Chapter 4: Henry
~~~
Six months ago (February)
~~~
Henry double-checked the address as he stepped out of the car. The parking lot had cars in it, so that was a good sign, but it was full, and he couldn’t pick out his sister’s car in the poorly lit lot. Being winter, the sun set early, even though the days grew longer after every sunrise. He walked around the side of the boarded warehouse, then stopped as music reached his ears. An electric guitar squealed its ending riff to a song he didn’t recognize, but the music drew him around the corner to the back of the brewery.
Lights glowed inside the building, and the windows showcased the busy bar. The tables set up outside had tents and fire pits surrounding them, warding off the chilly night. People gathered at tables, laughing, eating, and drinking with their friends.
His sister, Olivia, was working at a folding table in one of the tents. She was explaining to a young man who cared more about getting laid than about the animal pictures she showed him. The man pretended to listen as she explained how every donation helped care for a shelter animal. The drink in his hand was half gone, suggesting he’d stopped at their tent on his way from the bar to his seat.
Henry didn’t like the way he leered at Olivia, and cleared his throat after he ducked through the open flap to enter the warm tent.
“Hey!” Olivia said, beaming. “I’ll be with you in a moment!”
The woman working beside Olivia eyed Henry. She was a cute young woman with dirty blonde hair and a nervous disposition. Volunteering at an animal shelter was one thing; convincing people to donate money or buy totes, t-shirts, pet treats, collars, or food bowls to raise funds was another. Adoption applications were available in a small stack, but the pets were at the shelter. It wouldn’t surprise Henry if she let Olivia handle most of the conversations. His sister was a people person. The blonde girl seemed shy, which was either the case or a great way to draw interest.
Henry stood to the side, waiting as the man asked Olivia if she was available for adoption. Henry rolled his eyes.
“How many guys have tried that pickup line tonight?” Henry asked the other woman.
“Oh, uh, a bunch.” The other woman giggled.
“I’ll bet,” Henry said. “Are you two doing okay? Nobody’s been harassing you, right?”
“Olivia handles them well,” the other woman said. “She’s a pro at this.”
“Yeah,” Henry remarked. “It’s funny, but I used to threaten to put her up for adoption when we were growing up. Olivia’s comeback was that if she was such a brat, we were stuck with her. No one would want to take her off our hands.” He laughed at the memory, while the woman raised an eyebrow at the joke. “Oh, sorry, I should have introduced myself. I’m Henry, Olivia’s brother.”
“Oh!” the woman smiled. “It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Mary. Olivia told me all about you.”
“All good things, I hope?” Henry asked.
“You wish,” Olivia cut in as the man she’d been talking to left the tent. “I told her you’re an overprotective pain in my ass.”
Mary blushed, which was the cutest thing Henry had ever seen. The red tint to her cheeks could have been from the icy air, though.
Olivia came around the table and hugged Henry. He hugged her back, and she stepped away to straighten the brochures.
“Where’s Paul? Shouldn’t he be running interference for you with the flirty drunks?” Henry asked.
“Oh, he didn’t feel like coming out tonight,” Olivia said, clearing her table into boxes. “So he’s at home.”
“In that case, did any of the flirty drunks catch your eye? Maybe it’s time to upgrade,” Henry suggested, gesturing toward the bar.
“You don’t like Paul?” Mary asked, surprised.
“Henry thinks I’m wasting my time with Paul,” Olivia answered for him. “Because Paul’s not interested in marriage. My brother is too traditional for his own good.”
“And I don’t like the way he treats you,” Henry added. “You’re not hired help. He should pull his weight.”
Olivia scoffed. “You’ve never liked any of my boyfriends, ever. I don’t need your protection from every guy I’ve ever met, thank you very much.”
Henry shrugged.
“If Henry had his way, I’d be a nun. He’s so overprotective,” Olivia explained to Mary.
“Sounds nice to have someone looking out for you,” Mary said.
“Yeah? You adopt him then. He’s free to a good home,” Olivia said.
Mary blushed and looked away as they packed their things.
Olivia noticed, and a grin spread over face. “And he’s single, if you’re interested. If he had a girlfriend, he could focus on his relationship and leave mine alone.”
Henry chuckled and took the box from Olivia. “Where did you park? I’ll start moving things to your car.”
“These go to Mary’s car. She’s stopping at the shelter on the way home,” Olivia instructed.
“Okay, which one is Mary’s car?” Henry asked.
“Just follow her, she’ll show you,” Olivia said, gesturing for Mary to show him the way.
Henry glanced at his sister. She smiled at him, not with mischief, but the same smile she gave him whenever she gave him a present. Christmas and birthday presents always arrived with a bemused expression as she watched him for signs of realization. That half the presents he got from her were jokes undercut the sentimentality.
Henry hefted the box and gestured for Mary to set the one she held on top of it. Hers was smaller, but she hesitated. “It’s okay,” Henry assured her. “You need your hands free so you can open your trunk.”
“Besides, Henry’s big and strong. Let him do the heavy lifting. That’s what I invited him here for,” Olivia said.
“You mentioned there were drink tickets?” Henry asked.
“Yes, yes, after you’re done working,” Olivia said, holding up the band of tickets.
Henry chuckled and nodded for Mary to lead the way. She put her coat on and walked ahead of him. He followed close behind her, following her dirty blonde hair as she moved toward the parking lot. “So, you volunteer at the same shelter?”
“Yeah,” Mary said. “Olivia’s very nice. She’s been showing me how to take care of the animals there.”
Henry nodded. “She’s volunteered there since we were kids. My parents started us doing it.”
“I haven’t seen you there before,” Mary said.
“Allergies,” Henry explained. “I volunteer at a soup kitchen in the city instead. Well, it’s more of a shelter now. But I’ve been volunteering there since I was a kid.”
