Chapter 7: Henry
~~~
Approximately Six Months Ago: Late February
~~~
Henry’s second date with Mary brought more pressure with it than the first. The first date had been effortless. Talking to her in the parking lot, at the bar, and then going their separate ways at the end of the night? Easy peasy.
There had been no preparation for that spontaneous date. Not so with the second date. The second date required preparation. Henry had gone to the barber’s the day before, and combed his hair with a wet comb to keep its shape. His button-down collar shirt made him feel as if he’d dressed for church, and the tie was too much. He took it off and threw it back into his bedroom.
Planning the second date had been fraught with constant changes in his decisions. Every time he settled on something, he questioned it, changed his mind, and reversed his decision, until the countdown reached the point where the deadlines forbade him from changing anything else. He picked something he thought Mary might enjoy. Plus, it would help them get to know one another, and it was low-pressure.
There was a touch of traditionalism in the outing. Mary’s farm-grown sensibilities reminded him of his parents’ generation more than his own, but there was something comforting in the familiar. The phrase ‘they don’t make them like that anymore’ applied to Mary. While there were downsides, the low-pressure nature of their progression meant he could take his time and get to know her before they got serious. That was a major plus.
The drive from his apartment to the theater was easy. Meeting Mary in the crowd before they opened the doors was more difficult. She had told him she’d be in a plaid dress, red and black, and he thought he’d be sure to spot it right away.
The only problem?
It was February, and while she might be wearing a red-and-black plaid dress, she wasn’t wearing it without a coat. The sea of coats, jackets, and winter hats made everyone appear the same. Henry had to search each face until he spotted her standing by the doors, scanning the crowd. She was looking for his face, which made him smile as he waved to her. She saw his wave and beckoned him toward her.
“They’re about to open the doors,” Mary said, smiling. “You’re just in time.”
“Oh, good, I hadn’t expected you to get here before me,” Henry admitted. “I thought I was early.”
“You are,” Mary said. “I just finished getting ready and then was too excited to wait at home, so I drove over.”
Henry smiled, happy at her eagerness. She blushed at the confession, as if she’d said something she shouldn’t, and it made his spirit soar. This was going to be great.
They opened the theater doors, and people began pouring through them. It was easy to see why they hadn’t let people wait in the lobby. The restored nineteenth-century theater had a lobby the size of a walk-in closet, with just enough room for concessions and the box office. The old brick building had once been a stage theater. In the early 20th century, it became a movie theater. Now, it did both, and Henry found himself taking an aisle seat for the 2 p.m. live performance of The Pirates of Penzance. He’d watched the VHS version as a kid, but hadn’t seen the Gilbert and Sullivan musical since.
Mary had never seen it. But she’d told him on their first date that she enjoyed musical theater and that she loved The Mikado. Chances were high she’d enjoy this one too.
Mary took off her coat once they reached their seats, revealing a tight fit-and-flare dress. The black plaid’s high neckline showed none of her long cleavage, but hugged her torso enough to signal that this was a dress reserved for date night. She cinched the dress at her waist with a wide black belt. The pleated skirt reached the top of her calves, and she’d worn a pair of wedges that added an inch to her height.
“You look lovely,” Henry said. “I like your dress.”
“Thank you!” Mary said, smiling at him. “It has pockets!” She shoved her hands into them to prove it. “I must have changed my outfit a dozen times before I came here.”
Henry chuckled at her honesty. “I did the same. This outfit had a tie. I wasn’t sure what color to go with for my shirt. When you said your dress was red and black, I went with the red shirt and black pants.” He gestured to himself. His shirt was a different shade of red than hers, but it complemented the paler red stripe as it faded to black.
Mary chuckled. “Well, don’t we make a pair?”
Henry smiled as he took his seat next to her and enjoyed chatting with her about her day and her life. She volunteered with his sister at the animal shelter, and they’d had one date, so he knew the basics of her life. So, they caught up on their week.
“What about you?” Mary asked.
“Oh, well, my week was mostly work,” Henry said, shrugging.
“You didn’t do anything fun?”
“I got some reading done. My buddy Mike has been on me to read the Timothy Zahn books,” Henry said.
“I don’t think I know that author,” Mary confessed, as if it were a shortcoming.
“Oh, he’s written a bunch of Star Wars novels. I’m making my way through the Thrawn trilogy,” Henry explained.
“Oh!” Mary said, as if she recognized that. “My friend Vicky has read those. She loves one of those characters, something-something Jade?”
“Mara Jade,” Henry said, nodding. “Yeah, she’s pretty cool. It’s a shame the new movies just ignored the whole concept of Luke’s New Jedi Order, where they embraced love and connection instead of forbidding them.”
“Doesn’t that lead to the dark side?” Mary asked.
“No,” Henry said, shaking his head. “Luke says that the whole reason the Sith lost was because of Darth Vader’s attachment to him. And without connections between people, it’s too easy for the dark side to take root. That’s why he and Mara Jade can get married, and Leia marries Han, and so on, and no one turned evil.”
“Love conquers all,” Mary said. “That’s pretty cool. I’ll have to read those.”
Henry nodded. “There’s occasionally terrible writing in the expanded universe, but on the whole, the novels are solid.”
Mary shrugged. “That’s okay, not every musical is Gilbert and Sullivan, but I still enjoy them. A few bad examples shouldn’t spoil it. We can say the same for Star Wars novels and the movies.”
Henry nodded, appreciating the perspective. “Yeah, you’re right.”
They laughed together, quieting themselves as the lights dimmed to begin the show.
The Pirates of Penzance wasn’t a masterpiece of musical theater, but it was a classic for a reason, and it entertained its audience. Henry had enough musical knowledge to appreciate the difficult songs and enough whimsy to appreciate the jokes. Anyone expecting Les Mis would be disappointed, but both he and Mary knew what to expect and enjoyed it immensely.
Intermission didn’t give them much of a chance to talk, as Mary had to use the bathroom. However, after the show, they discussed it as they walked down the street toward their cars in the public lot at the corner.
“That was fun!” Mary said, walking beside him. “I have the songs stuck in my head now.”
Henry laughed. “Yeah, they’re catchy. I guess that’s one reason for them to stay so popular for so long.”
Mary nodded her agreement. “So, if you had to choose between being a pirate or a pilot, which would you choose?”
Henry considered his options. “Well, if given the choice, I’d be a pilot. Though eight-year-old me would hate me for that answer.”
Mary giggled. “Did you want to be a pirate when you grew up?”
“Oh, definitely,” Henry nodded. “Sailing on the open ocean, fighting in one of those large-scale cutlass battles like in the movies, rescuing damsels, and finding treasure? Sign me up.”
Mary giggled. “I don’t think pirates ‘rescued’ damsels very much. At least, not historically.”
