Chapter 33

Kali carefully spread apart Charmagne’s ass with two gloved hands to examine her butthole.

“Well? What do you think?” Charmagne asked.

“It looks like a rash. How long has it been like this?”

“Couple days.”

“Are you ... cleaning yourself regularly?”

“Did you just ask if I wash my fucking ass, Sergeant?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what’s causing it. Have you changed something in your diet recently?”

“No. Can you fix it or not? It’s itching something fierce.”

“Maybe, but I need to know what’s causing it first. It could be an allergic reaction to something, but it could also be a fungal infection, or maybe a viral or bacterial infection. Do you have any ideas what it might be? Think back and try to remember what you were doing two or three days ago.”

Charmagne sighed from her prone position on the examination couch. “It’s fucking lotion, okay?”

Kali knotted her brow. Lotion? Then she noticed tiny scabbing around Charmagne’s puckered sphincter. Signs of recent abrasion. Similar injuries showed on her labia below.

“Have you been engaging in, um ... anal sex recently?”

“What of it?”

“You can put your pants back on,” Kali said, pulling off her gloves. “It should clear up on its own in a couple days. I’m going to send you with some hydrocortisone cream. That should help reduce the inflammation and itching. Try to keep it clean and dry for a couple days. I’d also recommend that you use a personal lubricant if you plan to engage in ... you know, that kind of sex in the future.”

“Buttfucking,” Charmagne said, hitching up her pants. “It’s alright, Sergeant, you can say it. Anyway, it ain’t like I got that shit just laying around. It’s the end of the fucking world, in case you forgot.”

“Well, you could try something natural, then. Next time you’re looking through houses, keep an eye out for coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Both are body safe choices. Aloe vera too, or vitamin E oil. In the meantime, if you plan to continue using lotion, make sure to completely wash if off when you’re done.”

“Yeah, that’s what he told me to do, but I didn’t fucking listen,” Charmagne grumbled.

“Who told you that?”

Charmagne looked at Kali and paused. “Never mind.”

A sudden awareness prickled Kali’s scalp. Yesterday morning, Mike came to visit her to discuss Linda’s abrupt return, and the turmoil she’s been causing. She remembered how tired he looked when she went down on him before they had sex. That sweet cloying scent when she pulled down his pants. Lotion.

“Charmagne,” Kali said, ignoring protocol and addressing her by name, “have you and Mike been having sex?”

She didn’t need to answer. It was plain as day, written all over her face. Charmagne slicked back her hair and took a deep breath.

“I ain’t gonna lie to your face, but I made him a promise I wouldn’t say nothing about it.”

Kali coughed out a short laugh. “I see. How long?”

“Look, it ain’t nothing regular, and I ain’t trying to steal him away from you or nothing. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I like the guy. A lot. He can really give it to me good.” She paused again, aware she’d said too much. “Shit, you know what I’m trying to say. I seen you two get it on before.”

Kali descended onto the examination couch and looked straight ahead. “I mean, I guess I should have seen this coming.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Charmagne asked, taking a seat next to her. “It ain’t like you’re not getting it anymore.”

“I don’t know,” Kali said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure how to feel about it now.”

“What do you mean?”

Kali turned to look at her. “I like him, Charmagne. I mean, I more than just like him. I think I might be in love with him. Never in a million years did I ever think I could be with a man like him.”

“Well, good for you then, ‘cause you are.”

“No, I’m not,” Kali said with an annoyed look. “Clearly, he and I aren’t together. I’m just one of his fuck buddies.”

The two women sat side by side for a while, looking straight ahead, each lost in her own thoughts. Kali shook her head. She must have been delusional, thinking someone as hot as Mike would ever choose to be with someone like her. With the sole exception of Linda, she hadn’t met a single woman or girl who wasn’t infatuated with him. Who else was he fucking? Theresa? Rachel? Some of the girls? It wouldn’t surprise her if he was.

“You’re gonna have to let it go,” Charmagne said at last.

“Let what go?”

