Chapter 38: Darren

"A little higher and a touch to the right, Son."

I was helping Mother hang Josh's framed paintings. The task was time-consuming, but we were almost finished. Over one hundred fifty magnificent paintings graced the walls of the studio, and more were hanging in the various guest rooms, and common areas of the compound. I was amazed at Josh's output, especially after Sandy told me Josh had destroyed what he called his mediocre work, which numbered around an additional hundred watercolor paintings that he could have sold.

I stepped off the ladder and stood back, my gaze taking in one wall. I turned to my right, and then turned again, finally making a three-hundred-sixty-degree circuit. The sight thrilled me.

"Thank you for your help, Darren," Mother said.

I nodded. "He's good, isn't he?"

"Yes, a good artist and a good man."

I wrapped my arm around her waist and hugged her to my side.

"You look happy. All the stress crinkles have disappeared from around your eyes."

She laughed softly. "It's amazing what some good sex does for you. It's better than cosmetic surgery."

"No regrets, huh?"

"Only that we waited so long."

While at the compound, I'd started to read deep memories, and what I'd found in my mother's mind shocked me until I realized her memories reflected her philosophy of life and love. She'd loved my father deeply, but she'd never equated love and sex.

Still, she'd remained faithful to my father until he started to stray a year or two after I was born when my mother focused her attention on me instead of my father. He'd been a terrible liar, and she'd known about his infidelities almost immediately. Surprisingly, that he'd had sex with another woman didn't upset Mother very much. What upset her were his lies and his guilt. She had no doubt that my father loved her, but she also knew the guilt my father was feeling would take its toll not only on their marriage but also on my father, so she made him sit down and talk with her. She shocked him with her philosophy of love and sex, but he'd listened and learned.

Out of that discussion, they crafted an open marriage, but their wealth and position in the community, demanded extreme discretion. They scheduled vacations twice each year. One of them, they took together; the other, they took separately. During the vacations, they used assumed names while they enjoyed a variety of sex partners. Group sex prevailed during the together trips, and as agreed, they never spoke of the sexual activities that occurred during their separate vacations.

With my new paranormal talents, I'd been able to uncover memories my mother held of those times. To say my mother had a strong sex drive would be an understatement. She'd tried everything once, dropping sexual activities she didn't enjoy, and expanding on those she did. She didn't like pain but enjoyed light bondage. Although she could be both dominant and submissive, she preferred being slightly submissive, but master/slave games turned her off. Two of her favorite sex partners were a brother/sister couple, and that's when she started to fantasize about having sex with me.

The idea of incest turned her on. As a teenager, she'd fantasized about having sex with her father, and although he didn't succumb to her overt flirtations, he was her favorite sex partner in her masturbatory fantasies during her adolescence. Unfortunately for me, my father felt differently about incest. He considered incest a crime against man and God, so Mother suppressed her desire to have sex with me. After finally coming to terms with my father's sudden and unexpected death, her incestuous fantasies had returned with even more vigor, finally culminating in our coupling five days ago.

Her discussions with me about life and love and sex over the years reflected her belief and actions, and she was delighted, not upset, when I told her about my desire to join a plural marriage, especially after she met the other members of that union. That Sandy put us together in a way that allowed us to satisfy our desire for each other thrilled her, and she was even more pleased when I told her Sandy also wanted to have sex with her. Mother, I knew, was hoping Josh and Nicole would find her desirable, as well.

Darren, are you there? Sandy said.

Yes. Mother and I just finished hanging all of Josh's paintings.

This I've got to see. You're in the studio. Right?

Yes.

I'll join you in a few minutes, and then we must leave to meet Josh and Nicole at the airport.

Wanda's thoughts and manner seemed confrontational, which surprised me.

"You fuck your mother, huh?" she said.

"Yes, I have sex with my mother. Whether we fuck or make love depends on our mood at the time."

"When did she seduce you?"

I laughed and nearly stumbled. We were walking along a path on the grounds in the compound. The landscaping was rife with color, the reds of bougainvillea, the yellow of desert marigolds, soft purple in the plumes of fountain grass, white vincas and lantana, and more. The variety and lushness of the desert landscape Nicole had integrated on the grounds intrigued me.

"We merely admitted our desire for each other," I said. "Seduction wasn't at play. As to when, our first time together happened five days ago."

"Humph, incest."

"I take it you've bought into our culture's negative attitude about incest."

"I'm in therapy because my parents fucked me."

"I'm happy to hear you've sought professional help. What your parents did to you was wrong, and it's your prerogative to believe what my mother and I do is wrong, as well, but you have to admit that your incestuous circumstances and mine have little in common."

"The very act of incest is a commonality."

I snorted. "True, probably the only commonality. Your parents messed with your mind, used your love for them and your need to be loved to achieve their vile purposes. Mine raised me to have an open mind but didn't try to force their beliefs on me or try to have sex with me when I was a child and too young to discern right from wrong or make an informed decision for myself."

