And Then There Were Three (15 page)

“I learned from you baby,” I replied. Nicole
snuggled up into my arms and I felt her body shudder a little.

“Baby, what’s the matter?” I asked as my
drunken haze was temporarily replaced with worry. I could see a few
tears fall down her cheeks and alarm set in.

“It’s nothing baby, I just love you so much
Eva,” she cried trying to cover her tears with her long brown silky
hair. I moved the hair from her face wiping away tears.

“I love you too Nicole. Sweetheart, I need
you,” I reassured her as she continued to cry. In that moment my
strong dancer girlfriend was completely vulnerable. The loss of her
previous relationship and the danger this relationship presented
weighed heavily on my beloved. I covered her face in wild kisses
until she began to laugh again. When I was sure she was smiling I
explained, “You get to be happy Nicole. You do not have to worry
about this ending. Mark and I want you around for a long time. You
do make us better Nicole.”

And while my explanation brought a fresh
round of tears from both of us, they were happy tears. Falling
asleep wrapped up in her long legs was the best part of my night. I
woke up before Nicole, grabbing my laptop I went into the living
room to write. I worked on a new story grateful for no hangover
after last night’s drinking binge, courtesy of Anderson.

“Good morning Eva,” Shantell said softly.

“Good morning Shantell,” I replied with equal
softness. Shantell began the process of making coffee while I typed
away lost in my thoughts.

“Look I can’t for the life of me imagine
doing this to my family but if this is what you and Mark want then
I have no right to object.”

“I do not need your approval Shantell. I
thought I did yesterday but it turns out that I do not. Your
disapproval did not make me want to end things with Nicole. That
let’s me know how strong my love is for her. Hearing Mark defend
our relationship was just the icing on the cake. While I know this
relationship is unorthodox, I really do not care to keep defending
it. It’s between my family and that’s where I should have left
it.”

“I am sorry you feel that way. We are not the
only ones that will look down on this relationship Eva. Just wait
until your kids friends parent’s get a whiff. They will have to
deal with this more than you ever will.”

“We have already experienced that but believe
it or not my kids real friends parent’s seem to be letting our
reputation before Nicole remain prevalent. We had a sit down with
their parents to reassure them. Funny how people we haven’t known
for twenty years had their reservations but in the end they either
stayed or went.”

“Damn Eva! I do not see how you can just do
this to your family?”

“Trust me you do not want to know the Eva
that has to get over Nicole or the Mark for that matter. You do not
think we tried everything in our power to rid ourselves of these
feelings? Well we did and in the end we realized we truly love
Nicole. She makes our family whole and it’s not just about sex. She
truly is an amazing person.”

“It seems all about sex. I mean we could hear
the two of you giggling and moaning all night. It sounded like you
had Mark in the room.” Shantell scoffed at the thought of being
with a woman in that way.

“Well duh Shantell, of course there is a
sexual component. However I am not asking you or anyone else to
drink the Kool-Aid. Like I said earlier, I could not see myself
with any other woman. The thought just does nothing for me but with
Nicole it is so different. I see all this inner and outer beauty
along with this wonderful personality. She just does something to
me,” I said shivering for dramatic effect. “I love making love to
her and watching her with Mark.”

“I just do not think I could watch Craig with
another woman and not go berserk.”

“I normally feel that way and now I am even
more jealous where Mark is concerned. But with Nicole there is no
jealousy, I feel only love watching them two. We make a good trio.”
I tried not to sound like a weird Hallmark card but I was feeling
sentimental defending our relationship.

“I am too jealous to even think that way,”
Shantell added.

“You do know that my relationship with Mark
and Nicole is not intended to be a reflection of any of your
relationships. I am not asking any of you to join the Polyamory
train of madness. I just wanted to share this important part of my
life with my friends.”

“There is a name for this besides threesome?”
Shantell asked seriously.

“Yes, but threesome just implies sex.
Polyamory implies love and relationships.”

“A woman though Eva, why not another man?”
Shantell giggled as she thought Craig, her husband, would kill her
first.

