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CHAPTER – 33: A Quiet Evening
Kathy woke me up, gently calling my name. With a yawn, I stretched, feeling stiff and sore all around. I managed to sit up with a groan at the effort, my muscles protesting at the slight strain. When my eyes found her, I noticed the concerned expression on her face.
“What did you do?” she asked, with an irate tone.
“Hello to you, too,” I replied, instead of answering her question.
She didn’t take any notice; instead, she repeated her question with an exasperated tone. “Mitch, what did you do? You look like shit.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” I retorted, with a wry grin, but seeing she was losing patience, I added, “I was at the gym, working out.”
“Working out, or trying to kill yourself?” she responded.
She was still angry, and my replies were getting her worked up.
“If I was trying to kill myself, you wouldn’t have the dinner ready, now, would you?” I responded, trying to calm her down.
Her expression softened a bit, and with a concerned tone she said, “You worried me. What did you do with your face? It’s all red, and your beard and moustache...”
“Ahh, that. I wanted to shave it off, but decided to trim it very short. I was under the sunlamp, working on my tan.”
“It looks odd. Why did you?”
“A whim... I was kinda tired of seeing an old guy greet me from the mirror. Does it look really bad?”
“Not too bad, just odd. You need to spend more time under the sunlamp. I guess that’s your plan?”
“Yeah.”
“Any further plans to kill yourself?” she asked, with a motherly tone.
“No, dear mother. I don’t have such plans. I just overdid—trying to catch up.”
“Catching up with what? Weren’t you getting enough exercise?” a familiar voice cut in, with an amused tone, bringing a small smile to Kathy’s face.
I turned to the sound; it was Sarah, grinning at me from the door.
“Jeez, girls! At least give me a second to wake up, will you?”
“You don’t have any right to complain. You worried us, sleeping dead to the world and looking like that,” Kathy retorted, but she still had the faint smile on her lips at Sarah’s quip.
“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m all right. Just tired.”
Trying to change the subject, I asked about Mark.
“He’s going to be late. He said he’d call if he couldn’t make the dinner,” Kathy answered. Turning to Sarah, she said, “I’m going to take a shower. Keep an eye on him, will you?” Then added, “Or your hands, if you prefer.” The last one was delivered with an impish tone, but Sarah didn’t seem to take any notice.
I chuckled at Kathy’s antics. In the meantime, Sarah took a seat next to me. Looking at me critically, she said, “Shave it off completely, otherwise it will take a long time to get rid off the tan lines.” She brushed my cheek, feeling the stubble. “I called you in the afternoon, but you weren’t in. When we walked in and saw you like this, Kathy got really worried. You should cut her some slack. You know how she is,” she reminded me, but she wasn’t really admonishing me.
“Yes, Ma,” I replied, but getting a hurt look, I apologized by kissing her. “What about you? I hope you’re not worried.”
“I wasn’t. I know you can take care of yourself, but you really look tired, Mitch. Why did you push yourself so hard?”
I was considering telling a white lie, but in the end, decided on a partial truth.
“I was feeling stressed and wanted to blow off some steam. And I hadn’t exercised for a long time. Sometimes at the rig, I relieve one of the crewmembers, trying to get a bit of exercise with manual labor to keep in shape, but this last tour, it was too busy. I didn’t get to exercise, barely managing to get some rest. I guess I needed the exercise, because it felt great when I was working out.”
She nodded sympathetically, before asking, “Stressed?”
“I feel restless when I’m not busy with something, without any physical activity,” I said, offering another partial truth.
At my reply, she arched an eyebrow, before it gave way to a mischievous look, and I knew what she was thinking; I could have a different, but much more enjoyable form of exercise... with her.
“You’re bad, Sarah,” I retorted.
“What? I didn’t say anything,” she replied, with an innocent expression on her face.
“No, you didn’t. Do I need to convince you I’m a telepath?”
