He didn’t mind sharing Farrin with Lyle and knew they occasional met for a quick rendezvous. He was never jealous of Lyle, even with her, for he understood the relationship between them was playful, not a serious love attraction. Only now, with Farrin, he was the one who wanted more. Wanted to know he had her full attention, beyond sex. Worse yet, he wanted her to be with him.
He wandered out onto the patio and gazed at his property. It was a stunning house with magnificent water views. The patios and pool only enhanced the living area. His boat had become just a possession. The thrill of escaping to the open waters for the day wasn’t as fulfilling as it used to be. Now, if Farrin were on board with him, he might feel different. In the past, he’d never taken any woman out on it. Even Lyle had only joined him for a few quick trips around the area.
The nagging split in his brain was becoming more than he wanted to handle on a daily basis. And for some unknown reason, that lousy cottage in the Florida Keys had gotten stuck in his mind. When he thought about it, he visualized Farrin living there with him, full time. Yes, Lyle would be a part of their circle, but he knew Lyle needed the chase to be happy. While he always came back to Van, Lyle was a dreamer who went after every conquest, male or female, at his whim. They never meant anything important. It was the thrill of the chase.
Pulling himself from the daydream, he checked his watch. He had just enough time to meet Lyle for their planned supper. A quick shower and he was on his way. Lyle was at the bar with a strange expression on his face.
“Hi,” he said, sliding onto the barstool next to him, pointing to Lyle’s beer and nodding to the bartender. “What’s up, you look like….Well I’m not sure, but something’s wrong.”
Lyle didn’t turn to him, rather kept his look at a particular table in the restaurant, one near the back wall. Van realized it was Farrin’s back he was seeing, along with an older man and woman beside her. They seemed very serious, Farrin’s posture ram rod straight. “Her parents showed up today, unannounced and uninvited.”
“And?” Van asked, prompting him to continue. He nodded to the bartender as his beer was placed in front of him. “Lyle, what’s going on?”
“They’re here to talk her into going back to New Jersey with them.”
“What? Didn’t her ex-husband and stepsister get together? Why would she go back only to be reminded of that each day?”
“I don’t know, Van. All I know is she was stupefied when they showed up at the shop this afternoon. Right there, in the middle of her work place, they started berating her about running away and it was time to come home to the family.” Lyle shook his head in disgust.
“What was her reaction?”
“What do you think? She was stunned, embarrassed, and kept asking them to quiet down. Her mother is a piece of work. Right in front of customers, she made a point of telling Farrin if she’d been a better wife, her husband might not have had the affair. That’s when I interceded and gave her the rest of the afternoon off. I told her to use our reservation here tonight. I figured I could keep an eye on her if the meeting went down the tubes.”
“Do you think she’s ready to go back?”
“I hope not, Van. For the first time today, I had to admit to myself she was more than a casual fling. I have feelings for her, probably as intense as yours.”
Van sipped his beer, taking in all the information and trying not to let his facial expression give way to his inner turmoil. “I’ll admit I like the way our threesome has worked out, both out of the office and in. Hell, she’s got an innate sense of style. I doubt we’d have sold so many condos and homes without her touch.”
“And?” Lyle prompted.
“And…I’ll admit I’m smitten with her.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Me too, and now they want her to go back and forgive and forget.”
“She’s an adult. We’ll have to let her make her own decisions about her future.” Van squirmed in his seat. “You got any ideas how to persuade her to stay?”
“To stay or to stay with us?” The men stared at each other. “Well, we have to decide before we campaign for her to stay here, is it with us or just for the job?”
“Why couldn’t it just go on as it was?” Van didn’t let on to Lyle he’d had these same thoughts earlier in the day.
“I’d like her to stay and be a part of us, but that would include your participation. Do you want her or do you want to move on?”
“I’ve been comfortable with the relationship the three of us have had these last six months. I’m not anxious for anything to change, in the workplace or outside.”
“I’ll give up Nina, no question, if you think it will keep her with us.”
“Let’s just calm down and see what unfolds.” Van sipped from his beer and straightened in his seat. “They’re heading toward us. Chill out and be nice.”
The men watched Farrin and her family approach. He immediately didn’t like the man’s look. ‘Slick and slime’ came to Van’s mind instantly when he saw his false tan and overly white capped teeth. Her mother was dressed immaculately with too much jewelry and teased hair. She also walked with her nose in the air, as if the whole state was beneath her.
“Farrin,” he called, standing and moving toward the group. “Hello, I’m Van Hildrith,” he said extending his hand to shake the other man’s. He watched Farrin for any sign and saw only discomfort.
“Hi, Van, this is my mother, Dolores, and her husband, Frank. They flew down to surprise me today.” Her tone was flat. His hand was grabbed by Frank and pumped too hard and too long. Dolores seemed to sniff the air around them and decided he didn’t meet her criteria for conversation.
“Have you been to Miami before? It’s a wonderful place to live.”
