118: Junior

We celebrated Melanie’s birthday on July twelfth with the news that Sly and Lily had officially adopted her and Stephanie. Both girls loved their new parents and had settled into a stable life in the village, even though Melanie had done two bit parts in movies and Sly had accompanied her on location as her bodyguard. I think Sly was happy to be where he could actively protect her. When I talked to Sly about what he had done as a profession before he retired, he just said he was a security consultant. Of course, I imagined that he was a mafia enforcer, but he might just as well have sold alarm systems door-to-door. I suppose I’ll never really know. I just remember that when I met him in grade school he scared the shit out of me.

Melanie’s mother had given the girls up for adoption surprisingly easily. The girls’ oldest brother had accompanied their mother on one of her visits this year and had a long talk with Melanie. While I wasn’t privileged to get the details, the adoption papers had been filed soon thereafter.

A week later, Cathy gave birth to Carl’s son, Paul Terrance Fisher. Cathy had changed her last name to Fisher and I suspected they had gotten married, though no one had ever said anything about it. Brenda and Louise were happy. Louise, the youngest of the four, was still the obvious head of the household—or perhaps she was simply a dom and they were all subs. Other than explaining my taxes while I was in a good learning mode, I didn’t have a lot of intimate time with Louise. Brenda, on the other hand, was prone to show up at odd times and flirt until either Rose or I took her to bed. Or both. Oh, those cheerleaders. Even the ones with PhDs.

I spent afternoons in the office throughout the last half of July and all of August. While I was on the Board of Directors, like Armand, the day-to-day operation of HCEN was now firmly in Rose’s control. She’d made some good hires and Armand and I mostly consulted on strategy. A lot of that was focused on how we were going to expand our Internet presence with Courtney. Court had hired Sandy full-time to revamp the entire graphic look of the network website. Sandy had really come into her own as a computer graphic artist. We were going to start offering video previews on the site that people could play on their computers. Courtney insisted that one day people would stop having televisions and only watch on their computers. Weird.

I drove out to Leavenworth, Kansas in mid-September for a long weekend with Whitney. We didn’t have much time together, but what little time we had was important to us.

“We’ve identified another fifty AWOLs that bear the markings of kidnappings. It looks like they might be related to the Somali pirates. My team is headed to Camp Thunder Dome in the middle of the Indian Ocean so they’ll be ready if we get a go-ahead. I can’t wait to get this training over with! From Thunder Dome, we’ll have air transport to anywhere in the region as soon as we hear of another one. We’re going to nail those bastards and get our people back. Officially, of course, I’m just going to school and may be called upon to consult with local police in their investigations.”

“You are going to take on this whole thing with just a platoon of MPs? Whitney that’s insane.”

“Yes, that would be insane. They’d never let us take a whole platoon as consultants. I’ll only take a squad.” She looked at me and I could see the hardness and determination in her face that I’d seen in the mirror when I took on the tabloids.

“You’ll do it.”

“Whatever is necessary.”

It was a lonely drive back to Indiana.

“Elaine, how do you deal with dating a man in his twenties?” Joanne asked. “Aren’t you just waiting for him to grow up and become more mature?”

“Heaven, I can’t imagine dating an old guy in his thirties. After all, I’m only twenty-nine,” Elaine fed back. It wasn’t her talk show. It was our dinner table and the occasion was my twenty-ninth birthday.

“But you graduated a year before I did and I’m...”

“Twenty-nine and holding, dear. Don’t say that thirty word.”

“Well, personally, I don’t see much difference between twenty-nine and thirty-nine. It’s not like nineteen and nine,” I said.

“I’ve heard that line of reasoning before,” Rose said. “Judy believes that when she reaches thirty, you’ll be the same age from that point on.”

“We’re the same age now,” I huffed. “After we both got out of school, there ceased to be a difference in our ages.”

“I should have learned that lesson years ago,” Joanne said.

The kids were all in bed and we’d moved to the adult part of the celebration. I was sitting naked in my big chair with a glass of Triple Crown in my hand and Dani in my lap. She nibbled on my neck and kissed my ear. Bolts of electricity shot up and down my spine. Every one of my cónyuge had mastered that move.

“If I sit here any longer, that thing is going to poke right up inside me,” she whispered, sending another round of shivers up my spine.

“And the problem with that?”

“It’s time for your special guest to cuddle.”

Dani squirmed a little and I almost did slip up inside her. It was just always so easy for the two of us to join, no matter what position we were in. Things seemed to slip together. She pushed off my lap and motioned to Joanne to take her place.

“Oh, thank you, Danielle. My! Look what you left me in his lap!” She wiggled around a lot getting comfortable which meant that I was wedged between her butt cheeks. Which was comfortable.

“Even after all this time coming to the ranch, I can’t believe I’m just running around naked with you guys. I got so paranoid about it when I was working that I still have trouble with it,” Joanne said. “It’s like a real trigger for me.”

