Part 6 (1/2)
Marina called at nine a.m. on the b.u.t.ton. ”Are you okay? I've been worried sick about you.”
”Yeah, I'm fine. Something came up and I felt like I needed to be in Phoenix for a couple of days. I'm sorry I didn't give you more notice.”
”You don't sound right.”
”Well, I'm not alone...”
”Call me back as soon as you can. I'm worried about you, honey. Do you want me to come and be with you?”
”No, I'm fine. But it's going to be hard for me to get much free time. I promise I'll call you if I need anything.”
”That's the best you can do?”
”Yeah, I'm afraid that's the best I can do. I need a few days at home to sort some things out. I'll call when I can.”
”I love you, Callie. Promise you'll call me if you need anything. I'm going to be home until Tuesday and then I have to go to Acapulco until Sunday. Hey, do you want to go with me? My treat? It's a boring conference, but I'll have some free time.”
”I don't think so. I'm not sure how long I'm going to have to be here, so I'm afraid to make any plans. But that's very sweet of you to offer.”
”I love you,” she said with even more feeling. ”You sound really tense and I thought a few days by the ocean would make you feel better.”
Callie had to force herself not to say what she was thinking. A couple of months ago she would have jumped at the chance. But now she just wanted some distance.
They lay around Terri's apartment for most of the day, drinking coffee and watching TV. They both loved to watch with the sound down and make up dialogue that always had them in st.i.tches. It was the kind of thing that Marina wouldn't have enjoyed a bit, but it was a long-standing tradition for Callie and Terri, and they always had a good time doing it.
They'd just eviscerated a home improvement show, riffing on the idea that the couples who were decorating each other's homes were going to switch wives at the end, when Terri asked, ”How'd you feel the first time Marina slept with someone else?”
”Ugh! Don't remind me,” Callie moaned, holding onto her stomach as though she were about to vomit. ”It was like being beaten with a rubber hose. It took me weeks, maybe months to get over feeling like she was cheating.”
”I never knew that. We talk almost every day and I never had a suspicion.”
”I wasn't very proud of it.”
”You? Why would you be ashamed of that?”
”Not of that. But I wasn't proud of myself for being in an open relations.h.i.+p and then having such a hard time getting comfortable with it. I didn't want anyone to know how I was struggling.”
”You totally had me fooled. But...” Terri sat up in her chair, gazing at Callie with a look she couldn't quite decipher. ”How'd it feel the first time you slept with someone else?”
”I'll...I'll let you know.”
”What?” Terri sat up even straighter. ”Are you saying you've never done it?”
”Yeah, that's what I'm saying.” It was horrible having to admit this.
”Holy G.o.d! Why not?”
”'Cause I haven't wanted to.”
”Haven't wanted to! You went through this whole negotiating thing. You've got permission!”
”I have to want to, Terri.” She smiled and batted her eyes. ”I've had offers, but I've never wanted to.”
”Is Marina putting pressure on you to stay monogamous?”
”Ha! She's told me to sleep with people in Dallas since I don't travel. She doesn't mind if I sleep with a neighbor or a friend. Heck, she wouldn't care if I slept with her mother. She's fearless. She says jealousy's for people who don't have self-esteem.”
”She's probably fearless because she knows you don't want to,” Terri grumbled.
”She doesn't know.” Callie said softly.
”What?”
”She doesn't know. I lie to her.”
”That's very, very strange. You're in an open relations.h.i.+p, but you don't want to use it. She lies about not sleeping with people and you lie the other way. Who's on your list?”
”People I made up. Stop looking at me like that! Don't worry. I've never said I sleep with you.”
”I'm not worried... Okay, that's not true. I don't want to be involved. I'd feel weird if she thought we slept together.”
”She doesn't think that. But she's told me that I could. She actually wonders why we don't.”
”You'd be a big improvement over my last few mistakes, but I've never felt s.e.xual towards you. You're more like a sister.”
”Exactly. But Marina doesn't understand that. I don't think she likes people she isn't attracted to.”
”That must be exhausting.” Terri sat there for a few moments, her gaze traveling past Callie's head. ”She must have an ego the size of Texas to urge you to sleep with your close friends.”
”She's very, very confident. If I found someone I liked better, she'd be fine. She's never had a lick of trouble finding someone new.”
”Obviously. But you've set this up so your girlfriend can sleep around. What's in it for you?”
”Other than embarra.s.sment?”
”Aww, shoot, I don't mean to embarra.s.s you.” Terri moved from her chair to sit on the edge of the couch where Callie lay sprawled out. ”I just worry about you.”
Callie took her hands and hugged them against her body. ”I know that.” She placed a kiss on Terri's hand. ”I can't explain why it's worked, but it has up until now. I like having time alone and she likes traveling. We don't share enough interests to be together all of the time, and to be honest, she wants too much s.e.x too often for me. Having some other women carry the load has been good.”
”How much does she want? I know you've got a very good appet.i.te.”
”I shouldn't tell you everything,” Callie teased, gently biting Terri's hand.
”Too late to back out now. What's she good for?”
”Every day. Sometimes twice. And that'd be okay, but she wants full-out, sheet-drenching s.e.x. No quick o.r.g.a.s.ms before you fall asleep kinda s.e.x.”
”Amazing.” Terri shook her head. ”How many other women has she been with?”
”That I know of?” she asked dryly. ”Not many. Four or five-besides Angela. Every time she does it, though, it calms her down for a while. She needs that escape valve. And so do I.”