Agents of Pleasure Ch. 23

When they got to the bedrooms, however, this was when things got interesting. The first thing Charlie mentioned in the master bedroom was that he wanted a 4.5" platform built for his king-sized bed. Paige giggled when Tom said, "4.5? Not 5.5?"

Charlie noticed Paige's reaction and smiled at her, "No mistake, 4.5 inches exactly! He wanted his closet expanded and ceiling fans installed. THEN, when they went into the master bath, he surprised Tom again. "Ladies, I do want your feedback here. I say we pull the tub out and build a shower room with at least two shower heads in it."

Tom looked at Paige (as if to anticipate her response,) "I don't have a thought here," she said.

But Joy spoke up, "I think you should have three shower heads, Charlie. A third one on the side wall."

"Yeah, I think you're right!" Paige looked back at Tom and giggled some more. He was writing the notes but his face was shrugging!"

When they got to the second bedroom, Tom looked somewhat bewildered because Charlie said, "In here, I want four closets along that wall there. If you have to borrow a little room from the living area, so be it."

"Four closets? Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Uh, how is that going to be laid out?"

"Make the whole wall one closet from one corner to the other; then put divider walls in it for four equal sections. The doors can be bi-folding...or whatever works best. What do you think, Joy?"

"I think it's perfect!" she said. "It will cut way down on the complaining!"

Tom looked at Paige again with an "are these folks nuts?" expression, but Paige just laughed and said, "I like it too; write it down Tom!"

In the second bathroom the only thing Charlie said was, "There has to be two vanities in here with two sinks. Oh, and if you can find an over-sized bathtub, that would be great!"

There was nowhere to sit in the house, so the four of them stepped out into the front yard for a little fresh air and discussion. It didn't take long, and Tom was on his way in less than ten minutes saying, "I'll get back to you on Friday with the final estimate, Charlie."

When he left Paige said to them, "That was so funny! I've known Tom for a while, and he was definitely puzzled as to what the four closets were all about! I bet I get the third degree next time I see him!"

Joy was grinning, "What are you going to tell him?"

The redheaded agent looked at Charlie, "It's up to you, I think! I could tell him the truth, or just say I don't know...which is kind of a lie!"

"Just tell him whatever you want," Charlie chuckled, "if you tell him the truth, then ask him to be discreet and respect our privacy."

Paige laughed, "I think I want to tell him the truth just to see his reaction!"

"There aren't many people who know about us," he admitted. "My parents don't even think I'm seeing anyone!"

"Do they ask?"

Charlie's eyes sparkled with humor, "I'll tell you something, but let's not make a big deal of it, okay?" When both women promised, he continued, "When I was a sophomore in high school, my mom thought I might be gay!" Both women almost peed their panties from laughing!

"Mothers can be somewhat oblivious at times; she probably heard something from another someone who heard it from another someone somewhere!" Joy cracked.

"No doubt about it," said Charlie. "Maybe I'll tell them what's going on just to see THEIR reaction!"

"Where do they live?" Paige asked.

"They're up in Kankakee; I drive up to see them once every other month!"

Paige smiled big, "You want to see a reaction? Next time you go...bring one of your friends!"

"That's a fun thought, but if I do that, my mother will jump the gun and start planning a wedding; she'll want to get her 'gay' son married quick!"

Paige giggled, "I can think of at least one positive from your mom 'jumping the gun' and getting you married; you won't need four closets anymore!" They all cracked up at that one! "Okay, kids, I need to get home and relieve my mother."

Charlie whispered something to Joy, "Hey Paige? Joy and I are going back to my place; I'll have Chinese food waiting and then we're gonna...well, you know! Care to join us?"

Paige shivered, noticeably. "Oh my God, that's tempting! Hmm, I best say no...but can I have a rain check?"

"Of course! Just give me a call."

As the redhead was about to walk away, she winked at them and said, "Great! But your little group is so bad! It's a good thing we didn't meet four years ago...you might have needed FIVE closets!"

That night Chad came over around 9:00. Trudy was in the house watching one of her shows, and the newlyweds settled down together on the porch for a cuddle. Chad got a big kick out of Paige's Tom Brecher story, but he did promise to keep the details under wraps.

Then Paige changed the subject, "On a different note, I had a closing today with two other clients Mason and Ava Reed. Ava and I went out for lunch afterward; and what a discussion THAT was!"

"How so?"

"Well, you know how we women get; we go for the deep details!"