With a laugh, she gave up the pretense. “No, you don’t need to.” Getting serious, she added, “I think you need a break tonight.”
I really needed a break, because I wasn’t sure what kind of a night I would have. After the short sleep I had a while ago, I might have a restless night. But she sounded hesitant, almost wistful when she was talking about giving me a break.
“We can always cuddle,” I replied.
Despite my words, I was trying to find a way to spend the night alone. Perhaps, she heard the lack of enthusiasm in my tone, because she gave me a quizzical look.
“I didn’t want to sound unenthusiastic. When I’m this tired, I’m a restless sleeper. I don’t want to keep you awake. You need your rest,” I offered.
“That’s all right. I need to study. I have a busy schedule tomorrow. By the way, I might not be able to join you and Dana tomorrow, and Kathy mentioned she’d like you two to stay here. Do you mind?”
“More studying?” I asked, wondering if she was trying to give us some space.
“Yes. And I have to go through some patient records, and write a few reports.”
She must have caught something on my face, because she shook her head. “No, really. I have to catch up with my classes and get my paperwork done before the weekend.” Then, with a very soft tone, she added, “and you two need some time, Mitch. We both know it. You know how I feel about Dana.”
We both knew she was right, and she was being honest about it. I tried to put my arm around her to pull her to me for an embrace and a kiss, but groaned again when my muscles protested at the sudden movement.
“You really worked yourself, didn’t you?” she asked. Then, with a laugh she teased, “Overcompensating again?”
I answered with a sheepish grin, before pulling her to my chest, sharing a short kiss. “I hope you’ll stay for the dinner.”
“Sure. In the meantime, do you want a massage?” she asked.
It was a very attractive offer, but before I could answer, she added, “You look like you need it.”
“You’re not tired?” I asked.
“Nope. I want to get my hands on your body.” Then with a wicked grin, she added, “I just might make you scream.”
“There’s no question about that, the way I feel at the moment,” I retorted, chuckling at her quip.
Standing up, she pulled me to my feet.
“Come on, old man!”
“Who’s old?” I responded, while we walked to my room.
“You. My grandpa would beat you in a race, the way you walk,” she retorted.
“Well, he might, but I don’t have wrinkles, yet,” I came back.
She didn’t pull any punches with her next quip. “Maybe not, but can you get it up?”
“That’s below the belt,” I protested.
“Yes, it is, and I haven’t even gotten below your belt. Yet!” she came back with a lecherous grin, and I had to try hard to keep from laughing at her.
“When did you get to be so merciless?”
“I’m very merciful. You might want to reconsider that remark when I’m finished with the massage.”
“If I survive it.”
“You told me not to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs... or is it, the goose that injects the fertilizer for the eggs?” she retorted.
I laughed at her wicked sense of humor, before conceding defeat. “Touché.”
By then, we were in my room, and she asked me to get undressed, while she went out to get towels, and something to use for massage oil. I undressed down to my boxers, and lay face down on the bed. A few minutes later, she walked in with a large and a small towel, and scented body oil, leaving the door ajar.
“You’re not going to use that on me, are you? That’s for women.”
“Shut up, Mitch. You wanted a massage, so let me do it. I think I’ve spoiled you,” she scolded me with an amused tone.
I took the big towel and slipped it under my body before lying down again.
She quickly undressed, leaving her panties on, and giving a playful slap on my ass, she asked, “What’s this?”
“That’s to protect my virtue,” I quipped.
Laughing, she retorted, “I’ve already taken your virtue. Now, get rid off that... thing! I want to get my hands on the goodies.”
When I moved too slowly for her taste, she asked me to raise my ass up, and swiftly pulled my boxers down to my thighs, and legs, finally taking them off. Straddling my legs, she slapped my cheeks again, making me grunt.
“Mmm... Yummy!”
“I was expecting a massage, not a spanking.”
“Be quiet! Don’t give me ideas,” she warned playfully.
“Yes, Ma’am!”
