Authors: Al Sloane
"Why are you telling me this, Pete?"
"I don't want to miss seeing my daughter grow up like I did my first set of kids and my grandkids. I've quit drinking and it's my turn to be there and see them. I'm not willing to throw that opportunity away like I already did twice. I want us to have some kind of agreement where I can visit them regularly. And I insist on making child care payments. If you want to make it legal, fine, but I'm going to support my child."
"I already thought you were going to be there."
"Wendy, you've made it very clear you don't want to be with me. I've been trying to accept the scraps you're willing to give me but it seems like even that isn't OK. I couldn't handle another night like tonight. You're right. Find out who you are. Just don't take my child from me. Please."
"Wait a minute. You tried to make me pee in my pants. Twice."
"Give me a break. Did you pee in your pants? Hell, no. I know better than to do something like that to you., What I did is no worse than a hundred things I've done to you over the past 40 years or so. Or that you've done right back to me. Do you know what Beth would have done if I pulled something like that on her? She'd be thrilled. Because she'd know I loved her enough to tease her."
"But I was embarrassed when I came out of the bathroom without my shorts all the way up."
"I didn't tell you to come out of the bathroom before you were dressed. If you feel comfortable enough to do that in my house, that's fine. But you're the one who did it. As far as being embarrassed, all of us have seen a lot more of you than you pulling your pants up. Well, June hasn't, but don't tell me you didn't try your best to get her into our bed the last time we saw her."
"But I'm so ugly."
"I've got news for you. I don't impregnate ugly girls. I don't chase ugly girls around the house and throw them on the bed. I don't ravish ugly girls. And I sure as hell don't eat out ugly girls until they have to scream for me to stop because they have too damn much pleasure. So which one of them told you you were ugly?"
"No one."
"OK. Now as far as you gaining weight, that's part of being pregnant. It was when you had Randy, it still is. I know it's not the most pleasant thing for a woman but complaining to me just makes me feel guilty for making you pregnant. And I don't want to feel guilty for doing that. Do you know how many children I have fathered? None, Zero, Zilch. You are carrying a miracle in your belly, one that I helped to create. So forgive me for not being thrilled when you bitch and moan about being pregnant. If you told me you felt bloated and wanted me to rub your tummy or your back or your feet, I'd be more than happy to drive down to Anaheim to do so. But calling me up and complaining that you're fat is useless and as far as I'm concerned it's a downright mean thing to do.
"As far as me lying to you, if you look back on it, you'll realize I didn't. We were talking about how many chairs to bring and you asked if it was just going to be the two of us. I just started talking about something else. I think it was what clothes to bring but I may be wrong.
"I like surprising the woman I love. I thought you liked it too. I remember getting you a button on Valentine's Day and you seemed to be pretty happy with it. You didn't bitch and moan because I went out and did it all by myself and didn't make sure it was OK with you before I bought it. I think the same thing happened with that hat I got at the birth place. And when I let you ask me to go to Chicago and tell your Mom and I told you I already had tickets, you seemed to like that surprise. I even remember two women I didn't know were coming showing up at my birthday dinner. You surprised me and I liked it. Very much.
"I thought you'd like the surprise of the girls being here. I know it was probably embarrassing to walk out pulling your pants up and have them all there. But did any of them make a big deal of it? No. Just hugs and kisses for you. And you weren't fighting it yourself. As soon as your pants were up you made sure they saw the shirt and started kissing them right back.
"So, maybe it's June. Well, I'm not going to feel sorry about June. She spent a lot of effort helping me to win you back after I did something stupid. Just admitting it to you and asking for forgiveness wasn't good enough. And she continued to help me out with the same professionalism she would show with any customer after we talked on the phone and she started to fall in love with me. And then you wanted to pull her right into bed with us. I didn't want it but that didn't matter. You spent a lot of effort trying to talk me into it until I agreed to let her make the decision. And you put just about as much effort into trying to convince her.
"So she wanted some time to think about it. And maybe even to get to know me. How about that for a unique concept - get to know someone before you swallow his cock. We started our trip with you sitting right next to me and the girls way in the back of the van. When we stopped for gas, you got in the back and she sat up front. What the hell was I supposed to do? Ignore her? Well fuck you. I like her. We have a lot in common. I can talk to her and she can talk to me. And I'll tell you something. I don't have to be afraid if anything I say is going to piss her off and I'll hear about it hours later. If she doesn't like something I say to her, she'll tell me right then and there. And she'll tell me to shut up or she'll tell me I hurt her feelings or she'll tell me that's not funny or whatever applies.
"I love you to death, but God Damn it, I'm afraid to do or say anything around you. So I'll take you home tomorrow or after the weekend I've planned and we'll go to your birthing classes and I'll rub your feet it you want it and I'll be there when the baby's born. But please don't put me through hell.
"One more thing and then I have to get some sleep. If you want to know what I've got planned for the next two days, I'll tell you. When I planned on it I was looking forward to seeing the smile, the excitement, whatever when you found out what each thing was. I don't care anymore. I think the girls would probably have been excited, too, but they aren't really in the mood for surprises after tonight. So you tell me if you want to know and I'll tell you."
By this time my shoulder was wet with her tears. She sniffed.
"I don't want to know anything, Pete. I want to be surprised. I just want it back the way it was."
"How was that, Wendy?"
"You know, you loved me and I loved you."
"I never stopped loving you, Wendy. Why, did you?"
"No. I... I don't know. I'm so confused. It seemed so right for me to me mad at you when I was talking to June. I had this idea you would hold on to me and tell me everything is going to be alright and we'd make love."