“Are you saying Hollywood lied to me?” Henry asked, as if shocked at the very notion. “The pirates I knew were either villains who were afraid of crocodiles, or heroes who feared no one.”
They laughed together.
“So, it’s early for dinner,” Henry said, checking his watch. “Do you want to do something else first? There’s a bookstore with a cafe nearby. We could get coffee and then go to dinner?”
Mary nodded. “Oh, I know the bookstore. I love it there. Yes, let’s grab coffee, and then we’ll go to dinner.”
Henry nodded. “Would you care to ride with me, or should we drive separately?”
Mary hesitated, as if unsure whether it was appropriate to get into his car.
“I’ll drive you back, of course, after dinner,” Henry said.
“Oh, let’s drive separately,” Mary said, coming to her decision. “That’ll just be easier.”
Henry nodded. He hadn’t been hoping for one result over the other. The only downside to splitting up was that it forced a break in their conversation and their company. Mary was wonderful to have around, and talking with her made him happy. It was as if each new piece of information were a treasure to cherish.
“Okay,” Henry said, nodding. “I’ll meet you there?”
Mary nodded, then hesitated. She moved toward him, then stopped, and stepped away. “Yeah, I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay,” Henry said, unsure of what had just happened. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but he let it go as he held her car door for her, letting her slip inside. He closed the door and trotted to his car before he drove to the bookstore.
The two-story store wasn’t far, and he arrived after she did, parking in the empty spot beside her. They walked in together. She’d left her coat in the car, but the bookstore was warm, and the cafe was inviting. The barren world outside had the chill of winter frosting the glass walls facing the parking lot.
Mary ordered a hot latte, and Henry ordered the same, deciding to try something new. He paid for both, not letting Mary reach for her purse. She thanked him, but he told her not to worry about it. The bookstore had been part of his plan for the interim between the show and dinner. He’d counted on buying her coffee, and even a book if she’d accept such a gift.
They sat at a cafe table, waiting for their coffees, and smiled at each other.
“So, what books do you read?” Henry asked. “Are you into sci-fi?” He recalled their Star Wars discussion, but remembered too late that it was her friend, not her, who had read the Star Wars novels.
“I don’t mind it,” Mary said. “Though I’ll admit I find some of the sci-fi classics boring.”
“Oh?” Henry asked, curious. “Like what?”
“Well, I tried to read Dune once, and it was like pouring sand in my eyes,” Mary said, explaining it as if she were confessing to a sin. “I hated it.”
Henry nodded. “It’s a very, uh, dry book.”
Mary’s face went blank for a moment, then she burst into laughter. “That’s a great pun,” Mary said. “I never would have thought of that.”
Henry shook his head. He was sure he wasn’t the first person to make that joke. He wouldn’t be the last. Her laughter encouraged him, though. She was smiling and laughing as if she wanted to when she was with him. That gave him confidence that the date was going well. It was true, though; the book was dry. “No, if you’re going to read sci-fi, I suggest you start with the short stories, or maybe someone like Arthur C. Clarke.”
The barista placed their coffees on the counter and called Henry’s name, so Henry gathered the drinks and offered one to Mary. “Come on, let’s browse,” Henry said. “You can show me your favorite books.”
Mary’s eyes twinkled like stars as she rose from her seat and took his arm. “Can we look at the new releases?” she asked. “I always want to start with them and then work my way upstairs.”
“Of course,” Henry said. “If you see anything you like, let me know.”
“Are you offering to buy me a book?” she asked, amused and surprised. “Wow, you really know the way to a girl’s heart.”
Henry chuckled. “Yeah? Is that what impresses you? Does it help my case if I tell you I have a Barnes and Noble membership?”
Mary smiled. “Well, I guess that depends on how many books you’re offering, but I don’t want an entire library from you. At least, not until we know each other better.”
Henry chuckled. “Well, let’s take it one book at a time. Pick one. We can read it together.”
“What if it’s something you’ve already read?” Mary asked. “Maybe I should buy you a book. It’s more feminist that way.”
Henry chuckled. “I’m not that concerned, but sure, I’ll buy you one, and you buy me one. Something you think I’d enjoy, but that you’ve read. That way, we can discuss it on our next date.”
Mary grinned. “You want another date?”
Henry laughed. “Of course I do.”
That confession put a spring in Mary’s step so that she bounced as she walked, browsing through the shelves with him. They took their time, enjoying each other’s company as they traversed the rows through the new releases until they made their way upstairs. The science fiction and fantasy sections looped back to the romance aisle, and by the time they made it through, they each carried their selections.
Mary produced a romance novel that she wanted Henry to read. He’d heard of it before, but had never read it.
“You’ll enjoy it,” Mary said. “It has time travel, so it’s one part fantasy, one part science fiction, one part romance. It has everything.”
“Okay,” Henry said, eyeing the heavy book. “I hope I finish it by our next date.”
Mary chuckled. “It’s okay if you don’t. I know it’s long. Which one did you pick for me?”
“Well, I know it’s not romantic, but I picked Leviathan Wakes? It’s sci-fi, but not dry,” Henry said, showing her the book.
“Is that a leviathan pun?” Mary asked.
Henry chuckled. He hadn’t even considered that, but no. Leviathan in this context wasn’t a sea monster. “No, just a happy accident.”
Mary chuckled. “Come on, let’s sit and read the first chapters? We can see if we like them.”
“That’s a great idea,” Henry agreed immediately. “Come on.” He led the way and found a single armchair on the top floor for them to use. Others had claimed the rest. “You sit,” he said. “I’ll sit in front of you.”
Mary raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to use the excuse to suggest that I sit in your lap?”
Henry wanted to smack himself for not thinking of it. “I didn’t think you’d be comfortable with that,” he said. “You said you wanted to take the physical intimacy slow, right?”
Mary nodded. “Yeah.”
“Would you be comfortable sitting on my lap?” Henry asked.
Mary considered the question, blushed, and shook her head. No, she wouldn’t be, and that didn’t surprise him.
“Then you sit on the chair, I’ll take the floor,” he said again. “No need to rush things. We’ve got time, and we’ll take everything one step at a time.”
“One step at a time,” Mary repeated. “That works for me!”
~~~
Current Day
~~~
One step at a time. Henry agreed to pursue this endeavor one step at a time. So, what was the first step?
Well, Mary took care of that for him. She’d gotten the ball rolling last night. Making out had been the limit of their intimacy for months, and Henry convinced himself that was fine. Sex was great, but it was only part of a relationship, not the whole. Plus, he respected Mary’s more traditional views.
She’d shed some of those traditions last night in something akin to a landslide.
They’d progressed in intimacy in leaps and bounds, from making out to seeing each other naked, to handjobs. The race kicked off at the speed of light once Mary pulled the trigger.
Poor Mary must have been pent up, and when she moved forward, she ran full-steam ahead. Well, not full-steam. They hadn’t done more than handjobs and facials, but Henry still counted it as a threesome. It had been nothing like what he expected, but it’d been hot.
