Trouble Triangle (Tyler's Trouble Trilogy) (5 page)

#

Under my direction, we arrived at the restaurant and the hostess escorted us to a table. Holly reached for her chair, but I beat her to it and slid it out for her, then helped her scoot back in. She looked at me and smiled, running her hand over the red and white
chequered
tablecloth. "Real linen. Makes a change. I so hate paper tablecloths.
"

Wax from the candle dripped down its wine bottle holder beneath the soft flame, while Dean Martin singing
That's Amore
softly played in the background. We looked over the menu. When the waitress appeared, Holly ordered spaghetti with meatballs. I ordered fettuccini and a bottle of Chianti. She looked at me and nodded as
though I spoke fluent Italian.

The waiter brought the bottle of wine to the table and showed me the label. I nodded my approval. He opened the bottle and poured a small amount in my glass for tasting. I sniffed it as I had seen done on TV, and took a small sip, swishing it around like a mouthful of Listerine. Although there was nothing wrong with it, I insisted it was corked and sent it back. Holly seemed impressed.

After dinner, we went to the concert. Holly danced, sang, flicked my lighter, and waved her arms over her head. She turned out to be quite the rock chick and Pat
Benatar
went up in my estimation. We left the concert and sat in her
car talking for a few moments.

"Tonight was so awesome, dude. Thanks for asking me out. You really know how to treat a girl. Wow!" She looked in the rear-view mirror and ran her fingers through her hair. "Lots of people say I look like
Benatar
. Can you see the resemblance?"

"Of course I can." I tugged my earlobe. "Hey, I bet you sing like her too. Come on, tell the truth," I coaxed.

"Well, I am a pretty good singer, but my dad made me play in the band at school." She held her head back flicked her hair like a diva.

"Really? What'd you play?" I expected her to tell me she was the next
Jethro
Tull
on the fl
ute.

"The trombone."

"Oh. Do you still play?"

She sighed and seemingly reminisced about her past brass brilliance for a moment. "I might be a little rusty, but I'm sure it would come back quickly."

"Personally, I like the sound of a rusty trombone." I smiled.

Holly laughed. "That's not how I meant it, but that's funny." She reached over and patted my hand. She started up the car and we drove away heading toward base. "You were such a gentleman tonight. Not many guys open doors for women anymore. And the last guy who took me out made us go Danish. I mean, like really." She threw her hand in the air and rolled her eyes.

"I think you might mean 'go Dutch'."

"Like, whatever."

"Well, you're a real lady, and deserve to be treated like one. It's not often I get to spend time with a classy woman like you." I lifted her hand off the gear shift, laid her palm in mine, and gently stroked the back of her hand. "Besides, we wouldn't want you breaking one of those pretty little nails, now would we?"

She momentarily took her eyes off the road and looked down at our hands together. She scrunched her
shoulders together and smiled.

So far everything had gone to plan. I was sure I caught her a few times giving me the 'do me' look, so why not. It would be the perfect way to finish off the date. "Umm…can I ask you something? And I hope you don't get the wrong impression."

"Like, fire away."

I got lost in her big brown eyes for a moment, then pushed on. "Is there any chance I could stay at your house tonight?"

Holly gasped and put her hand to her chest. "You're certainly not backward in coming forward, are you?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that," I said shaking my head. "It's just that my roommate snores like a pig. I haven't had a proper night's sleep in weeks. Even if it means crashing on the couch, I just want some peace and quiet for a night."

She lowered her head and looked down. "Well…I guess it would be okay." The corners of her mouth turned up. "Let's go back to my place, have a few drinks, and we'll sort out the sleeping arrangements."

"Thanks, Holly. That's very kind of you. I promise I'll be on my best behavior."

She turned toward me and smiled. "I'm not so sure I want you on your best behavior."

#

After we sucked down a bottle and a half of Chardonnay, Holly suggested we retire to her bedroom. I was impressed with her collection of stuffed bears on the bed. There must have been
twenty or more. Everything was very lacey and feminine and acted as a powerful tool of seduction. Not that I needed much encouragement in that department. Once we got under the sheets, Holly unleashed herself. I never got the chance to find out if she snored, but she was loud in other ways. I worried the neighbors would come banging on the door
telling her to orgasm quietly.

Waking mid-morning on Saturday, I found Holly snuggled into my chest with my arm around her. I admired her adorable face, but there was something about her that bugged me. All through our date she seemed a little dense. And all that Valley girl bullshit talk. It was like really getting on my nerves.
Damn it!
Now she had me doing it.
I got the impression we wouldn't be having any discussions about quantum physics. Barbie dolls, maybe.

She awoke and looked at me. A smile crossed her face as she stroked my chest.

"Well, you didn't snore, but I still didn't get much sleep last night," I joked. "That was a great night, Holly. You're a little tigress."

"You're not so bad yourself. You
wanna
stick around for the rest of the weekend? I can take you back Monday morning when we go to work. We can just stay in bed and like…." She kissed my chest and worked her way down until her head disappeared under the covers.

I let out a quiet moan. "Umm…I know you can't talk right now, but yeah, I'd love to stay."

#

We drove back to base Monday morning and pulled up in front of the barracks. I leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"Thanks, Holly. That was an incredible weekend. Maybe we'll do it again sometime."

Her jaw dropped. "What?"

"You know. Maybe our paths will cross again sometime?"

"Of course our paths will cross again. We're like a couple now." She beamed.

"Umm…a couple, huh?" I wiped my palms on my pants. "Don't you think we should
take it a little slow for now?"

