Chapter 47

Eddie, Dale and I left Bolling a little before three on Sunday afternoon. The weather was a little rough, and we had some turbulence that seemed to worry Eddie at first.

Dale went back to sit with her though, and things smoothed out once we had achieved our regular cruising altitude. Dale came up after an hour back there with Eddie, and I gave her a brief lesson in how to pilot an aircraft. She was an apt pupil, listening well and asking questions when she needed more clarification.

"You should take some lessons, Dale. I've got that other single engine plane sitting in the hangar back in Bolling. All it does is sit there. Once you got qualified, you and Eddie could fly back and forth to Oklahoma to see your family more often."

"You don't think I'd be too short to fly a plane? You know how Dee Dee and I had to get our seat fixed just to drive that Honda. How would we be able to fly an airplane?"

"I'm not sure what they can do, but I know they can do it. There are shorter people than you that fly airplanes. We can modify the pedals and change the seats if we needed to. If you're interested, I'll ask the people that maintain the planes."

"I'd try it if Eddie did too. It looks like fun." We stopped talking for awhile, a companionable silence as we both watched the dark clouds off to the west. "What you said yesterday, about Cindy being more connected than me. Do you think Brenda and Emily believe I don't like them? That's kind of what I got from what Shirley was saying."

I didn't know if I was the right person to discuss this with Dale. I knew that Joyce would have welcomed an opportunity like this. She was very worried that Dale had kept herself too distant from the other wives. Part of it was Dale not wanting to engage in building sexual relationships with other women. Part of it was that Dale was very reserved, while Eddie was so outgoing. The contrast made Dale's reserve seem so much more apparent.

"I think they see how Eddie is, and they can see you aren't like her when it comes to liking all kinds of sex. No one knows how far they can take things in your presence, because they don't want to offend you. Yesterday, when Shirley said those things, did you notice how shocked we all seemed?"

"I was just as shocked. Dee Dee tells me sometimes that those two girls think I don't like them. It isn't true, I like them all fine. I just don't have the same interests in girls that they do. Do you think Shirley was saying that to make fun of me?"

"No. I think she considers you a challenge. When we first formed our group, Shirley refused to have anything to do with having sex with any of the other women. She was going to leave us because of that. All of the others had already done things with girls, but Shirley hadn't. She said she didn't have any desire to be with another woman. We practically had to force her. Even after, when she had sex a few times with all of them, Shirley didn't care that much for doing things with girls. I think she's starting to change now. Part of it is being more comfortable with girls, but part of it is feeling like she was being left behind when we added three new girls to our family."

"She doesn't want Cindy getting ahead of her either?" Dale was doing nervous things with her hands. She seemed upset by the direction our discussion was taking. It was obvious that Dale still felt there was some scoring system involved with the connections I kept speaking about.

"Cindy can't ever get ahead of her. We have the connection of the shared children. In some ways, that's the strongest of all the connections. There is no ahead or behind though, only connections. Think of it like having good friends. For some people, one good friend is enough. Other people need more. Shirley wants more friends. I think she understands that sex is usually only a small part of a total relationship, but it opens up some other paths to making the relationship stronger, more meaningful. Joyce does that better than anyone I've ever seen. She loves all of us, and it seems to cover all areas, not just being in bed together. Shirley wants to be loved and accepted like Joyce is. For her, it has been a slow journey to bring her to that point. Slow or not though, she's the first of the original wives to understand that Joyce is the happiest person in our family."

"What about Dee Dee?"

"She's a lot like Joyce, but to her, these relationships aren't as complete yet. Not anything like they are for Joyce. Eddie likes to play. Emotionally, she doesn't seem as deep to me. I love her, but its harder to take anything she says or does seriously. I love you too, Dale, but you're too serious most of the time. You need to relax, to let yourself be more playful. Like yesterday, when you said that about being willing to be in a bedroom with Shirley and me, did you notice how quiet it got? No one expects things like that from you."

"Dee Dee is more serious about things than you think she is. She plays at being so easy to get along with. Its her mask, what she hides behind. Sex is simple for her, but relationships, that's a different thing. I've been watching all of you, for a long time now, and I'm beginning to see how everything is. I understand you and Joyce, and I know you only want good for all of us. I've been thinking about what you said about having different kinds of connections. I liked that, liked how you could come right out and admit it to us like you did. I understand it too, because I feel so much closer to Dee Dee than I do to all the rest of you. You come second with me, Kenny, then Joyce, so I understand about this connection thing."

"I hear a but in there. But what?" I knew we were into intimate sharing now. This wasn't a casual conversation about family dynamics anymore.

