Triptych
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Saturday, September 24 (After Chapter 15 of Triptych)
GYPSY: You're new at this, aren't you?
aroslav: Me? I do this...
GYPSY: Relax.
aroslav: I was going to ask you...
GYPSY: Your questions will be answered. Cut the cards.
aroslav: Okay. I wasn't intending to have a reading.
GYPSY: Yet you shuffled for five minutes. Are you afraid I stacked the deck?
aroslav: Can you do that?
GYPSY: Card.
[A card is turned]
Five of hearts. Proof positive that I can't stack the deck. It has nothing at all to do with your question.
aroslav: Except to prove your point. What would the card say under other circumstances?
GYPSY: If I were reading you? Why that you crave multiple relationships and believe you could keep them all in perfect balance. But, of course, you would have to stand on your head to do it.
aroslav:???
GYPSY: The card is upside down.
aroslav: Let's get to the first question.
GYPSY: Third.
aroslav: Name, age, and birthday?
GYPSY: Nine of diamonds. Have you noticed that the index in the bottom right corner is upside down? It looks like a six.
aroslav: Is that significant?
GYPSY: One question at a time. Reading from left to right, it would say 9/6, but read the other direction, it's my birthday—6/9. Age 37. My name is Vadoma Tshilaba Holsinger, nee Dzugi.
aroslav: Vadoma, tell me...
GYPSY: Call me Gypsy. You can't really pronounce my name correctly.
aroslav: You are more difficult than your daughter. I just wanted to know if there was a meaning to your names. They are Romani, are they not?
GYPSY: Eight of spades. You know a spade is a type of shovel? I dig. I dig for knowledge. Vadoma means to know and Tshilaba is a word meaning seeker of knowledge. I both know and seek further knowledge. Dzugi is an old Indian caste name for holy beggars or yogas. Many Romani surnames are from ancient Indian castes. In some traditions, those castes are jealously preserved.
aroslav: We've heard that you ran away from home when you were young and made your way to America. Let's start with why?
GYPSY: Three of diamonds. Personal questions often show me as a diamond. I'm sad to say it is often in the rough. When I was twelve, I was contracted for marriage to a man as old as my father. We were to be married two weeks after my first blood. I, of course, was already in love with a fair-haired boy of the Bodi caste. Hence the three. The day my first bleeding began, I left our encampment, lightly telling my mother I would gather flowers on the hillsides and be home for dinner. I went from the hillside to the valley to the mountain and by the time I was in the Czech Republic, there was a war that kept my clan pinned down where they were. I never looked back.
aroslav: But making your way all the way to America when you were ... was it twelve or thirteen?
GYPSY: Thirteen.
aroslav: ... when you were thirteen, alone, and without an adult seems amazing. How?
GYPSY: King of hearts. My lovely, precious king of hearts—though really, it was the whole family. Papa Aaron, Mama Peace, and their children, Davis and Darling. They were really David and Darlene, but I misunderstood the names with my limited English and their total lack of Romani. We communicated mostly through sign language and charades. I learned English as I traveled with them through Europe.
aroslav: They simply took you—an unaccompanied adolescent—with them as they toured Europe?
GYPSY: Nine of spades. We dig deeper and uncover little. They were latter-day hippies. They believed in ultimate freedom and the right of all people to live as they saw fit. They saw no difference between me at thirteen and their twelve-year-old son and fourteen-year-old daughter. They let us travel where we wished and we returned to their caravan at night. I was used to sleeping in a room full of people and traveling in a caravan. And while Aaron and Peace were liberal in their permissiveness, they were rigid in the division of generations. They would have let the three of us experiment with each other in any sexual activity we desired—though, truthfully, none of the three of us were that adventurous then—but they would never approach any of us sexually or allow another adult to approach us. I felt safe with them.
aroslav: How did they get you to America?
