Chapter 31

I wasn't kissing her, I was whispering in her mouth.
- C. Marx

When Traci and I entered the kitchen on the first day of February, we did not find Lori and Rose there as we had the day before. Traci went to the refrigerator to grab the carton of juice while I retrieved a couple of glasses. When I turned around, I discovered Traci holding two lunch sacks with our names on them.

"Rose must have made them for us after we went to bed last night," guessed Traci.

"Man, I was looking forward to eating at the salad bar," I said with a pout.

Grinning, Traci called me a liar. The salad bar at school was quite good, but food prepared by somebody who cares about you tastes much better. Then again, was it wise to eat the food of somebody who you had had an argument with, especially a fiery redhead? I was certain that Rose would never poison me; nevertheless, I planned to swap sacks with Traci at lunchtime.

After we drank our juice, I washed the glasses while Traci dried and put them away. Grabbing a couple of power bars for later, I stowed them in my backpack. After making sure we had everything, we left the house. The door had barely closed when I took ahold of Traci's hand. She glanced at me and smiled as we began our walk to school. We were just passing her old front yard when she said something.

"So, are you going to be inviting any more women over this afternoon?"

Traci had a small smile on her face, so I did not think she was jealous. She had been upset the day before when she got home and found out that Erin had been there, but it was because she had missed seeing her. Traci did find it a little odd that I had not told her about it beforehand, but I explained that it had all been rather last minute. I did not think she believed me, though, since she knew how much I liked to plan things out beforehand.

"No. I thought I'd study in the school library until it closed and then just hang around until the basketball game started. You didn't expect me to miss my girlfriend's cheerleading debut, did you?"

Traci's smile turned into a grin at my words. "You'll be coming to all of the games I'm cheering at?" she asked.

"All of the home ones -- at least until I start golf." I was semi-reluctant about using the four-letter G-word, but the previous evening's adventure in our bedroom gave me confidence. I had left the woods and spent a great deal of time in Traci's (clean-shaven) bush. While it was not uncharted territory, my tongue made sure to explore every nook and cranny of her succulent valley.

Traci nodded, but the grin slowly left her face as she asked, "What about Rose?"

Always having trouble of keeping track of my girlfriend's shifts in conversation, I needed clarification. "What about her?"

"Lori's going to be busy helping out the Varsity squad, and if you're staying at the school, that means she'll have to walk home alone."

"Oh, that. Rose was going to stay and watch your game, too. Anyway, we live in a safe neighborhood. Rose would be safe walking alone," I explained.

Our conversation then shifted toward our opinions of Mrs. Frisk and Health class. The rest of the trip to school was spent talking, with the occasional lapse into silence. Not once, until we reached the pool, did we release our hands.

Traci and her squad performed well. While they did not attempt anything too difficult, they executed their routines without any major mishaps. Lori's assistance with the Varsity squad was only needed up to the start of the Varsity game, so we left before the first period was over. The Lady Eagles scored seven times before the Righetti Warrior's made their first basket. But -- exciting as the girl's basketball game was -- hunger had won out.

The rest of the week proceded much the same way. Thursday was an away game, so Lori was able to drive Rose and me home that day. On Saturday, there was a party for all of the cheerleaders (Fall/Spring, Junior Varsity/Varsity) held at the Shore Cliffs, a posh hotel located along the beach. The members of the squads were allowed to bring a guest, but I declined Traci's invitation. She was upset, at first, until I told her why I was going to be busy on that day. After I finished giving her the explanation, she wanted to skip the party, as well. I was able to convince her that part of cheerleading was politics, and that if she wanted to continue cheerleading in the future, she would need to attend.

Since the cheerleader party was at five in the evening, Lori and Traci were able to partake in our regular Saturday afternoon lunch gathering. Marge and Jean were out by the pool catching some rays, since a winter storm was forecast to arrive in the next few days. Pollyanna was in the kitchen helping Rose prepare lunch, while Lori, Michelle, Traci and I were in the living room watching 'Party Girl' on DVD when the doorbell rang. Michelle and Lori seemed surprised, since everybody was already here, but Traci (possessing knowledge that the other girls did not have) leapt to her feet and dashed to answer the door.

