Chapter 19

Jack closed his eyes and savored the heavenly explosion of flavor in his mouth. The crispy, toasted coconut breading, the tangy citrus of the dipping sauce, the succulent, tender shrimp meat. Abigail chuckled, but he ignored her, chewing slowly in an exaggerated show of enjoying his birthday meal.

"You think you're sexy when you make love to your food," Abigail said, "But you're not."

Allison giggled. "I think he is."

He swallowed his bite, cracked one eye to locate his water glass, and then peeked at his wife as he took a drink. He put the glass down with a satisfied sigh and smiled at Abigail.

"Are you jealous yet?"

Abigail rolled her eyes, but their sparkle and her little smile gave away her true feelings. He arched an eyebrow as he glanced over to Allison. She waggled her eyebrows before he could, and that made him laugh.

"Thanks for bringing me to Bahama Breeze for my birthday," he said.

"It was Allison's idea. She's the one hell bent on adding to your waistline." Abigail popped a forkful of summer squash and yellow rice into her mouth.

Jack leaned back and patted his stomach. "Maybe she doesn't think I'm enough of a man."

"Mmmm," Allison hummed happily around her bite of food, "You are definitely enough of a man."

She reached down to her lap to grab her napkin, or so Jack thought. A moment later, her hand landed on his crotch and squeezed. He jerked in surprise. Allison smiled at him innocently. This time Abigail laughed.

The two girls excused themselves to go to the restroom, ignoring Jack's joke about the buddy system. He admired the view as they meandered their way between the tables. Judging by the craning necks of many of the men, and even some of the women, he was not the only one enjoying their presence.

Both girls were amazingly sexy tonight. Abigail wore a wraparound skirt that parted just right so her sexy long leg was often bare to the upper thigh. Her blouse was gathered and darted so as to hug tightly from her waist to just under her healthy breasts, where the fabric expanded to encase the large swells. She left the top few buttons undone, exposing a glorious expanse of flesh that surrounded a deep valley of cleavage. When she moved just right, Jack could make out an edge of red lace behind her blouse.

Allison wore a loose, pleated skirt that stopped mid-thigh and seemed to flare up when she turned quickly or when she swished her hips from side to side, something she seemed to be doing a lot of this night. Her tight, short-sleeved sweater stopped just short of her skirt, giving tempting glimpses of her belly button and exposing just a hint of soft skin. The soft fabric clung fabulously to her breasts and accentuated their firm perkiness.

Both girls wore just enough makeup to look fresh and sexy, and they had almost identical hairstyles: long brown waves tucked behind their ears with bangs that seductively covered one eye. Jack realized that he was in a perpetual state of semi-hardness. He turned his attention back to the food and away from his desired dessert. The girls eventually returned, still drawing appreciative looks from the other diners. They resumed their dinners, and talk among the three was casual, until Abigail cleared her throat and set her fork down. She put her hands in her lap and looked at Jack.

"Jack, I wanted to talk about something that is important to me, to us." Jack was instantly curious about what could be so serious. "We've talked about it before, and since I've decided against more fertility treatments--"

"WE'VE decided against more," Jack said firmly, looking to Allison for support. She nodded in agreement. Jack wasn't about to let Abigail take the burden of the decision on herself.

Abigail smiled. "We've decided against more fertility treatments, yes. Anyway, I thought now might be a good time to discuss adoption."

Jack slowly chewed his food. They had discussed it before, but given the craziness of their lives, he kind of set thinking about it aside. Abigail was now broaching the subject again.

"OK," he said, "I know this is something you've always wanted to consider, even before we knew having children of our own would be ... a challenge. Do you still feel the same way?"

Abigail nodded. "Absolutely, even more so now, actually. I may not be able to conceive my own child, but I've always felt there is more than one way to form a family. I mean, look at the three of us."

Jack did. Abigail seemed hopeful, which just about sold him on the concept of adoption. Allison seemed interested in the discussion, almost thoughtful. They had formed a unique family; no one would consider them "traditional." Adopting children wouldn't likely bring any more raised eyebrows.

