Against All Odds Pt. 03

She was still looking at me, and I could feel her attraction. It was disarming. I had met Peter many times, and he was a cool motherfucker. He loved his motorcycles and was rugged-looking, with a beard and a gritty, blue-collar guy. We also shared a love of music. I never took him for an "open relationship" guy, but at that instant, I recalled some of our conversations and how many other women at that party were flirting with him. Holy shit, could this be a possibility, I thought?

I wash, blushing and aroused. "Eve, again, I'm flattered, plus you are very sexy and beautiful. What you're saying is a lot to ponder, and I'm head over heels in love with Mel, and I know she's jealous of you already."

Eve looked at me and asked, "How did that happen?"

I went on to explain the Xmas party. The one that everyone was hoping Melissa would come to. Especially Eve, as I'd shown her pictures, she was blown away by how gorgeous Mel was. At that point, I didn't need to ask if Eve was Bi. It was now apparent, and she knew instantly that her other lovers were mostly women. I told her how Mel reacted to seeing the party pictures and how I tried to explain how we were flirting. I even explained you had a boyfriend, but Mel was convinced you wanted to fuck me.

"Well, she was right about that," Eve laughed. Girls know, she thought.

We both chuckled, and I blushed some more. We vowed secrecy, given we were in HR "no-no" territory. We were good friends and morphed the conversation into some stories about Pete and her. They played together a lot. She called it the lifestyle. She explained FFM, FMFM, MFM, and MMF. They had other solo lovers infrequently and had an unbreakable understanding of total honesty. The whole dynamic was both terrifying and exciting to me. I even told Eve about my Mexico FFM and how Mel freaked out. She started to laugh at me. We had entered a strange intimacy talking about our sex lives.

"That was your first time?" she asked.

"Yes, and I was high and horny. Seeing those two naked going at it like that ....."

Eve interrupted and finished my sentence, "...made your head explode, right?"

"YES! Exactly. I wanted both of them and when the Swedish girl was ass up going down on Mel, I just had to fuck her!" I implored.

"Did you ask Mel for permission?" Eve asked with a knowing smile.

"Oh shit, no, I didn't," I gasped.

She then let me know some secrets. Such as "the girls make the rules." She explained that men are straightforward and will get primal quickly, wanting to fuck everything in sight. Girls, even if they are Bi, are selective and need to be connected with their love partner. If you had controlled your urges and stayed connected to Mel that night and let her be selective, it would have worked out differently, she explained. Knowing each other's thresholds, your do's and don'ts, is part of the communication process. Peter is a master at this and can bottle his passion to appear indifferent in the moment. "Which drives girls crazy," she said.

"And you are okay with Peter fucking other woman?" I asked.

Eve looked at me and said, "Well... yes and no. I love watching him give pleasure; it's hot." She paused and continued, "Sexual passion is one thing, but love is another. We have toyed with Polyamory but have found reserving our love for just each other is the magic sauce. We're not twenty anymore, and both know this could overwhelm us. So, we stay grounded with just 'us' at the center. We explicitly trust either of us can say 'time out' at any time and shift into a loving and monogamous relationship."

"And he is cool with you fucking other men?"

She smiled and blushed. "Peter loves it when I'm the center of attention, either with a man or another woman." She told me. "He's also into the Hot Wife dynamic at times. She had to explain Hot Wife, Cuckhold, and finally, Stag and Vixen to me. "This is one of those Hot Wife fantasies," Eve admitted.

"What! How's that the case?" I asked.

"At the party, when we were drunk and dancing together, I could feel you get hard, and your big cock made me hot. I told Peter about it later. It got him hot, too.

"What are you talking about, big? I'm frightfully average," I replied. "How could you tell from that?"

"Well, you do remember Patricia from a couple of years ago? Girls talk, you know. Also, when we were dancing, I drunk grabbed your dick Dave, and I can tell you, you are thicker and bigger than most men I've been with," she claimed. "My imagination has you in that big, not too big, sweet spot," she added. "But it's not just that, Dave. You are a handsome man on many levels. The sexual part about you has been a growing fantasy for me, but it's also your eyes, the way you carry yourself, and you exude sensual confidence that makes me hot." She paused and smiled, adding, "I'd like to be with you and share an intimate experience. As a celebration of sorts for the project we just completed." She looked gorgeous as she said this. So honest. So open. So, flattering.