“Oh,” Mary said. “That’s–Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s okay,” Henry said, nodding. “I was there when Olivia texted asking for help. I take it you two didn’t move as much material as you’d hoped?”
“We got a few applications,” Mary said. The cheer in her voice faded as she continued. “But the traffic has been low.”
“Well, last time was in the fall, right? It’s chilly out here now,” Henry said.
“Yeah, but the tents they set up with the heaters were warm, but getting people to come to ours was tougher. We handed out flyers, and a few people bought things, so that’s good. It was still worth it,” Mary said as she stopped at her car. She opened the trunk and stepped aside as Henry set the boxes inside.
“There you go,” Henry said, stepping back.
Olivia closed her trunk. “Thanks,” she said as she turned around.
Henry nodded in the direction they’d come from, and Mary walked beside him.
“Olivia said you were in the military?” Mary asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Henry answered, making a joke he hoped Mary would take in stride. Some women didn’t appreciate being called “ma’am,” but he wasn’t trying to insult Mary’s age. She had to be his sister’s age, if he had to guess.
Mary’s smile was bright as she looked up at him. “And you’re traditional?”
Henry chuckled. “Yeah, well, compared to Olivia. The club scene isn’t for me. And I think the point of dating is to find someone to share the rest of your life with, you know? I guess that makes me an old-fashioned sucker when everyone else is just out to have a good time.”
“Hm, I feel the same way about dating,” Mary said, flashing him another smile.
“Yeah?” Henry asked, giving her another look as she smiled. Their eyes met, and Mary’s recurring blush crept across her face and spread across the apples of her cheeks on either side of her nose.
Her eyes widened in surprise. Not looking where she was walking came with a price. Mary gave a sharp cry as she stepped on a patch of ice and her foot slipped ahead of her. She clawed the air, and Henry caught her, hauling her back to her feet as she clutched his arm for balance.
He lifted her and helped her to her feet. “Whoa, there. You okay?”
Mary huffed, catching her breath as she stood and made sure she had her balance. “Yeah, sorry,” Mary said, looking at Henry’s eyes again. Her face was brighter red than before. They were closer, and Henry could see her eyes drop to his lips. He grinned, and Mary released him as if she’d forgotten she was holding onto him.
“Sorry,” Mary said.
“Don’t apologize,” Henry said. “I’m glad I was there to catch you.”
Mary chuckled. “Yeah,” she said, nodding. “Me too.”
“Come on,” Henry said, gesturing toward the tent. “I’ll help you load the other boxes.”
Mary nodded and followed Henry into the tent, where Olivia had packed the remaining boxes. This time, Mary took the smallest to help him, and he took the others. Olivia took the folding table to her car beside Mary’s and handed Henry his drink ticket.
Henry accepted the ticket and hesitated by Mary’s trunk as Olivia hugged him goodbye. She was driving home, and Mary was supposed to drive to the shelter.
“Hey, I realize this might be crossing the line, but would you like to get a drink? With me?” Henry asked Mary, who swallowed at the question.
She glanced at Olivia, as if nervous or uncertain. Olivia, for once, didn’t tease him or joke at his expense. She nodded her encouragement to Mary and gave her a thumbs-up.
“I’ll take the boxes if you move them to my car; I can stop on my way home instead,” Olivia offered.
Henry raised an eyebrow. Olivia hadn’t been the type to meddle in his love life. She’d encouraged him to get on the apps, but that was the extent of her interest in his dating life.
“Okay,” Mary said. “But just one drink.”
“Of course,” Henry said. “We’re both driving, after all.”
Mary seemed to take that as a good sign, that not only was he responsible, but he wasn’t intending to leave the bar together. Henry wasn’t sure if he’d rule it out, but Mary was shy, and if he wanted a more traditional relationship, he couldn’t push.
Mary opened her trunk, and Henry and Olivia moved the boxes.
“Okay, you kids have fun,” Olivia said. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” She said to Mary, as if conspiring with her.
Mary nodded, and she and Henry headed toward the bar together. Henry avoided any icy patches and waved goodbye as Olivia pulled away. She might be trying to set him up, but he had a good feeling about Mary. He fell for her smile and her blush, even though the rest of her remained hidden under her thick coat.
They walked into the bar. Henry held the door for her, and they chatted late into the night. The rest was history.
~~~
Now
~~~
Henry awoke on Saturday morning to an empty bed. He would have asked himself if last night was a dream, but he’d had a restless sleep to prove it. Two extra bodies in his bed hadn’t been as comfortable as he’d imagined. The worst part was the occasional skin contact that primed his libido every time Vicky’s calf brushed his, or every time Mary’s hand moved to his chest. The constant series of touches drove him crazy, keeping him awake until exhaustion gave him no quarter and took him into the depths of slumber.
Now he was awake.
He stared at the ceiling and let his ears probe the world around him. His computer was silent, waiting for him to rise and begin his Saturday morning routine of playing video games. That would have to wait. He had to figure out what was going on with Mary and what was running through her head.
Last night had been the craziest night of his life. It had started as an ordinary Friday night, then it had morphed into helping his girlfriend through something. That endeavor had led to teaching his girlfriend how to give him a handjob, with the help of her best friend, Vicky. Now that he thought about it, Henry hadn’t done the teaching; that had been Vicky.
Vicky, his girlfriend’s hot friend. She was a mess. She clearly loved Mary as a friend, or so Henry thought until last night. Yet they hadn’t done anything together, either. Vicky had pleasured him, and he’d pleasured her. It was transactional, and Mary seemed to enjoy that. She watched and enjoyed herself, but it wasn’t until Henry pleasured her that she came.
