Bachelor Behavior - Pt. 03

"I don't need a week. She chose the money, so... it is what it is."

"Actually, she didn't." Gloria walked back around the table and opened her portfolio, then pulled out the certified check for three million dollars -- it was torn neatly in half. I picked up the pieces, feeling a tightness in my chest, and turned them over. On the back, in neat script, Merci had written, I'm sorry, Kai.

~ ~ ~

The conversation with Savannah wasn't nearly as combative as I expected, which kinda made it worse. I don't really want to relive the details, but I expected her to have some choice words... maybe throw something. In other words, I expected to see the competitive fire that had driven her to overstep.

In truth, she didn't seem surprised, so she had probably watched my lunch conversation. We talked for about ten minutes, then said our goodbyes; she left with a little wave, a sad smile, and a warning. "Be careful of them -- they're both sharks."

~ ~ ~

I ate dinner with Stephanie, too upset for a date with one of the girls. I couldn't have told you what had me more on edge, Savannah leaving or her parting shot.

Steph talked with me about the day. It was cathartic in a way, and also a good approach to catching up viewers quickly. She made it easy, so I went along. By the end of the meal I was feeling a bit better. It must have been obvious, because it wasn't thirty seconds after I started clearing the table that the door opened.

Kat sauntered in, her expression saucy, but her overall manner was toned down from what I thought of as her usual approach. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she was dressed in a white tank and satiny pink shorts that left the entirety of her long legs bare.

I had time for a quick hug and a rather chaste kiss before Amy rushed in, which was just long enough to account for the thirty second delay on the live stream and time to get down the hall from her room. Like Kat, who settled on the couch when Amy rushed in, she was sporting a ponytail and dressed casually -- flannel pants and a tee -- but it was the wire rimmed glasses that caused me to pause at the just slightly nerdy, utterly sexy look. I shot her a grin and she blushed, so I stepped over to pull her into a hug.

"Can I help?" she asked, gesturing toward the kitchen.

Since I'm not particularly fond of cleaning, dishes or otherwise, we were soon tidying up while Kat surfed Netflix; Stephanie excused herself not long after.

Just as we finished the dishes, Mandy arrived with her fuzzy slippers and two bags of popcorn. She flashed me a smile on her way to the couch, more intent on helping choose a movie than any sort of domestic activity.

While my couch potatoes were discussing the merits of different film genres, I chatted with Amy.

We had such different upbringings, but the conversation with her was always easy and always fun, since she was constantly shooting me little looks or dropping a line. It's why I had dubbed her Sassy during the meet and greet, and I was finding that it fit her even more than I had known. She was feeling lively, carrying the conversation, which was a relief, because I was having a hard time following the thread. It had only been half a day since our shower together and I kept picturing her nude in front of me, although I was honestly trying to stay in the moment.

As I've said, my expressions are pretty easy to read, and she soon clued in that my mind was elsewhere, probably because of the way I was staring at her. She scrunched up her nose and stared back for a moment, then moved close, wrapping her arms around me. "Thinking about earlier?"

"Can't help it," I answered, pulling her a little closer.

"I watched what they showed and you were right -- it's too soon. Thank you for stopping me before anything else happened."

"Wasn't easy," I complained.

"Good," she chirped, looking up at me with her version of a smirk, which included sucking on her top lip. "Let's go join the others or I'm going to get revved up again."

Surprisingly, she led me to the couch and situated me between Kat and Mandy, then sat on the lone chair, but not before she turned it a bit so that it was facing me more than the television. I thought it strange and gave her a look, but she just winked at me.

Turns out Kat was intent on a French film, an erotic thriller with (I guess) hilariously bad subtitles. There were several times when both she and Amy laughed aloud at what was written -- and specifically how poor the translation had been done -- while Mandy and I watched cluelessly. I enjoyed myself anyway, because within ten minutes I had a beautiful Romanian girl leaned against one side and a hip rocker chick on the other; it was my lovely Canadian, however, that was pushing boundaries.

Without appearing to do so, she made sure I always had a view of her most intimate parts, often rearranging her shorts just enough to let me see her bare mound and lips, uncovered as they were by anything so boring as panties. Kat picked up on Amy's game about halfway through the movie and started massaging the outside of my thigh. Red didn't figure it out until the movie's climax arrived when her hand bumped into Kat's somewhere between my legs.

