The third quarter ended with the home team, the Wolves, leading by four points. Their quarterback rushed forward and made a thirty-yard drive for the touchdown, bringing the team out of their slump just as the clock ran out on the quarter. The crowd unleashed chaos. Cheers and screams chased him during his run. Arthur felt the electricity of anticipation launch everyone to their feet to cheer on their team.
Mindy bounced the entire time, throwing her fists in the air. The touchdown had almost everyone in the stands hugging their neighbors. The girls on either side of Arthur crushed him as Mindy and Selene surged toward him from the left. Kelly, Kat, and Rani pushed into him from the right. Arthur's arms settled around Kelly and Mindy. The group laughed as they released each other.
Below, Brad and Jen separated the quickest. Jen blushed in embarrassment at getting carried away. Mark and Maria kept their arms around each other. Lynn and her neighbor never stood but applauded. Arthur didn't know the other girl's name, but he'd seen her around campus. He wondered if he should warn her about Lynn, but Arthur supposed he couldn't warn everyone on campus. Lynn would see that as an act of war. His plan was to avoid war. He preferred mutually assured ignoring, as they were doing now. Whatever new friends she made would learn for themselves soon enough.
Arthur returned to his seat with the others, his eyes still on Lynn until he felt a buzz in his pocket. He checked his phone, only to see a message notification from Kelly. Arthur looked over at her, and she returned his questioning look with a glance toward his phone. He read the text.
Wifey: What's wrong, Mister?
Arthur smiled and shook his head.
Hubby: Nothing. Life is grand.
Kelly frowned when she read his response.
Wifey: Don't let Lynn ruin today for you. We're here for you. Just ignore her.
Hubby: Yes, dear. I'll try.
Kelly smiled and squeezed his thigh. Her firm grip steadied him, and he placed his hand over hers, letting his fingers trace the smooth skin between her calloused knuckles.
The game continued, and the fourth quarter began, with the enemy Tigers in their orange and brown jerseys charging forward. Arthur and the others watched, cheering for their team's defensive line, as the Wolves did their best to stop any forward momentum. They stopped the Tigers from achieving their ten-yard advance, and they switched to offense.
Kat stood up, sliding from between Kelly and Rani toward the aisle.
"Everything okay?" Kelly asked.
"Yeah... I'm just going to make a call." Kat said.
"You want me to come with you?" Kelly asked.
"No, but... Arthur, can I talk to you?" Kat asked.
"Sure." Arthur nodded. He reached to pull Kat into his lap, and she fell into him with a plop that made her laugh. Her clinging pink maxi dress was too long. Her pink cowgirl boots appeared as she kicked. She curled her legs under her and planted her feet on the ground.
"Not what I meant." She slapped his chest. "Come on." She pulled him up as she regained her feet, and Arthur moved with her, sliding out of the row as she led him by the hand.
Lynn, Skylar, and Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen (MMBJ) in the row below them noticed, but said nothing. Brad looked the most surprised. He returned his attention to the game. Lynn looked the most confused.
"What's up?" Arthur asked as he and Kat ducked out of the seating section and into the concrete rings where the snack and merch stands ringed the stadium. They stood between two pillars, hidden from most prying eyes unless someone walked directly past them.
The popcorn stand on one side and the cotton candy stand on the opposite mingled their aromas in the alcove. The mixture gave the space the smell of butter, salt, sugar, the air before a thunderstorm, and the earthy-sweet odor of decades-old stone, splattered with sugary liquids over the years.
"Kelly told you what she, Rani, and I discussed?" Kat asked.
"Yeah." Arthur nodded. "You know I won't abandon you, right?"
Kat was quiet.
"Katerine." Arthur said. "Look me in the eyes."
Kat looked away at first but held his gaze on her second attempt.
"You and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. I will not abandon you for anyone else. You are mine, my girlfriend, and my Brat. I am your boyfriend, your Sir. Any time you need reassurance, repeat your mantra."
"My mantra?" Kat asked.
"Remember the phrase I had you repeat on Tuesday?" Arthur asked.
Kat's eyes searched his for a moment. "The thing about me being your--" She glanced around them. "Submissive?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded.
"I am your submissive, and you are my Sir." Arthur reminded her. "Whenever you're insecure about us or the harem, repeat those words. Out loud, if possible."
Kat grinned. "You are my submissive, and I am your Sir."
Arthur glanced around, then moved swiftly and spanked her. Kat yelped. The spank on her ass flushed with heat, and she clenched as the sting dissolved.
"Say your mantra correctly, or I will throw you over my knee right here." Arthur said. He checked to ensure no one could see them in their shallow alcove. The surrounding concrete supports hid them from eyes, he realized, but the smack on her ass echoed, even dampened by her dress. Her yelp echoed loud enough to cover the noise.
Kat blushed. "I am your submissive, and you are my Sir." Her voice was quiet but confident.
