Chapter 5

"I'm not pregnant, at least. I mean, I hope I'm not." Trish stammered out as she took a sip of her diet cola. She swirled the small ice cubes around her glass nervously, and looked up at me.

We were sitting in the living room, looking out on the ocean. The day had cleared since the morning, and if things had been a little calmer, it would have been an extremely romantic setting. I had come home after work, and set up everything as perfectly as I could. I was still broke, but a few flowers from the garden did wonders to brighten up the place.

"So what do your folks have to say about it?" I asked, sipping at my own glass. Diet soda might be a bit cliché, as well as something that just screamed "work casual". I really needed to get something else in the house.

"They don't know. I mean, he ... god, why am I even talking to YOU about this." Trish shook her head, and stared out the window. "I just made a mistake, and you were the first person I thought of."

"Ok. Look Trish, you're a great woman..." I began, trying to put her at ease.

"Well that's a fuck drunk comment if I ever heard one," Trish smirked. She placed her glass down on the small end-table and crossed her legs with an exaggerated motion.

"Ok. Guilty," I nodded. "But I still think it's true."

"It's not like I'm the first girl he's done this to," Trish sighed. "I still can't believe he was doing that to me. Everything we owned that was worth anything. EVERYTHING."

"Did you at least report it to the police?" I asked, my brain whirling a bit.

"They said that because I gave him access to the account and the apartment, I was giving consent. I had to prove that the stuff was mine." Trish sighed. "He royally fucked me."

"As you said, at least you're not pregnant with his kid." I nodded, thinking about what a scumbag her boyfriend had to be.

"I can't even afford rent this month. My landlord is going apeshit." Trish shrugged her shoulders. "If I ever find that asshole..."

"I'll find the rusty spoon," I offered.

"Huh?"

"It's uhm ... Something my ex-wife used to say. If a man ever pissed her off she'd threaten to castrate the guy with a rusty spoon," I winced as I said it, thinking how she had occasionally made the playful threat to me. Seeing as how the marriage ended, well, I think I may have gotten out just in time.

"Sounds good. Sounds REALLY good as a matter of fact. I think I'll have to call your wife for pointers," Trish allowed an evil smile to cross her features as she looked at me.

"Ok, thanks for talking, and I'm going to run screaming now," I replied, rising slightly from my chair.

"I'm kidding! Relax, Prof. I'm not going to hurt NICE guys." Trish laughed, rolling her eyes upwards in a classic gesture.

"Can ... I mean, I don't have much money, but..." I offered, trying not to be stupid about this. Trish needed help. I wanted to help her. I was still feeling those goofy emotions for her and I hoped I wasn't offending.

"I don't want money, Henry," Trish's voice became slightly reproachful. "I just wanted to talk to someone. My roommate's mad at me over the living situation thing, and my mother ... well, she'd just say I told you so."

"I want to help you."

"I know. It's sweet," Trish smiled at me with what I hoped was affection. "You're just too nice. I like you, but ... If I took money from you, I'd feel obligated."

"No pressure, I just want to help." I tried again, "Maybe some other way?"

"I don't want to ... I made a mistake," Trish's voice became hard. "I have to clean it up."

"So what are you going to do?" I asked, willing to listen.

"I ... I don't know." Trish seemed very young for a moment. There was a pause as she seemed to gather her thoughts.

We sat there, looking at each other. I couldn't help but let my gaze wander over her body. The few flashes of our night together that stuck in my mind were pulsing through my brain. I had images of her, pulling me down, groaning with pleasure. I admit that I wanted her again. It wasn't the only thing I was thinking, but it was a strong subtext to my thoughts.

"I think ... I might go home," Trish spoke hesitantly, and it was obvious to me that this was not an option that she wanted to think about.

"Where's home?" I asked her.

"UtahI'mNOTaMormon," her sentence came out as one word.

"Right. Have any plans when you get there?" I nodded at her comment. It sounded like a phrase that she often said.

"Not ... maybe get a job? Save up," Trish seemed to be thinking out loud as she spoke. It was obvious that what had happened had caught her totally by surprise.

"And then, go back to college?" I offered, trying to help her.

"Yeah ... yeah, definitely," Trish nodded. "And next time, no more boyfriends. No more ... god, I still can't believe he stole from me."

"Well, I know you hurt, but I'm sure you..." I started, before her next comment cut me off.

"I'm going LUG next time." Trish smirked, looking at me with a wry smile.

"Uh, lug?" I asked cluelessly.

"Lesbian Until Graduation," I know that Trish didn't mean to cause a bunch of weird thought to course through my brain. I know that she had no idea about what my wife had said to me and that I was having bizarre hallucinations dealing with exactly that subject. I knew it, but it caused a chill to run through me, and my face to take on a shocked expression.

Trish, not being stupid, immediately saw the change in my countenance and her eyes went wide.

"Oh, no, I'm not trying to say ... Sorry, Henry. I mean what we did was ... Oh god," an embarrassed flush crossed her features. "I'm sorry."

"It's not ... never mind," I stumbled over my words, trying to figure out how I could explain.