Now, he had to decide what to do next and not screw it up. It was as if he were flying, but without experience or a manual. Keeping the plane in the air was doable, so long as he didn’t force the stick. But how long could that last? If he didn’t figure out how to land the plane, he’d crash. He didn’t know what he’d do if his relationship with Mary crashed and burned.
It scared him to admit his worries. Their relationship had been a stable refuge for him, and they were building a future together. Yet something had shifted, and the ground beneath his feet became sand instead of granite.
Their love wasn’t something that could disappear overnight, but something had changed in Mary. His girlfriend was undergoing a metamorphosis. A sexual awakening for which he couldn’t take full credit. Vicky had been there to help. Henry had to determine where she fit into Mary’s sexual revolution. Whatever started it, Mary hit her limit for abstinence, and she needed their help to work through it.
Six months of dating wasn’t his longest relationship, but Mary was the girlfriend he’d felt the closest to since they started dating. They had more in common, with overlapping interests, but their hobbies were often separate. They’d struck a balance that was difficult for couples to achieve. Yet adding Vicky to their relationship felt complicated. She might throw things off balance, but a three-legged stool was better than a two-legged one, he supposed.
His room, without Mary or Vicky in it, became too large and empty. Even the apartment was silent with Mike and Audrey out at their movie. The hum of cars on the street, the huff of the central air conditioner, and his desktop cooling fan’s tinny electric whir provided a white-noise heavy enough to lull anyone to sleep.
If it weren’t for the matters coursing through his head, he might’ve succumbed to a Saturday afternoon nap. As it was, imagining his girlfriend flashing him, or masturbating while she watched Vicky give him a handjob, had him on his back while standing at attention. He didn’t even have the energy to masturbate. He was too tired.
Instead, Henry moved to his desk with his notebook open beside his computer. The page was full of half-scribbled notes. His browsing history was full of search queries and web pages he’d visited in researching polyamory and how best to proceed. Plenty of blogs offered advice and even “courses” on how to approach polyamory. For Henry, that was only half the equation. The other half was figuring out how to teach Mary.
Henry sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had to determine a structure. If Mary wanted to learn from others, then Henry needed to present what he wanted her to learn.
So what was the boot camp version of sexual training? They had to start with the basics, obviously, so he didn’t scare her away from the idea. He didn’t want to hurt her physically or emotionally. Henry couldn’t be the monster she discussed with a therapist years from now, who blundered her sexual development despite his good intentions.
So, what was first base? Kissing. Cool. They’d done that. Lots of it. Henry didn’t think it was arrogant to say they were good at it.
Second base? Touching. There had been some of that, though most of it was incidental. There were only so many places to put one’s hands, and bodies pressed together had a way of rubbing things unintentionally.
That meant third base was next. Mary proved excellent at handjobs so far. Mutual masturbation seemed to be a natural byproduct of three-person handjobs and throwing Vicky into the mix. He didn’t know how he’d look her in the eyes. She’d seen him naked, handled his dick, even made him cum. There was no coming back from that. He wouldn’t be able to see her in the grocery store without thinking of her on her knees.
Henry could say the same of Mary, though. He knew what she looked like naked now, and she was hotter than he’d imagined. He’d seen her, touched her, and she’d touched him. The next step was intimidating, but a blowjob seemed like a natural starting point.
He wrote it on a piece of paper under the heading “Things to teach Mary.”
After a blowjob, well, deep-throating? That was a natural progression. And then what? His mind kept turning toward sex, but there was more to sex than intercourse. So what other elements of foreplay did he want her to learn?
Henry had to consider foreplay more than the act itself if he wanted a long list. He planned to build her up for the main event. Foreplay served that purpose.
Henry added stripping to the list, and the mental image of Mary peeling off her clothes to a sexy dance burned into his imagination forever. She was a talented line dancer, judging by the time they’d gone dancing at the local country music bar. Did she know any other dances?
Lap dances. Henry added tit-jobs and lap dances to the list. It might be selfish, but if she were willing, he might as well shoot for the moon. Besides, it wasn’t as if the list was final. He was sure she’d veto things before they attempted anything.
Costumes and roleplay made the list. Halloween wasn’t for a few months, but he’d seen a few pictures that made him realize how sexy Mary could be when she let her friends pick the theme. She was still the most modest of her friend group, but the picture of her in a sexy Hogwarts outfit had been a pleasant surprise.
Would anal sex be before or after intercourse on Mary’s list of things to try in the bedroom? Some religious people considered it part of the buildup, while others felt it was unnatural. Henry had no strong feelings about anal sex, except that he adored Mary’s butt. There wasn’t a single feature of her body he didn’t adore, though.
He wasn’t sure how she might feel, but he added it to the list. Then he took a step back in intimacy, falling back to massage. Rubbing her shoulders and back could arouse her if done properly. Otherwise, it was too relaxing, and they’d end up falling asleep instead of sleeping together. He’d have to reorder the list as well, just to make sure everything went in order.
Shower fun was something Mary mentioned that he wanted to try. Sex in the shower wasn’t on the table. At least not until after they had regular sex, but they could still have fun. He’d use the detachable shower head to masturbate her, and she could give him a hand or a blowjob in exchange. That sounded fun.
Pacing everything out was another concern. Mary was excited, but if they rushed things, she wouldn’t be ready when they reached the end of the list. They’d crash. Henry had to ease her into things, which meant moving more slowly than she might expect. He wanted her body. There was no doubt in his mind about his passion for her, but if he wasn’t careful, he’d lose her, and those were stakes he wasn’t willing to gamble.
The other half of the problem was how to teach her. Henry listed several activities on his paper, but had no idea of ‘how’ to follow last night’s events. If Henry had followed last night’s format, the obvious answer would have been to ask Vicky to demonstrate and have Mary do as she did. That meant he wasn’t just writing this list for Mary. Everything he wanted to do with Mary, he’d have to do with Vicky first. Somehow, that didn’t sit right in his heart.
Yet Mary was fine with it. She encouraged it, even. And since she was there, watching, learning, and participating, then it wasn’t as if he was doing it with Vicky instead of Mary. He was doing those things with Vicky and Mary. The difference seemed semantic, but it was far from negligible. Mary was a willing, even enthusiastic participant. So was Vicky.
Was the hang-up that he wanted intimacy with Mary with no third party? Well, he couldn’t claim that was accurate either. He loved the fantasy of a threesome with them. Perhaps it was the concept of Vicky as a barrier to his intimacy with Mary. Vicky seemed like a toll he had to pay to enjoy his girlfriend, which didn’t sit right with him.
Vicky was hot and down for whatever he and Mary wanted. So, what stopped him from enjoying both women? Societal pressure not to give in to that part of himself that wanted both?
