Cvsn 09 Threepeat

A previously unpublished chapter in the story of Jack, and the home he shares with three lovelies.

* * * *

Karen and Debbie are moved in. Beth's halfway there. Time for a little celebration, just the four of us.

* * * *

After a day of moving Karen into the house, and some unexpected play which included my good friend Jim, I finally got up the gumption to tell Karen about things that had been going on, and the new living arrangements.

Explaining the living situation didn't go over as well as I was hoping. I tried to be reasonable, and attempted to soothe her feelings, but Karen was volatile, and I had lit her fuse.

By the time Beth and Debbie got back that night, the atmosphere in the house had chilled a good 20 digress, and Karen had retreated behind closed doors in her bedroom where she was unpacking some of her belongings, and ignoring me every time I tried to speak to her.

Beth and Debbie strolled in, happy as can be, with the girls in tow. They were chatting, and carrying groceries, and before long were preparing dinner. It smelled delicious. I was reading with the girls when Debbie asked to talk with me and dragged me off to my room.

"What's up with Karen? What did you do to her?" she asked me. Direct and to the point; that was unlike Debbie. More and more she was taking a lead role around the home, and it was fascinating to observe the changes.

"Things went great with Jim and all. But I had never quite gotten around to telling her about Beth, and when I broke the news, it all went to hell in a hand basket. She took the "Cathy" thing so well, that I guess I thought this was going to be smooth going. I guessed wrong." I shrugged, not really knowing what had gone awry.

"Cathy's not competition. Beth, on the other hand, is more competition than any of us can handle."

"It doesn't seem to bother you that much. I thought you'd be a lot more sensitive to it than anyone else," I told her, sitting on the bed, in a bit of a funk, and confused as usual.

"I know. It's strange. I thought it would bother me more, but she's more like a partner than competition. I don't know why that is. Plus, I've seen what lengths you'll go to for me. Nobody has ever stood up for me like you have. I can't believe I've only known you for a couple of months and already trust you more than any man in my life. Ever." She was opening up to me like a rose.

I pulled her over to me, and wrapped her in my arms. "I know it's been hard for you, and I can be insensitive. I do appreciate it. I love you and Beth so much, but I also owe a lot to Karen, and she's been such a good friend for so long, I don't want to hurt her."

"I know. You hate to hurt any woman. This is going to be your downfall you know. Sooner or later, we're going to expect you to say "no" to some of these girls who waltz in and out of your life. We can only share you so much." She was rocking in my arms, and I knew what she said was the truth. I was easy game for any girl that hit on me.

"You're right. But what am I going to do now?" I asked.

"Let me see what I can do. I won't promise anything, but I'll do what I can. And don't get too frisky with Beth until this is sorted out. Karen had her heart set on a weekend of fun, and in her eyes, three is company and four is a crowd. Especially when number '4' is a teenage beauty with a killer body, who gave her virginity up to you in the past few days." She laughed at her own comment, and extricated herself from my grip before heading upstairs to try and patch things up.

Beth and I chatted as I helped settle her in. She'd brought a suitcase of clothes along, and I made room for her in my closet, and gave her the right drawers of my dresser. She kept telling me she'd be no trouble; I'd hardly know she was there.

"That's not what I'm looking for, Beth." I told her. "I want to find you everywhere I look. I want you to be the biggest part of my life."

She jumped into my arms, and I held her, kissing her, feeling the recurring effect she had on me beneath the belt. I finally had to drag myself away, and suggested we hit the kitchen and check on the dinner, since Debbie was taking so long upstairs.

Debbie soothed some feelings somehow, and before long she came back downstairs to complete the dinner preparations. Karen followed shortly after with the kids in tow, and I got a report on their activities before we sat down to eat.

In spite of the situation, dinner was an almost friendly affair. Beth was very quiet. I had let her know part of the problem, and she did her best to fade into the background, while things were worked out. Dinner was Italian: baked mussels, spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and ice cream. I had always enjoyed fancy dinners, but Debbie made the everyday meal a joy. She was as incredible in the kitchen as she was in bed. She seemed to favor cooking all the basics: soups, casseroles, pasta, meatloaf, roasts, and such. But each one was as close to perfect as I could imagine. She used fresh ingredients, and timed everything just right. I was going to have to start working out more if I kept letting her feed me as she had been doing.

