Chapter 12

Ben drove Molly's car toward their appointment. "Last winter you were extolling the virtues of driving an older car," Molly remarked. "One advantage of driving a newer one is it's not always going to the shop on a hook."

"New cars break down, too," he replied. "The other day I saw a brand-new BMW getting picked up for shop work." He drove further. "Have you heard from Brittney?"

"She called yesterday. She won't be coming back this week -- Bree wants her to stay on and work out details for the drawings for her first book."

"Then, it sounds like things are going well for her. I imagine illustration is like the work I do -- she doesn't need to be in Boston to do the work."

"Well -- I do hope she's not being set up for disappointment. I know how much this means to her."

Ben pulled the car into a parking spot near a condominium under development. Together they stepped into a sales office. "I'm Ben Moore," he said to the sales agent. "We have an appointment to look at a model."

"Yes," she replied. "You were interested in seeing the Exeter. Come with me." She picked up a latchkey and led them toward a row of townhouses. "The Exeter is an end unit -- very light and airy. We have only two left unsold in the next phase of construction."

"Those would be ready for occupancy this fall?" Molly asked.

"Yes -- we figure around October."

"That fits our calendar," Ben replied.

The agent unlocked the unit and escorted them inside. "This is very nice," Ben remarked.

"The unit comes with a one-stall garage. There are two bedrooms upstairs and a large study downstairs. Both bedrooms have attached baths and the master bath has a whirlpool ... there's a powder room downstairs."

"This would work for Brittney," Molly said as she stepped into the second bedroom. "She could set up a studio in here and have her own space."

"All I need is a place to plug in my laptop," Ben remarked.

"Of course, you would have your choice of carpeting, tile and kitchen cabinets," the agent added.

"Can you see us living here?" Ben asked. "Just think -- heating and air conditioning we can actually control."

"What a concept!"

"Can you show us where the next phase is being built?"

"Well, we've just poured the foundations." The agent locked up the model unit and led them to a section of the construction site. "The two Exeters we have left will be here..." She pointed toward another foundation. "And here."

"Which one has southern exposure?" Ben asked.

"This one," she replied.

"So the second bedroom would get northern light?"

The agent bit her lip and rolled her eyes in thought. "Yes, it would."

"I've heard northern light is best natural light for an artist," Ben remarked.

"I think I've heard that, too," Molly replied.

"Would you like a little more time?" the agent asked.

"We'll take a stroll around the site," Ben replied, "and meet you back at the office."

"Very good, Mr Moore."

Ben watched her head to the sales office. "Well?"

"Oh, Ben -- it's perfect! Can we afford it?"

"Well -- with my latest client list we certainly can. Does this builder check out?"

"Yes -- I ran a search at my office. No problems, no legal claims, no lawsuits, no liens, no tax warrants."

"It sounds like a reputable builder. Are you ready to make a deposit?"

"I am if you are."

"Well -- I came prepared with my checkbook," Ben replied. "Let's go sign some papers. We can stop at Ernie's for dinner."

Ben lay in bed with his back against the headboard. Molly stepped into the bedroom, slipped off her robe and climbed into bed. She lay with her back against his chest and he slipped his arm around her waist. He nuzzled her neck and she giggled. "You seem more mellow since that Sunday night."

"Mmm ... I'm happy, Ben. I like having Brittney in our lives ... don't you?"

"I like her."

"I think you've made a big impact on her life -- and I don't just mean introducing her to Natalie. I think you've shown her -- like you showed me, that a man can be tender and gentle and generous."

"True love is generous," Ben replied. "One of the themes in my great American novel..."

"Which draft?" she asked.

"The only draft ... one theme is a utopian world in which jealousy is banished. Everyone is free to love whoever they want ... as many as they want. I don't believe the human heart can ever be filled with love -- there's always room for more."

"Like with Brittney?" Molly asked. "Having her in my life doesn't mean I love you less. I think I love you more."

"Why?"

"Because you've shown me in word and deed how much importance you place on satisfying my needs ... my happiness."

"I've tried loving the other way and lost," he replied. "I thought I'd try it this way with you." He nuzzled her neck again.

"I really liked what you were doing that Sunday night," she said.

"What, in particular?"

"When I was sitting on you ... you were bigger and harder than I ever remember. I think you enjoyed having Brittney with us."

"She is a cute girl with a nice body," he replied. "I suppose it was a thrill seeing all that female skin. Does that bother you?"

"Uhn-uhn," she said. "It pleases me very much. We were like a family in love -- the whole was better than the sum of the parts. I can't wait 'til she's back and we can do something like that again."

He nuzzled her again. "In the meantime, since we can't do a threesome..."