“Um have you met Mark? Besides he was not too
keen on Nicole in the beginning. It wasn’t until he spent some real
time with her that he saw what I did in her. Mark still tried to
deny it until he realized it was fruitless. We just love having her
with us.” I blushed as I think of our time together.

“Can I just say that while I disagree it is
your decision? I want to keep my best friend even if her life just
turned into an episode of Real Sex.” Shantell replied with her arms
extended. I hugged her happily and she recoiled.

“Down girl, I am only into Nicole the seven
of you are very, very safe.”

“How is that possible? You actually touch
girl parts,” Shantell exclaimed, shuddering at the thought.

“Only her sweet delectable girl parts,” I
replied. “And she is very sweet.”

Shantell threw a couch pillow at me and she
mimes vomiting. She gave me a quizzical look before asking, “Does
Mark, uh you know go all the way with her?”

“Yes he has sex with her, with or without me.
I love how they are together, plus it is so freaking hot to
watch.”

“Oh no!” Shantell squealed covering her face.
“I am just too jealous for that.”

“I thought I would snatch her bald and Mark
was so nervous at first. Now it is just hot to see him get so into
it or to have her watch us. It is so nice to have someone to talk
to that understands this relationship. I love just laying on the
couch watching a movie with her in my arms or with Mark’s strong
arms around me.”

“I would kill Charles before I could watch a
woman with him,” Amy chimed in. Instantly she bent to give me a
hug. I could see the look on her face was confusion mixed with a
bit of regret. Before long we are talking and I feel Nicole’s eyes
peer from the bedroom at me. I motion for her to join me on the
couch.

“We saw you two in the club last night. It
was weird to see you so enamored with each other. And then to see
you with that old dude, it was just weird.” Amy added.

Nicole took my hand, sitting next to me.
“Anderson was a perfect gentleman. Thanks to him, Nicole and I won
big at the crap tables last night. Amy, we are in love.”

Amy frowned as she tossed her long blond hair
back. The thought of being with another woman and her husband was
too much to consider.

“So have you always been gay? And what about
Mark?” Amy turned to Nicole with a quizzical expression that
immediately evaporated to a smile. Even though it only appeared as
if Nicole washed her face and perhaps brushed her teeth, wearing
shorts and a tank top, she was still so gorgeous. Nicole had an
immediate effect on people, male or female, gay or straight.

“I have always known I was bi-sexual but I
have never been with a couple before. I was engaged to a man over a
year ago, that didn’t work out.” Nicole explained as I gently held
her hand. “I love Mark and Eva equally.”

“I am wondering why no one had a hissy fit
when Cordelia came out of the closet? I am not even out of the
closet, just hanging around the closet. I am only interested in
Nicole, no other woman. Mark and I have this amazing life and she
fits into it. Is there something else I am missing?”

Amy and Shantell gave a slight shrug as they
exchanged glances.

“It’s just you have been married forever. You
and Mark have this amazing relationship, that gives the rest of us
hope,” Shantell finally admitted. “Beside Cordelia is Cordelia,
that wasn’t a shocker.”

“So what are you trying to say Shantell?”
Cordelia interrupted pushing Shantell playfully. “I do not see any
thing wrong with inviting a beautiful woman to spice up a marriage
with an ugh, man.” Cordelia was sure to wink in Nicole’s direction
as we all laughed.

I threw my hands up exasperated. “There was
nothing boring about my marriage when I met Nicole. Mark and I was
still fucking probably four times or more per week. Adding Nicole
just put sex in the stratosphere. I can’t stress this enough we
weren’t looking for anything. Aside from sex we just have so much
fun together.”

“How do you find time to fuck four times a
week?” Shantell questioned pulling a face. Amy’s face registered
pure shock.

“My husband is an amazing lover in the
bedroom, laundry room, bathroom, or family room or Tahoe,” I
laughed. “Plus we are just really into each other.” Nicole shook
her head to the affirmative beaming that bedazzling smile.

“Do you really enjoy sex with Mark or are you
just going through the motions to be with Eva,” Cordelia wondered
aloud. That might be worth it in her book.

Nicole laughed and responded quickly. “I
really do love sex with Mark. He definitely knows how to please a
woman.”