“You’re doing great. You know we’re just family,” I said. “You could have been more like Pam.”

“That girl’s nipples have been in more magazines than my face,” Joanne sighed. “And not one single paparazzo. Not one offer from Hustler. Nothing.”

“Live free. Live naked,” Sam said. She came over and pushed her round belly toward me. “Baby girl wants to say goodnight, Papa. Mommy’s going to bed.” I kissed her tummy and ran my hands all over her. Sam shivered.

“I’ll come up and put some stretch cream on in a few minutes.”

“Rhonda will do it tonight. You can do it in the morning. Just don’t make so much noise you wake us up!” she said winking at Joanne. Joanne blushed.

“Maybe you should take me to bed soon,” Joanne whispered in my ear. She licked around it and my cock jerked between her cheeks. Damn!

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“No. But I need ... I’ll never be one if I’m not with them.”

I remember an old song by Meat Loaf that went, ‘I want you, I need you, But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you. Now don’t be sad, ‘cause two out of three ain’t bad.’ With Joanne, it was more ‘I love you, I need you, but I really don’t want to.’ Even our slowly-developing time together over the past few years kept something in reserve. She was pushing it tonight. She wanted to make love in the big bedroom with my other lovers around us. She knew the rest of us made love that way. Even with Josh there. Even Renee, Judy, and Pam had all joined us in the big room. It had been that way so long I didn’t see the big deal. It was normal. It was natural.

Of course, I remembered the first time. At least the first time it was obvious. I was spooned behind Rose as she tucked my cock into her vagina and began moving. Around us, sitting on the floor, were the rest of our casa—every one of them with a hand or two in her pussy—watching us and joining with us. It was our affirmation that we were together. We were all one family.

I loved escaping with my lovers. Running off to wherever Whitney was based for a weekend. Taking Elaine to Canada. Traveling with Cassie. Time in the master suite with my Date Night In dates. But really, I just wanted to be with my cónyuge. All of them. I suppose that makes me some kind of a pervert. Maybe that’s what Joanne thought.

We went upstairs and brushed our teeth. Rhonda slipped up beside Joanne and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

“I have to go take care of that demanding little baby,” she giggled. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when she’s on the outside instead of the inside.” She grabbed the anti-stretchmark cream and went to apply it to Samantha’s tummy. I had a feeling that wasn’t all that was going to be applied.

Jennifer nudged me so she could get beside me at the sink and before she stuck her toothbrush in her mouth she leaned over to lick my ear and whisper, “If there’s anything I can do ... you know ... to help ... um ... you know.” I knew. I think perhaps Liz, Nicki, and Whitney were the only women in the clan who hadn’t experienced Jennifer’s talented tongue. She glanced toward Joanne and sighed.

I took Joanne’s hand and led her to the bed. Most of the room was a bed. There were low tables scattered around the edges where people put their watches or a glass of water or lube. I saw Liz had cuddled up next to Josh with Mary on his other side. Cassie was smoothing a place in the middle for Joanne and me. Joanne hesitated at the edge of the mattress and looked around.

“I’m sorry. I can’t,” she said. She pulled her hand away from mine and backed toward the door. “Really. I want to. Really, I do. But I can’t. Before I started spending time with you all, Brian was the only person who had ever seen me naked. Now you’ve all seen me. But I can’t. I can’t do this.” She turned and fled from the room.

“I’m sorry, everybody,” I said. “I’ll go make sure she’s okay and then come back. We’re not going to pressure her to change her mind. It’s too deeply ingrained.” I headed toward the stairs.

“Rhonda?” Nicki said.

“Yes, Nicolette?”

“We’ve got competition in the crazies.”

“Yeah. But we’re medicated.”

Joanne wasn’t in the master suite where I expected her. She was dressing at the back door.

“Honey...”

“Don’t, Brian. I would make love just with you. Like we did in Paris. I’m even okay when we’re all sitting around naked ... most of the time. I made too big a deal out of this being my night to make love and join you. I can’t do it. Sometime maybe it will just happen. Until then, come visit me occasionally at my house, okay?”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Don’t bother. It’s a beautiful night and I’m safe in the village. Go back and enjoy your birthday with your casa. I think Cassie has a way in mind to help you. Goodnight, Brian. I love you.” She kissed me tenderly and left. I sighed. Our lifestyle was just too strange. But I would never give it up. I loved those women upstairs way too much.

Cassie, indeed, had a fallback plan. She fell back onto me over and over.

“I’m thinking I might need another baby,” she whispered in my ear. “And this time I want to be certain.”

“Aren’t you certain about Ruth?” I chuckled. “I can’t believe that woman who came to see the school in August looked at the three of us and asked who the mother was.”