GYPSY: Ah. The deuce of clubs. I suppose that was what it took. Papa Aaron made phone calls from Paris. A friend—I never knew who it was—went to work for us. In two weeks, I had a genuine American passport and joined them on the return trip. The name on the passport was not mine, but the picture was. It was never used again after that trip.
aroslav: How did you find the commune and settle in Oregon?
GYPSY: Eight of diamonds. That was where Papa Aaron and Mama Peace lived with Davis and Darling when they weren't out traveling to see the world. That is where I met Papa Ken and Mama Iolana. Those people became the support structure that surrounded me. Six diamonds around me.
aroslav: I thought you were the diamond.
GYPSY: The center two. Me and that delightful, gawky boy Oke who stayed by my side but didn't say more than half a dozen words in the first two years I was there. By that time, Aaron, Peace, Davis, and Darling had taken off again. India I think. So I moved in with Ken and Iolana and Oke. From the moment I met him, there was never a doubt in my mind that I would marry Oke one day. That day was his eighteenth birthday. I was a few months older, but before he was nineteen, we had our little Katarina.
aroslav: Tell me about Kate.
GYPSY: Ace of hearts. That just about says it all. My firstborn. The instructor that showed me what real love was all about. Oh, of course Oke and I know real love. But there is nothing quite the same as the love a mother experiences with her child. She came out of my body. Do you know what a miracle that is? I held her to my breast and she took nourishment that I made inside myself. Not food that I grew and processed and cooked. I made it inside me! I imagined as she suckled at my breast that she was taking the food right from my heart into her little mouth. Little did I know that before she was more than toddling around the house I would be growing two more little ones inside me. They are special in themselves, but Katarina Mirela, my Lyubitshka, was my first.
Saturday, July 16 (After Chapter 2 of Triptych) BETH: Hello? aroslav: Hi Beth. This is aroslav. Is this a good time to talk? BETH: Oh. Yeah. Tony said you'd call. I've got a few minutes. aroslav: Sorry we have to do this by phone. It must be eight o'clock there in Nebraska, right? BETH: Yeah. What time is it there? aroslav: 1968. BETH: Funny. aroslav: We're two hours different. It six here. BETH: So what did you want to know? aroslav: Well, I'm interviewing the people who are...
Saturday, July 30 (After Chapter 4 of Triptych) LISSA: Guess it's my turn to face the music. aroslav: Come in Miss Grant. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me. LISSA: Is this about a job? aroslav: No. We'd just like to know a little more about you. LISSA: I don't do modeling anymore if that's what you're hoping. Either fashion or art. Well, mostly... aroslav: Hmm? LISSA: I still model for Tony. And Melody. And Kate. But those are private sessions. I won't be modeling for classes...
Saturday, August 6 (After Chapter 6 of Triptych) AMY: Hi. I'm Amy. aroslav: Welcome, Amy. Thanks for participating in our interviews. AMY: Sure. What's this all about? aroslav: We'd like to get to know all the people who are important in Tony's life. AMY: You think I'm important in his life? I'd rather be important in, say, Melody's life, if you know what I mean. aroslav: I know, but we'll talk about that a little later. I'd like to start with basic information, if you don't...
Saturday, August 13 (After Chapter 8 of Triptych) aroslav: Welcome. Come on in. BREE: Where's the camera? aroslav: What? BREE: Are we going to talk first or do I just get undressed and diddle myself? aroslav: Bree? BREE: I'm not doing sex unless you're paying me full scale. aroslav: This isn't a porn audition. BREE: Looks like it. You at a desk with a computer and me on a sofa opposite. aroslav: I'm just keeping notes on the computer. You didn't really think I was auditioning...
Saturday, September 3 (After Chapter 10 of Triptych) MELODY: Melody Renee Anderson, age 19, born 23 January, sophomore, Student ID Number 9113507. aroslav: You're not a prisoner of war, Melody. I'm not going to interrogate you. MELODY: No sense of humor. Oh well. Whatcha wanna know? aroslav: Thanks. Are there any teens present who can hold a conversation without making me feel like an antiquated ass? MELODY: Aww. I'm sorry. I don't think you're an ass. aroslav: Oh? MELODY: Just...
