Chapter 8

The one thing Joe regretted about taking the side trip to Marseille was not having a last night with Chandi and Moe before they headed home to Barbados. With Chandi back to teaching and Eddie polishing things up before the tour began, and then the tour, it would be a while before they could be together. They made the best they could of it, with nearly daily phone conversations.

The choral group stayed at the townhouse. The lesbian couple getting their own room while Sandy stayed with Charlie. Stuart moved between Charlie’s room and Essie’s, depending on Joe’s availability. When Joe slept in the large bed, Essie joined him. When he spent nights with Joanne or Cheryl, Stuart joined her.

Cheryl found herself not fond of sleeping alone most nights. She’d join Joanne when Joe wasn’t with either of them. Just talking and sleeping. On nights Joe was with Joanne, Cheryl would have her nights alone. Liang would be with Joe and Joanne. Essie would be with Stuart.

Joe also spent nights with Eddie, Rachel and Ginny. Ginny spent several nights in the basement bed. When Joe was with his wives, she’d often be with the couple.

Despite the changing beds, it didn’t always mean sex. Sometimes, more often than one might expect, it just meant a chance to cuddle. Even Ginny’s relentless libido had finally calmed down. Though Joe joining her in Eddie’s bed always meant sex, Ginny being doubly fucked always the finale. Rachel didn’t join them every time, but when she did, Ginny watched her being double fucked as well. She also got to watch Joe making love with Rachel. Joe demonstrating his relentlessness. Mostly sweet and slow until it became almost violent. With Joe steered once more into Rachel’s anus. It looked punishing. And that Rachel somehow needed it.

After that late night fucking, Rachel completely relaxed and happy as if Joe had taken away any of her tension and sadness, the angelic, if well tussled blonde chuckled. “What?” Joe asked, resting behind her.

“After all these years, after stealing or losing lovers to each other, you may have found someone you can share long term.”

“What do you mean?” Ginny asked.

“A long story,” said Joe.

“Twenty years long,” said Eddie.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Rachel said.

“Yeah,” the men both answered.

“A brief version?” Ginny asked.

“First,” Rachel asked. “Can you tell me who you prefer? Between Joe and Eddie? And be honest.”

“Neither. I mean both.”

“Why neither?” Joe asked.

Ginny sniffled. “Because ... it’s too good to be true? Or to last? I mean, it’s exactly what I needed. Being thoroughly loved by two men. It’s just too perfect to last. How could it?”

“Because it can,” Eddie said. “Because we like to make you happy, right Joe.”

“Yes,” Joe replied. “To tell you the truth, it’s perfect for us as well. You’re like a gift for our friendship. As long as you want to stay, we want you to stay.”

“Tell me,” Ginny smiled.

“It began with Belle, both Eddie’s and my first sexual experience,” Joe started.

Even the highly truncated version took a while. With Ginny asking questions. Towards the end, she asked, “But I just saw Joe making love to Rachel.”

“Because Joe loves me,” said Rachel. “Like they said, it took a while. And it took being cruel with me to get through. For him more than me. I just needed it.”

“I saw that too,” Ginny said.

“I still need it,” Rachel shrugged. “He still hasn’t quite fucked the bitch out of me. It’s like a momentary fix.”

“I saw that too,” Ginny said again.

“He loves me, just like he loves you, but it’s a matter of degrees. Maybe you wouldn’t think love has levels. And in a way, in the moment, especially with Joe and his intense focus, it doesn’t exist. But outside the moment it does. I love Joe, but I love Eddie more. A much higher level of love. Essie and Liang are Joe’s wives. His level of love for them is much higher than his love for me. Essie and Stuart have formed a deep love for each other, but it doesn’t lessen Essie’s primary love for Joe, or Stuart’s for Sandy. And for Joe, even with Essie and Liang his two wives now, Cheryl will always remain his soul mate. Still true, Joe?”

“Yes,” Joe said. “Her coming back is probably my happiest moment.”