"Take it slow?" Her eyebrows knitted together. "We just spent the entire weekend together. I don't even usually put out on the first date. If we were taking it slow you would have never seen the inside of my bedroom…Mr. Slow-poke. I don't know what you're thinking, but we are so like a couple now." She scowled at me for several moments. "I'm not interested in just getting my brains screwed out. I don't do…you know…
it
…unless the guy is boyfriend material." Her nostrils tightened. "I'm not a slut."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "No, I'm not suggesting you are. I thought we were just having a bit of fun."

"Are you dumping me? Because if you are—"

"No, not at all," I interrupted. God. Show a girl a good time and they start planning
the silver wedding anniversary.

She stroked my forearm and smiled. "No, of course you're not dumping me. You're not that insensitive—or stupid. Look, Tyler, I know it's probably a big step for you to date an older woman. And a higher ranking one as well." She scrunched her nose and leaned in. "Just think of me as the naughty older woman."

Holy crap. She would have never even been old enough to be my babysitter, but she thinks she's Mrs. Robinson. "No, you're right, Holly. I'm probably too young and immature for you. You need an older, more sophisticated guy. Someone who understands older women." I longed to hear her s
igh deeply and say I was right.

She stroked my cheek. "Don't worry, I can teach you. Most older women wouldn't bother with someone as young as you. But you can be my toy-boy. I'll sophisticate you." She put her index finger between her lips and slid it in and out.

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Wow. Would you really do that for me? I mean, I don't want to cramp your style or anything." She made me nervous.
She
must have been playing hard to get, and now she wasn't going to let go.

“Hey, we're boyfriend and girlfriend. I'll be patient. And gentle." She giggled. "I only see you, you only see me. Most guys would love to have someone like me hanging on their arm. Don't worry. I'll teach you to act older and no one will be able to tell you're my toy-boy." She raised her shoulders together. "You're a lucky guy."

"Umm…yeah." My eyes darted around the inside of the Mustang. "I'm the lucky one here."

"Damn right you are. You know how many guys try to get in my panties and fail?" She looked at me like she expected an answer.

I don't know. Fifty-one?
"Lots I bet."

"Hundreds. But I let you, so start showing your appreciation and show some gratitude." Her eyes pierced through
any defense I may have offered.

I needed time to think. "Of course. I'll try to do better." I forced a smile, leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. I got out of the car and watched her drive away.

I stood there with my head hung, staring at the ground. How the hell did that happen? Fifty bucks and a weekend of jamming the best looking girl on base. I was on such a high. Now I was practically engaged.

Someone tapped m
y shoulder and I turned around.

"Hi, Tyler. Rough weekend? You look like shit."

"Debbie. You got a minute? I really need to talk."

Debbie walked with me back to my room. We sat side by side on my bed. She looked at me as I stared at the black and white floor tiles.

"Well, you know I had a date with Holly," I said.

"Yeah, with my tickets for Friday night, and I just saw you get out of her car on Monday morning. So, I take it things went well from your point of view."

A corner of my mouth turned up. "Yeah, I guess it did, until about fifteen minutes ago."

"She dumped you, huh?" She held a faint smile. "Well, I told you to stay away from her, Tyler. If it makes you feel any better, sorry." She patted my back.

"Dump me?" I stood up. "No, she wants some kind of committed relationship. I'm not ready to be monogamous." I paced the floor. "You must've noticed she's a bit flaky."

Her smiled flattened and she stood up. "Yeah, but I loved her. People in love overlook things. You mean to say she's not the little gold nugget you thought she was?"

I pulled out a cigarette and lit up while I paced. "I only did it for a bet."

"You what? Oh, come on." She crossed her arms. "She's not ugly. Are you trying to tell me you only went out with her to win twenty bucks?"

"It was fifty, and that's not what I'm saying."

She rubbed her chin. "So…you fucked Holly to win some money. Now that mission's accomplished, you want out."

"No, look, Debs, it's not like that." I walked over and put my hand on her shoulder. "It was fun, and I would've  taken her out again, but she's a bit whacko."

Her eyes blinked rapidly. "Thank you very much. The woman I loved and you tell me she's a nut job. What the hell does that make me? Debbie the loony lezzy?"

I took a drag. "I'm just saying she's not my type."

"Then tell her."
Her eyes held a look of pain.

I sighed and threw my eyes toward the ceiling. "I tried to tell her. Kind of."

"Sorry, Tyler, but I'm not the person to be giving you advice on my ex-girlfriend. Holly really hurt me, but I'd still take her back if given the chance. As long as you're sticking your dick in her, that's not likely to happen, is it?"

"Debbie, don't be like that. Help me get away from her and you can swoop in and be the hero, give her a shoulder to cry on. Hell, you two can sit around and bad-mouth me and go back to your lesbian ways. Just tell me how to get her off my back."

Debbie chuckled. "Hey, that's pretty good, Tyler." She put her arm around me and looked me in the eyes. "Forget him, Holly," she said sarcastically. "Dump Tyler and let's go back to being lesbians. You know that little switch you have that says gay/straight." She touched my crotch. "Just switch it to
lesbo
, darling, and come back to being a flaming dyke." She stood up, kicked me in the shin and leaned toward me with her hands on her hips. "It doesn't work like that, Ty-Ty. I gave you the advice to stay away from her, but you ignored it. So figure it out yourself. I have to go."

As she turned toward the door, Mark came in wrapped in a towel and wearing flip-flops, his
hair still wet from the shower.

"Hi, Deb—"
he started.

Debbie bowled past him, pushing him out of the way and nearly knocking him over.

Mark looked at me and grinned. "What the hell was that all about? Don'
t tell me you did the double."