by T. S. Hill
“Good for you!”, Lori practically shouted, and clapped her hands. “Bravo!”
“That is my truth.”, Rosita said with finality.
“Well, I appreciate your truth, Rosita, even if it has embarrassingly put me in my place. I do appreciate and applaud your truth!”, I said, and then stood and gave her a brief applause, followed by a deferring bow. Rosita was grinning from ear to ear, and nodded to me proudly. I noticed that she and Lori were once again holding hands. “Rosita, I must say one thing. If you had dressed like this.”, I said, gesturing my hand from her feet to her head. “I, no doubt, would have broken my own policy. You make that dress and shoes, look gorgeous! I mean, you are hot!”
“Tagg! You should not say things like this in front of Lori! It is what? The not proper.”
“It’s okay, Rosita! Lori chimed in. “You do look gorgeous and hot! And I don’t mind Tagg being honest. I really don’t.”
“Then is okay?”, Rosita said. “Thank you for your cumplido, Tagg. Thank you also Lori! You are so kind. You are lucky to meet her, Tagg. Not many women are so, not jealous.”
When I had again, taken my chair at the table, I asked, “Do you have any more truth to share Rosita?”
“That is all to share for this momento.”, she replied. “Maybe more, after later.”
“So. Who’s next, Lori?”, I proposed.
“Yes, Cowboy, since your mouth is full of crow, I’ll go next.”, Lori said, having slid her chair closer to Rosita and still holding her hand. If she hadn’t also winked at me, I would have thought that she was trying to hurt my feelings, but the wink told me that it was just a private tease.
“Rosita, although Tagg did introduce us by first names, I do have a whole name, it is Annabella Loretta Parsons. I was born in Canada, and after my father died, I came to New Orleans with my mother, who was killed there by a gangster. I used to spend my summers in Texas with my grandparents. That’s where I met Tagg, while trying to get to my grandparents’ ranch. I fell in love with him, and came here with him to work on his business assignment.”
“Ah!”, said Rosita. “I should tell you also. I am Rosita Arianna Almeyda. I am from Venezuela, and I came here because my life in Venezuela was hard. My parents were killed for choosing the wrong política. I saved my money very much. I try learning English, but not so much. I come here, I make houses clean, I cook, I work very much. I save. I do good. But like in Venezuela, I not find a man that is good. I work. I stay home. I make lace. I save dollars and I do good. Then I do house for Tagg and I think, what a man! But he, I think, is likes men. Here I am! And now he is not likes men. Now you please. Rosita talk too much. Lori tell your secret.”
“Thanks, Rosita! That’s a lovely name!”, Lori told her.
“It’s a beautiful name!”, I commented. “It’s musical to say, Rosita Arianna Almeyda. Very much musical like Annabella Loretta Parsons. Two beautiful names for two beautiful ladies. I’m sorry to interrupt. I can’t help but give recognition to beauty when I hear it, or see it. Please continue.”
“Lori began again, “Let me start by telling Rosita, about Sasha. I think that may be as good a place as any to begin. Out in Texas, we met a young woman named Sasha, whose romantic and sexual preferences were, we thought, very interesting. Her primary, or first preference, was a couple. Not being a part of a couple with a man, or another woman, but being with a couple that consisted of a man, and a woman, and Sasha. The French call this ménages à trois.”
“I know of this, Lori. In my language is called relación de tres vías.”, Rosita commented.
“Well.”, Lori continued. “Sasha actually is bi-sexual. She likes women and men, but prefers women over men, and a couple over a woman. Her sexual hierarchy, jerarquía sexual de preferencia, was that having just a man as the least preferable. Her second most preference was just a woman. Her number one preference was having a man-woman couple at once. And she confided that she would never do two men at all. Would not even consider it. I understand that a lot of women fantasize about being with two men at once. But the idea repulsed her.”