“The kind of thinking you been used to all your life. It ain’t one man and one woman under God, no more. That shit’s done. Over. There’s forty-something of us, and only five of them. You really think forty of us are just gonna stand around and do nothing, while five of you gets to fuck them men? Shit no!”

“What are you saying? That we have to learn to share?” Kali scoffed and shook her head. “I don’t think I can do that.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? You’re already doing it. All you gotta do is keep doing it. How fucking hard is that?”

“Jesus Christ, Charmagne. Do you even know what you’re asking? I thought me and Mike were...”

“A couple?”

“Yes! I thought we had something special going on. If I’d known he was going to be fucking around on me, I never would have...”

“What? Fucked him?” she said with a snicker. “Yeah right. Bullshit. You woulda fucked him anyway, and you know it.”

She was probably right, Kali admitted to herself, but that only made her feel worse about the situation, not better. She held her head in her hands.

“I don’t know what I’m going to fucking do,” she groaned.

The idea of no longer fucking Mike was panic inducing. It would be bad enough not to fuck him anymore, but if she knew he was out there, fucking someone else, it would be even worse. He was her drug. That magnificent cock of his was the only thing keeping her sane and sober.

But what were her options? To be one of his side pieces? To stand in line like an eager groupie, hoping to get his attention? Pick me, Mike! No, me!

It was too fucking demeaning to consider that as an option. She’d rather retain a shred of dignity and self-pride, even if it meant losing him to someone else. Wouldn’t she?

“Look, it ain’t normally my way,” Charmagne began, drawing Kali’s attention, “but I respect you. Not only as a soldier and a fighter, but also as a woman. We got more in common than you realize, so I’m willing to make you an offer.”

“What offer?”

“I’ll share him with you. If you want.”

Kali’s dark eyebrows slid together. “What the hell are you talking about?” she asked in a wary tone.

“What I just fucking said,” Charmagne said, sounding annoyed. She pointed to both of them in quick succession. “I’m talking about me and you, partnering up.”

Kali’s eyes flew open. “What? You mean, like, together?”

“Is English your second language? What the fuck else do you think I’m talking about?”

“Jesus, Charmagne!” Kali said, standing up and backing away. “Are you fucking serious?”

Charmagne threw her hands up. “Fine. Fuck it. Whatever. Just trying to fucking help.”

“How the fuck does that help?” Kali asked as she paced away, then she quickly turned back. “You’re not a lesbian, are you?”

Charmagne stood quickly with balled up fists held at her side. Her angry scowl frightened Kali.

“Fuck no!” she snarled. “I ain’t talking about me and you fucking each other! I’m talking about me and you fucking Mike!”

“Jesus! Alright. Sorry,” Kali said, raising her hands in surrender. “I was just asking.”

Charmagne sat back down in a huff. “Shit. I mean, sure, I fucked plenty of women before,” she said, then pointed an angry finger at Kali, “but that don’t make me no fucking dyke!”

What could she even say to that? Kali waved her hand and shook her head. “Look, I appreciate the ... offer, but that’s not really my thing.” She held up her other hand. “I mean, if that’s what you’re into, then great. It’s just not for me.”

“Why not?”

“What do you mean, why not? Because it isn’t. What if we accidently touched or something?” Kali shivered. “No. I appreciate it, but thanks anyway.”

“You was just holding my fucking ass open, five minutes ago!” Charmagne retorted, gesturing to the examination couch. “I mean, goddamn, I ain’t fucking radioactive. It’s just fucking skin. I ain’t gonna try and fuck you or nothing, unless you wanted me to.”

“I don’t!”

“Then there ain’t no fucking problem, is there?”

Kali lifted her hair and squeezed the sides of her head. “Jesus, I can’t believe I’m having this fucking conversation right now.”

Charmagne stood and put her hands on her hips. “Look, you think this is easy for me? I ain’t much for sharing neither, but like I told you, I like you and I respect you. And I know Mike likes and respects you too, and why wouldn’t he?

“Now I don’t know about you, but the thought of Mike fucking someone else kinda turns me on. No, not kinda. It does. A lot. I can stay on my side of the bed, and you can stay on yours. It ain’t rocket science.”