"Good point," he said. "I have to admit, the concept of raising children, no matter how they came to be mine, is definitely enticing." Abigail looked relieved. "But, I don't really know enough to make a definitive decision. How do we go about finding a child? Do we just contact an agency?"

"That's one way. There are lots of agencies; some specialize in domestic adoptions, some international. Some focus on infants only, others on children of all ages. Plus, there's always the state-run social service, which has its own adoption program."

"How do you know which to choose?"

"Well, you research to find the one whose policies work for you, the one that has a program that you find agreeable. There are some things to consider, though. Cost, for one. Some agencies are pretty expensive, but I'm not sure I want to risk my chance for a family on the one that offers the cheapest service. Plus, I've read that there is a mountain of paperwork to fill out, some pretty invasive to your privacy. I've read that it can be emotionally taxing to be asked to bare your feelings and then have them scrutinized so thoroughly, only to have an adoption fall through."

Jack frowned. "You sure don't make a good sales pitch."

Abigail shrugged. "I think it's important for us to look at all the positives and negatives before we decide. I mean, can we handle the emotional roller coaster? That might be the biggest question."

Jack was quiet for a minute. "No, I think the biggest question is do we believe that having a child to raise and love would be worth whatever it takes."

Abigail opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. She looked introspective. Jack turned to Allison, who had been quiet through the whole discussion. She also appeared introspective.

"What about you, Allie? You have a say in this, too. What do you think?"

Allison seemed uncomfortable being asked, and she didn't answer at first. Finally, she looked up at Jack and Abigail.

"What if there was ... another option?"

"Such as?" Jack asked.

Allison reached out and took Abigail's hand. "Hear me out before you say anything, OK? And just know that I love you and only want for you to be happy. Hopefully, you'll see this idea for what it is: a loving gesture."

Abigail started to speak again, but Allison held up her hand to cut her off. Jack was pretty sure where this was going.

"I ... I want to have a baby," Allison said quietly. Abigail gasped, so Allison trudged on. "But it won't be my baby; it would be YOUR baby. I mean, Jack and I would be the biological parents, but you would be his or her mother. You would name the child and raise it and we wouldn't even have to tell the child I was the biological mother and I'd just be Aunt Allison and it would be as close to being your biological child as could be without actually being so. Then you wouldn't have to worry about an agency or red tape, and intrusive home studies and stuff and we'd just go to a lawyer and sign the necessary papers and it would be done. You'd be the mother."

Allison finally wound down. Jack had watched Abigail during Allison's whole pitch. At one point, early on, her expression became angry, almost as if she felt Allison was trying to magnify the fact that she likely could conceive a child and Abigail couldn't. But almost as quickly as it came, it was gone, and her expression softened to one of love and affection. So, Jack was a bit surprised by Abigail's response.

"Oh, Allie, Baby, that is so sweet, but ... no."

"Wait, Abbie," Allison pleaded, "Don't just say no until you think about it for a bit."

"I don't need to think about it." Abigail put her other hand on top of the one joined with Allison's. "Allison, I love you so much. But I just can't do that. I want your babies, all of them, to belong to you, even if..." She glanced at Jack. " ... especially if Jack is the father."

"But, Abigail..."

"Besides," Abigail said, cutting Allison off. "You are entirely too young to consider babies. You have a year of high school left, then college, and I'm not sure pregnancy and soccer will mix well."

Jack saw the hurt in Allison's eyes, but he had to agree with Abigail.

"Allie, you have a chance to get a full ride to a good school to play soccer. Plus, I don't think it would be as easy emotionally to let go of the child as you think."

Allison sighed, her expression sad. "I ... I guess you're right."

Abigail leaned over and hugged Allison. "But I love you even more for your offer. Thank you."

The conversation was quieter after that, each lost in their thoughts. As the meal drew to a close, Abigail tried to lighten things up.

"Do you think they do that obnoxious birthday singing and free dessert here?"

Allison smiled. "I'll check." She pushed her chair out as if she was going to stand.

"You do, and I'm divorcing you and breaking up with you," Jack growled, as he looked at Abigail and Allison, respectively.

Abigail sighed dramatically. "Oh, all right. You are such a party pooper."