"Erin!" my jubilant girlfriend nearly shouted once she opened the door.

Lori froze when she heard her sister mention the girl's name, and a look of panic crept into her eyes when Traci led our visitor into the living room. I was slightly taken aback when my eyes fell upon Erin. Gone was the white foundation and black makeup that she had been wearing during our previous encounters. Instead, it seemed that she was wearing no makeup at all except for a slight trace of orange lipstick. She was wearing a yellow, floral-print, strapless Shoshanna sundress and a somewhat-matching yellow Prada handbag. What I found amusing, despite the expensive dress and bag, was that she had chosen to wear surplus combat boots to offset her ensemble.

I had gotten up to greet her, but when I drew close, she opened her arms, so I gave her a brief hug. After our brief embrace, I made the introductions. "I believe you met everybody at the basketball game, but since you're so good with names, I'll go ahead and do it again. Michelle, Lori, and Traci," I said, pointing to each girl as I said their name.

Erin cried out, "Saffron!" when the two girls from the kitchen came into the room to investigate the cause of all of the commotion. Rose chuckled and gave Erin a warm smile.

"Next to her is Pollyanna."

"Saffron's GIRLFRIEND," Pollyanna said, emphasizing the last word. She then wrapped her arm around Rose's hip and stuck out her tongue.

"Yeah, try doing that when she is holding a needle and forceps, then see what happens," Rose told Pollyanna.

When Pollyanna withdrew her tongue, she had a smile on her face; I do not think she held any malice towards Erin.

"Marge and Jean are outside," I said, after everybody had finished laughing at Rose's joke.

Erin frowned slightly and asked, "I didn't meet Jean, did I?"

I shook my head and was about to explain when Michelle said, "She's my mom. I'll go tell them you're here." She then stood up and went into the backyard to inform the two ladies. When she returned, she was slightly red as she informed us, "I told them we had a guest, and that they might want to put on their tops when they come inside."

Erin arched an eyebrow and turned to my girlfriend. "You want to give me a tour of the backyard?"

Traci giggled and wrapped her arm in the taller one's when it was offered to her. They started to walk towards the sliding glass door to the backyard when Marge and Jean came in. Even with the tops on, the two-piece bathing suits they wore were substantially revealing, and hardly left any room to the imagination. Marge's face lit up when she saw Erin, and she gave the girl a warm hug after her daughter had released her arm from Erin's.

After Erin introduced herself to Jean, Marge commented, "That is a lovely dress you have on."

"It's three years old, but it still fits. I guess I'm kinda lucky these didn't grow out," Erin replied, shrugging and cupping her petite breasts.

As I showed Erin to the sofa, we paused next to the chair that Lori was sitting in. She had not uttered a sound since Erin's arrival, and the tall black-haired girl seemed to pick up on that fact.

"Now, that's not the way to greet an old friend, is it?" Erin asked with a grin.

Lori smiled meekly at the reference of how Erin had referred herself in front of her friends and stood up. After they exchanged a brief hug, Lori started to pull away, but Erin stopped her. Erin then reached up, ran her finger under the necklace that was exposed on Lori's neck and slowly withdrew the pendant that had been hanging underneath her shirt. After letting it fall back down, this time on the outside, Erin released her hold, smiled, and said, "I'm happy you liked my gift."

Lori reached up and absently rubbed her thumb over the BDSM symbol. She smiled at Erin and softly said, "Thank you," before sitting down.

Erin sat at the end of the couch closest to the chair that Lori was in. I sat down next to Erin, and Traci sat on the other side of me. Michelle took the position at the other end, and her mother sat down in the other chair. Marge ended up standing behind Lori's chair and seemed to take great delight in leaning forward to give Erin an even more revealing view of her breasts.

"When's lunch going to be ready?" I asked, turning my head towards Rose and Pollyanna.

The two girls had their heads close together and had been whispering conspiringly before I interrupted them with my question. They both jumped slightly and looked at me before glancing back at one another. "Five minutes?" Rose announced, slightly unsure, but after receiving a nod from Pollyanna, Rose repeated herself more confidently. Pollyanna then headed back into the kitchen, whereas Rose went upstairs, instead.

