I began to run into scheduling issues.
Monica had primarily been getting Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (after my workouts at the fitness centre). Sometimes it was all three nights, but most often I saw her twice a week. She was getting more demanding, too, even if the messages she was sending me were mixed.
For instance: she wanted to come over on Friday night, so that we could 'fuck all night and then again in the morning' (her words). But she also said that she wanted to 'go out somewhere nice'.
- "Sometimes it seems like all we do is have sex." she said.
I did not state the obvious: that's because it
was
all we did. Monica was a hardbody with a ravenous appetite for sex. But when I thought of a woman that I would enjoy dating, or going out with, I thought of Holly.
Of course, Holly still didn't want to be seen in public with me (or, at least, anywhere that someone from work might see us). Her job seemed to be getting more demanding, too: she had to cancel on me a couple of times, and then she was sent to Calgary on business for most of a week.
On the bright side, she made it perfectly clear that she'd missed me, and wanted to make up our lost time on the weekend. I was all for that - but now I had two women who wanted more time on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
I did
not
want to kick one of them out of my house on Saturday afternoon because the other was going to arrive soon. I especially didn't want them to run into each other just outside my front door. I'd never used the word exclusive with either of them, but a direct confrontation might be awkward at best.
Then there was Freya. Her Saturday morning agility classes did not go well with Monica's plan to fuck all night. And long walks with the dog in the afternoon or early evening were less than ideal when Holly was with me, hoping for some quality time.
I couldn't dump the dog on Mom; she wasn't able to go on long walks. So I turned to the one person that I knew I could trust with Freya - my neighbours' daughter.
- "Lisa, I have a proposition for you." I said. For some reason, that sounded wrong. "Wait - I think I mean a proposal. Sorry. Now I don't know which word I'm after."
- "It probably depends on what comes next." she said, with a smile.
- "Ah. Right." I relaxed. There was nothing indecent about my proposal (or proposition, whichever it was). "I've been trying to organize my time better, but sometimes Freya is the one who loses out. Or else I'm tied down, and I can't make plans because of her schedule. So ... I was wondering if you might be available to walk her sometimes."
Lisa looked surprised. Walking Freya was something she'd done many times before.
- "Of course." she said. "I'm happy to. Anytime."
- "I know. You've walked Freya before. But that was always as a favour. What I'm asking for now would be a little more often. Actually, a lot more often. I was thinking maybe two or even three times a week."
- "Oh." She was surprised, but Lisa didn't hesitate. "Sure. I can do that."
I shook my head. "Sorry - I'm explaining this wrong. I'm not asking you as a favour, Lisa. I want to hire you as a dog-walker."
- "You don't have to pay me to walk Freya, Dan."
When had she started calling me by my first name?
- "I do when it's two or three times a week. I was also thinking of Saturday mornings, for Freya's agility classes. I haven't had a Saturday morning off in three or four years."
- "Oh. Ah, I don't know much about that ..."
- "I know. I'd take you with me, a couple of times, so that you could see how it works. I mean, I'd pay you for that."
- "You really don't have to pay me." she said.
- "Yes, I do. A favour is one thing; this is way, way more. It's not a full-time job, but I don't want to distract you from your studies. And I remember what it's like to be a student. I know that your parents are covering your room and board, but you're paying your own tuition, aren't you?"
- "Yes."
- "Transportation, food, clothes, incidentals ... you could always use a little extra money."
- "It wouldn't feel right to take your money, though."
- "It would feel much worse to take up your free time for nothing. Look, Lisa: I really hope you can do this for me. But it has to be paid. Your time is valuable. I was thinking $25 an hour ..."
- "That's way too much!" She seemed genuinely shocked.
From then, it was just reverse haggling, with Lisa trying to chisel me down while I worked to keep her wages high. I had to threaten to go to her parents, which made her laugh and finally give in. We settled on twenty an hour.
I did consult George and Anna, though, to make sure that they were okay with this.
- "I don't want to interfere with her studies, or her social life." I said.
- "She doesn't
have
a social life." said her father. "Not that that's a bad thing."
- "She's very serious." said Anna. "But it's very nice of you to offer to pay her, Dan."
- "She'll be helping
me
out." I said.
***
Monica became even more demanding. She started calling, letting me know that she was free that evening, or sending me photos. Fortunately, the first one she sent was only a bathing suit pic - because I opened it at work.
Then she phoned me when Holly was at my place. We were only sitting on the couch at the time, but Holly had arrived braless. Her nipples were stretching the fabric of her t-shirt, and I was trying to decide whether she wanted to be moved to my bedroom, or taken right there on the couch.
- "You can answer it if you want." said Holly.
I made the mistake of looking at my phone. When I instantly turned it off, Holly was curious.
"Who was that?"
- "Just a friend." I said. I think I've mentioned it before: I had very little experience dating.
- "You could have taken the call." she said.
- "It wasn't important."
Her eyebrows rose. "Your friends aren't important? Or is it just this one friend? Who was it?"
- "You don't know them." I said.
- "Them? So it's a woman?"
How did she know that? I explained that it was someone I knew from the fitness centre (true), and that it was probably something that I didn't need to deal with tonight (also true). Holly wouldn't let go of it, though. She kept asking questions.
