Chapter 13: Daddy Knows Best Part 1

Hello readers, welcome back to my adventures. If you remember, we parted after my date with Freddy Singleton ended in his uncleaned apartment. I demanded that he took me home but forgave him enough to suggest he made it up to me the following day. When I got home, my son Tommy took me to task for adding three more lovers, my friends Patty, Maggie, and Allie. After he’d finished disciplining me, Patty, my son, my girls, and I spent the night making love. That’s where I take up my story.

Looking back through my story, it seems as though I begin almost every chapter mentioning my recalcitrant bladder. So let’s assume, as a given, that happened, and I was in the kitchen wearing only my shorty silk robe sometime after that daily event.

Jennifer was the first to join me in the kitchen on Wednesday morning. My robe, unnoticed by me, had ridden up, and my voluptuous bottom showed above the stool. Jennifer caressed my welts as she snuggled into my back. Her firm C-cups pressed against my back as her right hand slid inside my robe and cupped my heavy left breast globe.

“Morning, Momma,” she hummed as she kissed along my shoulder.

Turning to face her, I kissed her sexy lips and asked, “What’s with everyone suddenly calling my Momma?”

“What do you mean?” Jennifer asked innocently.

“First, Freddy. Now you. Are you telling me that I’m getting old?”

“Heavens, no!” Jennifer averred. “It’s just that Kate doesn’t really describe our relationship to you, and Miss Kate is only used when you’re teaching us. Plus, you growl at us when we call you Mrs Muggleton. So, we decided to call you Momma because that’s how you are to us. Our big, bad Momma, who is teaching us how to be better people.”

“So now I’m getting fat as well as old?” I teased. She looked confused, so I explained, “You called me Momma—old. Now you’re saying I’m big—fat.”

Trying to look serious but given away by the ever-present twinkle in her eye, Jennifer replied, “Well, Momma, we’ve all been too scared to say something, but...”

“You’re not so big that I can’t put you over my knee and spank you,” I reminded her.

Immediately leaning over my thighs, Jennifer flipped her skirt up, revealing the tiniest thong you can imagine, and said, “Oh, Momma, would you? Please?”

Laughing, I pulled the ‘string’ from between her ass cheeks and caressed her clitty. Jennifer moaned and parted her luscious thighs, so I slid my middle finger into her pussy and slowly stroked it in and out. My first and third fingers stroked Jennifer’s clitoris as I did.

“Can any of us get some of that?” Patty asked as she wandered into the kitchen.

“Sure,” I replied, deliberately misunderstanding. “I made a pot of coffee. It’s on the warmer. Help yourself.”

Giggling, Jennifer stood and welcomed Patty to the kitchen by pressing her voluptuous body to the taller woman’s and then kissing her passionately before casually groping Patty’s barely covered ass. Patty returned the kiss as she fingered Jennifer’s vulva.

“Oi, slut!” Charmaine jokingly snapped from the doorway. “That’s my older bitch you’re groping!” She pressed her nightie-covered breasts against Pattie’s back and joined the hug.

I sighed loudly and theatrically put the back of my wrist against my forehead. “Thrown over for a skinnier model,” I joked. “Whatever shall I do?”

“Hah!” Jennifer playfully responded. “You’re not the one that petite witch called bitch!”

“Oh!” Patty, who gasped almost as theatrically as I had, responded. “That means Charmaine called me ‘slut’! Whatever shall I do?”

Laughing together, we moved into a group hug and exchanged soft, loving kisses. These weren’t what we shared earlier that morning. This was four people showing each other how much they were loved. My heart swelled as I saw how my two young charges had accepted Patty into their midst and were doing their best to help her through her breakup. I could not have been prouder of them.

Tommy and Gina came in as we broke apart. The girls swung into action and began making theirs and my breakfast as I turned the grill on and made Tommy’s. It was Wednesday morning, so I knew Tommy, Phil, and Freddy would only eat a light breakfast before they met at the gym. All three may have lost their AFL careers, but they trained as if they were still playing.

Tommy had an offer from The Aspley Hornets to play in the NEAFL for them. He hadn’t decided yet but was leaning towards taking them up on their offer. As a tall, big-boned, almost man, his physical development wouldn’t end until his mid-twenties at the earliest. Therefore, there was a good chance his best playing days were still ahead of him.