Slap! Slap!
“Mmm hmm... You’re learning,” she teased.
Sliding forward, she settled on the back of my thighs, and leaning down, kissed my neck and shoulders. I could feel her nipples rubbing on my back.
“Now, put your arms on your side, and relax. In a short while, you’ll feel great,” she instructed.
“You always make me feel great, love,” I replied, before turning my head, searching for her lips.
After the kiss, I put my arms on my side, and let her take over. Sitting back, she poured a bit of the body oil on my back, making me arch with the cold feel, before I relaxed on the bed. Spreading the oil slowly, she worked on my sore muscles, starting with my shoulders, then down along my sides and spine, loosening the knots she encountered. She had magical hands, powerful, but soft and she knew what she was doing. As I sighed in pleasure, she was humming and murmuring softly, and I got the feeling she was enjoying herself very much. As she worked her way down to the muscles in my lower back, she slid down to sit on my legs. She kept working on the knots, moving up and down between my lower back and the middle, and it felt great. To my great surprise, I was getting an erection, and after a while it started to feel uncomfortable, trapped as it was in an awkward position. I was trying to find a way to move it to a more comfortable position without being obvious about it, but couldn’t come up with any ideas.
She slid down a bit more on my legs, and said, “Raise your ass.”
Oh, God! Lucky break!
Following her instruction, I raised my ass slightly, letting my hardening dick slip into a more comfortable position. Before I could lower myself again, I felt her hand reach down to touch my penis, making me jerk up. She gently positioned my penis in a more comfortable position. After a playful slap to my cheeks, I lowered my ass.
“Comfortable?” she asked.
“How did you know?”
“You were fidgeting, and I know something about male anatomy,” she replied. After a pause, she added, “When I work on the lower back, and around the spine, the blood moves easily, rushing to some interesting places.”
“So you were working me up?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s a natural reaction. I don’t think you’re in any condition for strenuous exercise, and that will subside in a while,” she explained with an amused tone. “If I don’t help it, that’s something else,” she quipped, and draped herself over my back, letting me feel her erect nipples as if to make her point—I groaned at the feeling. Then, she ran her hands gently over my shoulders, and placed soft, little kisses on my back.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Great. You have magical hands.”
“And you have a yummy body. I could work on it for hours.”
“I don’t really have a great body,” I replied almost automatically—feeling a bit self-conscious. Perhaps, it was something left from childhood; a result of being a victim of stronger, and physically more developed kids. I knew I was in good shape, but I didn’t have much in the way of muscles. I was what one would call a wiry guy, with an average looking body.
“Let me be the judge of that. You have good muscle tone, wide shoulders, a narrow waist, a flat stomach, strong runners’ legs, and a really yummy, yummy butt. What more do you want?” she said.
“I don’t know... an inch or two taller... a bit more muscled look? Not like body builders, but...”
She grew quiet. I opened my eyes, and turned to look back.
“Do you really feel like that?”
“I guess... I mean, I know I’m in good shape, and have no visible defects but... I have an average looking body.”
“I never figured you would be self-conscious about your body. You really have a yummy body, Mitch. I’m serious, and I’m talking as a woman, not as Sarah, your friend,” she said.
I realized she meant what she said, and for a moment, I felt relieved, but very quickly, it gave way to embarrassment, and I mumbled, “If you say so.”
“I say so,” she responded pointedly.
Our eyes locked, and I didn’t know how to respond, but she must have understood, because she slid forward, and leaned down for a kiss, and we locked lips. Brushing my cheek affectionately, she sat back, and slid down my body to continue the massage.
“Now the best parts,” she quipped, before starting on my ass, and buttocks, making me chuckle.
As she was working on me, there was a knock on the door. Kathy asked permission to come in, even though the door was half-open, and she could see we were not engaged in something private. Sarah took the small towel and covered my lower regions, and invited Kathy in. I turned my head towards the door, and let it down on the bed again, watching Kathy approach the bed.
