A Unique Life - Pt. 01

A Unique Life. Part One

This was originally meant to be a longish one part story, but it continued to grow to the point that I felt I had to divide it into three parts. I hope that readers will see it through to the end to get the full flavor of the story. Each part has a slightly different emphasis, but they are all important to the whole. While there is a goodly amount of erotica, this is primarily a story about life, and the many forms of love that can exist within. For those looking for a quick kink-filled romp, this likely isn't the story for you. But for those readers who may be interested in an exploration of a different type of life, and loves, I hope you will read on. And even more so, I hope you will enjoy.

I've never thought that we first met Jack by accident. I've always believed that it was fate. Even though his apartment was on the same floor as the co-op that my life partner, Susan, and I had purchased and moved into six months earlier, his was on the far end and around a corner. We had probably rarely if ever encountered him before. Maybe, by randomly passing him unnoticed in the lobby, or perhaps sharing, unacknowledged, an elevator with him. So, it was quite unusual that he came upon us that day in the hallway, after we had been struggling laboriously for close to an hour trying to maneuver a too big piece of furniture through our too small front door. We had purchased online a lovely loveseat recliner, which included free shipping, but apparently only to our front door. So, after unpacking it in the hallway, we had been twisting and turning it every which way, failing completely in all that time to get it through the door into our apartment. Thoroughly frustrated, and, both of us being on the small and slender size, completely exhausted by our efforts, we sadly began to contemplate how to repack it and send it back.

"I don't think you're going to be able to get that through there" said a man who had come upon us unseen from behind.

"That's quite an astute observation, Captain Obvious" retorted my clearly irritated mate, which I still thought was rather rude as we had never met the man before. If he took offense though, he didn't show it.

"Not unless you take off the door, and maybe even part of the door frame as well. Then it just might fit through" he continued. "My name's Jack by the way, and we're somewhat neighbors as I live down the hall, around the corner" he added, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Jack" I responded with a bit of a smile of my own. "I'm Kellyanne, but most everyone just calls me Kelly or Kel. And the grumpy one over there is my partner, Susan" I added. "But we've really been struggling with this for what seems like forever, and we've just about decided that it's impossible. Do you really think it could be done?"

"I'd be more than happy to give it a go, if you'd like me to try" he offered without a hint of hesitation.

"That would really be fantastic, Jack. Wouldn't it, Sue?" who only offered back a tired shrug. "But that may be far too much to ask. We've only just met."

"Not at all. What are neighbors for. Give me a few minutes to get some tools and I'll be right back." And he hustled back down the hallway.

True to his word he was soon back with a tool box, and over the next hour he took down our front door and its entire frame. Then, with our help, squeezed the loveseat through the space, placing where we wanted it, in the middle of our living room, and finally returning to put the frame and our door back in its place, as if it had never been down.

"I can't believe we got that done, and got it in. "I enthused when he was finished. "You got it done, Jack. We can't thank you enough, can we, Sue"

My partner had been very quiet throughout, which was strange for her, but finally spoke up.

"Yes. Indeed. Thank you... Jack."

"Well, it would have been a real shame to not get in that beautiful piece of furniture" he added, actually seeming to blush a bit. "It goes perfectly in here."

"Yes, we absolutely thought it would, and I know we would have been heartbroken if we had to send it back" I concurred. A thought suddenly occurred to me, that seemed so right. "Listen Jack, a simple thank you doesn't seem enough for what you've done for us today, and that, and to celebrate our first meeting as neighbors, how about you come over as our guest for dinner tonight."

Susan shot me an annoyed glance, which I ignored, and thankfully Jack hadn't seemed to notice.

"That's really not necessary" he responded earnestly, "It would really be a lot of work for you on such short notice."

"Nowhere near as much as you did for us today on no notice at all. And we'd really love to have you, neighbors and all." I cajoled.

"Well then, how can I refuse. I'd be delighted. But only if you let me bring the wine."

"You're on. Excellent. Let's say about seven then."

