Monday - story time.

Happy Valentine's Week.  You know last week I mentioned that Ray was sick, well he finally shared and I spent most of the week under the weather.  Have no idea how this story came about - drugs  - but it's a story.

I met Martine when we were both freshmen in college.  We both came from small towns and college was our first taste of life in the big city.  Not that Madison was such a big city, but it was definitely bigger than either of us had ever experienced.  I suppose that’s what brought us together.  That we are still friends is amazing to all who know Martine.  She comes off as a snooty bitch most of the time.  It’s her shield of protection against the world.  Once you break through that shield though, she is the warmest human being you could ever hope to find.  We roomed together all through college and when it came time to go off on our own, we were pleasantly surprised that we had both found jobs in the Dallas Metro area.  Deciding to minimize our living expenses by continuing to live together was a boon for both.  Neither of us wanted to live in one of those high rise monstrosities that seemed to be so popular, so after much searching we managed to find a small house midway between both our places of employment.

Although old and badly in need of some TLC the house was perfect for us.  It was small enough to be cozy but large enough to keep us out of each other’s hair and when we wanted privacy we could vacate to our own space.  We lived and thrived in this manner for almost two years before a  seam began to fray. 

I’d been dating a man, Jed Turner, for about six months before I even brought him around to introduce to Martine.  Much to my surprise she was charming and Jed couldn’t understand why I hadn’t introduced them sooner. He suggested that he bring a friend for Martine and we could double date.  I didn’t want to be responsible for  a rift in the friendship between Jed and whoever he was willing to subject to the whims of Martine so I kept putting off the inevitable.

Jed wouldn’t let it alone and sure enough he brought along his friend Marty when he came to pick me up. Martine wasn’t home at the time and when she did come through the door it wasn’t one of her better days.  She nodded to the three of us sitting there and waltzed passed and slammed the door to her bedroom.

“Is she coming back?” Jed asked.

“I doubt it.  I told you this wasn’t a good idea.”

“I’m going to try.”

“You go right ahead.”  He got up and walked to her bedroom door and knocked.  I heard him knock several  times and when he got no response, he called out to her.  Martine ignored that too.  He finally gave up and came back to join us in the living room. 

Jed apologized to his friend and suggested that perhaps another time.  Unbelievable to me, Marty said yes to his suggestion.  The three of us left and enjoyed a pleasant time.  Jed dropped me off after the date and I found Martine sitting in the living room waiting for me.  She was in a tirade about how this was her safe space and I allowed someone else to invade her privacy.

“I live her too, Martine.  No one invaded your privacy.”

“Oh, really,  I must have imagined Jed banging on my door and calling out to me.  The minute I walked in the door and saw that guy I knew what you had planned.  I don’t do blind dates or set ups as you well know. “

“I had nothing to do with it, I didn’t know Jed was bringing Marty by.  I’ve been discouraging him for weeks not to do it but you know men, they think they know best.”

“Well, they don’t.”  She clammed up after that and I eventually retired to my room.

When I saw Jed the next day we spoke about the fiasco of the night before.  He said he was sorry and he should have listened to me. 

“Yeah, please, let’s not try that again.  You don’t know Martine the way I do, and I don’t want to jeopardize our relationship.  So please, let’s just leave well enough alone.

Several weeks went by.  I came home from work one day to a strange car in the driveway.  To say I was shocked when I walked in and saw Jed’s friend Marty sitting there talking with Martine, was an understatement.  They seemed to be getting on very well and barely acknowledged my presence.  I gave them their privacy and immediately texted Jed.  Jed phoned me immediately.  He told me that Marty said he was going to try again.  “I tried discouraging him but…”

I heard the front door close and expected a knock on my door.  When it didn’t come, I walked out to an empty house.  Martine had left with Marty.  I fell asleep waiting for Martine to come home.  I wanted details, lots of details.  I woke up with a crick in my neck and all the lights off. I’d would have to wait til morning .

In the morning Martine was very close mouthed about Marty.  Jed had given Marty Martine’s number – hed’ called and set up a date.  When I asked Martine what it was that made her agree to go out with him, her response was that he called her on her ‘bullshit’. 

“What?”

He told me that my behavior the night he came over was rude and childish and I owed him and Jed an apology.  I chuckled because one thing Martine did not do was apologize.

“Well, I know you didn’t apologize, so what happened.”

“Actually, I did apologize and I’m glad I did.”

“What?”

“You could say he made a very convincing argument.”

“And what argument was that.”  Martine got all red-faced.  Finally, she blurted out that he told her if she didn’t apologize he was going to take her over his knee and spank her until she did.  He said she was being a brat and that’s what happened to brats. 

“and you just gave in an apologized.”

“No, I didn’t”

“Are you telling me that he spanked you and you let him.”  Martine said it wasn’t really a matter of letting him, that before she knew what was happening she was upended over his knee getting her bottom whacked.

She said that was all there was to it.  She finally gave in and apologized and he told her that she could expect to be chastised whenever she crossed the line.  I was dumbfounded but never more so than when she told me she actually looked forward to crossing that line again.

See you later for more Aimless Ramblings.