"Then we'll just have to take care of your dessert ourselves," Allison said. "Shall we give you a hint of what it might be?"

"I think I have an idea," Jack said with a grin.

Without another word, both girls reached down into their laps for a second and brought their hand back to the table. Each girl clutched something in their fist, and from the flash of lacy red in Abigail's hand and the satiny black in Allison's, he knew exactly what they were.

"Oh, shit," he said, under his breath.

"You know, it feels liberating knowing I don't have any panties on," Abigail said, as she laid the panties on the table and began to smooth them into shape.

"Not to mention the fact that the cool breeze between my legs is making me horny," Allison replied, also smoothing her panties into shape.

Jack's cock strained in his slacks, anxious to be freed so it could go prowling. He noticed the slight pink in Abigail's cheeks and the excited shimmer in Allison's eyes. Jack glanced up behind the girls and grinned.

"Did you save room for dessert ... uhhh..."

Both girls' eyes shot up to their server, a college-aged guy who stared dumbfounded at the two panties that were on display at the table. Allison giggled and Abigail averted her eyes, and both blushed down to the necklines of their sexy tops.

Jack grinned up at the server until he caught his attention. The guy gawked at the two girls instead. When he looked at Jack, he blushed, and Jack waggled his eyebrows. The guy smiled.

"Never mind, I'll just bring your check."

The ride home was one big tease. Jack drove, and the girls made out in the back seat, complete with lots of fondling, heavy breathing, and exaggerated moans. One would occasionally lean forward and grab Jack's swollen prick through his pants. They made it inside the apartment and closed the door before Jack attacked. Allison broke free with a squeal and raced to their bedroom.

Abigail wasn't so lucky. Jack's arms went around her instantly, a hand squeezing each of her breasts as he gnawed on her neck. Then, he turned her and pushed her against the wall, making quick work of her blouse and bra, mauling her breasts with his hands while attacking her mouth with his. She bit his lip hard.

"OW, dammit," he groaned, but his concentration was disrupted enough for Abigail to squirm loose, and she disappeared around the corner, laughing as she went.

Jack paused to catch his breath. He was incredibly horny, so he disrobed on his way to their room. He shoved the door of the room open to find Allison sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet on the floor, and her skirt bunched up around her waist. Abigail was on all fours on the floor, her long mane of hair obscuring Allison's middle as Abigail's head moved frantically back and forth. Allison leaned back on one hand, the other pinching and twisting her nipple, and from the look on Allison's face, Abigail was doing a masterful job of feasting on the younger sister's pussy.

Jack didn't hesitate. He dropped to his knees behind Abigail and flipped her long skirt up and over her ass, letting it rest on her back. Abigail's crinkled butthole winked at him from its place above her pussy, like the dot of the 'i'. She whimpered into Allison's crotch when the cool air hit her labia, and again when Jack grabbed her hips, digging his fingers into her flesh.

"Oh ... uuunghOOOH, FUUUCK!" she wailed, as he drove his thick cock into her quivering channel. Allison groaned in sympathy, then Jack was fucking full bore, driving his shaft into his wife hard and fast, over and over again. Every few thrusts, Abigail would raise her head enough to grunt and curse, before diving back into Allison's snatch. Allison was obviously drawing close, as evidenced by her own moans, and in frustration, she grabbed Abigail's head with both hands and held her sister's face tight against her crotch.

"Eat me, big sister ... oh, God, soo nice ... soo nice..."

The younger girl started grinding against Abigail's face. It was only a matter of minutes before Allison threw her head back.

"Eeeee!!" she squealed as she came, her body jerking and convulsing in pleasure. The scene was so erotic that Jack vaulted the threshold of no return. A series of hard, fast thrusts and then he surged forward and froze, his cock recoiling and belching large wads of come deep into his wife's pussy.

"Oh, FUCK!!!" he howled as he came, his tension evacuating through his prick. He felt Abigail's fingers between her legs rubbing her own clit and occasionally poking his balls, and then her tunnel clamped down on his shaft.

"Holy fucking Mary mother of God!!! ... unnnngh, GAWWWD!!!" she wailed into Allison's crotch as her body rocked and flailed on Jack's dick. Jack shuddered as her walls milked his spurting cock.

