Chapter 14: Maria

"So is Dana wife number four?" Kim asked as soon as I got into the car.

Kim hadn't sounded angry or even distressed when she asked the question but I was very concerned. Things just seemed to be getting out of hand. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Kim, Jen or Vicky thereby ostracizing any one of the three, but I didn't know what to do. How many women could I collect into my little harem before it all fell apart?

I thought about Kim, Jen or Vicky going out with someone else. Of course, that led me to thinking about them fucking somebody else. I didn't like that image at all. I tried to think about all the good reasons why I had thought it was okay for me to take three women to bed. If those reasons were valid for me, they had to be just as valid for them. I accepted that that reasoning was valid but I didn't like it. I tried to put those thoughts and images out of my head. I couldn't stand the thought of any one of them going to bed with another man. How could I have such a narrow, one side view? I was certain I couldn't ever accept the old adage of 'what's good for the goose is good for the gander', but even knowing how unfair that was to them I just couldn't stop feeling the way I did. I was fucked up and I knew it.

I pulled out into traffic and then told them as solemnly as I felt, "We really need to talk. I don't know what I'm doing here. It's as if I have no control over what's happening. My biggest fear is that I'll do something stupid that will cause one of you to stop loving me. I'm just so confused. I can't even begin to imagine how the three of you are willing to share me when I know I'd go absolutely crazy if I had to share any one of you with another man. How fair is that! Talk about a chauvinistic pig, I really take the cake. It seems so unfair, no, not seems, it is unfair but I can't stop feeling the way I do any more than I could stop loving any one you. I keep wondering how long it will take for you three to realize just how inequitable this situation is for you all?"

"Sam," Jen said softly. "Fidelity is a choice and we choose to be true to you. So why don't you let us decide what's inequitable and what isn't. We know how you feel and you haven't heard us complaining have you? You're kind, sweet, caring, thoughtful, and lovable. Even if you had a hundred women I would rather be with you than with my ex-husband on our best days."

Vicky leaned over the seat and kissed me on the cheek, "I already told you there's nothing you could ever do that will change the way I feel about you."

Kim scooted over until we were seated hip to hip. She threw her arm across my shoulders and said, "I know you're confused baby, we all are. But we love you. That's the one constant in all this. If Dana Peel is one more, then she's one more. Hey, talk about confusion, if anybody would have told me a few weeks ago that I'd be in love and living with a man that had two other wives I would have told them they were out of their fucking mind. But here I am, and loving every minute of it. So don't fret sweetheart, me, Jen and Vicky have your back."

"You know," I said feeling better but still a little tentative. "This is at a minimum the third time that you three have eased my fears. I don't know what to say ... sometimes I just can't help feeling like a man that has been given the temporary loan of a three million dollar, hundred foot luxury yacht knowing it will be taken away from him in a year."

"Now that is something we need to talk about." Jen said sternly. "I swear Sam sometimes you act more like a teenager than someone your own age. That's the one thing you do that does disturb us; your insecurity with our relationship. Are you looking for a guarantee that we will love you forever? If so that's a problem. You know as well as we do that there are no guarantees with love. Vicky, Kim and I have talked about it and we're all concerned with you getting so damned depressed every time you think you've done something to displease us. Accept the fact that we all love you, want to be with you, want to make love with you, are willing to share you, and that we have no plans, or desires of going to bed with anyone else. That being said, except it as fact and although it's not a guarantee what we will do is to promise to tell you immediately if you do something to piss us off. So, if we haven't told you straight out then we're just screwing with you. Okay?"

"You three are more like a three hundred million dollar luxury yacht." I told them meaning every word. "I promise to do better and not do the depression thing now that I know it worries you." Then turning my head briefly looking from one to the other I said, "You have no idea how much I'd like to have you guys naked right now so I could ravage your sexy bodies."

"Speaking of ravaging bodies," Vicky said with humor. "You never answered Kim's question. Is Dana Peel number four?"

I told them about Dana's and my conversation and how I had suggested to her that we stay away from one another for a while to see if the magic we felt for each other would either go away or at the very least diminish a little.

"You love Dana don't you?" Kim asked but then added before I could answer. "Don't answer that, that's a silly question, if course you love her. You suggested staying apart because you thought she would negatively affect your relationship with us. That's what Jen was talking about you being caring, thoughtful and sweet. We practically gave you Carte Blanche with Dana Peel at the bar, and yet even with the way you felt about her you refused to take the risk because it might hurt us." Then she laughed and said, "Oh Sam, what's one more pussy in our bed? Christ! I'm already blending my life with two other's as it is."