I was blushing a deep red and not believing any of this. Yet it was making me hot, and Eve could tell. I explained my 'bro code,' my love for Mel, and the fact that I was confident she would not be good with this. I was proud that I desired no other woman when I was with Melissa. It had been almost two years for us, and even though I had had some concerns lately, I was still hopelessly in love with her.

She asked me some questions about my concerns. I confided with her that I believed Melissa was getting her bi-fix with the girls we partied with at the Loft. Also, at times she was moody or came home over the top horny and attacked me. Or that she was constantly texting with her friend Cathy at weird times of the day and that, lately, she would be off the map when I was away.

"How do you feel about her sleeping with your Loft Lesbians?" she asked.

I laughed at that term and told her I was okay to a point but upset that she was not being honest with me. I didn't want Mel to deny her sexuality.

"You mean she hasn't told you she's being intimate with them?" she queried.

I took a slow pull on my beer and was thoughtful. "No, we haven't discussed it at all. It's obvious to me when we are partying with them. I get these weird vibes, but JJ, their de facto leader, always makes me feel great about the two of us. She tells me how she watches out for Mel when I'm not there, how fun Melissa is, and that everyone loves her."

She ordered us another round, looked at me with a serious but compassionate look, and said, "Dave, if she is being intimate with them and has not been open or told you, that's cheating on you!" She continued, "You may want to discuss this. And why is she with them all the time anyway?" she added.

I pondered this and decided to trust Eve. "JJ is not only our landlord. She's a coke dealer as well." I paused as Eve took this in. She knew of my past struggles when my drinking got out of control. She also knew I liked to party. I had a reputation in our circle, but most of it had become benefits for our company. Wining and dining clients led to business.

"How much coke do you two do?" she asked.

That was a direct question, so I answered honestly, "Quite a bit, but always in the context of when we are out partying. It makes both of us horny, and we end up having these epic all-night sex sessions." I was pretty blown away I was telling her all of this. I continued with, "I have concerns. I do. And I also think Mel is hiding her habit from me." I went on to describe our dynamic and the patterns we had. She then confided she had seen this in my work, especially in the last little while. It was more about my usual sharpness and passion being muted to her. Only someone close to me would notice.

"Look, Dave, you're a smart guy, and I know you will know when you need to do something. Coke is a fun drug, but it's also cunning." She paused and asked, "You are doing all this to make her happy, aren't you?"

Another direct question. "Yes and no. I have a history of getting out of control with using, and Mel's only twenty-three Eve. I am paranoid that she will find someone else if I let the party stop."

She sat for a moment in thought. I asked a couple more questions about Melissa and her recent behavior. She even delved into asking me about our sex life. We were good friends and had been through a lot together at work. My secrecy is promised again.

In Eve's mind, she was worried. She had been twenty-three at one time and had gotten lost in drugs. She was heavily into the Rave culture at that age. Coke was also a party favourite with her clubbing friends. This is how she met Peter. She hoped Dave would adjust his behavior. He was very career-driven and had all the classic traits of an overachiever. As to Melissa, she knew Dave adored her, but some of the things Dave mentioned sent warning bells off in her head. At the very least, Dave needed to confront the elephant in the room and deepen the honesty and communication. There was no doubt they loved each other, but Eve could sense secrets in how Dave described her behaviors. She was worried for him. She had decided then that as much as she wanted to be with him, it couldn't happen now. As a friend, she needed to get him to talk with Melissa.

She used the moment. "Do you think Melissa would be okay with us hooking up?" Would she like the idea of an open relationship?" She asked me, "Do you want to speak to Peter?"

