Chapter 6A

In the way a well-educated British man sometimes can, Amanda's dad came off a bit stuffy and standoffish. Of course that might be because he thought I was having hot sex with his daughter all the time. Dads are weird that way.

No, I don't have a daughter, why do you ask?

"So, Mark, tell me about yourself," he said.

So I did. I told him about my education, about my business, about traveling and about why I was in London. At some point we ordered lunch. Amanda was being pretty quiet.

"I understand your sister is visiting?" He asked.

I glanced at Amanda, "Yes. She was going to be here for a week but is now extending to two weeks and then flying with us to Bermuda."

"You're close to her?"

"Yes. We've been good friends since we got over ourselves when I was thirteen or fourteen..." I laughed.

We ordered coffee while talking about the recent nice weather, London Zoo, and how much I enjoyed eating at The George. Amanda got tea.

"So who is Lisa?" Mr. Evans asked.

I smiled and looked at Amanda. She shook her head just the slightest bit — more moving her eyes than anything else. "Lisa was my roommate in San Francisco. She came to visit and is helping in the office for a while — I think she's trying to decide if she likes London."

"And personally?"

"We're close friends..." Amanda was smiling. I was starting to sweat, just a bit.

"I see. And if I were to ask about 'Mary?' Another 'close friend?'"

I smiled. "Yes sir. Very close." Amanda's eyes were closed; she looked to be breathing a bit irregularly.

"Mark," Mr. Evans said, "you are full of shit."

I swallowed. Busted. "Sir?"

"I understand you've been pestered by a couple of reporters?" he said, changing the subject.

"Well, sort of..." Amanda shrugged when I looked at her.

"One of those reporters, the first one, said you never acknowledged Amanda's existence."

"He annoyed me," I said.

"Daddy!" Amanda said, clearly annoyed herself.

Mr. Evans looked directly at me. "The second one tells me that Lisa is your fiancé. Which, I believe, is even closer than 'close friend.' What do you think?"

"I think," I said, "that fiancé is considerably closer than close friend."

"Well?" he asked. His expression calm, his eyes less so.

I looked at Amanda. She was even paler than normal. I took a sip of coffee. "What do you think is going on Mr. Evans?" I asked.

"I'm dammed if I know," he said. "But I'm not real comfortable here."

"Would it help if I were to tell you that your daughter and I have not had sex?"

"Not really," he said, surprising me. "She's a grown woman... If you haven't, I suspect it is her choice."

I smiled.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"Daddy..." Amanda said.

Mr. Evans held up his hand for her to be quiet. His eyes never left mine.

"I'm married to Mary and Lisa and we are considering asking Amanda to join our family," I said in a low, level voice.

He took a sip of coffee. "I see."

I doubted he did.

"But surely you are not really 'married?'"

So I explained that we were married, by our own standards, and why. Amanda hadn't known the details of our arrangements, so she was intrigued while her father was just looking for problems. I answered his questions as best I could.

"So why Amanda?" he asked.

"Why me?" I asked. "Why anybody? You don't go looking for somebody to fall in love with." Not usually — I didn't explain how Lisa and I fell in love. "It just happens."

"Do you love my daughter?" he asked.

I looked from him to Amanda. She was looking at me with no expression at all on her face. "Mr. Evans," I said, "I think I do." A tear slipped from the corner of Amanda's right eye. I reached out with my thumb and wiped it away.

Mr. Evans took a sip of his coffee. "Amanda's mother will not approve."

"And you sir?" I asked.

"Amanda is my baby girl. I'm quite sure there is no man on the face of planet Earth I would approve of... but I do respect your honesty..."

"Daddy?"

He patted her hand. "And I respect Amanda's wishes." His expression grew stern. "Don't hurt my daughter or there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me?"

I held out my hand. "Yes sir."

He shook it.

"Is she to be number three wife then?" he asked.

"Well, that's not quite how we work it... and for now Amanda's our number one 'girlfriend.'" I smiled.

"'Our girlfriend?'" he asked.

"Yes," I said. Amanda was blushing.

Mr. Evans nodded. "So tell me about this trip to Bermuda," he said.

Amanda wiped the tears from her eyes.

The rest of that week flew by. It turns out that you can't take a trip to a beach without first buying many bags worth of clothes you most likely won't wear. Between them Lisa, Amanda, and Barb brought thirty-seven bags of clothes home in seven days. Yes. I did count.

With her father's grudging approval — or maybe it was his lack of disapproval — Amanda moved in. I was so busy with work and making preparations that I barely noticed until furniture I hadn't bought started showing up. Since Mary was the decorator and I just lived there, I didn't say anything.

Barb and Amanda spent hours together every day. Lisa took a couple of days off — and since she wasn't on the payroll, I couldn't really complain (except that I was eating lunch by myself) — and spent them with Amanda and Barb.

London may never be the same.

Finally, the Friday before the trip was upon us. I had a short day, mostly notifying business contacts that I'd be gone, but also moving data, charts, presentations, and other "stuff" to my laptop. By two, I was done.