"I ... uh ... I like you, Henry," Trish began. "I just don't think I'm ... I'm not ready for a relationship."

"I wasn't saying..." We weren't communicating. We were just talking at each other. I needed to stop this and try to make some sense.

"I don't want you to quit college," I spoke quietly, but earnestly. "You're a smart young woman."

"And you want my pussy," Trish spoke with the same tone that I did, a look of suspicion on her face.

"Yes. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't want you," I nodded.

"Well, at least you're honest," Trish smirked.

"If it's money that's the issue, we can work it out. I'm sure I can arrange something." I was thinking out loud as well now. I knew that Trish wasn't interested in me, and although it hurt, it was at least definite. It was time to be an adult and be better than my petty bitter emotions.

"I don't want your..." Trish argued.

"What is it that you need? Rent? Food? Transportation?" I listed off the expenses that I could think of off the top of my head.

"Uh ... Rent and Food. I mean, I can walk to the campus from my house, so I don't really NEED my car."

"So, you can sell your car." I nodded, "You can get a part time job."

"Yeah. I can." She nodded, thinking on my words. I saw some of the fear starting to drain out of her as she thought.

"You can do a lot of things, Trish. You're a smart girl," I offered, letting her think about her options.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can... "She repeated, the thought obviously giving her confidence.

"What do you want? Do you want to go home, or do you want to stay here and fight?" I asked, trying to give her some pep. She just needed to know what she could do. She could finish college, and didn't need to give up because of an asshole taking real advantage of her.

"Stay ... here?" Trish asked, a curious expression on her face.

"I mean, you've got only a little longer till finals. What two months? I'm sure you can scrape by till then." I continued my thoughts.

"My scholarship money for next semester shows up in January," She was thoughtful. "I could get another apartment then, and I could stay..."

"Exactly! Keep going..." I encouraged her.

"If I stayed here, it would ... Julie needs a place to stay though ... If I moved out the landlord would just kick her out." Trish nodded, and her comment threw me for a little bit of a loop.

"Wait, I meant..." I started, trying to clarify. I meant stay in Monterey, or Carmel, not this house.

"Would you ... I mean, it's a lot to ask, but could Julie stay here? We ... We can help around the house, and ... Uhm ... I'd be..." Trish looked at me with what seemed to be a shy smile.

"Uh ... do I know her?" I asked, abandoning my previous train of thought. Trish was asking to ... stay with ME?

"You don't know her. I don't think she has any history classes." Trish nodded, looking around the room. She was scoping it out, I realized. She was serious.

"Trish, I think that you might..." I began, ready to urge her to take some time with the decision.

"As far as the sex thing, uhm ... We'll see what happens, Ok?" Trish interrupted me with an appraising look. "I mean, I liked it, but we can't ... I'm not going to just sleep with you all the time. Maybe again sometime, but the time would have to right."

"That wasn't what I meant, Trish," I began. This wasn't a good idea. I wasn't even sure what was going on in my house, and the idea of adding not one, but two women to the household seemed perilous.

"I wasn't saying that you were ... I know you're not just doing this to get laid," Trish snorted softly as she completed the thought. "Although, I bet you wouldn't mind having some pussy around."

"The thought had crossed my mind," I admitted.

"So ... I'll go home and talk to her. We'll see. I think she'll go for it."

I just realized that Trish had neatly maneuvered me into saying yes, without actually ever asking. I was actually a little impressed with her manipulation. How could I say no? She hadn't promised to sleep with me, but had suggested that she would consider it.

"Ok. When do you want to move in?" I asked, cutting right to the chase.

"Well, we have another week of rent paid, but our landlord is giving us the daily "inspection" bullshit," Trish sighed. "We don't really have a lease ... it's an informal thing."

That was a sad fact of the local real estate market. The laws were so restrictive and weighted in favor of the tenants that many landlords wouldn't rent apartments. At least not legally. There was a thriving market that preyed on the local low income population and students, which ensured that every apartment was filled, unofficially.

"So you want out. I gotcha," I glanced out the window. The sun was hanging rather low in the sky, but there were a good couple hours of daylight left. "Take care of business, and if you're coming tonight, be here before eight?"

"That ... would be GREAT!" Trish beamed, nearly leaping out of her chair. She grabbed me up in a tight embrace, her body pressing against me firmly. It felt very good, and I felt a slight tremor in my cock, which was well aware of her closeness.

"This doesn't make me a damsel in distress does it?" Trish suddenly asked with a wry grin on her face.

"Uhm ... Only if you gave up," I said brightly. She was still close, warm and smelling wonderful. My mind immediately thought about what Julie must look like. If she was as appreciative of this as Trish was...

Oh, BEAUTIFUL ... Great call moron, you gonna fuck up every relationship you have by trying to get more pussy? Get a grip, calm down and accept the fact that you are doing this because you want Trish. If she was a big fat cow of a student would you do it? If she was a guy would you do it?

It was a hard fact to admit to myself as I saw Trish to the door. I wanted to be the altruistic good guy, but I couldn't help berating myself for being a cad. I wanted to tell her to run away from me as she planted a soft kiss on my cheek, and whispered "thank you" with tears shining in her brown eyes.