“And Moira?” Eddie asked.

“I’m afraid that lessened,” Joe said. “I think I love Chandi more. It’s like Chandi and I share Moira. Share her girlfriend, even if she was once my wife. I always considered Chandi my wife as well, though it was never clearly expressed. And Chandi’s love for Moira and me are nearly equal.”

“And my level of love?” Ginny asked. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t,” said Eddie.

“Doesn’t it?” Rachel asked.

“Don’t be a bitch, Rache.”

“I think she’s just speaking the truth,” Joe said.

“But it’s a complicated comparison,” Eddie pointed out. “Joe has several ongoing relationships, and I have two. Now three since you crept into my heart.”

“It may be complicated,” Rachel argued, “but I don’t think the numbers matter. All things become equal when you consider two factors. And I do think its equal just as yours is for them. First is Eddie’s ambiguous relationship with women. He’s bisexual, and I think his attraction leans towards men. It’s rare for him to be attracted towards women at the level he has been with you. Even more for him to fall in love. Especially because love doesn’t come easy to him. It took nearly a decade for him to realize ours. That we couldn’t live without each other.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

Eddie nodded.

“And second?” Ginny prompted.

“Unlike Eddie, Joe’s heart is open. He loves easily and deeply. They are such different people for being best friends. And it’s like these two extremely disparate hearts have found a converging. With you. And I do think it’s already a high level, and will only greaten. Partly, but most importantly, because they get to share you.”

“I think our love for you is deeper because we got to know your mind before we got to enjoy your body,” Joe added.

“Even if my intent was seduction?” Ginny asked.

“Without your shyness, I doubt the love we discovered would be nearly as intense.”

Ginny laughed. “Who would have thought my greatest frustration would become my greatest attraction?”

“But it was,” Joe chuckled. “It brought out my white knight, and maybe more importantly my attack dog.”

“Liang?” Rachel guessed. Or knew.

“Yep.”

“She finally did get things rolling,” Ginny grinned. “I’ll have to thank her.”

“You have,” Joe replied. “Many times.”

“And she deserves many more.”

“And she most definitely won’t mind in the least.”

As the foursome eased towards sleep, Ginny murmured, “I’d like to bring out Ginger before we start the tour.”

“Looking forward to meeting her,” said Joe.

“Me too,” said Eddie.

“Ginger?” Rachel inquired.

“Later, Rache,” Eddie responded tiredly.

A couple days before everyone headed south to DC, where the tour would begin with the choral group actually performing in Baltimore, with MIRE performing in the nation’s capital the following evening, which would be a common arrangement, though MIRE ended up performing without being in tandem with the choral group a lot of the tour, since Rachel booked more shows than the choral group had in more cities, the singing group doing short residencies in some locations, Eddie and Joe accompanied Ginny in her transformation into Ginger.

Neither Joe nor Eddie imagined being entertained by watching Ginny shop and attend a spa and get her hair done and get a makeover, but they did find it entertaining. Watching the transformation of a beautiful woman actually working to become even more beautiful. And especially to become more attractive. Sexier.

Joe insisted on paying the expenses, but when they followed her to an old, discrete hotel in Hell’s Kitchen, she insisted on paying for it. It ended up being a place to bring johns. Each room had a theme. Hers being mirrors. Around the walls and over the bed. She stood in a spot where she could look at three mirrors. It was actually a mini hall to the bathroom. She looked and nodded. “Ready.”

One of the stops, between spa and makeover, had been at an ophthalmologist where she was fitted for the proper prescription for contact lenses. So she was sans glasses, as she always was as Ginger.

They headed to one of the poshest, and thus most expensive bars in Manhattan. A meat market for the elite. A place to reconnoiter with mistresses or whatever the male version of that is, or to find a new one.