He didn’t hear any noises that suggested either of them was still in his apartment. Had they left? Should he call Mary? Or Vicky? What was the protocol after the weirdest threesome he’d ever had? He should talk to Mary first, no matter what, but he should say something to Vicky as well. He wasn’t sure what, though.
A cupboard door shut in his kitchen.
So they were still here. Good. That was good, right?
Henry sat up in his bed, letting the blanket slide off him. He moved the rest of it aside, letting the air-conditioned air wake him with its refreshing coolness. His morning routine began, and he stretched his neck, rolled his shoulders, swung his arms, and moved to his toes, stretching his calves. He wasn’t sure whether to put on more clothes, but he changed into a t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants.
He opened his door into the apartment and spotted Mary puttering in the kitchen. Vicky sat on a stool at the breakfast counter/island that divided the kitchen from the rest of the apartment, her back to him. She had one foot on the stool, while her other leg dangled, bare, toward the floor. They both wore the t-shirts he’d given them the night before, and nothing else, from what he could tell. Now that he was in his living room, he could hear the low rumble coming from the laundry unit in the closet.
The scene could have been a painting, with each woman a cozy, domestic beacon on a chill Saturday morning. Their hair was unkempt, unwashed, and unbrushed. They’d washed their faces, removing their makeup, a sight he’d rarely seen with Mary, and never with Vicky. Mary wore minimal makeup as a rule, but Vicky looked different without it, and it surprised him to realize how much he enjoyed peeking behind the curtain.
Henry would never tell a woman that she was just as beautiful without makeup. There was no reason to lie. Yet to see them both with their hair down, wearing soft t-shirts, and without the makeup or guarded stances of life, made him glad to be alive.
“You’re awake!” Mary said, trotting out from behind the counter.
Henry’s eyes dipped. He was only human. The t-shirt hid her skin, but it showed the outline of each breast as she approached. She moved onto her toes, hugged him, and kissed his cheek. The press of her lips against his face was soft, but full of enthusiasm, as if it were Christmas morning.
“She wanted to let you sleep,” Vicky said, spinning in her seat to look at them over the rim of her coffee mug as she drank from it. Her voice was groggy, and her eyes were half-closed, but the steam from her coffee revitalized her with every sip. The ceramic Mandalorian mug was his roommate’s, but he didn’t see the harm in letting a guest use it.
“We got hungry, so I’m making breakfast. Do you want something? A three-egg omelette? Bacon?” Mary asked.
“Coffee,” Henry answered, glancing toward the coffee pot.
“Coming right up!” Mary said, hustling away from him. “Sit!” She pointed at the stool next to Vicky.
Henry climbed into it, watching his girlfriend move through his kitchen like a whirlwind. Where did she get the energy?
“She’s been like this since we woke up,” Vicky said, as if reading his thoughts. “She’s still excited from last night.”
“It was a gigantic step for me! I did it! I gave you a handjob!” Mary said, beaming.
“Yes, and a good one, too,” Henry agreed.
That comment sent Mary over the moon, and she wiggled her shoulders as she pulled his favorite mug from the cupboard. The Peter Pan mug from the Disney Store that he’d gotten as a gift when he was a kid. He didn’t know how the mug had held up as well as it had. It was his favorite, and she poured his coffee into it as he watched her.
“I’ll be out of your hair as soon as the laundry’s done,” Vicky said.
“Oh, you don’t need to run off!” Mary said. “Unless you have things to do.”
“I have stuff to do,” Vicky said. “But I can stay for breakfast at least and wait for my laundry.”
“Aw, okay,” Mary said, withdrawing the pans from the cupboard and taking the eggs out of the fridge.
“How are you doing after last night?” Vicky asked Henry. “Are you okay?”
“Hm?” Henry asked, confused but disoriented from her pulling him out of his trance, watching Mary’s t-shirt hem bounce around the top of her thighs.
“Oh, yeah, last night was, well, new but fun. And yeah,” Henry said. “I guess I should say thank you for, uh, helping?”
Vicky chuckled before sipping her coffee. “Happy to help.”
“Do you mean that?” Mary asked, cracking an egg into a bowl.
“Of course!” Vicky said, smiling at Mary. “I’d do anything for you, even,” her eyes roamed Henry, then returned to Mary. “Even let a safe, handsome guy get me off and distract me from my pathetic love life for a night.”
Mary frowned. “Well, Barry didn’t deserve you.”
“Got any brothers?” Vicky asked Henry. “No, don’t answer that.” She shook her head. “I need to stay out of the dating scene for a while. Work on myself, you know?”
Henry nodded.
“Of course, I always say that, and then end up dating a loser a week later,” Vicky said.
“Does that mean you won’t go on a date with Henry?” Mary asked, surprised as she whisked the eggs.
Vicky and Henry exchanged looks, then turned toward Mary.
“Uh, Mary, what?” Henry asked, blinking. “I don’t think that’s…”
“You two need to get closer, to get more comfortable with each other, so that when we do this,” she gestured to the three of them. “It isn’t awkward.”
Henry needed coffee, but the mug in his hand was too hot to drink. He had to let it cool first. Letting it cool did not distract him enough or help him determine the validity of Mary’s suggestions. Was this a trap? He wasn’t a cheater. Nor did he want to go on a date with anyone other than his girlfriend.
“Mary, are you suggesting a throuple? A three-way relationship?” Vicky asked.
Mary shrugged, turning shy, the way she used to be any time the subject of intimacy arose. She turned away, buttering the pan and turning on the burner. The gas stove clicked in the silence until the flames ignited, and she lowered the burner.
“Honey,” Vicky started, but Mary held up a finger.
“Just give me a second,” Mary said, her mouth tight and her brow furrowed. “I’m trying to think of the words, but…”
Henry and Vicky shared a glance. Vicky leaned forward with her elbows on the counter, mug in her hands, waiting for Mary to finish. Henry leaned over his coffee mug, still giving it time to cool.
