It was four o'clock in the afternoon when Dan knocked on Ellen's door. Tom answered the door and said, "Hey, come on in. We were waiting for you. Are you ready to exercise?"
"Yeah," Dan answered. Twice a week he came by Ellen's to use her exercise equipment and to talk. She had a pool in the backyard and that meant a few hours in the sun before he had to head off to work.
"This science nerd is starting to get buff," Tom joked as they headed to the room Ellen had set up.
Dan looked over at his friend as if examining him carefully. Shaking his head, he said, "I didn't realize that scrawny build of yours even came close to buff; maybe Buffy perhaps."
Tom gave him a tap on the shoulder with his fist and said, "I really missed you while I was away at college. I know I was busy, but there were times when I would stop and think about how much I would have liked to share some little success with you."
"Same here," Dan said remembering the day he had bought his computer. He shook his head and said, "I didn't realize just how busy I would be. I never had much free time in high school, but I have even less now."
The two young men reached the exercise room. Ellen was at one of the machines adjusting it for her exercise program. She was dressed in a skin tight outfit and definitely looked fine. Tom whistled and said, "My God, she's a beautiful woman."
"It makes you wonder why she bothers with you," Dan said winking at Ellen.
Ellen laughed and said, "You pathetic examples of men should get to work. I can make a telephone call and have a dozen women interested in bedding me here in ten minutes."
Dan went over to one of the machines and started exercising at the light setting. He'd do a little on it and then increase the weights. Tom went over to the bike and started peddling. As they exercised, Dan asked, "Ellen, how's it going with setting your goals?"
"It is going well. I've got four of my goals worded the way I like them," Ellen answered. The past few months had been life altering for her. The facts of life hadn't been that great of a surprise to her. Her father had a dozen little sayings that together gave a very close approximation to the ten facts of life. It was the article about the pursuit of happiness that had totally demolished a lot of her beliefs. The process of sitting down and actively examining what she thought happiness would mean for her had started changing her entire life. Being highly driven at work and used to establishing business goals, the article on taking control of her life hadn't had such an effect.
"That's good. I've finally finished mine," Dan said.
Tom said, "I finished mine after the Christmas break."
Ellen grinned over at Tom and asked, "So what did you decide to do for your sexual goal?"
"I'm not saying," Tom answered. That was the one goal that he didn't like to discuss. It seemed to him that it was an extremely private matter.
"Four life's work goals, three social goals, two emotional goals, and one sexual goal is a strange distribution of effort," Ellen said.
Tom reached down and increased the resistance on the bike. He said, "I don't know if it is all that strange. It seems to me to be how a lot of people distribute their time. Take the three of us; we spend most of our time pursing our careers. When we are off of work, we spend the major of our time establishing and maintaining our social network. Occasionally we do something that is just for our own pleasure and until just lately, I have spent the least time on sex."
Dan said, "It took me a long time to come to grips with having a sexual goal in my life. There are still times when I think about it and wonder if that is an area where a person should have goals."
Pausing from his exercise, Tom said, "Physics rules the universe and biology rules life. It is so easy to forget that one. We're all driven to procreate, but we never stop to really think about how much that influences our life. How many people have sexual hang ups that prevent them from ever really enjoying the act? How many people have such bad body images that they can't accept that anyone would want them? How many people have fetishes that interfere with their sex lives?"
"When you put it that way, I guess it does make sense to have a sexual goal," Ellen said.
Dan said, "Mine was to have a moderate sexual lifestyle with occasional forays into a little kinky sex."
"Your current sexual situation is anything but moderate," Tom said earning a laugh from Ellen who agreed with him.
"Not really. I'm having sex once a week," Dan said. Most of his time with Ann and Sally was spent talking and doing other things. He enjoyed his relationship with them and worked hard to make it a good one. He listened to them describe what was important in their lives. He helped celebrate their successes and supported them through their failures.
"With two women at the same time," Tom countered.
"That's true, but it isn't really that wild. There's not that much that one man can do to satisfy two women. We just aren't built for it," Dan said.
"I hadn't thought about it that way," Ellen said considering the matter from a woman's perspective. She didn't think that sharing one man in bed would be nearly as satisfying as having his full attention. Even with a woman there, she felt that her pleasure would still be diluted.