And then just like that, the trio collapsed, gasping for breath. Allison flopped back on the bed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Abigail lay sprawled out underneath Jack, her pussy holding fast to Jack's cock as he tried to hold himself off her with his quivering arms.

"Oh my God," Abigail gasped.

Jack chuckled and slowly pulled out, rolling onto his side beside Abigail. "Happy birthday to me," he panted.

That brought a laugh from both girls. After a few minutes, he helped Abigail up and the girls stripped naked. The tryst continued with considerably less intensity, but no less passion ... at least for two of them. As Jack made love to Allison later, he noticed she seemed to just be going through the motions. She made the right sounds and even returned Abigail's passionate kisses, but she just seemed ... distant. Jack held off as long as he could, waiting for her to come again, but it was no use. Even with Abigail's help rubbing and fondling their young lover, Jack finished first, thrust up and pumped his second load of come into Allison.

As they fell asleep, Jack watched Allison with a frown. Something was wrong.

Abigail stifled a yawn and kept proofreading the new Family Resource Packet, a folder containing multiple pieces of literature outlining various hospital and community resources for families of patients.

"Should we take a break, Abigail?"

Abigail looked up at Fran, who was helping her proofread. She smiled at the older woman.

"No, I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"Short night?" Fran asked.

Abigail blushed. Short night, indeed. They'd celebrated Jack's birthday the way her perpetually horny husband liked best: hot, sustained sex. Had they stopped after they all drifted off to sleep, things wouldn't be so bad. But Jack woke up in the middle of the night spooned against her and poked her butt with a new erection. She lifted one leg and welcomed him from behind, then tried to rouse Allison. The younger girl groused a bit and refused to wake fully, so the husband and wife left her alone and achieved marital bliss, the two making languorous love, not only with their bodies, but also with their minds. It took so long for them to finish that Abigail's night was really disrupted, and she was now happily paying the price.

As they worked, Abigail let her mind drift back to the topic of children, a topic that never strayed far from her consciousness. She tried to focus on adoption, but found it hard to keep her thoughts away from Allison's offer to, in essence, be a surrogate for Abigail. Abigail had mixed feelings about it. What she knew beyond a doubt was that she would never take Allison's children away from her. It wouldn't be right for ANYONE, and deep in Abigail's heart, she longed to see her young sister and lover someday swollen with child; a child that was part Allison and part Jack. Abigail loved these two special people so much that she absolutely approved of that union. But could Abigail be content just to be the aunt?

"This is so well done, Abigail," Fran praised, drawing Abigail's attention again. "We've been sorely in need of something like this."

"Well, the concept isn't entirely new. I found that a lot of these flyers and brochures already existed in some form, but they were scattered throughout the different departments. Our team consolidated them, improved some, added others, and voila! Here we are."

"Well, I like it," Fran said, as she smiled.

Abigail felt a warmth wash over her. After the awkward start of their working relationship, Fran had warmed up considerably, and now seemed comfortable with Abigail's casual, friendly nature. She also seemed more relaxed and even happier. Her boss smiling was a welcome sight to Abigail.

Fran put her red pen down and sat up straighter--impressive considering her already board-like posture. She watched Abigail read for a few seconds.

"Seriously, Abigail, let's take a break. I hate to admit this, but my eyes aren't as young as they used to be, and the strain is a bit much."

"Alright, but I insist on you letting me buy you some coffee at the café. Lord knows I need one." As if on cue, she stifled another yawn.

Fran smiled again. "If you insist."

Abigail grabbed her wallet as they passed her office and walked silently to the cafeteria. They remained silent as they got their coffee and found a seat on a bench in the courtyard. The typical spring overcast sky didn't darken Abigail's mood, and she and Fran silently sipped their hot drinks. After a few minutes, Abigail began to watch Fran. Everything about the older woman seemed ... tight. Her posture was tight, as were her movements and facial expressions. Her lips were in a perpetual tight line and her hair was pulled back into a bun so tightly that Abigail marveled that the individual hairs didn't pull out at the roots. Even Fran's speech was tight. She rarely spoke with emotion, keeping her speech almost monotone, and her conversations rarely held wasted words. In other words, Fran was tight, like a spring getting ready to pop.