“This is insane,” Kali said under her breath, pacing around the small nurse’s office. “You’re fucking nuts, you know that?”

“A second ago, you was bitching and moaning about how you didn’t know what the fuck to do. I just gave you the fucking answer. You ain’t the only one who’s got feelings for him, you know.”

Her unexpected confession brought Kali up short. “You do?”

“You think I’m made of fucking stone? Course I got feelings for him. Have you fucking looked at him lately? He looks like a goddamned Greek statue, and fucks like a porn star. Shit, I ain’t never been with a man like him before, and I’m guessing you ain’t neither.”

Kali shook her head. “No. He’s perfect.”

“Not sure I’d go quite that far, but he’s damned fucking close, I give you that. Me and you gotta be thinking about the bigger picture here.”

“What bigger picture?”

“That we ain’t the only ones fucking him right now, or will be. I’m sure I ain’t the only one of us thinking about that, am I?” she asked, and Kali shook her head. “No, I didn’t think so. Now, the bigger picture I’m thinking of is this: if me and you was to team up, then we could fuck him twice as much as the rest of them.”

“That’s ... true, actually ... shit,” Kali said.

She couldn’t believe she was actually agreeing with anything she had to say. But she was right. Mike was currently splitting time with at least the two of them, and maybe others. She’d been suspicious of Rachel for a while, in fact. The two of them always seemed to disappear upstairs together just around the time Theresa and Marcus were both on shift. She gave Charmagne an appraising look.

Could she do it? she wondered. Charmagne kind of grossed her out. Not because of her appearance, but because of her personality. She was so coarse, so foul, so ... in your face. That rash on her ass, and her obviously well-worn asshole didn’t help her cause either. What would it be like to lay there while Mike fucked her? While he fucked her in the ass, no less.

I’d definitely have to go first, she resolved. No way she could fuck him after his dick had been inside her ass. Ugh, she couldn’t believe she was even considering this!

She tried to envision it. She on one side of the bed, Charmagne on the other, with Mike moving between them. What if Charmagne masturbated while she watched? And what would it be like to watch the two of them? Would it be like watching porn? Would it be hot, or disgusting?

Kali had never been in a threesome before. Guys had begged her for it, of course. Just like they begged her for anal. She’d at least tried that a few times, but it always hurt too much. She didn’t know if it was because she was overly sensitive, or if they just didn’t know what they were doing. She’d fingered herself there before, and found it pleasant enough. Maybe with the right partner...

Why was she thinking about that, all of a sudden? Because, sooner or later, he’s going to ask you for it, she told herself. Would she deny him if he did? No, she admitted. She wouldn’t deny him anything. Not even this, this ... whatever the fuck this thing was.

“You’re considering it,” Charmagne said with a sly little smirk. “You are, ain’t ya?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Well stop considering, and just fucking do it. You can think about it all you want, but you ain’t never gonna know for sure till you try it. Tonight, after your shift. My house.”

“I can’t believe you get your own house,” Kali said, changing the subject.

“King size bed, and hot showers too. Plenty of room for both my fat ass and those huge fucking tits of yours.”

Kali couldn’t help but smirk at that. “What about Mike? Shouldn’t you talk to him about it first?”

“Something tells me this ain’t gonna be a problem for him. So, what do you say, Kaliyanei? Me and you got a fucking deal, or what?”

Kali looked down at her outstretched hand. “I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this,” she said as she took it.

Isabella Marie Cabrera pressed her slim body against Adrián’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin in the crook of her arm to watch him work. All the while, her keen senses captured and stored every unit of stimulus.

His well-worn tan uniform showed signs of abrasions at the cuffs and collar, and the Army National Guard insignia was slightly faded. His boots had scuff marks and signs of heavy use, though he kept them meticulously clean and polished. As he worked, she noted the set of his jaw and the focus in his eyes. His hands moved with purpose, revealing his training and familiarity with the radio before him. She detected hints of sandalwood from the soap he used when she breathed against his neck. Dried sweat too, embedded in the fibers of his clothes.