As soon as we got back to the Hollywood Hills house I managed to talk them into getting naked and joining me in the hot-tub. I spent the next three hours showing them just how much I appreciated their understanding by using my mouth, tongue, lips, fingers, feet, and cock. Don't ask about the feet thing it was a little kinky.

By the time we got out of the hot-tub I looked like a prune. A well satisfied prune to be sure, but a prune none the less.

I was downstairs fixing dinner, I had insisted on cooking for them, when the phone rang. I picked it up and after saying "Yes?" into the mouthpiece I heard Dana's sweet voice. "Sam? Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me. Who did you expect? Tell me you didn't expect to find another man here."

"Okay. I didn't expect to find another man there."

"Funny." I responded.

"I talked to a locksmith the agency has used before. He wanted to know the brand name of the wall safe."

"Hang on. I'll go check." I told her then after setting down the phone I went into the study, opened the panel and read the name and wrote down the model number of the safe.

When I got back to the phone Vicky was chatting with Dana as if they were long lost friends.

"Here he is. Talk to you later Dana. Bye." Vicky said into the phone then she held it out to me.

"What did you say to her?" I asked Vicky while taking the phone from her outstretched hand.

"I told her that when you were fucking me in the hot-tub your cock was bigger and harder than I'd ever seen it before and that I thought it was that way because you were thinking of her while doing it to me." Then she scampered away laughing. Women!

"Hi Dana." I said into the phone.

"Did you get the brand and model number?"

"Yeah, it's a Fire Fyter, model number FF3500. Fighter is spelled F-y-t-e-r." I told her.

"Oh, good. Fire Fyter is one of the brands he said he had the tools for."

"So did you talk with that prick boss of yours?"

"Yeah, Candy and I talked to him. He was neutral telling us to go ahead but it was obvious he didn't think it would amount to anything. His attitude is if a woman Agent found it, it had to be worthless. Anything worthwhile will be discovered by someone with a pair of balls dangling between their legs. What a pig!"

"I'm sorry. Maybe after you break this thing wide open he'll start thinking differently?"

"I doubt it. Once a pig always a pig. Anyway, I can be over with the safe guy on Wednesday around ten am if that's good."

"Yeah, that's fine. See ya then."

"Ah, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"How's the magic?"

I didn't know how best to answer that question at first, but then I decided to be truthful. I'd never intentionally lied too or kept secrets from Vicky, Jen or Kim and I wouldn't do any less for Dana. "Stronger. I love you Dana. I want nothing more than to hold you right now."

"Me too Sam. Looks like your staying apart theory is crap."

"Yeah, looks like."

"Ah, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Vicky told me that all your women would welcome me with open arms into your little club."

"I know. It's just that I feel so guilty like I'm keeping them from finding a normal life. You know, a husband, kids, white picket fence. I don't want to put you through that. Dana, you have your whole life ahead of you. You're a smart woman and with your looks and charm you'll have the pick of the litter of a million good, successful men that will love and cherish you the way you deserve. I don't want to take that away from you."

"Vicky also told me you'd say that. She's a lot older than she looks. Listen Sam, I know you're only telling me what you think is best for me, but please don't assume reasonability for my life. I'll decide what's best for me, and I'll decide who I love, and who I want to be with. Granted this isn't a husband, kids, and white picket fence but I know with all my heart it's what I want ... if you'll have me."

"Have you? My God Dana, it's you that would have me."

"I know. See you on Wednesday."

"Not till Wednesday! Maybe we could..." Just conversing with her had changed my mind completely. I wanted to love her and her me.

"Wednesday," she interrupted. "I want you to think about this conversation. I don't want you feeling any guilt when I give myself to you."

"Okay." I answered but I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"Bye. I love you." She said.

"And I love you Dana." I replied softly and then we hung up and I felt a loss.

Over the next couple of days I did what Dana had suggested and thought about our conversation. I came to the conclusion that I would accept Dana on any terms. I loved her and wanted to be with her regardless of any misgivings I felt. I knew my decision was selfish but just as it was with Jen, Vicky and Kim I realized I couldn't live without her. That decided my mind was at peace.

The girls never asked me about Dana but there was no question in my mind that they knew Dana was destined to become wife number four by their demeanor.