That was largely why Abigail looked for opportunities to pull Fran away from work and steer her into casual conversation. When Fran let go, she seemed to relax and was a very pleasant person. Abigail considered it a small victory that Fran recommended the break this time. She decided to test the waters again.

"So, Fran, how are things, outside of work, I mean."

Fran tensed, though not as much as usual. Even then, she still seemed to pick her words carefully.

"They are ... quiet."

"Is that good or bad?" Abigail asked, intrigued by the choice of descriptors.

"Oh, good," Fran replied quickly. "Quiet is good. My constitution can't really handle a whole lot of excitement."

Abigail nodded and took another sip while she dissected that comment. Her constitution? Fran often commented negatively about her age. Was this another similar comment?

"How is Margie? I hope she's well."

Fran didn't respond right away. Instead, she moved her coffee cup to her other hand and wiped the first on her straight, tweed skirt. Fran had only mentioned her domestic partner once, and it was way back in the fall. The couple seemed to be dealing with some issues, but what, Abigail didn't know.

"She's in good spirits, thank you for asking. She does a wonderful job of keeping me out of the doldrums." Fran chuckled. "Between the two of you, I'm covered 24 hours a day, it seems."

"Covered?"

Fran looked at Abigail and her expression almost appeared soft. "It's hard to get down emotionally with you at the office and Margie at home."

Abigail smiled at the praise. It was praise for something she valued even more than the good work Fran had previously praised.

"I'm glad. Life is too short to spend it being depressed."

Fran looked thoughtful at Abigail's comment. "You know, I would have to agree, at least right now. With the treatments working well, it's hard not to feel hope for the future."

'A-HA!' Abigail exclaimed mentally. Now she was getting somewhere. Could these "treatments" be the mysterious source of Fran's bitchiness during the fall and early winter?

"Fran, Abigail!"

Both women turned towards the cheery voice. Clair Barlow was walking towards them, a slim briefcase in hand and a dazzling smile on her face. The perpetually optimistic Director of Social Services had been the first person from the hospital to interview Abigail, albeit for a different position. Abigail was overqualified for that position, but Clair pushed Abigail's name to fill the position the younger woman now occupied. The two had worked together on a couple of projects, and Abigail had begun to develop an almost mother/daughter relationship with her.

Abigail smiled. "Hello, Clair! Have a seat." She motioned to the open spot on the bench on the other side of Fran.

"Oh, I can't. I'm off to convince the CEO of the wisdom of my most recent staffing change. He seems to think I'm recommending the change for the sake of making a change. He says he bases his logic on years of unending home remodeling I've subjected him to."

Abigail laughed. Clair was also the wife of Donald Barlow, the CEO of Overlake.

"I'm sure you'll find a way to convince him," Abigail said.

"Well, I have a secret weapon," Clair said with a wink. "My most recent remodel included an upgrade of our ancient kitchen appliances, and he would be completely lost with all those buttons and lights. I'll just threaten to never cook my minestrone again. I'll have him seeing my way within 15 minutes: 14 minutes to tease him with reason, and one minute to threaten."

Abigail laughed again, and even Fran smiled, though Abigail noticed how Fran had stiffened with the arrival of her managerial peer.

"How you are, Fran?" Clair asked.

Fran nodded. "I'm well, thank you, Clair."

"Well, I'm off," Clair said, with a flip of her hand. "Wish me luck! Actually, it might be better to wish Don luck."

She strode away, leaving Abigail and Fran in her wake. Fran cleared her throat.

"Well, I guess we should get back to work." She stood and dropped her cup in the trash receptacle and waited for Abigail to do the same, then they walked back to Fran's office in silence. Abigail recognized that the mood that was directing their early personal conversation was gone, but she resolved to get it back soon. "Treatments" implied something big might be going on in Fran's life. But were the treatments for Margie ... or Fran?

"Hi, Seth!"

Seth Davis turned and was almost bowled over by a tiny ball of energy.