Henry rubbed his head, unsure of what was wrong with him. Was it just a matter of unmet expectations? For as long as he’d dated Mary, they’d had a plan. It wasn’t so much a step-by-step manual to follow, but an outline of what they wanted in life.
They were dating with the end goal of getting married one day. Six months had convinced him they were right for each other. He hadn’t started saving for a ring yet, but he hadn’t fled from the idea either. He was waiting. A year or two of dating was more common before becoming engaged. Then they’d have to plan their wedding. Venue availability would decide how long their engagement would be. Then marriage would be for the rest of their lives.
Vicky shuffled that outline into something unrecognizable. If he dated two women, he couldn’t marry both of them. Google said so.
Apparently, the US government outlawed polygamy in 1862, which seemed late. Further research led him to realize it was mostly an anti-Mormon effort, but the result was that any pluralistic marriage had to be unofficial. He wondered how modern polygamists handled that. Another search sent him on a rabbit trail of LLC formations that would affect his Google ads for months to come.
So if he adjusted his expectations to include Vicky, how did she fit into their plans? Would Mary still want to get married? Would Vicky be the eternal girlfriend if he and Mary married? Such stratification sounded counterintuitive to ethical non-monogamy. Wouldn’t keeping everyone equal be better? Or were relationships allowed to exist at different levels of closeness?
He supposed they had to differ in reality. Equality might be ideal, but the real world never allowed perfect forms to exist. Vicky and Mary were closer than he and Mary were; they had a longer friendship, but Henry preferred to believe that he and Mary had a more intimate relationship. He and Vicky had met, hung out in groups once or twice, and then last night happened. So they were the weak link. He should get to know Vicky more, as Mary suggested.
Perhaps that should be the first step. A date with Vicky, without intimacy. He agreed that it should be a boundary. Henry wasn’t comfortable being intimate with Vicky without Mary’s presence and her enthusiastic consent. He wrote it down so he wouldn’t forget it later, if he and Vicky ever discussed the matter.
What about the intimacy between him and Mary? She said the guilt was too overwhelming when it was just him and her, that she needed Vicky to keep the demons at bay. Was there a way to wean her from that? Would he ever be able to have intimacy with his girlfriend, just the two of them? Perhaps that was something else to work toward.
He had to pick one goal at a time. So, he started with oral sex. He’d save the full sixty-nine for later. So, teaching Mary how to give a blowjob. He supposed he should ask Vicky for her advice and availability, but first, he wanted to ensure he knew what he was doing. So, he turned to Google, which surprised him with its thorough instructions.
Halfway through charting out instructions on teaching Mary how to give a blowjob, Henry’s phone vibrated against his desk, notifying him that he had a text message. He checked his phone, pulling up his conversation with Mary.
Mary: Hey! Are you free for a double-date dinner tonight? Also, we should talk before dinner. Can I come over? Then we can carpool.
Henry knew she didn’t mean to say ‘we should talk’ to trigger alarm bells in his head, but they sounded regardless. Her assumption that they'd have dinner afterward was a good sign, though. Mary wasn’t breaking up with him.
She might be backing out of their new arrangement. She was probably spiraling, freaking out over what they’d done, and dealing with a wave of guilt in the aftermath since they’d crossed lines she’d considered sacred just days ago. Henry understood that. He could be a supportive, understanding boyfriend.
Henry: Of course. Did you have somewhere specific in mind for dinner?
Mary: Do you know the new sushi place on 3rd?
Henry’s brow furrowed. Mary had never had sushi. She commented on it on their first date: she was a steak-and-potatoes girl and couldn’t bring herself to eat raw fish. Was trying sushi part of her new horizons endeavor?
Henry: Yeah, I know it. Sakana, right?
Mary: Yeah! That’s it!
Henry: Since when do you eat sushi?
Mary: Vicky said they have other fish, too, that they cook.
Ah, that made sense. If Vicky recommended the restaurant, it couldn’t be too expensive either, which was good news. Henry checked the time. If Mary drove over, he had twenty minutes to shower and make himself presentable, which was just enough time. He hoped.
Henry: Okay. Are you heading over now?
Mary: Yeah. Sooner the better. Are Mike and Audrey there?
Henry: No, they never came back after their movie.
Mary: Perfect! I’ll be there ASAP.
Why was that perfect? Henry didn’t know, but he checked his computer clock, set his phone on its charger, and dashed to the bathroom with a clean set of clothes.
Fifteen minutes later, he emerged clean, dry, shaved, and ready for an impromptu date. He hated not knowing what was going on and what the night might bring. Still, he’d done his best to prepare for it. However, he wasn’t expecting anything to happen this soon.
He wasn’t sure how upscale Sakana’s was, but aimed for a date-night look. He pulled on a hunter-green polo shirt and brown slacks. Brown slacks meant he had to use his brown leather belt and brown dress shoes. He unbuttoned the top button of his polo and fixed the collar, waiting in the living room for Mary’s arrival.
Sitting, waiting for her after a surprise text conversation reminded him of last night. Recalling last night made his blood pump harder, and he swallowed, imagining what tonight would bring. He didn’t want to get his hopes up too high, just in case Mary was backing out, but her texts hadn’t given him that impression. If anything, she appeared excited, not morose.
Then again, it was difficult to read the intention and tone in text messages. Implied meanings didn’t always survive the process long enough to become inferences. Her exclamation marks were encouraging, though. She didn’t use those when she was upset.
Henry grabbed his phone from the charger and saw he had no new messages. He reread their conversation while sitting in the recliner that Mary had been in last night. Sitting where she’d been last night made him remember what she’d been doing in the chair. He swallowed at the memory and adjusted himself at the result.
Her knock made him jump out of the chair. He let Mary in, and she swept inside wearing a sleeveless denim-blue dress that fit her like a glove. The fit-and-flare nature was common to her classier dresses, but the skirt length surprised him. It was mid-thigh on her, and not an inch longer. The straps holding it up hid her bra straps, but the sweetheart neckline showed off her cleavage, and he had to avert his eyes, or he’d get too distracted. Her tall cowgirl boots made it seem like she was going line dancing instead of to a sushi restaurant, but he didn’t offer a critique. He couldn’t. She looked too good.
“Wow,” Henry said, his eyes following the shift of her skirt’s hem against her thigh. “You look amazing.”
Mary blushed. “Thanks! I felt daring, and I wanted to wear something sexy, and I don’t know, bold? Is it okay? Is it too slutty? I can go home and change!”
Mary was the only one who might consider her dress slutty. To everyone else, it was cute. The faux buttons on the bust didn’t unfasten, which was a shame, and the tied-string bow beneath the bust was cute but served no function either. They’d have to make those buttons functional, dip the neckline an inch, and cut the skirt another two inches to make it slutty.