Our flight out was on Monday morning, so I was looking forward to a quiet weekend. I've mentioned I'm living with one of my wives, my girlfriend, and my sister, right?

I arrived at the flat only to be handed a change of clothing ("Change now!") and turned around. Amanda's car was waiting and we headed west. I didn't ask, they didn't say. We came to (and crossed) a beautiful bridge called the Severn Bridge where a sign read "Croeso i Gymru." Welcome to Wales... no, I don't know if "Croeso" or "Gymru" means Wales, but one must. (Okay — the Tour Guide I picked up says that "Croeso" means "Welcome" so "Gymru" must be "Wales.")

The city of Cardiff is beautiful — it's been a coal port so it has an industrial part — but overall it is beautiful. In fact, the scenery the whole way was beautiful. It was early evening when we arrived. Amanda drove us directly to an old Abby that has been turned into an Inn. We had two interconnected rooms with an attached sitting room. Sort of a suite.

I'd been abducted, but I was expected to haul up the bags. I did. Fortunately they'd packed light.

We had a light dinner in a nearby restaurant, and called it a night.

I've mentioned I'm living with one of my wives, my girlfriend, and my sister, right?

We went dancing. I danced with Lisa. I danced with Amanda. I danced with Barb. The girls turned down several guys who thought I was enjoying more than my fair share of the beautiful women — they were gentlemen, though, and left us alone after giving it a try.

By midnight I was done. The girls had been drinking wine and giggling while I danced. "Take me home!" I said.

Lisa laughed. "You don't think we're done with you yet, do you?"

"Home!"

Amanda took pity and talked the others into heading back to our inn. When we got into the sitting room, I started to peel off my sweaty clothes.

"Mark!" Barb said.

Oops. "What?" I said innocently. "It's just my shirt..."

Lisa took my hand and led me towards one of the bedrooms. "If it sounds like one of us is dying in here, please ignore it," she said to Amanda and Barb. I rolled my eyes while looking at Barb and Amanda.

Amanda shrugged. "Bedtime, I guess." She giggled.

I was just at the door when Barb stamped her foot. "This isn't fair!"

"'Night, Barbie," I called.

Lisa pulled my pants and boxers to my knees and sucked my sweaty cock into her mouth. I didn't say much that was coherent after that.

Amanda managed to work Lisa's panties out of the way enough to get her tongue where Lisa's would like it most. She had squirmed under Lisa's skirt and pretty soon I wasn't the only one moaning in the bedroom.

After I came Lisa twisted around, pulled Amanda's skirt up and panties down and returned the favor.

Ten minutes after we walked in, we all passed out.

"You three are going to kill me!" Barb's loud voice called from the doorway.

We were in a jumble of mostly-undressed, sweaty, sticky limbs and torsos. The only clear recollection I have of that moment is looking down from seeing my sister in the doorway to seeing my cock laying on Lisa's cheek. Then it twitched.

I rolled off and pulled a sheet from the floor over my lower half and tried not to look too foolish (wasted effort as Barb just harrumphed and went back to the sitting room.)

I pulled on some shorts and went in search of my sister. Amanda and Lisa headed for the bathroom and a shower.

"Hey Barbie," I said when I caught up with her.

"Don't 'hey Barbie' me, buster," she said. "The least you guys could have done is close the door..."

Uhh. "Uhh."

"Have you ever tried to go to sleep with three people getting off ten feet away with the door open?"

"Uhh. No." I said. "Sorry."

"Sorry! I damn near wore my finger off."

"T-M-I?" I said.

"No! T-M-I is seeing your dick in Lisa's mouth. That's T-M-I."

"Barbie..." I said.

"T-M-I is hearing my friend Lisa shout 'Lick me, Amanda, '" Barbie said.

"Are you okay?" I asked (foolishly.)

"Oh, yeah. I'm okay. I'm so horny I may yet fuck that doorknob!"

"Barbie..."

"Oh, God Mark. You can't imagine how horny I am. In the state I'm in I'm a public menace."

I put my arms around her, "Barbie... I'm sorry we got you so worked up..."

"And you! You smell like sex. God!" She was actually crying. "I am so horny..."

I kissed her forehead. "We'll try not to do that to you again, Barbie..."

"God. I'm going to take a shower. If you think I'm killing myself, let me." She jumped up and nearly sprinted to her room.

I shook my head and went back to our room.

"Is Barb okay?" Amanda asked.

I shook my head. "Apparently we were a bit, ah, titillating last night..."

"Listening to us got her hot?" Lisa asked.

"More like a firecracker, I'd say," I said. "Explosive."

"Firecracker?" Lisa said.

"Dynamite."

"Gotcha," Lisa said. "Should one of us go talk to her?"

I laughed. "Right about now I think she's a bit occupied."

Amanda blushed and Lisa laughed. "So should I go help?" Lisa asked.

"It's getting a bit weird here," I said. "Barbie is my sister."

"Well, if she's not 'okay' in half an hour, I'm going in," Lisa said.

"Heaven help me."