"Good girl." Arthur kissed her, and Kat hugged him tight. Her arms slid under his and squeezed his ribs so hard he grunted, the air flying out of his lungs.
"Sorry." Kat apologized. "But thank you. Sir."
"You're welcome." Arthur said. He paused, then asked, "So, Kelly said Rani helped you work things out?"
"Yeah, they helped me figure myself out." Kat nodded, though she was still hugging him, so the nod rubbed her face against his chest. He rested his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her as they talked.
"So, you and Katelyn are good again?" Arthur asked.
"No, but we might be. I still need to talk to her. Is it okay if I do that before meeting you at the hotel?" Kat asked.
"Absolutely. Do you need me or Kelly to join you?"
"Taking Kelly might be a good idea," Kat said, ignoring a bystander who walked past them. "And, of course, you're welcome to come."
"I can make a detour." Arthur said.
"I am worried about something, though." Kat confessed.
"What is it?" Arthur asked.
"With Katelyn... She's going to end up joining the harem." Kat pulled away from the hug to study Arthur's eyes.
"Why?" Arthur asked, surprised.
Kat sighed. "Because I can tell she's into you. She's been trying to figure out how the whole harem arrangement works, and she and Kelly are super close. She even calls Kelly 'Momma' sometimes, and called you Daddy when she was drunk. She's moving into the house with us, gets along with the other girls, and needs the sisterhood the harem can provide." Kat said.
Arthur considered her points. Katelyn joining the harem made sense when Kat laid everything out that way. Arthur, however, wasn't confident in his ability to navigate that. His recollections of her weren't exclusively positive, even if they were square now. He hardly knew her. Then again, he hadn't been friends with Kat or Rani before, either.
There were the other girls to consider, especially Kelly and Kat, who were closest to Katelyn. Their feelings needed to be protected, as did his relationships with them and their friendships with Katelyn. Those friendships were simpler without adding Katelyn to the harem. Either way, they'd get complicated once they lived together, with Katelyn being the only non-harem member in the house.
Kat took a breath. "I was worried Kelly might have suggested her joining on Wednesday. That was one reason I pushed to put a hold on new members."
"What were the other reasons you wanted to freeze membership?" Arthur asked.
"My own insecurities." Kat explained. "That was part of the conversation between Rani, Kelly, and me."
"Ah." Arthur nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" Kat asked.
Arthur could sense the hesitation in her voice, so he decided to lighten her apprehension with humor. He was positive he'd nailed Kat's sense of humor this time.
"I don't know, can you?" Arthur asked. The extra stress on 'can' was the same tone he remembered his third-grade teacher using. He could still hear Miss Stone's weary voice.
"Oh my god." Kat released the hug and stepped back, punching him in the chest. Her punch didn't hurt, but it surprised Arthur. "And you call me a brat? Can has a secondary meaning synonymous with may. It's acceptable usage and still 'proper' English to say can in place of may when asking permission!"
Arthur blinked at her. "How often have you had this conversation?"
Kat grimaced. "I'm an English major. It's come up a few times with various professors. I will die on this hill, so tread carefully."
Arthur laughed.
"I have a serious question, though." Kat lifted her gaze to Arthur's face.
Arthur braced himself. "Okay. Ask away."
"Do you want to fuck Katelyn?" Kat asked.
Arthur looked at Kat, studying her face. Her eyes were still on his. Another pedestrian passed them, but they didn't draw as much attention as they weren't hugging anymore. Arthur had to choose his words carefully.
"Is there a right answer?" Arthur asked. "Should I say, 'It's a trap!' and dive away right now?"
Kat rolled her eyes. "The right answer is the truth." She said. "Be honest with me. Do you want to fuck her?"
Arthur contemplated the question. He pictured Katelyn. She had a cute face above a long, willowy frame. Her legs were fantastic, coltish and well-shaped. They were her most alluring feature. She had no curves compared to Kat, Kelly, Rani, or any member of his harem. Her clothes were often cutesy, but he'd seen her mostly in pajamas or casual wear. She shared Kat's casual style in a more playful way, but when he imagined her, he didn't picture himself approaching her at a party. "I don't know. I don't need to since I have you and the others."
"That took you a while." Kat said.
"I had to think." Arthur said. "You wanted an honest answer, so I had to picture her, decide if I find her attractive, and whether I would pursue her apart from... everything else."
"And you decided no?" Kat asked.
Arthur shrugged. "She's a lovely girl." He said. "She's got great legs, and she's attractive in her own way. All women are, I guess. But she strikes me as immature for her age, and if I had the choice between her and you?"
Kat frowned. "That's not what I asked. I don't want a comparison. I want to know if you're attracted to her. If we girls invited her, would you want her in the harem?"
Arthur considered again. "She doesn't have to join the harem to live with us."
"I know." Kat said.