"I don't know. I'd love to be in your position for one night," Tom said.
"You and most other men," Ellen said with a smirk.
Tom asked, "What about you?"
"I haven't gotten to that one yet," Ellen answered. She had taken a rather practical attitude towards sex her whole life. Not willing to commit to anyone, she took her pleasure from a man of the moment and enjoyed it while it lasted. Most times were pretty disappointing, but a few worked out pretty well. She had slept with Tom more than any other man in her life.
Dan laughed as a mental image flashed through his mind. Chuckling, he said, "Don't push her too fast, Tom. She's liable to make it her goal in life to see you strung up in bondage gear and abusing your body for days at a time."
Tom burst out in laughter. Ellen winked at Dan and said, "That's not a bad idea."
"Oh no, Tom is in trouble now," Dan said laughing.
Tom peddled a little harder on the bike and said, "I'm trying to get away, but this bike doesn't seem to be going anywhere."
The group broke up in laughter. As the laughter settled, Ellen realized that she hadn't ever experienced this kind of situation before. She had never really just sat around with friends talking a little, teasing a little, and pondering great issues of her life. Too much of her time had been all business with hours at the office, business dinners, and business travel.
Ellen and Alison were lounging beside the pool working on their tans. Neither would have any tan lines from that sunbathing session. Ellen looked over at Alison amazed at how confident she was in her body. That was so rare among women. Curious, she asked, "What is Dan like in bed?"
"Very attentive to my needs," Alison answered looking over at Ellen. Seeing that Ellen wasn't quite satisfied with her answer, she added, "I was the first woman that Dan ever slept with. It took a little time, but I got him to where he listened to my body's reaction to his touch. He's a very good lover. He tries very hard to please."
"Oh," Ellen said. She wondered if she was making a mistake by not sleeping with Dan. The friendship that had developed though was too important to risk by doing something stupid. She said, "The first time with Dan was basically two bodies rubbing together. I was a little disappointed, but it got a lot better the second time. It just keeps getting better."
"The first time with a guy is always the worst," Alison said.
"You sound like you have a bit of experience in that," Ellen said. She thought that Alison was a little young to have been with many men.
Alison sat up from the lounger and turned to face Ellen. She said, "I've been with six guys. My first time was a one time experience during the summer when I was sixteen. I was visiting my cousin Mary and met up with one of the boys who lived near her. We did it by a lake and I was very disappointed by the experience. As Dan likes to say, biology drove me even when my mind wanted to put on the brakes.
"When I was seventeen I had two guys. One was a guy at school who turned out to be a complete loser. That great romance lasted a whole two weeks, but the reputation that I gained lasted the rest of the school year. He was an asshole.
"The other guy was a pretty nice guy from another school. He showed me that sex was a lot more than rubbing two bodies together. I don't know if he talked about me with his friends, but I never heard anything negative from any of them. I was devastated when his family moved away at the end of the school year."
"My cousin Mary told me about having friends with benefits. I had a friend with benefits and it worked out real good for most of my senior year in high school. He enlisted and went off to the army right after graduation.
"I really like having friends with benefits. It takes a lot of that lifelong commitment crap and throws it right out the window. I end up with a friend that I can discuss things with and a little loving on the side. It is perfect for someone my age. There aren't any jealous arguments, any rumors, and no worries about the future.
"Right now, I have two of them. Dan is my friend with benefits here and George is my friend with benefits at college. To tell the truth, I could see myself spending the rest of my life with Dan. He's my best friend. He's the best lover I've ever had. He worries about me and I worry about him. I want him to do well."
"It sounds like you are in love with Dan," Ellen said. She knew that Ann and Sally were in love with him too. It was hard to put her finger on the reason why, but Dan treated them very well. There was never a second that passed without him letting them know that he cared for them very much.
"I guess you could say that," Alison said with a sigh.
"Does his relationship with Ann and Sally bother you?"
That was the million dollar question as far as Alison was concerned. There were times when it did and times when it didn't. Shaking her head, she said, "I don't know."
"Good answer. Those two really love him. He loves them back, but he won't admit it yet," Ellen said.
"There really is love there?" Alison asked feeling sick to her stomach.
"Yes, there is. Of course, I'm sure that Dan loves you too," Ellen said watching Alison for her reaction.
