Harem House - Selene

"Arty?" Lynn's voice called out from somewhere behind Deb. She'd stepped around the grill, her eyes searching the nearby crowds around her.

Deb stood between Lynn and Arthur and the young women with him. The smaller tailgating parties flooded the parking lot with people and fenced them in. Arthur recognized the voice and stiffened into a freeze. He was a tall, muscular young man, trying to avoid the predatory attention seeking him.

He made no noise. The music competing for atmospheric dominance surrounded them, drowning out any noises he might have made. Any dog would fail to sniff him out with all the grilling nearby. Every aroma from juicy beef to succulent eggplant to smokey charcoal and tangy propane camouflaged any individual's scent. Lynn wasn't a dog, though. Not literally. She didn't need to hear or smell him; she could see him without his movement drawing her attention.

Lynn would recognize him on sight after their brief encounter at the house, even if he'd been wearing less then. His sleeveless shirt showed off his arms, holding hands with two of the girls with him, but that was the only skin he showed.

Mindy and Kat, holding his hands, stiffened with him as his grip around their hands tightened unconsciously.

"Arthur." Kat pleaded, squeezing his hand. "You're uh..." She tugged at his grip, trying to free herself.

Arthur released her and Mindy's hands, and Kat rubbed hers and stared at Arthur with worry. Mindy moved closer to Arthur, hugging his side with her arm around his waist. The tight squeeze of soft flesh against his rigid form turned his head toward her.

Lynn emerged from the crowd surrounding the grill, where Arthur noticed her parents were talking with his father. She wore a tight blue tank top that hugged her torso, showing off the taper from bust to waist. Her top ended several inches above her navel, showing off a smooth, softly toned stomach with a hint of abs behind her tanned Latina skin. The scooped neckline showed several inches of cleavage along her F-cup bust. The bra beneath did Atlas' work, holding her breasts high.

Her denim shorts might as well have been bikini briefs. The frayed cutoff legs flared over her round hips, two halves of a perfect circle. The back of her shorts sliced low enough to promise a glimpse of her cheeks when she moved. Her ass was two globes smashed together. The lines between her thighs and her cheeks drew attention as she walked.

Her long bronze legs were bare from her thigh gap to her calves. She wore strappy sandals with strings that crisscrossed halfway up her calves. She was enjoying the warmer weather as though the weekend was in July instead of October. The weather was warm today, but Arthur didn't think the afternoon was hot enough to warrant summer clothes. There must have been another reason for her provocative attire.

The girls watched her as she stepped closer. Each tugged at different parts of their clothes, straightening, flattening, and making themselves look more presentable. The five women glanced at Arthur. They considered him a god among men to behold, and Lynn was a goddess.

Even Kelly, who stood beside Mindy, fell prey to the effect. Her eyes flicked over Lynn's body, evaluation shining in them.

Kelly worked hard for her body, and her effort showed. Lynn's allure was toned but natural. From her makeup to her long, thick, onyx hair, Lynn made beauty look effortless. They were different people with different bodies. Kelly flattened her dress, smoothing the wrinkles against her abs. Her preening surprised Arthur. Kelly was the hottest woman on campus. Arthur couldn't remember a time she'd been insecure unless she was out of her depth with their relationship and the harem. She was always confident in the gym but soft when they were alone.

Lynn gave a predatory smile as she approached. She spotted the other girls and moved in to give Arthur a hug. Arthur saw her coming and stepped back. Selene and Kelly stepped forward, closing ranks in front of him automatically. Arthur noticed the way Selene held her hands--her fingers spread and curled like claws. Kelly's smile was ideal for customer service.

Lynn spotted Kelly and slowed her approach. Despite their closer proximity to her target, she ignored the others. Lynn's face revealed her question of Kelly's relationship to Arthur.

"I'm sorry. I tried to warn you." Deb admitted sheepishly to Arthur. "Please don't run away or lash out in front of everyone." She whispered while sparing a glance at the girls surrounding him. She turned to face Lynn. "Lynn, you know Arthur, of course. These are his friends: Selene, her sister Katerine, Mindy, Kelly, and Rani. They'll be your housemates."

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you!" Lynn said. "Arty -Sorry- Arthur hasn't mentioned you. Did you get my emails, by any chance?" She looked over at Arthur. "I've been trying to get in touch."

"He got them." Selene said, surprising Arthur with the vitriol in her voice. Kat squeezed Selene's arm.

