A Home for Three

They were tangled up in each other and the both of them were shameless, panting and heaving, closer than friends closer than sisters closer than lovers and then both of them were peaking, her hands now pinching and rubbing and thrusting inside, they wanted it rough like Dan and then they were both coming and-

She waited until the last of the afterglow faded. She rose from her bed and walked, naked, through their house. She stopped in front of the picture of Dan and his wife. She waited for something; for the picture to move. For the whispers to continue, for the strange thoughts that came from her head that were not her own to speak to her directly. For a spectral woman to appear beside her and murmur words of instruction or explanation in her ear.

Nothing. She turned and pondered the door to Dan's room. Should she?

She wanted to.

But she couldn't. She didn't have the right.

As she left the thought rose in her head: Honey, didn't you learn anything from our little talk?

***

Dan stared at her from across the table.

She'd rose to find him making a breakfast for two in the kitchen. She sat across from him, clutching a cup of coffee, and did her best not to blush when he looked in her direction. They ate in silence, both of them focusing on shovelling the egg and bacon and toast into their mouths. She rose, muttering something about being late for work.

"Wait."

She turned to see him staring at her with those grey eyes of his. She felt her mouth go dry. "What is it?"

"Last night."

She smiled as convincingly as she could. "I'm sorry, alright? It was just- the wine. The wine made me a little..." Horny is what she wanted to say, but she changed it at the last minute. "Silly."

"It's okay." She turned before he said quickly, "Did you ever...I mean, have you..."

"Have I what?"

He glanced past her shoulder, and she already knew his gaze had settled on the picture. He stared at the two of them for a handful of heartbeats before he turned back to his breakfast. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Okay." She grabbed her shoulder bag and slung it over her shoulder. "See you tonight."

"I might be out," he said. "I should be late."

"Okay." She walked out the door.

***

"You still don't understand? Really?" Emily's smile was a bright and confident thing; secure in its dominion in this little office. "What idiot college did you say you came from?"

Sarah stared at her little smile and let out a long, sharp breath. The fat old woman stood over her, eyes still gleaming with friendly contempt. "Could you show me what I did wrong?"

The older woman chuckled. "I don't see the point. I'm far too busy to deal with you." She turned away, chuckling. "No, just- sort it out." She waddled off back to her own desk.

Sarah stared at the monitor. She looked up at the fat, cruel old woman as she walked away. She closed her eyes.

In the inside of her mind she heard a chuckle. Go on.

She rose and said in a cold, clear voice, "Get back here."

"What?" The old woman's cruel little smile was still there which was not remotely acceptable. Sarah continued, "You have a job to train me. So do your damn job and show me what I'm meant to be doing."

Emily's smile vanished- finally- and she blinked. "Listen to me you little-"

"No." Was that what Sarah's voice sounded like when she was being authoritative? She kind of liked it. "No, you listen to me. It's been two days and you haven't trained me. Two days and all you've done is make insults- insults I'm going to be sharing with HR, by the way- and run off."

Emily's face was red, her body wobbling with fury. "I could have you fired-"

Sarah talked over her- how much fun was this? - "Then fire me. Or else do your damn job."

Silence. Emily's face twitched and twisted, muscles contorting. She shuddered with an awful black rage and Sarah briefly wondered when had been the last time that anyone had ever dared stand up to her. The bully's gaze fell upon the row upon row of office workers, all silently observing the two women.

And then she smiled.

It wasn't smug. It wasn't happy. It was so patently fake that Sarah nearly laughed. Emily said, "Fine. Let's get started. Try to keep up, okay?" And she sat down, shooing Sarah away from the keyboard. "The process is simple enough, once you know what you're doing..."

Good work.

***

Sarah came home. Dan was still out and she made herself a simple meal of chicken and rice. She didn't know the recipe but she closed her eyes and let her hands move, going by instinct and memories that danced just out of conscious reach. She ate and watched something brainless on television, while her core throbbed with anticipation. Dan would be home soon. He would come through the door and she would be ready to greet him-

"No."

Something inside of her flinched. She got up and walked into the kitchen. She picked up the picture and stared into the eyes of that blue-eyed woman.

"I don't- I don't know if I'm going crazy. If this is all in my mind. But if you're really there, if you're listening... this has to stop." No matter how wonderful it felt. "This isn't me." No matter how much she enjoyed the confidence, the sensuality. "This isn't the way that I am."

