Chapter 9: How can one, or even two more matter?

After dropping Clarity off at her house then driving home Vicky caught me as soon as I got through the door, "Talk about starting trouble, you didn't leave a single Olympic high stone unturned."

"The Clarity thing?" I asked giving her a light kiss on the mouth.

"What else." Vicky responded chuckling.

"Hey! You two get in here! We want to hear what's going on." Candy yelled to us, her voice coming from the direction of the living room.

Vicky grabbed my sleeve and guided me toward the living room. "Come master, you're harem awaits." Vicky said holding back a little snicker.

They were all there. I fancied that no man other than me had so many good-looking women in a room together. I couldn't help myself. I went right down the line one after the other kissing each one of them like I meant it. Which I did.

After giving Pat her kiss she quickly kissed me back and then asked, "Are you hungry Mr. Sam? Can I fix you something?"

"No thanks Pat. I had a burger and fries earlier." I answered.

"So, did you rip her clothes off and have your way with her?" Dana asked.

"No I didn't. Not even close. I'll give you all a blow by blow description after Vicky tells me what happened at her school that caused all the turmoil." Then thinking about having used the term 'blow by blow', I quickly looked over at Candy and said, "Don't you even think about it Candy."

She just shrugged her shoulders with a 'who me' innocent look on her face.

"Well let's see," Vicky said placing her hands on her hips. "Clarity broke up with Chad, for good this time it seems, because she found a real man, Jimmy Maxwell. Chad threatened to beat Jimmy Maxwell into dust. Jimmy Maxwell is going to take Clarity on several dates to some very exotic places and all of Clarity's girlfriends are totally jealous threatening to break up the in-crowd clique forever. Heather heard the rumors about Jimmy Maxell dating Clarity and she became so angry that she refused to spend the weekend under the same roof with such a dirty, no good, two timing bastard. Her words not mine."

"Oh, is that all." I said casually.

"No, but that's the front page headlines." Vicky responded.

"So, what about Heather? Did you manage to fix it?" I asked.

Vicky nodded her head, "I took Heather aside and explained that there are some things going on that we are unable to explain right now asking her to have faith and trust in us. She asked me if I still loved Jimmy Maxwell. I told her that I love Jimmy Maxwell with every breath, smile, and tear, of all my life, and with every fiber in my body right down to my very soul itself. Then she asked if this had anything to do with the feelings she'd had at the party that there was more to us than what met the eye. I told her yes, and she asked if we were narks spying for the FBI. I told her no we weren't narks, and that nobody at school was in any trouble other than Chad if he decided to tangle with you because you're a black belt karate master."

"A master no less. So is Heather coming over this weekend or not?" I asked.

"Uh-huh. She'll be here. I think it was the down to my very soul part that got her." Vicky answered.

"Only because it's true," I told her picking her up and turning in a circle with her cradled in my arms. "If it hadn't of been true she would have seen right through your deception. It is true isn't it?"

"You know it is," Vicky said kissing me. "Now put me down so I can act like a woman."

I did, but reluctantly.

"Okay Casanova you're up." Dana said with an evil little grin spread across her lips.

I told them everything in detail from the very first how excided Clarity had been at the A&W drive-in, to her professing her love for only me, and everything in between.

"Wow! Clarity's still a virgin. Who'da thunk?" Vicky exclaimed.

"That makes what will happen to that poor dear girl at that damned party even more traumatizing." Pat pointed out.

"So do you think the threat Chad made to get her drunk and then rape her confirms that he's the one that took her to that party the night she was gang raped?" Kim asked.

"That was my assumption," I answered. "And if that assumption is correct then in theory all we have to do is keep Clarity away from Chad for the next couple of months and it never happens."

"What of this love Mrs. Clarity has for you Mr. Sam?" Maria asked.

"I don't know Maria," I answered honestly. "Hopefully it will wear off in time, or the on again off again thing turns her off."

"Since she obviously wants it, and has even offered, perhaps you should take her virginity long before the time of the party Sam. Her not being a virgin could change everything all by itself perhaps." Candy presented.

"For obvious reasons I'm not real comfortable with that." I answered. "I think just keeping her away from Chad should do it."

"Well, we're putting all our money on it being Chad that actually took her to that party and got her drunk and then shared her with all those other guys." Kim pointed out.

"Agreed, but our buddy Chad sure does fit the profile." Dana surmised.

Jen looked thoughtful when she said, "Hmmm ... if she really is serious about waiting for you, and only you Sam and you don't bed her, I certainly hope she doesn't end up being some sixty year old virgin. That outcome could be nearly as dreadful as the rape itself. And something I tried to explain before is although we all agree the on again off again magic is real, like some love potion number 9 creating instant love, I think there's more to it than just that. Think about it, the love potion has worn off on every one of us in this room long ago, and yet we still love each other. That same thing could happen to Clarity Sam. She may never fall out of love with you and you best face up to it."

"Like just about everything else since I came back in time, that's something I have no control over," I sighed. "All I can do is try to keep Clarity in love with me for the next two months, after that well, we'll have to let fate just run its course I guess."

Things settled down after that for a while.

