Chapter 4

Sally was released from “sleep-jail” in time to join us for breakfast. The room was full of knowing smirks when she immediately claimed my lap, and she almost behaved herself with only one quick grope she claimed was an accident. She made no excuses for the kiss she gave me right before we left for work. She worked like a girl possessed all morning, again claiming my lap at lunch. That’s where her parents found her when they came by to get her. Sally looked very pleased with herself when they showed up in my office.

“Did you let Ray get any work done?” Meagan asked smirking.

“Yes, mother,” answered Sally. “I’ve been working hard all morning,” she added, hurrying over to hug her mother.

“And it looks like poor Ray will be working hard all afternoon,” Meagan chuckled noticing the prominent lump Sally left in my lap.

Totally unfazed by her mother’s jibe Sally retorted “I hope so; it will remind him how he’s making me suffer,” she pouted playfully.

“C’mon, we need to talk,” she said excitedly as she pulled her mother behind her.

“Dan,” Amanda hollered to catch his attention. She tossed him her car keys. “You and Mark might want to take a separate car,” she snickered. Dan rolled his eyes but he was smiling.

“So, what do we need to talk about so urgently?” Meagan asked Sally, trying hard not to let her mirth be noticed. After their tearful night of confessions to each other, she was glad to see her daughter in such a good mood and had a pretty good idea what the subject was going to be.

“Ray says that I have to convince you and then his wives and then think about what everyone told me before he’d let me try to convince him to make love to me,” she explained. “I think he’s just looking for excuses not to,” she admitted emotionally.

“Why do you think that?” Meagan asked.

“He spent all three nights holding me and never did anything. How could he do that if he really liked me? And how could he be interested in me compared to Amanda and Janice? My boobs will never be nearly as big as theirs are,” she whined.

Meagan smiled to herself. “Let’s look at this from his perspective for a minute. He left a bed full of naked, sexy, horny women for three nights just to hold you. I can’t imagine many men doing that if they didn’t care deeply about the person they held and comforted for those three nights,” she explained. Sally was quiet for several minutes while she digested her mother’s words but the trickle of tears started flowing slowly.

“I didn’t even think about how he felt,” she said quietly.

“Honey, I don’t mean this as a put-down, but you don’t really have any experience with a positive relationship with a man. There are so many things we all learn the hard way--like how important it is to take the feelings of your partner into consideration just as much as your own feelings. Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes he will get what he wants, and sometimes you will both need to compromise. It’s going to be much more difficult to do with five other women whose feelings also have to be taken into consideration. I can’t imagine anyone being able to manage that balancing act for long but if anyone could do it, it would be Ray,” she sighed.

“Does it help if the girls all enjoy sex with each other?” Sally asked.

“Probably, but that also adds the dynamics of even more relationships into the equation,” Meagan answered thoughtfully.

Sally snickered. “What?” Meagan asked.

“It’s going to be a cartoon moment,” Sally snickered.

“What do you mean?” her mom asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” Sally promised. When they stopped for the next stoplight Sally asked, “What’s it like having sex with a woman?”

“What?” Meagan choked, turning to stare at her daughter.

“Cartoon moment. Imagine if you’d been driving,” Sally chuckled.

“Well thank you for waiting until I was stopped,” Meagan said while her mind raced.

“Why do you ask?” she replied.

“I told Ray I was horny this morning in my dream. He said he could get me something with batteries or I could ask his wives if they would take care of it for me,” Sally pouted. Meagan had to cough a couple of times to cover the laughter she couldn’t quite stifle.

“It’s a little different than with a man in more than the obvious way,” she started, her mind racing again. “A man who loves you takes his time to make sure you’re ready first and makes sure you’re satisfied, too. With a woman it’s ... softer is the only word that comes to mind. There’s more touching and teasing and they’re not usually in quite as big a hurry to finish as the guys are. In addition, a woman’s body is softer, too. Men’s muscles are harder and many of their bones don’t have as much flesh over them as women’s do. I enjoyed having sex with Carol, but I’d never trade it for sex with your father. I enjoy sex with a man much more,” she said, blushing.

“Even though it hurts?” Sally asked.