"Mmmm?"

" ... would you be interested in a twosome?"

"Mmmm..."

"What are you in the mood for? Rough-and-tumble? Drunken monkey? Sloppy squishy?"

She giggled. "How about tender and gentle? That's what you do best."

Ben nuzzled her neck again. He began running the backs of his fingers down her breasts, running each knuckle over her nipples and ending his stroke with squeezing her areolas. "Mmm," she said. "That feels nice. Do that for a while ... Mmmm..." She ran her hands along his thighs and squeezed his knees each time he pinched her nipples.

Ben leaned toward the nightstand. He grasped a bottle of skin creme and poured a blob into his palm. This he transferred to her breasts and massaged her nipples, her skin and his fingers slippery from the lotion.

"Oh, God," she said. "Ohhh ... This feels so good, Ben ... I'm getting that melty feeling again -- it feels like all the tension in my muscles is draining out and pooling here." She pointed to her mons." Ben deepened his massage of her breasts. "I can feel my clit getting big and hard -- it feels like it's going to burst."

Ben looked down at her labia. "Nothing's peeking," he remarked.

"Oh, God -- it feels as big as a golf ball."

"Ready for some oral?"

She shook her head. "Uhn-uhn. Not tonight. I want to do what we did Sunday."

Molly rolled off Ben's lap. He lay flat on his back and grasped his shaft at its base. Molly swung her leg over his body and lowered herself onto him. "Oh, God," she said. "You're in deep again."

"Maybe it's a question of anatomy," he remarked. "When you're sitting like that you get deeper penetration."

"Maybe..."

"It feels like I'm up against a lump inside you -- could that be your cervix?"

"Could be. Now, do what you were doing with your thumb."

Ben ran his hand along her thigh, extended his thumb and pushed it into her slit so he could massage her clitoral shaft and work her glans against his shaft. Molly sat upright, her shoulders back. He adjusted pillows under his shoulders to give himself enough reach so he could fondle her breasts with his left hand as he stroked her clit with his right.

"Oh, God," she said. "This is incredible ... It's building ... it's perfect, Ben. It won't take me long like this it feels so good..." She opened her mouth and began panting through it. Ben could feel her heart pounding and then racing. "Just a little more," she said. "Just like that. Ohhh ... I'm so close..."

Molly bit her lip and groaned. Ben began rocking and rotating his hips to take some friction, and Molly began complementary thrusting against him. She leaned over and worked his nipples with her fingers.

His climax was moments away. He grabbed her around her waist, pushed in deep and groaned as his orgasm sent his sperm into her depths.

Molly lay beside him and caressed his chest. "Oh, Ben ... I think you must've been in just the right spot."

"What do you mean?"

"When you had yours ... I think you must've squirted sperm directly into my uterus."

"What makes you say that?"

"I have this hot, tingly, full sensation deep in my pelvis."

"Oh, gosh, Molly," he replied. "I hope it isn't unpleasant."

"Unpleasant? Not in the least."

Molly stood near the apartment door in her business suit. "I'm off," she said.

Ben hugged her and kissed her. "Have a good day." He watched as she stepped into the corridor and then bolted the door behind her.

He sat at his laptop, making edits to a manuscript. The apartment phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?"

Ben? It's Brittney.

"Brittney -- good to hear from you. Do you have your travel schedule nailed down?"

Yes ... and, no. You see, Ben -- I'm not coming home.

"You're not coming home?"

I mean -- I will have to come home before the end of the month to pack up my personal things ... but then I'm coming back to Brookline.

"Have you found a place there?"

Yes -- with Bree. Oh, Ben -- I am so much in love with her ... and she with me. We hit it off right away. Now she wants me to live with her and be her life partner ... we can work on books. That's going so well, also. Our publisher is right in Boston, so it's convenient. I've been working with the art director there on laying out the pictures for Bree's book ... and picking the font and the text layout, too. It's all so exciting, and the publisher thinks Bree's book is going to be a huge hit. He's even submitting it for consideration for a Caldecott medal. Imagine, Ben -- my work competing for a Caldecott!

"I'm really happy for you, Brittney," Ben replied. "Just to make sure I didn't miss any nuance ... Are you telling me that Bree Winwood is another lesbian?"

Yes, Ben. She told me she knew right away my orientation, just from looking at the scans you sent Natalie. She said only another lesbian could put so much loving detail in my female characters. She said she was so sure of it -- just like she's sure that Michelangelo was gay from seeing his statue of David -- only a gay guy could put such loving detail into a male figure. And we love each other so much. We're soul mates ... kindred spirits. We complement each other perfectly and I'm sure we'll make lovely books together.