"Oof..." he grunted, as the wind was temporarily knocked from his lungs. By the time Heidi had kissed his cheek and hooked his arm to walk with him, he was able to catch his breath. "Hey, Heidi."

"What are we going to do tonight?" she asked, as she pressed her tiny titties against his arm in a tight hug.

"Oh, um, I actually have some studying to do."

"Sounds great!"

"You know you don't have to spend every evening with me."

It wasn't that Seth didn't want Heidi to spend the evening with him; quite the opposite, in fact. She gave him a coquettish look.

"Don't you like me?" she asked.

'If you only knew, ' he thought. "Of course, but I'm sure you have better things to do then to study with me."

Heidi had become a fixture by his side ever since he and Jack had rescued her from her abusive boyfriend nearly six weeks earlier, and she had adhered to Jack's admonition not to venture out without her roommate, Seth, Jack, or someone they approved of to accompany her. For some reason, she leaned on Seth to coordinate her escorts, which really hadn't been that hard, and as each day wound to a close, Seth became Heidi's companion of choice. She looked to him for protection, entertainment, shelter, food, direction, just about everything. They hung out at his apartment, went out to dinner together, even caught a movie or two.

A sad looked crossed Heidi's face, but quickly disappeared behind her ever-present smile, which Seth had no doubt was a mask.

"What could be better than hanging out with a cute guy in his apartment?" She tapped her chin in thought. "Now, if I could only figure out a way to get you to sleep with me."

Seth tensed. "Heidi, you know--"

"I'm teasing, Seth," she said with an eye-roll. "When I say 'sleep with me', I really mean 'sleep with me.'"

After a couple of weeks, she took to staying pretty late, to the point that she fell asleep on his bed a couple of nights a week. With any other girl, he might have just crawled into bed, too, with hopes of what might transpire during the night. But with Heidi, he felt something different, almost a sense of responsibility, and so his chivalrous self stepped forward and slept on the couch in the front room of his apartment. The first morning Heidi woke by herself in his bed, she was so astonished that he hadn't slept with her, that she hounded him for two days about what she did to upset him. His repeated declarations that he wasn't mad at her finally stopped that line of questioning. She continued to sleep in his bed two or three nights a week, and he continued to sleep on the couch.

What he REALLY wanted to do, however, was exactly what she wanted him to do. He fought an internal war almost constantly; the protector versus the paramour. So far the protector was winning out, but the more she flirted and hinted, the more strength the paramour gained.

Seth cleared his throat. "We've been over this before. It just wouldn't be a good idea."

"Hmph ... says who?" she asked. "Oh, wait, says Mr. Williams, my warden."

"Heidi, come on. He's just looking out for you. Besides, he doesn't even know you are sleeping in my apartment. I guess I'm the one that doesn't think it would be a good idea."

She smirked and caressed his chest. "Why? Don't think you could keep your hands off me?"

'Exactly, ' he thought, as he felt the heat from her hand through his shirt. His cock twitched in attention. They'd reached the bottom of the stairs that led to his apartment, and Seth stopped and turned to Heidi.

"You just need ... time," he answered. "You need to work through everything, really get an idea of what you want."

"What I WANT is to get laid!"

Seth tensed again. A couple had just reached the bottom of the stairs in time to hear her comment. The girl's jaw dropped and she blushed as she dragged her boyfriend past them. The guy grinned and winked at Seth on his way past.

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. You've got to quit being so fixated on sex. You and I both know what might happen if I crawl under those covers with you."

"Why are you being such a spoilsport?" Her eyes opened wide, "Are you gay?"

Seth folded his arms, but didn't respond. Heidi sighed.

"Fine, I'll just go home every night and you can have your precious bed back so you can fuck all those other girls."

Seth ground his teeth in frustration. "Heidi, I don't mind if you want to sleep in my bed. Just ... not with me."

She turned and started up the steps. Seth started after her. She got up two and stopped. She turned around to face Seth, a more serious expression on her face.

"Thanks, Seth," she said quietly. "As frustrating as it is for me, this is one of the reasons why I stay with you, because you're safe. I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

She slipped her arms around his neck. Given the two step difference, her face was just a bit higher than his. Instinctively, Seth's hands fell onto her hips.