“My poor baby,” Meagan said emotionally as she reached over and stroked her daughter’s cheek. “Sex with a man who cares about you won’t hurt. He’ll make sure you’re ready, he’ll go slowly at first, and he’ll pay attention to your reactions to find out what you enjoy and what you don’t like. What you’ve experienced so far are just guys using you that don’t care about anything but getting their own enjoyment. If you ever find yourself with a guy like that again, leave and never go back. He doesn’t care about you regardless of what he tells you.”

“But how can Ray want me when he has Amanda and Janice?” Sally asked quietly.

“The others aren’t as big as Amanda and Janice and Ray was with Amanda first. If a guy is really interested in you, and not just your body, it doesn’t matter to him. That might be a good question for you to ask them, though,” she said.

“So you don’t think he’s trying to blow me off by making me jump through all of these hoops?” Sally asked.

“I think the fact that you could even consider that a possibility is one of the reasons he insists that you talk to each of the other women who know him. Once again, let’s look at this from his point of view. Ray is looking at a minefield that staggers the imagination. Your father is Ray’s best friend. Best friends don’t have sex with their friend’s sixteen-year-old daughter. Even though he won’t ever admit it, I know your father is hurt that he couldn’t protect his princess. He knows that Ray is the best thing for you right now, but fathers want to think that their daughters are still virgins when they get married.

“Then there is the relationship Ray and I had. I know Ray would never consider trying to hurt me, even after what I did, but he doesn’t know that because we’ve never talked about it. He’s bending over backwards to make sure I know this isn’t his way of getting back at me.

“And at some point, Ray will slip up and unthinkingly call you Meagan. I’ve called your father Ray several times. Fortunately, he loves me enough that he’s never said a word, always pretending not to hear when I screw up. Will you be able to do the same for Ray?

“Ray knows you don’t have much experience with good relationships with guys. He probably hopes that between his wives and me we can explain enough of the basics to keep the two of you from self-destructing. He knows that were that to happen, your father and I would have to take sides which means we either lose a daughter or a very close friend.”

“Jesus, this is getting complicated,” Sally noted.

“And now you know why Ray’s being so cautious,” Meagan said.

“Does he play chess?” Sally asked. Her mother laughed melodically.

“Yes, he does, and he was very good at it in college. He started teaching me before I got stupid. Afterwards I kept playing. I guess it was a way to hang on to some small part of him,” Meagan admitted emotionally.

“He loves you, too,” Sally replied.

“He said that?” Meagan asked.

“No, when I asked him he said he didn’t think you knew each other long enough to say that but he thought you were well on the way. I guess it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell me he loved you when you’re married to his best friend,” she said thoughtfully.

“See, you’re learning already,” her mom replied.

They made it to the first house the realtor had to show them--and the next three. They fell in love with the fourth house. Well, Mark fell in love with Denise, the 12-year-old girl next door. Sally rode home with her dad, apologizing for screwing up and for hurting him. Remembering her mother’s advice, she kept quiet about Ray. Mark was dropped off at his grandparent’s house and Dan brought the car and his daughter back to our house. No words were spoken between us as he hugged her, and then shook my hand. Both of us were a bit misty-eyed when he finally turned away and headed for the car Meagan was driving.

Sally claimed my lap again at dinner but was quiet and contemplative rather than playful. “You okay?” I asked, lightly rubbing her back.

She leaned back and rested her head on my shoulder. “Yeah, mom gave me a lot to think about today. Could you teach me how to play chess?” she asked eagerly.

“What brought that on?” I asked.

“To help me learn to look ahead at the way things I do affect everyone else around me,” she said seriously. She perked up when I insisted on feeding dessert to her, and was practically purring when we finally left the table.

“Were you serious about one of your wives helping to ... uhh ... scratch my itch?” she asked blushing.

“You’re even cuter when you blush,” I teased which naturally caused her blush to darken considerably. “I didn’t really expect you to take me up on the offer but we can always ask. Is there anyone in particular you had in mind?” I asked. Biting her lower lip, she shook her head. “Is there one of them you feel closer to?” I asked.

“Probably Amanda and Itzel. They were there with me when I talked to my mother the first night,” she answered looking up at me. I could see in her eyes how vulnerable she felt right then.

