Note: This story plays out slowly over several chapters. Not a fast payoff story.
*****
"Maybe you're just like my mother. She's never satisfied..."
The music on my phone seemed to be speaking to me directly. I suppose His Royal Badness could be a little prophetic. I mean, I know why we've been screaming recently. And it was contextually appropriate. So, I'm not worried about that.
But if I'm putting together an R&B playlist featuring Mom's Sade preferences and the occasional bit from back when, I suppose there will be some moments of sensual prophecy. Let's face it, pretty much the entire history of music is about relationships and religion. Sex and sacrifice. No Ordinary Love is perhaps not "ordinary" but it's certainly a connection we all recognize and react to.
I'd made it home easily enough once my eyes were back on the road. I live in a nice enough spot. It's suburban, but not heinous. I guess it was the 'burbs of 20 years ago, and as the city has expanded so have the limits of suburbia. Weirdly, my place is now essentially in town. Go figure.
I hadn't yet settled in enough to think about buying a house, but when I was looking at apartment rentals, the agent asked me if I'd considered leasing a home instead. Well, after years of residence halls and apartment complexes, I admit that having four walls with no one on the other side had some appeal. Turns out that since this development had become unfashionable, as the city had expanded north and west, the rent wasn't out of my range. Most of my neighbors were homeowners, and, I discovered, not too happy about the house being used as a rental. Still, it wasn't forbidden by any of those ridiculous covenants folks have to sign, so this spot was open even if the neighbors weren't wild about it.
I did a walkthrough and was kind of blown away. I mean, the neighborhood wasn't blocked off with one of those silly gates, so that was good. I hate that shit. But, it was relatively quiet. It was way more space than a single guy needed or was used to, but I was finally making a little money so it felt like not a bad possibility. Then, when I stepped into the backyard I saw the pool. That settled things.
I mean, I live in a town with a lot of sun. Pools are pretty common around here. But I am young and not a homeowner. The notion of having a pool to myself? Well, yeah, sign me up. The privacy fence was handy, and there was minimal yard maintenance to keep up.
I hopped right on board. The place is a little empty. I don't have a lot of stuff. And there are two floors. Well, mostly one and a half, but still way more room than I need for me. I thought it would be nice for a year and then if I need to move on, no big deal. I just needed to be sure not to buy more stuff for the place than I could easily move into a smaller space. It was a good deal.
Michelle had stayed over a couple of nights, but Mom hadn't spent time here. She knew my address and all, but I hadn't thrown a housewarming or anything. Besides I barely had any furniture. It was spare.
I tossed my bag on the bar and plugged my laptop into the charger. Phone in the dock and launched a shuffled playlist. It wasn't curated yet, but when I had a break at work I hustled together several acts into an Anna list. I figured I should just play along with the music of the 80s and 90s. Why not? There was nothing on the list I didn't like and Mom, of course, loved it. Michelle seemed to at least enjoy the context in which she heard similar things last night. Sade, Prince, Dead Can Dance, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Morcheeba for good measure as we creeped into the 21st century. I opened a Shiraz, poured myself a glass, walking out the back door.
It was a nice evening. Warm without being stifling. Comfortable. I took a long sip of wine. Life had taken an odd jink, but it felt like a good path. If it worked without drama, all the better. If it shook up our understanding of ourselves and each other? Well, sometimes that leads us all to better places. We don't grow without adversity. That said, I'd rather not lose the depth of connection I was developing with Michelle. And I certainly didn't want to alienate Anna. I didn't think that was likely, but, you know, I didn't think that I'd be sleeping with her either. Surprises abound.
I sat back in my poolside lounge chair as the speakers piped tunes around the house. I felt right with the world and drifted as the sky darkened and the stars began to peek out. I was centered and content. What would come would come... the power of a lovely night by the pool with a glass of wine in your hand. Sade seemed to read my mind. I heard her comforting me with,
"don't lay awake at night thinking about your problems, keep looking."
She's a wise woman.
"Dude! You could answer your damned door you know. It's like you don't want two gloriously hot babes to visit." A different wise woman.
Michelle had opened the gate and headed into the back yard. Apparently I'd drifted off more than I'd expected. I didn't hear them arrive or even the doorbell.
"Well, okay, I guess... just let yourself in why don't you?" I chuckled and swung my legs around to stand up. "You know you don't have to stand on ceremony. I think the front door is open, and I'm not likely to kick you out if you just walk in you know?"
Michelle leaned into me for a kiss. "I don't know that for sure, but I did have a suspicion. I don't want to jinx things, but I think you might like me."
"You think?"
Anna walked up and kissed me on the cheek. "She thinks. I know. I've known you longer and I can read the signs."
"Well, that's fair," I said. "Wine anyone?"
"Took you long enough," Anna replied. "Red and free would be preferable. Unless you're drinking that boxed stuff... I'm not that forgiving."
"No, dearest. It comes in a bottle and everything. I think there's even a real cork. Though, nowadays folks don't think that's important, I understand."
"Child o' mine, as long as I don't get a paper cut on the packaging I'll drink it. I mean, I think there's even a place for two buck chuck, but don't quote me on that in public."
"All your secrets are safe with me, oh Queen of Heaven."
Michelle reached over and pulled at my earlobe, "You never call me Queen of Anything, boyfriend."
"Forgive him Mike, he's just being all obsessive about my tattoo... and, of course, my evident divinity."
Michelle turned to her and said, "Aren't we all, babe? Aren't we all?"
"I don't know about that, Mikey. But I do know about wine. Want me to grab you a glass too?"
Michelle said, "Please and thank you."
Anna turned and opened the patio door. She dropped her purse on a chair and headed for the wine glasses hanging near the sink. I turned to Michelle and said, "So, I gather that you're getting along with your new girlfriend rather well. Am I being booted to the curb?"
Michelle smiled a sly little smile, "You know, I haven't decided yet. I'm pretty fond of you, you know?"
I grinned, "Really?"
Michelle ran the palm of her hand up my chest and behind my neck pulling me down slightly into her kiss. Her tongue traced the line of my lips and she briefly took my bottom lip between hers with the slightest of nips from her teeth. "Yes, really. I mean, yeah, I'm into Anna too, but as long as you don't mind sharing a bit I think you'll like the arrangement. I've never felt as alive as I feel with the two of you in the same room. It's intense and I want more of it. Got a problem with that?"
I smiled and said, "No, definitely not." I heard it, however, in stereo... Mom was standing at the patio door with two glasses of wine and a smile. She apparently was completing my sentences for me now. You know, if you're going to be in a ridiculously close relationship with two women, it's probably not a bad thing to feel like one of them is too good to be true and the other knows you better than you know yourself. And vice versa.
"In vino veritas, Anna?" Michelle grinned and held out her hands wiggling her fingers apparently demanding wine. As one does.