She slumped onto a bench next to the path. I sat next to her and took her hand in mine. She didn't try to pull away. "You're stuck on incest. Yes, your parents committed and forced you to commit acts of incest, but I see them more as pedophiles. I could be wrong. I'm not a professional, but I intuitively feel that if you focus on pedophilia as their crime, I think you'll find it easier to make peace with yourself.

Good point, Darren, Josh said.

I can't have sex with her for the fun of it, Josh, not in her current frame of mind.

I understand. I just spoke with your mother. She's agreed to help me with Wanda's problem. Walk Wanda back to your mother's rooms and leave her there. Wanda doesn't need sex for the fun of it. What she needs is an older, nurturing mother figure to help her deal with what happened to her as a child.

All right.

I stood and pulled Wanda to her feet. "I think you should talk about this with my mother."

She nodded and let me lead her away. Mother answered my knock, took Wanda in her arms and pulled her inside.

Don't snoop, Darren, Nicole said. Josh will stay connected with your mother and Wanda, but the rest of us should respect their privacy.

I cut my psychic connections with the women, and immediately missed my mother's lively, logical mind. I didn't miss Wanda's troubled thoughts.

Sandy had hung a sign over the entrance to the party room. It read: Get Nekkid or Get Out! I laughed and got nekkid as I scanned the room. I was the first to arrive, which gave me the opportunity to hide three boxes under a cushion in a conversation area. I doubted I'd surprise anyone, but I'd tried not to think about what I'd planned for the evening. I'd soon know because I recognized Josh and Nicole's psi-sigs as they approached the party room. Sandy joined them while they were taking off their clothes, and they waited for her, chatting until she was nekkid.

When she saw me, Nicole broke away from them and cuddled next to me. I enjoyed her silky flesh sliding across mine, especially her breasts when she kissed me hello.

I've missed the feel of you in my arms, I told her silently while the kiss deepened.

I know, and I've missed you.

I looked up and noticed Josh and Sandy watching us. I smiled and said out loud, "I haven't fooled anyone, have I?"

Sandy chuckled. Josh returned my smile and shook his head.

Nicole said, "Sandy first."

I reached under the cushion and by feel selected the smallest box. I knelt in front of her and took her hand in mind. "Sandra Johnson, Sandy, I love you with all my heart. Some would say I could only love you with one-third my heart, but love isn't limited. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

I opened the box, and removed a diamond solitaire ring that matched the engagement ring Nicole wore on her finger. Looking up into Sandy's gorgeous eyes, I waited for her response.

She nodded as sentimental tears formed. As I slipped the ring on her finger, I noticed her hand was shaking. I kissed the back of her hand, and rose to my feet, pulling her up with me.

"Yes," she breathed and kissed me passionately. When she leaned back from the kiss, she said, "I'll be your wife, Darren Caldwell, and you will be one of my husbands."

Ask Nicole now, Sandy said silently.

I selected the long jewelry box next and knelt in front of Nicole. "Mrs. Nicole Halliday Johnson, I love you with all my heart. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

She gave a happy, little yelp, which I took as a yes. She wrapped her arms around my neck, bowling me over onto my back while she kissed me.

"Yes, yes, yes," she said, happily kissing me with each affirmative answer.

She helped me to my feet and turned her back to me. She knew what was coming. I took the diamond necklace from the box. The necklace was identical to the one Sandy was wearing. I fastened the clasp, and she turned and kissed me again.

The last box contained my engagement present for Josh. With the exception of an inexpensive wristwatch he'd had for many years and a plain gold wedding band that Nicole had slipped onto his finger during their legal wedding, he didn't wear jewelry. I'd discussed with Mother what to give him, and she'd said, "Give him an expensive, plain but classy wristwatch." The watch I selected met Mother's specifications. It was a rare Grand Complications watch, a Patek Philippe. The sophisticated ten-day tourbillion movement was encased in a rectangular platinum case.

Josh moved to his feet and stood in front of me.

"Joshua Johnson, Josh, I love you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

He removed his old watch and handed it to Sandy. He held out his hand, and I buckled the watch around his wrist.

"Darren Joseph Caldwell, III, I love you, and I'll be honored to be your husband," Josh said formally.

Tears welled in my eyes when we shook hands.

Then Josh surprised me. He reached under a different cushion and removed a box.

"Darren, I appreciate the effort you made to locate a diamond for Sandy's engagement ring and an identical diamond for Nicole's engagement necklace that matched the ring and necklace I gave them on a similar occasion years ago. They match. We should match, as well. I know your mother gave you the wristwatch you're wearing as a graduation gift from college, but I consulted with her, told her what I wanted to do and obtained her permission."

Josh removed my wristwatch and put on a new watch identical to the one I'd just given him. "We'll wear these watches only on special occasions." He snorted. "I know they're water-resistant to thirty-five meters, but with what they cost, I wouldn't dare test the design specifications, even in the shower."