I called Clarity on Friday night and she told me she would be able to go to San Francisco with me, and she could hardly wait. Would she be seeing me next week? Yes. When? I'd pick her up after school on Wednesday. Not soon enough. Wednesday. Okay. I love you.

Heather spent the weekend and I don't recall the exact circumstance but we did kiss, and there was no magic. However, we did learn from Heather that her father was abusive to her. Not sexually but physically. Apparently Heather's father is a heavy drinker and before Heather's mother passed away, when drunk, he was in the habit of beating his wife severely at least twice or three times a week. Then with the death of her mother he had turned his sadistic attentions to Heather. He never beat Heather where it would show but over the course of the weekend Heather showed us the welts, scars, and bruises on her back, thighs, and buttocks. Heather did not have any other living relatives anywhere so she was stuck.

Now having a maiden in distress on hand, we immediately took up the cause. The girls absolutely refused to allow Heather to return to her home. They had decided that Heather would either move in with us, or she would go under state care. Heather returning home to her father was not an option they would even consider.

So, on Sunday evening we all sat down with Heather and openly explained our living arrangement to her, letting her know if she didn't find it too terribly objectionable we would be very pleased if she would agree to stay with us. Heather had laughed at our confession telling us, "If that big bed of yours hadn't given your little secret away most certainly the way you all look at each other, or how you all accidentally touch one another all the time would have. I think it's wonderful that you feel the way you do and how you cajole one another all the time. I see real true love in this home and to be perfectly honest, I'm even a little jealous."

We also told her that I sometimes went by the name of Sam and she could consider the two name oddity an undercover thing we did from time to time when I helped Dana and Candy out with an investigation. We briefly went over the Creepy case with her and she remembered hearing about it on television and even became a little awed at being in the presents of the people responsible for putting such a terrible man away.

Then after I had assured Heather we would and could deal with her father she told us she would be eternally grateful and accepted our offer to move in.

That Monday Heather stayed home from school and while her father was at work, me, Heather and the FBI picked up all her personal belongs and moved her into one of our spare bedrooms. That evening me and the FBI returned to Heather's old home and confronted her father. We explained very clearly that if he were to ever even attempt to contact Heather without her permission he would find himself behind bars so fast even his shadow wouldn't be able to keep up. Then with the FBI standing right there, I hit the bastard with a full, roundhouse, haymaker knocking him flat on his ass, "That's for Heather, you sick bastard," I told him and then we left.

Apparently Vicky had said something to Heather because right after Heather moved in she started making sure she kissed me at least, but not limited to, once a day. And they weren't those little pecks on the lips or cheek things either. They were full blown, tongue down the throat, curl your toes, and stiffen your groin type kisses. When I questioned Vicky about it she assured me that she had not given away any of our secrets and had only told Heather that kissing me once a day was another of those little things she needed to trust us with. Okay, so how bad could kissing a beautiful young woman at least once a day be? Not that bad I assure you. I just had to pay close attention to what my hands were doing during this ritual.

Tuesday evening I spoke privately with Candy and after hearing what I wanted her to do she laughed and said, "Okay lover boy, but unless she asks, we don't say anything about this to Dana." I agreed and then I kissed her and became very tempted to take her upstairs but was forced to abandon the idea when we were interrupted by Pat who told us, "Naughty. Naughty." And that dinner would be ready in about an hour.

So, before dinner Candy did my bidding and drove over to Neptune's Net, the swanky restaurant in Malibu. After flashing her badge at the night manager she made a reservation for two under the name of Clarity Eldon for 7pm Wednesday evening. Then telling the manager although Miss Eldon may look to be under the legal drinking age in actuality she was twenty-two and was working an undercover sting operation, and could he see to it that his employees did not request to see any identification. The manager assured Candy that he would caution all his employees and there would not be a problem and how very pleased he was that he could help the FBI.

Wednesday afternoon found me once again parked out in front of the high school waiting for Clarity. This time however, instead of coming out followed by her normal clique of in-crowders Clarity was with Vicky and Heather.

I had just gotten out of the Ferrari and had opened the passenger door for Clarity when all three girls approached me. All three of them kissed me, Vicky and Heather on the cheek, Clarity on the mouth.

"Wow!" I laughed, "Am I the BMOC around here or what? With you three knock-outs kissing me like that I'll have more guys after my hide than just Chad. They'll think I'm stealing all the pretty girls."

"You are." All three of them said together laughing.

"Come on Heather there's Pat." Vicky told Heather pointing toward where Pat had just pulled over at the curb. Then to me and Clarity she said, "Have a good time you guys."

"Thank you Vicky." Clarity called out after the two girls now heading toward the Caddy.

As I pulled away I noticed Chad glaring at me in my rear-view mirror. Looser I thought. Well screw you I'm a black belt karate master.

After entering the flow of traffic I turned to Clarity and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, but for what?" She asked.

"For talking to Vicky," I answered turning my eyes to the traffic ahead.

"No, thank you. You were right. I was a stuck-up ... well I don't know what I was. Vicky's so smart, and nice and so much fun to hang with. Thank you."

"Now you're welcome." I said.

"She's still in love with you, you know." Clarity said casually.