“C’mon, I’ll talk to them for you,” I told her as I pulled her closer to me. As I expected, both ladies were more than willing to help Sally, promising to show her what they would be doing on each other first, giving her a chance to change her mind. I escorted them as far as the guest room door and Sally insisted on yet another of her very passionate kisses. If she didn’t chicken out I was sure the girls were going to love that talented tongue of hers.

Amanda came back out a couple of hours later to get the rest of the girls so they could all talk to Sally. She didn’t say anything, but her glazed cheeks let me know they’d been busy. Her devious grin let me know they were up to something.

Not knowing how much longer they would be talking, I finally went to bed alone about 10:00. It was a strange feeling to be in the big bed all alone. Muffled giggles from the guest room told me everything in there was okay and I fell asleep hopeful that things would work out.

Sometime later, while I was still sleeping, the bedroom door opened. Warm, soft, naked bodies began cuddling up to me and I was in Heaven again. “Wake up, you’ve got horny women to tend to,” Amanda cooed in my ear to a chorus of quiet giggles.

“We all talked with Sally. She has agreed to talk with one of us every day for the foreseeable future to avoid any complications. Itzel sees no upcoming problems. She will continue to watch for them as she already does every day. We voted and it’s unanimous. We accept Sally as a wife with all of the privileges and responsibilities that go with the position and your newest wife wants you ... now,” she informed me like I was a third world dictator facing a coup d’état.

“I didn’t get to vote,” I protested.

“That’s because it was an official vote of the wives’ council. We could tell that you were stressing out about how many wives you had so we all agreed that any future wives had to have a good reason to be considered and had to get a unanimous vote of all current wives to be accepted. Zafrina met those criteria and so has Sally.

“What if I’m not ready?” I asked. Amanda raised her eyebrow and cocked her head questioningly. “I’m still worried about upsetting Dan or Meagan. This can’t be easy for them,” I answered emotionally.

Amanda yielded the floor to Itzel but not my tongue. “Ray, I promise there won’t be any problems and that you’ll know it to be a fact tomorrow,” Itzel promised as she gently stroked my chest.

“Fine,” I huffed only to be buried beneath a mass of giddy, naked, female flesh. The celebration was short-lived, calming down to happy sighing within a couple of minutes.

“I guess we should get on with the main event before Sally starts physically dragging us off of you,” Amanda chuckled.

When the girls moved aside, Sally was standing there looking expectantly at me and biting her lower lip nervously. They had obviously spent some time getting her ready as her long brown hair cascaded around her shoulders in ringlets. The hair in front was strategically arranged to hide her nipples but to leave enough of her breasts exposed to pique my interest. “Wow!” I exclaimed eliciting a huge grin of relief.

“You like?” she asked happily, as she pirouetted slowly.

“I like,” I growled taking her hand and pulling her to me. She slipped into the bed next to me, looking expectantly.

Our lips met and her anaconda caught my tongue again.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Sally when we finished. There were tears in her eyes. Amanda touched my shoulder and put a finger to her lips, shaking her head.

“Just hold her,” she mouthed.

“Everybody said it would be good, but I had no idea ... I had no idea,” she whispered contentedly.

I tried to move away. “You’re not going anywhere, buddy. You’re mine ... ours,” she corrected, looking up sheepishly at the other ladies who were all smiling that special happy smile they shared so often. Sighing as she released me, she snickered, “I guess I should share.”

I was quickly forgotten as the ladies all sat around her gently stroking her face and hair. Each one of them gave her a gentle kiss. “Welcome to the family,” Amanda whispered emotionally.

“Speaking of which,” Amanda said as she once again took charge. I wasn’t sure exactly how it had happened or been decided but she seemed to be the de facto spokesperson for the group. As long as the rest of the women didn’t mind, I wasn’t going to stick my nose in. There were so many other places I could think of to put it.

“Nuk is also ready to join us fully,” Amanda stated matter-of-factly.

“What?” I squeaked. I glanced at Sally, not sure how she would take the news but I could see that they covered a lot in their talk earlier.

“She enjoys the times she comes in and just sleeps with us but wants to participate a little bit more. She convinced all of us to let her,” Amanda said as she raised one eyebrow challenging me to dissent.

I thought about it--for about a nanosecond. “It shall be as you have decreed,” I said in ancient Mayan, bowing my head (hard to do when you’re on your back) and spreading my arms in submission as the ancient Maya did to their chiefs.