Phil had never wanted to be a professional footballer and was already playing for The Morningside Panthers in the third-tier QAFL. Freddy stopped playing when The Lions hadn’t signed him from their rookie list. Phil wanted Freddy to ‘come out of retirement’ and play for his team, but Freddy still carried the scars from his father’s disparaging dismissal of him and his abilities when The Lions hadn’t signed him.

I finished cooking Tommy’s two rashers of bacon and two eggs on toast ‘light breakfast’ and took a cup of coffee and a banana and pear smoothie from Charmaine. Repairing to the kitchen table, we laughed and joked as we enjoyed our repast.

After eating, my girls, Tommy and Gina, left to get ready for their days. Gina, Charmaine and Jennifer were off to their uni classes. Tommy would meet his mates at the gym before going into their studio.

That left myself and Patty at home. I looked at the clock and saw I, too, needed to shower and prepare for my day. Patty followed me into the shower, but other than some soft and loving kisses, we didn’t do anything sexual. The previous night had been an erotic masterpiece, and even this insatiable slut mommie was satisfied ... for now.

After showering and doing my hair and makeup, I put on my pearl white, sleeveless, draped collar satin top. Below that, I pulled on my black, high-waisted miniskirt. The skirt had a side split held together by decorative gold buttons. It was long enough to be decent for the workplace but short enough to show off my long, toned, tanned thighs and legs. On my feet, I wore a pair of plain black wedge-heeled sandals. I didn’t bother with panties or a bra.

Patty sat at my vanity with a towel wrapped casually around her waist. Her small, A-cupped breasts sat perfectly on her slender chest as she watched me dress. “Lunch?” She asked hopefully.

“Sure,” I replied. “Well, assuming I don’t have a client. But we get so few walk-ins that I’d be surprised if I’m busy.”

“I’ll bring coffee at about 10:00 am,” she offered.

“That’d be good,” I agreed. “I’ll be bored out of my brain by then.”

I walked to our office and followed the usual process of turning on the lights, switching the phones to ‘live’, unlocking the front door, taking down the sign, and checking for messages. There weren’t any except for one from Krissy in my personal inbox. Seeing that it had an attachment, I eagerly opened it. My pussy throbbed in anticipation of something lewd.

I wasn’t disappointed. John held the phone again as he filmed his thick, 7-inch cock, penetrating our daughter’s ass. He had the sound on, so I heard and saw Krissy groan and jump when her father’s cock parted her knot. John teased her by slowly easing his entire length into her. Before he was halfway in, Krissy was demanding that he “hurry up and fuck her” because she needed to cum. As with the previous clip, John must have waited until he was on the cusp of his orgasm before he began recording. Once he’d sunk his whole cock in our daughter’s bottom, he smacked her right ass cheek and started pounding her.

Krissy pushed her curvy ass back to meet her father’s thrusts. Suddenly, she squealed as an orgasm hit. Simultaneously, I could hear my husband’s grunts as his climax approached. “On your knees,” John demanded as he pulled out of Krissy’s ass.

Krissy spun around in time for her father to ejaculate all over her face. She took the phone from her father before turning it so she could show the sperm splashed over her beautiful features. “Love you, Mom,” she said happily. “John moved into the picture and added, “Love you, babe,” to the film’s end.

I queued the video again and moved my knees up onto the desk’s edge. Sliding forward on my chair, I let my skirt ride up so that I could play with my pussy as I watched. On the second playing, I enjoyed a petite but satisfying orgasm. I wished again that I was in Europe with my husband but accepted that he needed me here more.

I wasn’t jealous of my daughter like some would think. Krissy and John now had the exact relationship I wanted them to have. My only concern was the one my mother raised with my father and me—John would ‘fall in love’ with our daughter and want her as his full-time. However, our family had discussed that problem together. We agreed that if either thought or became worried that was happening, Krissy would immediately fly home. It helped that I had a similar relationship with John’s and my son.

I’d played the clip from my browser instead of downloading it. Even so, I cleaned it from my computer’s cache. Once I was sure my computer no longer had the video stored on it anywhere, I moved behind the partition and washed my sticky pussy.

The phone rang as I sat back down. Checking the ID, I saw it was Eugenie Matson. Picking the phone up and hoping she was about to cancel our lunch date for tomorrow, I said, “Muggleton Consultancy, Kate Muggleton speaking.”

“Morning, my darling slut, Kate,” Eugenie said charmingly. “Confirming your attendance at mine tomorrow. Dress sexy, little slut Kate. I expect your outfit to blow minds even before you blow their cocks. See you there at twelve O’clock. Don’t be late!” Eugenie hung up before I could respond.