Saturday, September 10 (After Chapter 12 of Triptych) ALLISON: You chose a great time for this. Couldn't we have talked sometime when I was sure and positive and knew what the hell I was doing? This is like the most confusing time of my life and I'm in rehearsal and have my senior project to do and ... Heavenly days! Can't anything be simple for once? aroslav: Hi, Allison. ALLISON: Breathe. That's all I have to do. Just take a deep breath. [Pause] ALLISON: Well if you was a...
Saturday, October 15 (After Chapter 19 of Triptych) aroslav: Harold Anderson? HAROLD: Yes. Please come in. I appreciate that you came to see me. I don't think I could have made it to Seattle. The trip to Minneapolis pretty much exhausted me. aroslav: I hope your health is improving. HAROLD: Not likely, but I still have some hope. So what is it you'd like to know? aroslav: Well I usually start out with basics like name, age, and birthdate. HAROLD: Okay. Well, my full name is Harold...
Saturday, October 22 (After Chapter 21 of Triptych) aroslav: Welcome, Jack. It's good to see you again. JACK: Hey ya old goat. What's new? aroslav: More of the same. JACK: So you want to interview me for your story? aroslav: Might have a bigger role for you someplace along the line. Do you mind? JACK: Can't hurt. aroslav: So, name, age, and birthday. JACK: John Daniel Wade, also known as Jack. Born March 13, I'm 59 years old. aroslav: How did Jack ever become a nickname for...
Sunday, November 7 (After Chapter 25 of Triptych) WENDY: [to security desk] This is Mr. aroslav. He's visiting me for an hour or so. He's writing an article. [A bored hand is waved.] WENDY: I've wanted to tell people about this for a long time. Thank you for visiting, Mr. aroslav. aroslav: It's a pleasure, Wendy. But I have to say that I'm still pretty shocked. [sigh] WENDY: I know. Kate's the only one who knew before this morning. Now I guess everyone will know. Are you going to...
Saturday, November 26 (After Chapter 28 of Triptych) WHITNEY: Hey-ya! Knock-knock. You Dr. Aroslav? aroslav: Some people call me that. Welcome, Whitney. WHITNEY: Thanks. You really want to know about this little old Bayou girl? aroslav: No. I'm not really interested. There seem to be some people who believe you'll be important to the story sometime. They want to know about you. WHITNEY: Well, as long as it's not just you. What do you want me to tell you? Do you mind my Bayou accent? I...
Monday, December 5 (After Chapter 30 of Triptych) [Knocking] aroslav: Come in. [Knocking] aroslav: Come in! [Knocking] aroslav: God damn it. [opens door] Come in. SANDRA: Oh! Hi! I wasn't sure you were there. I couldn't hear anything. aroslav: That could be because you never stopped knocking. SANDRA: How else would I ... Oh. aroslav: How can I help you? SANDRA: Um ... Tony said to stop by. I know I'm not around much, but I thought I'd see if I could contribute. aroslav: And...
Monday, December 22 (After Chapter 33 of Triptych) [Phone Ringing] CLARICE: Tony Ames' phone. Clarice Bortelli speaking. aroslav: Clarice? How is Tony doing? CLARICE: Who's calling, please. aroslav: Sorry. It's aroslav. CLARICE: Aroslav? Oh. Yes. You are on Tony's list. aroslav: Is that good or bad? CLARICE: Just means he said you might call. aroslav: I'm just checking in. The past week has been pretty chaotic. CLARICE: You're telling me. aroslav: Why are you answering...
Sunday, January 1 (After Chapter 37 of Triptych) [knocking] aroslav: Hello? AMANDA: Who is it? aroslav: aroslav. Is it too early? AMANDA: What time is it? aroslav: 12:30. AMANDA: In the morning? aroslav: No. Sunday afternoon. Happy New Year. AMANDA: Oh shit. Just a minute. [Pause. Door opens.] AMANDA: Sorry, Uncle Ari. I forgot. [hug] aroslav: How's my Mandy? Did you overdo it last night? AMANDA: No. We were late is all. It was so much fun. aroslav: Well, shall we go have...