“I want to do more of… what we did last night,” Mary said. “But I’m not brave enough on my own, and I don’t know what I’m doing. That’s why I invited you last night, right?”
Vicky nodded. “Right.”
“Well, it’s still just as true as last night,” Mary said. “I need your help.”
Vicky sipped her coffee. “And I’m happy to help you, Honey, you know that, but–”
Mary held up a finger to cut her off. She poured the eggs into the pan, sprinkled in pepper seasoning, and pulled the cheese from the fridge.
“But,” Mary continued, “things were awkward between you and Henry last night, right?”
Vicky glanced at him, and Henry shrugged. Yes, it’d been awkward, but in Henry’s defense, he had no time to prepare, and he didn’t know Vicky well. If it weren’t for arousal, the lust burning in him after months of denial, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to go through with it.
“The thing is, you two have a lot in common. You’re both my favorite people, and you’d get along great if you knew each other better. Then this–” she gestured between the three of them. “–wouldn’t be awkward.”
“Okay…” Vicky said, following the logic, even if it was so far outside the box that Henry felt lost. What books had Mary been reading?
Was his girlfriend suggesting he date another woman? He didn’t want another woman; Mary was the woman he loved. He loved her so much that he’d wait until marriage for sex. Did she not? Was this part of the process for her to discover that she was bisexual or lesbian? Was he her excuse to be intimate with Vicky? Fear crept into his thoughts. Was it better to try this and risk losing Mary later, or to stop it from going any further and lose Mary now?
“And you have terrible taste in guys,” Mary said. “Henry’s a good one. He’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. He’s open-minded, respectful, and, as you saw last night, he takes care of me. And we have a lot in common, but not everything in common, right? Same as you and me, but you’d fill those gaps for each other, if that makes any sense. And, I don’t know, I thought it might help?”
“You won’t get jealous of me going on a date with your boyfriend?” Vicky asked. “Or are you suggesting that you both date me? Will you be with us, or will it be just me and Henry?”
Mary contemplated both questions as she prodded the cooking eggs with a spatula and began breaking the next batch for the next omelet.
“And are you okay with this idea at all? How do you feel about it?” Vicky asked, looking at Henry. “I shouldn’t just assume you’re okay with it, even if guys think with their dicks.”
Henry closed his eyes. He exhaled a long breath, lifted his coffee mug, drank several swallows of the bitter brew, and left his fingers around the handle as he set it down. How did he feel about going on a date with Vicky? Well, terrified, yeah, that was the right reaction. He’d never cheat on Mary, so he wasn’t about to suggest that they see other people, but that wasn’t what she was suggesting.
From what she’d said and done, Mary wanted Vicky to join them in the bedroom. Adding Vicky to the mix meant sexual activities were on the table. Not having Vicky there meant Mary couldn’t push her boundaries, so no sex. No more handjobs. Was that a boundary he was willing to uncross?
Did he want to push her boundaries?
Well, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought of encouraging her to do more than peck him on the lips over the last six months. Still, something felt off, but he realized Mary’s suggestion was trying to adjust for that imbalance. He and Mary were close. Vicky and Mary were close. So if he and Vicky grew closer, that might balance things out.
But what hand did intimacy play in all of that? If he and Vicky went on a date, should they kiss at the end of it? Or did that violate Mary’s trust? Was she suggesting an open relationship? A polyamorous one? Did she even know what that word was or what it meant?
“I have a lot of reservations. Mary, you know you’re enough for me, right?” Henry asked. “I’m okay to wait for marriage and make sure that you’re comfortable. You don’t need to do any of this for my sake. I won’t dump you because you have boundaries.”
Mary smiled at him, but it was tender, as if she expected him to say that, and now that he had, she was about to cry.
“I know,” she said as she stirred the eggs in the bowl. “But I’m not okay with how things are, or were. I want to do more. I want to learn how to, how to do those things, and how to be a good girlfriend, so I can be a good wife one day.”
Henry raised his eyebrows. So Mary wasn’t okay with how things were. Was it this or a breakup? No, she wasn’t issuing an ultimatum. She was declaring a desire. He could understand that. Yet the thought still presented a host of terrifying possibilities for the future. What if he and Vicky went through with it and didn’t get along? Or what if Mary got jealous? Would Vicky get jealous? What if the two of them started dating without him, and he got jealous? Or what if Mary wanted to date another guy in this arrangement? What if, what if, and what ifs plagued his mind as he stared ahead and took another sip of his coffee.
“I have a question,” Vicky said. “What happens to me when you two decide to get married?”
“You’d be my maid of honor, obviously,” Mary said, smiling as if she’d planned the ceremony. “And besides, I thought you didn’t believe in marriage?” Mary asked. “So why would that affect this?” She gestured between them again. “Do you want to marry Henry instead of me?”
“I don’t,” Vicky hesitated, as if unsure of what to say next. “No offense,” she said to Henry.
“Then we can go on being us,” Mary said. “It’s not cheating if we’re each agreeing and consenting, right?”
“Right…” Vicky said, trailing off again. She sighed and hung her head in her hands. “It’s too early for this.”
“Agreed,” Henry said, pouncing on the opportunity to postpone the conversation. They had much to consider about last night and what Mary was proposing. He sipped his coffee and swallowed, letting the warm liquid heat his core.
“I thought of another problem,” Vicky said.
Mary folded the cheese into the omelet she was cooking, then closed it and let it simmer. “What’s that?”
“Well, while I appreciate your confidence in me, I might not be the best person to teach you everything you need to know about sex,” Vicky said.
Mary laughed. “What are you talking about? You’re the best at sex. Certainly, the most experienced. You’re a total slut.”
Vicky’s expression shifted.