"So, Erin, what brings you over today?" Marge asked.

"Chad told me, if I swung by, that I could have lunch, and if I was lucky, see a couple of sexy topless women," Erin answered with a grin, looking from Marge to Jean.

When Erin's gaze swept upon Jean, I noticed the latter arching her back slightly, seeming to jut her breasts out further. Jean and Marge shared a look before they both reached back and began undoing their tops.

"MOM!" both Michelle and Traci shouted almost simultaneously. Everyone but the women's daughters began laughing. Lori, who had not seen what her mother had done, had a very good idea from Jean's actions. All three girls grew slightly red with embarrassment from their mothers' behavior.

After the laughter had died down, I explained, "Erin brought over some stuff that she acquired for me, and she's also going to be taking me around to meet a few craftsmen."

The red that had crept into Lori's face because of the antics of her mother instantly vanished, the blood draining so fast, it was as if somebody had tossed a white sheet over her. I was not the only one that noticed, because Erin reached out and placed her left hand on Lori's right knee.

"Hey, relax now. You're like a tee-pee and a wigwam."

Blinking in surprise, Lori asked, "What?"

"You're 'two tents'," she replied, earning a smile from Lori. "You know, I'm feeling kinda bad that the first time I met 'you' was at the basketball game, and that I introduced myself to your friends as being an old friend. Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes, why?" Lori asked puzzled.

"I thought we maybe could spend some time together. I would really like to get to know you, Lori."

The sincerity in Erin's voice was strong, and Lori seemed to appreciate it. "I think I'd like that," Lori said after a moment's pause.

"Awesome. How about some shopping? I'm afraid it will have to be kinda early, since I have to be at work by three."

Lori's face lit up and she nodded, saying, "I actually do need to do some shopping." She hesitated for a second before asking timidly, "Would you mind if I brought a friend along?"

Erin grinned. "Why? Afraid I'll try to seduce you if you're alone?"

Lori shook her head strongly, explaining, "It's my friend, Vicky. She knows about Slave, and I think she worries about me. I thought if she met you, then she might be put more at ease."

From my vantage point, I could not see Erin's eyes, but her head shifted slightly towards Jean when Lori mentioned Slave's name. I suspected Erin was just checking her reaction, since she was unaware of who knew about Lori's other persona. Still, Erin assured Lori that it was fine. They were just starting to make plans when Erin stopped and let out a loud 'wolf-whistle'.

I followed Erin's gaze and watched as Rose descended the staircase in her most revealing maid outfit. While it did cover more than what Marge and Jean were wearing, it was not by much. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, cursing the idiot who had bought her the outfits. The costumes seemed to only reinforce the idea that Rose was a servant and not a member of the household. Traci caught my reaction and leaned close to me.

"You know, Chad, her mom wouldn't allow her to wear skirts unless they went to her ankles, and even then, she could only wear them to church and nowhere else," my girlfriend whispered to me.

Actually, I had not known that about Rose, but it explained the excitement and large quantities of skirts she had bought when we had to buy her wardrobe. The idea that Rose was more likely just expressing ('exposing', more like it) herself instead of trying to fill a role added a little comfort.

Rose was almost at the bottom of the staircase when Pollyanna stepped out to announce lunch was ready. She gave her redheaded girlfriend a grin and an apparent nod of approval when she saw the outfit she was wearing.

While we usually ate in the breakfast nook, the girls had set up lunch in the dining room. When Erin entered the room and saw the spread, she let out an appreciative whistle.

"Wow, I hope you didn't go through all this just because I came over," Erin stated as she sat down

Rose shot me an icy glare and said, "Actually, I was not informed that you were coming over for lunch."

"Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind," I told Rose with a meek smile.

"Who's the main character of Gokusen?" Rose asked me.

"Yamaguchi Kumiko," I replied, and as soon as the name left my mouth, I knew I had walked into her trap.

"'Slipped my mind', my ass," Rose said disgustedly.

Rose was standing next to Erin during our little exchange, and at that, Erin reached out and lifted the skirt. "And a cute little one it is, I must say."

Rose lightly batted Erin's hand away, chiding her. "Hey, remember what I said! You can look, but don't touch."