“No, it isn’t slutty,” Henry assured her, or did his best. “You look cute, hot even, but not slutty.”
Mary beamed. “Perfect! That’s what I was going for!”
Henry smiled. “Mission accomplished, then.” He gestured to the living room, and Mary sat in the recliner and crossed her legs. Henry let his eyes travel the length of her bare thigh as he took his seat on the sofa opposite her.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” Henry asked. “And why the rush? I thought we were giving each other time to adjust, research, and figure things out?”
“I know, but I’ve been thinking today, and I needed to talk to you,” Mary said. “Promise you won’t be mad?”
Henry’s heart fell, but he did his best not to show it. He couldn’t force Mary to do anything she didn’t want to, and if she pumped the brakes on everything, he understood. It was a lot for her, and he felt unqualified to guide her through it. He was floundering, trying to figure things out without losing her or hurting her in the process.
“I’m not mad,” Henry said. “I get it. Last night was a lot. If you need to stop, it’s okay; we can go back to the way things were before.”
Mary tilted her head, looking at him with a confused expression. “I don’t want that.”
“Oh,” Henry said, surprised. “So, what then?”
“Okay,” Mary said, settling into her seat and sitting straighter. Whatever she was about to say, she’d practiced it. He could tell by the way she’d set her shoulders and closed her eyes before launching into her speech. “I can’t stop thinking about last night, and how awesome it was.”
Henry nodded his agreement. “I won’t lie, it was great for a lot of reasons.”
Mary smiled. “You like Vicky, right?”
Henry chuckled. She’d asked him this before. If he hadn’t liked Vicky before last night, he had a new appreciation for her now. “Yeah, I’ll admit it’s strange, but she was a great help to you last night.”
Mary nodded. “But you like her? You’re attracted to her?”
Henry hesitated, narrowing his eyes as if checking for a tripwire somewhere between his feet and Mary’s.
Mary froze at his hesitation, fear plastered across her face. “Are you not attracted to her?”
“I’m not sure what to say,” Henry said. He took a deep breath. “Look, everything we’ve read and researched says that the key is open and honest communication, right? Especially with insecurities, fears, resentments, and everything else. We need to keep each other informed and be honest.”
“Right,” Mary said, agreeing with her nodding head, which made her ponytail bounce. “We can do that, right? Without getting mad or defensive?”
“I’d prefer to think so,” Henry said. “Call me on it if I get defensive?”
“I can do that,” Mary said. “And the same for me.”
“Okay,” Henry said. “So, moment of truth? I’m worried that if I say Vicky’s attractive, you’ll get jealous or mad at me. However, Vicky has attributes I find appealing. There are a few turnoffs, but nothing I couldn’t get over in time.”
“Turnoffs?” Mary asked.
Henry shrugged. “Nothing major, there’s just a few things that irk me sometimes. With Vicky, if I were single, I’d find her attractive, for sure, but her relationship history is messy, and it’s a turnoff compared to you.”
“Even though I’m so messed up about sex?” Mary asked. “You wouldn’t want to be with someone more open and adventurous with it?”
Henry shrugged. “If I wanted to be another notch in a woman’s bedpost, I wouldn’t have started a relationship with you.”
Mary went quiet at that, considering his words. “But you don’t think I’m slutty for wanting to do things with you?”
“No,” Henry said.
“Okay, well, hmm,” Mary hummed. “Vicky’s not that slutty. Not really. She’s had a few one-night stands, I guess, but mostly she dates the guys she’s with for a few months at a time.”
Henry nodded. “I’m not trying to condemn her. I’m just stating my preference. Between her and you, I’d pick you. Every time.”
Mary blushed, looking down at her hands, which she’d folded over her knee. She moved her hands to her lap, keeping them together and pressing the top of her skirt against her thigh. “I appreciate that.”
Henry nodded. It was true, so he didn’t feel the need to defend the statement after explaining it. She could either accept it or reject it. She seemed to accept it, though.
“Remember what we said about a polyamorous relationship between you, me, and Vicky?” Mary asked.
“Yeah,” Henry said, nodding.
“Well, I want that,” Mary said. “And I want you to date Vicky, like, really date her, and me.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
Mary nodded. “If you want to.”
“I can ask her, but yeah. I can try,” Henry said. “It’s weird, and if this is a test, I’m failing it big time, but I’ll admit I find her attractive. If you want me to ask Vicky out, then I will.”
“Good,” Mary said. “And keep me updated? Let me know if you develop romantic feelings for her, beyond attraction, I mean.”
Henry nodded. “Will that be a problem for you?”
“No, I want you to,” Mary said. “If you and Vicky can love each other as you and I do, then this can work.”
“A polyamorous relationship, you mean?” Henry asked.
“Yeah,” Mary twisted her hands in her lap. “Because, well, and this doesn’t diminish what I feel for you at all, or how attracted I am to you, but I’m having feelings for Vicky, too. Naughty feelings.”
“Naughty feelings?” Henry asked, desperate to clarify.
“You know I love Vicky as a friend,” Mary said. “She’s my best friend, and throughout our friendship, she’s been the one who’s understood me and my sexuality, or lack of it, the most. She doesn’t judge me, and she’s patient with me, like you are.”
Henry nodded, letting her continue without interrupting. She’d considered what to say, and he needed to wait until the deluge finished.
“And after last night, every time I close my eyes, I see her sitting next to you, naked, stroking you. It makes me so hot inside that I can’t stand it. I’m lusting for you, Henry, and for Vicky, and I’m not sure what that means. Lisa thinks I might be bisexual. She and Vicky told me I need to tell you what’s been on my mind. So, what do you think?” Mary asked.
Henry’s thoughts raced. They became marathon runners trying to escape a flash flood of emotions that swirled through his veins. Panic. Fear. Anxiety. Arousal. Was their experimentation last night a half measure, with Mary trying to compromise when she was really a lesbian, and she’d leave him to be with Vicky? Was that his own insecurity? Mary loved him, and he loved her. Should he shut this down and try to keep her to himself and kick Vicky out of their lives? Would Mary do that if he suggested it?
She would, but it would hurt her. It’d hurt her worse than any other wound Henry could inflict. Her friendship with Vicky had a piece of her heart, and so did he. Was it sharing? Or was it multiplying?
“I thought you were confident in your sexuality, and that you’re attracted to guys?” Henry asked. “To me?”
“I am,” Mary said, leaning forward. “Henry, I’m very attracted to you. Even seeing you right now, looking at you sitting on that sofa after what we did last night, it’s getting me all hot and bothered. I love you, and I want to be with you. Never doubt that.”
“Maybe I’m being insecure,” Henry said, unsure.
“That’s okay!” Mary assured him. “I’m insecure all the time! As much as I want you to be attracted to Vicky, it still scares me that you might like her and her experience more than me.”
Henry had to process that. He took his time. “You want me to find Vicky sexy?”
