Dexter dialed the number, hoping that he wouldn't have another evening alone at home. Amber answered on the second ring.
"Hello, Dexter."
"Hello, Amber."
"What's up?"
"I was sitting here feeling kinda lonely, and was wondering if you were free tonight. Are you?" Dexter asked.
Amber giggled. "I'm never free for lonely men."
"I don't mean like that," Dexter said. "I was wondering if you wanted to get together tonight. Are you busy?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," Amber said.
"Okay," Dexter said. "I was hoping we could go listen to some jazz, or something."
Amber said, "Why don't I swing by your place after I finish up with my client? It shouldn't be too late. He's married and has to get home at a reasonable time."
"What's a reasonable time?" Dexter asked.
"We'll be done by ten," Amber answered.
Dexter said, "I can deal with ten."
"Okay, I'll see you then," Amber said. She hung up the phone.
Dexter wondered what kind of guy had a prostitute for his best friend. He probably saw more of Amber than anyone else. Sometimes, they just went out for burgers at lunchtime, or met to exercise together at the gym, or generally hung out together. More often than not, she called him.
It was a strange kind of relationship. They seldom talked about what she did for a living. Mostly, Dexter talked about his various experiences in searching out places that still provided service. She made comments about his observations, reflecting a young disbelief that things had even been the way he described. She found his desire to change the world into a friendlier and nicer place, endearing. She wasn't sure if she believed it was possible.
For his part, he enjoyed her company. Even when they did nothing but sit around saying little, he cherished the time spent with her. She was nothing like any woman he had ever known. She tended to be upbeat most of the time, but there were days when she was very depressed. On those occasions, she just wanted someone to hold her.
It was a little after nine when there was a knock on Dexter's door. He opened it to find Amber standing there.
It was obvious that she hadn't gone by her apartment to change clothes after her 'date.' She was dressed in a very revealing outfit. The skirt was way too short, and the low cut blouse barely concealed the treasures beneath it. He could tell that she was wearing stockings.
"Come on in, Amber."
"My date ended early," Amber said. She held out a paper bag and added, "I brought a little something to drink."
Dexter accepted the bag from her. He looked inside. A glance at the label was sufficient to identify the source of the wine.
"German wine?"
"I don't really feel like going out. How about we just drink a little wine and talk?" Amber asked.
"That's fine with me. Why don't you have a seat while I open the wine and get some glasses?"
"Can I use your bathroom to freshen up?"
"Sure."
Dexter went into the kitchen to open the wine. It was only when he pulled the bottle out of the bag that he realized that he wouldn't need a corkscrew. The wine bottle had a screw-on top. He grabbed two glasses and carried them out to the living room. He unscrewed the cap from the bottle, and filled two glasses with white wine.
Amber came out of the bathroom wearing one of his shirts.
She flopped down on one of the living room chairs and said, "I hope you don't mind me borrowing one of your shirts."
"Not at all," Dexter said while handing her a glass of wine.
"I was getting tired of my ass showing and my tits hanging out," Amber said.
"I can understand that. I guess that's an occupational hazard," Dexter said, although his shirt still showed nearly as much leg as the short skirt had.
Amber said, "My client tonight was one of my regulars. He's not a bad guy, but he wants that street-walker look."
"You looked kinda sexy," Dexter said.
"Thanks," Amber said. "Sometimes I get so tired of it all."
"So quit," Dexter said.
"It pays the bills," Amber said shrugging her shoulders.
"So you're going to stay with it until you find something better?"
Amber nodded her head in affirmation, took a sip of wine, and then sighed. She studied Dexter for a moment, as if he was some new species of bug.
"You know, I don't understand you," Amber said.
"You don't understand me?" Dexter asked rather puzzled by that comment.
"Nope."
"I'm a pretty simple guy. At least, I think so."
Amber said, "Something has been bugging me for a while."
"What?"
"You told me that you had been laid since leaving your wife. When and with whom?"
"I went to Nevada. Prostitution is legal there," Dexter said.
"Really?"
"I thought everyone knew prostitution is legal in Nevada."
"Not that. I was surprised you went to a brothel."
"Why?"
"I never figured you to be the type to pay for it."
"I get horny just like every other man."
"I guess so. Still, it surprises me that you would pay for sex," Amber said. She thought for a moment and then added, "Maybe I'm not surprised. You aren't the 'friends with benefits' kind of guy or the 'one-night-stand' type, either."
"I'm not into casual sex," Dexter said.
He took a big sip of wine, wishing they could talk about something else.
"Why haven't you ever tried to hire me?"
"You're a friend," Dexter answered with a shrug, earning a great big smile from Amber.
"I'm glad you think of me that way. I don't have that many friends. It's an occupational hazard. Women find out what I do for a living, and immediately start treating me like I'm slime. When a guy learns that I'm an escort, he either thinks I'm easy, or that he can hire me."
"I can see where that is a problem. I guess you're kind of lonely."
"You can say that again."
"I understand loneliness."
Amber snorted. "If I were you, there'd be no way I'd be living in this dump, all alone."
"Don't call my place a dump. I like it, here," Dexter said.
"Like I'm going to believe that? You're living alone, when you don't have to. I don't have that option. There isn't a man around who wants to marry an escort. There are lots of men who would be more than happy to fuck me on occasion, but they wouldn't look at me for anything more serious than that. I just don't understand why you would chose to be alone."
Dexter stammered, "Women aren't lined up to be with the great Dexter James."
"You've got an ex-wife who still loves you. You could walk back into your house at any time and she'd welcome you home," Amber said.
