“No, Kristen,” I interrupted. “It’s not selfish. If anyone was selfish, you can blame me. I am responsible for those cravings, and that was selfish of me to do that to you. I guess it was also selfish of me for what I did last night.” I sighed as I realized that I unintentionally hurt my beloved Kristen once again.
Kristen shook her head. “No. You just didn’t understand. You didn’t know or even suspect that giving me the craving would have such a long-term effect. You didn’t realize that for me to see you naked and know that I’m not allowed to suck you would be frustrating for me.”
I sighed once again. It was nice to have such an understanding lover, but in my heart, I knew that I was the selfish one. I didn’t see any resolution in arguing the point with Kristen now.
Kristen looked at my rigid erection. “You look as if that thing is going to burst. Can we do the tree in the forest thing?”
This brought a tiny smile to my lips. Kristen was describing a game that we sometimes played in the morning. She would run into the bathroom and into the shower. I’d run in after her and she’d take my morning wood and aim it toward herself. When my warm piss hit Kristen’s body, it would usually have the effect of Kristen relieving herself in the tub as well. Afterward, the two of us would start up the shower and thoroughly wash each other’s bodies with the slippery soap. Breasts, fingers, cheeks, asses, thighs, knees, and a penis would have fun. Kristen really loved it when soapy hands caressed her breasts. “I’d love to do that,” I said.
Playing like this with Kristen was fun. I knew that I would look forward to living with her every day for the rest of my life.
Later that morning, Kristen drove over to Sherry’s house to pick her up.
When the two girls arrived back at the playroom, we gave Sherry the grand tour, with Kristen explaining the renovations that she was planning. Sherry only saw the living room the previous day, and she seemed a bit surprised at the transformation of Kristen’s apartment from the party the other day. “Wow, the place has changed overnight.”
“That’s what you get when you pay top dollar,” Kristen commented.
Sherry didn’t respond, but looked around. She noticed the king sized bed in the bedroom and blushed a bit.
Kristen said, “Jim and I were thinking of using the spa, today. Do you want to join us?”
“Spa?” Sherry asked.
“We have a steam room, hot tub, and an indoor swimming pool in the Solarium at the main house. Next to it, there’s an exercise room. Jim has been slacking off his workouts.”
“I don’t have a bathing suit,” Sherry said.
Kristen smiled. “Don’t worry. We don’t use them.”
Sherry did a double take. “Skinny dipping?”
“Sherry,” Kristen said softly. “We invited Patty, Camille, Patrice, and even Jim’s sister Merry in that pool before. It’s no big deal.”
“What about your parents?”
Kristen smiled. “Those are the house rules. They won’t join in, though. They wouldn’t want to make anybody uncomfortable.”
Sherry didn’t seem comfortable, so Kristen decided to change tack. “I’m sorry, Sherry. I didn’t intend to embarrass you. I have a couple of decks of cards, including a few Uno decks if you wish to play cards. We also have Pong, if you like video games.”
I noticed Sherry’s eyes light up. “I played Pong at the department store. It’s neat. You actually have one here?”
“Sure,” answered Kristen, who seemed happy to have gotten over that bump in the road. “And Uno is a card game that’s pretty fun with three people. Jim likes it because he can win against me occasionally.”
“Hey!” I protested. The two girls ignored me, smirking.
“That sounds like fun!” Sherry said, enthusiastically.
“For lunch, Harry will bring us a pizza.”
“Who’s Harry?” I asked Kristen, not familiar with that name.
“Edgar retired on Friday,” Kristen said. “He’s worked for my father for twenty years. Harry is his replacement. He used to work here, but left due to family problems. He’s been on vacation since the beginning of summer and started working full time yesterday.”
I laughed. “I liked Edgar. He seemed stuffy, but you can tell after a while that it’s just an act. Kristen told me that he also drove her father’s car, but I never saw him in a car yet.”
“Edgar was the chauffeur in title only,” Kristen said. “He just sat around the house for the most part. Harry is about ten years younger than Edgar is. He’s about sixty-five and he actually does drive, if you need a lift.”
I hadn’t realized how old Edgar was.
The three of us hung out at Kristen’s apartment that day and we all had fun playing games. Sherry learned that Kristen was a sharp and ruthless card player, and quickly switched to Uno on my recommendation.
Patrice, Jack, and Doreen arrived that afternoon, and we all found out that Kristen was ruthless at Monopoly as well. It was nice seeing Patrice pretty much the way that I remembered her a while ago as a friend. I also found Doreen to be a very nice person, although she was rather shy. Jack and I fell naturally into our old camaraderie.
Kristen won Monopoly, despite Jack’s and my attempt to sort of ally against her. It was futile; Kristen built an empire on the early acquisition of the orange properties (St. James Place, Tennessee Ave., and New York Ave.) that nobody thought were too important. She then slowly acquired higher priced properties and she collected the rents as she built houses and hotels as quick as she could. Slowly but surely, everybody else found themselves with less and less money and property until Kristen was the obvious winner.
I found Doreen to be an interesting person. I saw her give away Park Place to Jack in a very transparent way to help us out (he went bankrupt despite her largess), and she really seemed to be interested in Jack as a person.
Jack, on the other hand, seemed to be fumbling along in the love business (although I admit that I am not any authority on that subject, then or even now!). Still, when he looked at Doreen when he didn’t think she was looking at him, you could see that he was completely smitten by her.
I found myself happy for Jack and Doreen. In a way, I was responsible for the two of them getting together, and I was glad that something came from it. In another way, however, I found myself reminded of Marla every time I’d look at Doreen or Jack. In addition, thinking of Marla brought on those feelings of guilt that I felt during Merry’s birthday party.
It was obvious to me that Kristen noticed how I felt, but to her credit, she kept quiet and didn’t say anything to embarrass me.
After Patrice drove Jack and Doreen home, I started thinking again about the importance of friends. Once I started dating Kristen, I didn’t try to keep track of Jack. In retrospect, it’s difficult. Once you find the love of your life, wouldn’t any sane person want to spend every waking moment loving her and doing things to let her know that you really loved her?
That day, I realized that the answer to that rhetorical question was an emphatic “NO!” Yes, you spend time with the love of your life and always let her know how you feel, but you don’t do it to the exclusion of all the other relationships that you cultivated throughout your life.
I spent about five years pissed off at Patrice, who severed her friendship to me, apparently at the whim of Kristen. It now occurred to me that I did much the same thing once I fell in love with Kristen. I always thought that I was better than that. I never once suspected that I could act that way, but it was true: once I found Kristen in my life, I no longer felt a need to spend time with my old friends like Jack.