“She didn’t mean that as an insult,” Henry blurted. “Right, Mary?”
Mary appeared confused and surprised. “No, of course not! You call yourself that all the time! I thought it was okay!”
Vicky sighed. “It’s fine, and you’re right. I’ve fucked lots of people, and out of the people you know, that might make me appear all-knowing, but I’m just one person. And even then, sometimes it’s not about knowledge, you know?”
Mary didn’t. Henry wasn’t sure he did either. Mary shook her head as she plated the omelet and gave it to Vicky. “Like what?”
“Well, anal, for example. No offense, Henry, but you’re too thick for my ass. Not that you’re a monster or anything, but that’s gonna be more pain than pleasure. I’ll pass.”
Henry did his best to discover where that might have offended him. Wasn’t that a good thing?
“And while I’m great at blowjobs, I still have a gag reflex, so deep-throating isn’t my thing,” Vicky said. “You’d need someone else to teach you that.”
Mary considered that as she began cooking the second omelet in the pan.
“Who?” Mary asked.
Vicky raised both eyebrows at the question. So did Henry.
“I–I don’t know,” Vicky stammered.
“Why don’t we table this for now?” Henry asked, doing his best to steady his nerves. His coffee didn’t help that, but he still needed it and kept it close. “Last night was fun, and yes, very exciting, but we shouldn’t get carried away. Let’s take this one step at a time.”
“That’s a good point,” Mary said, nodding. “You’re so smart, Henry.”
“Uh, thanks,” Henry said, surprised that Mary had yielded that quickly.
“So, what’s the next step?” Mary asked, looking at him for his answer. “What else do you want me to learn how to do for you in the bedroom?”
“Uh,” the question short-circuited Henry’s brain. The cute way she asked it, the glowing smile on her face, the swish of her hips while she cooked, and the cheery tune she hummed distracted him. It didn’t help that the blood left his brain, redirecting to his dick at the thought of teaching Mary what he wanted her to do in the bedroom.
“Down, boy,” Vicky said, teasing him. “Though I am surprised Mary didn’t offer to help you with your morning wood.”
“What’s that?” Mary asked, surprised.
“Guys can get stiff in the mornings if they’re horny,” Vicky said, pointing at Henry’s lap. The countertop kept Mary from being able to lock eyes with his erection, but Vicky could see it just fine. “They wake up with an erection. People call it morning wood.”
“That’s funny,” Mary said, chuckling. “Do you have morning wood, Henry? Do you want another handjob?”
Henry coughed, trying to hide his blushing face behind his coffee mug.
“If you ask a man if he wants a handjob, do you know what his answer will be?” Vicky asked.
“What?” Mary asked.
“It’ll be a yes,” Vicky said, laughing and winking at Henry before she sipped her coffee.
He appreciated the lighter moods, but he didn’t welcome the teasing as readily as he should have. Vicky wasn’t trying to be mean to him, but he didn’t want to pressure Mary into intimacy so soon after her experiences last night. She was still processing, and yes, she was excited, even hyper-fixated, but he wasn’t about to abuse that.
“Not necessarily,” Henry said, shaking his head. “I don’t want to push Mary to do anything she isn’t comfortable with, especially so soon after we started. I get that it’s new and exciting, but I’m okay to take things slow and steady. We don’t have to rush. I don’t want you to turn around in a week and regret everything or feel like I pressured you into doing something you weren’t comfortable doing.”
Vicky blinked.
Mary smiled, as if he’d passed a test. “Best boyfriend.”
“What if I reached over and just started jacking you off while we ate?” Vicky asked. “It wouldn’t be pressuring me.”
Henry blushed and tried to will away his arousal. It didn’t work, but it was worth a try. “Please don’t.”
“Can you not get it up?” Vicky asked, curious. She peeked over his arm, but tilted away when she spotted his erection standing tall.
“Oh, I can,” Henry said. “I’m hard as a rock right now with all the teasing, but things are awkward enough between us. Let’s just have breakfast. A normal breakfast. No hanky-panky.”
“Okay, well, saying ‘hanky-panky’ just killed my mood,” Vicky said, distrustful as she side-eyed him. “But you’re only doing this to prove a point.”
“Is that better than giving me a handjob to prove a point?” Henry asked.
Vicky shrugged. “I guess not.”
Mary smiled as she plated the second omelet and slid it toward Henry. “Eat. I’m still making mine, and yours will get cold if you wait.”
“Are you sure?” Henry asked. “I can wait and heat it in the microwave if necessary.”
“Just eat,” Mary said. “It’s better fresh.”
Henry nodded. There was no arguing with that. Microwaved eggs always tasted weird in his opinion, but a fresh homemade omelet from his girlfriend was just what he needed with his coffee. “Thanks, Mary.”
“You’re welcome!” Mary beamed at him as she poured her omelet into the pan.
The clink of silverware on the plates filled the silence in irregular rhythms as they ate. Vicky used a fork to cut her food. Henry used a fork and a knife. They ate in comfortable silence as Mary finished cooking her omelet. She plated hers, with each omelet cooking faster than the one before it, thanks to the pan’s heat. Hers was also the darkest, but she preferred her food that way, with crispness to it.
She joined them at the counter, but leaned against it from the other side, still standing and grinning at them. Her eyes flicked to Vicky, then to Henry, but her smile stayed the same.
“So, can I just ask, are you two attracted to each other?” Henry asked, confused. “Am I the third wheel?”
Vicky choked on her eggs, knocking her fist into her sternum to dislodge the blockage. Mary looked concerned, pouring water into a glass for Vicky as she coughed.
“You’re not a third wheel,” Mary said, assuring him.
“That avoided my question,” Henry said.
“We talked about it last night, remember?” Mary asked. “I’m not gay, Henry.”