“Well, yeah,” Mary said. “If she’s going to become part of our lives, then you should at least be attracted to her, right? I need to let that happen without getting insecure. I know you love me, and if last night proved anything, it’s that you won’t leave me to be with someone else just because I have hangups and they don’t.”
Henry considered that, thinking it over. “It’s good you’re attracted to her, too. Then it’s more equal between the three of us.”
“Right?” Mary asked, her voice small.
“Right,” Henry said, assuring her. “I’d never leave you for anyone, not even Vicky. I’m just not sure how to process everything. You saying that you’re having sexual feelings for Vicky is new and shocking.”
“Well, you won’t pick Vicky over me, right? You know that, and trust that feeling?” Mary asked.
Henry nodded.
“And I won’t leave you for Vicky either,” Mary said, adamant. “You can trust that the same way.”
Henry sat back, contemplating.
“It’s okay if we’re all in it together,” Mary said. “Vicky’s been reading up on polyamory, and she’d be better at this conversation than I am, but she said it’s okay. It’s okay to feel insecure, but if you acknowledge it and discuss it, I can help you overcome it. Somehow. We didn’t have time to go into details. But going into this with equal attraction between us, well, that can only help, right?”
“You discussed this with Vicky before you discussed it with me?” Henry asked. It surprised him, but then again, he wasn’t privy to the ‘girl talk’ he imagined happened after book club.
“Well, technically, I discussed it with Lisa first.”
“You talked to Lisa?” Henry groaned. “Did you come out to all your friends before you told me?”
“No, Henry!” Mary said. Panic crept into her voice, but she swallowed it. “It’s not like that, I promise. I’m not even sure if I’m bi or if it’s just for Vicky. Who knows if it’ll last or if it’s because of last night? I can’t stop imagining it. But no matter what, you’re part of my fantasies with Vicky. Lisa doesn’t appeal to me. But Vicky, with you? You and Vicky? I—I can’t stop remembering it, and I can’t stop responding to it. It’s driving me crazy.”
Henry nodded, but he said nothing. He couldn’t. What was there to say?
“Does that make you insecure?” Mary asked. “I don’t want you to be insecure, Henry. You can have full confidence in me, in our relationship, and in Vicky. She’s not trying to steal me away or anything, but she wants to join us, to be our girlfriend.”
Henry raised both eyebrows and sat back. He closed his eyes, turning them toward the ceiling and letting the lights turn the darkness behind his eyelids into a bright wash of nothingness.
“Okay,” Henry said. “Tell me what happened after you left the apartment this morning. Help me make sense of this new revelation.”
Mary told him everything she’d done since leaving the apartment that morning, including her conversations with Lisa and Vicky and their date tonight. Henry waited until she reached the end, using his silence to sort through his thoughts and impressions of her retelling.
Polyamory was such a strange new concept that, despite the fun of having two women and the sexual activities he’d planned to do with them, he contemplated calling it quits. Mary was in over her head. So was he. So how could he help her and himself? He’d done research, but he needed more time to figure things out.
If Vicky was borrowing books from the library, she needed more time, too. And Lisa? Vicky was intending to date Lisa, Mary, and Henry. It formed a strange molecule in his head, and he suddenly understood where the term polycule came from.
At least, in that molecule, he wasn’t the odd man out. He was the only man, but he didn’t mind that. If anything, he preferred it. No, Lisa had the most tenuous connection. She’d be dating one person, after all. He’d be dating two.
So where did they go from here? No rules, just boundaries. Henry could set a boundary for himself, but rules had to be agreed upon. They’d need to sit as a group to discuss them and decide on the rules they wanted to establish for their relationship.
Ah. So that was why they wanted to meet for dinner tonight.
Henry took a deep breath.
“Can I be honest?” he asked.
“Please,” Mary begged. He heard the anxiety in her voice. Guilt nagged at him for causing it, but he had to set it aside and get out what he wanted to say.
“I find this whole idea incredibly hot,” Henry said. “But I have no idea what I’m doing, and I don’t know what it means that your sexuality is expanding after we tried blowjobs.”
“Expanding?” Mary asked, confused.
“That you like girls and guys now,” Henry said.
“You and Vicky,” Mary clarified. “Not guys and girls. I’d never—”
Henry cut her off by raising his hand. “I just want to voice this, okay? So listen, don’t get defensive and start denying it. Just let me process and voice this.”
Mary clamped her lips shut. She looked abashed at having gotten defensive. She wiped her eyes and nodded, waiting for him to continue.
“I’m worried that you’re going to be angry or mad at me if Vicky and I date,” Henry said. “Heck, I might get jealous if you and Vicky date without me. You say that you love me, and I believe you. I even believe you’re attracted to me, though I don’t see what you see in me. I guess I’m just not my type.”
Mary would normally have laughed at that, but she didn’t interrupt him.
“You and she are close,” Henry continued. “Closer than you and I, even. You’ve had years of friendship with her. Meanwhile, you and I have only been dating for six months. We’re close, but we haven’t even had any intimacy without her. So the normal bonding between a girlfriend and boyfriend that’s more than what you’d get with two friends hasn’t been there.”
“What do you mean?” Mary asked, confused.
“There’s a connection people forge when they’re intimate together,” Henry said. “It’s what makes the difference between a romantic couple and two friends. It starts as chemistry, sure, but it develops into something more, becoming a bond that other people don’t have with you, right?”
Mary nodded, seeming to understand him.
“Well, the friendship bond you have with Vicky is firmer than ours. We’re working on it, but you have years with her, and months with me,” Henry said. “And our chemistry only became something more with her last night, so she’s part of that too.”
Mary swallowed. “When you put it that way, it makes it sound like you think she’s more important to me than you are.”
“Isn’t she?” Henry asked.
“No,” Mary said, moving to sit beside him on the sofa. “Henry, I love you, and, well, if it helps, I might’ve been friends with Vicky longer, but I’ve had naughty feelings for you longer. Since the day we first met.”
Henry almost laughed at her calling them ‘naughty feelings.’ “You know, the first step to healthy intimacy with each other might be calling them ‘sexual feelings’ instead of ‘naughty feelings.’ There’s nothing wrong if we’re both present and consenting, right?”
Mary nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m worried,” Henry admitted.
“I’m not,” Mary said. She shook her head. “I won’t leave you. How can I prove that to you?”
“I don’t know,” Henry said. “Time? Keep that insecurity in mind. Be careful not to exclude me or do anything behind my back. Like, you know how you want Vicky to be present for intimacy?”
Mary nodded, though her eyes dipped to Henry’s thigh as she gripped his leg.
“Well, I need to be present, too. If there’s anything intimate that happens between you and Vicky, I want to be there, taking part,” Henry said.
“Of course!” Mary said. “I’d never do anything with Vicky without you there. The whole point is that you’re there.”