"I'll be here. Thank you, Kelly," He grinned widely, "and Susan" he made sure to add, and he then took his leave.

Susan was none too pleased with the invitation, which she made quite evident after he left, complaining about having an almost total stranger to dinner after a brief first meeting. I knew this wasn't the real reason, but I chose to ignore that. "Well, he's not a total stranger, and he's just helped us out of a real jam. And he's a neighbor, and it's about time we started to get to know some of them. We've hardly interacted with anyone since we moved in."

She had no good argument against any of this, and with a weary but acquiescent nod she agreed to help me prepare for our dinner get together with our newly met neighbor. I am only a little bit more than a passable cook, although leagues above Sue. So, she set about straightening up our place, to make it reasonably presentable, as we both worked full time and generally hated housework, so it was most frequently in a state of disarray. I made a simple dish of cod baked with white wine, fresh tomato, and thyme. And sauteed some fresh spinach with a touch of garlic.

Jack arrived promptly at seven bearing two primo bottles of wine, an Italian red Barolo, and a vintage white French Bordeaux. He also brought a chilled bottle of champagne to celebrate, he said, the newest addition to our home, our loveseat. We popped and imbibed that one first, which helped ease some of the early awkwardness. Jack was a very good looking guy, with a fit appearing physique, if one was inclined to be drawn in that direction, which of course neither Sue or I were. But he also exuded a good natured confidence and, for lack of a better word, likeability. And as we came to know him better, a real sense that he was someone who could be counted upon.

The two bottles of wine during dinner helped us loosen up even more in our light, get to know you conversation. Jack, it was revealed, was an essayist and columnist, who wrote for several prominent print and online publications. I offered in return, when he made sure to ask, that I was a grammar school teacher, and I then volunteered the information for Sue, that she was an instructor in psychology at the local university, currently working towards her PhD.

Despite the enjoyable and convivial time we seemed to be having, Susan remained mostly quiet and reserved, noticeably keeping herself at arms length. It wasn't that she was a man-hater, or even that she disliked men. It was just that she always had the suspicion and belief, that outside of any professional or work connection, the only interest that men ever had in her was for a potential sexual aspect, romantic or otherwise, for which she would never have any reciprocal desire. So, she always maintained a protective shield for herself around men. She is by far the more attractive one of the two of us, a true beauty when she wants to be, but she usually affects an austere, sometimes even stern appearance for the outside world, saving her soft and alluringly lovely side for me alone.

I am more of a plain Jane, although I hope not unappealing, but I make up for it by being naturally outgoing and vivacious, and it is this that drew Sue to me, as I am always able to break through her shell, which she greatly appreciates from me. But as this evening wore on, and Jack and I engaged in increasingly enjoyable banter, and even revealing conversation, Susan remained wary, and began dropping some not so subtle hints, so that it would be very clear, that she and I were exclusively Lez, and strictly monogamous. It soon became apparent though that none of that mattered to Jack. His only interest was in becoming friends, and by the end of the night, and in the many days to come, we did so, even including to some extent, Sue. Very good friends.

It was not that we saw or got together every day. Sometimes a week or more would go by without us having any contact. But he might call us out of the blue to ask if we wanted to try out for dinner the new Thai restaurant which had just opened in the neighborhood. Or he might suggest that we all go to a movie together, and he convinced us one Saturday afternoon to go to a summer performance of Shakespeare in the Park. Sue was initially hesitant to do these things with him, but I was usually able to convince her that it was good for us to get out, which we hardly otherwise ever did, and she came to admit that they actually ended up being fun times. And when he was able to procure three, almost impossible to get, Paul McCartney concert tickets, after she had once let slip that she was a huge Beatles fan, she no longer offered much resistance to our outings or times together.

But as our friendship with him grew, I began to observe her often watch him, unobtrusively, but intently. I don't think he was ever even aware, but I knew her too well for it to be hidden from me. It was as if she was trying to figure him out, that he was in some important way a mystery to her. I just wrote it off that it was the psychologist in her, trying to understand for herself what she thought he was all about. To me, it was simple. He was a great guy, who had become a truly great friend, and we continued, the three of us, to have good times together.