I took a quick shower, dressed, and ran down to the front desk. They got me set up with coffee (and, to my disgust, tea), a brochure on local attractions, and directions to a local bakery for breakfast.

When I got back to the room, Lisa and Amanda were ready to go. The water was off in Barb's room, so I expected her at any time.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

"Well. Rather than hang out in stuffy old London, I thought we'd come to Wales and relax before our holiday," Amanda said.

I smiled. "And?"

"And I grew up here in Cardiff," Amanda said.

"And?"

"And... I'd like you guys to meet my mom?"

I laughed. It felt good to get ahead of one girl one time. "Why don't you call her and see if we can get together then?" Keep the initiative.

"Lunch is at twelve-thirty," Amanda said — allowing the natural order of things to reassert itself.

Eventually Barb came out and joined us for coffee. I looked at her with raised eyebrows and she blushed. Then she stuck her tongue out defiantly. "Hey Barbie. You okay?" I asked.

"Fine..."

I'm bad. "I was just about to send Lisa in to help you out." No. I don't have an excuse. I have a sister. She flipped me off.

Breakfast was a ten-minute walk away. We made plans for the day — which included lunch with Amanda's mom — and then got the car.

You can't go to Cardiff without seeing the castle... We parked near Duke and High Street and walked to the castle. Overlooking Bute park (named for the family that took possession of the castle in 1766 and later transformed Cardiff into the largest coal port in the world) the castle offers a fantastic look into two thousand years of history. We took the guided tour of the apartments and walked the grounds.

If you ever pass near Cardiff, visit the castle.

We left at half past eleven and arrived across town at a comfortable restaurant where we met Amanda's mom.

From what Mr. Evans had told me and from Amanda's nervous chatter, I was expecting the worst. Melissa Evans is a delightful, friendly, and sweet lady. Her husband must have told her something of our relationship — but she seemed fine with me, with Lisa and with her daughter.

Lunch was Welch Lamb. When a nation puts its name on a dish, you can expect to like it... Mmmm.

After the plates were cleared, Amanda and her mother ordered tea, Lisa ordered iced tea (which raised some eyebrows) and Barb and I had coffee.

"So Jack tells me good things about you, Mark," Melissa said. ('Call me Melissa. Mrs. Evans is Jack's mother.')

"They are all lies, ma'am," I said with a smile.

"Mark!" Amanda said. "It's all true," she said to her mother.

Melissa laughed. "It is so good to see you happy in this way sweetheart."

Amanda blushed.

"Lisa?" Melissa asked. "How long have you been together with Mark?"

"Mom!"

"Hush dear. I can tell when a woman's in love with a man... or another woman."

"Mom!"

Lisa spoke up, "I love them both, that's true. And Mary. I've been with Mark and Mary for several months now..."

"Mary?" Melissa asked.

"Mark's other better half."

"Ah. And Mandy?" Melissa asked with a smile.

Lisa blushed.

"Mandy?" I asked Amanda.

"I'll kill you if you call me that," she said to general laughter.

"Don't give him ammunition," Barb advised.

Melissa turned to Amanda, "Are you really happy?"

Amanda nodded.

"Then I'll be happy for you... but don't tell Daddy — I don't think he'd understand," Melissa said.

"He already knows..." Amanda told her.

"Hmmm. Interesting," Melissa said. She took a sip of tea. "Interesting."

We talked about Cardiff Castle and the history of the region (fascinating stuff) for a bit.

Melissa seemed very happy with us and it was a relaxing time. "So Mark," Melissa said as we were settling our tab and preparing to leave, "I notice you drink coffee..."

I groaned.

"Has Mandy told you why you should switch to tea?"

"Mom!" a blushing Amanda said.

"Why no," I said innocently, "why on Earth should I switch?"

"Mark! Stop it!" Amanda said. "Mom! Not another word." Amanda was beet red.

"Nine reasons a night," Melissa said.

Amanda buried her head against my chest. Lisa laughed. "Mandy can fill you in later Barbie," I told Barb.

"Don't call me 'Mandy!'" came Amanda's muffled voice.

"Yes dear," got another laugh from Melissa.

We parted ways with promises to see Melissa soon and to bring Mary to meet her, too.

For our part, we walked through the city center, took the waterbus to Mermaid Quay and back. Cardiff has a lot to offer the visitor...

We got back to our inn about six. We changed and had a light dinner in the attached dining room.

"Dancing," Lisa proclaimed as I sat back from dinner.

I groaned.

"None of that!" Amanda said. "Dancing it is."

"I think I'll beg off tonight," Barb said.

"Oh, no you don't!" I said. "If I'm being dragged out, so are you!"

Barb smiled. "If tonight is a repeat of last night, I will not be held responsible for my actions."

I winked at her.

"Barb's horny, Barb's horny," Lisa said with a giggle.

"Shush, you! Your as big a part of the problem as anyone!" Barb said.

Lisa stuck her tongue out at Barb. "Come on! You'll have fun. Maybe we can get you hooked up with one of these strong Welsh lads?"

"If you're available, you'll have to fight them off with a stick," Amanda said. "You're so pretty..."