“You don’t have to be fully lesbian to find women attractive, though,” Henry said.
“I know. Vicky explained her bisexuality to me before,” Mary said as Vicky completed her recovery.
Vicky swallowed and patted her chest, then drank more water to wash it down.
“Are you worried that if Vicky becomes our third that we’ll leave you out?” Mary asked.
Henry didn’t want to admit it, but he was. Insecurity made him unsteady, and insecurity itself was bad, right? Or was it reasonable to be insecure at the prospect of his girlfriend dating someone else?
Vicky had finished choking and recovering, but she waited for Henry to answer.
“I’m not an insecure prick,” Henry said. “But, yeah. I’m worried about the what-ifs involved.”
“Of course not!” Mary said, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.
“It sounds understandable to me,” Vicky said. “I mean, I’m nervous as heck, too. If we move forward with this whole thing, we’d need to establish ground rules.”
“Like what?” Mary asked, curious.
“I don’t know!” Vicky said, throwing her hands in the air. “I’ve been in threesomes, but not a throuple. This is fresh territory for me.”
“Everything is fresh territory for me,” Mary said. She looked at Henry.
“This is new for me too,” Henry said, still uncertain. “Does it make me a total jerk if I’m not super-accepting of the idea?”
“No,” Mary said, squeezing his hand.
Vicky gave him a strange look. “It’s weird that you’re the one objecting. You should be acting as if you won the lottery! What the fuck is wrong with me that you don’t want to date me?”
“Nothing,” Henry said. “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with you. Heck, you’re very attractive, and I trust Mary when she says we’d get along, and last night was great, but…”
“But?” Vicky pressed.
“But I have a girlfriend,” Henry said. “And I love her.” He smiled at Mary, and she returned it. Then he looked at Vicky. “I barely know you, but you two are close, and yeah, that’s freaking me out. You’ve had years of knowing each other. I’ve only had a few months with Mary. And loving two girlfriends at once sounds weird.”
Mary frowned, but didn’t protest.
“Well, that girl you love?” Vicky gestured at Mary. “She’s weird. Haven’t you noticed that yet? Mary’s got more anxiety than a chihuahua. She’s naive, and so twisted up from her childhood that yeah, she’s got a few screwy ideas about love and sex, but so what? Mary’s the kindest, sweetest, most wonderful person I know. So when she asks me for my help to overcome her mental blocks so she can be intimate with her boyfriend, I say yes. And if she wants both of us, why not try?”
“Are you in love with Mary?” Henry asked. “Like I am?”
Vicky paused at that. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know. I just went through a breakup last night. And Mary is my friend. I haven’t thought about her that way until, well, last night. She’s got a great body, and seeing her that way, yeah, it was hot. I’d love to do it again. And you’re not bad yourself, even if we don’t know each other that well.”
“That’s why you two should get to know each other better,” Mary said, speaking up for the first time. “If you want to. It’ll balance everything out.”
Henry sighed. “And you’re okay with me going on a date with Vicky?”
“Yes,” Mary said.
“And if we kiss at the end of it? Are you okay if that takes place without you?” Henry asked.
Mary thought about it, wrinkling her nose in concentration. “Yes. That’d be okay with me.”
“What if we do more than that? What if Vicky and I do more than what you and I have done?” Henry asked.
“Whoa, slow down,” Vicky said. “I never said I was going to fuck you.”
“I know,” Henry said. “But if it’s a date, or a series of dates, and things go well, wouldn’t you fuck someone you’re dating?”
“I mean, yeah,” Vicky admitted. “Not always on the first date, but it’s happened.”
“So,” Henry said. “What are the rules? How close do Vicky and I get before it becomes an issue for you?”
Mary hesitated, looking between the two of them and then at her hands. “I don’t know.”
Henry nodded. There was a lot of that going around.
“Is it fair of me to impose a rule?” Mary asked. “Like, if it’s more than a handjob or fingering, everyone should be there? Or, if you do more than what we’ve done? Is that wrong of me?”
Henry and Vicky exchanged a questioning look. Henry didn’t know the answer, and he wasn’t sure Vicky did either.
“Let me do some reading,” Henry said. “I’ve no experience with ‘what to do when your girlfriend asks her friend for help to give you a handjob.’ Polyamorous people exist, sure, but I don’t know any. I’m not sure what the best practices are, or what rules we should put in place.”
“Yeah,” Vicky said. “I’d want to do research, too.”
“I guess I should, too,” Mary said, nodding. “Want to do it after breakfast?”
Vicky smiled. “Okay, but actual research, not porn. However, I should go home eventually. Barry will want to pick up his things.”
Mary looked confused, as if she had no idea how Vicky could have gotten porn and research confused. Henry chuckled at her expression, and Mary grinned at him, which made Vicky chuckle as well.
“Here, I’ll take your plate,” Henry said, gesturing to Vicky’s empty plate. She handed it to him, and he stacked it with his. Mary was still eating, so he left her alone as he started rinsing. He began the mindless task of cleaning the dishes and ran the conversation over in his head. Was this more than just learning about sex? It sounded as if Mary was suggesting they become a three-way relationship. Was that what he wanted? What about what Vicky wanted? Was Mary even sure that it was what she wanted?
The door handle to the apartment jiggled while he stood at the sink. Two voices, laughter, and the familiar jingle of Mike’s keys came through the door.
Vicky and Mary looked at each other wide-eyed, both wearing t-shirts and nothing else. The clothes scattered around the apartment were in the washing machine. Mary grabbed her plate and ran toward Henry’s bedroom.
Vicky was close on her heels. Neither of them bothered to hold their t-shirts down as they ran, flashing cheeks at Henry as he turned to make sure they were gone. His bedroom door closed just as the front door opened, and Mike looked between his door and Henry with confusion on his face.