Lynn looked shocked at Selene as though she'd made a rude outburst. "Can we..." She looked past Selene at Arthur. "Can we talk? Maybe somewhere private? I know it's been a while, but..." She looked at Deb, silently petitioning for help.

"You girls must be hungry." Deb said, having to restrain her surprise at Selene's expression. Selene glared as though Deb's maiden name was Judas. Deb fixed her smile and nodded at the grill. "George has been grilling for an hour, and there's plenty of food."

The girls looked at Arthur, who appeared uncomfortable, but he nodded. With his permission granted, his girls hesitantly followed Deb. She introduced the girls to her husband and Lynn's parents as friends of Arthur's and potential renters.

Lynn and Arthur stood alone--well, not alone, given how surrounded they were by people. With the din of nearby parties, they could speak without being overheard unless someone tried to listen in on them. His girlfriends were listening, with Selene lingering the closest.

"Have you been telling your friends what a bitch I used to be to you in high school?" Lynn asked. Her tone wasn't accusatory. She sounded as though she were trying to make a joke.

Arthur stared at her. "Basically, yeah."

"I apologized in the email, didn't I?" Lynn asked.

"You did." Arthur agreed. His tone was as flat as his expression.

"Well..." Lynn twisted her foot back and forth. The rustle sounded like sandpaper trying to drill through the pavement. "I am sorry, Arty." She said. "Arthur. Sorry. I'll get used to calling you Arthur, I promise. I've just called you Arty for so many years. You're always Arty in my head. Since we were, what, three?"

"It's Arthur." Arthur said.

"Right." Lynn nodded. "I'm sorry. I know I apologized in the email, but I'm sorry for everything. The names we called you, everything we teased you about. It was, well, I won't say it wasn't my fault. A lot of it was. My friends and I were not nice people in high school. We were mean to you. I admit, I was a total bitch to you."

Arthur stared at her. "Yeah."

"But I'm not that girl anymore." Lynn stepped forward, almost reaching for his hand but stopping herself short. "I promise I won't tease you again, I won't be mean to you, and I won't prank you."

Arthur scoffed. "You've said that before. Right before you do something cruel to entertain your friends."

"They're not here." Lynn pointed out. "I'm not messing with you. I am genuinely, absolutely sorry."

"Yeah?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah." Lynn said, stepping even closer. "Can I do anything to apologize? I'm not expecting immediate forgiveness, but maybe I can take you to dinner, or we could walk, talk, and catch up?" She asked, gesturing toward the campus.

"There is one thing." Arthur admitted after a moment of silence.

"What is it?" Lynn asked. "Anything you want, I'll do it."

"Anything?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lynn swallowed and shyly looked up at him from beneath hooded eyes. "Anything."

Arthur hesitated as if summoning his courage. Then he took a deep breath, leaned forward, and spoke in a low, commanding tone. "Go fuck yourself."

Arthur didn't wait for a response. He strode past her and joined the girls at the grill. Kelly placed her hand low on Arthur's hip and hugged him with one arm. Lynn's eyes narrowed as she turned and observed them. She showed no signs of anger but sighed, frowned, and returned to the grill to join them.

"So, you'll be staying at the house too?" Lynn asked loud enough to address everyone, just as Mindy bit into a cheeseburger. She kept her gaze off Arthur, ignoring him.

"Yeah." Rani piped up. "We were just discussing the rooming situation." She said. "There'll be us plus Katelyn."

Kat said nothing. She kept her focus on the burger George was plating for her. The thick Colby cheddar blanketed the patty. Arthur took one too.

"Oh, there's another girl too?" Lynn asked. "Are you doubling up on rooms?"

"Yeah." Rani answered her again. "Kelly and Katelyn, Kat and Selene, Mindy and me. I think." She gestured. "Though we might switch up partners. Selene and Kat are sisters, so sharing a room might not be ideal for them."

Selene said nothing except "Thank you" when Arthur's dad handed her a grilled mushroom burger.

"I think the plan was for me to stay in the in-law suite downstairs." Lynn looked to Deb, who nodded.

"Yes, that's right." Deb said.

"Which gives Arty, sorry, Arthur, the Master bedroom upstairs?" Lynn asked. She specifically emphasized 'Arthur.'

"Sounds reasonable." Rani shrugged.

"Does it?" Lynn asked. "Wouldn't it be better if we had the house for us girls and Arthur lived in the apartment downstairs?"

"I dunno." Rani admitted. "I like the idea of his bedroom being right down the hall from mine. How am I supposed to fuck my boyfriend if he's in the basement all the time?"

George, Arthur's father, spit out his sip of beer.

