CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
“Gotta admit, I’m pretty nervous,” Kim murmured as they pulled into his driveway.
“I understand that,” Gabe replied, killing the engine, taking off his seatbelt, and then turning to look at her deliberately. “And I want to help, if I can, instead of just saying ‘Don’t worry’. What are your concerns?”
“That...is actually helpful,” she muttered.
“I guess the obvious ones, you know. Are these five women actually going to be cool with me fucking their boyfriend...husband, let alone moving in. I’m scared that this won’t work out and I’ll have upended my life for nothing...
I’m guessing you were asking about if I’d quit my job or not.
And I would. Although I’d like to know the specifics of what exactly a relationship with you gets me. ”
She paused, made a face, sighed. “Shit, that sounded not good. To be clear: I like you. I’m attracted to you.
I want to date you. But I also just...I’ve had to think of things in transactional terms for so long and so intensely, that it’s kind of hardwired at this point?
I don’t want to come across like I’m just trying to figure out what resources I can extract from a relationship with you. ”
“I understand,” he replied, and she relaxed.
“That’s a good point, but it’s also very fair to ask what you’ll be getting, what will be expected of you, what your life is going to look like.
Change is scary enough when it happens under normal circumstances, and these circumstances are anything but normal. ”
“I’ll say,” she murmured, then laughed.
“Right, so, let me assure you that we all want to have as thorough a discussion about this as you want to. Let me also say that my wives are all very happy about the idea of you joining our household. They all have been for months now. Sort of.”
“Did you really tell them about me that long ago? Did I make that big of an impression?”
“Um, duh. You’re crazy hot, confident, competent, not mean-”
“I can be mean,” she muttered, suddenly losing her smile.
“Everyone can be mean, Kim. And if you’re anxious about it, that’s something we can help you with. This isn’t just a relationship. This is going to be a partnership. We’re going to try to help you.”
“With what?”
“With whatever you want, and whatever you need. We’re sort of prepping to go through a renaissance.
A whole thing, making sure everyone is up-to-date on vision, dental, making sure we get therapy, because Christ do we all need it.
Or most of us, anyway. Liz is pretty damn mentally healthy.
The rest of us? Not so much. Also-” He paused.
“I’m getting ahead of myself, this is all stuff we want to discuss as a group.
But believe me, this is wanted, by everyone, this isn’t just being tolerated because I want to add a new toy to my collection. ”
She snorted. “Shit, if I thought that at all I wouldn’t even be bothering with this.
” She was silent for a moment, frowning slightly as she looked through the windshield, up at his house.
What might soon be her house, too. “I guess I’m just feeling paranoid.
And it’s my nerves working overtime. Only way to do it is to do it, I guess. Let’s do it.”
“You ready?” he replied.
“Not really, but I’m never ready for stuff like this.”
“Fair.”
They got out and headed inside. He had an impression of expectant silence as he and her got out of their coats and shoes. He took her hand and she smiled a surprisingly shy smile at him as he led her into the living room.
Everyone was there.
Well, not everyone, but everyone in his household, and Sadie.
“Wow, this is...more intimidating than I thought it would be,” Kim murmured as Gabe led her over to a section of the couch left empty for them.
“We’ve all been there,” Chloe said, making several of them laugh.
“I guess I haven’t,” Ellen murmured. “But whatever. We can begin. Kim, welcome to our home. We all know what we’re here to talk about. Given Gabe is the head of this household, we can let him get the ball rolling.”
“Thanks,” he muttered, then cleared his throat. “Okay, well. Kim. You have asked to join our relationship, and our household. First and foremost, I think we should all confirm that we’re comfortable with this idea.”
“I’m more than comfortable with it,” Krystal said.
“To be clear, um...I’m straight,” Kim replied, jumping in.
“I kinda figured, but there was hope. No problems, though,” Krystal said.
“Okay, cool. I just...didn’t want that influencing anyone’s decision.”
“No, you seem really cool. And obviously you make Gabe happy.”
“Obviously,” Kim agreed, glancing at him with a small smirk.
“Next?” he replied. It could be such a pain to keep conversations on track.
“I’m fine with it,” Liz said.
“Same,” Chloe agreed.
“I’m happy with the change,” Holly offered.
“I know I’m happy with it,” Ellen agreed. “I think it would be pretty cool to have you move in with us.”
“I’m fine with it,” Sadie said. She looked both interested and comfortable.
Maybe it was kind of neat to be on the other side of this. Or maybe she was just completely secure in their relationship now.