"Yeah," Pollyanna said with a grin. "Keep your paws off my bitch."

"BITCH!?!" Rose glared at her girlfriend before turning back to Erin, lifting the hem of her skirt and saying, "Forget what I said! Touch all you want."

Erin started to reach up, but Rose danced away, giggling. Everybody chuckled at the lighthearted exchange, and when Rose sat down next to her girlfriend, the two exchanged a quick kiss.

There were two large platters that had heaping stacks of fried fish, clams, squid, and scallops, along with French fries and onion rings. There was a bowl of cole slaw, as well as a bowl of tossed salad for those who would prefer that. To drink, there were two pitchers of sangrias: one alcoholic and the other non. As the platters made their journey around the table, Rose insisted we eat plenty, because there was more in the oven.

Erin complimented, "Damn, this is some mighty good cooking! If I knew you cooked this good, I would have skipped class Monday night."

"Erin, you can come over anytime and I'll give you something to EAT," Rose replied with a husky voice, which she then topped off with an extravagant wink.

Everybody chuckled at Rose, save Pollyanna. Her hands were out of sight, but the squeal and jump that Rose made in her seat caused everybody to laugh harder. "I'm the only one allowed to feast upon your petals," Pollyanna told her girlfriend.

After everybody had stopped laughing, Erin asked, "Do you all have lunch together all the time?"

"Well," I said. "It started when I invited Traci over for lunch one Saturday and had three unexpected guests come with her." I then explained how our lunchtime routine had become a tradition.

The rest of lunch was spent in a light atmosphere. When Traci mentioned that she and Lori were going to a cheerleading party, Erin gave me a surprised look. "Damn, there goes my theory about you and brunette cheerleaders; I wouldn't have thought wild horses would have kept you from that party." Erin then turned her attention to Marge and Jean, saying "I bet with hot bodies like yours, you two must have been cheerleaders."

Both women, who were still wearing their bikinis, smiled but shook their heads. "I wasn't, but my older sister, Mel, was," Marge said.

"I wasn't a cheerleader, but I did date one," Jean said. She waited a few seconds before adding, wistfully, "She was a good kisser."

As much sympathy as I felt for Michelle, part of me was relieved to see that I was not the only one to be targeted for having shocking information revealed while drinking a beverage. Luckily, Michelle only had a small mouthful of sangria when Jean dropped that bombshell on her, and the spray that flew from her mouth was slight. While everybody but Michelle had chuckled, I noticed that Traci and Lori did not touch their glasses until the topic of conversation changed. Perhaps they were wary of their mother adding, 'So was Mel'.

When we finished eating, Rose brought out coffee and a crumb cake for desert. Erin complained, "Damn, Marigold, I swear you're trying to make me fat!"

Rose scoffed, and I thought I knew why. The tight-fitting outfit Erin had worn on her previous visit had made it clear that she did not have an ounce of fat on her tall frame. Even after her protest, Erin did end up eating a small slice of the cake before she informed me that we had better be leaving.

After retrieving my wallet and checkbook, I met Erin at the foyer, where she was saying goodbye to everybody.

Traci asked, "Will you still be around when we get back from the party?"

Erin shrugged and said, "Maybe. The last guy we'll be seeing doesn't get off of his job until five, so depending on how long we take with him, I'm thinking well be back before seven. When's your girls' party?"

Lori answered, "Starts at four thirty, with diner at five. We rented the banquet room until nine, but I doubt we'll stay that long. I'll see Vicky tonight and see if she's free tomorrow."

"Oh, she's a cheerleader? Is she a brunette, by chance?" Erin said, grinning at me.

Lori started to shake her head, saying, "No, she's blonde... wait a second!" Lori's eyes widened; she grinned and said, "Actually, she is a natural brunette, but she bleaches her hair."

While I found that fact mildly amusing, everybody else seemed to find it hysterical. After everyone had had a good laugh, Erin and I left the house and went to her car. As we approached the beat-up, two-toned, rusted, dented, twenty-eight-year-old Datsun 280 ZX, she felt obligated to explain, "Don't worry about my driving; I bought it like that."