Sighing, I put the phone down and wondered just what trouble I’d gotten myself into this time. ‘I’ll have to tell Tommy,’ I realised. ‘She said that I’ll be blowing cocks. Shivers! Cocks? What on earth?’

I had no answers, so I opened a web browser and navigated to my Bachelor’s course. Bringing up the project, I started gathering the data I’d need to complete it. I was using Word to record everything, and my fingers flew over the board as I remembered all the touch typing training I’d done in high school. The doorbell dinging brought my attention away from the computer. A man stood there with the largest bouquet of roses I’d ever seen. The bouquet didn’t move, and I wondered, ‘wtf?’ Then it lowered, and Freddy’s grinning face showed above them.

“Morning, my darling Kate,” Freddy beamed. “Are these apologies enough for last night, or do I kneel before you and beg for forgiveness?”

“Some kneeling and begging sounds good to me, Mister Singleton,” I joked.

“Your wish is my command, Momma,” Freddy teased back.

“Come here, and I’ll ‘Momma’ you,” I threatened.

“Oh, promises, promised!” Freddy exclaimed as he put down the roses, walked around the counter to me, and tried to lie over my thighs.

“What on earth are you doing, Freddy?” I asked.

“You mean being ‘Mommad’ doesn’t involve being spanked for being a naughty boy?” He mischievously asked.

“Not with my hand,” I said threateningly. “Naughty boys get the paddle.”

“Oh no, Miss Kate. Not the paddle!” Freddy replied in mock terror. “Wait. You have a paddle? Kinky!”

“Freddy Albert Singleton, you are impossible!” I pretended to grouse. “Now, get off me before I decide to spank you for real.”

“Yes, Momma,” Freddy laughed as he almost fell off my thighs onto the floor.

I shifted in my chair and purposefully let my thighs part. Freddy’s eyes immediately snatched to my parted thighs, and his tongue touched his top lip unawarely. He swallowed convulsively before dragging his eyes up to mine. He looked at me in mute appeal. Knowing what he wanted, I moved closer to the seat’s edge, exposing my neatly waxed pussy to his avid gaze. I crooned, “Would you like to taste me, Freddy?”

Freddy begged, “Yes, please, Kate,”

“You know how to get your wish, Mister Rick Singleton,” I told him breathily.

“Lift and spread your knees, my darling Kate,” Freddy said in a commanding voice. His voice sounded so smooth and dominant that I doubt I could have resisted even if I wanted to. Moaning, I lifted and parted my shapely knees, exposing my sweet, tight, slippery pussy.

Freddy moved between my thighs and lowered his mouth onto my flowing pussy. He pulled my silk top out of my skirt and then slid his hands up my torso and cupped my firm, full breasts. Freddy slashed my clitoris with his tongue as he gently tweaked my nipples. Groaning, I placed my head on the back of Freddy’s head and tried to mash my pussy against his lips.

Resisting my hand, Freddy shook his head, demanding I let him go. “You will accept what I’m willing to give you, my little Kate slut,” he told me. “I control you. You don’t control me.”

It was like, wow, so much better than Monday! Freddy was dominant but not domineering. Strong but not overpowering. Insistent but not demanding. In short, he was acting precisely how I needed my man to act. I’d have probably cum from that alone if Freddy had demanded it. Having his tongue exploring my clit and slit, too, was like adding a splash of chocolate sauce to strawberry ice cream. In a word: Divine!

Freddy slid a finger inside my dripping pussy and fingered my G-spot. Then, lifting his mouth from my clitoris, he growled, “Cum for me, my darling Kate.”

Well, that was a demand that I was more than happy to obey! Gripping the armrests, I tilted my head back and howled my climax to the ceiling.

Grinning, Freddy stood and unzipped. Gripping his solid, 6-inch cock by its base, Freddy slapped my lips with it before demanding, “Suck, Kate.”

Another command that I was happy to follow! And, of course, that’s when Patty walked in with the promised coffees.

“Oops,” she giggled.

I tried to pull back, but Freddy made me turn so Patty could get a better view. “You may kneel and share, if you wish, Doctor Bennett,” Freddy confidently said as he stroked in and out of my sucking mouth.

“Ahh, no thanks, Freddy,” Patty said. “Doctor/patient, and all that. You know?” Freddy nodded, and Patty added, “I don’t mind watching, though.”