“Relación de tres vías is common in Venezuela, but not as the arrangement that you describe Lori. Usually it is two, how you say, two women who both like men, and sometimes women, with one man who likes women only. Sometimes there is two men with one woman, but is not something is every day? Is rare! Yes! Two men with one woman is rare, but I knew of such. My cousin Felipe became in love with a witch, who put spells on him and one of Felipe’s best friends. They both went to live with the witch, and became like Chihuahua puppies that sit on the lap. They are no more men. They are like castrated little boys! Is a horrible thing. I am sorry! Rosita talks too much again! But you are right Lori. It is unusual for this preference. It is an unusual jerarquía sexual de preferencia. Please tell what is that remains.”
“Oh! The rest of the story.”, Lori said, as she deciphered Rosita’s English struggle. “Sure! Well as I said, without going into details, we met this girl in Texas and spent some time getting to know her, and she shared all of this with us, and we shared with her. She really took to us and wants to see us again. And, she actually wants a relationship with us. Tagg and I haven’t fully discussed it very much yet, but we both like her.”
“At least it was very liberating to be able to have the conversations with her that we did. You know we all hold things inside of ourselves, and feel guilty, or bad, when maybe we shouldn’t. Once, you are not worrying about people accepting those parts of you that are different, it’s easier to accept those things yourself. And, you can quit feeling guilty because maybe you’re different. Do I make any sense to you Rosita? Or am I just talking crazy stuff?”
“I understand! I understand. This is what you want to do with this talk we have? This tell secrets? We open the book of the soul, and we show the truth of who we are to each other. Then we decide. We decide, we accept, and will be friends, or how you say, to be comfortable to each other? Or we say, go away, I no like you! I don’t think I say, go away I no like you. Rosita likes Lori already, and you know Rosita really, really, likes Tagg. I think we share our secret thinking, and then we all say, is okay! Then, we all have the comfortable to each other. My English is no so good. Sometimes better, or sometimes bad, but I understand better than I say. Is what I say make, you say, sense? Is understand?”
“I understand you perfectly Rosita.”, I replied, smiling
“Same here!”, Lori quipped, squeezing Rosita’s hand, and grinning at her.
“Rosita, you should know that Lori and I both really like you very much, and I am certain that whatever truths or secrets are spoken between us, that we will remain very comfortable with you. Probably even more comfortable than we are now. But, that’s the reason to do this talking. To grow comfortable with each other, learn more about people we like, and maybe to become closer with each other.”
“Sí, Tagg. Lori and I are already closer than when we first meet, eh?”, Rosita said, lifting their joined hands, and smiling at Lori. Lori smiled back at her, and then I continued.
“And now that your attraction for me is no longer an unspoken thing between us, and you know that I’m not gay. ¡No, me gusta pene! And, actually find you to be extremely attractive. I think we are a little more comfortable with each other.”
“Sí, Tagg. I have the hope that this becomes more! Please, Lori, tell us more.”
Lori began again, “To get to the short of it, what I shared with Sasha, with Tagg’s help, was that my primary sexual attraction and preference in a relationship is with one man, but that I had harbored feelings, and attractions, to some women that I meet from time to time. I found Sasha attractive like that. I also shared that I didn’t want to engage a woman alone. You know, not just me and a woman. I felt that if I was going to have a relationship with a woman, that I should share her with my man.”
“So, that’s my sexual hierarchy, my jerarquía sexual de preferencia. First, just my man, and second, my man, and a woman, together
with me. And, I don’t think I want anything else. I’ve never tried anything else so far but me and my man. And, as far as that two men and a woman thing goes, I feel the same as Sasha, I find the whole idea almost repulsive. What kind of real man would go for that anyway. I mean no offense to your cousin, but that’s just messed up.”
“Anyway, even though I’ve never been with a woman sexually, I’m sure that I do want to try having another woman join us. I kissed Sasha, and liked that very much, but don’t know if I want to make that an exclusive thing. You know? Maybe not have the other woman with us all the time. We don’t know yet, but are thinking not. Maybe if it was the right woman, and according to how Tagg feels about her. But, we haven’t even tried anything yet. So, who knows? Right?”
“That was very brave of you to tell this to Tagg, and this Sasha. Sasha sounds like a special person, who knows, how you say, masage? Rubbs to sooth the pain, of your telling your secrets?”