Joe and Eddie headed in first so as not to be seen with Ginny. They took a small table. And watched Ginger sashay in, glowing with confidence, completely unlike Ginny amongst strangers. Every head seemed to turn to her. One seemed to catch her eye and made her frown subtly. Joe found the culprit, a dark haired beauty dressed in a sexy deep red dress, just elegant enough to not be trashy. A subtle shake of Ginger’s head didn’t seem to stop the woman from getting up from the bar. Joe decided to interrupt the meeting.

“May I buy you a drink?” he asked her.

She hesitated before smiling. “Sure.”

“I’m Joe. My friend is Eddie. Care to join us?”

“I just saw an old acquaintance,” she said. “Maybe she could join us?”

“No,” Joe whispered. “I don’t think she wants the association.”

She pouted. Joe worried she would ignore his suggestion. But she sighed and nodded. Settling onto a seat, the waiter came and Joe and Eddie ordered drinks. “The usual,” said the beautiful escort. The waiter nodded. A sexy blonde in a tight fitting little black dress, a tall pink drink in hand, appeared at the table and asked, “This seat taken?”

“It is now,” Eddie smiled.

“You look familiar,” the blonde said.

“Eddie Frank,” Eddie said, shaking her hand.

“Oh my. My oldest brother is a huge fan.”

“And you’re not?”

“He’s a bit older. I grew up on boy bands and girl bands. Destiny’s Child. Spice Girls. NSYNC.”

“Each to his or her own,” Eddie chuckled.

“And you are?” the raven haired woman asked.

“Joe Solomon.”

“The writer?”

“Guilty as charged.”

“I love your books! But you haven’t written any for a while.”

“I’m actually working on one. I’ve been writing plays and some poetry.”

“Why not more novels? The Caribbean trilogy was your last wasn’t it? And they were huge best sellers.”

“Maybe that’s why. How could I top them?”

“I guess that makes sense. Not really. You’re so good at it. Who cares if it’s not some huge best seller?”

“I wasn’t in that place anymore to dedicate myself to the rigors of a novel. Until now. I lost the mojo and found it. Eddie too. He’s been writing all these years. Great music but not hits. I think that’s changed. His newest songs are amazing.”

“And you’re working on a novel?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. What’s it about?”

“It’s a really dark subject.”

“moms was dark.”

“Even darker.”

“Wow. You don’t have to tell me, but...”

“It’s about white slavery. Girls and boys grabbed from the street or sold to avaricious parasites who would sell to perverts. A lot of it happened in the post war confusion in Europe and continued for decades. In fact it’s probably still happening. In war torn places where children are particularly vulnerable.”

“That is dark. Why?”

“Years ago we sort of rescued this young woman in Paris. She wasn’t taken as a slave, but easily could have been. But we met people who were involved in liberating these children. So it came from that. I’ve interviewed victims, liberators and those who had been involved in the rings. Just got back from Paris where I did a lot of research. Probably not best seller stuff.”

“Probably not. But you do have a way to get into women’s minds.”

“So it’s been said,” Joe chuckled.

“I’m Raven, and this is Layla.”

“Not your real names.”

“No.”

“You know Ginger.” When he saw her eyes widen, he said, “Long story. Tell me how you know her.”

“She strolls in here every now and then. The first time I thought she was one of us, and wanted to check her out.”

“Competition.”

“Exactly. She ended up worse than that. She wanted to give it away. I thought she might think she’s better than us. Being a slut and not a whore. But she’s a really cool, really smart woman. We’d chat for a while when she’d arrive, but then she’d separate.”

“Making sure her target wouldn’t think it would be a monetary exchange.”

“Exactly. I guess she wanted to jump into the fray right away.”

“That’s probably our fault,” Joe admitted. “Eddie and I are actually her lovers.”

“Both of you?” Layla gasped.

“Yep,” said Eddie. “She’s letting us watch her become Ginger.”

“We know her as Ginny,” Joe explained. “A shy woman who rarely wears make-up and always hides her beauty and sexiness. But she’s a highly sexual woman, and Ginger has been her release valve.”