My head had exploded with that option. I could tell Eve was not expecting anything that night. She had put things on the table. We enjoyed a real open and honest discussion. It was electrifying. "I might want to do that." I had questions that only Peter could answer. At first blush, I was not really into an open relationship. Being kinky together might be one thing, but the thought of being with another woman, no matter how hot they were, made me feel shitty, even if Mel was okay with it. The idea of Melissa being with another Man was my worst nightmare. It was a nightmare for me on a spiritual level, where I suspected I had some self-esteem problems, but also on a practical level. The thought of her being intimate with the girls was bad enough, but a solo man? I also knew I was powerless in all of this. I loved Mel so much; her happiness was paramount, and that adage jumped into my head: if you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If not, it was never meant to be.

We were both a little tipsy and needed to get to bed, so I walked her to her room. She looked at me and gave me a big hug. I was tempted to kiss her, and I knew she was open to that but respected that I needed to think about all of this. I said my good night and went back to my room. I checked my phone to see if Mel had texted me much earlier. I was surprised I had nothing. I did the "Spock" thing with my eyebrow and realized I was exhausted. Even though I had a million thoughts running through my head, I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.

The first day of the trade show was beyond our wildest expectations. Everything was a total hit. We did a press event in the morning, unveiling the new product line, and every media piece went live. By noon, the web traffic was almost reaching critical levels. We thanked our stars; Eve had fought and won the expense to move everything to a more extensive, more expensive hosting service. Sales were immediate, and my entire team was booked until the show's end. All of my meetings were on Thursday and Friday. I had a dinner meeting with a client Thursday night, and they liked to party, and we did ever. Luckily, I got Melissa on the phone and shared the success before dinner. I was drunk already. So happy to hear her voice. She was proud of me. I was beaming.

We went out with the client for dinner and then to their hosted party. Eve was with me and some of both our teams. That night, we got out of control. It was at a studio. The parking lot was a stage, and everyone was there. The bar was open, and they had around twenty drop-dead gorgeous girls serving food and drink. Everyone was far gone by eleven PM. It was then that we realized the servers were strippers. I can't tell you some of the things that happened. At first, when three of them got on stage and started throwing their clothes into the audience, everything got quiet. We were with females in our industry, which was terrible. Then, a well-known Female CEO who was trashed jumped on stage and put a twenty in one of the girl's G-strings. She tore her shirt off and threw that into the audience. The party erupted. After that, it was pure bedlam until the booze ran out.

By Friday morning, we were oversold from the first production runs and had to start an allocation process. Friday night, it was our party, and I got wasted. We all did. I don't remember much, but at one point, Eve had to extract me and get me to my room. I was drunk talking the whole time.

"Eve, you rock, but I can't have sex with you. I want to have sex with you. But only after I get to talk to Peter. Oh, wait. I can't have sex with you. I want to, but I have to talk to Melissa first." I was almost at a blackout stage and said to Eve, "Are we going to have sex tonight?" She was trashed, too.

Eve had never been so happy. The entire show and everything they worked on had been a success. Katy, her boss, was over the moon and told her a promotion was coming. Katy also asked her to keep an eye on Dave. She was now desperate to get him to move over to their team. They would groom him for a more significant role, and the executive team was ecstatic about the results. There were detractors among them, and Katy had been the defender of Dave's vision and Eve's work. Dave was a known party hound, but now it was getting serious.

The Thursday party had now gone down into infamy. So many in the industry were there that everyone was guilty, so no moral outcry gained momentum. It would simply go down as one of the most infamous industry parties ever, and what happened there stayed there. Friday, they all got trashed. Dave was the life of the party. They all deserved it, and the company happily paid the bill. She shamelessly flirted with him, and he flirted back but never crossed the line. She didn't either. She was still worried on a bunch of levels. Getting to fuck Dave was going to have to wait. Peter was a bit disappointed but was looking forward to speaking to him.

Right now, she needs to get him to bed. It was three AM, and Dave had a breakfast meeting with one of our largest clients.

"You're so fucking cool, Eve," Dave slurred. "I talked to Mel today but forgot to ask her permission to sleep with you." He was a pretty big guy and holding him upright was difficult for Eve. "Wait, I can't have sex with you, Eve; I'm in love with Mel!" He woke up and then declared, "I bet she's fucking those loft lesbians right now! Fuck her. It's kinda hot though, don't you think? Loft Lesbians! Fuck them. Hey, Eve, are gay women good at giving head?" he slurred. I got him to his room and into bed. Eve set his alarm and plugged in his phone.