Actually, I was not worried the slightest. During my research, I had discovered she had a spotless DMV record. She had also sold her four-year-old Lexus SC 430 for a nifty sum and had used only a small fraction to buy the Datsun. However, when I did get into the car, I made sure my seatbelt was tight. It was not out of fear of her driving, but more to do with the fact that it did not have air bags.

After Erin pulled out and we were underway, she asked, "Tell me if I am wrong, but Marge was totally hitting on me, right?"

I laughed and said, "Erin, I think Ray Charles could have seen that, and he is dead and buried."

Erin chuckled and said, "I thought so, but part of me thought that I had gone without so long that I was imagining things." She then asked, "Jesus, were all of the girls in the house bi?"

Shaking my head, I explained, "No, I think Marge would be the only one that would be considered bisexual. She did have a female lover, but it has been over ten years since then. Rose and Pollyanna are full-on lesbians and are in love with each other. They have no interest in guys."

"You sure?" Erin inquired.

I had been quite sure, up until Rose's comment last Monday. I had occasionally flirted with all of the girls, but it had always been in good fun. Rose and Pollyanna were so deeply committed to each other, that I had trouble seeing them with anybody else. Then again, Traci and I were also deeply committed, but that did not seem to stop me.

"Okay, I'm not one-hundred-percent sure, more like eighty-seven-percent," I replied after I had thought about it. "Jean is happily married, and while what she said at lunch was new, I was not that surprised. I'm guessing that she might have experimented in high school or college, but I think her flirting was mostly influenced by Marge... Actually, the more I think about it, I better stick to what I do know instead of speculating. Okay, you are the first girl who ever kissed Lori, but she was Slave at the time. I did have her fill out a questionnaire to find out what her limits were and what she wanted to explore, and she did mark having sexual relationships with another woman very high. Her sister is another story. She has made it clear to everybody around her that she pure heterosexual."

"Poor Michelle," observed Erin.

Michelle had toned down her lustful, longing looks at Traci considerably since I had begun dating my girlfriend. Still, on rare occasions, I would catch Michelle giving Traci a subtle glance, but it took an extremely keen eye to notice it. I was surprised that Erin had picked up on Michelle's object of desire so effortlessly, and I began to wonder about the mythical 'gay-dar'.

"How's life with your ex?" I asked. "Or should we wait until you're not driving?" I quickly added, memories of Slave's emotional driving flashing in my mind.

Shrugging her shoulders, she answered, "We have our bad days, followed by worse days, followed by horrible ones. We do seem to be doing a good job of avoiding being in the apartment at the same time, except for evenings. Dig this: I'm the one who invited her to move in with me and she's the one who cheated, but yet somehow, she gets to sleep in my bed, while I get stuck on the sofa."

"Well, if things do get to the point where you do have to move out, I do have a spare, non-subterranean bedroom, if need be. And contrary to how it might seem, it doesn't require that you have to have sex with me to live there."

"And if I want to have sex with you without living there?" Erin asked grinning.

Smiling, I replied, "Then you have to clear it with the owner of my cock."

Erin thought for a second before laughing. "Traci? That's right, you had to wait for permission for Lori to undertake her training. "

"She owns my body, heart, and soul. Actually, I would be quite content just being with Traci; I love her like no other. Don't get me wrong, I care deeply about Marge and Lori, as well, but if I had to make a choice, it would be Traci in less than a heartbeat. Both of the other women know and accept that. The reason why I even approached Traci with the idea of me becoming her sister's master was that I was afraid somebody else, one who did not have Lori's best interests at heart, would fill that void. Traci was the one who insisted that I develop a sexual relationship with Marge."

Erin waited until she had merged with the freeway traffic before saying, "Well, I really do wish you the best of luck. I've know plenty of people who have been in such relationships, myself included, and while there are a few that stand the test of time, most fail. Hell, my ex and I started off that way, but it was her that insisted that we be monogamous. That's the real kicker: she's the one who insisted that we should only see each other, and then she went behind my back and slept around. I will say that those who do pull it off seem to have a stronger bond than most regular couples do; I guess it is because communication and trust are such big factors in polyamory. Though you're the first I've seen do it with family members. Oh, wait, I take that back; I did know a guy who dated a brother and sister. I think the three of them are still together, but I lost track of them."