Chapter 49

I assumed the party the following day would be awkward. It wasn’t. I woke up to Ji handing me a cup of coffee and telling me breakfast was ready. The table was set with oatmeal, pancakes with strawberries, and chicken sausage. Lavi and Melissa cooked as a duo and the kitchen was filled with girls joking and talking over each other. It was chaos and it was lovely. Grace acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened the night before and talked to me about my winter plans for the herbs. Melissa and Coraline traded knowing smiles but otherwise seemed to have a mutual understanding that this wasn’t the time for more of last night.

As the day went the house became even more populated. I shared grill duties with Peter and Yussef and we made jokes about being manly men and grunted like cavemen. It was stupid but we had fun. June and Sylvia teased us constantly. Mai and her husband stopped by briefly and she behaved herself. Ji left with them for a family evening and gave all three of us hugs that made her dad frown but her mom waved bye with too much cheer for it to bother us. Coraline had a date but stole a kiss from Melissa before she left and managed to surprise Lavi by grabbing her ass. Lavi was very pleased by it. Yussef and Zahra went home as well.

As the day wound down I sat on the patio with Melissa, Lavi, Peter, Sylvia, June, Grace, and Owen. We weren’t quite ready to call it a day so we decided to have dinner. I made flatbreads while the girls and Peter made chicken kebabs with veggies. I had some chutneys in the fridge that went with the bread. June found the bottles of vodka because of course, she would. Drinks were made and I stretched out on a recliner with Melissa behind me rubbing my muscles as I worked through some of the exercises for my shoulder.

Peter and Owen passed on the drinks, both saying they would be driving.

June put her fingertips on a glass. “You coming home with us Owen?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then you can drive,” and she took up the glass.

I took up my own glass. “That means you stay over Owen?”

“Yes, sir, Mrs. June allows it.”

June waved her arm. “Better they’re in a good place than doing something stupid. I just need to know if I’m going to need my TV headphones.”

Grace was running her hand over Owen’s knee. “You’ll need them tonight mom.”

“Oh, I figured.”

“So,” Lavi leaned towards June, “You have anything that makes her use headphones?”

“My boyfriend makes a nice hum but he doesn’t scream.”

Lavi grinned, “Maybe you could borrow Robert.”

June smirked, “Maybe, what do you think Melissa?”

She snorted. “That’s up to him. I’m not his madam.”

“The way I hear it you have veto power.”

“Really.” Melissa stared daggers at Grace who suddenly found her fingernails really interesting.

June kept on, “It is fine dear, I think it’s great you aren’t bound up in all the bourgeoisie conformity. People can love freely.”

“It isn’t like that.”

Lavi, “Except when it is.”

“Not helping at all, Lav.”

“Just keeping it real.”

June pressed, “I hear Ji making herself at home here.”

“And she is a very close friend,” I said.

“And it has nothing to do with being a cute hot teen piece of ass?”

“Mom!” Grace looked appalled.

June tittered and looked at her drink, “Wow my filter is going fast!”

Everyone laughed, except Grace.

“Ji is very attractive,” I said, “And so are you.”

“Bah, I’m middle-aged, I don’t work out nearly enough, at least it’s given me some good weight up here if you know what I mean but I...”

“You could stay over tonight if you want.” That was Melissa and whatever June was going to say was never said. Melissa sipped her drink with the poise of a queen. “You’re a friend too, so I think it would be all right. Robert?”

I knew the polite thing to do would be to stammer, be embarrassed, give June an out. Instead, I said, “Sure.”

I knew I should not have said it. I knew it as soon as I said it. But no one remembered because June laughed it off and said, “If I need to, I’ll just see if Peter is available again.”

There is an old-time southern expression that goes “it is so quiet you can hear a rat lick ice in the corner.” For the first time in my life that expression made sense to me.

Grace had her hand over her mouth. Lavi wide-eyed just yelled, “Excuse me!?” She looked at her dad who was clearly embarrassed. She looked at her mother, who was ready to burst with amusement. “MOM!?”

Sylvia made a dismissive gesture with her hand, “Oh come on dear, you don’t think your ... uh ... energetic nature came from nowhere did you?”