The knot in Henry’s chest relaxed at that. He believed Mary as he looked into her eyes and saw her love for him. She’d said as much the night before, too. Constantly telling him how much she loved him. She was doing this for him and their relationship. Besides, she was a terrible liar.
“And, if you wanted to do something without Vicky here,” Mary said, rubbing his thigh. “I can try. We have time before we have to meet them for dinner. That is, if you still want to go and don’t want to break up with me.”
“I’m not breaking up with you,” Henry said, shaking his head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Mary said. She leaned forward, kissing Henry’s lips with a soft, tentative press of her parted lips to his.
Henry answered her kiss, closing his eyes as she shifted closer to him. He stopped her, pulling back. “I don’t want you to give me a handjob out of a sense of desperation to prove you love me,” he said. “But, in the future, it might be nice to try things we’ve done with Vicky on our own.”
“Okay,” Mary said, nodding. “I’ll try. You might just have to show me what you want and when you want it.”
Henry nodded. “Speaking of which, I’ve been working on a plan to train you in the bedroom activities we’ve discussed. I know you’re against using porn as a guide, so I’ve been researching various sources. Some of them are online, but focus less on porn and more on technical instruction.”
Mary nodded, scooting even closer to him, hugging him, as if she couldn’t be close enough.
“Do you want to review the list? If there’s something you’re opposed to doing, we can cross it off,” Henry said.
“I want to try everything with you, Henry,” Mary said, kissing his neck.
Henry stroked her hair, taking a deep breath. They’d discussed a few things, but as far as concrete plans went, they hadn’t made any. Still, there were a few things on his list that he was curious to know her reaction to.
“You say that, but I don’t think you understand how deep the well of depravity goes with human sexuality,” Henry said. “There’s plenty of weird stuff out there.”
Mary laughed, blushing and swatting at him. “Well, you’d know better than me.”
“I don’t know,” Henry said. “I’ve seen the books your book club reads.”
Mary’s blush burned with guilt as she lowered her eyes, and her playful swats became lingering touches. “Okay,” she said. “What’s on the list?”
“Well, how do you feel about toys? Vibrators, that kind of thing?” Henry asked.
“I don’t use them,” Mary said. She set her face into a determined expression.
“Would you like to?” Henry asked. “I can buy you one and use it on you from time to time.”
Mary’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would I need that? You have your…” she lowered her gaze to his crotch, which twitched in response to her attention beneath his pants. “And your fingers, and we’ll try oral, so why would we need toys?”
“Well, the stimulation would be different,” Henry said. “I mean, I’d like to think I’m a good lover—”
“You’re a fantastic lover,” Mary assured him. “At least, in what we’ve done so far.”
“Sure, but I don’t vibrate,” Henry chuckled. “They fulfill a function I can’t perform, so it’s not like I have to be jealous or insecure about using them.”
“We could say the same about you, you know,” Mary said, smiling. “You have one of these.” She grabbed his dick over his pants. “Vicky doesn’t. So you can do something she can’t. No need to be insecure.”
“I appreciate the thought,” Henry said after a minute. “But dismissing the insecurity doesn’t help. If anything, it does the opposite. Just give me time. I have to get comfortable in this new dynamic to be confident.”
Mary nodded. “Sorry. I was trying to help.”
“I know,” Henry said, squeezing her with his arm around her as they cuddled on the sofa.
“Whatever you need to be confident in this, I’m for it,” Mary said. “That’s why I wanted you to take control of it, to lead it, you know? I’m already uncomfortable, but it’s more comfortable if I’m following your lead.”
“We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” Henry said, trying to assure her.
“Yes, we do,” Mary said. “If I only did comfortable things, I’d never wear a bra. If I don’t push myself into doing uncomfortable things, I’d never leave the sofa, have met you, gotten to know you, or fallen in love with you. Being uncomfortable isn’t being unwilling. So, if being uncomfortable makes me happy, then that’s what I need to do.”
“It was uncomfortable to get to know me?” Henry asked, confused.
“It was leaving my comfort zone,” Mary said. “And that’s okay! Now you are my comfort zone, and I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Henry said, pressing his forehead against hers. They stayed in that position for a minute until the pressure of her forehead against his became uncomfortable. “This is so weird, you know?”
“Yeah,” Mary said. She pulled her forehead from his and kissed him.
He kissed her, letting their lips lock against each other as their lips parted and closed with their heartbeats. Henry kept the kiss slow, but poured his passion for her into it as she seared his soul. He loved this woman, and she loved him. The rest of it, well, they were figuring it out. He’d expressed what he’d wanted to, and she’d listened, and they’d agreed on boundaries between them, setting the rules of their new relationship. Now, they just had to meet with Vicky and Lisa and figure out how they fit into it.
Mary rested her hand on his lap, leaning closer to him as they kissed and their bodies rubbed against each other. Henry shifted, turning toward her and hugging her, holding her against him. Her soft, pillowy breasts pressed against him, flattening against his chest. He leaned back, and she crawled forward, sliding over him until his head hit the sofa cushion.
Henry moved his legs, and she slid hers over him until he was lying on the sofa and she was lying above him. They kissed with his arms around her and her hands on his chest and shoulder. She shifted her skirt, lifting it so that it fell over him without being trapped beneath her.
Soft, lacy panties pressed against his crotch, and his body responded to her warmth radiating through his slacks. Mary moaned as he pressed against her through his pants, and she closed her eyes as she rocked her hips, sliding against him, humping him.
“Mmm,” Henry moaned. “Mary, if you keep doing that, I’m going to ruin these pants.”
Mary grinned and moved her kisses to his neck. “I was going to show you these after dinner, but is now okay?”
“Show me what?” Henry asked.
“My naughty underwear,” Mary said, dropping her voice into a shy tone before she bit her lip and met Henry’s eyes.
Henry nodded. “I’d love to see it.”
Mary grinned and stood.
Henry, confused, remained on the couch, wondering what she was doing next. His grin widened as she reached behind her and unzipped her dress, pulling it off her shoulders to reveal a transparent white bra. Its floral lace and transparent mesh battled to hide and reveal her pink areolas with her erect nipples behind them.
Mary’s blue dress fell away, and she pushed it over her round hips, revealing a pair of white mesh panties that matched her bra. The string bikini-style panties narrowed to thin, elastic bands that stretched over each hip, connecting the front mesh to the back mesh. The near-transparent material sliced its way three-quarters of the way across her cheeks.
Mary stepped out of her dress and gave him a slow turn as Henry lifted his head and let his eyes drink in her body.
“Do you like it?” Mary asked. “It’s the sexiest set I have, but I can get others now that we’re doing things like this. What lingerie do you enjoy on me?”
“Any,” Henry confessed, chuckling as Mary blushed but grinned. “You’re so beautiful, Mary. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said. “But do you like it?”
