End of Games

Richie took the boys to the show in Coffs and drove back to Nonnie’s. Her light was on upstairs. Instead of making a scene and banging on the front door he went around to the alley and up the steps and banged on her back door.

Nonnie had changed into soft knit yoga pants and a comfy tank top. She was in her kitchen thinking about whether to heat up the leftover pizza or the soup when an almighty banging commenced on her back door. She walked down the four steps to the landing and looked out of the window. Richie.

"What are you doing back here banging on my door?"

"I want to talk to you."

"Richie I…"

He pushed passed her and onto the landing. "I want to talk…no games, Nonnie."

"Okay." She closed the door and followed him up the stairs. "Do you want a drink or?"

"Nothing right now until I say what I’ve got to say."

"All right…have your say."

"I know I screwed up with Libby but she’s gone now. She and Barth Madison have left Coffs Harbor. I’m trying to…to get back to you but you keep playing with me. Making games out of it. I can’t even have a serious conversation with you any more without you making it into some kind of joke."

"Well, maybe humor is my way of protecting myself. I gave myself over to you once and I got left at the gate. I’m not going there again. I’m trying to be civil, to be friendly. I loved you Richie and part of me still does. I’m trying to retrain that part."

"I still love you, Nonnie. I want another chance…I won’t fuck it up this time."

"If I believed you I’d be a fool. Libby might be gone but there’s another Libby waiting in the wings. Oh we don’t know her yet or maybe you do already. I will never be the only one, the most important one, the one that you forsake all others for and so I choose not to be one at all. I believe that you do need a woman to come home to. She has to be someone who doesn’t mind if you don’t come home every night. I’m not that woman, I’m sorry, Richie."

He grabbed her and kissed her. She fought him at first and then gave in to it and her arms snaked around his neck. "Damn you, Richie."

"Now tell me we’re through. Tell me you don’t want to see me again." He kissed her again long and hard.

"Not fair." She mumbled.

"Say it, say we don’t’ matter, say you don’t want me, say that didn’t feel good. Say I don’t know what you need…tell me I can’t do it for you."

"Richie…you don’t play fair."

"I can’t play fair with you." He slid his hands down the back of her yoga pants and squeezed her bottom.

"You just knocked down all my defenses, you…crazy…horrible…oh my God. Richie."

He picked her up and took her to her bedroom and tossed her on the bed. "Don’t you move."

Nonnie was breathing heavily as she watched him undress. "I don’t want to do this, Richie."

"Oh yes you do," he was on her now pulling at her clothes. "You know you do."

"Yes…oh…yes." They came together in a frenzy.

A light veil of perspiration covered him. He rested his head on her breast. Too long he’d let her call the shots, too long he’d been walking around on eggshells lest he upset her and letting the Libby thing drive him crazy. No more. He felt her stir beneath him and raised his head and looked into her eyes.

There was a boldness there she hadn’t seen before. He was through playing games that was pretty evident. Now where did they go from here?