Giving me an appraising look Kathy said, “You look much better.”
“Thanks to the lady who is sitting on my legs, and crushing them with her weight,” I quipped.
It was a stupid thing to do, because the repercussions were very serious. Sarah immediately lifted the towel, and gave me two hard slaps, the sound echoing harshly inside the little room. Kathy chuckled, before she started to giggle at Sarah. When Sarah didn’t cover me with the towel, I had to give in, because she had me by the balls—I mean, by my ass!
“OK! OK! I’m sorry. I was just joking,” I said.
Slap! Slap!
“Good! Apology accepted,” Sarah retorted teasingly, before she covered me with the small towel as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Turning to Kathy, she said, “You might want to try this with Mark. It seems very effective in teaching them who’s the boss.”
Kathy was laughing at Sarah’s antics. When she caught her breath, she agreed with her. But, she wasn’t going to let Sarah have the last word.
“Somehow I don’t believe you’d be singing the same tune, if he was lying on his back.”
Sarah squealed, catching what Kathy was getting at. Collecting herself, she quickly returned fire. “And you would sing a different tune?”
Instead of returning tit for tat, Kathy moved on. “How is he?”
“He’s all right, but he had knots all over the place. He said he hadn’t exercised for a long time, so no surprises there.”
“Do you have to work on him more?”
“I was just getting to the best parts,” Sarah replied, with a serious tone, getting a snicker from Kathy.
“Strange. I think you have him in the wrong position for that,” Kathy retorted, with an innocent tone.
“In the condition he is in, I have to settle for his other best feature,” Sarah came back.
As if she didn’t know what Sarah was talking about, Kathy asked, “And what part is that?”
“Oh, you know. The parts that I just warmed up.”
“Oh, that! Well, I better not keep you from your work then,” Kathy responded giving us an amused look, before she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.
I had to grin and bear all that teasing, but now, I wanted to pay her back. As I tried to twist and roll, Sarah quickly moved to pin down my shoulders, keeping me face down. Even though I could have overpowered her, I let her. My muscles were still pretty sore and tired, and I didn’t want to hurt Sarah.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked with a serious, but playful tone.
“I wanted to pay you back,” I replied.
“After all that I’ve done for you?” she responded, still playful.
“Yes.”
“I see you haven’t learned anything yet,” she said with an ominous tone, and quickly removing the towel, gave a hard slap.
“Just remember paybacks are a bitch, Sarah,” I warned her, after letting out a half-groan at the stinging slap.
“I’m sure they are. Now, will you be good, and let me finish this?” she responded with almost a pleading tone.
“Yes.” Then with a softer tone, I added, “Thank you, love. I really appreciate it.”
“Well, if you appreciate it, then relax, and let me enjoy this, Mitch,” she said, with the same soft tone.
Closing my eyes, I relaxed to the bed, and let her continue. After she finished working on my ass and buttocks, she quickly went through my legs. Then, she draped herself on my back, kissed my cheek, and said, “Now, the front part.”
“Is that necessary?”
“Don’t argue, Mitch. You have knots, and I need to loosen them,” she replied softly.
When I turned over, I was semi-erect.
“You see. Here’s one large knotted muscle that needs to be loosened,” she quipped.
“I should have known,” I retorted with a grin.
I was feeling amorous, and I wanted to make love with her, but I just didn’t have the energy, and the massage left me in a very lethargic condition.
With a more serious tone, she said, “I was just joking, Mitch.”
I gave her a gentle look, and said, “I would love to make love to you, Sarah. I really feel like it. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to bring you any pleasure.”
“Shussshh. I want to finish this massage.”
Pouring some body oil in her palm, she spread it over my chest, and continued with her massage. I could feel the wet crotch of her panties, and the heat of her pussy. She was worked up, and I was still erect. I put my hands on her hands, stopping her, and asked if she wanted to take off her panties.