“I’ve been taking it out on her daughter,” Cassie laughed. “Who is really very sweet. And her mom volunteers in the classroom once a week. Without the volunteers, Renee, Brett, and I would be swamped.”

“I love you, Cassandra Ruth Clinton Whitaker. If our cónyuge are in agreement, I will be happy to plant as many seeds in you as you can contain.”

“Mary is discussing it with Josh, but we’ve all talked about it before. She’ll have Josh’s and I’ll have yours. But since I’m not fertile yet ... would you ... do you mind doing the Courtney bump for a bit? Not all the way in but just ... oh! Yes! Right ... there!” I bumped Cassie’s beautiful asshole while I diddled her clit and felt her muscles fluttering on the tip of my cock. That was all it took to set me off with a powerful spurt. My cock wasn’t exactly in her butt, but all my semen was.

“Bonjour, Xan. Ça va?”

“Très bien, Tante Ciel. Et vous?”

“Bien. Je voudrai du pain, s’il vous plaît?”

“Oui, Mademoiselle.”

I just stared at Joanne and Xan as they conducted the transaction for a loaf of bread. Joanne was keeping her bargain with Xan to teach her French in exchange for lessons in sign language. Hands were moving at the same time as their mouths. It was more than I’d heard Xan say aloud in a long time.

“Are you off?” I asked Joanne.

“Yes. I’m headed for Paris for two weeks and I have to stop in New York on the way back. Conrad is putting together a deal to purchase a local agency so we have something to start with here instead of trying to begin from nothing. Don’t worry, Amy is meeting me at the airport. She’s enjoyed her vacation with that sergeant Whitney introduced her to. I promised to bring bread for the flight. It would be hilarious if I weren’t stopping in New York. Taking bread to Paris?” Joanne laughed.

I moved around the counter so I could give her a light kiss. In our time together over the two weeks since my birthday, we hadn’t been intimate. It was like we were starting over again.

“Travel safely and hurry back to us,” I said. She turned at the door and waved.

“Au revoir, ma petit!”

“Au revoir, Tante,” Xan responded. Xan didn’t speak aloud for the rest of the day.

“Papa, Mama Sam said to tell you it’s starting,” Xan said breathlessly. It was unusual for Xan to be so out of breath. It was only five o’clock and she’d obviously run from the house to the bakery. Only Matthew got there before her.

“What’s starting?” he asked.

“Well, my children, I would guess that Samantha’s labor has begun. That means her baby’s going to come, probably today,” I said.

“Oh. I knew that. I thought it was something else. Mama Sam is going to be surprised,” Xan said as if everyone should have known.

“I think she knows she’s going to have a baby, honey,” I laughed. “Is Mommy on her way? I can’t leave the bakery yet.”

“Mommy said she’ll be here soon and Mama Cass is coming, too.”

“And nobody’s gettin’ fat except Mama Cass,” I sang. Xan didn’t get it.

What a night it had been last night. In fact, all weekend. Cassie and I hadn’t had so much one-on-one sex with each other since she quit traveling with XX/XY as my personal assistant. She was still glowing when I left her in bed this morning. I was pretty happy myself. I was betting the seed had been planted.

The rest of the kids all arrived at five-thirty with Dani and Cassie. The kids were all surprised when I danced with Cassie all around the café tables while Dani laughed at us. I twirled Cassie around and then planted a big kiss on Dani.

“Fatherhood looks so good on you!” Dani said. She winked at Cassie who primped herself.

“I suppose I should go greet my new daughter,” I said.

“There’s no need to rush. Dawn says it will be a few hours yet. Rhonda is with Sam and has already called all the production team and actors to cancel shooting for today. Rhonda is not about to leave the mother of her child,” Cassie said.

“You should be able to finish the day’s baking before she even starts having serious contractions,” Dani said. “And just in case, I brought you your cell phone. And Cassie. I brought you Cassie in case you have to leave with a bun still in the oven.”

“I can take the bread out,” Matthew said. “Ellie can handle the cash register. We just need Aunt Cassie to make breakfast.” We laughed as the double meaning went over my son’s head.

“Yes, you can,” I told my son. He’d gained a good bit of height this fall and was actually as tall as Ellie now. “But I want a responsible adult with you when you do. You know, to protect the little ones and make sure no one gets in your way.” Matthew swelled up with pride. I was going to let him wield the peel, but I intended to be right there beside him.

“In the meantime, I’ll start breakfast cooking. Danielle, do you want to join us?” Cassie asked.

“What? And not eat my own cooking at the Heartthrob Café? Why, yes. I do want to join you.” My darlings began putting things together for breakfast as I put the cinnamon rolls in the oven and prepared to take the first batch of bread out of the brick ovens. Matthew, Ellie, C-Rae, and Xan helped in the kitchen by pouring and serving the younger kids their milk and juice. Matthew was cutting out cookies on one side of the marble table as I formed peasant loaves on the other side to rise before they went in the oven.