Their victorious grins turned to questioning looks when Sally gasped. “That wasn’t English,” she said. I started to explain but she cut me off. “But I knew exactly what he said,” she said in awe. “Cool,” she concluded happily.

Nuk moved over on the bed until she was next to me looking nervous and expectant. Her eyes were fixed on the same spot the other girls usually looked at. Even though we’d done this and everything else possible to imagine in our dreams she still reached out hesitantly before wrapping her fingers around it. The second the fingers closed, I could see the look in her eyes change--she was home. Without any hesitation whatsoever, she climbed on top of me.

It was a wild night in our dreams. Sally and Nuk were practically insatiable.

At some point, we had all stopped momentarily, and found ourselves back in a Maya village. Since nobody seemed to know quite where we were, I led the way, following the pointed directions of villagers as they bowed reverently to us. I understood where we were when I recognized Chief Nachancan. I smiled appreciatively and returned the gesture when he bowed to me as an equal. After that, there was another wedding ceremony and celebration. It was only when we turned to the rest of the village that I saw Dan, Meagan, and Mark watching happily from the front of the gathered throng. I still sucked at the dancing.

Before we could make our way through the crowd, we were back before the Tribunal. “You were troubled earlier this evening,” the leader commented.

“I am concerned about her parents being upset by our relationship at some point. I don’t want either of them hurt,” I explained.

“You have strong feelings for both of her parents,” the leader intoned, inviting me to expound.

“Her mother and I were lovers and I still care deeply about her mother. Her father is a close friend. He also helped her mother when she was hurting and has been a wonderful husband to her, making her very happy and making me happy for both of them,” I answered honestly and fully.

“And yet it was your wish to make sure the women who choose to be in your life are happy. All you did tonight was make all of them happy, especially Sally and Nuk. We have still done nothing to facilitate that wish. Your heart, the natural bond between your wives, and your willingness to listen to them has made that possible. I think you have made Sally’s parents very happy tonight,” the leader said looking over my head and behind me. I turned and saw Dan and Meagan standing a level above us, watching, happy tears in both of their eyes.

And suddenly we were back in our dream sex. This time, though, we made love slowly and gently with each other. I hoped Dan and Meagan weren’t still watching from somewhere.

I’d barely gotten dressed in the morning when the doorbell rang. Since I was the only one decent, I answered it. Dan and Meagan stood there, once again teary eyed. They barely made it inside before both of them hugged me. Sally hurried over to us and slipped into the group embrace between her dad and me. It took a few minutes, but Dan was the first one to find his voice. “I thought dropping Sally off here yesterday was weird. What the hell happened last night?” he asked. A quick check showed no obvious signs of either of them being upset, just dumbfounded. I motioned to the living room figuring this might take a while. Sally led her father by the hand and Meagan took mine, squeezing it lovingly.

All I could think to do was start at the beginning and tell them the whole story. Forty minutes later, they were both still silent, looking at me as if I had two heads. “So, was the wedding a dream?” Dan finally asked.

“No it was real. If we flew to the village, they would recognize us. Zafrina got a phone call from her parents the day after we got married congratulating her. I still haven’t figured out how we have a dawn ceremony while it’s still dark here. They’re an hour behind us. Every time we’re in front of the Tribunal I forget to ask--not that they’d necessarily tell me,” I explained.

“And what’s this Tribunal?” Dan asked.

I shrugged. “That’s just what I call them. I don’t know who they are but my instincts tell me that they are chosen from the leaders of the Maya that have passed away. I could be completely wrong,” I admitted.

“Well, last night was definitely one for the books,” Dan sighed. “I started out dreaming that I was in some Egyptian village. I finally recognized it as the one we finished excavating last year. It was as if I was there again, but back when the village was still full of people and I was one of them. Even Meagan and Mark were with me. We were an ordinary family and spent just over a year starting just before the spring floods and ending the following year just after the floodwaters receded. It was so realistic. I said something this morning and Meagan and Mark both had the same dream. It was a dream, wasn’t it?” he asked suddenly.

I grinned. “Yes and no. And I have a feeling Meagan and Mark will be joining you in your work translating everything,” I answered grinning.

“So, what about this dream sex thing?” Meagan asked, blushing.