“Mitch, it’s OK! I want to finish the massage and let you rest. I’m worked up, but that’s to be expected. I’m enjoying myself very much,” she replied, waiting for me to respond.
After a momentary hesitation I released her hands, she resumed her kneading my muscles. When she finished her massage, I was still erect, mostly because of watching her beautiful tits sway as she worked on me. I still wanted to feel her body, despite my condition. Cupping her tits, I tried to work her up, but she grabbed my hands, shaking her head.
“Sarah, don’t you want to?” I asked.
She gave a long and appraising look, trying to judge my condition, then without a word, she lowered her upper body to kiss me.
“I want to, but you’re hardly in any condition,” she said with a concerned tone.
Wrapping my arms around her, I held her in a tight embrace, slowly squeezing her, and then relaxed my hold.
“Aren’t I?”
Flashing me a smile, she replied, “I guess not. Let’s rest a moment, then I’ll fuck you to death!”
A few minutes later, she sat up, and took off her panties, then straddled me, guiding me inside her. As she sat down, slowly swallowing my whole length, I groaned at the heat of her channel. Her pussy seemed to be burning, and it was very wet. Very gently, but surely, she rode us to completion in less than ten minutes. I guess we were both worked up. Before we were down from our orgasms, she draped her body over mine, and I wrapped my arms around her. She kept kissing and nuzzling my neck, trying to catch her breath.
“I have to keep your body warm after a massage.”
“Mmm... I’ve never had such a beautiful blanket before,” I replied, and felt her shake, and then heard her giggle.
We rested a bit longer, and finally managed to get to the bathroom to take a quick shower. After the massage, and the sex, the shower made me feel like I was reborn.
Back in the living room, Kathy arched an eyebrow, surprised to see me so perky. With a shrug, I offered, “She has magical hands.”
“She has,” she agreed.
When I gave a quizzical look, she elaborated, “Oh, I’ve experienced her magical hands, so I know,” while giving Sarah an affectionate look.
“Any news from Mark?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’ll be here shortly. I saw the soup, and chicken and vegetables. Is that all?”
“There’s also pasta.”
“Pasta?”
“In the oven, the usual,” I replied.
“Mom’s macaroni recipe?”
I nodded.
“Oh, no!”
“Heh. You don’t have to eat it, Kathy,” I retorted.
“You know how much I like that.”
“Sorry, Sis. After the workout I felt like pasta.”
While thinking about the dinner, I realized I had forgotten about dessert. “Umm... I don’t think we have fruits or anything else for dessert.”
“I could drive to the patisserie and get some ice cream or tart,” Sarah chimed in.
“Yeah, let’s do that, before Mark arrives,” I replied, while getting an angry glare from Kathy.
“What?” I asked her.
“Are you two conspiring against me?”
“No, why would we do something like that?” I was surprised by Kathy’s accusatory tone.
“I don’t know. Pasta, then ice cream. It looks as if you two are trying to fatten me up,” she retorted.
“You don’t have to worry about something like that. I know you put on weight sometimes, but you get rid off it quite easily as well. Put in a few hours on the court this weekend.”
“Easy for you to talk. I’m too busy.”
“Kathy, you can at least use the facilities at the hospital. You carry a pager, and they can page you, or use the PA. Do you have an excuse for not getting a bit of exercise?” I said, and received a sheepish smile and an embarrassed look.
“Good. Now, what are we having: a tart or ice cream?”
“Tart sounds good. Something fruity,” Kathy replied, with Sarah nodding her agreement with the choice.
I turned to go to my room to get my jacket, and keys, but Sarah grabbed my arm.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To get my jacket and keys.”
“You sit your butt there,” she ordered, pointing to the couch, “and get some rest. I’ll go.”
“But—”
“No ‘buts,’ Mitch,” she responded with a tone that didn’t allow any argument.