"Everything IS alright, Wendy. It has been since that night you got out here from Texas and I took you home. You've never had any problem getting me to hold you. You can always ask or you can just hold me. I always hold you right back. And we make love whenever you ask. And a lot of times you don't ask. I don't think you can find one time you let me know you wanted to make love and I didn't take care of you. Unless it was when we had to be someplace else and didn't have time. And I know I more than made up for it when we got back. So what do you want that you're not getting, Wendy? Do you want me to treat you like a baby and feel pity for you?"
"No, Pete. I want you to hold me."
I rolled over and took her in my arms, pulling her close. She cried against my chest. "Oh, Pete. I don't know what's happening. I see myself doing these things and I can't make myself stop."
"It's OK, Wendy. It's part of being pregnant. Your body has so many new hormones rushing through it you don't know how to act. Some men put up with it. Some try to figure out what the woman wants. They have a special name for them after they go through months of that - insane. Others disappear. I know one guy in the navy who would always volunteer for active duty when his wife was pregnant. He says being out to sea saved his marriage. Some people find lovers, others get a divorce. I'm going to try to fight back and live a normal life, where both of us can respect each other and not accuse the other of things we know aren't true. I'll probably be the first man in history to do so, provided I survive till after the baby is born."
"I love you, Pete. So much. I'll try. But it's tough."
"Look. I know you didn't have anyone there when Randy was born. I'll be there unless you push me away. And If you do push me away, I'll make you look at it, just like tonight. You know I wouldn't bother if I didn't love you, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know. Can we make love? Please?"
"Are you ready to be teased by the three girls next door. Have them complaining all day that they're tired because they couldn't get to sleep because of all the screaming? Without being a bitch about it?"
"Yes."
"Go brush your teeth and wash your face."
She ran into the bathroom. She was already using my toothbrush before I realized she hadn't had time to get her own stuff. I'd have to figure out a way to get back at her for that. Another day.
She ran back into the bed. Her hormones were good for something else. She came quick, she came often, she came loud. I don't know how many times she came before we heard pounding on the door between our rooms and June yelling "Knock it off. Some of us are trying to sleep."
Wendy yelled out "Spoilsport."
We were both between orgasms so I said "Let's get some sleep."
I lay on my back and Wendy assumed the position. And sighed a great big sigh.
The alarm went off at 5:30. I pushed Wendy off my chest and climbed over her to get to the other side of the bed to turn it off. Wendy's moans let me know she wasn't thrilled about the whole thing.
"Wendy. Half hour till breakfast. If you want to shower you need to get up."
"Umpfffhh."
"OK. Your choice. I'm not going to baby you."
"Five more minutes."
I went over to the connecting door and tapped on it. I got a couple of taps in response.
I was done in the bathroom by 10 till 6. I shook Wendy and got a response similar to before.
Just before I left, I pulled the blankets off the bed. "Don't complain to me if you miss the surprise or you don't get any breakfast. I'm leaving the parking lot in 50 minutes."
June was waiting for me. Kathi and Beth had been as bad as Wendy to start but June had succeeded in getting them into the bathroom.
June was dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Her hair was piled on top of her head and held in place somehow. This woman could dress in a burlap sack and make it look elegant.
We went over to Dennys and ordered. I love a good breakfast when I go out. Another area June and I had in common. We also need our coffee cups constantly refilled. Fortunately we had a waitress who took good care of us.
Beth and Kathi wandered in about 6:20. Beth was yawning and rubbing her eyes as she came in.
"Come on. I know you have to get up this early during the week, Beth, driving from Azusa to Anaheim."
"Yeah, but I don't have a couple of people howling in the room next door on work days. It was 3:00 before you let us get to sleep."
"I see. And of course you all went straight to bed when we got to the motel."
Kathi and Beth looked at each other guiltily. June just smiled. "They went to bed, yes." The girls both turned red.
"So, June. Are you ready to join our little band of gypsies?"
"I don't know quite yet. I want to make sure Wendy's still alive before I answer."
"Oh, she's alive. Not awake, but alive. That's OK, as long as we can drag her out with us, she'll wake up pretty soon."
"You must have something pretty special planned to still be ready to do it after all that's happened."
"It wasn't that bad. Wendy's heart is in the right place. She either needed to be whupped upside the head or a good talking to. Lucky for her I felt like talking."
Kathi whispered to Beth loudly enough for all of us to hear it "That's not all he felt like." Beth giggled, June smiled.
It was 6:30, no Wendy. I called the waitress over. "What can you make me to go in 10 minutes?
"We could do some scrambled eggs or pancakes."
"OK. How about some scrambled eggs and a few sausages to go?"
June grabbed my hand. "Make that ham instead of sausage."
"Good idea."
The waitress took off to get my order. She looked back at me after she'd put the ticket on the wheel and yelled out "Rush Order!" to the cook. I held up five fingers, pointed to my coffee, then outside. She gave me the OK sign.
"OK girls. Potty time. We won't be near a bathroom till this afternoon." We all took off to our respective restrooms.
Ten minutes later I was out the door with Wendy's breakfast and two coffees. The girls each had their own coffee and our waitress had a $20 tip. It would be interesting to see the service we got tomorrow.
We got to the Aerostar and I held up my room key. "Beth. Kathi. Your job is to get Wendy out here in the next two minutes. I don't care if you have to drag her out here naked and screaming. And make sure she goes to the bathroom before we leave. Whatever it takes. START!"