“Massage! Yes!”, said Lori, “She was very good at massaging out our secrets and truths! She made us feel as comfortable as we could feel under the circumstances. And, Rosita, Tagg has been wonderful! He’s un-judgmental, and completely accepting of my bisexual leaning.” Rosita looked puzzled. “Tagg is understanding.”, Lori clarified. “Tagg does not judge me. He loves me!” Rosita’s face lit up with understanding.
“It is a good thing to have such a man!”, Rosita stated. “Tagg is a fine man! He has always treated me, Rosita, with great respect. Even though, I learn now, he hid the lust for me. Is alright! Rosita did not hide her lust for Tagg! Eh, Tagg? Rosita was, how you say, flirt a lot. I try to tempt Tagg to have his way with me, but he resist. He resist me, for policy! What a strong man you have Lori. I am jealous. More, not little jealous. I am big jealous!”
“Maybe you don’t have to be quiet so jealous.”, Lori said to Rosita, looking into her eyes and speaking seductively. “Why don’t you tell us more of your secrets and truths. Share your jerarquía sexual de preferencia, with Tagg and me, and afterwards Tagg can share with us.”
“I am liking this!”, Rosita said excitedly, scrunching her shoulders upward, and grinning. I am glad that you brought Lori back with you Tagg! Now she is here, everything is getting better. Yes?”
“Yes. I completely agree, Rosita!”, I replied, grinning at Lori. Lori smiled sheepishly. Rosita, squeezed Lori’s hand, and raised their hands again to show me.
“Rosita has a surprise truth, and I hope you okay, as I will share.”
“I can’t wait to hear it!”, Lori said, her eyes brightening.
“Me too!”, I said, leaning forward in anticipation.
Rosita began, “Lori and I have sister souls, Tagg. I think Lori already feels it.”
“I can already feel, well sense, it too Rosita.”, I replied.
“I tell you my time in Venezuela was bad. My parents killed in political fighting, about who is going to be in charge of this starving country. Hah! ¡Idiotas! There are no good men, and I take up with a girl my age. We share a small apartamento, with one bed, and we are depend on the other, and she without man. I without man. So, we pleasure each other. I like it! I got no man, so why not? Yes?” Lori and I nodded affirmatively.
“We struggle, we work, we save, but was okay. We make each other happy. Then I was work late at the cantina, and I come home to find her raped, with throat cut. Policía are no help. They say, just lesbianas de barrio! Her family would not claim her cuerpo! I pay with our savings to bury her, and I come to United States of America. When I am here, I meet men and one says we are couple, and we have much sex, but then he is married and when his wife comes to know me, he is gone. After that, I had another girl friend, but we did not agree.”
“Then, the one last man that I had was liar. I give up! Then I just work, I save, and I help my younger sister’s in Venezuela. My sisters with my asshole uncle. Someday I save and bring them to be here with me. But, I come do house for Tagg, and I think, a fine man! But, you know the story till now.”
“Wow! Rosita! That’s an incredible story, and so sad. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that!”, Lori said.
“How many sisters’ do you have in Venezuela, and what are their ages?”, I asked. “Rosita had tears seeping from the corners of her eyes, as she finished her story, and I got up to get her a tissue from the kitchen counter.
“Three sisters. They live with my sweet ant and asshole uncle. Oriana the oldest is now twenty-three, next is Valeria who will soon be twenty-one, and Gabriela who is now, oh my! She is eighteen! I am becoming an old woman!”
“You are not an old woman Rosita!”, Lori scolded her. “You are a young, beautiful, hot, sexy woman!”
“¡Muchas gracias Lori!”, she replied, drying her tears.
I jumped in, “Rosita, I thought all along that you were probably twenty or twenty-one. But, you say you have younger sisters twenty-one and twenty-three. So, how old are you?”
“Tagg! You don’t ask a woman her age! Ever!”, Lori scolded me.”
Rosita spoke up, “Is okay Lori. I, Rosita, am not ashamed. I am twenty-four until December twenty five. I will be twenty-five on my birthday.”
“Wow! I said! That’s not old! Lori’s twenty-five!”
“Tagg! You don’t tell a woman’s age either! Ever!”, Lori protested.