When Kat brazenly grabbed me through my shorts, Amy gave up any pretense of innocence and slid her hand into her own bottoms, making sure that I could see her tracing circles around her clit. In an uncharacteristically bold move from the youngest of the three ladies, Mandy grabbed my wrist and pulled it between her own legs, where I was shocked to discover that she had somehow lost her pants.

All four of us sat there within half a dozen feet of each other, the sexuality mounting rapidly, and yet it didn't feel awkward to me. It was intimate. It was erotic. It was even more intense than the day's previous interactions.

Kat reached up through the leg of my shorts, grabbing my bare penis, but I stopped her. She growled like she had earlier, but I held firm to her wrist. She gave me a fiery look, then a pleading one, but I shook my head. She might have said something, but that was the moment that Amy tripped over the edge, the whoosh of a rapid exhale causing both Kat and I to look her way. Shaking, Sassy emitted a low grunt and slid off the chair to the floor, where she finally stopped stimulating herself.

"Oh, God," Mandy groaned aloud as I pushed her into orgasm as well, having unintentionally increased the pressure on her clit when Amy started cumming. She held tight to my arm, bouncing up and down lightly, until she finally pushed my hand away. "Holy shit."

I quirked an eyebrow at her and she blushed, then got feisty and stood up on the couch so she could look down at me. She shot a look at Kat, then grabbed both of my ears. Red kissed me fiercely, pushing my head back while she aggressively licked and sucked on my lips and tongue. I know I moaned.

Then I moaned again when Kat did something very naughty that I couldn't see. I tried to lift my head up, but Mandy had the leverage, and short of actually tossing her off, there wasn't much I could do. And besides, whatever was happening down below was nothing short of life altering, a sharp pleasure-pain feeling on the head of my cock mixed with firm pressure and a slight up and down motion on the shaft. I tried to say something -- a warning, or maybe an admonishment -- but Mandy pushed her tongue completely into my mouth and my senses shut off entirely. It was only a moment later that I came, screaming into her wicked mouth.

My throat was hoarse and my lips swollen as Red finally let me up, a look of triumph written across her features as she separated from me and picked up the remote on her way to the chair. I took in the rest of the room and found that Amy was sitting on my right while Kat was more or less where I had last seen her on my left.

"What..." I had planned to say something, but I was still overwhelmed by the experience and trying to catch up, so nothing further actually came out. Kat stood and leaned over me, shooting me a playful smile, then leaned in for a deep, sensual kiss. The taste was different than our previous kisses and I moaned into her mouth, it somehow being hotter to know what she had been doing.

"Good night, Kai." Then she was sauntering to the door.

"Unbelievable." It was the only thing that came to mind as I watched her go.

A hand took hold of my chin and suddenly I was staring into Amy's soft brown eyes. We looked at one another for a moment and the affection in her expression made me feel warm inside, from my chest down to my stomach. I smiled, which is what she must have been waiting for, and she kissed me. A deep, sensuous kiss that left my head reeling, because she and Kat tasted the same.

Day 5

I was up at normal time, despite not having slept well. I'd sent Mandy back to her apartment with a swat to her rear around Midnight, determined to get some rest. It hadn't come easily, and when it finally did, it was a skittish thing, frightened away at the slightest noise. Consequently, I had absolutely no desire to get up and work out, but Wednesday is Leg Day, and if there had been a third rule of Fight Club, it would have been, We do not skip leg day.

So I turned on the electric kettle and got dressed.

Then I poured the hot water and washed up.

And when I came back to sip on my tea, a beautiful brunette had beat me to it.

"Hi, Amy."

"Good morning, Kai." She was dressed in regular yoga pants and a tight tank top, the kind of thing women wear when they actually want to work out, starkly different than the spanks and sports bra she'd worn the day before. "This is good," she continued, gesturing to me with the cup, which I gently removed from her hands, despite her pout. I promptly returned it after a sip.

"I see you found the sugar."

"It was too strong," she replied casually. I let out a tortured sigh while she looked up at me, smirk firmly fixed in place.