He saw the plate that Henry was holding. Everything was normal until his eyes fell on the three coffee mugs on the island counter. His brow wrinkled in confusion as he held the door open, and his girlfriend followed him inside.
“Did you have a breakfast date with Mary?” Mike asked, knowing that there was no way Mary spent the night.
“Yeah, kinda,” Henry said, hurrying to pile the dishes into the sink.
“Good to see you again, Henry,” Mike’s girlfriend, Audrey, said with a small wave as she came into the kitchen.
Henry gave her a small wave before he turned off the water.
“This is just a pit stop for a shave and a shower,” Mike explained. “We were thinking about going to the movie theater later. Do you and Mary want to join us?” Mike asked, looking over to the living room. He stopped and looked at Henry with an inquiring eyebrow. “Why’d you move the recliner?”
“Oh, Mary moved it to face the couch so we could see each other better. It’s better for conversation,” Henry said, telling the truth while lying. A strange and novel experience, but he couldn’t tell Mike the unfiltered truth. Not that he needed to lie. Mike accepted the answer without hesitation.
“Is it okay if I move it back?” Mike asked. “It’s in the way of the TV.”
“Sure, I’ll give you a hand,” Henry said.
“Is Mary in the bathroom? I really need to use it before showering,” Audrey said, chuckling.
“Oh, she’s in my room,” Henry said, not considering how weird that was.
“Oh,” Mike said, grinning. “Really?”
“It’s not a big deal. Mary’s looking something up on my computer,” Henry said, raising his hands as if he had nothing to hide.
“Was her phone broken?” Mike asked.
“Don’t tease him,” Audrey said, bumping Mike with her hip. “Look, you’re making him blush.”
Audrey and Mary had met a few times, and they’d gone on double dates. Mike had filled Audrey in regarding Mary’s prudishness, and while they thought it was weird, they were cordial. However, they did not share Mary’s fear of sex. Audrey and Mike had fucked on their first date, a year ago, and had hooked up as often as possible since.
“It’s fine, we won’t tease you two,” Mike said. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Boy Scout,” Henry said, narrowing his eyes at Mike, who could only laugh in his own defense.
Audrey chuckled and slipped into the bathroom while Mike and Henry moved the recliner into its original position. It was much easier to move with two people, and Henry stood and stretched afterward, having remembered to lift with his legs.
“Seriously, though, you two are welcome to join us at the movies. We’re seeing that new Pixar flick, so it’s Mary-safe. No blood, no sex,” Mike said.
“I’ll ask her,” Henry said, shrugging. “She’s not that bad, though. She can watch movies with that stuff; she just doesn’t enjoy horror movies.”
“But horror movies have the best blood and sex,” Mike countered, shrugging.
“I don’t know if that’s true,” Henry said, shaking his head. “I’m running the washing machine, but you should be fine for hot water for a shower.”
“Okay,” Mike said, heading toward his bedroom door. “Is Mary gonna freak out if Audrey joins me in the shower?”
Henry rolled his eyes. “Just do your thing. Maybe don’t waste the hot water, though.”
Mike slipped into his bedroom, laughing to himself.
Henry entered his room, closing the door behind him.
Vicky was on his computer. The desk and the angle at which she was sitting hid her legs.
Mary was on his bed looking at her phone. His blanket covered her lower half as she sat with her back against the wall.
“Mike and Audrey are making a pit stop. He’s gotta shower. They invited us to see a movie with them. That new Pixar one?” Henry asked. He had no idea what was playing, nor whether it was an original film or a sequel to one they’d seen.
“Oh, that could be fun,” Mary said, looking at Vicky. “Vicky?”
“What?” Vicky asked, looking over her shoulder at Mary.
“Do you want to come to the movies with us?” Mary asked.
“Oh, uh,” Vicky glanced at Henry. “No thanks. I need to get home.”
Mary frowned, but accepted Vicky’s answer without fighting her on it.
Henry nodded his acceptance. “We’d need to get showers, and they don’t know Vicky is here.”
“Oh,” Mary said. “Should we sneak her out? Is Audrey going to hang out in the living room while she waits for Mike?”
“She’s uh, she’s joining Mike in the shower,” Henry said, trying not to imagine it. Audrey was an attractive young woman with a flatter body than Mary’s. Her hips and backside were respectable, though. Still, picturing her naked seemed disrespectful to both her and Mike.
“Ooh, that’s something we can do!” Mary said, excitement in her voice.
“What is?” Henry asked.
“Shower together,” Mary said. “We’ve seen each other naked, right? So that’s not new, and a good place for a handjob. It’d just go down the drain when you finish.”
Henry swallowed, failing not to imagine the scene as she described it.
Vicky giggled. “Oh, Henry likes that idea.”
Henry pressed his erection down and moved to sit on the bed. Mary reached into his lap and gripped him through his pajama pants.
“Ah,” Henry gasped, surprised.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Mary said, yanking her hand away. “Is it okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine,” Henry said, moving her hand back into place. “You just surprised me.”
“A good surprise?” Mary asked.
“A very good surprise,” Henry assured her.
Mary grinned, stroking him through his pants. The pants were soft fleece, and Mary’s grip was firm and slow, warming him up as Vicky had shown her.
Vicky watched from the computer chair, having turned around. With her legs crossed, it was hard to tell if she was approving, disapproving, joining, or preparing to leave. She leaned back in the chair and opened her legs, watching as Mary had watched them last night. Her hand slithered along her thigh, reaching under her t-shirt to the top of her pussy. She started rubbing in tiny circles as Mary’s grip tightened on his shaft.
“Oh, are we doing this?” Henry asked.
“Do you want to?” Mary asked.
“Yes,” Henry said.
“Yes,” Vicky said.
