4. Chapter Four #2
The rest of the meeting wasn’t worth mentioning, besides a lot of flirting and quips.
Things calmed down considerably once we’d tackled the two big items on the agenda, and the line between ‘family meeting’ and ‘hangout time’ had always been blurry and permeable in the Avery residence anyway.
My wives and I moved to the living room, holding court while the rest of the harem swapped stories and gossiped and fought over what to put on the big TV in the den.
Everyone avoided Caroline at first, as if they were a little nervous to be the first person to welcome her back into the fold.
It was only once Lakshmi noticed the bubble of personal space around the makeup artist and gave her a cup of tea from the pot she’d brewed in the kitchen that the bubble burst and people began interacting with her again.
Miss Majumdar strikes again, I thought, watching the way she stage-managed it all from my perch on the couch. She really is like a junior Yukiko. Maybe we ought to start training her as third-in-command of the business, just in case Kiki or me ever get incapacitated…
It was a good idea. And the fact that it meant we’d more or less have to make her the fourth Avery wife was something I knew none of the three women already wedded to me would mind in the slightest.
At some point, one of the cheerleaders got the remote and pulled up the YouTube app.
The number of influencers and reaction channels that talked about us on social media never failed to surprise me—and always gave the girls of my harem something that either made them cheer or throw popcorn at the screen.
Tonight it was breakdowns of the Morning Harbor interview, which had Yukiko blushing and everyone else so proud they could burst. Kiki herself only managed to get the remote once, just long enough to save an episode of some obscure documentary to the group ‘Watch Later’ playlist.
Things wound down slowly. More than usual these days, it seemed like everyone tied to this thing of ours wanted to stay in my shadow.
Nobody wanted to leave the Avery residence.
It made me wonder if we weren’t really going to have to build some kind of guest residence out in the backyard, instead of the sex dungeon Kiki and the others joked about.
The girls filed out in twos and threes. Mona took Caroline with her, giving her time to thank Samantha and my other wives about a thousand times before promising to swing by first thing in the morning to make sure Marcie was pampered and primped and ready for the meeting with Tallulah.
The fact that we were still taking her with us surprised me a little, but second chances were second chances.
Lakshmi left shortly after, giving me a kiss that made me wish she could stay the night. Heather and Eva both climbed into my lap and whispered filthy promises about things we could do ‘after the meeting’ that I was going to be thinking about for quite a while.
“Go get ‘em tomorrow,” Maria told Marcie, giving the girl a bone-crushing hug as she and Tasha prepared to head back to their apartment. “You’ve got this, girlie. You’re gonna blow that old lady away so hard she won’t even know what hit her!”
Marcie nodded, with just a hint of nerves beneath her confidence. “Tomorrow I get to be Daniel Ramsey’s daughter,” she told both girls, hugging them both. “I’m going to make it count. I’m going to make it matter.”
“You’ve been his daughter your whole life, angel,” I reminded her. “Tomorrow, you just finally get to show it off.”
Marcie smiled. “Thanks, Jack.”
And then, before I knew it, the house had cleared out.
Not to say it was empty, of course. Three wives, one mother, and one very tired Jackson Avery meant that we were all still in each other’s business. But it was quieter. More intimate.
Yui went to bed first. “We’ll talk about scheduling in the morning,” she promised Samantha, giving all three of her ‘daughters’ hugs and kisses on the forehead before padding up the stairs. “I’ll be there when you leave. Rest well.”
Once she was gone, Marcie turned to me. “Yeah. Speaking of which…”
Hmm? There was an odd catch to my angel’s voice.
Marcie shared a look with Samantha. “Tomorrow’s a really big day,” she said, giving her bestie a nod. “I’m going to crash a little early.”
I didn’t get it. “That’s fine,” I said. “We’ll be quiet when we come in—”
“Oh no, I’m going to crash in my room,” she said, too casual by half. “Sam, you’re coming with me, right?”
Huh? Okay, now she definitely sounded strange. Had my wives made some kind of decision without me? Were they texting each other through dinner behind my back?
Whatever it was, I could tell it had already been figured out. Samantha gave a long, languid stretch, yawning theatrically. “I think that would be great,” she told Marcie. “After the day I’ve had, I could use a Delta Rho sleepover. Sisters only?”
“Sisters only,” Marcie replied with a smile.
I could feel my brows furrowing together. “I’m not following.”
Yukiko leaned over with a smile, resting her head against my chest. “It sounds like the two of us are going to have the bedroom to ourselves tonight,” she said, slow and deliberate.
“That’s probably a good thing, yeah? I’m so bloated right now, I definitely could use a little wiggle room in the blankets… ”
Maybe. But I knew that wasn’t what was on Kiki’s mind.
It wasn’t sex, either. Okay, I mean, it was sex, but it was always sex where my wives were concerned. A day without the Avery clan being steeped in sex was like a day without sunlight.
Yukiko wanted to talk to me about something.
Something she needed privacy to speak about.
Privacy even from the other wives.
“I’m going upstairs,” Yukiko announced, rising from the couch. “Going to get ready for bed. It’s probably a good idea for all of us to hit the hay a little early tonight.”
“Love you, Daddy,” Samantha said, planting a kiss on my cheek. “Don’t worry. Marcie and me will be fine. We’ll probably get in a pillow fight or something.”
“Wouldn’t you like to watch that?” Marcie asked with a grin.
“Take care of her,” I told my angel. “She’s had a rough day.”
“Always.” Marcie and Samantha padded up the stairs, followed shortly behind by Yukiko. A minute or so later I heard muffled words exchanged, followed by the closing of a pair of doors.
I could picture Kiki up there, waiting for me. Sitting against the headboard, one hand resting on the twins, draped in her sleeping robe with that smile on her face.
“Come here, husband. There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about…”
I waited ninety seconds, then cut off YouTube, shut everything down, and headed upstairs to find out what my princess had planned for me tonight.