"Listen, Amy, we need to talk." Her expression immediately dropped and she set the cup down with a thud, fortunate not to have cracked the ceramic.

"I'm sorry, Kai, I was just trying to tease you. I'll make you another cup right now." She was already off the stool and hurrying around the bar.

"Slow down," I said, pulling her gently to my side to stop her progress. "I didn't mean you're in trouble for the tea, but we do have some serious stuff to discuss. Have a seat. Please."

Looking very uncertain, she made her way back to her seat while I busied myself with another tea. Having a little something to do with my hands made broaching the subject a tad easier, but I wasn't looking forward to the conversation -- it's what had fought off sleep on my behalf for most of the night. "I think Kat and I have such different backgrounds that she wouldn't fully understand what I want to say, and Mandy's a bit shy, which would make it awkward, so I was going to come find you this morning anyway. I figure you're kind of the unofficial spokeswoman and can talk it over with them later." I paused for a moment. "Actually, they're probably watching the feed right now."

She raised her shoulder in a half shrug, but didn't contradict anything I'd said.

Deep breath in, hold for ten, deep breath out. "A couple days ago, when you kissed me... it was my first real kiss."

Amy's eyes narrowed, like she was having trouble believing what I'd said. "Wait... like, ever?" I nodded self-consciously and looked right into her eyes, in spite of my discomfort, hoping she's see the earnestness. Her eyes slowly widened and a hand came up to her mouth. "So yesterday was..."

"A lot. Really, really a lot."

"Oh, my God, Kai, I am so sorry." She rushed around the bar again, even faster than before, practically throwing herself at me. "I can't believe we did that to you," she said, hugging me tightly. She pushed back so she could look up at me. "That's why you wanted to take it slow -- so your first time would be special."

I rolled my eyes a bit, then looked back at her. "Yes and no. The bigger problem is that I don't know how to be involved with one woman, let alone three."

"Don't you mean four?"

"But Savannah's gone."

Now Amy's face took on an exasperated expression. "I'm talking about Merci, Kai. Remember her? The pretty blonde with the huge boobs and sexy accent."

"Be nice, please. I don't even know what's going to happen. We're going to talk and then see what makes sense."

"Exactly." She said the word like it proved everything, but I just stared down at her helplessly. Amy looked away and folded her arms, then let out a frustrated breath. "It's obvious you like her. I mean, you named her Delicious. So we wanted to... you know..."

I had finally started to figure it out, but I wanted to hear what she'd say. "What do I know?"

She looked embarrassed for a moment, then upset. When she spoke, it wasn't much above a whisper. "We wanted to remind you that we can be delicious, too."

Gut punched. That's how I felt.

Dropping to a knee, I pulled her back close to me. "I'm sorry, Amy. I wasn't trying to hurt any of you."

"We know, Kai. That's what makes it hard. What if we miss our chance with you because she comes back and we never showed you how we felt?" She stared at me with watery eyes from a foot away; I was barely breathing. "What if I never took my shot?"

"So that's why you..." I gestured lamely to her lower half, thinking about her performance in the shower, and she snapped out a sharp laugh in surprise, then shook her head, but at least she was smiling again.

"It's about living a dream, even if just for a moment, with the perfect guy." Now I laughed at the absurdity of her statement. Apparently, it hadn't been a joke, because she balled up her fist and punched me in the shoulder -- not hard, mind you, but enough to demonstrate that she was serious. "Fuck you, Kai. You're everything that I've dreamed of since I was a girl. You don't get to play it off like some game."

Like her, I turned serious. "You don't even know me, Amy."

"Bullshit," she spit out, her eyes bright and nostrils flaring. "You're kind, and sweet, and quirky, which I absolutely adore. You're dark, handsome, built like a fucking ox, and every time I'm near you I feel like I'm either going to faint or throw-up. I want you to hold me, and kiss me, and fuck me til I can't stand. I want to tease you, and hold your hand, and cook for you -- I want to love you." As she wound down she was crying openly, only this time, instead of a sick feeling in my stomach, a warm sensation was spreading through my whole body, the passion behind her words giving me hope that she might really feel as she said.

"You really mean all that?" In response, she punched my shoulder again, but there was nothing behind it. Something in my expression -- that same earnestness, I guess -- broke through her tears and her lip quirked, just a little. I handed her a tissue and she cleaned herself up. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much what you said means to me."