"No shit!" Chad chuckled, "you women can be brutal at times!"

His wife giggled, "This was nothing like that; we got into the cuckold lifestyle that she and her husband have."

"The what? Cuckold? You mean he likes to watch her with other guys?"

"Exactly! To be clear, he's on the small side and he likes to watch a big cock pounding her!"

"Oh my God, Paige, I can't wait to read the book you're gonna write someday, 'My Life in the Sexual Side of Real Estate!'"

Paige laughed, "Yeah, you and I are pushing the boundaries, aren't we!"

"I repeat; NO SHIT!" he said emphatically. "If this keeps up, we're gonna burn ourselves out by the time we're fifty!"

"Do you really think that will happen?"

He grinned at her, "No, you're too hot...you're like nuclear! Maybe it's just me who'll burn out!"

She laughed again, "I'll pace you...I won't let it happen!"

"You're gonna pace me?"

"Yes, pace you! Like maybe I'll only let you fuck me every other day after we turn forty!"

"You're kidding, right?" When Paige burst out laughing, Chad grinned and said, "Smart ass!"

"Or," she continued, "I could speed you up and deliberately burn you out; then trade you in for a newer model!"

Chad playfully spanked her on one ass cheek, "Watch out, Babe, that smarty pants side of you might piss me off someday!" Then he kissed her on the forehead.

They snuggled closer for a few more minutes, then Paige remembered something. "Chad?"

"Yeah?"

"Care to know what the last thing I said to Ava Reed was?"

"Sure."

"I told her you have a very big cock!"

Chad straightened up, "You did not!"

"I did, I told her that!"

"Why? Why did you..." and it dawned on him. "HOLY SHIT!"

Paige spent all of Thursday morning doing her best to get caught up. She was having lunch today with Eve Prater, and tomorrow was the shower/luncheon with Sara McCullers and her group of lady friends. She really didn't know what to expect with either event. Eve was a hard one to figure out, and Sara's group of swing women? She thought, "Who knows what will be on THAT agenda!"

She texted Eve to confirm the time and place; and when she walked into Mannino's at 11:50, the hostess said, "Your companion isn't here yet; let me seat you in the booth right over here. Can we offer you a drink while you're waiting?"

"Just water, thank you!"

Not even two minutes later a woman walked in, and Paige did a double-take because this Eve Prater looked nothing like the one she had previously met. The icky-pick one before looked as if she had just finished mowing the backyard grass. This one was dressed to the nines (or at least as if she was going out on the town for the evening.) Her shoulder-length auburn hair was done very cute, her face was made up perfectly. She looked as if she had just come from a hair and make-up session on HGTV's "What Not to Wear!" Her slacks and blouse ensemble was chic and stylish, and she wore some strappy sandals that certainly did NOT come from Payless.

The redheaded agent watched her walk up to the table. She looked about five and a half feet tall and maybe 125 pounds, but what was really eye-catching were her boobs. The top two buttons of the blouse were undone and half her cleavage was showing. Paige judged her to be at least a "DD" if not a little more. "Wow, gorgeous!" she thought, "This is going to one intriguing meeting, for sure!"

If she was staring, Eve didn't seem to notice, "Hi Paige, you got here early, how are you?"

"I'm great! Oh my God, this is certainly a different look from the other day; you look beautiful!"

"Thanks, I must admit I was sorry we got off on the wrong foot last time. I decided to get onto the right foot this time!"

"Well this is definitely the better foot!" Paige returned, "Did you step out of a magazine?"

Eve laughed, "No, but I did get my hair done this morning!"

Just then their server walked up, "Paige! Hello there!"

"Allie! Hi...this is fun!"

"You two know each other?" Eve asked after observing their greeting.

"Oh yes, Allie's the best server in this restaurant," Paige returned, "And her boyfriend is also a client of mine. I recently sold him his first house!"

Allie added, "Yes, and my friend Joy told me you all had a fun time planning the remodel of it!"

"We did, it's going to be a great place when Maxpro is finished with it, Charlie's going to love it!"

Allie turned to Eve, "And who is this?"

"This is a new client of mine, Eve Prater. Eve, this is my friend Allie Pruitt."

"Very nice to meet you, Allie; I'm assuming Charlie is your boyfriend?"

"Yes," Allie winked at Paige, "we hang out at times!" The redhead giggled at the inside joke and Allie continued. "Can I get you something to drink, Eve, or are you both ready to order?"

