Chapter 9: The Possibilities of Twofers (Life in the Now)

“Laura,” I tried to break this to her gently, “I’m not really alone in this world. There is another woman who, when her time in the service is up, will be joining me as well. For a short time, at a minimum, and maybe, probably, more permanently. We want to see if we can co-habituate as a couple.” Laura giggled at my use of the word. “Her name is Sylvia Ellis, and we have not had a chance to do much more than talk and copulate a bit. Even that was constrained by time and propriety.”

Laura was leaning back against the banister on the porch, looking me directly in the eyes. There was no doubt about her sincerity when she told me, “Charlie, if you are that right man, the one my mother told me about, then I need to meet Sylvia.”

“Laura, what if there are others? I’m not saying there are, but there might be someone from my past that comes back to haunt me.”

“Charlie, if you are that right man, the one my mother told me about, then I need to meet them, too. It’s not me you’ll need to worry about. It’s them. I want to know if you are that man. If you are, I can help you solve your problems, not create more for you. Can you understand that? I want to be an asset, not a liability. If, and only if you are that man, then I can be that woman.”

“Kiss me, Laura. It sounds like I need you more than you need me.” I held my arms out. She approached me, turned, and sat in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling magic happen, then she held my face in her hands and smiled.

“I’m pretty sure my mother was right.” Her hands went to my neck and caressed me. “I’m pretty sure that man is you.” Emotion flowed from her fingertips.

We kissed, and I swear I could feel electrical current running between us. It was a little like the first night with Courtney and Lori, but much more like the first night with Sylvia. It was never like this with Nancy. Not even once, and not even at the beginning of our doomed relationship. Short of breath, I ended the kiss, putting my hands on her cheeks, letting my fingers make love to the skin there. My thumbs touched the corners of her mouth. She turned her head, taking one of my thumbs between her lips, sucking gently on it. I was hard, instantly.