We discussed the day-care plans a little over dinner, and I mentioned my new project and let them know for the first time there probably would be some travel involved. The kids asked about the travel, and of course wanted to go along. I told them when they were older, at least 10. Karen announced that she was totally moved out of her old place, and only had to do some clean-up work the next day.

We adjourned to the living room with some more wine after dinner. We'd killed two bottles with dinner, and opened 'one last one' to maintain the glow. We sent the tykes off to their room with a video before bed, and after Debbie chased everyone out of the kitchen; it was Karen and I on the couch, with Beth sitting quietly on the lounge chair.

We drank in quiet for a while. And then Karen set her drink down and turned to face Beth. I was suddenly afraid. I prayed quietly to myself, and I could see Beth turning red just sitting there.

"Oh this is just stupid." Karen finally spat out. "Why are you sitting way over there? Come over here and sit with us on the couch."

"I'm fine," Beth answered timorously.

"Jesus, I won't bite." Karen scooted to the far end of the couch and pulled me towards her, opening up a space on the other side of me. "I figure you're around here for the long haul, I might as well get to know you. I know you're just another innocent victim, a moth attracted to the flame as it were. If there's one stinker among us, we know who HE is. I just wish I could stay mad at him."

Beth got up from her chair and sat next to me. The two girls already knew a lot about each other, up until recently they were usually central to all the biggest events in my life, and each had heard me talk about the other. Karen knew a lot more about Beth before the house thing started, and of course Beth had been caught up on the state of everything by Debbie.

Karen scooted over to my side, leaning into me and running her fingers through my curly hair. "What the hell do we see in this guy? How is it possible that someone like you, who could have anyone she wanted, is willing to share this bum with someone like Debbie, who is going to cling to him like Saran-wrap, and me, who hasn't been able to distance myself from him in 500 years? When were you born?"

Beth told Karen her birthday, and Karen immediately perked up.

"The 5th? Are you sure? Oh, never mind. Wait," I saw her get the faraway look, while she worked out the numbers in her head, "but that makes you a 5 - What's your full name?"

She got out a pencil and paper and started writing, while Beth spelled her last name out.

"Oh, I see now, this is starting to make a lot of sense. I should have known, it was probably inevitable. It's so obvious. If I wasn't so close to it all, I know I would have recognized this at once." She was rambling in that way that made me laugh inside, but still endeared her to me.

She continued, animated. "I bet you didn't know that Jack was a 22. I mean a perfect 22. And of course I'm an 11. If that isn't odd enough, both an 11 and a 22 in the same household then having Debbie here and the way she perfectly balanced our numbers seemed like divine intervention. But when I cross indexed the numbers, you know using the Chaldean system for the names, things got funny. Then I could see where I might have been wrong, and there was a strong tendency in the house for extreme swings and instability, and possibly a total self-centeredness. Possibly even an internal collapse. But wait, how is your name spelled on your birth certificate?"

"Elizabeth?" Beth answered, looking to me. It was the first time she'd been exposed to one of Karen's spiritual/numerology/psychic rants, and she was obviously completely lost.

"Ah, ha! I thought so. 'Beth' just didn't make sense. Let's see, carry the two, and add the digits. This explains a lot. Jack needed you, we needed you. He didn't even know he needed you, but his destiny cried out for you if he was to fulfill even part of his potential. Jack is the potential, the great builder, but he can't do it alone. He has to build from pieces and we're his pieces. I'm his intuition and soul. Debbie provides the basic stability and love, but he needs the adventure and chance you bring for completion. I can't believe these numbers. It's like each of us is the complete essence of what we bring to the table. Let me check the math again."

Beth and I looked at each other, and I almost broke out laughing, but if this was what it took for Karen to accept her in the house, so be it.

While Karen was writing up her columns of numbers for the third time, Debbie came in, a new bottle of vino in hand.

"Can I refill your drinks?" she asked, and started pouring even before we acknowledged.

"Debbie! Debbie it fits! I was so worried that I would be totally superfluous, but the numbers all fit. She's all we need so we don't slowly spiral away into ourselves locking out the rest of the world. And I'm a catalyst. So I'm not essential, but without me everything will be dimmer, duller, less vibrant, and he's going to need my intuition, to counter everyone else's rationality. It all fits!" She gushed, waving at a mystery of numbers.