Monday, January 30 (After Chapter 40 of Triptych) RIO: Doctor aroslav? Can I talk to you? Please? aroslav: Rio! Come on in. RIO: I'm glad you're still here. I was afraid you'd gone home already. I know it's kind of late. aroslav: There comes a time when sitting behind a desk with a computer is the only thing left for a man to do. RIO: Oh, that's sad. aroslav: Not your problem. Not really even mine. Tell me what's on your mind. RIO: I heard you were interviewing Tony's...
After the reading and dinner with an old college friend, she retired, as had become the custom, to the hotel bar. Here her company was a boyish bartender who seemed to be desperately trying to think up something witty every time he passed by her but was never quite able to get it out. He’d pause, concentrate really hard, and then move on. Men and woman of various ages were scattered at tables behind her, one guy on the phone, sighing and giving an angry “all right” every few minutes.The bar...
First TimeLISSA WAS ASLEEP between Melody and me when I woke up about three in the morning. I thought at first that I woke up because I needed to pee, but I had a painful erection, made more painful by the fact that Lissa had it gripped tightly in her hand. I shifted a little and tried to dislodge her, but I woke her up doing it. “Oh! Sorry, love,” Lissa whispered. “Was I hurting?” “A little. It’s okay.” “You’re really hard.” “I just woke up that way.” Her lips closed on mine, then opened to let...
WE DIDN’T GET MUCH SLEEP Thursday night. I laid out the letters I’d received on the dining room table and went through the rest of the mail. There were four more letters that looked like junk mail or utility bills that had offers or requests in them. Two were offers for Rhapsody Suite. One offered $5,000, but said he’d double it if I could deliver the four companion pieces with it. Apparently, he was taking Bob Bowers at his word. I wondered if anyone else had received offers. There were two...
MELODY WAS IN THE KITCHEN. Sitting on the floor. Crying. There was a half-chopped zucchini and a pile of minced onion sitting on the counter. One burner was lit on the stove, but fortunately there was nothing on it—just the blue flame dancing in the air. I turned that off and Lissa and I sank to either side of our lover. “What is it Little One?” Lissa asked softly. “What’s wrong?” “We’re here, Meddy,” I added. “Tell us what has you upset, love.” There was a lot of sniffling. When she...
KATE, MELODY, AND I sat together most of Wednesday evening going through our portfolios. Kate had some impressive work. She loved charcoal, but she had an incredible talent with pastels and acrylics. She painted awesome detail. As a result, she tended to paint small things very large. I mean, she’d look at a landscape, and instead of painting the whole thing, she would paint every detail of a single flower in the foreground with the rest looking blurred in the background. I’d never seen...
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!” we sang as Damon blew the seven candles out on his cake and the kids dove into the sweets. It had been a great afternoon and parents were arriving to shuttle their own six- and seven-year-olds back home. I’d cleaned up the grill and Jack had cleared the yard of sports equipment and was sprawled on the deflating bouncy tent—just forcing the air out, so he said. Drew—completely exhausted—was cuddled in Meddy’s lap and even as he pushed a piece of cake into his mouth...
“TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND?” I croaked. “I’ve never even seen that much money, let alone know where I can get it. How are we going to finance it?” We were in our second favorite meeting place—the spa. The dining room where we held the board meeting? That’s like third or fourth on our list of meeting places, but we had Jack there. Now it was just the three of us, soaking in the tub. Melody still had her hair up and was wearing her glasses, which were fogged over. She’d proven to us that she...
I MIGHT BE TURNING INTO A GIRL. I’m missing some of my favorite girl-bits, and I’ve got this extra tackle between my legs, but maybe living with two girls is rubbing off on me. Is that possible? When Lissa and I got back from Pilates Saturday morning, we were downright giggling about going out with Kate in the afternoon. We got home to find Melody alternately dancing in place while she bounced up and down or running to the closet to grab yet one more possibility to wear and lay it on the...
