10
~ Ian ~
Mercifully, the moment of awkwardness remains just that - a moment.
Teri fixes up some snacks and we join her at the kitchen island to eat.
None of us bother to get dressed again. It doesn’t seem worth the effort.
We all know without saying it aloud that there will surely be more erotic fun to follow later, whether it be Lorna and I, myself and Teri, the girls together, or some other fabulous and unbelievable combination of us all.
I still can barely believe that my life has evolved into this. Widower to Lothario. It’s the kind of story that a Hollywood producer would reject for being too outlandish. But it’s my life.
Teri recovers from her earlier worries and soon joins us with her usual infectious joy and charm.
We sit in a loose triangle around the table, making conversation and chatting about this and that.
It’s so strange that we’re all so comfortable being naked like this.
Nudity no longer phases us. Once our plates are empty, I decide to redirect the discussion back to where it’s most needed.
“Okay, Lorna. Your friend…”
“Jamie.” She can’t even say the name without a sly smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
“Yes, Jamie. English major, writing for the paper. Interested in books.”
“And pretty.” That damned sly smile could melt granite, I swear.
“I didn’t ask that. I just want to know what she’s expecting from me - from us - and how I fit into all this.”
“Like I said, she knows about the book collection from your old friend, the one who used to live here.” Lorna dabs her cheeks with a napkin, brushing away a loose crumb.
“She’s never seen it before. I happened to overhear her talking about it with someone else and we got to chatting. You know how these things go.”
“Sure.” I leave out what I’m really thinking - that it’s surely just a coincidence that Jamie is another young, beautiful woman.
“Anyway, she thought it would make an interesting story for the college paper. That’s all. See? Nothing nefarious, no other intentions, I swear.”
“The college paper?” My nose wrinkles in a subconscious gesture. “I can’t imagine too many students would be interested in reading a story about my book collection.”
Lorna laughs at that. “College papers have changed a lot since you were a professor, Ian. Nobody really reads it. The writers publish articles for credit and experience.”
“Even so…”
“I think it’s nice.” Teri’s voice intrudes between us, dragging our eyes over to her.
My gaze settles on her face, before being dragged lower and drifting over the soft yet firm curves of her chest. I force my eyes back to her beautiful, flushed face.
“It’s an amazing collection, wouldn’t it be good to share it with the world?
Even if it is for a small college paper. ”
Now Lorna shoots me a look. It’s that look of, See? I told you. I give a slow nod of agreement and think carefully before responding.
“I’m not objecting to being the focus of her story. I’m not even objecting to letting her into the library, God knows I’m happy to share this amazing resource with anyone who wants it.”
Lorna leans closer to Teri and says in a voice that’s not quite a whisper, “For someone who isn’t objecting, it sure sounds like he’s making a lot of objections…”
Teri laughs and puts her arm around Lorna. I catch myself mid-sentence and decide to pivot in another direction.
“What I’m trying to say is, this woman is going to be only the third person that I invite into the house. And she’s a reporter in training, so that means she’s sharp and observant and keen.”
“I don’t understand the problem,” Teri says. She’s the picture of innocence right now; doe-eyed and naked and still glowing from our mutual orgasm.
“I do.” Lorna raises one eyebrow. “Ian is worried that Jamie might have some – how should I put it? – concerns about him being a wealthy older man shacking up with two young women and their unorthodox living arrangements. Does that about cover it?”
“In a word, yes.” I gesture with my hands that there’s nothing I can do about these worries. “I love what we have here. The last thing I want is for someone - especially a journalist - to poke around and start making accusations or inferences.”
The girls laugh together and I feel an absurd blush rise in my cheeks.
“Come on, Ian!” Lorna shakes her head in disbelief. “It’s not like we’re going to be having sex in front of her!”
“I know that! I know that, obviously, and I’m not going to suggest it. But…”
Teri places her hand on top of mine. It’s small and warm and soft. “You don’t want to be judged.”
I exhale and nod. That’s the exact word I was avoiding, but it’s also the perfect description. “Yes. I don’t want someone coming in from outside and spoiling this by making me feel bad about it. What we have is so unique and wonderful and special to me. I can’t even properly describe it.”
“Relationship?” Lorna says.
“Arrangement?” Teri toilets her head.