“Okay then, that’s that,” Gabe said. “Everyone is happy with you moving in and joining the relationship. Which, I want to say now: we have all taken to calling ‘the harem’.”
Krystal snorted and Ellen laughed a little.
“Now what?” he asked.
“It’s just a little funny,” Krystal replied. “You’re still awkward about it.”
“That’s just going to be a thing, especially because of the connotations.” He looked at Kim.
“I mean, that’s kind of what it is. From what Gabe has told me, most of you are, to varying degrees, dating each other, too. But Gabe’s the one you’re all dating, the one you’re all here for. That does basically make it a modern day harem. And...I’m fine with that, apparently,” Kim said.
“Apparently?” Ellen asked.
“Hearing it, my initial thought was that maybe I might feel awkward about that, but…” She shrugged. “I guess I don’t. Maybe it’s because I’ve known from the very beginning, once we reconnected, what it would mean if I started dating Gabe. So, I’m fine with that. Next.”
Gabe chuckled. “Someone’s impatient.”
“I’m not trying to rush this, but...I want more sex,” she replied.
“Was it hot?” Ellen asked suddenly.
“It was so hot!” Kim replied, grinning and straightening up. “He fucked me so hard he broke my bed!”
“Holy shit, seriously?” Chloe asked.
“Yep!”
“That is rather hot,” Sadie murmured.
“Way to go, stud,” Krystal said, grinning at him.
He chuckled. “Thank you,” he muttered, then cleared his throat again.
“Let’s try to stay focused. Next thing: what is on offer.
If you join, you can move in with us immediately.
Uh...we kinda set the house up with all of us in mind.
We were kind of thinking no one else was going to join.
So...we’ll have to make some adjustments.
Also, do you want to sleep in a big bed with most of us, naked, most nights? ”
“Man, is your bed seriously big enough for all of us?” Kim replied.
“Me and Liz have our own bed in the basement,” Krystal offered.
“And it’s about there, yeah,” Gabe said, the others nodding.
“Me, Ellen, Holly, and Chloe all sleep in that bed every night, and there’s enough room.
Though we are willing to adjust to you. We could theoretically get an even bigger bed, or we could get you your own bed. It all depends on what you want.”
“That’s pretty nice. Well, I’d have to see it and try it, but...
I think I could manage it. On the one hand, it’ll be a little weird, sleeping in bed with three other naked women, but on the other hand, I’ve never been uncomfortable in a locker room or splitting a bed with a girl.
I’m guessing sex is going to happen kind of regularly. ”
“Yeah...we’ve all kinda had to adjust to that,” Chloe replied.
“It really helps not having to fucking wake up early in the morning anymore,” Ellen muttered.
Everyone agreed.
“How do you guys deal with it when you do have to wake up early?” Kim asked.
“We just set an alarm. Holly usually wakes up around eight or nine, Ellen around ten. Chloe somewhere past noon. And she’s a really heavy sleeper. Basically, we just set the alarm and adjust as needed,” Gabe explained.
“Okay, makes sense. I wake up around the same time as Holly naturally. It’d probably make sense for me to sleep on the edge of the bed...so okay, if I wake up in the middle of the night, extremely horny, and fuck Gabe, no one’s going to be mad?”
“No, that’s literally an occurrence every night,” Ellen replied. “That being said, you gonna be uncomfortable seeing girls fucking around with each other? Because me and Holly, and Krystal...and Liz…”
“Oh no, that’s fine,” Kim replied easily. “Honestly, I’m straight, but I actually think girl-on-girl is really hot. So, if you don’t mind me watching…”
“Nope, we all watch in this house,” Krystal said.
“What about your own space?” Gabe asked.
“I’d like to get some exercise equipment. A treadmill, a bike. But I could also use whatever already exists, if it’s on offer,” she said, looking at Liz.
“Yes! You can absolutely use my stuff,” Liz replied.
“Thank you, that’d be really appreciated.
I guess I’d like my own little space, although to be honest, I’m not even sure what I’d put in it.
But it would be nice to have a place that’s just...
for me. Maybe I could put my desk and laptop in there, maybe an exercise bike of my own, maybe a plant. I’ve always wanted to get a plant.”
“You know, we don’t really use the dining room that much,” Gabe murmured. “Maybe you could take it over? I know it’s not perfect, but…”
“Would you all be comfortable with that? I wouldn’t even need the whole thing. Maybe I could just rearrange it a little. I’d just need a corner.”
The others all nodded in agreement.
“Cool.” She looked back to him.