“I wouldn’t be here now if my daughter wasn’t so hard headed.” Dolores again looked around the restaurant, as if deciding it wasn’t up to her standard.
“Mom, we’ve had this conversation many times. We don’t need to have it again with my boss.”
“Boss, well then this is the perfect opportunity. Do us all a favor and fire her. She can collect unemployment and move home.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Dolores, but Farrin is a valuable employee. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her place in the company.”
“That’s not very helpful, Van, is it?” Frank said. “You see, there was a little misunderstanding between the sisters, and we’d like to have the family together again. Heal the old wounds, start fresh and all that.”
“I can understand you wanting to have your family intact, but I also realize Farrin is an adult, and her opinion is the one that matters here.”
“This is not a discussion Van needs to hear, especially since I’ve made my decision. Van, nice to see you. I’ll be at the office on Monday, as usual, ready to work.” She gave him an eye roll, and he had to hold back a smile.
“We’ll all look forward to seeing you then. Enjoy your weekend in Miami,” he told Frank, for Dolores had already dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Dolores added, leaving the group. Frank turned to Farrin and added in a not-so-hushed tone, “If you don’t come home, you’ll make life hell for the rest of us.”
“Maybe your daughter should have thought of that before she slept with my husband and had his child.” She let out a deep, shuttering breath as Frank rushed toward the door.
“Sorry about that. I guess our weekend plans are shot.” She looked disappointed.
“We’ll try again next week,” he said, holding her gaze. “Do you really want to go home, Farrin?”
“No, this is my home now, here in Miami and with you and Lyle. This is where I belong.”
Van slid his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. His lips met her forehead in a light kiss. “You stand up for yourself, girl. Lyle and I both want you here. Don’t second guess that.”
“Thanks, I’ve got to go. Keeping them waiting will only make Mo
ther madder. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Call if you need anything, like moral support or a place to stay while they’re here.” She gave him a cryptic smile and slowly left the restaurant. Van headed back to the bar where Lyle had watched the interaction.
“Wow, what a bitch,” Van said, drinking his beer. “And the stepfather….”
“They were polite to you tonight. In the shop today, they didn’t care what they said or who heard. I think they did it especially to embarrass her.”
“What do we do?”
“I suppose we wait until Monday and reinforce how much she means to us. To both of us.” Lyle sat back on his barstool and watched Van.
“I suppose you’re right.”
“You know what that means, Van?”
“Yeah, I do, and I haven’t run screaming from the room yet. That should account for something.”
“It’s a first I’ve witnessed. So I guess the time has come. Where do we stand, and what do we want for our futures?”
“If you asked me that a few months ago, I would have said no attachments. But, between you and me, bud, I guess it’s about time for attachments and relationships. It just took finding the right woman to make me accept it.”
“Me too. Can we share her, or do you just get her?”
“I suppose that’s ultimately her decision, isn’t it? I like our three-way partnership, at work and in bed. I’m not looking to make any changes.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Lyle tapped his bottle against Van’s. “I guess this means we’re growing up and becoming responsible adults.”
“It was bound to happen sooner or later. I can see the long term with Farrin, and it scares the hell out of me, can you?”
“Yes, I fell for her the first time I spoke with her on the telephone, and when I met her in person, well, love superseded lust for the first time in my life.”
Van dropped his arm around Lyle’s shoulders. “My young apprentice is grown up.”
“Sucks don’t it, though? Why does everything have to change just when it was going so smoothly?”
“Yeah, I agree it sucks, but we all knew it would happen at some point. Now we just have to figure out how to keep her with us.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
Chapter Sixteen
Van and Lyle experienced strange weekends. When they met up Sunday afternoon, Lyle was solemn and antsy. Van had spent Saturday on the boat touring the area. In the past, just the freedom and smell of the salt air would revive him. It hadn’t. Instead, he found the boat ride was boring. It seemed like a lot of work for a few hours of fun when he was tying her off and washing her down. Sunday he spent on the patio lounging, the newspaper scattered around him in sections but still unread.
They sat beside each other, watching the water and other boats going past.
“This sucks. I want to storm over there and tell her parents to go to hell, or back to New Jersey.” Lyle kept his gaze ahead, not looking to Van.
“I’ve had similar thoughts, but I think we have to give her this space.”
“Still sucks.”
“You want a drink?”
“No. See, I can’t even enjoy a Sunday afternoon since those people came.” Lyle let out a huffing sound.
“We’ll know her decision by tomorrow morning. Just chill and wait it out. You hungry?”
“I could eat but more out of angst than hunger.”
Van tossed a folded towel lying near him at Lyle. “Come on, I’m sick of being here, too.”
“That’s because you keep picturing her fucking us here.”
“All right, yes. I look around and remember how she looked and tasted and how her body pulsed around my cock.”
They were stoic for several seconds before Lyle let a smile creep onto his lips. “If it all blows up, at least we have great memories.”
“Yeah, let’s hope we get more to savor in our old days.” Van stood and stretched to his full height. “Come on, deli or diner?”
