"You want some help with those, Jane?"
Jane looked up from the sink full of suds to where I was standing in the doorway to the front hall. The plate she had just finished scrubbing slipped back into the water as she released it to dry her hands on the apron and motion me over for a hug.
"You cooked, I clean," she said after giving me a quick squeeze and a tender kiss, "Isn't that our usual deal?"
"Yes," I replied, "But there are usually a lot less dishes to be done too. It's been a long time since we had this many people in the house."
"Not having second thoughts are you, dear? I know you've come to value our privacy these last couple years since Carl went away to school..."
"I have come to value that. But we have three empty bedrooms upstairs and she needs the help. I know damn well Shelley would help us if the shoe was on the other foot. I'm glad she's here. Besides..."
Jane looked at me with that little sparkle in her eye and I knew she was remembering the same thing I was. She spoke up and proved me correct.
"Besides, you're thinking about the little confession that came pouring out of her last night. I have to admit, I'm thinking about it too. It's been an awful long time since we played that way, Wally. If Shelley knew about those times, I have to wonder if she would have revealed it to us."
"I noticed you certainly had no hesitation giving her a proper goodnight kiss afterwards. And that it was enthusiastically returned."
I was quite surprised to see Jane blush. After all, Shelley was far from the first woman I had watched my wife kiss. Nor had things normally stopped with kissing.
"You could have gotten kissed yourself, Mr. Man. She wanted you to kiss her, but she is way too submissive to be the one to make that first move towards you. We talked more about it while you were at work."
"So I imagine that you filled her in? At least a little bit? Or do you want to play this on the down low while she is staying with us? You just finished saying she might not have brought it up if she knew we had threesomes in the past. "
"True, she would never have admitted her fantasy while she was sober. Certainly she would not have gone into such detail. To answer your questions, yes. I filled her in some. Enough so that I could get a reading on whether it was just a fantasy or whether she was really interested."
"And? Don't tease me!"
"She's really interested. But she's very nervous. For one thing, she is very afraid of getting in between us and making a mistake. I took the liberty of correcting that misconception, but it is hard for some people to accept. People are just used to jealousy being part of life. Also, it's been a long time. She hasn't been with anybody, male or female, since he walked out on her. As a matter of fact, she hasn't been with a woman in years. Not since she graduated college."
"That's a crime. Both parts. She's a damn fine looking woman and a hell of a good person too. It was hard enough raising our three kids as a team. She's been doing it without help for almost two years now."
"Ummm Hmmm. I think we should do something about that, Wally." Jane was running her fingers along the line of my beard when she said it. She let her fingers trail over my ear, slid her hand to the back of my neck and tilted my head down for a kiss, slipping her tongue gently in between my lips. I could still taste the chocolate macadamia coffee we had sipped after dinner while listening to our guest wrestled her three kids into bed. Judging from the silence upstairs, she had followed them into slumber herself.
"Please? It's been a long time since we shared a playmate. I promise I'll be a good girl and do what I'm told if you let me have Shelley as an Easter present." Jane had the half smile on her face that told me she had already made my decision.
"You're sure she'll go for it? She's not going to get offended? Then we'd have a really fucked up living situation to deal with."
"Oh no!" Jane smirked, "After the way we talked this afternoon I am absolutely certain she wants this as bad as I do. But she won't start the play; it's not her style. She'd go months and not say anything. I don't want to wait months, Wally."
"You have a certain time in mind, do you? Sounds like it."
"You know me too well. Next week the children's father will be taking them for spring break. Lisa and Carl are both going to Lake Havasu, and Mark and Tracy are still getting settled up north. The house will be empty except for the three of us."
"Ok then...next week if you think it's not too soon. Whatever you say, honey."
Jane gave a little squeal and started kissing me again. Hard. As she pulled away she took my bottom lip with her, pulling at it with her teeth. Not gently either.
"Ummm. You like that idea, don't you?" I reached behind her and untied the apron, then pulled it over her head and threw it onto the breakfast island. Taking her hands, I guided her out of the kitchen and into the hallway towards our bedroom. This was gonna be a good night!
"Hey guys," Shelley said as she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward us, flipping her blond hair back behind her ear. She had changed out of the day's clothes into a yellow t-shirt and one of the sarongs that Jane had leant her. "Any of that coffee left? I finally got Jeffrey to fall asleep and...what? Oh...hey, I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll just head back upstairs and..."
I looked at Jane, only to find her already looking questioningly at me. I didn't say a word, just used my head to motion towards Shelley and then towards the French doors to her left. The doors that led to our bedroom. Jane's smile was all the answer I needed.
We separated and walked to either side of Shelly, who was now regarding us with what was best described as a hopeful suspicion. As Jane slipped by her side and opened wide those doors; I spun Shelley so she was facing them and gave her the gentlest of pushes, grasping her elbow in my hand and raising her arm to where Jane could catch her wrist and lead her into our room.
"Jane, I...are you sure? I know we talked about this, but I don't want to intrude and..."
"Shhh. Shelley, if you are changing your mind, ok. That's fine. We have no intention of pressuring you into anything. I talked to him; he's fine with it. I promise, sweetheart. Relax."
While Jane said this I closed the doors behind us and reached over to pull across the heavyweight curtain that hung on the side. Jane and I hadn't had a reason to use it in years, but I never got around to taking it down. I knew from experience that we wouldn't disturb the kids now, even with the strange ways sound carried in our old house. That, plus my old knee injury, was why we had the downstairs bedroom. It was the most isolated and the only one that did not create thumping echoes. I flipped on the soft golden light that hung in the corner and switched off the harsher white bulbs in the ceiling fan. The room was bathed in richer, deeper colors. It had a surprising effect on the tension. Very calming.
"Jane says you were a little upset I didn't give you a goodnight kiss last night."
Shelley looked up at me, the nervousness clearly painted in her eyes. She couldn't say anything, just nodded.
I leaned over and kissed her gently. Her lips bled their unsettled twitch into mine as I reached out and pulled Jane into a three-way embrace, my right arm around the waist of my wife, my left around her best friend. I kissed her long and soft, until her lips slowly parted and her tongue reached out hesitantly. I met it with mine. The stiffness left her back and she allowed herself to lean into me. I savored her surrender, then slowly straightened and pulled away. Shelley's eyes opened and looked deep into mine.
I glanced sideways and Shelley's face turned to follow my glance's direction. Jane met her there. Their kiss was more insistent then mine had been, the softness having been satiated the previous evening. They both now openly recognized the hunger for each other. I watched as my wife's tongue darted into Shelley's mouth and a small sound of satisfaction and longing came out from deep in her diaphragm.