“Arrange-sonship?”
We laugh together at that. It’s a silly, yet fitting description. We’re three adults sharing a roof, sharing our lives, sharing our bodies, without any formal discussions or proposals. It just happened. Naturally. Perfectly. As if it was meant to be. I calm myself enough to speak again.
“So long as her efforts are entirely on the books, I don’t have a problem.”
“Of course, Ian.” Lorna adopts a diplomatic tone now.
“The way I see it, she’ll come over and look at the library.
I’ll be in class all afternoon tomorrow, so that won’t be a problem.
Teri will be working in some other part of the house.
It’ll just be you and Jamie. You can have a formal discussion about the books and then she’ll leave. ”
“And that’s all she’s expecting?” I can’t help but be a little skeptical. Lorna makes it sound so easy and obvious and innocent. But I’m apprehensive about inviting someone into this home who might potentially cause problems for us.
“What else could she expect?” Lorna shrugs. “She’s writing about the library. Just show her the library, talk about books. Easy.”
“Easy,” Teri says, in echo.
I pause for a minute. There are a lot of unknown factors involved here; enough to cause me concern. But Lorna is clearly excited about the opportunity and Teri says that she has no problem inviting this stranger into our home. The only stick in the mud is me.
“Okay, fine.” I offer both my hands in surrender. “Lunch and a conversation. But I don’t want to put our… arrange-sonship, as you called it, at risk. We’re just going to eat and talk about books. That’s all.”
Lorna beams, knowing that she’s won the day. She pulls Teri into a big, warm embrace. As tired as I am and as drained as I feel, there really is no sight quite like that of two naked women hugging each other to get the blood pumping again.
I have no idea if Lorna expects anything else to come out of this conversation with her new friend Jamie, but I’m slightly nervous about the prospect.
Of course, I’m more than happy to discuss my books with anyone who might want to listen, but the thought of a potentially nosey, judgmental reporter being exposed to this delicate yet gentle arrangement is a risk.
I can’t foresee that Jamie would have ulterior motives for wanting to see the library, nor can I imagine Lorna deliberately approaching a near-total stranger and saying something like, “Hey, come and see the place where I live; there’s this rich guy and another beautiful woman and we’re hopping in bed together all the time. ”
But you never know.
~ Teri ~
We table any further discussion about Jamie for the rest of the evening and go to bed to have more fun.
I’ve always been a sexual person but my sex life has never, ever been this active, even allowing for our New Relationship Energy.
I’ve had new relationships before but they were nothing like this.
Not a day goes by where I’m not being kissed or being fondled by, or kissing or fondling Lorna and/or Ian at least a dozen times.
Sometimes it’s a quick peck on the lips or a hand on my bottom, sometimes it starts with something innocuous and turns into a sudden, passionate encounter of indeterminate intensity and duration.
It’s the spontaneity of each instance that thrills me and keeps me off balance, never knowing what’s coming or where it will lead.
Just last weekend, Ian had to go into town for something which left Lorna alone with me for the first time in a while.
She didn’t search me out or anything – at least, I don’t think she did – but it wasn’t long before we were naked and sweating together in the throes of intense but unpremeditated sex in the laundry room of all places.
After several mutual orgasms of varying and unexpected intensities, we held each other and talked about how much we longed to do this for most of the time we worked together at the diner.
“I can’t believe we wasted so much time we could have spent like this,” I whispered as she nuzzled my neck in a pile of sheets and pillowcases I’ll have to rewash. “It makes me sick just to think about it.”
“I’m not sure I would have been as open to your advances a few years ago, babe,” she told me. “I’ve come a long way in a short time, you know.”
“You really had no interest in girls before you moved in with Ian?”
She laughed. “I’m not saying I didn’t think about it, the way most women do,” she said with a far-away stare. “I’m just not sure I would have known how to react if you’d been direct with me back in the day.”
“I won’t ask if you’re just shining me on, Lorna,” I told her in a mock-serious voice, “because I don’t think you’re a good enough actor to pull off a performance like we just had.”
“No way, Jose,” she giggled. “I’m all in on the fairer sex, babe. It’s kind of why I pushed Ian to meet with Jamie. To see if it’s just you or if I have a thing for all the girls I’ve never loved before.” She laughed at her own joke and I rolled my eyes.