See You In The Morning, Part 6

     Arriving home from work early, David called out, “Charles, I’m home.  Honey, are you here?” He turned on a couple lamps in the darken living room as he proceeded to the bedroom.

     “David?  I’ll be right there.” 

     “If you’re in the bedroom, stay where you are.”  David moved faster than he spoke and was turning on the bedroom light before Charles had time to respond.  “Whoa!  What’s going on, Charles?  Who is this?” David demanded as he tried to take this all in.  “Never mind, “ he shouted.  “I don’t give a shit!”  Approaching the stranger he tossed him some clothes he pickup from the floor and threw them at the guy. “You!  Get dressed and get out of my house!”  David watched as the panicked young man scrambled to get dressed and ran out of the room.  When David heard the front door open and slam shut he re-directed his attention to Charles.  “I  can’t talk to you right now.  I’m going for a walk.  I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.  I don’t even care whether or not you’re here when I get back.”

     Charles was crying.  “Please, David.  I can explain.  Please don’t hate me.  Let’s talk.  Please don’t leave,” he pleaded.

     “I already told you.  I cannot talk to you.  I cannot stand the sight of you.  If I were you ― I thought we had something here!”  David ran out as Charles flung his body to the floor and cried inconsolably.

     The next thing David knew, he was sitting with Boops in her living room.  Boops had poured them each a scotch.  “David, I don’t know what to say.  I was afraid something like this might happen.  Remember?  I asked you how you would handle a broken heart.  Charles loves you, in his own way.  I have no doubts about that.  You know that’s true, don’t you?”

     David looked like the air had been sucked out of him.  “I don’t know what I know or what to believe anymore, Boops.  All I can think of is walking into our bedroom and finding him with some other guy in our bed.  God damn him, Boops, if he was going to cheat on me why did he have to bring it into our home?”

     Boops sipped her drink.  “Knowing  Charles, he probably thought this was about being honest.  I don’t mean to pry into your personal business, David, but had you ever talked about having a ménage a trios?

     “One time he mentioned that he knew other couples who did it sometimes.  They told him it made their relationships better.  I told Charles I didn’t think I could handle it.  He asked me to think about it.  I told him I would, but it was never brought up again.”

     “There’s your answer, David. Charles probably thought that if he went ahead and set it up, you would go along with it, and possibly have a good ol’ time.  Have you never had a threesome before?”

     “Sure, Boops, but not with anyone I was in love with.”

Boops took a thoughtful sip of scotch and then asked very sensitively, “Did you enjoy it, David?”

     “Of course, but that’s beside the point, Boops.”

     “No, David, that is precisely the point.  Sometimes sex is simply about the pleasure.  It’s playful and not concerned with any sentiment.  Why do you think it is that you could have fun with some guys you didn’t care about ―who I’m guessing you most likely didn’t even know― but you can’t get into the same mindset with Charles plus one, or three?

     “Because, Boops, Charles is the only man I desire.  He is the only man I need.  I thought he felt the same about me.  I know he often does things without taking the time to think them through.  He’s like a pup sometimes, but I thought ―.”

     “David!  You keep prattlin’ on about what you thought.  What do you feel?  Do you still want him?  Did this endless love you profess have a stroke and die just like that? she asked with a snap of her fingers.

     “Honey, I have loved that guy since the Halloween night we met at your party.”

     Boops saw the pain and pleading in her friend’s eyes.  “In that case, David, you have to find a way to deal with this and move passed it.  This is chapter two of your fairytale, David.  You decide how the story continues or if this is the end.”  Boops paused here and drew back in her chair.  “Let me ask you this, David.  If you had a puppy that messed on one of your beautiful carpets, would you send him to the pound?”

     “Of course, not, Boops.  I’m not a heartless ogre for chrissakes!”

     “So you’d keep him and train him to do better.  Is that right?”

     “Right.  It just takes patience and discipline,” David replied.

   Boops smiled one of her wicked smiles.  “Discipline, huh?  That sounds like something requirin’ black leather now, don’t it?”

     David was finally smiling again.  “Boops!  You’re awful!  Wise and wonderful to be sure, but awful!  I believe there are a lot of martyrs in Heaven eager for your arrival.  How did you get to be so smart?

     Boops rose to fetch the scotch bottle and poured herself and David another drink.  “I’m older than you for one thing.  For another, I had some help.  Charles phoned to tell me he had really messed up and hurt you very badly, so I should expect your imminent arrival.  I had time to go through my bag of tricks.”  She put her fingers to her lips, and said, “Sorry, I guess that was a poor choice of words.  Think about it, David.  You two deserve each other.  You both show up in the tackiest Halloween costumes, not to mention the trashy behavior in other people’s gazebos.”

     “You’re absolutely right, my Darling.  I think I know a way of giving the Prada Princess exactly what she has coming to her.  She wants spice?  I’ll warm her up!  Do you think that leather shop a few blocks from here is still open?”

     Playfully Boops said, “God, I don’t know, David.  Second Skin is only the leather shop in the Quarter and it’s not even nine o’clock yet.  What do you think?  Get your butt over to Saint Phillip Avenue right now!  Buy something divinely butch and then get home and commence obedience school.  Do you want  me to come with you?  I adore that shop!”

     “No, Boops, I’ll be fine on my own.  I certainly don’t want those guys thinking I have to have my mother pick out my gear for me.  They’d think I’m a bottom.”

     “Oh, yes!  Remember to buy a cap.  The guy with the cap is the one in charge.  I wish you’d let me go with you, but I understand.  If you see a guy that looks like a bald member of the Village People, that’s Frank.  Tell him Boops sends her love and he should come around to see me.”

     David stood up to leave and gave his friend a hug.  “Thank you, Boops.  I don’t know what I’d ever do without you.”

     “That’s what I’m here for, David.  Call me in the morning.  I want a full report!”

     Later that night, David arrived home in his newly acquired dominator drag.  When Charles heard the front door open, he came running downstairs.  “David, you’re home!” he cried.  “You’ve come back!”