In the morning, she went back and started pounding on his door. Katy and Dave's boss were included in the morning meeting, and Dave had not shown up for the pre-brief. She had a key, so she went in. Dave was still drunk. Fuck she thought. She got him out of bed, then stripped off his clothes and got home in the shower. He had an emerging Dad body but was still built like a linebacker. He had morning wood, and it was just like she had imagined. Thick, longer than she thought and probably the most gorgeous cock she had ever seen. The shower woke him up, and he realized the importance and was now frantic not to fuck up. She had two coffees ready when he got out of the shower, his suit laid out, and she helped him get dressed. He was modest now, blushing, and embarrassed by his nakedness. She made him drink the entire small bottle of mouthwash and made him down both coffees.

They got downstairs, and his boss was shaking his head a bit. Katy was pleased Eve had saved the day. This was Dave's meeting, and he was the pitchman. Eve told him before he left for the meeting.

"You rock, don't ever forget that." He smiled at her. He was still drunk, but not too bad. At least, that is what he thought. "Oh and do the buffet and immediately eat a Bagel with Lochs, Cream Cheese and Onion," she added.

He looked at her and cringed; just the thought of eating made him nauseous. "Why would I do that?" I implored.

"It will kill all the smell of beer and tequila coming off you. Your cologne is not masking it completely." Eve said.

She passed me off the two VPs. Katy looked a bit annoyed, but my boss was still chuckling. We made it to the meeting on time. It was just one hotel over. We had a private room at the restaurant, but most opted for the buffet. I did precisely what Eve told me to do and discovered it was a magic hangover cure. The combination of smoked salmon, onions, cream cheese and black coffee nullified the booze smell. My hangover was ebbing, but I had got my footing. It made me slower, and that was a blessing. My pitch was always better when I slowed down. For anyone who watched me, it still looked quick, but for me, it was slow.

I had done the pitch so many times that I was on autopilot, and these clients were my friends. The CEO was a shrewd businessman; I could tell he was annoyed. I was hungover. If it was Friday, everyone had the excuse of the Thursday night blowout orgy at the studio. His annoyance makes his questions get complicated. He was pushing me to trip up. I could tell. He wanted me to crack. I had won this account with years of patience, and he was the last holdout as they were slow to be loyal.

I survived every onslaught of questioning. Then, it all changed. The CEO just smiled and said to all of us. "Okay, we're in. We want a year of allocation and all your marketing material to duplicate the story buzzing on the show floor." My contact at the account just smiled at me. It was then that I realized we had them before the meeting started, and the CEO was doing what made him successful. I had survived my last pitch, and everyone was happy.

We finished breakfast and said our goodbyes. After they left, Katy and my Boss huddled for a minute. Katy told me, "You were brilliant young man, but you were also still drunk." Let's try and not let that happen again." She then walked off. She was an imposing boss lady. Stuart, my boss, was still chuckling and shaking his head. He said, "Well, you almost fucked that one up, didn't you?"

I got pale as a ghost. Stuart saw that I had the same thought. He walked me back to our hotel and took me to the bar. Stuart ordered two coffees and a shot of Whiskey. He poured the shot into my coffee.

"Drink that," he told me.

I was dubious, and the salmon was trying to swim upstream back to the buffet. I took a slow, tentative sip. After three or four, the hair of the dog started to work. "Thank you, I said," as color returned to my face.

Stuart eyed me, still chuckling, and said, "...any other time, and if any other one of my reports walked into a meeting with that CEO still shit-faced from the night before, I would fire them on the spot." He was still chuckling. He continued, "But you completely knocked that meeting out of the park. I've never seen anyone not wither under one of Burt's famous attacks when he's annoyed. If he had any doubts about you or us, they're gone now."

I smiled feebly and admitted, "Stu, I should never have been in that position. I know better. There is just a lot going on ...." He held up his hand and smiled.

"Look, you also hit a home run on the product release. We knew the new stuff was fantastic engineering, but without that story, it would have taken a while to get legs under it." He paused, "You know Katy wants you on her team?"