And then the accident happened that led us all in a different way.

It was an especially nice day out, and Sue decided to walk the somewhat longish distance from work to home. Crossing one of the busy one-way streets, she was very careful to be sure that none of the traffic was coming towards her. She neglected, though, to look the other way as she crossed the bicycle lane, and was run into at full speed by a bicyclist, and was thrown a goodly distance before hitting the very hard ground. Very fortunately she didn't hit her head, but did suffer severe fractures of both her upper and lower right leg, as well as a fracture of her pelvis.

She was hospitalized of course, and placed in a long leg cast, which would have to remain on for at least eight weeks, during most of which time she would essentially be in a bed to chair existence, requiring a great deal of help transferring between the two. And with all the other activities of daily living. It was clear that she was going to need someone available to her, 24/7. I had just started a new school year at my dream school, and was on probationary status, and it would be a real setback to my job to have to take the necessary time off on medical care leave. Our health insurance would only pay for an inpatient rehab stay for the required amount of time, which neither of us wanted for her, but would not cover full daytime outpatient home care, which we couldn't afford on our own. We were in a very depressed quandary, with me arguing that I would take the leave from work to care for her, and she refusing to allow me to do so, saying she would rather stay in a rehab facility than have me jeopardize my career.

It was Jack who made the offer that changed it all. He essentially worked full time from home, and he could write from his computer just as easily from our apartment during the day as he could from his own. And he would then be around for all of the needs that Sue would have until I got home each evening. We were both very reluctant to accept this at first. It just seemed far too much to ask of anyone. But Jack was adamant. What good were friends, he stated firmly, if they weren't there for you when you needed them the most. And we certainly had a great need then. He also informed us that he had some experience in the area, having worked as an orderly in a nursing home as a summer job during his years of college. I had to leave the decision up to Sue, as she would be the one spending all that time with him, in what she would certainly feel was in such a compromising way. But she didn't want me to leave my job, and she dreaded the idea of two months in a rehab hospital, so she finally agreed, and tried her best to appear grateful when we accepted Jack's offer.

I don't think anyone could have been more unsettled by the situation when she came home, than Sue and I were as it began. But Jack's quiet confidence and can-do, no-nonsense attitude quickly won us over. Because of the pain of her pelvic fracture and with her full leg cast, she was essentially bed bound for the first two weeks, and needed total care. I took care of most of her personal needs when I came home at night, like her daily sponge baths and changing her clothes. But bedpan usage during the day couldn't be avoided, and shifting her to prevent bedsores, and making sure that she received all of her necessary meds and meals, fell to Jack in the daytime, and he handled it all with alacrity as if he were a true professional. I would make her breakfast in the morning, but he would make and serve her lunch, and then dinner for us all, which I insisted he eat with us at Sue's bedside before he would leave for the night.

Without being asked, he began doing many other things around the apartment, straightening up, vacuuming, cleaning and putting away dishes, even, shockingly, doing our laundry several times a week. When I sheepishly lamented that he was doing far too much for us, he laughed and said that he had more than enough time on his hands, and that I already had more than enough on my plate. And he claimed that he always enjoyed doing house chores, as they helped him to focus and compose his essays in his mind as he worked. I was very skeptical of this explanation, but when I mentioned it to Sue, she only nodded somewhat knowingly, saying there was probably some truth to it.

Jack also transported her to all her follow-up medical appointments, and after two weeks she was able, with his assistance, to be transferred from bed to chair, where she was then able to spend much of the day. He always helped her back to bed before leaving for the night. After five weeks she was allowed to begin to weight bear, and was placed in a walking cast, so she could begin to get around carefully with a walker. She started physical therapy at home, and Jack made sure that she did her exercises in-between the formal three times a week sessions. As she became more independent, he was able to spend more time in his own home, catching up, I was sure, with his own necessities. But as he assured us both, he was always just a cell phone call or text away.

