.”
“Knock it
Similar Books