"But Dee Dee. What you said before about her always playing? She plays, but not with everyone. She isn't playing with you, or with Joyce. I've seen her playing, and when she was serious. That girl's serious about you two. She has the same connections as me. What she does with the others, that doesn't really count for her. It isn't love like she has for us. I think you need to adjust your whole connection philosophy, Kenny. What Emily and Brenda have, it isn't the same as what Joyce and Brenda have, not to Emily, and maybe not to Brenda either."

"No, you're right, it isn't the same. It's a connection though, and that's what we need more of, not less. You believe in connections, and you can see what I'm saying is correct. I'm willing to help make it easier for you to connect with the others, Dale, but you need to make an effort yourself. From what you've already told me, you understand that these connections strengthen the group. What you need to learn, is that you're a part of this group, and they strengthen you too. Eddie always understood this. You think when I say she's playing, that I mean I think it's just sex with her. That isn't what I meant. Sit down with her and ask her about Shirley. Three months ago, both of you felt pretty much the same way about her. Now, I'm willing to bet you that Eddie speaks about Shirley differently. That's the connection. It doesn't start out as strong as it gets later, after more happens to make it grow."

"How can you help me make these connections? You can't make people like other people."

"You can't? How much of what Eddie told you about Shirley has changed how you feel about her yourself?" Dale looked at me and smiled. "I think it would be easier, less of an unnatural situation for you and Shirley both, if I was with the two of you a few times, at first. Shirley used to have a problem with orgasms. It was a problem with her being able to relax enough to let herself get excited. She reminds me of you, except, with you, I think it has more to do with trust."

"It has to do with attraction and desire, Kenny. I felt that with you from the first time I saw you. It was strong too. I knew I could go to bed with you, right from the beginning, and that it would be good." I smiled at her, then I reached over to touch the bare skin on her leg. I wanted the contact with her, a part of the connection we both shared.

"It has to do with being connected, and it has to do with others that you are connected with also being connected. You and I, we had a natural connection. You call it attraction, and a mutual desire. It doesn't matter what you call it, because we both felt it, and it made it easier for us to really form our connection. The one we have now. Have you ever noticed how much easier it is for you to cum when Eddie is in bed with you? I have a theory, based on my experiences with Joyce and me being with one other partner. The sex is always better for me that way. Joyce says it is for her too. My theory is that we use the connection Joyce and I have with each other to break down the barriers that are still in the connection we have with whoever the third person is. I think you do the same with Eddie. I also think Eddie and Joyce do that when they are in with someone else, double teaming her."

"You think your connection with me would strengthen my connection with Shirley?"

"Yes, and hers with you. I know I can bring each of you to orgasm when we get together. I also know your first orgasm is the hardest to achieve. After, you're more relaxed, not worrying about as much. Shirley's that way too. Once she gets started, she really lets herself go. My task would be to make sure you both got started, then help the two of you do things together that wouldn't feel awkward."

"You almost have me convinced. Do you think the same thing would work with the other women and me?"

I didn't think Brenda would mind trying, and I was pretty sure that Cindy planned on being with all of us at some point. Emily I wasn't sure about. She might object, just to be different.

With Emily, I thought I might need to make it a punishment thing. I'd have to tell Dale about Emily's submissive sexual nature, and her desire to be punished. I'd do it though, because it would be good for Dale, and Emily would love being made to submit to us.

"Tonight, Cindy is supposed to come to the house. We need to talk over our recent problems. I'll be in the bedroom with her for a few hours, but you and I will be together when it's time for bed. I'm hoping that we can finish talking and will end up making love at some point. Later, we'll make love together. Cindy will either go over to her Dad's house, or go in the guest room with Eddie."

"You're going to make sure you save enough for me to be happy? I wouldn't like it if you came to bed too tired to be with me."

"Have I ever done that to you? I don't think so. In fact, I'm hoping the time with Cindy makes it last a lot longer for us. I can shower after Cindy leaves, or I can stay like I end up, and let you find out, before Eddie, if Cindy tastes like she does."

"You can take your shower. I can wait to find out about that other thing. Do you think Cindy is going to go home, or stay with Eddie?"

"If I was to take a guess, I'd say she'll stay. We both need to get up at five to get down to the plant because we're meeting some people there at seven. Like I said too, Cindy looks like she's planning on having sex with all of you, at one point or another. She's the most worried about you, because she's afraid you won't want to."

"I would do it, if you would be there with us. It sounds like the two of us are worried about the same thing. Part of my problem is shyness, and worrying about how I look to people. This is more true with people like Brenda and Emily. That Brenda is so good looking, I don't even like being in the same room with her."

We landed in Birmingham, and drove over to the house before six o'clock. Eddie had fallen asleep on the plane, having to be awakened by Dale, after we had landed and were ready to deplane. Dale kidded her about having passed out from being so afraid of the turbulence.

When we got to the rental house, Cindy wasn't there. She arrived about thirty minutes later, but this had given me a chance to show the girls where everything was, and had allowed all of us to unpack and be sitting in the living room when Cindy did arrive.