“Me too,” Mary said, smiling. “Does that mean we’re doing this long-term?” she asked. “Are you two going on a date?”
Henry did his best to keep his breathing under control. He looked at Vicky for her answer, and she met his eyes. Their gazes locked together, intense, but low in heat as the lust had only just flickered into existence.
“I was looking at the best practices for polyamory,” Vicky said, still rubbing herself as her eyes lowered to Henry’s crotch. She licked her lips.
“And?” Mary asked. “Did it say what rules we should make?”
“Kinda,” Vicky said. “It said to focus more on personal boundaries than controlling rules. Prioritizing communication is important, being proactive to express your feelings, needs, and expectations.”
“Makes sense,” Mary said, nodding. “What do you think, Henry?”
“I uh,” Henry swallowed and shifted, leaning back so that he was reclining on the bed.
Mary had scooted forward, so she was sitting next to him and kept rubbing him in slow strokes.
“So, no rules?” Henry asked. “Just boundaries.”
“Well, it’d be like what we discussed before,” Vicky said. “Would your boundaries be the same as Mary’s?”
Henry considered that. “Polyamory might be too complicated. I’m not sure I can date two women.”
Vicky tilted her head, considering his objection. “What if you and I say that we can get to know one another, get more comfortable, without the physical intimacies of dating?”
Henry swallowed, hyperaware of Mary’s grip on his dick.
“Oh, like you two could go on dates, but not do anything intimate?” Mary asked.
“Not without you,” Vicky said. “I’d be there to help teach you, though Henry should take the reins on what he wants you to learn. Meanwhile, Henry and I can be friends. We’ll hang out, grow closer, and get more comfortable, but without the pressure of dating.”
“What do you think, Henry?” Mary asked. “Do you want to take the reins and take over my training with Vicky and the others?”
“Others?” Henry asked, confused.
“Well, as Vicky said, she can’t teach me everything,” Mary said, sliding her hand under his waistband.
Henry lifted his hips and slid his pants down, giving Mary access as his cock stood at attention. She wrapped her fingers around the base, pumping him in slow, gentle strokes as they discussed the future.
“So we might need to ask for help when we get to more advanced things,” Mary said. “Is that okay with you?”
“Uh,” Henry sucked in a breath. He had a difficult time saying yes or no as Mary took off her shirt and slid to her knees between him and Vicky.
Vicky bit her lip, watching as Mary changed her angle and started jacking Henry off toward her impressive tits. Her large, pillowy breasts held their perfect shape as she pushed them up with one arm and pumped him with her right hand.
“I can’t think straight,” Henry said. “Not with you doing that.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Mary asked.
“No,” Henry and Vicky said at the same time.
Mary grinned, looking up at Henry with lust in her blue eyes.
“Everything is okay with me, if it’s what you want,” Henry said. “I’ll take the reins. I’ll figure out a plan, and we’ll do everything together, okay?”
“Okay,” Mary said.
“And me?” Vicky said.
“How does a video game hangout sound?” Henry asked. “We can play BG3 together.”
Vicky paused. “That’s a great idea. It lets us hang out, but removes any possibility for sex.”
Mary squeezed him in her hand, making Henry close his eyes as he let his head hang back.
Vicky, meanwhile, increased the rate of her rubbing. “We’re doing this, then?”
“We’re doing this,” Mary said, grinning. “You’re going to train me to be the perfect girlfriend.”
“Yeah, we will,” Vicky agreed.
“You’re perfect,” Henry said. “You don’t need to change for me.”
Mary grinned. “So I should stop?”
“No,” Henry said, louder, making both Vicky and Mary chuckle.
“Go faster,” Vicky said, eyeing Mary’s technique. “And open your mouth. Guys love having a target.”
Mary opened her mouth, though it was so far from the tip of Henry’s dick that he doubted anything would reach her.
Vicky slipped a finger inside herself, rubbing as she slid her hips forward. The chair rested against the desk, and she planted her feet, fingering and rubbing herself as her breathing quickened. “I’m so close.”
Mary looked at Vicky, then back at Henry. She wet her lips, parting them again as if about to drink something, despite the distance. Meanwhile, she increased the pace of her hand pumping him and dropped her breasts to use both hands on his cock. “Am I doing it right?”
“Yes,” Henry assured her. “Scoot closer.”
Mary scooted closer, her breasts pushing against his mattress between his knees. He hooked his legs over her back, crossing his ankles and trapping her there. She grinned at the hug from his legs and moved one hand to his thigh to brace herself while pumping with her left.
“Are you close?” Mary asked.
“Yes,” Henry said. “Come closer.”
Mary leaned closer, her open mouth now inches away from his cockhead. She breathed in deep, and her exhale washed over his cockhead while her grip tightened at the base of his cock.
Henry and Vicky groaned, both arching backward as spasms took them. Vicky twitched in his chair, but Henry’s spasms were from his cock as his load shot out toward Mary. He missed her mouth, overshooting the first shot and clearing her head. The blast struck the floor somewhere between her and Vicky. The next one struck her cheek, then her chin, and her chest as she sat back on her heels with a generous smile.
Henry caught his breath as he lay back on his mattress and closed his eyes.
“I can’t wait to learn what’s next,” Mary said, chuckling to herself.
Vicky laughed with her. “I’m looking forward to it, too.”
“Me three,” Henry said, giving them both a thumbs-up. He didn’t know what they’d do, but he agreed to try. So, he had to figure something out. The first step was research: figuring out what he wanted her to learn. Then he’d have to figure out how to teach it to her, and with whom.
Still, it’d be one heck of an adventure, and so far, he couldn’t see a downside. It was a step into the unknown, but one he wasn’t taking alone. If anything, he was taking it with more people than he expected.
“Let’s do it,” Henry said, confirming his agreement. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”