Hey.... when did -" he started, "did you just - umm.." He held the drinks lower, much like his defenses, when he saw them, almost losing his grip on both Redhooks. He caught himself, hands trembling. "Trace, this is..." he started again, with spurious amnesia.
The girl, 22, pretty, shot him the most _don't even_ of looks.
"Uh, we've met." Tracy eyed the young redhead seated across from her at their table - which seemed much smaller than just a little while ago, somehow - with an indistinguishable combination of suppressed, fading anger, and tentative curiosity.
"You've... met?"
"Yeah. You know, when people introduce themselves to other people and exchange a word or two about themselves. Names.." Tracy explained. "Have a seat, honey."
A nice, romantic evening - or, as much as you can actually get from a bar - with his lady, to make up for being such a shit so often; a little sweet talk, reassurance, three-sheets and a good, lengthy fuck to end the night on has a pretty reliable habit of wiping the slate clean.
Clearly, this was a kink in the plan.
Michael set the drinks on the table, took the only seat available, between them. He kept a mostly firm stare directly on the wall ahead, glancing side to side, but certain to not make eye contact.
Tracy grabbed her beer. "Michael, this is Nicole. She came in, like.."
"Five minutes ago," Nicole continued.
"She noticed you headed over to the bar, having left from our table. Here I sat, another woman, so naturally she felt inclined to join me, out of an overwhelming sense of curiosity. Now, I've got it, too."
"Look, I can totally expl -" Michael tried.
"Oh, you totally don't have to. Nicole, here, already briefed me," Tracy spoke, calmly and collected. "And.. in rather lengthy detail, which kind of surprises me considering how long you were away." She looked at him, full on. "Shocking how much you can learn in just a couple short minutes." She took a substantial quaff from her longneck.
"Wait, you gotta give me a chance to -" Michael started in, futilely. "Some of it, admittedly, I could've done without knowing, due to content. Like the time when you guys spent the afternoon together in Zilker Park, in.. 'each others' arms, was it? A Saturday." To Nicole, "The 24th, right?"
"The 24th," Nicole confirmed.
"A Saturday that I believe, if memory serves me, you said you spent with family members, or some shit.."
"Trace, baby -"
"Or, the time when _you_, Nicole, fucked _you_, my boyfriend, on the back seat of _my_ Nova. A car I enjoyed driving right up until the moment I found out infidelity was stained all over the goddamn upholstery."
"Could you just please let me -"
"Or - and God, this has to be my personal favorite, because it's just so.... simple. That time when you told her something, what was it.."
"I love you," Nicole finished.
"I _love_ you! Yes, that's it. I think I've heard that one myself, once or twice."
"Ok, stop, PLEASE. And give me a minute."
"Why should we?" Nicole cut in. "What could you possibly have to say for yourself, in light of the recent information divulged, that wouldn't be another fucking lie?"
"Hello. WE? I'm - " Michael said, signaling to Tracy, "just.." he put up a finger, for Nicole to give him and Tracy a chance to talk.
"No. Michael, she's right. You're caught, sweetie. I'm more than willing to listen to any half-assed, less than genuine reasoning for having lied to both of us, by not telling either of us about the other all this time, that you may have. In fact, I can't wait. But, don't tell her to shut up. Makes you look desperate."
"I didn't tell her to - Look. You know I love you."
"Ooh, yikes, here it comes. You love me. Yeah, that's what you told me," Tracy said.
"I said it, and I meant it. I wouldn't have said it otherwise."
"Sure you would," Nicole interrupted. "Withholding the truth is what you're good at. God knows you've had practice. Who knows what you're capable of at this point."
"I mean, I wouldn't lie about it now."
"You lied about it before?" Tracy asked.
"No. But even if I had, why would I NOW when, as you said, I'm caught? I could just tell you, both of you, to fuck off - I'm a shithead, and I can't help myself - and walk outta here and not look back."
"Maybe you will," Nicole pointed out.
"I won't. This is hypothetical, Nikki -"
"Nikki? You've got an abridged version of her name, even?"
"What I'm trying to tell you, Tracy, is that even if I HAD lied about being in love with you - which I did NOT - I wouldn't have to lie about it now, and doesn't that mean something to you? It means that there were, ARE, real feelings involved."
"Real feelings, not love..?" Tracy asked.
"No - yes, love. I consider love a real emotion."
"That's right. Love is a single emotion. It's one word, Michael."
"Ok - what? Uh, I mean.. more than love. Love, and then some. Love has a lot of different parts. It.... extends."
"Ok," Tracy said, "so which part went to me, and which part went to her?"
"I know which part went to me," Nicole answered, rather smugly.
A good question, though. He was stumped for an answer, be it the right one (the truth), or the one he thought she wanted to hear.
"And you can't say, absolutely can't, that you loved both of us equally, because it would reduce the degree to which you may have at one point given both of us whatever your concept of love is, and it wouldn't mollify this whole fucked situation in the least," Tracy warned.
A waitress made her way over. "Anybody need anything?"
"I'll have a shot of 151," Tracy said.
"Make that two," Nicole said.
"Three," Michael said.
"Three shots," the waitress noted, and was off.
Composed, he thought, Michael began. "I love you, Tracy." He turned to Nicole, "And I love you Nicole.."
"You can't love us both," Nicole stopped him.
"Why not? I do. When I'm with you, I'm excited and turned on, and enthralled.." He turned to Tracy, "And when I'm with you, I feel..... satisfied. I'm content and satisfied with both of you, it's like a great thing multiplied. Why would I deny it?"
"You don't deny it," Tracy pointed out, "you deny your_self_ it. As a sign of maturity, if nothing else. Otherwise, have it for a while, wallow in this personal nirvana you speak so fondly of, but be honest with anyone else who might be involved - namely us - because I think we have a say. Come clean. You can't withhold shit like who you're _also_ fucking. It's not fair, and then it's cruel." Firmly, "Be honest. Be a man when it comes to relationships. Give us a chance, maybe we can work with it."
The waitress returned with three shots. "These together?" Tracy nodded, handed her - probably without thinking, or caring - a twenty. "Keep it."
"Work with it, what do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean mutual agreement, all parties equal," Tracy said, slammed her shot. "I mean, consenting adults with the intellectual capacity to decide what is or is not right for them. I mean - not this. I'll let you in on a little secret, Michael, that anyone with a heart not set on mendacious auto-pilot already knows: Love doesn't strictly revolve around sex, even though, admittedly, we had it real good in that department. Love is also respect. And trust - oh God that must sound ridiculous coming from me. Look where trust gets ya... But anyway, both those things are, like.... gone, now, for me for you," she indicated her drink, "and I'm dry. Excuse me."
With that, Tracy stormed on up to the bar.
There was a suitable and just, yet nevertheless uneasy, silence in her absence. She'd laid it out, leaving a terse air of truth and exposure behind for the stranger and the culprit to deal with. Which they couldn't. No room for discussion.
Nicole eyed her lover, a moment or two, waiting for a possible come back, or explanation. Or, perhaps simply seeing him in a different way for the very first time, made to feel a bit easy herself that she wasn't the only one this was happening to.
"So, what's up?"
"What do you mean?" Michael asked.