“I love it. You look incredibly sexy,” Henry said. “Did you wear it just for me?”
“Well, I wore it in case we did anything tonight,” Mary said. “I wasn’t sure if we’d do something after dinner, but I wanted to prepare just in case.”
“I appreciate it,” Henry said.
“Good,” Mary smiled as she moved her dress, then knelt on it beside the sofa.
Henry didn’t ask her what she was doing. He worried that if he spoke, he’d break her focus. Vicky wasn’t here, and they were about to do something intimate without her. Something they’d done before, no doubt, but on their own.
Henry’s dick struggled against his slacks as if trying to force its way out of them. Mary fumbled with his belt, and Henry helped her by lifting his hips as she slid his pants halfway down his thighs. He adjusted himself, letting his dick rise out of the hole in his boxers, and Mary stared at it, licking her lips.
Mary took a deep breath, making her chest rise against the constraint of her bra. She undid the front clasp and let her breasts fall free as she slid the straps from her shoulders.
Daydreams of Mary encasing his cock with her pillowy breasts hovered in Henry’s eyes. Even bolder daydreams replaced those when her tongue slid against her bottom lip as if she were considering what to do next.
“Tell me what to do,” Mary said. “I can’t keep my thoughts straight. I think I remember, but—”
“Form a fist around the base,” Henry said, cutting off her nervous stammer. “Gentle at first, there you go.”
Mary wrapped her hand around the base of his cock, holding it steady.
“Tighten your grip,” Henry said.
Mary tightened her grip, and his dick flexed against her hand in response, making her giggle.
“Don’t giggle,” Henry said, almost laughing himself. “I’m happy you’re happy, but that doesn’t help.”
Mary nodded, sobering. “Can I kiss it?”
Henry hesitated. “If you want to, sure,”
Mary pushed her head forward, pressing her lips against the side of his cock and kissing it as if she were kissing him on the cheek. A quick peck, before her head darted away from it, and she wet her lips again. “Did that feel good?”
“That—” Henry hesitated. It hadn’t felt like anything, but having her face and mouth so close to his dick was exciting him. It was a step in the right direction. “That was nice.”
Mary grinned as if proud of herself. “Okay, I want to stroke you now.”
“Go for it,” Henry said, nodding his approval. “What about you, though?”
“It’s okay,” Mary said. “I can wait until after dinner. I want to make you feel good.”
Henry wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He enjoyed making Mary feel good, but he wasn’t about to stop her or suggest they change positions. He couldn’t reach between her legs as he lay on the couch, but he could reach her breast. Henry fondled it, cupping her breast and stroking the underside with his thumb.
Mary’s nipple stiffened in response, becoming a sharp nub he could play with.
“Can I start?” Mary asked. She still hadn’t moved her hand besides placing her tight grip around him.
Henry nodded. “Yes, start stroking.”
Mary kept her grip on him, stroking upward with her arm as she had the night before. Henry closed his eyes, then opened them to stop robbing himself of the pleasure the sight of her naked body gave him. To see her naked, except for her panties, was something he still wasn’t used to. He’d imagined it before, but to see it was something else. To hold her breast in his hand and toy with her nipple as she gave him another handjob was a dream come true.
She kept working, driving his pleasure higher and higher as she pumped. Her breathy noises while he played with her breasts, her gasps of surprise when his dick twitched or responded to a change in her grip, drove him higher.
“I love doing this to you,” Mary said, watching his face as she squeezed him. She used one hand, keeping the other beside her to give him access to her breast. “The faces you make are great, and the way your whole body tightens up when you’re about to explode, then relaxes when you do, makes me happy.”
Henry wasn’t about to complain. On the contrary, he was glad she found joy in those intimate moments between lovers. It was a side of her he hadn’t seen before, and discussing it earlier made him realize it was a bond they shared. It wasn’t just that Mary was someone who touched him in places others didn’t, but that she had seen him in those moments, known him, when others couldn’t.
Even if it was outside his expectations, sharing those moments with Vicky didn’t cheapen them. Sharing them with more than Mary didn’t make them less valuable. It was like sharing an experience or a movie. He couldn’t think of the right examples while Mary increased her pace, stroking him faster as he tensed.
“You’re getting closer, right?” Mary asked, watching his body for the signals she’d recognize.
“Yeah,” Henry said. He swallowed and moved his hand to her back, rubbing her shoulder blade in encouragement.
Mary shifted her pulling angle, pointing him toward her. He shifted, moving to an angle with his left hip higher than his right so that he could shoot onto her instead of into the air.
She kept pumping, even with his dick pointed at her mouth. He flexed again, clenching to hold himself back just a second longer.
“I’m about to cum,” Henry said, warning her. “Nearly there, keep going.”
Mary just smiled and kept going, pumping him toward her. She shifted her face forward, as if she were going to kiss it again, but she didn’t get the chance. He erupted, shooting his first jet over her lips that were closer and puckered. She pulled her head away, so the second blast arched and splattered against her breasts. Mary released him and squeezed her breasts together, holding them up as the third and fourth blasts landed among the second.
Henry released his held breath and let his head drop against the sofa as he returned to his back and relaxed, melting into the sofa. He opened his eyes in time to see Mary’s tongue dart out from between her lips, tasting the white cum that landed on her mouth. She tilted her head as she considered the taste, then took another lick, cleaning off her bottom lip.
“I thought it’d be yucky,” Mary said, eyeing his dick as he softened from his release. “But it’s not bad. Salty, but not terrible.”
Henry shrugged.
“Sorry,” Mary said. “Is that bad? Should I be more excited? It’s not terrible, honest.”
“Not terrible is better than spitting it back out,” Henry said, shrugging again. “I’ll take it.”
Mary smiled. “Did you enjoy that?”
“Yes, very much,” Henry nodded.
“I did a good job?” Mary asked.
“You did a great job,” Henry said, patting her naked back. “Good girl.”
Mary shuddered. “Say it again?”
“You did a great job?”
“No,” Mary said, shaking her head. “The other thing.”
Henry grinned, resting his head back on the cushion. “Good girl.”
Mary hummed happily. “Thanks.” She rose from her knees. “You stay there. I need to clean up.”
“I can—” Henry curled up, but Mary stopped him with a gesture.
“No, I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Henry said, uncertain but not stopping her as she held her breasts with one arm and slipped into the bathroom.
She ran the sink, and Henry set his hands behind his head as he stretched and lay there on the sofa.
They’d done it. Henry grinned. They’d done something without Vicky there. It was a minor victory, but it was still a milestone achievement to Henry. Perhaps that was the secret. Unlocking the next stage had to be done with Vicky. Once they crossed that threshold, it added the activity to something Mary might try without her. Win-win.
Henry couldn’t stop smiling. Dinner would be interesting, but they were making progress. Maybe he’d figure out what he was doing and learn how to train his girlfriend.