“YOU WERE THERE!?”

June, probably thinking she was helping, said, “Well, my battery-operated boyfriend does get old occasionally and every rare now and then...”

Grace finally found her voice, “You said you watch movies and drink wine!”

Peter finally decided to say something, “Oh we watch movies all right.” That hit several people hard. I just watched others. A few minutes passed. Time moves really slowly in a quiet group of people.

Finally, Grace looked at Owen. “I think the mood is dead.”

He rubbed her knee. “No worries, babe.”

Lavi was just staring ahead into empty space. Melissa put her hand on Lavi’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

In a faint voice, Lavi said, “It makes too much sense. I am my mother’s daughter.”

Melissa hugged her. “We all are.”

Lavi looked at her parents. “Anything else you want to tell me? Hookers? Blow? Cults?”

Peter and Sylvia looked at each other. Finally, the ever unflappable Peter looked at his wife and they had some silent communication of their own before he said, “Nope, nope, nothing at all.”

“Thank Shaddai for that. You two,” she gestured to her mother and June, “uh...”

“Oh, no,” Syliva said.

“Well...” June grimaced a bit.

Sylvia smirked, “I mean nothing serious.”

June accepted that. “Right, night, nothing you know ... just a bit.” She made a motion with her fingers as if indicating a small amount with a gesture would make it better. It didn’t.

I gave up. I laughed and once I did Melissa’s resistance was gone and she started laughing. Peter, Owen, Syliva, and June followed after. It took a while but after Lavi eventually broke down, pointed at Grace and started laughing. “Oh my, your face.”

That was the final straw and even Grace started laughing and as she laughed said, “Fuck you, Lavi.”

Once we all settled down conversation became more mundane. A few jibes were made at Peter and June’s expense but June gave back as good as she got at Lavi. Once everyone finally left I found myself upstairs settled in for the night nude. I didn’t bother with any underwear these days while the girls were wearing silk panties, more for exciting the other two of us than modesty.

Lavi was looking at textiles projects she had been working on in a sketchbook. “Mellie, have you talked to Robert about you know what?”

Melissa was playing a game on her tablet. Without taking her eyes off a fight with some giant wolf she asked, “Which one?” I enjoyed watching her face as she concentrated when playing.

“The one with Ji.”

“I don’t think that’s legal in the states, Lav. I’m not sure it is anywhere.”

Lavi sighed and reached over me to gently pop Melissa. “I’m being serious.”

Melissa growled a little, ignored Lavi until she finished the fight and then said, “Fine, uh, the hospital thing?”

“Yes.”

“No, I haven’t.”

I reached over and pinched Lavi’s nipple.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“You could just ask me.”

“I needed to know if it had already been discussed.” She pouted and rubbed her nipple. It was cute.

I’d seen that what she was drawing looked like costumes. Putting two and two together, “So, does this have anything to do with the Halloween thing Ji does at the hospital?”

Lavi looked shocked, “Yeah. Did she ask you about it already?”

“No, I just know she does it. She told me about it when I had sex with her in the bunny girl outfit.”

Lavi laid her hand on my thigh and squeezed. Her fingernails were very sharp. Very quietly she said, “You had sex with her in a bunny girl outfit? I haven’t had sex with her in a bunny girl outfit.”

Melissa tapped my other leg. I looked at her. “Did you film it?”

“Uh, no.”

“So, let me get this right. You had sex with a cute Chinese girl in a bunny girl outfit and didn’t record it?”

“Uh, yes.”

She scrunched up her face. “You are a bad husband.”

“I...” Why couldn’t she have yelled at me. She sounded actually disappointed in me. Fuck. “I’m sorry.”

Melissa pointed at me. “You can do better” She spread her legs. “Start now.”

“Yes ma’am.” I got between her legs and pulled her panties to the side and inhaled her scent while running my tongue through her lips. She was already a little aroused. “Someone liked the idea of me playing around with Ji.”

She turned her tablet off and put it aside and reclined against the headboard making soft murmuring sounds. I felt the bed shift as Lavi scooted up.

“So, how does he compare to ‘mouse girl’?”

“Mmmmm Coraline was good but it’s not the same.”