She had her own key, but she hit the door knocker anyway. I went to let her in. The first thing I noticed was all she carried was her purse. No suitcase with her overnight things, and no sign of her big briefcase where she kept all her drawings and plans for the modifications we were planning for the administrative office floor.

We ended up hugging and kissing at the door, like two people who hadn't seen each other for years. I invited her in and we both went to the living room so that Cindy could say hi to Eddie and Dale too. The three of them made small talk for a few minutes. I guessed that Cindy would stay there doing that all night unless I said something to prevent it.

"Cindy, if we're going to have our talk, we should get to it. I need to be in bed before ten o'clock, because we need to be at the office bright and early." Cindy blushed a little at that, and Eddie laughed.

It had the desired outcome though because Cindy turned away from the sisters and walked over to where I was standing. I took her hand in mine and gently led her back to my bedroom. Once inside, I closed the door, for privacy, although I knew Dale and Eddie wouldn't be disturbing us during our talk.

"I'm glad you came over, Cindy. I've felt bad about how we left things on Friday night. Joyce and the rest of the girls said I should have listened to what you were trying to tell me. Let's sit here on the bed, and you can try to tell me what you wanted to say up in Kansas."

"We pretty much covered what I meant on the phone, Kenny. I thought you wanted to talk to tell me what you had decided."

"What I decided? Okay, I guess we should start with how I need to listen better, so I understand what you say. I told you that I hear things in a literal sense. If you tell me you're cold, the first thing I think of is the temperature of wherever we are at the time. If you say you think something, then that's what I believe you think. If you want something from me, you need to ask for it, not say something entirely different, then expect me to know you really meant this other thing."

Cindy looked at me. I think she thought I was planning to continue. She waited, expectantly. Finally, she just asked me.

"Is that it?"

"That's it. I should also mention that there was something good that came out of our misunderstanding, which was I found out I had this communication problem. It isn't one problem though, its several, and I'm planning on finding ways to correct them."

"You think we're done talking now?" Cindy didn't seem satisfied with what had been said.

"I think you should tell me what else we need to get straightened out. I'm willing to listen to you, to let you take the time to explain what it means to you. We can work on interpreting things until we both hear the same thought expressed."

"You're making fun of me now."

"No I'm not. This isn't the time for making fun. I think this is serious, and I'm treating it very seriously. Tell me what has you worried, and we'll try to deal with it together."

"For one thing, I don't like having to share you with all those other people."

"What needs to change so that you would like it?"

"I don't think I'd ever get to liking it."

"Okay, what needs to change so that you would be willing to put up with it?" A smile appeared on Cindy's face when I asked her that. For the next twenty minutes she outlined all of her fears and insecurities. Brenda and Emily were too good looking. Joyce was too smart. Joyce was my real wife, and she had all those children with me. I didn't seem to make any attempt to get along with her whole family. The list was long, and almost none of it contained anything I could, or would, do anything about. She didn't offer any advice about what I could do to change things either. I finally asked her if she was done.

"Those are some of the things, off the top of my head, but there are others."

"I can see we have a lot of things to work on. That thing about Emily and Brenda being so pretty, I don't think you have to worry about that. You're just as pretty to me, but in a different way. Look at Joyce. You know I love her as much as anyone else, but you have to admit, Emily, Brenda and you are all better looking women than Joyce."

"That's obvious, Kenny." Cindy didn't seem to mind that it was obvious to me that she was better looking than Joyce, or to mind me including her name in alongside Brenda and Emily's.

"I know it is, that's what I'm trying to tell you. Joyce has things that Emily and Brenda won't ever have. Like you said, she's very smart, smarter than me, and by a whole bunch. You might not be as pretty to some people as Emily and Brenda, or seem as smart as Joyce is. That doesn't matter, because we all love you just as if you were. You have your own special things which none of the others have. Who has your good manners? Your family traditions? Look at how easy it was for you to take on this remodeling project like you did. Brenda wouldn't even have attempted something like that."

I knew I was babbling about things. She hadn't left me any choice though.

"What about what I said about you not making an effort to get along better with my family?"

"I was coming to that. Let's look at the evidence for that. It might not turn out to be what you think it is. First, didn't I come down here and decide to pay your whole family money, instead of waiting and letting them go bankrupt first? We'd have saved a ton of money doing it like that." She looked at me and nodded. "Didn't I also agree to buy that land from your father, so he and your mother didn't have to get into more of a fight about him owing her that money?" She nodded again. I could see I was doing better with this one. "Then, I did hire Kyle and Steve back, plus I made sure all the rest of them still had their benefits until we get all our problems together sorted out. I also hired you and your aunt, and I'm trying to get your father to accept that. All these things are evidence of me trying to get along better with your family."