We transferred all the guns from the hidden closet into one of the spare bedrooms and I counted the hours until Wednesday. Then on Monday I was tinkering around with the indoor garden trying to decide how many flower peddles I could safely pluck and spread out on our bed as a surprise for my three gorgeous lovers without making the garden look like a desert when Patricia interrupted me.

"Excuse me Mr. Sam. May I talk with you for a moment sir?"

"Of course Pat." I answered standing up. "Let's go have a seat at the table."

Once Pat was seated I asked if she wanted something to drink. She declined so I took a seat next to her and asked, "So, what up Pat?"

"Well sir, not wishing to take any liberties or anything but I have a friend that is in trouble sir and I was just wondering if you knew of anybody that might be in need of some domestic help?"

"Exactly what kind of trouble is this friend of yours in?" I asked.

"Well sir, if she doesn't find permanent employment soon I'm afraid she'll be deported and that would be most disastrous for her sir."

Despite the insistence of the girls and me that Patricia think of herself as part of our family she just couldn't get away from calling me Mr. Sam or sir and calling the girls ma'am always thinking of herself as something less than us, so I knew with her having taken the initiative to come forward the way she had that she considered this problem with her friend very significant. I also considered that whatever the problem was if it was that important to Patricia then perhaps it was important enough that the girls and I consider hiring Patricia's friend to take care of our beach house thereby solving the employment problem.

I smiled, "Pat you should know by now that I don't make any decisions around here without talking with the girls first. Why don't you wait here and I'll go round them up and then we'll all sit down together and talk about your friend's problem and see if we can find a solution together. Okay?"

"Yes sir. Thank you Mr. Sam."

"Don't worry Pat I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something." I assured her as I got up and squeezed her shoulder gently.

Ten minutes later I had rounded everyone up and after we were all seated around the dining table I said, "Pat asked me if we knew of anybody that needed the services of a housekeeper. Apparently a friend of hers needs to find work right away or she might be deported. I was thinking, only if you all agreed of course, that after we've meet with this friend of Pat's maybe we could hire her to look after the beach house for us."

"So who is this friend of yours Pat?" Kim asked.

"Her name is Maria Méndez, she is now eighteen years old and she comes from a small community just outside of Mexico City. When Maria was sixteen the police came to her home and murdered her father and then took her away to prison without cause. I came to know Maria through my sister Fiona. Fiona is a nun from a convent administered by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Well, Fiona just happened to be doing missionary work in Mexico City when she heard of dear Maria's plight. Using connections she had through the church Fiona somehow managed to get Maria out of that prison and eventually into the United States with a temporary work visa. Maria stayed with me in my apartment and worked with me cleaning houses for a year, while improving her skills with the English language and learning American culture, and then eventually I found her a position caring, cooking and cleaning for an invalid woman and her elderly husband. Maria lived in their home and received a small wage along with room and board. Two weeks ago that invalid woman passed on and because the woman's husband was well into his eighties he decided to enter a rest home leaving Maria unemployed meaning that the government may quickly revoke her visa. I just thought if you knew of anybody that could use her help until Fiona and I can somehow manage to get Maria some more permanent immigration papers..." Patricia's words trailed off.

"Let's talk to her Sam. If she's nice and we can help her out let's do it." Vicky gave her opinion.

"I agree." Jen concurred with Vicky.

"I'd try to help if for no other reason than Pat asked us." Kim said getting up and kissing Patricia on the cheek. "So, where is this Maria staying right now?"

"She had to move back into my little apartment ma'am. She's at the apartment now. If immigration were to find out she's living in such a small place I don't think they would approve ma'am." Patricia answered.

"Why don't you and I take a drive over to your place and we'll bring Maria back here so we can all get to know her?" Kim suggested to Patricia.

"Yes ma'am that would be very nice thank you." Patricia agreed smiling and seeming somewhat relieved. "Thank you all."

When Kim and Patricia returned with Maria I didn't know what I had expected but it certainly wasn't the tall, slender, graceful, and good-looking Hispanic female that followed them into the dining room. When I stood up to greet her I noticed that I was only two or three inches taller than she was. Maria Méndez was at least five foot nine or ten inches tall with curves in all the right places and she handled her height with elegance and grace. She had a light-olive complexion, high cheekbones, and jet black, long, straight hair, but it was her eyes that fascinated me the most; they were a pale blue the color of a late autumn sky. She was dressed in a tan, willowy, mid-thigh length dress and she looked as nervous as Madonna in church.