MY PHONE RANG about half an hour before Lissa and I were ready to leave for my painting gig. “I’ll drive,” Clarice started. I’d noticed she never said hello when she called. It was like joining a conversation halfway through. “Give me your address and I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.” “Uh, hi, Clarice. Lissa and I were going to drive over together. She’s my chaperone today.” “Good. I’ll pick you both up. What’s the address?” I stumbled through the address and she hung up before I...
OF COURSE, NEITHER LISSA NOR I were allowed anywhere near Melody once she got to the hospital and they called her mother. Lexi asked them to please communicate with us since she was in Boston. We were going to have to do something about this. Those power of attorney things were going to be really important. Fortunately, the boys were at Jack’s this week, but I called him to let him know what had happened. I had an idea for the weekend I wanted to run by him, too, and was pleased with his...
MELODY LEFT EARLY SATURDAY MORNING to go visit Amy on the other side of the mountains. Lissa left to pick Kate up at about one o’clock, asking me repeatedly if I was sure it was okay to leave the boys with me. “We’ve got plans,” I said. “If we’re not home when you get back, don’t worry. Just text me and I’ll let you know when we’re coming back.” She finally left and I got the boys dressed for our outing. About half an hour later Jack showed up. “This was a great idea, Tony. How much do I...
MY MONDAY WAS JAMMED. I met Cary Randolph at the registrar’s office at SCU and he got me through in record time. Having an official escort when registering for classes was great. One of the courses we’d agreed on was already full and Cary had a signed permission slip from the instructor to allow me to register. We finished and went to the financial aid office to sign all the papers there. I realized right away that SCU was cheaper than PCAD. After registering, Sam Jacobson met us and we went...
IT WAS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME to get everything legally set up. As our lawyer, John MacDonald, said to us, “Nothing about your relationship is covered under Washington State Law. You aren’t married. Therefore, we have to have documents that spell out everything. Your partnership has to be a business partnership as domestic partnerships are limited to two people just like marriage. You’ll have a stated business purpose of owning and investing in businesses and property. For everything else,...
“HELLO?” I CALLED INTO THE HOUSE. I turned on the light and went back to the bedroom, but it was empty. “Where are they?” Kate asked. “Melody took Lissa dancing. They must not be back yet,” I said. I wasn’t sure about this. Did Kate look nervous? “We could, uh ... go join them ... if you want,” I suggested. Kate looked at me and I saw the ghost of a smile play at her lips. She moved closer to me and, as her lips touched mine, her hand found the hall light switch and flipped it off. “I’ve...
WE FELL ASLEEP a hot, sweaty tangle. We woke up the same way. I’ve discovered that while we enjoy sex in any way at any time, we each have favorites. For example, Melody likes to make love at night when we’ve showered and are in bed. In an hour we need to shower again in order to rinse off the sweat. Sometimes we don’t make it back to the shower and wake up stuck to each other. Lissa likes to make slow, luxurious love when she first wakes up and is in that stage of half-dreaming. I prefer...
MELODY FLOATED IN on a cloud about eight that evening. The boys were in bed and she went in to kiss them goodnight, and then drifted into our bedroom while Lissa and I finished cleaning up the dinner dishes. I looked at Lissa and grinned, then closed the distance and kissed her deeply. “Just so you know, this one’s from me, ‘cuz I think we’re about to get a kiss or two from our wife and our girlfriend,” I said. Lissa kissed me back soundly. “You know, sometimes I just like the lips that are...
LISSA AND I had a light workout Friday afternoon. We’d be playing for five or six hours on Saturday, so we weren’t pushing it. We all went to Carmine’s for dinner. Amy got her laptop out and showed us the designs for our new website. It was a knockout. She’d used some of the motifs that Melody was using on the fabric with some really sensual shots of racquetball players dressed in our sportswear. “How did you do that?” I asked. “The only outfit we have is the one Melody made for Lissa this...
