A Simple Life: Chapter 85 (Patreon)

For the moment we sidestep the question, using our cooling soup as an excuse to put it off.  When I finish bringing the food to the table Winona surprises me by getting up off her chair and offering it to me.  I am about to protest when she gives me a pointed look, a Daddy look, that told me she would have no argument on this one.  With a flattered smile I accept and sit in her chair.  Like a gentleman of yesteryear she even helps push the chair into place behind me.

Taking one of the halves of her sandwich, hers being the biggest, she takes a bite and begins to pace as she chews and thinks.  Briar and I, across from each other, clink our teas, have sip, then dig into our own meals.  After another bite Winona points at Briar with the corner of her sandwich half and says through a half full mouth.  “You know what Briar.  You do stand a chance."

“I do?”

“Sure you do!  You are sweet and pretty and smart and sexy.”

“Oh!”  Briar blushes yet again.

“Kayla would be lucky to have you.  Lucky!”  She says.  “There is someone out there for everyone.  Even Kayla.”

My spoon halfway to my mouth I pause and look at her.  “Um…”

“You really think so?”  Briar brightens up.

“Hell yeah.  Don’t give up.”  She takes another big bite and gobbles it down quickly.  “You might be just the someone she’s been waiting for.  It surely wasn’t me.  But maybe it’s you Briar.  I think I sense a bit of magic happening between you.”

“Really!?”

“W-Winona…I-I’m not sure that’s true.”  I say.  “I-I’ve known her a long time and Kayla’s never r-really settled down with anybody for more than a couple months.”

“Because she hasn’t found the One yet.”  Winona says.  “She’s still looking for her soulmate.”

“I d-don’t think she is.”

“Everybody is.”  She says.  “Whether they know it or not.  She deserves to be happy Sprout.”

“She is happy.”  I say.

“Is she though?”  Winona says, her voice more solemn.  “She puts on a good front, I’ll give her that.”

“I-It’s not a front.  That’s who she is.”

“Avery, she’s lonely.  She talks to her house like it’s a person for f’s sake.”

“Well Babe is a very advanced AI to be fair.”  Briar says.  “It’s not uncommon for a friendship to develop with Meadow.”

“It’s a house!”  Winona turns to face me directly.  “Avery.  You’ve been with her.  In her softer moments.  You’ve gotten those middle of the night calls.”

“I d-don’t think we should talk about that.”  I scowl.  “That’s private.”

“I know.”  Winona holds her hands up.  “I’m just saying, she’s got a person shaped hole right through the middle of her.  All her friends, activities, parties, socializing, all her different lovers, it keeps her head busy but there’s something missing right here.”  She taps her chest.  “She’s lonely.”

“She’s n-not!  There’s n-nothing wrong with Kayla.”  I bristle.  I knew about Winona’s history with Kayla but this was my best friend she was talking about.  “She’s w-w-wonderful.”

“She is wonderful.”  Briar sighs as she stares into her soup and slowly stirs it.  “So wonderful.”

“And she deserves to be happy.”  Winona says again.  “And so do you Briar.  All I’m saying is that if you really feel something for her you gotta try.  Just do it on your own terms.  Be honest with her and yourself and stand by your principles.  If it’s meant to be, she’ll come around.  She’ll come to you.”  She pops in the last bit of sandwich and chews it down.

“Okay.”  Briar says, but then notices me shaking my head no.  “No?”

“Y-Your just asking to get hurt if you d-do that.”

“Oh?”

I glance back and forth between the two women trying to figure out what to say.  I’d sat with Kayla talking about her relationships many a time.  It was weird to be on the other end of the equation.

“K-Kayla is the b-best friend you could ever ask for.”  I say.  “B-But y-you have to be willing to share her.  She’s not l-lonely.  She’s r-restless.  She’s a r-romantic adventurer.  She’s a dreamer.  A t-traveller.  She doesn’t like to be tied down to one spot.  She’s on a n-neverending journey with an ever shifting destination.  It’s what makes her feel alive.”

“Every journey has an end.”  Winona says.  “Without a guiding star she will end up lost and alone in the wilderness.”  She looks me in the eyes.  “Underneath it all…she IS lonely Sprout.”

“Yeah.”  I cede the point, knowing deep down it had some truth in it.  “I know.”  I sigh then say to Briar.  “But if you try to make her commit too soon she’ll tell you all the things you ever d-dreamed of hearing.  Promises of the moon and the stars.  And, in the moment, she’ll even mean them too.  She’ll say them with her whole heart and soul.”  I shake my head.  “But it won’t last.”

Winona falls still as she ponders my words.  “People change Sprout.  People grow.  One special person can change your whole world.”

I smile.  “Yeah.”

“I’m confused.”  Briar says.  “What am I supposed to do?”

“Be your charming little self and win her over.”  Winona says.  “If you think you and she might be a good thing you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t at least try.”

“But go in with your eyes open.”  I add.  “M-Maybe you’ll be hers in the end.  Or m-maybe she’ll give you th-the best few months of your life…then float away on a shifting breeze.”

“He’s not wrong.”  Winona nods.  “Guard that heart, girl.  Guard that heart with your life.  She’ll shatter it with a smile on her face.”

“But n-not to be cruel.”

“Which almost makes it worse.”

Briar looks from Winona to me and back to her again.  “I’m so confused!”

“I don’t blame you.”  Winona chuckles.  “It’s a good thing I can fix a car, because we’re terrible counselors!”

“You w-want me to talk to her?  Sus things out?”  I ask.  “See how serious her interest is?”

“Would you Avery?”  Briar says eagerly.  “I’d really appreciate that.”

“I’m on it.”  I nod.

Picking up the other half of her sandwich Winona dips a corner into her soup and munches.  As she chews she points my way.  “You might have known Kayla longer, but you are wrong about one thing Sprout.”

“Oh?”  I look up.  “And what’s th-that?”

“You said that she didn’t like to be tied down.”  With a twinkle and wink she quips.  “I can tell you for a FACT that that’s not true.”

“Oh?  OH!”  Briar and I look at each other…then burst into giggles.

“She’s a switch but she’s definitely got her preference.”  Winona chuckles.  “You ever heard of topping from the bottom Briar?  Be ready for it.  That’s Kay in a nutshell.”

“Oh my goodness!”  Briar covers her face.  “Pffff!  He he he he.”

“No jokes.  I guarantee ya that when Scourge was choking out Horny there were some damp panties goin on at that end of the table.”

“Stop!”  I howl.  “Ha ha ha!”

“I’m serious!”  Winona hams it up with a great big smile.  “Start workin on your knots, girl, and invest in some leather.  Some cardio couldn’t hurt either.”

“Knots!?  Leather!?  MEEE!?”  Tiny Briar is beside herself with laughter.  “HA HA HA HA!”

“And why not?”  She winks.  “I can see it now.  Mistress Briar, the sexy bitch queen of the Meadows.  Poor peeping Babe’s gonna blow a damn fuse!”

“AH HA HA HA!”

“Hey.”  Winona shrugs.  “Just tryin to help.  They don’t call her Kinky Kayla for nothin.”

Chapter 86