I pressed my nose against Melissa’s clit as I languidly made swiping motions with my tongue.

“Do you like her,” Lavi asked.

“You mean, like, ‘like like’ her?”

“Yeah.”

“I like her well enough, she’s nice and fun.”

“Those glasses and the fact she always has a book in hand though?”

“Mmmm hmmm...” I glanced up to see Melissa had one hand on Lavi’s breast.

“Maybe you and she should be school girls who come to get some tutoring from Robert.” Melissa’s legs wrapped around me and tightened. “Maybe professor Rober t then makes you suck the taste of her off his dick after he fucks her raw on his desk.”

“Oh my god,” Melissa panted, “Me too. Make her suck me off him too. Fuck, why does she have to have a boyfriend?”

I lifted my head up and lightly vibrated my thumb against her clit. “Maybe it’s not cheating if he watches. Maybe he can lick Lavi’s boots.”

Lavi snorted, “If I’m going to keep a bitch boy occupied while you get laid you’re buying me some nice leather boots.”

“In this highly theoretical circumstance, sure, I would buy you knee-length leather boots.”

“And a corset.”

“And a corset.” I returned to licking Melissa.

“Fuck yeah,” Melissa panted, “I love that! I didn’t realize it would be so hot but him kneeling and watching while you fuck his girlfriend, that is so hot!” Her voice suddenly became strangled as she came and I got to lick more of her sweet juices. Her legs relaxed and I got up.

Lavi laughed, “I think we found the first trace of sadist Mellie!”

Melissa scooted around and Lavi climbed over her face while I returned between her legs but this time slowly sank myself into her and she gripped me with her muscles. Lavi was holding Melissa’s hands as she rubbed her pussy across Melissa’s face.

“Didn’t you want to talk about Ji’s Halloween thing?” I asked.

“Later. Much later.”

In fact, we forgot to talk about it that night.

It was Tuesday and we were sitting at the kitchen table. Lavi was sketching costumes with Melissa commenting. I had retrieved the mail and was sorting through it. I looked at a black and silver envelope. Had it been a year already? I put it aside.

Melissa’s unerring eyes locked on the envelope, looked at me, and then started furiously patting Lavi’s arm. Lavi looked at her, clearly annoyed, and followed the pointing arm. “A third pile?”

I glanced up. “What are you two going on about?”

Melissa supplied the reply, “You just created a third pile.”

“So?”

“Sooooo,” Lavi said, “you are a creature of habit dear. Tidal patterns are affected by your habits. Any variation is notable.”

“I’m not that bad.”

Melissa eyed me. “One pile you set aside as things to deal with. One you set aside to dispose of. Everything is opened with that pen knife you carry and carefully unfolded and uncreased. If paper sizes vary you arrange from smaller to larger. However, you put anything with names or identifying information on the very top above that for shredding.”

“Well, it’s just logical sorting.”

Lavi, “Logical, precise and unvarying. Variant,” she pointed, “ - one envelope, pile three, one item, a black envelope with metallic shiny silver bands, unopened.”

“Fine, I get your point. I’m a nutter.”

Melissa got up and came over. “Don’t be grumpy, love,” she kissed me. Her hand shot out to the envelope but my hand was already on top of it.

She harrumphed at me but I pulled her closer and said, “I thought we were kissing.” She gave a light laugh and we kissed again. This time when we finished she pulled up the chair next to me. Lavi was still sketching but watching us as well.

“Seriously,” Melissa said, “what has gotten your feathers so ruffled?”

I sighed. “Fine, read it for yourself.” I picked up the envelope, tore it open with the penknife, unfolded the paper, and handed it to Melissa.

Lavi, “What is it?”

Melissa’s face furrowed. “There’s not much here. Our address, no name. The sending address says ‘Ackworth & Reverte Productions, LLC.’ It just gives a web address to submit renewal at and says to supply a current scanned copy of a driver’s license and a reminder to update waivers at the office. It doesn’t say what the renewal is for or anything.” She turned to show the mostly blank paper to Lavi.

Lavi had a thin smile, “Dramatic envelope, boring letter, very sus. I love it.”

Melissa was already on her phone but looked annoyed. “Can’t find the production company I assume?”