IF WE THOUGHT that getting the fabric shipped to the manufacturer in Singapore and getting the racquetball tournament out of our way meant we could slack off, we were sadly mistaken. We were looking at the last week of summer and trying to get everything done that we hadn’t done all summer long. We got confirmation that the fabric had been received and we would receive the first prototype outfits within a week. Friends were coming back to Seattle for the start of the school year. Sandra had...
CLARICE AND I took Sharon’s portrait to her house on Thursday. “Oh! Look at it!” she exclaimed when we unveiled it. We’d chosen to take the portrait into the master suite where it would be installed before showing her so she would see it in the context of her space. She’d brought Rebecca along and I kept maneuvering so that Clarice was always between her and me. I had come to like Sharon and had painted a nice portrait. But Rebecca gave me the creeps. “I don’t know, Sharon,” Rebecca said....
GYPSY, HAVING GOT WHAT SHE WANTED, consented to sit while I sketched her at the table with the deck of cards in her hand. She even signed a model release for me. Kate didn’t get back from her walk with Willow, Sunday, and Rainbow until Gypsy rang a big bell for lunch. By that time, I’d been outside and sketched the entire enclave. Then went behind the house and sketched the caravan. I had a whole village at my fingertips—and pretty much no one had ever seen it. Kate’s grandfather joined us...
“I DIDN’T KNOW you had electricity out here,” I said as Kate lit the lantern in the caravan. “Where did you think the hot water for our showers came from?” Kate asked. “Um ... I thought it was like the LP gas for the stove.” “It’s a switchable system. During warm months, we don’t turn on the generator much. That’s why it took a minute before the lights came on tonight. I still like to have my room pitch black when I sleep at night, even in the dorm. It feels more like home.” We got into...
WE STOPPED IN YAKIMA for lunch and I filled the tank on general principles. I spent most of lunch staring at her breasts. “Paint a picture; it lasts longer,” Kate said, blushing. “I think I’ll do that,” I said. It was obvious that we’d entered a new phase of our relationship. As we drove the last leg from Ellensburg to Seattle the conversation turned serious and I could tell Kate had something on her mind. I decided to prod her. “Something’s bothering you, Kitten,” I said. “Are you sad to...
WHEN WE ENTERED THE BATHROOM, Melody and Lissa were in a clinch on the other side of the tub and the room was alight with candles. Five glasses of champagne were set on the edge of the tub. “God, aren’t they beautiful?” Beth breathed. “I love them,” Allie said softly. “So do I,” I said. “You are so lucky, Tony,” Beth said. “Okay, we know you’re there. Quit staring and get in the tub,” Melody laughed. “Wait!” Lissa commanded. “Let us stare for a minute. Aren’t they cute, Little...
THURSDAY AT A FEW MINUTES BEFORE NOON, I walked into Carmine’s for my weekly meeting with Clarice and Wendy stopped me just inside the door. We were going to have to change our meeting time once classes at SCU started. “Special instructions today,” Wendy said. I glanced over at the usual booth. Clarice sat on one side and a couple sat opposite her. “Clarice wants you to just sit next to her, pull out your pad and start sketching them. No greeting and no talking. I’ll bring you lunch when...
THIS WAS A WEEK when I needed to accomplish great things. It was the last week before classes started at SCU and I’d be tied up in freshman orientation for a good part of it. But I’d never had so many canvases started and unfinished. I decided I was going to have to move my work to the new studio and set regular times there to really work. I had an exhibition coming up and suddenly four or five months didn’t seem like any time at all. I was up early on Monday morning so I could get moved and...
THEY DID A 50S RETRO SOCK HOP in the gym for a mixer. It went about like sock hops did in the 50s, if Happy Days was genuine. The guys sort of lined up on one side and the girls on the other and nobody hit the dance floor. At least I was thankful I had clean socks in my gym bag. The fact that they were bright white made me look hip in this environment. Black jeans and a black t-shirt made me look like the local bad-guy. Hello Fonzie. I headed over to the snacks and drinks table to get myself...