She was Sarah. She was meek and shy and would never deserve a man like Dan like Shannon did. That's who she was.

She waited for anger. For harsh voices to fill her mind, for her body to move at another's will. For retaliation or a bitter reproach.

Nothing. Nothing but the absence of something that had been there when she kissed the man she desired, when she stood up to her bully. She shivered, feeling as though she had lost a dear friend; as though she had her strength stolen from her.

She went to bed. She closed her eyes.

***

She opened them again and stared into warm blue eyes.

The two of them lay on the river-bank where she'd first claimed Dan. Shannon lay curled up against her, her voluptuous body pressing lightly against hers. One of her arms was crooked up over her head, her fingers gently twined through her hair. Sarah could feel the press of the other woman's breast against her skin and shivered at the intimate contact.

Shannon stretched out like a cat, her legs rising to slowly hook around Sarah's waist. One of her fingers moved to gently cup her chin as she murmured, "Sorry I upset you."

Sarah shivered. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh...don't be. I didn't meant to control you, beautiful girl. Or replace you. I just wanted to...guide you." Shannon traced Sarah's lips and smiled. "You know, you're just like him."

"Oh?"

"Sweet. Shy. He was so shy, back then. He shouldn't have been. He was so beautiful. Like you." The finger slid down to dimple Sarah's small breast.

It was hard to talk, hard to think, but she was able to murmur, "What do you want?"

"I want him to be happy. And you too."

"Why?"

"Hmmm." The finger slid up to gently tease her nipple. "Two reasons. First, I made a promise to him."

"For ever and ever..." Sarah whispered.

"I couldn't," she said. "But I want to make sure he's taken care of." The hand moved to touch her belly. "By someone who can give him what I never could."

Sarah shuddered with arousal at the implication. "And the other reason?"

A soft chuckle. A line of kisses down her ear that left Sarah mewling, as the fingers gently traced a line along her inner thighs. Just before the trailing digits touched her lower lips, that husky voice whispered in her ear. "I like you. So decide, beautiful shy girl. Decide what you want...and then, go take it."

***

Sarah woke up. She got out of bed. She paused at the entrance to her room. She paused.

What is it that I really want?

She felt Shannon become still and distant as she waited for her decision. Ready to fade away; ready to leave her forever, should she want it.

And then she stripped out of her clothes. Opened her bedroom door. Walked across the lounge room. Opened up the door to Dan's bedroom and slipped inside.

Dan lay on the bed. His body was different than from Suzie's memories; older, plumper, greyer. But she needed no spectral encouragement to stalk over to the bed and push back the sheets. She kissed his lips, long and slow and gentle, and then stood back. Waited until he stirred and woke. He blinked as she stood above him. "Sarah?"

"Surprise." She straddled him, her small hips opening, her wet cunt pressing against his boxer-clad groin. "We need to talk." And she bent down to kiss him again.

For a handful of heartbeats- a glorious handful- he kissed her back, his arms moving to grab her by the waist. And then she was pushed away as he stared up at her. "Sarah. Listen. Something's going on here."

"Oh?"

"I think- Sarah, I know this sounds mad- but I swear that something weird is happening, something involving my wife. I think-"

She pressed one finger against his lips. "I know."

"You...you know?"

"Mmm." She leant down to kiss him again. "I know. Your wife and I...we've talked. And we both agreed you need someone to look after you." She pushed down his boxers and wrapped her hand around his erection, delighting in the feel of his hardness. "And I volunteered."

"This is crazy," he breathed as she slid her hand up and down his shaft.

"I know," she said. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is what we want. What she wants...what I want..." she kissed him again and felt his cock pulse underneath her fingers. "And what you want. So tell me, Dan..." she felt the two of them speak in unison, "What is it that you want?"

Five minutes later she lay on the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her cunt. She panted, her tits shaking as he claimed her with his cock. She moaned and Suzie moaned with her, both of them moving and feeling as one; both of them lost in pleasure. They felt him speed up, felt his expression narrow, and they said in unison, "That's it! Come inside of me!"

A moment later his cock was spasming, filling her womb. Even as her own orgasm rippled through her body she felt a kiss on her cheek- soft and spectral- and then nothing.

Dan collapsed next to her. "So what now?" he asked.

She laughed and touched her belly. She felt the lightest touch, an impossible shiver. A new promise between the three of them. And she said, "We'll call her Shannon."

"What?"

"Nothing." She kissed her new lover. "We all have what we want."