I tried to object, but she shut me up with a fleeting kiss, and pointed to the couch. After Sarah left, Kathy asked if I was staying here, and from the way she asked I realized she was thinking I might be going with Sarah after dinner. I was thinking of going to a hotel, since Mark might be spending the night here, and I wanted to spend the night alone, even though I was feeling much better than before, thanks to the great massage from Sarah and the short tryst. The funky mood I had was gone, but I didn’t want to risk an episode while sleeping next to Sarah.
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Mark mentioned he wanted to talk with you. Something about his work, but he didn’t explain what it was.”
That was an unexpected development, and for the life of me I couldn’t even guess what he might want to talk about. I hardly knew anything about his work.
“I see. Well, Sarah is going to study, and I was thinking of staying at a hotel.”
“Hotel? I thought you might— Never mind. You don’t have to leave just because Mark might be staying here. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t mind it. It’s no different than Sarah staying here with you, is it?”
“Well, no. I was thinking of you.”
“I’m fine, thank you very much. I didn’t mind all the noise you two made. In fact, I rather enjoyed it,” she retorted with a grin. Before I could come back with a rejoinder, she quickly added, “I think Mark and you are getting along fine. If that little conspiracy with the dinner was any indication.”
I smiled at her quip. She had a point. I liked the guy, and when he told me he was already in a union with Kathy, he had hit a chord with me. “Yeah!”
“Did Sarah tell you anything about tomorrow night?”
“You mean, Dana and I?”
“Yes. If she can make it, Sarah might come for dinner, but she told me she wants to catch up on her studies, and I’d like to have you two here.”
“Sure, but I don’t know what Dana would want to do. She might want to stay at the hotel, so I don’t want to promise anything.”
“I understand. I just thought it would be good to get together.”
Hearing the slight pause at the end, I prompted, “And?”
With a wry grin she added, “Sarah was feeling kind of guilty, not inviting you and Dana to her place, but she really needs to catch up on things. It could be a bit awkward; the hostess busy studying, while you two are visiting. She wants the two of you to have some time alone. She thought she was monopolizing your time.”
“I suspected as much, but she’s not. I think Dana would agree with me, too, but... We’ll talk it over. Thanks.”
“Why don’t you give her a call tonight, to check her schedule and plans for tomorrow?”
“I was planning to do that, but I don’t know when she’d be home. Why?”
“We can have dinner here. My shift is ending early tomorrow, so you and I can do some home cooking. She must be tired from eating at hotels, or restaurants.”
“That’s a good idea. We can go out for dinner on Friday night, and stay up late. She has an overnight stay on Friday. I know Sarah is working on Saturday, but I think she can still join us. I don’t know if Mark works on Saturday. What about you?”
“I’m free on Saturday. Mark rarely works on Saturdays.”
“Well, we might be able to repeat the Sunday dinner properly,” I said, getting an affectionate smile.
After that, I brought up Mom’s suspicion about Sarah and me, during my visit to her, and what transpired later. Kathy chuckled when she heard what brought it on, and how I had stumbled. I mentioned I hadn’t revealed Mark’s surprise. I was hoping that Kathy would talk about it with Mom when she was visiting, and perhaps distract her, so that she wouldn’t grill Kathy about Sarah and me. Needless to say, Kathy saw through my maneuver, and she told me she would give Mom enough material about Mark and herself to keep her occupied.
Switching back to Dana, Sarah and I, she said, “It’s a development she doesn’t need to know. I’m not sure if she would understand it.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“It’s none of my business, Mitch. It’s something between the three of you.”
“That’s a surprise,” I found myself saying, startled by her unexpected response.
“Why, Mitch?”
“I thought you’d be worried sick about the complications.”
“Well, of course, but it’s too early for any worries. I kind of want to believe you all might be able to work it out. I know Sarah well, and I have a feeling about Dana.”
She pointedly omitted me from the list.
“Sorry, Kathy. I was just surprised. After the questions last night, I was expecting...”
“Expecting me to wear your ear down with more questions?” she asked.