“Take off your shorts and sit beside Kate,” Freddy sort of suggested. It was more of a demand, though. Patty dropped her shorts and climbed up beside me. Freddy studied her as he judged what Patty would and wouldn’t do. He looked at her intently as Patty’s hands kept reaching for my softly bouncing breasts. Freddy grinned as he figured it out. “Why don’t you eat her pussy as I fuck her mouth, Doctor?” He asked firmly. Again, Freddy had more demanded than suggested.

Patty’s hesitation was only brief. Then, almost purring, she dropped to her knees between my thighs. Then pushing my knees back and apart, Patty latched onto my clit. Her tongue stabbed and slashed it as her hands followed where Freddy’s had been and pinched my throbbing nipples.

‘Fuck, am I a slut!’ Flashed through my mind as I orgasmed on Patty’s mouth. My hands grabbed Freddy’s tight, muscular buns, and I pushed and pulled on them, demanding he fuck my mouth harder and faster.

Freddy let me get away with that. Mainly, I think, because he was close to an orgasm. Grabbing a handful of my thick black locks, Freddy pounded into my mouth before short-hunching several times. Then, with an expansive groan, he blasted my mouth full of cum. Swallowing quickly because I was about to scream through another climax, I downed Freddy’s gift before howling around his cock as Patty’s skilled tongue elicited another orgasm.

Freddy pulled out of my mouth as Patty sat back. With my knees trembling, I struggled to my feet. Wetting three facecloths, I stumbled back to my chair before falling heavily into it. Handing one to Patty, I managed to clean Freddy’s cock and tuck him back away despite my shaky arms and hands. Freddy smiled at me thankfully before collapsing into the seat beside mine. I washed my pussy before glancing at my friend.

Patty, the only one of us who hadn’t orgasmed, still sat on her bottom with her legs apart, playing with her clit. I couldn’t leave her like that, so looking apologetically at Freddy, I pushed Patty onto her back and knelt between her legs.

“Yessssss!!!” Patty hissed as I licked her swelteringly hot entrance. Spreading Patty’s pussy lips to expose her tiny love button, I flattened my tongue and forced it against Patty’s clitoris. Then, pushing as hard as I could with my tongue, I circled Patty’s pleasure nub. Patty grabbed my head and pushed her hips up forcefully. Seconds later, hissing through clenched teeth, my slender friend orgasmed on my tongue. “Oh, Gawd, Katey!” She moaned as she climaxed again. Another orgasm caused her entire body to shudder before she fell back.

Sitting up, Patty grabbed the sides of my head and pulled me close for a kiss. “Lawd, my darling Kate,” she hummed, “If only I’d known you were into girls. You and I could have been playing together years ago!”

Kissing Patty again, I pointed out, “Less than a year ago, if you’d tried to do this with me, I would have totally freaked out. Before Edgar Fontaine freed me from my innate prudishness, there was no way I’d have let you caress me there, let alone put your tongue on my goodies.”

“Still can’t say ‘cunt’, Kate?” Patty asked before forgetting that Freddy was there and that what she was about to say shouldn’t have been because it gave away secrets that weren’t ours to share, “You’ve eaten my cunt as I’ve eaten yours. We’ve eaten Maggie’s and Allie’s cunts as we lay side by side, and yet you still can’t say it?”

“A girl must have some standards,” I replied haughtily.

Patty and Freddy both laughed delightedly. “Yes, but my darling Kate, sluts have no standards at all!” Patty pointed out.

“Then, I guess I’m not really a slut,” I said primly.

Freddy helped me up and onto my chair. “Of course, you’re not, Kate,” he assured me. “In sexual situations, you can relax and let your inner slut rage. Otherwise, you’re the most prim and proper person I know. You’re a contradiction, Kate. And those who love you love that you are.” He stopped before leaning over and hugging me. “Thank you for before, my love,” he told me. “I’ll pick you up at six tomorrow night. I have tickets for the early show at QPAC, and then we’re booked into OTTO for a late dinner. “Wear something clingy but quite conservative for me, please. I expect you to wear suspenders, stockings, panties and a half-cup bra for me to take off after dinner.”

Freddy turned to Patty, “Doctor Bennett,” he acknowledged as he helped her to her feet. “It was an absolute pleasure to play with you. If you ever want to play again, you have my number on file. Don’t worry because, as far as I’m concerned, this never happened.” Then Freddy grinned and added. “Thank you again, Patty, and I’ll see you next time I’m sick or injured or tomorrow night when I come to pick Momma up.”