“Deli tonight. I’ll order her favorite sandwich, turkey with Swiss cheese on rye with mayo, and coleslaw. It will make me feel like she’s dining with us.” They walked through Van’s home, and Lyle waited while he locked up. “I’ll drive. I’m not drinking tonight.”
* * * *
The drive down the coastline at dark was a beautiful sight. After dropping her mother and her stepfather at the airport, much to their surprise, Farrin drove the coast road down to the Florida Keys. Even in the fading light, the old cottage gave her a static jolt. She sat on the deserted beach front, her arms wrapped around her knees, hugging them to her chest, and asked herself what she really wanted from her life, now, at this time. Situations were different than they had been at the first of the year when she moved here. In the back of her mind, she always figured she could move on or even go back to New Jersey if she hated Florida. But she didn’t. Instead, she’d fallen into her dream job with two very interesting and diverse men who lavished her with their sexual attentions.
She realized this was the first time in her life she was making the decisions for herself. There were no parents whispering in her ear or husband, rather ex-husband, trying to sway her in their directions. Well, I’ve managed quite well for myself, so far.
Farrin accepted that she was a responsible adult and would make choices that fit her for a change. Glancing back over her shoulder, the old cottage loomed in the darkness.
“I could do it,” she said aloud, mentally recalculating her finances. “I could actually own this house and land and eventually make it beautiful and useful again, a sanctuary to come home to.” From that image, the decision was made. While she struggled with it the rest of the night, she knew deep in her heart, this was what she wanted to do. She’d turn the house back into a home. She’d even be able to turn the garage into an art studio. A rush of anticipation chased through her body. Farrin hadn’t painted since the situation with her husband started. The concept of having a space to drip paint on the floor and leave her canvases to dry was appealing.
For a while, she’d thought her painting days were gone. She just didn’t have the enthusiasm to work at it. Yes, she still sketched for her staging job, but that was different than standing before a blank canvas and wondering what it would look like when she’d finished with it. At the time, she’d seen nothing but blankness.
Her fingers itched to get to a sketch pad, the visual of her two men, her lovers intertwined with her the first idea she’d put to canvas. The idea of having the two men naked, intimately posed as she asked, moistened her pussy. The idea that she’d join them during the process made her wet. She stood and gave the site one last, longing look before she drove home at leisurely pace, one hand on the wheel, the other dropped in her lap, stroking her clit through her shorts.
At home, she sprayed each room with deodorant to clear the heavy scent of her mother’s perfume. Then she slid across her bed, and moved her right hand to her clit, rubbing it lightly as she humped the covers. With her eyes closed, she pictured Van and Lyle standing naked beside her bed, close enough for her to lean up and suck their cocks.
When the image continued to piqué her imagination, she rolled over and took her toys from the bedside drawer. Feeling the weight of her original dildo, she dropped it on the bed, reaching for her new purchase, a smaller, slimmer dildo she’d just bought. Farrin stripped off her clothes and crawled back on the bed. One toy she sucked on while she teased her clit with the other. When the first one was wet, she tucked it in her pussy, already wet and wanting. The second she sucked as she fingered her clit, pumping her hips up and down to shift the toy inside her. As her orgasm neared, she gently pushed the second in her anus. Turning on her belly, she rubbed against her fingertips, the toys moving with her body until she found the exact spot that pushed her over the edge into an orgasm that left her breathless and sweaty.
A quick shower and she sat on her balcony, her wet hair air drying, her body covered only in a light robe. Her hand crossed acros
s the sketch pad in a flurry, trying to commit her lusty ideas to paper before she forgot them. When she finished, there were four small, sketched scenarios on the page, each with her and her men in different sexual positions.
Glancing out at the marina below, she again accepted this was her place in the world. Farrin now resided in Miami, Florida. This is where she would rebuild her future.
* * * *
Farrin bustled into the office Monday morning as usual. She carried a cardboard holder with three cups of coffee and several assorted Danishes. She already knew from seeing Lyle and Van’s vehicles in the parking lot they were there. She wondered if they’d thought about her over the weekend. Knowing how much they invaded her dreams and waking hours, she hoped she’d been on their minds, too.
“Good morning, gentlemen. How did your weekend go?” She paused to let her carryall slide off her shoulder to the empty seat and started handing out the coffees. “Lyle, thanks for Friday off, and my apologies for the scene my mother created in your workplace.” Finally, she sat and glanced between the two men. “All right, ask what you want to know. Say what you need to say. I know they were rude and embarrassing, and I’m sorry. I’ve asked them never to show up here again, under any circumstances.”
“Are they still here?” Van enquired, taking a tentative sip of the hot brew.
“Would I be this happy if they were? No, I put them on a plane home yesterday afternoon. We decided they should spend their vacation somewhere else.” She didn’t hold back the giggle forming in her chest.
“And?” Lyle asked straining forward in his seat. “What is your decision? Are you staying with us or going back?”
“There was never a decision to make. I made my choices last winter when I came here. This is my home, where I live and work.”
The Stagers Page 10