SATURDAY MORNING, I had a new challenge. Melody and I picked up Kate after Pilates and we drove all the hell the way out past Issaquah to a huge development of houses that looked like mansions to me. Kate slept the whole way out, but I noticed she brought a sketchbook with her. This could be interesting. I hoped they would allow Melody and Kate to be where they could see the subjects. When I pulled into the driveway in front of the four-car garage, Kate stirred and I gave last minute...
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!” When the last, slightly off-key note had rung out, Kate and I bent to our individual cakes and blew out our candles. I raised my head and met her lips in a sweet and delicate kiss. I could see Melody and Lissa mimicking our action out of the corner of my eye. When Kate and I broke our kiss, Melody captured my lips and Lissa kissed Kate. Then my two wives switched and I lost myself for a moment in Lissa’s sweet embrace. “Look! Kate missed a couple candles!” someone...
IF WE STAYED in the position we were in much longer, Kate and I would effectively be glued together by dried come. That had a certain appeal to it, but I didn’t relish eventually ripping ourselves away from each other so I let her slide off my lap to settle between Melody and me. I wrapped my arm around Lissa, pulling her close. I kissed her and licked Kate’s juices from her face as she absently petted me. After two such powerful orgasms in such a short period of time, it would be a while...
WENDY DID HAVE US BEAT. She wore a tuxedo-printed T-shirt with a v-slash cut-away at the bottom that just exposed her pussy. We all got a good laugh and persuaded Wendy to drop the servant role and sit and have breakfast with us. And what a breakfast! There was baked apple-cinnamon French toast that was unbelievable. Sausages. Bacon. Melon balls sprinkled with goat cheese. More coffee. Hot cinnamon rolls. And Mimosas. We were at the table eating, laughing, joking and staring at each other’s...
IT WAS AN INTENSE TWO WEEKS getting to Opens. After that incredible birthday party, when Kate joined us in the big bed, we spent Sunday drifting in and out of the bedroom, getting food, presents, and drifting back to bed. It was such a dream. Kate was ... just Kate. Every time I thought of her, my eyes started to water. But Monday morning, three of the four of us had to go to school. I had to go first since I had that god-awful seven-thirty Human Anatomy course. Not that anatomy is awful for...
LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT. That’s the way my week went. Class, class, class, practice, homework. The first break in the monotony of my schedule was Friday at nine-thirty when I met with Clarice. She wasn’t happy. I hadn’t done any work on the Singhs’ portrait since my sketch last Saturday. I promised that I’d have studio time on Saturday afternoon, but that this was reality now that I was back in classes. I was only going to get to paint in my studio about once or, at best, twice a week. I was...
MELODY GOT TO THE STUDIO with the boys right at one o’clock. They were excited to have an afternoon working with Tony and Meddy. Melody’s loom was set up on one side of the studio now and she was doing an intricate, loosely-woven hanging. “I’m still not sure this is going to work,” she said as she sat down at the loom. “I think I’m actually going to have to stretch it on a frame when it’s done in order to display it.” “I think it’s beautiful,” I said. “You are a constant reminder to me to...
WE LAY IN BED TOGETHER. It was still a little strange to think of making love to Kate in this bed without either Melody or Lissa there with us. But it was also okay. Lissa and Melody were making love to each other in Minneapolis right now and this was my special time with Kate. I wanted to make it as special as I could. We undressed each other, one piece of clothing at a time. I took off her top—she removed my polo shirt. I slid her cami up over her head and off—she unfastened my belt and...
“WE’RE GOING TO WHAT? SERIOUSLY?” We’d shocked Allison. For a minute I thought she was going to cry. One thing I’d discovered during National Singles last spring was that Allison is very sexual. Even when we were in enforced abstinence, she wasn’t above relieving herself. Neither was I, for that matter. We’d just told her that orgasms were forbidden as long as any one of us was still competing. “But my competition is a round robin. It won’t end till Sunday!” “Well, that’s good, Allie,” I...
