Page 25 of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

“Our minds are fuckin’ blown right now, brother,” Fox finally said as Whiskey held onto a weeping Amy.

“Really?” Tango asked incredulously. “They shouldn’t be. I’ve never feigned more involvement than you guys shoved at me. I never looked pleased when you tried to include me in your ‘group couple talks’. Hell, I usually walked away to give you all privacy unless you sought out my personal advice on something.”

“But you never said anything about the property patch when we showed you before we gave it to her,” Whiskey added.

“I said, congratu-fuckin-lations. I thought the T was a plus sign. You know, belonging to Whiskey AND Fox. It wasn’t until your speech that night that I realized maybe there was more to it. I figured we could have that conversation when I got back from the Expo. Then shit hit the fan, and I could never get the three of you in the same place at once after I got back. Hell, it took me talking it through with Liza to realize that everyone else thought I was part of some weird quadro-relationship too. It never occurred to me, because I never saw myself in it beyond friendship to each of you.”

Everyone just stood there staring at him so long I thought that was going to be the end of it. Then Whiskey spoke. “We thought we were helping you, at first, to get over Camilla. It had been so long. Then, it just seemed like you were a part of everything, and the word you’re looking for is polyamorous.”

“Fuck man, seriously. If I were going to claim a woman, don’t you think I would have been a part of planning that shit out? No offense, and carry on with whatever floats your boat and works for you guys, but when I claim a woman it won’t be as a package deal where she’s shared with someone else. And I certainly won’t be wondering whose baby is in my woman’s belly when the time comes. The both of you should know at least that much about me considering what I did go through with Camilla, and all the things I’ve talked to you about over the years.” Both Fox and Whiskey flinched at that speech. Whether it was because they should have known their friend better, or not knowing whom the baby’s dad was, I wasn’t sure. It was clear to me though that something had been fractured in the friendship of these men when Amy came along. Not that it was her fault at all, but they just stopped communicating properly when another person was tossed into the mix with their own ideals clogging reality.

I hurt for the man who became invisible, nothing more than a toy to be used as needed, to his very best friends. It sounded harsh, but how can you describe their complete lack of insight? “Maybe we should get you out of here so everyone can process what just happened?” I finally asked as I applied a little more pressure on his back.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” Tango said as he started moving forward.

“It’s all because of her,” Amy cried out, pointing an accusing finger my way. “She’s the reason you grew so cold. She’s the reason you’re trying to deny what has always been there between the four of us.”

“Amy, you’re emotional, pregnant, and you’re going to regret saying things when you look back. T is right. None of us cared to see that he wasn’t into this. Thinking back, I can see it written on his every expression. Every time he tried to ask for more jobs that took him away. All the extra time he put into the studio, even when it was all finished. It all makes sense now, and I’m so sorry we didn’t see that shit sooner, brother.” Fox stated while Amy continued to wail and blubber about how it was all my fault and Fox was lying.

If that was what being pregnant did to you, I would rather not. As I was thinking that I remembered what Michelle, my brother’s girlfriend was like, and I realized that Amy was not the example to go by. Despite all the strife in their lives, Michelle was the most positive, upbeat, beautiful pregnant woman I had ever seen. One day, I wanted to grow up to be a mom just like her. Also, I hoped someone smacked some sense into me if I ever behaved the way Amy just did publicly. “She probably needs some therapy,” I surmised.

“No doubt,” Tango huffed making me realize I must have spoken the last part out loud.

“Oh shit, sorry. I thought that was my inside voice,” I told him. He stopped in his tracks on the stairs and turned to smile at me while trying to stifle a chuckle.

“Don’t be sorry. Not like everyone else that heard that shit storm wasn’t thinking the same fucking thing. Hell, I think I need therapy after that cluster-fuck.”

I laughed with him then. “Come on, let’s go draw it out, big guy!” I told him as I shot passed him on the steps heading toward our room. “Art is our kind of therapy!”

“You’re damn right it is!” He agreed as he followed behind me.

~ Tango ~

It was two hours later, after Liza got me buried deep in a rebranding project she’d been working on for a client that there was a knock on our door. I notice Liza cringe in response, and had to agree with that sentiment. I honestly just wanted to continue getting lost in our project for a bit longer and forget that all that drama had gone down in the kitchen of the clubhouse for too many ears to hear. No doubt, the grapevine had already spread, and ramped up the drama too.

I stood and moved over to the door, answering it while also blocking Liza from view as she was lying across the bed with her sketchpad stretched out in front of her. Her tongue was poking out the side of her mouth again, like it often did when she was concentrating. I smiled then turned back to the person at the door.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Can we come in for a minute, to talk?” Both Whiskey and Fox were standing there looking beat all to shit emotionally.

“I’m not sure now is the best time for this,” I told them. It was the truth. We had all just had a huge emotional blowup. I was sure their end was far worse than mine since they had Amy to deal with too. Two hours didn’t seem like enough time to process that shit before trying to address any of it.

“I get that, but it seems we keep waiting for a right time for this conversation and it isn’t happening,” Fox interjected.

“Yeah, I suppose so. Where’s Amy? She okay?”

“She’s sleeping,” Whiskey stated with a hint of aggression in his voice. Fox must have caught it too, because he popped his hand back and caught Whiskey in the gut with a warning shot.

“None of this is T’s fault, dude. Keep that in mind, yeah?” Fox told him.

“Sorry, it’s just difficult to wrap my head around everything that was said, and I think Amy’s right. None of this was an issue before that chick came along.”

“None of this was an issue before Amy came along,” I stated none too kindly. “If you’d been paying any attention to what was going on with me instead of having your head lodged so far up Amy’s ass that you couldn’t see you would have known that.”

Whiskey stepped back as if I had struck him physically instead of verbally. “You’re blaming Amy?”

“No, you fucking idiot. We all get a piece of blame in this shit show. All of us expect the one person you and Amy seem to want to tack it onto. Liza isn’t here because she wanted to be. She didn’t ask to be air dropped right into our fucking drama, and I don’t appreciate you pulling her into it. On that note, no, we can’t fucking talk in my room, because Liza is in there, and I’ll be damned if I’ll allow you to go on the attack with her when she’s done abso-fucking-lutely nothing to deserve it. Hell, she’s been the only impartial person I’ve had to discuss this shit with. She’s been the only one who would actually listen to my frustrations about how you two just kept assuming shit and pushing me in a direction that your clueless asses should have known would not have been something I was okay with. I get you thought you were trying to fix something you saw as broken in me. I wasn’t fucking broken. I was waiting for the right person to come along who would peak my interest. That person was not Amy. Even if I didn’t have to share her with the two of you, it still wouldn’t have been Amy, because I don’t see her like that. There’s zero chemistry between us. It should have been plain as day to either of you if you actually cared to see what was right in front of you. Or what wasn’t.”

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