"I think so too. That's why I haven't gotten all jealous about those two women of his," Alison said.
"Life isn't fair. You are responsible for your own happiness. You always have a choice. Somewhere in there is an answer to your problem," Ellen said.
"Now you're starting to sound like Tom and Dan. What is it with these little sayings that you three are always quoting?"
Surprised that Alison didn't know what she was talking about, she answered, "No one has told you the facts of life?"
"My mother told me all about the Birds and the Bees," Alison replied wondering what that had to do with anything.
Ellen laughed and said, "Those aren't the facts of life. That's an introduction to human reproduction. The facts of life are a whole lot more important than that. I'm surprised that Dan hasn't shared them with you."
"Dan hasn't said anything about the facts of life to me," Alison said.
Ellen rose from her lounger and put on a robe. She said, "Come with me and I'll introduce you to the facts of life."
Frowning, Alison asked, "This isn't some sort of lesbian thing, is it?"
Laughing, Ellen answered, "This has nothing to do with sex. Get that out of your mind right now."
Ann sat staring at the painting in her living room waiting for Sally to return from her job as a respiratory therapist. Every scene in that painting had come true and with their realization her devotion to Sally and Dan increased. The thought of losing one of them hurt more than she could put into words.
The sound of the door opening and closing announced Sally's arrival just as much as the cheery, "I'm home."
"I'm in the living room," Ann called back.
Sally walked into the living room and saw where Ann was seated. She looked over at the painting and said, "You've been looking at the painting all day, haven't you?"
"Yes," Ann answered. She looked over at Sally. She found her eyes drawn to her lover's bright blue eyes, sandy blond hair, wide easy smile, and the light scattering of freckles. Although the outfit she wore hid her body, Sally had a killer body. Actresses in Hollywood would kill to have her fresh wholesome good looks.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with you. You stare at that painting all day and get depressed thinking that it is going to come to an end," Sally said with a frown.
Ann hated to see Sally frown. She tried to look happier than she felt and said, "It is not that bad."
"You think he's going to leave us for Alison," Sally said. Although Ann had always denied her attraction to men, the time spent with Dan had reversed that. Now she often focused more on Dan than her.
"He loves that woman," Ann said stressing the word 'that.' She always referred to Alison as 'that woman.'
Sally walked over to where Ann was seated and leaned down. She stroked her face and, once Ann had relaxed, kissed her gently and lovingly on the mouth. Pulling back a little, she said, "You're right. He does love her. He also loves you and me. Don't worry about losing him. I'd worry more about driving him away."
Ann frowned and said, "Are you saying that I'm driving him away?"
Some things were not meant to be discussed in a living room. They required more intimate settings. Sally smiled at Ann and said, "We have ice cream."
Licking her lips, Ann said, "Ice cream?"
"Yes. Gourmet ice cream," Sally said trying to make it sound as tempting as possible.
"What kind?"
"We have pints of Strawberry, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Mint, and my personal favorite, Rocky Road," Sally answered.
"Some Chocolate Chip Mint sounds good," Ann said licking her lips. She could already taste the mint with the heavenly bits of chocolate thrown into it.
Five minutes later the two young women were seated in the kitchen with a pint of ice cream each. Digging into her pint with her spoon, Sally said, "You don't seem jealous of Ellen. Why?"
"She's too old for him. That woman is the same age as he is and represents a real threat to us," Ann answered.
"That woman has a name."
"Okay, be that way about it. Ally-son is going to steal him away from us," Ann said. She viciously stabbed her spoon into the pint of ice cream. She pulled out the spoon and tasted the ice cream on it.
Sally sucked on her spoon thinking about it. In a way, Ann was right. Ellen was too old to get and keep Dan. Alison was the same age as Dan and they had been friends with benefits for a long time. She asked, "What are you thinking of doing about it?"
"I'm going to ask him to decide between us and her," Ann said waving her spoon around in the air like a baton.
"You'll force him away," Sally said pointing her spoon at Ann.
Ann collapsed in her chair knowing that Sally was right. Sally was always right. She had been right about Ann actually wanting a man in her life as well as a woman. She wanted to say that Sally and that woman had everything to offer Dan while she didn't have anything, but she knew that wasn't true. The painting in the living room showed her as a very sexy and sensual woman. Sue's paintings didn't lie. She sighed and asked, "What do we do?"
