Page 59 of Confessions of a Carpool Captive
I pull my container of warmed soup from the microwave and take my usual seat next to Gloria in the breakroom. She’s flipping through her phone and eating a sandwich. She half smiles at me, sighs, and continues eating. Just as I lift a spoonful to my mouth, I get a text.
Finn:What are your plans for Christmas?
I stare at my phone for a moment. Is he going to ask me out? I hurriedly respond.
.
Liz:Going to my mom’s for Christmas Eve and spending the weekend.
Finn:That’s great.
I wait a few minutes and nothing comes back. I wonder if he’s going to be alone. Surely he doesn’t expect me to invite him over, does he? I mean, we’re just friends. Other than that one kiss, there’s nothing between us. I guess there was more than one kiss, but one was my drunken mistake, the other was an act and the third… I pause and squirm in my seat. That was nothing. He dropped me off at home and that was it. Obviously he’s not interested.
I sigh a little too loudly and Gloria glances up from her phone. I smile awkwardly, feeling as if I should explain. I don’t know why, but I open my mouth before I think. “Sorry. I just don’t get men.”
Her frown turns into an immediate smile. “Girl, you don’t have to say another word. My boyfriend and I are in a fight as we speak.”
“Oh no,” I respond, taking a sip from my soup. I didn’t know she had a boyfriend. Actually, I don’t know much about her at all, even though we’ve worked together for years.
“Could I get your opinion?” she asks.
“Sure, I can try, although my experience in relationships leaves a lot to be desired.”
Her eyes light up. “I get that. Marty and I have been dating for three months and I feel like nothing I do is ever right for him.” She scoots forward in her seat and leans in. “This is just between us, okay?”
I nod my head, leaning forward in anticipation as I take another sip of my soup.
“Marty has a really big… cock,” she whispers nervously. I almost choke a bit and she laughs.
“And that’s a problem because…?”
“Ha!” She grins. “I mean, it’s really not, except, he wants to try something a little different.”
Scratching my temple, I wonder where’s she’s going. I lift a spoonful to my mouth and, thinking better of it, place it back down again. If it’s bad, I might spray so I’d better refrain from eating.
“He wants to try the back door,” she blurts out nervously.
“Oh.” I swallow hard, not sure what to say.
“I’ve never tried it before. Have you?” she asks.
I sigh as my eyes widen. I’ve barely said two words to her in four years and in our first conversation, she asks if I enjoy anal? I suddenly remember why I’ve avoided speaking to people for so long.
“I, uh…” I stammer. Do I want to share such personal stuff with her?
She shakes her head. “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know why I asked you that. I mean, you never talk to me and I know you don’t even like me and here you actually speak to me and the first thing I ask is about back-door sex? I’m such a fool.”
She doesn’t think I like her? What? “What do you mean, I don’t like you? We’ve been friends for years. Of course I like you,” I respond adamantly.
Her eyebrows squish together. “But you never talk to me. I figured you hated me.”
“Gosh no, Gloria. I think you’re awesome. I wish I could be more like you. You’re so put together and confident.”
“Really?” she asks with a happy grin. “Thank you. I needed to hear that today. I’m feeling completely inadequate and scared. What if I lose him because I’m not adventurous?” she asks.
“First of all, you should never do anything you’re not one hundred percent comfortable with and if he walks away from you because you don’t want his dick in your ass, then he’s not worth a second more of your time. You’re too good for him!”
She smiles brightly and glances over her shoulder to make sure no one is listening. “The thing is, I think I want to try it, but I’m scared it’ll hurt.”