“We have a lot to teach him Lori!”, Rosita said, and started laughing.
“Okay, if it will make everyone feel any better, I’m the oldest at thirty-two!”
Lori and Rosita were holding hands again. Grinning at each other, Rosita said to Lori, “What you think? Old man?”
“Yeah!”, replied Lori. “Old man!” They both burst out laughing. I was so glad to see the mood lifted again, that I laughed along with them. I still didn’t like that label, Old Man!
Rosita began to talk once more, “We go back to my secret that I was saying. Lori and Rosita, we are sister soul. Same as Lori, I wish best sex for me and man. Lori knows good man is rare. Rosita would share man with girlfriend lover. Could be like Lori, share girlfriend lover with man. If there is difference, I am not so sure. Same as Lori, and Sasha from Texas, I do not want two men at once. That is not the way people are counted. Count the people. If five men, then nine or ten, sometimes twelve, women. Is nature. A woman that takes too much men for herself is witch. I watch my poor cousin Felipe. A woman to take two men is witch!”
“So, what is your sexual hierarchy then Sasha?”, I asked.
“My jerarquía sexual de preferencia is first I would prefer to have a man of my own, but that has not been a good thing. Dos, I share a man with a woman lover. That is a good fate. I would not complain. Last I would settle for a single lover of a woman. I said before. I will not be a witch who keeps two or more men! It is not for the world!
“Tagg I know you are not gay. I should question you to prove it. But tell me what other secrets do you possess to share?”, Rosita asked me, while looking directly into my eyes with a smoldering, sensual look.
I took a deep breath to begin, and noticed that Rosita now had her left hand outstretched and turned up, with Lori’s outstretched palm facing down in hers. Rosita’s olive toned hand was slowly stroking the palm of Lori’s tanned hand and wrist. Lori’s eyes were heavy lidded, with a relaxed pleased look on her face, indicating her enchantment with Rosita’s touch.
“Yes, I’m not gay. I hope that’s no longer a secret that needs to be shared. As Lori told you. I am supportive of her wants to bring a woman or women into our relationship, if that’s what she wants. I can live without it, but if she wants it, then I will embrace it. I hope to enjoy it. I felt guilty because I might find some other women attractive, exciting, sexually arousing. But I’m beginning to get past that. Lori actually seems to expect it and not get jealous about it. She loves me, and by me indulging her alternate passion for a woman, that she wishes to share with me, we are adding a way to fulfill our love for each other. It’s taken some time for me to come to terms with that, and accept it mysel
f. But I think I am ready now.”
“I love Lori very much. And, honestly, I don’t think that I will ever love anyone, as much, or the way, that I love her. As far as I am concerned, fate dealt me a winning hand in Texas, and I have my life’s mate in Lori. I may grow fond of other women. Hell! I’m very fond of you Rosita! And, turned on as hell by your body! You’re one hot woman! But, Lori will always be my number one. Come what may. Lori will always be my número uno!”
“A woman do good to be a número dos, o número tres to a man such as Tagg. I would not find it to be a shameful thing to be the número dos o tres to follow behind such a lady as el exquisitamente hermosa señorita Lori.
“Now I’m embarrassed!”, I said to the two women.
“Oh, Rosita! What a sweet thing for you to say!”, Lori cooed, jumping up from her chair and throwing her arms around Rosita into a tight hug. Lori kissed Rosita on the cheek three rapid times and squeezed her again. Moving around behind Rosita, Lori kept her arms crossed around and in front of Rosita’s neck as she stood behind her. Rosita grinned and reaching up with her right hand, began to stroke Lori’s right forearm. “Lori, I can tell already we are not going to say, “go away, I no like you.”, but we are to be comfortable to each other. More comfortable for every new day! ¿Sí? Yes?”
“¡Sí! Yes!”, both Lori and I answered in unison.
“Tagg, you know say, your jerarquía sexual de preferencia.”, Rosita said, seeming to be really into the spirit of our exchange.
I began, “First of course comes my one on one with Lori. Next would come any ménages à trois, relación de tres vías, with Lori and her female lover, that she shares.