With their order submitted Eve turned to her agent and began, "Speaking of houses, did you bring some listings to show me, Paige?" Eve asked.

"I did, I brought five; and to me they're all very good; I like our odds of finding the right one!" She laid five sheets of paper in front of Eve. "Let's see if we can put these in the right order before the food arrives."

Sorting them didn't take long. There was one five bedroom/three bath house; that was Eve's first choice. The next two were four/two's; and the final two were three/two's. They pulled out their daily planners and decided to take most of one day to tour them, Wednesday, September 14.

By the time the food came, the plan was in place. Eve said, "Wow, that didn't take long, and another good thing is that three of those choices are in an excellent location! The kids could take their bikes to school when they're old enough; I really like that!"

"How many children do you have, Eve?"

"Two, my oldest is in 4th grade...his name is Kevin. And my daughter is in 2nd grade, her name is Andi."

"Nice! My four year old Jimmy will be in Pre-K 4 this year."

"Maybe they'll be in the same school if one of these works out."

"No doubt about it! My daughter Sophie will be in 5th grade next week."

"Wonderful!"

The two women dug into their salads for several moments before Paige said, "So Eve, I'm sure your parents told you that on Tuesday they put an offer on a condo and it was accepted!"

"Oh yes, they're so excited. They sold some property in order to afford this and it's been planned for over three years!"

"You get along with your parents pretty well?"

"Well enough that I can count on them for babysitting, that's a big plus!" Both women laughed.

"My mother lives with me, babysitting is part of our contract!"

Eve wasn't that enthusiastic, "Really? Well, I wouldn't want my mother living with me; I like my space."

"You wouldn't want them even if you buy the five bedroom house?"

Her client shook her head, "The five bedrooms wouldn't all be bedrooms; Larry and I would each get our own office. If we choose one of the four bedroom homes, we'll have to share an office. If we choose the three bedrooms, we'll probably build one."

"I see, so you both work from home then!"

"Yes, I sell precious metals, and Larry is very good following the stock market."

Paige was finishing her food and wondering about Eve and Larry, but speculating was just waste of time. So she decided to just ask, "So Eve, your situation from top to bottom sounds really good; yet when you apologized over the phone, you said you were under a lot of stress. It couldn't be financial, because you wouldn't be looking for these kinds of property." Eve looked kind of frozen, so Paige pushed ahead, "Where is this stress coming from? Is it marital?"

Her client hesitated for a good while before saying, "I don't want to burden you with my problems, Paige."

"Sometimes it's good to have a friend to talk to, isn't it?"

"We're kind of new in town; are we friends?"

"If you want to be, I subscribe to the theory that you can't have too many friends."

Eve hesitated again, "I... I tried to talk about this with one of my best friends where we used to live. I thought she would understand; but she didn't...or rather couldn't."

"That sounds like a sexual-something, right?"

"Yeah...it is."

"Were you having an affair?"

She stared at Paige and hesitated a third time, "Are you psychic? I was, but it's over now."

The redhead smiled, "Not psychic, just perceptive. What was it that your friend didn't understand?"

"When I spoke with her about it, the affair wasn't over yet. Her advice then was to tell me to just stop the relationship, like it would be easy to do or something. When I told her it wasn't so easy, she kept saying, 'Just stop, Eve...just stop it!' It was like talking to a wall. I thought she would understand, and I was incredibly wrong."

"Yes, but now it IS over. Are you upset about that?"

"There's nothing I can do about it; the person moved away and so did we."

Paige's eyes softened, "That would probably upset me too!"

Eve smiled, "You understand more than one of my best friends did!"

"But the problem is solved, right? You both moved."

"That part of the problem is solved, but the other half remains."

"Which is?"

"The person who moved was my other best friend!"

"Paige stared at Eve for a moment, "Ohhh, your lover was a woman!" When Eve nodded, the redhead continued. "Still, the problem was removed."

"The problem is," said Eve, "I'm attracted to women...a lot! And I know for a fact my husband would never accept it! He's a good husband and father; he's a hard worker too! But he would never tolerate an affair with either gender, and the stress of secrecy is putting a strain on my nerves!"

"No easy solution. Is the sex good with Larry?"

"He's a very good lover! That part is not a problem."

Paige was thoughtful, "So the issue is what direction to take moving forward."

"Exactly!"

The redhead decided to open up, "I really can't be of much help here, but if I tell you this, can I trust you?"

