Harem House - Selene Pt. 12

Arthur gestured toward the hallway. "I have to get to work fixing up the back door. Are you okay with showing them around, Mom? Or do you want me to?"

"You go and fix the door." His mom shooed him toward the kitchen. "I can walk the girls around."

Arthur nodded and gave Selene a reassuring smile. The vibrator was off, so he didn't know why she seemed so... frightened? Intimidated? But it looked like she was trying to shrink behind Kat. Still, she didn't beg him to stay or reach for him, so he headed into the kitchen and got to work.

His father had been thoughtful enough to pull out the tools and supplies he thought he might need. He was mostly right, though a few resources went unused. He wasn't sure how long it'd taken precisely, but he knew the girls should have been done touring the house a while ago, and he hadn't seen or heard from them or his parents after dropping them off in the foyer for their tour.

"So, what has Arthur told you about the place?" Debrah asked, looking between the two girls.

"Six bedrooms, an in-law suite in the basement, a pool, a master suite... and it has a home theater." Kat answered while Selene nodded in agreement.

"All accurate." Debrah laughed. "Well, kind of. The home theater is just a family room with a big tv and good seating. This is the foyer, a place for shoes by the door and up the stairs. Let's start up there." Debrah said as she started climbing the stairs, leaving the two girls to follow.

Selene and Kat followed as she showed them the house. Each of the bedrooms upstairs was spacious compared to their apartment, and there were two full baths upstairs beyond the master suite bath, which was a notch above. The downstairs had a home office, living room, dining room, kitchen, foyer, hallway, half-bath, and a family room repurposed into a home theater since it had no windows and walls on three of its four sides. The living room was more of a formal sitting room, complete with an upright piano. The dining room's cherrywood table was stunning, and Selene couldn't help but run her hand along it.

"We hardly use this room, so I apologize for any dust." Debrah laughed a little nervously. "We usually eat in the kitchen."

"Us too." Selene nodded. "Well, our kitchen." She corrected herself. "Not your kitchen." She shook her head. "I mean-"

Debrah interrupted her. "Well, if you two take one of the rooms, it'll practically be your kitchen." She laughed. "Or you could eat in here! Or have some really amazing board game nights."

"Board games?" Kat asked.

"We have a whole closet full of them." She gestured to a door in the hallway, prompting Kat to open it.

It was a full walk-in closet under the stairs that barely had room for Selene's slender frame to step into. Three walls of shelves, stocked with board game after board game.

"Arty loves his board games." Debrah smirked.

"He does?" Selene asked, the surprise evident in her voice by the sheer force of it breaking through her nervousness.

"He hasn't made you play any?" Debrah sounded confused.

"He has not." Kat answered back with a slight smile on her face. "Didn't know he was into them, to be honest. I figured he was into video games and sports and stuff."

"He had a few of those." Debrah answered. "But he never played any sports in high school. He was always into the theater, for some reason." Debrah shrugged. "And the arts. My little actor."

"Selene's in theater club with him." Kat nodded. "You appreciate his scene work, right, sis?"

Selene looked nervously at Kat for a moment and then smiled at Debrah. "Yeah. He's an excellent actor."

"And not afraid to get his hands dirty backstage." Kat added. "Is that how he learned all the handyman stuff? I didn't know he could fix a door."

"Oh, probably." Debrah said with a laugh. "I know he didn't learn it from me!"

They laughed as Debrah shut the closet and ushered them out from the hallway through the front door to the property around the house. They looped as she talked about how nice it was to have the trees for privacy and a bit of paradise in the rural area just before suburbia started toward the city. Kat asked about the rent, and Debrah answered. Kat and Selene were happy to hear it was less than they were currently paying, though it depended on the number of roommates.

Finally, they came around to the backyard and the pool there. Arthur was wiping his hands off and gathering the spread-out tools from the floor when he spotted them outside, walking alongside the pool and following his mother as she walked toward the house.