"You don't have to," she replied, "but tell me how you feel about me." Her voice was still a bit shaky, but her shoulders were set and her poise had returned.

"I adore everything that I know about you, from your personality to your grace to your beauty... but I don't know what love is. Not yet. I'm going to do everything I can to find out, which is why we need to go slow. Yes?"

She nodded and let out a long breath. Then she stepped into my personal space, gave me a moment to pull away, and kissed me. When we'd kissed before I felt her passion, now added to it was a longing, deep in its intensity and literally breathtaking in its breadth. Without words she managed to reinforce everything she'd told me, and by the time she finally broke away, I was crying with her.

Clearing my throat and blinking away unshed tears, I pushed back to my feet. "I, uh, have no words."

Amy nodded in response, squeezed my hand, and let herself out of the apartment.

~ ~ ~

I pushed off the meeting with Merci by a day, too shook up by my discussion with Amy to do anything more than torture my legs -- after well over two hours exercising, I seriously considered crawling back to my apartment.

~ ~ ~

Mandy brought me a twenty count nugget, large fries, and a cheeky grin that brightened my day immediately. I wasn't exactly sad, but the seriousness of what I'd gotten myself into was finally starting to sink in. Fortunately, Red didn't seem to care.

Where Amy's pitch had been sincere, Mandy was fun and playful. We joked back and forth throughout the meal, and when we'd chucked the trash and moved to the couch, she settled in comfortably on my chest. She laid still for a while as I rubbed her back, enjoying the closeness.

"Why am I still here, Kai?"

"What kind of question is that?" I admonished gently.

"You didn't answer my question," she retorted with a poke to my ribs.

"The simple answer is that I like you. You're cool, and cute, and you make me happy. Does it have to be more complicated than that?"

"Yes."

We continued to lay there while I pondered the meaning of such a simple word. I'm glad to say that I didn't compare Mandy to the others for even a moment -- my focus was entirely on her... and on me.

"You think it's not enough to build a marriage around?" I finally asked.

She pulled herself tighter against me. "I don't think I'm ready to find out."

I let out a heavy sigh. "You want to leave."

Red chuckled. "Actually, I want to stay and see how things go."

That made me laugh, a big guffaw that shook her around on my chest. "And what would you do exactly?"

She pushed herself up and planted her bottom directly on my crotch, wiggling around for good measure. "I could be your spy -- tell you what they're up to."

Another laugh and I wasn't feeling nearly so glum as I had a few moments before. "Pretty sure I could just watch on the feeds."

"But you won't, which is where I could come in." She said it definitively and put her hands on her hips as if it was settled, then turned more serious. "I thought I was ready for whatever the next step is -- marriage, kids, that whole deal -- but I'm just not. The thing is, I really, really like you. I wish you would be good with dating for a while, seeing where it goes, but that's not where you're at.

"I'm not nearly as poetic as Amy, but..." She shrugged. "I think you're awesome. Maybe, if you let me stay, I can be your friend. We can talk while you figure things out."

I chuckled again. "I think that's Stephanie's job."

"Please," she retorted with an elaborate eye roll. "She's halfway to being in love with you." Pushing myself up on an elbow, I looked at her, trying to figure out if she was giving me a hard time. "I'm serious, Kai. That girl is smitten... which you'd know if you had a friend looking out for you." Her triumphant look caused me to smile, and I shook my head.

"I don't think so."

"Then ask her," she challenged, poking me in the belly. "If she says yes, I'll trade places with her right away." She grinned like she knew she'd already won the bet; I hadn't even responded yet.

"No, Red, that would just make things harder. Think about what happened when Gloria mentioned Merci. I can't imagine what it would be like to throw that particular curve ball."

She poked me again. "Ask her." Mandy's voice was back to serious. "Or you'll doubt yourself for the rest of your life. It's obvious to everyone but you how much you like her." I didn't have a response, so I flopped back on the couch. Unbidden, Stephanie materialized in my mind and Red laughed, then ground herself into my hardening penis. "See? This is why you need me."

Laying back down, she slid herself up my torso so that her head was on my shoulder, then leaned in even closer to whisper. "There is one thing, though."