We all introduced ourselves and Kim offered both Maria and Patricia a seat at the dining table. While we had waited for Kim's return Jen had made a large pot of hot tea which she served to all of us along with a plate of finger cookies.

"Maria," Patricia started out, "like I told you dear these people are my friends as well as my employers. I know they will do whatever they are able to help us. Why don't you first tell them what happened to you in Mexico, so they can understand why you are so frightened to ever go back there."

Maria looked around the table nervously, smiled weakly and told us her story. Her voice was soft and pleasant with a Spanish accent and even a tiny twinge of Irish mixed in.

"When I was sixteen I lived with my father on his farm. One day the farm was raided by the Federal Preventive Police. They killed my father and took all our belongings and money. They forced me against the wall with my hands at the nape of my neck, struck my head with the nightstick. They held me up and in front of a camera and questioned me about my political affiliation, my address, my name and the names of my immediate family members. Subsequently I was taken from the house and seated on the sidewalk. There were many more people around me. I had to cover my head and face with my sweater, as they struck me repeatedly on the head with clubs and kicks to my buttocks and back. They caused a six-centimeter head injury.

"Minutes later they made me walk between two rows of police officers escorting me to the bus in which they would transfer us. They went on beating me all the way to the bus and inside there were many handcuffed people with their heads covered, stacked on top of each other. They placed me on top of the pile and later they dragged me toward the rear seat, there a policeman put his hand inside my blouse and tore of my brassier then he squeezed and pinched my breasts. Immediately, he put his hand inside my pants and started feeling between my legs, forcing his fingers inside me. I found myself on my stomach with my face covered and they pulled my pants and underwear down to the ankles and my blouse over my head. They slapped my buttocks with their hands hard, shouting at me that they were going to rape me real good and then kill me.

"Then a policeman shouted at me to call him 'cowboy' and he smacked my bottom with his hand even more violently than before, and he didn't stop until he heard me say what he had told me to say. I called him cowboy and he spread my legs apart and penetrated my vagina with his fingers while squeezing my breasts hard, then he violently pinched my nipples. He invited another policeman to do the same which he did and all the while the first one continued spanking me. Later they invited a third person over to me who they called boss, this last one penetrated me with some object I could not see and they threatened to rape me with their members. They lifted me up above the penis of one of them and he rubbed himself against my vagina and buttocks while the other two police officers played with my breasts and encouraged him to penetrate me with his penis, but he did not do it. They repeatedly struck me on my breasts and they struck my stomach while they kissed me on the mouth. How I resisted! The punches were so hard that I finally open my mouth so the policeman could put his tongue in my mouth.

"I was naked for the entire journey and then when it was dark one of them raped me! After he had ejaculated inside me another one turned me over and shoved his penis inside my rear end and raped me there. While he was raping me there the third one pulled up my head and forced his penis inside my mouth. Both men ejaculated at about the same time one in my rear and the other inside my mouth. Then they threw me naked on top of two more people while a policeman traveled seated on my back fondling all my private parts the entire time until we arrived at the prison and they permitted me to dress and I was lowered down off the bus."

All I could think was, 'Deja Vu'. I remembered reading a similar story taking place near Mexico City in 2004 or 2005 when the Mexican government decided it wanting the land or something.

Mira then summarized the abuse she had received at the hands of police, "PFP and State Police stripped me, sexually raped me, and beat me, and forced me to travel nude for approximately four hours. They beat and abused all of the people who were on the bus raping a number of other women as well. I know if Fiona had not come for me I would be dead this day, and then later without all the help Patricia has given to me I just do not know. I am so very grateful, I..." and then she broke down, covered her face with her hands and started crying.

All four women got up and encircled Maria trying to comfort her with gentle strokes of their hands and kind soft words. Me, I remained rooted fast right where I was sitting. After hearing Maria's story a bright red flag had gone up, beautiful young woman, troubled past, had been raped. My plan was to stay as far away from Maria Méndez as was humanly possible.

After they had gotten Maria calmed down the girls returned to their seats and Kim said, "Maria please try not to worry too much. We're not going to let anyone send you back to Mexico. And until you get your papers we'll help in any way we can." Then turning to Jen, then to Vicky and finally to me she said, "Won't we?"

Jen spoke up first. "Absolutely we will! You'll see Maria, why you'll love living at the beach house, and the work won't be all that much. You can pick any bedroom you want as your own with the exception of the one we use."