"Implicitly!"

"My husband and I have an open marriage, we have playmates; and the only rule is that we do not keep secrets."

Eve was surprised, "Seriously? Oh my God! I....I don't..."

Paige giggled, "So, I can't offer much advice. If Larry won't accept it, it seems you only have two options."

Her new friend stared at her, "I am SO envious!"

This time Paige laughed, "Not many people know it, I'm not even sure why I told you."

"You can trust me, Paige. I've carried my secret for over four years now. Outside of my previous best friends, no one knows I'm Bi."

"Maybe the one thing I can say is regarding the stress. If you are smart, and pick your encounters wisely, you can keep this a secret. In other words, don't do anything stupid!"

Now it was Eve's turn to laugh, "I did quite a few things with girls in college before I met Larry. Since I got married, I've only been with my friend."

"So what's your plan now?"

"I don't know."

Paige thought for a moment and all of a sudden...an incredible thought occurred to her. "You know what, Eve, are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

"I could be."

"Some friends of mine are planning a wedding shower for me; perhaps you'd like to come?"

"Oh my God, I don't want to intrude."

"Yeah, but you need to open up a new circle of friends here in town. If you come with me, you don't have to be the center of anything; you'll just meet some new people."

"Maybe...I"

"How about if I ask the host and then call you this afternoon?"

"Okay, that might not be so bad."

"The worst that could happen is you'll get a free lunch!" and they both laughed.

Paige gave Allie a generous tip and a hug, and she gave Eve the promise of a phone call later that afternoon.

On the way back to the office she punched in Sara's number. "Hi Page! Are you ready for our big party tomorrow afternoon?"

"Very excited! I can't wait to see what you ladies have planned! I do have a couple questions first."

"Shoot!"

"How is everyone going to dress?"

"Very casual, some of the group likes to sit on the floor."

"Okay, that's good...and the second question is more of a favor."

"I'm all ears! This party is in your honor!"

"Great, here's the favor; I picked up a recent client. She's new in town, doesn't know anyone. I wonder if it will be all right if Marie and I bring her along?"

Sara was silent for at least five seconds, but it seemed longer. "Sweetie, you do realize that this shower is not your typical event, right?"

Paige smiled to herself, "Oh, I absolutely do realize that!"

"Then how do you know she will...how shall I say...fit in?"

"Her name is Eve, and I found out that in almost every way, she's a lot like Marie and me...only much more discreet."

Sara was silent five more seconds, "That's a very good recommendation, How old is she?"

"Late thirties, and quite attractive."

"Okay Paige, because you're vouching for her, you can bring her along. But because of the nature of our group, I reserve the right to cancel her invitation at any time; will that be okay?"

The redhead giggled out loud, "Cancel her invitation?"

Sara laughed, "Sweetie, I just love you and Marie; you know that! But what I'm saying here is, if I don't like or trust your friend, I will send her home...no problem!"

"I think it will work out; in fact, I know it will!"

"Bring her along then," said Sara brightly, "I certainly trust your judgment!"

When she sat down at her desk, she called Eve. "Hi, it's me already. Can you get a sitter for tomorrow?"

"I'm invited? Wow...okay, yes. It's no problem; remember Larry works from home."

"Oh yes! My friend Marie and I will pick you up at 11:30. Text me your address again, okay?"

"I will."

"And Eve, dress casually; there could be some shower games that are played on the floor!"

"Got it! Thank you, Paige, see you tomorrow!"

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed uneventfully. Paige spent the whole time with the kids while her mother went out shopping for what she called, "Something nice for Sunday night!" Chad had driven down to Carbondale with one of the Maxpro guys. They had to pick up a special order from their window manufacturer, and they couldn't wait for the regular shipment date. He was going to be home late. Along about 7:00 she took the little ones out to play in the front yard and wear them out a bit!

As fate would have it, Pernell Cannon walked by at 7:30. "Pernell! Hi! Out for a walk or is it serious exercise?"

Pernell waved "Hey!" and came over. "So, Lily and I are going to see you on Tuesday. We're fired up about this. She loves the idea of being a property manager!"

"I like it too; I love anything that prints me out a commission check!"

Pernell cracked up, "The older I get the more I realize there are dozens of ways to make money; people just need to get off their lazy asses and do it!"

Paige nodded, "That's for sure, like your photography hobby; I wonder how lucrative that would be if you made it a focus?"