Chapter 11- The Realignment
Following that morning, things got busy in a hurry. Both houses were put on the market during the next week. Jim and Paula sorted through their things and made two piles; one a "go" pile, the other a "store" pile. Rod and Wendy did the same except Rod's go pile was very much smaller. They agreed to get one large storage room for everyone's store pile. They had a downsizing garage sale at Jay and Paula's house for the things that neither one wanted or needed. Jordan and Emily cleared out many things from their garages and storage areas and added to the sale. The garage sale was very successful and they only had a small load of things to take to the Salvation Army. It had been decided that everything in the sale was to go completely. None of the leftovers would go into storage.
Rod arranged for a leave of absence from his job and Jim and Paula turned in their termination notices. Jim and Paula wanted to leave for Boston in mid-August, so everyone worked hard to get their things taken care of. Nikki moved into Jordan's bedroom and Jay moved into Emily's. Rod spent half of his time at the coast selling his smaller boat and preparing the new larger boat for sea. Most of the time, Wendy was with him. When they were at home, they shared the guest bedroom at Jordan's and Nikki's place. Jim and Paula stayed with Emily and Jay in their guest bedroom. Fortunately, Jay and Paula's house sold in two weeks and closed on the 15th of August. Since it was in such good shape, they got a good price on it and each of them got a nice nest egg to save or work with. Jim and Nikki's house had several offers but the process was more tedious and slower but they expected the sale to be complete by the first week in September.
Emily had kept in touch with Sandra during all of these changes. Sandra's life was changing also. Her husband had decided to divorce her so he could marry his now pregnant work partner. The relationship with her "prospective" boy friend didn't materialize when in early-August he told her he was gay. Emily had introduced Sandra to Jay, Jordan, and Nikki when they all had dinner together on one of their July weekends. Everyone quickly liked Sandra and enjoyed her company as she enjoyed theirs. After the fateful weekend, she called Sandra and asked her to meet Jay and her for dinner. At that dinner, she explained the complex relationship that they had lived and about the changes that were taking place. It took Sandra awhile to sort it all out, but she seemed comfortable with both the old and the new arrangement. She started coming over and helping with whatever she could. She and Nikki also developed a close relationship.
Finally, the middle of August arrived and everyone including Sandra attended the going away party for Jim and Paula who were leaving early the next morning. There were only a few things left incomplete and Jay and Nikki could take their time to get those done. During the party which was held at Jordan and Nikki's on Thursday night, Emily asked Jay to step outside with her for awhile. They went into the back yard and sat on one of the garden benches.
"Jay, my love, time is getting close for this next phase to be fully implemented. How are feeling and what are you thinking?"
"Besides physically exhausted, I am fully at peace. I am at peace with Paula and Jim and I am at peace about you. In fact, I am already feeling like I am an integral a part of your everyday life, not just your every-other-week life. I love waking up with you every morning and having coffee with you. I thought that it might be awkward making love with you with Paula there in the house, but that didn't happen. In short I couldn't be happier. By the way, I got my bonus for that stressful project I had. It was over $100,000. I am giving Paula about half of it. I'm reserving some for taxes and stuff. I wanted to tell you earlier but everything has been so hectic. I am going to give her the check tonight as a going away gift."
"That is so special. I am so proud of you. I have loved sharing part of our time together but I am positively tingling all over at the thought over having full time with you. But I have something to ask of you and I'm not sure how you are going to react. But I trust you to listen and consider what I am asking and it is a lot. I told you once that I would tell you my dream some day. Well today is the day. For some reason, and I don't know what that reason is, I have had this dream to have someone to take care of and someone to share with. I think that most women look for both of these things in one man and it is very elusive. I had Rod to take care of and when you came into my life, I had my man to share with. At times I visualized living with Rod in one bedroom and you in another. I know that that was silly and impractical, but that was my fantasy. And now the man I care for is leaving me but I have the man I share with me." She paused.
"Let me guess. Now you need someone to care for and you have found someone you want to bring into your life."
"Are you upset with me?"
"Not a chance. Just don't ask me to use or punish you again. I never want to have to do that for any reason. Just tell me who he is and what you want to do."
"Well, it isn't a he; it is Sandra and I want to ask her to come live with us, at least for the next three months or until the next chapter reveals itself."
Jay paused for a minute thinking it over.
"With Rod and I, you slept with both of us and had sex with both of us. Do you want to have sex with Sandra as well?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever had sex with another woman?"
"No, I've never been attracted like that to another woman until I met Sandra. It confused me a lot until I realized that I didn't necessarily need two men to fill my needs. I could do that with a man and woman just as well. She is vulnerable just like Rod was when I met him. I feel the need to take care of her just like I felt that need with Rod. And sex would be part of it. I would have to learn how and I suspect that she would need time to get used to the idea too. Have I dumped all over your dreams yet?"
"No, you haven't at all. It is just taking awhile to get used to the idea."