"Maybe we should get to know her," Sally said expecting Ann to explode at the suggestion.
Ann didn't explode. She dug her spoon into the ice cream. She took a bite of the delicious dessert while thinking about the suggestion. She asked, "Are you thinking that she would want to join us?"
"I doubt it. From what I've gathered, she's pretty straight," Sally said surprised by the suggestion. It would be an answer to their problem.
"You're right. So why should we meet with her?" Ann asked.
"So we know what her intentions are," Sally answered.
"We know what they are. She wants to steal him away from us," Ann answered. She took another bite of her ice cream. Chocolate Chip Mint was her favorite flavor. It was hard to be too mad at the world while eating it.
Looking up from her pint of ice cream, Sally said, "Here's something to think about. She's going to go back to college at the end of August. He is going to be here with us for nine months."
"That's true," Ann said.
"She could meet another man while she's there," Sally said.
"That's even better," Ann said feeling a lot happier.
"So we need to talk to her," Sally said.
Ann frowned and asked, "Why?"
"To let her know that her position is rather shaky," Sally said.
"Why?" Ann asked.
"So she comes off looking like a jealous bitch," Sally said with a bright smile.
Ann grinned and said, "I like the way you think."
Diana watched her brother fix his breakfast. It was three in the afternoon and he had just gotten out of bed. It was tough living with him when he slept for most of the day. She tended to stay out of the house while he was sleeping. She found that she was spending a lot of time with Alison. That little thought reminded her of something that was bothering her. She asked, "How do you do it?"
"How do I do what?" Dan asked as he poured a cup of coffee. It seemed to him that every day that went by he was becoming ever more dependant on coffee to keep him awake. He had class in two hours and then work after that.
"Juggle five women at once," Diana answered. It seemed to her that he was collecting a regular harem of women. There was always this softness to Alison's and Ellen's voice when they talked about Dan. She didn't understand how the two of them could remain friends while sharing Dan.
"Five?"
"Alison, Ann, Sally, Ellen, and Sue," Diana answered counting them on the fingers of her right hand. When she finished, she wiggled all five fingers on her hand as if to make a point. She was half tempted to raise the other hand and count off Kim, Pat, Betty, and Coach Jenkins. She wondered if there wasn't a tenth woman that she didn't know about.
"Ellen and Sue are just friends. Ann and Sally are a couple. Alison is a special friend," Dan said.
"You're sleeping with all of them, aren't you?" Diana asked.
"No," Dan answered. He was sleeping with three of the five, but he'd never admit it. He didn't have to admit it. The fact that he didn't sleep at home twice a week meant he was spending his time somewhere else.
"Okay, so you aren't sleeping with Sue. I know that because she likes women," Diana said conceding that point. She said, "Four women is still an awful lot of women to juggle at once."
"For your information, Ellen and Tom have been spending a lot of time together," Dan said.
"Really? I never thought of Tom as the type to go for an older woman," Diana said with a laugh. A stray thought entered her mind and she shook her head to clear it out. It wasn't right to think about Tom that way.
Dan looked over at Diana. He said, "Now that we've managed to discuss my love life; what is going on with yours?"
Diana smiled at her brother and answered, "I cut one rather nice boy out of the herd and I'm in the process of branding him."
"I'm going to want to talk to this boy and explain to him how a bull becomes a steer," Dan said with an equally large smile. He made a cutting motion with two fingers.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Getting very serious, Dan said, "I want my family to be happy. Anyone that threatens that happiness is going to find me knocking on their door. I won't be there to have a tea party with them. I'll be there for their balls."
"Don't you dare threaten Steve," Diana said shaking a finger at her brother. Steve was skittish enough without having her brother scare him away.
"I won't, but he had better treat you right," Dan said. The toaster popped and he grabbed the two pieces of toast. That would hold him until he got to the college. He was having a much easier time with this course than the bookkeeping course. All of the time spent so far in starting up his business had prepared him for the introduction to business course.
"I am responsible for my happiness," Diana said.
"That's right, but no one said that you have to go at it alone," Dan said.
Diana crossed her arms and pouted. She said, "Things must really be bad when I start losing arguments with my brother."
Lazlo Zalezac