"I don't think so," Dexter said.
Amber shook her head in disgust. "I know so. Janet told me how she feels about you. Did you know that your ex is jealous of me?"
"Why? We aren't dating or anything."
"She's jealous because I'm your friend."
"I don't understand," Dexter said. He stared down at the floor for a minute. "I really don't understand."
"It's not that difficult to understand."
"Maybe I'm an idiot," Dexter said. "If so, you're going to have to explain it to me in simple little words that I can understand."
"Let me put it in simple words. You've known me for less than a year, and I'm your friend. She was married to you for nearly twenty years..."
"Eighteen."
"Eighteen years, and she was a stranger to you. It's supposed to be the other way around. I'm supposed to be the stranger, and she's supposed to be the friend, the lover, and the wife."
"She asked me for the divorce. That's why she's not my wife."
"That's because you insulted her, and never apologized."
"What the fuck did I do?" Dexter asked.
"You really don't know?"
"I really don't know. Explain it to me."
"Let's say that you were walking out of the bathroom after taking a shower. Like usual, you're wearing nothing."
"Well ... I like being naked on occasion," Dexter said.
"Suppose you got an erection because I'm lying there looking real sexy. How would you feel if I were to look at your cock and then burst out laughing?"
"Hurt."
"That's right. You'd feel hurt."
"Okay, so what? I didn't laugh at her cock. She doesn't have one."
Amber shook her head knowing that he really didn't get it. She said, "Your wife came home from a real bad day at work. She's tired, feeling old, and really down. Have you ever felt like that?"
"Sure."
Amber said, "All she wanted was to be comforted. Normally, she'd look to you for that, but you hadn't been there much for her."
"Hey, I was doing the best that I could for her and the family," Dexter protested.
"I'm sure that's true. I'm sure that she understood that. She goes for second best: a hot shower and a comfortable bed."
"Okay. I can see how a hot shower and going to be early would make her feel a little better."
"That was second best. She really wanted you to comfort her, but you didn't. You stabbed her in the back," Amber said.
"I didn't stab her in the back," Dexter shouted.
"You just sat there and watched her walk past without even offering a word of understanding. You questioned who she was, as if she was someone you'd never met. She looked to you for comfort and you treated her like a stranger. It might not seem that way to you, but to a woman, that's about as cruel as laughing at a man's erection."
"I didn't know she was expecting anything from me. She didn't say anything to me," Dexter said.
"You were supposed to know," Amber said.
"She could have told me. She didn't have to text me that she wanted a divorce."
"When could she have told you? You two never talked. That incident just kept running through her head ... and everyday that you didn't apologize, she got angrier. So one day, after her boss had shit on her once again, she gets frustrated with her whole life. She hates her job. She's mad at you. It seems to her that nothing is going right," Amber said.
"She wasn't the only one feeling that way."
"In her frustration, she texts you that she wants a divorce."
"And I gave it to her," Dexter said.
"You idiot! She didn't want a divorce. She wanted you to apologize. She wanted you to recognize her as being your wife, and to give her the emotional support that she needed."
"I figured she was having an affair. We never talked. We never saw each other. We hadn't had sex in years. She hadn't told me that she loved me for even longer than that. Hell, I don't even remember the last time we kissed," Dexter said.
"She never had an affair. She loved you then, and she still loves you," Amber said.
"How do you know?"
"She told me."
"Excuse me if I'm a little skeptical."
"Why shouldn't she still love you? You still love her."
"No I don't."
"Don't be a baby. You know you still love her. You're still wearing your wedding ring."
"Arrgh!"
"Unlike me, you don't have to be alone," Amber said.
Dexter said, "You don't have to remain alone. We could date and see if we fall in love."
"That won't work."
"Why?"
"Because you still love her. I could never be second in my man's heart," Amber said.
"Do you really believe that?"
Amber pursed her lips while thinking about his question. "Yes."
"Maybe you're right," Dexter said softly.
Amber said, "Your life is a lot better now in many ways, but you're still miserable. You need Janet. You two belong together."
"I wish I believed that," Dexter said.
"You do believe it. You just don't want to accept it."
Amber polished off the wine that remained in her glass. She refilled the glass and took another good drink.
She said, "You're not drinking."
"Sorry," Dexter said.
He took a sip of his wine. It wasn't nearly as bad as he had expected considering the fact that it came in a bottle with a screw-on cap, rather than a cork. It was a little sweet, and was more of a dessert wine than one he would drink with a meal.
He said, "Not bad."
"It's cheap, and it tastes good," Amber said.
"I'm not really a wine expert," Dexter said.
Amber said, "Only pretentious assholes worry about what others think of the wine they're drinking. I figure, if you like it then drink it."
"I couldn't agree more," Dexter said.
"So what are you going to do?" Amber asked.
"About what?"
"Janet."
"I don't know," Dexter answered.
Amber sighed.
"Tomorrow you will call her up on the telephone, and ask her out on a date."
"I will?" Dexter asked.
"Yes."
"She really hurt me."
"Big fucking deal. Get over it," Amber said.
"I'm not sure that I can."
"Do you want to spend the rest of your life alone? Do you want to live surrounded by gold diggers who are more interested in your bank account than you?"
"No."
"So call up Janet and make a date."
"What if she turns me down?"
"She won't."
"Are you sure?"
"God. This is worse than fucking high school. Call her!"
Dexter took another sip of wine.
"I've got some cheese. Would you like some to go with the wine?"
"Don't change the subject," Amber said.
After a pause, she added, "Cheese does sound like a good idea."
Edited By TeNderLoin