Deb laughed and went over to pat his father on the back, helping him recover. Lynn's parents couldn't hear, but George could. He did his best to recover without explaining why he'd misted Smithwicks beside the grill. George and Deb stepped out of earshot and conversed with Lynn's parents and the party next to theirs.

"Oh, you're Arthur's girlfriend?" Lynn asked, surprised. She glanced at Kelly and then surveyed Rani with an insulting expression of disbelief. Rani, in her baggy hoodie and carpenter jeans, her hair tied in a low pony, didn't present as someone competing with Kelly and Lynn.

"Well, yeah." Rani said. "He likes my taste in jewelry, he's hung like a horse, and he fucks like a damn jackhammer. I want him nearby."

Arthur nearly choked on nothing. Kelly slapped him gently on his back, and Rani looked between him and Lynn with a triumphant smirk.

Lynn laughed off Rani's joke. "Oh, I get it. You're fucking with me. Good one."

Rani chuckled. "Ah, you got me. He's never complimented my jewelry."

Mindy giggled.

"I have too." Arthur said, defending himself.

"He's my boyfriend." Mindy said. "But I don't mind rooming with Rani since she likes to join us."

The girls were holding back laughter now, subduing the hilarity into an easy chuckle as they smiled. Lynn and Arthur weren't laughing, but he said nothing to stop the others.

"He's my boyfriend." Selene said. "We started fucking earlier this semester, and when he offered me a room at the house he'd be managing, I jumped at it. I'd rather room with him, though, than my sister."

"He's my boyfriend. I can attest to the jackhammer bit." Kat winked at Rani. "But I'd prefer Selene room with him, too."

"He's my boyfriend." Kelly interjected. "We've been discussing getting married soon. Isn't that right, Mister?" She kissed Arthur just to make her point.

The girls smiled and laughed between themselves. Even Arthur's lips quirked into a smile because, with Selene's hand on his ass and Kelly's lips on his, it was impossible to feel miserable. He defied anyone to try.

Lynn frowned and looked between them. Her calculating gaze evaluated each woman individually, from the average-looking Kat in her clingy pink dress to the busty, enthusiastic young Mindy. Rani appeared messy and unkempt. Selene was a diminutive, feral mouse.

Then her eyes traveled back over Rani, Mindy, and Kat, staring at their chokers. It was a coordinated effort from his girls, now noticed by someone who, in Arthur's opinion, was spending far too much time trying to piece something together.

Lynn's gaze stopped at Kelly, whose makeup and hair were meticulously beautiful and her body professionally sculpted.

"I'm willing to bet you're his real girlfriend." She said to Kelly. "Honestly, you two living together in the suite is a fantastic idea. Proximity always helps people figure out the longevity of their relationship." Her tone suggested their cohabitation would be brief.

"We'll take the Master bedroom." Kelly assured her.

"Why do you want to live upstairs instead of having your own apartment?" Rani asked.

"Well, all the cool stuff is upstairs." Lynn said. "The suite is tucked away in the basement. Sure, it's got its own stuff, but it's so isolated. That's why I thought the basement apartment would be better for Arty. I mean, Arthur. You don't want him perving on you constantly, do you?" She asked the girls. She looked around at each of them but flinched. They suddenly looked outraged.

"Arthur can perv on me any time he wants." Rani shrugged. "I'll take my clothes off right now if he tells me to." She looked at Arthur expectantly.

Arthur coughed. He didn't know if Rani would strip, but something told him not to test her restraint. She might not usually, but to fuck with somebody? The last thing he needed was for security to arrest Rani.

"He's not a perv, either." Selene spat the words. "You know nothing about him."

Lynn looked at Arthur in surprise, her face blanched as she realized the implication Selene laid out for her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to suggest that Arthur is a perv." She said quickly. "He's not, of course. I just meant he's a straight guy living with a bunch of us girls, right? Or are you...?" She let the unfinished suggestion dangle.

"He's very straight." Mindy said. "Well, a little curved, but hetero."

"Can confirm." Kat added, which made Rani, Mindy, Kat, and Kelly chuckle.

"If you don't want the basement, you can always live elsewhere, Lynn." Arthur said with a shrug. "It's a decent in-law suite with its own entrance, kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and you can use the second bedroom for whatever you want. It'll have everything you need. We'll never have to see each other."

Lynn shrugged. "Sure, I guess. But--"

"Do you want the place or not?" Arthur asked sharply. "If you don't, I can find someone else who will."