She pretended to fan herself as Cordelia
snorted with disgust. I pulled Nicole closer to me and
inadvertently kissed her as my friends cringed.

“Oops sorry, habit,” I responded
shrugging.

“Aren’t you worried that if they get bored
you will be black history?” Shantell pulled from her wealth of
questions. Nicole’s face became much more serious. “I guess I just
have to stay amazing and interesting so that they never get bored
with me.”

“You have a lot to lose if this doesn’t work
out. So I’m going to give you my card,” Cordelia said giving a
business card to Nicole. I flicked the card away and shook my head.
Everyone started laughing as they continued to beat us down with
questions.

“You just do not see how wrong this is Eva.
Make jokes all you want, you are truly hurting your kids with this
person,” Amber sniffed, interrupting their laughter.

“I am sorry this bothers you so much Amber.
The great thing is I am doing this with my life and while I
appreciate your concern for my kids, you need not worry. We are not
ashamed of our relationship with Nicole. Instead of sneaking behind
their back we are upfront with them. I know this is rather
unorthodox but we can’t help how we feel. Besides we are not
exposing them to daily trauma,” I said holding off on my complete
line of thoughts.

Amy, Shantell, and Cordelia shrank back as
they knew where my thought process was going. While Amber had grown
considerably and was a wonderful teacher she still loved to
publicly argue and fight with her husband, insisting it kept the
passion. We all felt it was not a good example for their two kids
to witness there heated arguments and fights on a daily basis. The
fire in my Latino friend’s eyes was prevalent as she spoke.

“Jose and I arguing is a far cry from one of
your kids walking in on you eating some home wrecker’s pussy.”

“I try to only eat her pussy when the kids
are in school or when we are in Atlantic City,” I retorted. This
sent up a few stifled giggles and gags as Amber’s anger went
through the roof. Nicole directed a kiss at me that I accepted.
Cordelia scooted over to us as if she was next. Her efforts to
lighten the mood enraged Amber more.

“That’s just disgusting. Poor Mark is
probably going along with this to keep you happy. He has spent the
last 18 years trying to keep you happy and this is how you repay a
good man?” Amber contested bitterly as if she really felt sorry for
my husband. I on the other hand tried not to blurt out about Mark
going balls deep in Nicole and loving every minute. If I didn’t
know better the satisfied look on Nicole’s face indicated she was
remembering the same thing.

“I can assure you Mark is a willing
participant. I need everyone to understand this was a decision that
Mark and I made. We are in no way asking any one to follow our lead
and find them a Nicole. No one is asking Amber to keep up with the
Thompsons.”

“I keep Jose satisfied, as his wife. I see to
it that his needs are met, so he doesn’t need to sleep with another
woman. Maybe if you focused on keeping Mark satisfied, you two
wouldn’t need this kinky monstrosity you call a relationship.”

Amber poured a cup of coffee, agreeing with
herself as if she has solved some great riddle. Monica gave a laugh
entering the room agreeing with Amber via a high-five. Stacey stood
close by as if she were preparing for the funeral that would be my
marriage. She was still single and if this was what marriage had in
store for her, she would no sooner stay single. I closed my laptop,
as Nicole looked ready to fight. I could see Amy, Shantell,
Cordelia, and Uwimana pleading with me to just take Amber’s jabs.
Nicole joined her hand to my hand as we walked to our room.

“I will take that into consideration.
Definitely great advice to keep your husband satisfied so he
doesn’t need this kinky monstrosity.” I couldn’t resist a cocky
smile. Upon closing our bedroom door we were treated to a litany of
Spanish curse words and I am sure some stuff about my mother.

Under the rush of the running shower water
Nicole asked, “So what’s the story?”

“Cordelia and Shantell on two separate
occasions have seen Jose in congress with women that were not
Amber. When Cordelia tried to be a good friend and tell her, Amber
went berserk and it got bad. Jose convinced Amber that Cordelia was
a jealous lesbian. Amber called Cordelia some choice names and
ceased all communications with us for a while, and then just like
that she was around again. No apologies no explanations. We never
told her what Shantell witnessed. We figured she just didn’t want
to know.”