Standing, I raised my glass in a toast. "I'll drink to that. Without you, life would be duller, and I wouldn't be sitting here now with three such beautiful women. Thank you, and here's to you, Karen." All the girls leaned forward to clank their glasses.

"Well, I can see we have some toasting etiquette to learn here. Shame on you all!" I admonished them.

"What do you mean? We clinked!" Karen answered.

"Miss Manners would roll over in her grave. Two basic rules of toasting. One, do what the toaster does. Two, never drink to yourself.

"If the toaster stands, stand, if the toaster stays seated sit. And toasting yourself is like clapping for yourself. Don't you people go to weddings and formal events?"

"Actually, No." Beth answered with a giggle.

"Nope," answered Debbie. "Why, is this an offer?"

That brought a guffaw from all of them, and I had to admit she got me on that one.

"Ok, let's try that again." I stood up, holding my glass ahead of me. "A toast to Karen."

Debbie and Beth stood this time, and Karen started to stand up, but Debbie pushed her back down.

I nodded toward Karen, "To the architect of the house that lust built. This palace was your idea, and I'm indebted to you always."

"To Karen and the house that lust built." Debbie added.

We all raised our glasses, and I emptied mine. When the girls sipped from theirs I gave them grief again.

"Do what the toaster does! When I finish my glass, it means that to toast again would diminish the toast. Bottoms up."

The girls finished theirs, and we sat back, while I refilled the glasses but only half way.

Karen stood, with her glass. "Can I make a toast?"

"Of course you can. You don't have to ask. Just stand, nod to the host, and turn to the target of your toast."

"But who's the host?" Karen asked.

"Well, here, nobody. But that's just what you do in general." I answered.

"How do you know so much about toasting?" Beth asked.

"There are lots of reasons, but I'll give you three. One, I'm half Irish. Two, I'm from a huge family and I've been attending several weddings a year for the last few years, and three, when I was in ROTC we had regular formal balls, and heaven help you if you screw up the etiquette."

Karen continued standing. "Ahhumm. Here's to Debbie, with the biggest heart I've ever known, so vulnerable, but with so much to give." Karen toasted.

I leaped to my feet. "And whatever she's willing to give, I'm willing to take!" I added, waving my glass high.

"To Debbie!" Beth added, and we all drank to Debbie. Debbie blushed and smiled. And we once again finished our glasses.

Refilling the glasses again I realized that we had knocked off four bottles. This time I only filled them about a third.

"Here's to Beth." Debbie toasted. "The sweetest thing I've ever known and not a mean or deceitful bone in her body."

"Oh, I can't let you toast to that!" Beth cried, "I've got my mean streak."

"Hush, you!" I told her, "And take the compliment graciously. If you were any sweeter you couldn't bathe for fear of melting away and washing down the drain," I told her, holding my glass high.

"I'll drink to sweet Beth." Karen acknowledged and we drank again.

"I'd like to make a toast." Beth spoke up after we'd finished, and refilled.

"Go ahead," I told her, while I walked to the kitchen to get one more bottle.

"No, I'll wait unit you're back," she called after me.

I returned and Karen was adding in the numbers for Jim and Cathy, and Joe, and discarding them as irrelevant.

"Nope we're complete as is. I can't believe how beautiful these numbers are." Karen sighed. "I swear I haven't seen things come together like this since, geez, it must be almost 500 years now."

"A toast." Beth lifted her glass. "To Jack. For so many reasons. I refuse to boost his ego and name them, but mainly for allowing me to be part of his life. And to my sisters here. We have a hell of a task ahead of us riding herd on him."

"To Jack and his women." Debbie, toasted.

"To Jack and his women." Karen echoed.

"Thank you ladies." I answered, not sure if it was kosher to toast yourself as a group, although I guess they were all toasting each other. Of course it was all starting to get a bit fuzzy.

I stood again, a little wobbly. "With apologies to Mr. Yeats, I'd like to borrow a phrase for the women present.

"Wine comes in at the mouth

And love comes in at the eye;

I lift the glass to my mouth,

I look at you all and I sigh."

The girls got quiet, while I drank my cup dry, and threw it at the wall, shattering it.