When I nodded, she said, “I don’t want to pile more on your plate, Mitch. I do have a thousand questions, but this is really something between the three of you. I’m sorry I gave you a hard time.”
“Sis, I know you meant well.”
“Well, yeah, but...”
“But?”
“Sometimes, I forget that the road to hell is paved by the best of intentions.”
“Kathy, don’t do that to yourself, OK? I haven’t been easy on anybody, and it’s changed very little. I know that.”
She nodded in understanding, with a strained smile.
“I just need time, Kathy. It’s been a long time.”
She nodded again.
We sat in quiet, and she put on the TV to fill in the uneasy silence. Switching between channels, she located a music program. I patted the cushions, and she moved to the seat next to me. I put my arm around her, and she settled under the crook of my arm. To change the subject I asked about Mark, and if they had any chance to talk about the coming days, weeks. Because of their busy schedules they hadn’t really had a chance to talk about anything much, but had gone over their options briefly. Once everything was settled, Mark was planning to rent a place, with his company paying for the move and part of the rent, and Kathy wanted to keep her flat. They wanted to take it slow and easy, adjusting to the new situation without cramping each other. To tell the truth, I was a bit surprised, but then thinking about my own situation, I realized I was feeling a bit caged, and restless. Instead of heading to the coast immediately, as I usually did, I was here, and probably going to be here for a few days more. These last days had been great, but I was used to being alone, and independent. I didn’t think I could immediately start living with somebody. It was just too much of a radical change for me, compared to Kathy’s steady relationship with Mark.
After a long silence, during which she kept watching me, she said, “You should really think about it very carefully, Mitch.”
When I gave a questioning look, she explained. “I know what you’re thinking. You’ve been alone too long, and with the recent relationship, the newness, the excitement... you haven’t thought about things like sharing your life with somebody. It’s too early for something like that, but I know you’re already thinking about future ramifications.”
Well, she had me there, as usual, reading my mind. I nodded distractedly, my mind briefly visiting various scenarios without really knowing what I wanted or felt like, and I wasn’t really in the mood to think about the possibilities.
“As I said, it’s too early to worry about something like that. Also, you work a schedule, and you’d be away for several weeks. Then you’d be home for several weeks. I think you might want to talk about that with Dana, but not now. Perhaps, after your vacation, or before you leave for work.”
“What about Sarah?” I asked.
“I’ll keep her busy. Don’t worry about her. From what I’ve seen and heard, Dana and Sarah want to get to know each other, so they would probably be spending time together,” she replied. Giving me a mischievous look, she added, “And I want to recruit Dana to the Sisterhood. There’s a lot to keep us all busy.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” I retorted.
“Well, we need some fresh blood, and she’s a good candidate.”
“Good God! All of you think and talk alike. Sarah said the same thing.”
“Great minds, and all that,” she quipped, flashing me an unabashed smile.
“You mean wicked minds, don’t you?”
Before Kathy could respond, the doorbell rang.
“That must be Sarah,” Kathy said, as she stood up.
It was Sarah, and from the screaming and laughing, there must have been another exchange of some sort taking place. With giggles, both girls walked in; Kathy went to the fridge with the tart, and Sarah moved to sit next to me.
“What was all the commotion about?” I asked.
“That was your sister being motherly.”
“Motherly?”
“She was reminding me to put the key to her flat on my keychain.”
“So?” I prompted, not making any sense out of that partial explanation.
“Well, I told her I didn’t want to use the key to let myself in, because I don’t want to walk in on her when she might be getting her brains fucked out in the living room.”
“Is that all you think about?” I asked with a small chuckle.
“Only when we have our men around,” she teased. With a serious and innocent expression, she asked, “Now that Mark is around, I can’t really let myself into her flat, can I?”
“I’m not going to get into that. You should ask Kathy that,” I replied, not wanting to take the bait.
“I did. She didn’t appreciate it,” she retorted.