"No, I--" Lynn looked teary-eyed at Arthur, and Selene did her best to keep from rolling her eyes as Lynn acted wounded. "Do you not want me there that much?"

"Of course I don't." Arthur said. "What part of our recent interactions makes you think I want to see you again?"

Lynn looked wounded by his words. She looked at the girls, but their faces were stone.

Lynn sniffled, appearing on the edge of tears. "I said I was sorry, Arthur. I'm-- I'm trying here, and you're making apologizing incredibly difficult."

"Crocodile tears." Arthur narrowed his eyes. "You forget I've seen you do this over and over again for years." He shook his head. "You cry, lure your prey in, and then -snap- you devour them whole. You don't even chew. I'm not falling for your lies this time. I'll put up with you living there because I have to. Because it's my parent's house, and they're making me." He leaned in close. "You and I? We're not friends. We're not making up and putting the past behind us. At best, we're strangers. You don't know me, I don't know you, and we're not part of each other's lives. You don't even deserve me explaining this to you. Got it?"

Lynn's expression flickered through disbelief, sorrow, regret, admiration, and shame. Arthur read each face like she'd practiced them in a mirror. He didn't break.

For an infinitesimal moment, Arthur hoped Lynn sympathized with those victims on the receiving end of her and her clique's disdain. Arthur and his harem were a clique of their own, he supposed, and that was the only emotion in his gaze, disdain. His girls didn't know Lynn, but they held the line beside Arthur.

Lynn's gaze turned to Kelly once more, and her tears slowed then faded.

She returned her attention to Arthur. "Got it." Lynn said, her voice tight. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. Nice to meet you girls, and uh, I'm sorry to have bothered you, too." She said to them. "I'm going to see if I can get a campus tour before the game." She nodded toward the campus walk where the admissions booths were. "I'll see you later, I guess."

And with that, Lynn left.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she was gone, and Kelly, Selene, and Kat hugged him from three different angles. Mindy patted his back, unable to find room in the huddle. Rani gave him a thumbs-up.

"Well, she uh..." Rani hesitated to say it for Arthur's sake, but in true Rani fashion, she steamrolled through it. "Was it just me, or did she give off manipulative bitch vibes to anyone else?"

Selene nodded.

After standing around, agreeing with Rani, and consoling Arthur, they rejoined Arthur's parents and talked with Lynn's parents. They ate, drank (except Mindy), and chatted as the early afternoon ticked on.

Lynn's parents, sitting too distant to overhear the conversation, introduced themselves as Gabriel and Mariana, shortened to Gabe and Mari.

"We've known Arthur since he was knee-high, and look at him now! You're so grown up!" Mari looked up to the towering youth with a pleasant smile.

"And you look just as I remember you." Arthur said in a pleasant response.

"Oh ho!" Mari chuckled. "You have a charmer on your hands, Deb."

"You've no idea." Deb gave Kelly and the others a passing glance, but her smile wasn't one of condemnation or forced politeness.

~~~

The small talk continued. George proved eager to discuss football or business with Gabe, Arthur, or whoever listened. To Arthur's surprise, that was Mindy. She listened raptly to anything his father had to say. George droned on regarding 'when I was in school,' how to impress coworkers with work ethic, corporate cunning, football tactics, and college football traditions, and even Arthur grew bored and stopped listening.

Arthur and the girls took their time eating the food George grilled for them. Their party spread out, with Gabe and Mari going to find a restroom while Arthur, Kat, Mindy, and George chatted around the grill. Rani and Selene went to the food trucks to get lemonade.

Deb sat beside Kelly on the camping chairs they'd brought, overlooking the scene from the edge of the Lacrosse field.

"So, all of you are dating my son?" Deb asked though she knew the answer.

"Yes." Kelly said, smiling as she watched Arthur make his father laugh.

"And he makes you happy?" Deb asked.

"Yes. Deeply happy. He makes all of us happy." Kelly assured her. "And we do our best to make him happy."

Deb chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure he's thrilled. He never was a ladies' man. I have trouble believing he's gone from zero to five like this."

"Well, he and Lori were a good couple." Kelly pointed out. "He learned a lot from that, and we've been figuring the rest out together."

"Are you okay living in the same house with him?" Deb asked. "You wouldn't prefer him to live somewhere else or be more remote so you can have your privacy?"

"No." Kelly said. She observed Mindy looping her arm through Arthur's and hugging it close. "We want him close."

Deb followed Kelly's gaze to Arthur and sat back in her chair. "Just how serious is your relationship with Arthur?"