When at eight weeks the time came for her cast to finally be removed, I wanted to be the one to take her, so a late afternoon appointment was made so we could go after my workday. But at noontime that day she called me to tell me that the doctor had a late day emergency operation, and that her appointment had been moved up to 1 PM. I had my end of term evaluation with my principal at that same time, and I fretted having to postpone it at the last moment.

"Don't do that, my Love. I'll get Jack to take me."

"Oh Sue, we can't keep imposing on him like this."

"I don't think Jack ever minds being imposed upon" she replied.

"Don't be ridiculous, nobody likes that."

"I wouldn't be so sure" she answered. "Let me give him a call and ask, and I'll get right back to you."

Not five minutes later she called back to say that Jack was only too happy to take her. Disappointed that I couldn't be the one to take her for this special occasion, I told her that I would be joyously awaiting her at home to celebrate the resumption of her cast free existence.

My school evaluation went well, but my nerves were frayed, worrying that everything might not have gone well at her appointment. After pacing anxiously for a good half hour after arriving home, our front door opened and Sue walked in unaided without any cast or appliance, with Jack trailing behind carrying her folded up walker. I squealed and rushed forward to envelop her in my arms, smothering her face with kisses. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jack beaming in the background. If Sue was in any way flustered by my outburst of affection in front of an audience, she didn't show it, but instead brought her lips to mine for a prolonged, passionate, and toe curling kiss. And it was me who then became slightly embarrassed that we weren't alone. But another quick glance saw Jack still smiling broadly, and I allowed myself to melt even further into my lover's embrace.

Our lips finally parted and I led her over to our loveseat. I was hungry for information. She sat on one end and I sat on the other facing her. Jack set himself down on the stuffed chair diagonally next to her.

"The doctor said all of my fractures have healed perfectly" she began, which I was ecstatic to hear. "My leg is very weak from lack of use though, and he doesn't want me to drive for a while. And he wants me to go to physical therapy at least three times a week for the next month or more to strengthen it."

"We certainly have lots of arrangements to make then" I replied.

"I'll make sure that she gets to all her appointments" Jack chimed in with a big smile.

"Yes. You will." Susan answered with a small smile of her own.

I frowned a bit at how forward her response had seemed, and was taken aback even more when she went on, "And I'm sure that there are many more things that you'd love to continue to do."

I saw Jack's smile begin to falter, so I rushed forward to steer things back on track.

"Jack, I want you to know, if you don't already, how much we appreciate, and are grateful for everything you've done for us during all of this, and we can't ever thank you enough."

His smile returned brightly. "It's been my pleasure, and I've been very happy to do so" he replied.

"Yes, it has been for your pleasure, and it does make you very happy, doesn't it, Jack" Susan said, re entering the conversation. "And you'd like nothing more than be able to do more, wouldn't you." She was no longer smiling.

I couldn't believe or understand what she was doing.

"I do like to help people, especially those I care for, whenever I can" he responded, his own smile almost gone, and his eyes widening as if apprehensive. I had never seen him look like this. Why?

"Oh, we both know it's a lot more than that, don't we, Jack." Her own eyes locked onto him.

"Sue... " I urgently tried to interrupt, to rescue the situation, but she ignored me. She paused for an interminable moment and then forged ahead.

"Submissive or slave, Jack?"

"Susan!!! What The Fuck!!!" I exclaimed.

She turned toward me, startled, not only by my outburst, but also by the fact that I almost never use profanity. We stared at each other in stock-still silence.

"Submissive." Jack answered softly, immediately drawing our attention back to him. "I don't think I could ever give myself up totally as a slave."

"Understood" she nodded. "But there would still have to be acceptable obedience."

"Understood" he agreed.

"What is going on here?" I practically cried out.

"Jack" she continued on to him, "It's been a while since I've worn shoes, and these are beginning to feel tight and uncomfortable. Would you be a treasure and go get my open toed slippers from my closet, while I have a private word with my mate."