“I wonder why,” I came back, as innocently as possible.
“Exactly. You see what I have to pu—” she was continuing on with a serious expression, but I cut her off with a little pinch to her butt, getting a yelp.
“Behave,” I said.
“You brute!” she accused, hotly.
There was only one thing left to do, so I kissed her to shut her up. When we surfaced, I asked, “You were saying?”
“Nothing, Mitch,” she replied, and snuggled to my side.
Kathy was still at the kitchen, heating up the oven. That meant Mark would be arriving shortly. In the meantime, I was reconsidering my options for tonight. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to spend the night alone, not when Sarah was sitting next to me, and after all she had done. Not only that, but I didn’t want her to be alone; my mind recalling what Kathy and I were talking about, before Sarah arrived. She also seemed to be in a playful mood.
“Kathy told me Mark had something to discuss with me. Do you want me to drop by at your place, later?”
“That’s OK, Mitch. You don’t have to drive all the way.”
“You can stay here, and study,” I added.
Brushing her hand against my cheek, she said, “You try too hard, Mitch. I’ll be fine.”
I realized I was pushing her again, when she made the ‘try too hard’ remark. I nodded with an embarrassed expression, and she giggled like a schoolgirl in response, still playful, trying to lighten the mood. Kathy joined us, and for a while, they talked about their studies, and hospital stuff, until Mark arrived. He looked as beat as I was, and very stressed. He was trying to hide it, but Kathy seemed a bit perturbed, and noticing that, Mark tried to relax, putting aside what was bothering him. Sarah took her to the kitchen to get the dinner underway, and perhaps keep her busy. She came back with two bottles of beer for us before returning to the kitchen.
When we were alone—with the girls in the far corner, the kitchen—Mark didn’t beat around the bush, but asked if we could have a chat later, perhaps go out for an hour or so to a bar. I suggested we stay at home, otherwise Kathy would be worried and get more curious, and I told him I could meet him tomorrow morning, early. Thinking it over, he opted for tomorrow morning, pointing out that Kathy had an early shift, and we could have breakfast and talk after she left. Once that was settled, he seemed to relax more. I was wondering what made him so tense, but put the thought aside; I would get to hear about it tomorrow, and there was no sense in getting worked up now. Switching to the sports channel, we watched the TV for a short while, until dinner was announced.
As observant as ever, Kathy noticed Mark’s relaxed mood, but before she could probe, Mark told her he wanted to pick my brains on a logistics issue he was having, as he remembered what Kathy told him about my work. That seemed to put her at ease. Continuing along the same lines, he told her he had a very hectic day, and it was going to be like that for the next few days.
“Opening a shop in short notice is a lot of work. We’re just realizing it,” he added, getting a sympathetic pat on his arm from Kathy.
The rest of the dinner was uneventful. Over coffee and tart, we talked about inconsequential things. Kathy mentioned wanting to have a big dinner with all of us tomorrow night. Unfortunately, Mark and Sarah didn’t know if they could make it, and I mentioned I didn’t know Dana’s plans, so we decided to play it by ear, and revise the dinner plans accordingly. After dinner, Sarah helped Kathy wash the dishes, and left.
I sat with Kathy and Mark, watching a movie on the TV for a while, but half way through, feeling very tired, I excused myself. Before I went to my bedroom, I called Dana, but getting no answer, I gave up. Even though I was tired and sleepy, it was quite a long time before my mind started to wind down. An hour later, I heard Mark and Kathy pass by my door heading to her bedroom, then the sound of shower running for a short while. As I was just drifting into sleep, I caught a faint moan, followed by the infrequent sounds of their amorous play, just barely impeded by the thin walls and the closed bedroom doors, but unmistakable in the quiet of the night for what they were.
Well! They’re definitely not inhibited by my presence.
Chuckling at the thought, I turned on my side, happy that I wasn’t cramping their love life, and that was my last thought as I fell asleep.
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