“You!” I exclaimed as Freddy escaped out the door, laughing his fool head off.

Patty watched him go before saying, “I like him. Polite, handsome, manly. If I were into guys, he’d be the one I’d chase.” She turned to me and, seeing my cum, pussy juice and makeup ruined face, said, “Shall I dump these coffees, help you to shower and redo your makeup, and then take you out for coffee instead?”

“Sounds like a plan,” I answered as I flicked the phones to the service, put a plug in the sink and filled it with water before putting my roses in it. Then I put the door sign up and locked the door.

Patty and I shared another quick shower before dressing to go out. I liked what I had on before, so I put it back on and held Patty’s hand as we walked to her car. Allie and Paul had gone past Patty’s home and picked it up. Apparently, Allie had confronted Billy about breaking Patty’s heart. Later, when she got to my place, Allie said, “I feel sorry for them both, really. Billy deserves happiness, and he thinks Mason will give it to him, but he’s miserable, too, because he knows he’s broken Patty’s heart.”

Patty owned a bright yellow BMW 750i. To me, it was the epitome of gaucheness, but it suited Patty’s personality. On the surface, Patty is a conservative, successful suburban family doctor. Her business, Bayside Family Practice, is oversubscribed. They needed another doctor to fill the practice’s needs but didn’t have the space to fit anyone else. Patty should move to a bigger building so she could bring another doctor in, but she liked being able to walk to work. Her choice of bright yellow reflected the carefree spirit that lurked under her conservative exterior.

We returned to the Dramanti Coffee House but sat inside this time. It was overcast and threatening to rain, so we took an inside table. We’d pretty much only just sat down when Courtney called Patty. Patty told her where we were and encouraged Courtney to join us. Courtney lived only a few kilometres away in Manly with her husband, Ewan, so it wouldn’t take her long to get here. Courtney held a Masters in Information Technology and worked from home for a Singapore-based banking cartel.

Courtney is another beautiful woman. She’s around 170 cm (5ft. 7in.) tall and weighs a buxom 75 kg (165 lbs). She has bottle-enhanced reddish-brown hair cut to a stylish collar length. Courtney has clear, olive-coloured skin and light brown eyes. She’d have, I guessed, a 38-26-36 figure with C-cup breasts. At high school, Courtney was our ‘jock’. Tall and athletic, Courtney excelled at netball and softball, representing Greater Brisbane Schools at the Queensland inter-school champs in both sports.

Courtney and her husband, Ewan, have three kids. They are similar in age to my two, but her kids and mine never grew close for some reason. Perhaps it was because they went to different state and high schools. Ewan was good friends with Mike, my husband, and Paul. They’d often get together at state and high school to practice their football skills. Ewan has a solid job managing a store for a national home furnishings chain. He makes less than a third of what Courtney does, but it has never been an issue between the two.

Patty and I decided to order because we were waiting for Courtney, and it was getting close to lunch. We knew what Courtney was likely to want, so we ordered a selection of bagels. Asking the waitress to cut them into quarters, we created a mix-and-match selection for us to share. Courtney arrived at the same time as our bagels. She added her coffee order to our food and joined us at our table.

Hugging Patty, Courtney kissed her cheek and said, “So, you big old dyke. How are things going?”

“All in all, pretty good,” Patty replied. “Kate has a veritable crowd staying at her place, so I’m never alone other than a few hours in the morning. Kate’s girls seem to have adopted me as a virtual aunt, and they ensure one of them is always with me. It’s so sweet. Of course, we both know what a darling Kate is, and that helps, too.”

“Allie talked to Billy,” Courtney stated. “Babe, I don’t think there’s any chance of you and him getting back together. I’m sorry, but I think it’s better if you start figuring out what’s next for you. You know that we’ll all support you no matter what, but you need to figure out what’s next.”

“We’re all coming up forty,” Patty responded. “We’ve been lucky, and no one from our families or close friends has died. But that time’s coming—our grandparents first, and then our parents. Finally, it’ll be our siblings and each other. Billy and I knew we were gay, and because of our parents, we swore to be there for each other, no matter what. Then, he goes and falls in love with Allie’s younger brother, FFS! And now, I’m alone. How do I start again, Courtney? How do I rejig my entire life and begin again?”

“With our help,” Courtney and I said in unison as we held Patty’s hands.

“Babe, you can stay with me for as long as you need to,” I told Patty.

“And the rest of our girl crew will stand with you, Patty,” Courtney averred. “You aren’t alone and never will be.”