"Why'd you do that?" Beth asked, eyes wide open.

"I believe there is no greater toast possible then a toast to you women and how you make me feel, and I shall never drink a toast from that glass again."

The girls loved the idea, and three more broken glasses soon followed. That led to some crying little girls at the top of the stairs, and Karen and Debbie settled them back down, this time for the night, while Beth and I cleaned up the glass.

"You know, this house is nuttier than a fruitcake. What am I getting myself into?" Beth asked, laughingly.

"Don't ask me, I thought you were the one who was supposed to bring stability?" I told her.

"No that's Debbie. I'm adventure. Get it straight cowboy." She teased poking me with the broom handle.

"That's Mister Twenty-two to you."

"You wish. Maybe eight on a good day." Beth teased.

We finished cleaning up the mess, dumping the glass outside in the garbage cans. We went back to passing the half-bottle of wine between us, working on finishing it as well.

"Repeat that last toast for me. Please." Beth asked, tugging me back to the living room couch, and sitting on my lap.

I did, and she asked me who Yeats was, so I berated her for her lack of education concerning the Emerald Isle's greatest poet, and gave her the full quote by William Butler.

"Wine comes in at the mouth

And love comes in at the eye

That's all we shall know for truth

Before we grow old and die.

I lift the glass to my mouth,

I look at you, and I sigh."

Karen walked up behind me as I finished. "Where do you come up with all this shit? You have more strange stuff in your head than anyone I've ever met."

I laughed, and at Debbie's insistence, repeated the toast, as I'd given it, and as Yeats penned it, at least as far as I could recollect. Things were getting a little fuzzy.

"That was incredible. I got wet just hearing you say it." Debbie told me softly, giving me a kiss on the side of the neck. I hadn't even heard her walk up behind me.

The girls exchanged glances, and then Beth stood up, and the three of them led me into the bedroom. Once there, they all helped to undress me, before undressing themselves, and pulling me into the bed. Karen stationed herself on one side of me, and Beth on the other. Debbie crawled between my legs, and laid there, her head resting on my thigh, as she played with my cock, watching it rise to attention.

"Do one of you two want to explain what the relationship and living deal is that you three have concocted?" Karen asked, looking at Beth and Debbie.

"Well, it's all kind of 'iffy'. But Debbie and I have agreed that for us it's share and share alike. If she's with him, I'm entitled to be there as well. And when I'm with him, she's welcome at any time. And it's our say, not his. Now neither of us HAS to be with him when the other is, but there's no locking the other out. Right, Deb?" Beth leaned down and gave my cock a quick suck, while Debbie held it upright. Then she leaned over and Debbie rose up and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Always." Debbie answered, giving my dick a quick suck just as Beth had.

"And just how the hell am I supposed to fit in this?" Karen asked.

"You are the wild card." Beth answered. "If he wants to be with you, he can, and we won't protest. And we have no special right to be there. Cathy is a similar situation. You guys can play, and we hope you invite us along on occasion. But we make no demands. We have laid claim to his bed, this bed, and we expect to be allowed to sleep in it any time we want, so if you all want privacy, it better be in your room."

"And that's it?" Karen asked, directing her question at me this time.

"I guess. They made the rules. But to be with them, I'm willing to live by them." I answered.

"But what if they change the rules?" Karen asked worriedly.

"They can, and I'll decide if I'll follow them. I almost certainly will and I'm afraid they know it. But as long as I'm here, I will not kick you or Debbie out of this house. I will honor that commitment."

"You know, we're all crazy." Karen finally answered, shaking her head.

"You guys probably are; but any guy in his right mind would give his left nut to trade places with me. I can't think of a better way to spend the night than with you lovely ladies, and I'm glad you are all crazy enough to be here now."

"I'd drink to that," Debbie answered, "but I'm out of wine."

"I'll suck to that," Beth answered with a drunken giggle, and bobbed her head up and down on my cock several times before passing my cock to Debbie.

Debbie laughed, and did the same, sucking me deeply and fully several times, then pulling away and pointing my cock at Karen. Karen again shook her head laughing and then took my cock in her mouth and pushed her face down on it achingly slow, eyes locked on mine. She pulled back up and bobbed her head up and down, as the other two had, and then pulled her head away.