ALLIE TOOK HER SECOND OPPONENT fifteen-five and fifteen-zero. The poor gal didn’t stand a chance. Not only was Allie winning, she was piling up a point spread that would be hard to beat, even if there was a tie. She stayed to watch Lissa and me struggle against our second round opponents from Wisconsin. We won by two points in straight games, but we were plenty worried. It felt like they were on the same wave-length that we were. What great energy. We showered and I fed Lissa a light lunch....
“THE SON OF A BITCH!” Melody spat. “He thought he could spare Mom and me seeing him while he was sick. He thought he’d crawl off and lick his wounds and try to heal himself. And if it didn’t work, he figured we’d be less hurt if he left us first because our grieving would be over and having him dead would be a relief. God damn it!” We’d managed to move from the huddle in front of the door and gradually get Melody to where she could talk over the past hour or so. Allie was in the bathroom...
ALLIE DIDN’T BOTHER TO SHOWER after her match, but went directly with us to the finals of the mixed doubles. We had to change venues because finals of the Open division and Pro division matches were all held in the big glass box in the center of the arena. Being the smallest of the Open and Pro brackets, ours was the first to play finals. Women’s Open Doubles and Pro Doubles would play their final round later in the afternoon. Tomorrow, most of the matches that anyone was interested in would...
DON’T ASK ME how we slept. I just know I woke up with my cock still wedged just inside Melody’s entrance and clamped tightly between her legs. I think I must have been hard all night. Melody shifted and I sank a little deeper. She moaned. I held my breath and started describing each of the two hundred plus pictures of water lilies by Monet in my head. “We could just...” she whispered as I pinched her nipple. “Wouldn’t be fair,” I answered. “But it’s all so perfect.” “Remind me to sleep...
AFTER SHE’D COLLECTED a quick kiss from Allison, Melody, and me, Lissa turned to the cameras and reporters to answer questions. I was surprised to find another pair of lips plastered against mine, briefly but intensely. They were quickly gone and Melody was tackled. Janet was about the same height as Melody and even though she was surprised, Melody responded to the kiss. Then Allison bent to receive her kiss. The interview continued next to us as we all three looked at Janet. “Um ... not...
“WE NEED A BIGGER BED!” I panted when we’d all recovered a bit. Allison and Lissa laughed. It had become my mantra. “What a great idea!” Melody said. She scrambled out of the bed and started tugging at the end table between the two beds. “Help me move this out of the way and we can push the two beds together.” I had to laugh. That was just what we’d done months ago when Melody moved into my dorm room after my roommate left; we’d shoved the two beds together and got a king size mattress pad....
Saturday, July 18 (After Chapter 21 of The Prodigal) Tony: Are you sure you want to do this? aroslav: Fair is fair, I suppose. Tony: You usually start out with the basics. Name, age, birthday? aroslav: My name is aroslav, all lower case. I'm also known as Devon Layne. I celebrate my birthday on August 2 and I'm two years old. Tony: You have no idea how weird that sounds. So let's start with the name. What ethnic background is "aroslav?" aroslav: Guinea pig. A number of years ago I...
Blurring The LInes! My husband and I moved to Montreal from California, and well, it’s been a bit of a shock for both of us, as the weather has gone from delightfully wonderful in November in San Luis Obispo, to horrifyingly cold in Montreal in December! However, we coped with the tough winter and have adapted as best as we can. We’re both pretty open and inviting people so making some new friends has been easy. My husband found plenty of guys who enjoy hockey here. However, his best friend...
Peter walked into the store at 9:30. He had mixed feelings as he entered the door. Part of him was excited and part of him was scared to death. He knew that if this madam had not recorded him doing those things yesterday he would not have to be here. For Peter it was one thing to want to go there and maybe mess around in the arcade, but in this case he did not have a choice of being there. When he walked up to the counter he looked over and the Recording sign stood out big as day. Why...