Patty’s smile was a little tremulous, but it was there. She changed the subject, and we ate our lunch as we joked with and teased each other. I invited Courtney and Ewan to dinner. Courtney accepted on their behalf, so Patty and I called the other four girls. Kath said she’d have to miss dinner because she had to record Thursday’s pregame show, but Mike would join us, and she’d get there when she could.

Paul, Allie, Maggie and Chris agreed they’d turn up, too, so I texted my girls, Tommy and Gina, that we’d have a full crew for dinner. Tommy agreed to man the BBQ, so cooking wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Courtney finished another bagel quarter before saying she had to return home and finish her assigned work. On our way home, Patty and I bought some sirloin steaks and premix salads for dinner. I already had plenty of potatoes and salad dressings, so we didn’t need to buy those.

Everyone invited came straight to mine after work. It was getting warmer, and my pool was solar-heated, so they were all in it naked not long after arriving. Patty, Charmaine, and Jennifer sat cuddled together in the shallow end as Tommy, Chris, Mike, and Ewan played pool volleyball. I looked out the kitchen window happily as I watched them playing. I was adding grated cheese, mushrooms and sliced tomato to the premix salads to fill them out, so I wasn’t able to join the cuddles or volleyball game.

I was about to tell Tommy to fire up the BBQ when Kath entered my kitchen. Kath and I shared a loving kiss and embrace as I explained what had transpired with Patty and Billy.

Dropping a seeming non sequitur, Kath said, “Courtney doesn’t realise that everyone except her is intimate with everyone else?”

I looked at my best friend levelly, wondering what she knew. “What do you mean?” I asked. “I haven’t mentioned that you and I get it on. As far as I know, Patty is the only lesbian or bisexual in our group. Well, other than you and me, I mean.”

Kath squeezed her lithe, toned body against mine. “Don’t be daft, Kate. You might be late to the party, but Maggie, Allie and Patty have been lovers since high school. You, me and Courtney were the only ‘straight’ ones, and you and I are certainly not straight anymore.”

“How did I not know that, Kath?” I asked. “Am I really that naïve?”

“Yes,” Kath confirmed. “But you’re not blind. It’s just that you really didn’t care. We were, are, your friends, and you didn’t care whether we were straight, bi, or gay. That we are your friends is all you needed to know. Tell me, now that you’ve figured out that Patty, Allie, and Maggie fuck each other, do you care?”

“Not in the least,” I replied. “When the time comes, and I have to sit in the judgment chair and account for my sins, I’m going to have enough problems explaining my life without having to explain yours, too.”

Kath laughed before saying, “And that’s part of the reason we all love you, Kate. You don’t judge. You accept and support, no matter what.”

“I love you all,” I pointed out. “Love means accepting and not judging.”

“If only the whole world felt that way, Kate,” Kath sighed. “People watch and judge all the time. Then they decide they don’t like it and want it stopped. You’ve never done that, ever. You’re always the one saying to live and let live.”

“Which works all the way up to they refuse to let you live,” I explained. “Then, your only choices are to let them change the way you live or tell them to shove it and go to war to protect your way of life.”

“You’ve always been a staunch supporter of our police and military,” Kath mused.

“Do I think they’re perfect?” I asked. “No. But what’s the alternative? Lie down and let the terrorists win? If a world war erupted, I’d encourage Tommy and the others to join up and fight.” Then I stated the Edmund Burke quote, “‘The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing’. We have to stand against tyranny, Kath. You know that.”

“Yes, I do,” Kath confirmed. “But many mouth it, and few live it. You, my dear friend, live it every day.”

“I live it on my back with my knees up and spread,” I joked. “It’s my superpower—I’ll fuck the world into goodness.”

“You can fuck me anytime you want,” Kath kidded. “But, for now, I guess we’d better get dinner on.”

Tommy saw Kath and me bringing the salads outside, so he got out of the pool and turned the gas BBQ on. I hadn’t bothered with potatoes, so once Tommy had seared a steak to their specifications, my friends added salad and dressing and sat at the outdoor table to eat.

We ate our meals as we laughed, joked and teased. Time passed, and the visiting couples had to return home. I smiled as Jennifer and Charmaine gathered Patty up and took her to their flatette. Tommy, Gina and I were the last sitting at the table. I asked Gina if she’d give my son and me a chance to talk alone, and she kissed Tommy and said she’d see him in bed soon.

“I’m meeting Eugenie tomorrow,” I began. “There’s a problem.”