“He is in one of my seminars, and seems really nice,” she said.
“Well, at least give me his name, just in case I have to call the cops when you disappear.”
“Stop it!” she said, as she punched me in the arm. “His name is Tim Smith.”
“Hmmm…sounds like an alias to me.”
“You’re impossible,” she said, with a smile. “I’ll text you his info so you won’t be a nervous wreck.”
We laughed, and I told her to have fun.
Well, Tim was a nice guy. And after a week or so, we all went out together. He said he wanted to get to know her big brother. Things seem to be going well.
I was a little worried when Linda began staying over at his place, and felt bad that I did. Hell, she was an adult, and I wanted her to be happy. But there was still a bit of the old ‘Big Brother’ in me, I guess.
After a couple of months, it seemed like Linda’s relationship with Tim was going well, and I was just now feeling like trying to get back into the game myself. Then one afternoon, Linda came home from seeing Tim, and seemed upset. I did not pry, but made sure I was around when, or if, she decided she needed to talk. Apparently, that need popped up soon after dinner.
I was aimlessly flipping through channels, when Linda came into the room with a new bottle, and a corkscrew.
“Can you open this for me? You’re more expert at it than I am.”
“Sure,” I said, as I reached for the bottle and went to work. “I see you need an extra glass tonight.”
‘I think I need a couple of them.”
“Okay, okay. What’s the problem?” I knew her pretty well, to say the least, and she was a little upset.
“It’s Tim,” she said, as I poured her a glass of wine. She took the glass and took a big sip. “I, I…I don’t know how to say this. But…”
“Go on,” I said. “It’s not like we haven’t known each other almost our entire lives. We have had boy talks before, and even some of my girl problems in the past. And, I have noticed you haven’t been, well, staying over much these days.”
“Tim is a nice guy. But…”
“Come on, Linda. Spit it out. You know you can tell me anything.”
“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing. It’s, well, it’s about SEX!” she blurted out.
That did take me by surprise, you might say. It’s not that we hadn’t discussed girlfriend-boyfriend stuff in the past, but we never got into details. Almost never.
“Ah, okay. I don’t know if I can help, but you know we can talk about anything. We always have, and you also know, I just want you to be happy.”
Linda smiled, put down her glass, and came over and gave me a big hug. “You are the best! I knew you would understand.”
“Look, it is not like I don’t know you’re sleeping with him. That is no secret. So, is he gay?”
“Oh goodness no!” she laughed, as she sat down on the couch next to me. “He is not gay for crying out loud. It’s just…well, he wants to do some things I have never done, and I’m a bit nervous about it.”
She seemed upset, and I always hated to see her upset. “You have had a few boyfriends, and I am sure, even though you never got into the details, you have had a bit of experience in the sex department.”