The Bear’s Mail Order Menage

But in reality, he knew that wasn’t an option. He wouldn’t get very far before curiosity overwhelmed him. Curiosity may have killed the cat but knowing that wasn’t going to stop him. If it got him killed too, then so be it. He had to know. It would kill him not to. So slowly, more slowly than he would have believed possible, he moved further into the room and picked up the letter with clammy hands.

 It was Alina’s writing, that much he was sure of. He would recognize it anywhere. Over the months of spending time with her he had grown to love the romantic old-fashioned style of cursive she used. It made her seem like she was from a different era altogether, brought to this town especially for him. There was no question in his mind that these words were hers.

“No. This can’t be right. It can’t be, goddamnit.”

She was gone. She had picked up her few belongings and fled while he was still standing against Andrew. She must have been so sad when she went. The way her letter sounded, she thought everything that had gone wrong was her fault. It couldn’t have been further from the truth but it was the way she felt and he couldn’t even say anything to her to convince her otherwise. He slid to the floor, letter still in hand, and crumpled the paper into a little ball.

What was he supposed to do now? The person he talked to in situations like this was Andrew, always had been. Every heartbreak he had ever suffered, from things as small as being turned down for the school dance to the death of his sister that had almost killed him as well, Andrew had been his rock through it all. But there was no way he could go to him now. After the things they had said to each other, he wasn’t sure that they would ever speak again without it coming to blows.

He felt lost in every way a man could be lost and there was only one place he could think of to go. And even after thinking the thing he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t bring himself to do anything, not for almost three whole days, until finally he peeled himself up off the floor and went the only place he could.

“Joshua? Joshua, is that you? What are you doing out there? Come in out of the rain, boy, before you catch your death. You’re going to give yourself pneumonia out there that way.”

Joshua stood out in the sheets of rain for a moment longer, wondering if this had been such a good idea, after all. He loved his family more than he could say, but could he really talk to them about this? It would require explanation he wasn’t sure he wanted to give. But his father had seen him and leaving at this point would just make them worry. There was nothing to do but what he was told and with a heavy head and heavier heart, he made his way through the front door.

His father was in the process of folding laundry and he slung a warm towel around his son the moment he was over the threshold. Rubbing vigorously, he led him to one of the kitchen chairs and poured him a glass of straight bourbon, chilled and neat. It was like he knew without even being told that his son had suffered something and he was doing what he knew how in the way of comfort.

“Josh, take a sip of this, ok? I know you’re more of a beer man, but it looks like this time you could maybe use something stronger.”

Joshua nodded gratefully and took a long, slow slug out of the glass. He his insides burn as the fiery liquid went down and it was a sensation he welcomed. It was good, knowing he could feel something other than numb. At least he knew he was still alive.

“Thanks, dad. I appreciate it. Where’s mom?”

“She’s doing something in the back. Are you ok with talking to me?”

“Sure, of course I am. It might even be better that way, actually.”

“Ok, good. Now, can you tell me what happened? Because it’s clear something did.”

“It’s hard to explain. Or I don’t know. Maybe it isn’t. It’s about a girl.”

“Alina. You’re mother has talked some about that to me. I think she thinks on it even more than she lets on. She’s been real worried about that whole thing. Said she knew it was all going to come crashing down around the two of you eventually.”

“Well she was right.”

“She was sort of both of your girls, wasn’t she? The three of you had something together. One of those kinds of situations. Is that right?”

“Yup, that sounds about right.”

“And everything went to hell in a handbasket.”

“That sounds about right, too.”

“So what exactly happened?”

Joshua took another deep drink, winced, and set the glass down. His father sat across from him and drank out of his own tall glass of liquor. That right there was really saying something. His dad wasn’t the kind of man to drink much of anything at all, let alone hard liquor. If he was joining his son in a drink, he must already have some clue as to what kind of situation they were dealing with.

“What we both should have known would happen. Andrew concocted this crazy plan to bring a woman here for us to have a good time with. That was Alina and it all worked out for a little while, until the two of us fell for each other. Then there was something between Alina and me that wasn’t there for Andrew and eventually he found out.”

“Found out how?”

“He walked in on us. At her apartment. We should have kept better control of ourselves and he walked in on us and everything went bad after that.”