"All fixed?" His mom asked as she slid open the sliding glass door and stepped through it, Selene and Kat following behind. His mom slid it back and forth several times after they'd all passed through just to check it.

The kitchen was large, with marble countertops on three of its four walls and an island counter. The entrance to the dining room was on the left wall, and the open archway to the main hallway was in the front. A rectangular kitchen table to the left of the main entrance was cleared of everything but the salt and pepper shakers. A pathway from the main entrance to the sliding back door to the patio split the kitchen.

The back wall was then occupied by the cabinets above and below the counter, sink, and dishwasher. The hardwood floors were quality and almost matched the mahogany cabinets. The fridge on the far wall was opposite a curtained window, where the oval pinewood kitchen table sat with four chairs. His mom moved to stand against the chair between the table and the island, watching him as Kat and Selene passed by him and took seats at the table.

"All fixed." Arthur nodded as he brushed his hands together and started putting away his tools. His toolbox was open on the kitchen floor, with various tools and materials scattered around it. "I splintered some of it when I shut it too hard last night. Sorry again. It's all fixed now." He assured her.

"Good." His mom nodded. "I really don't know what got into him last night." She explained. "He's usually not clumsy, but at least he's handy!"

Selene smiled politely, but Arthur ruined his mother's attempt to cover for him.

"It's okay, Mom. I told them what happened last night and why." Arthur assured her. "They're okay."

"You told them?" His mom asked, startled. Arthur nodded. Then, turning to Selene and Kat, she assured them. "He's not the temper-losing type. Honestly. I've never heard him so much as raise his voice before last night!"

"Mom..." Arthur started. "I don't want to start."

"You can't even talk to me about it?" His mom asked. "But you talked to them? You used to talk to me about everything."

"I know, Mom." Arthur sighed. "I said I was sorry. I promise I will not break anything else. Just don't ambush me with my old high school bully."

"Lynn?" His mom asked, seeming genuinely confused despite everything Arthur had told her last night. "You loved Lynn! You and she were so adorable!" She turned her attention back to Selene and Kat. "They were inseparable. Attached at the hip. Always getting into trouble, going on adventures, we used to joke that they were partners in crime, but it wasn't so funny when those ice cream sandwiches went missing!"

"We were five, Mom. Things changed. You know that." Arthur focused on putting his tools away and cleaning up.

"You never said." His mom protested.

"Yes, I did." Arthur sighed.

Kat and Selene glanced at each other, torn between wanting to leave to avoid making things awkward and wanting to stay and support Arthur however he needed.

"You probably didn't realize I was talking about the same person." Arthur continued. "She changed."

"So did you." His mom assured him as she came over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"No." Arthur shook his head. "I mean, she changed. Somewhere between childhood and high school."

"High school is childhood." His mom laughed.

Arthur sighed but nodded. As a wise senior in college, he could now look back on high school and realize that those weren't the be-all-end-all days he thought they were. He'd probably feel the same about college five years from now, but college life was pretty good. Five years from now might find itself hard-pressed to beat it.

"Junior high then." Arthur corrected himself. "She was a friend. Then puberty hit. She was... pretty cruel, mom. I don't like talking about it."

Kat and Selene both knew that he'd already talked about it once today. He'd shared the whole story with them earlier, and they were in his corner.

"I know you were a bit of a late bloomer." His mom said with a bit of a laugh. "But you've always been handsome."

"Thanks, Mom." Arthur said with a dry laugh. "But we both know that's not true."

"Isn't he handsome?" Debrah asked, looking to Selene and Kat for support.

They glanced at each other and then at Arthur but nodded. "He's very handsome. Hot, some might say." Kat said first. "Selene thinks so too, don't you?"

Selene nodded. Kat elbowed her. Selene mumbled something.

"See? I'm not just saying it because I'm your mother." Debrah defended herself. "Objectively, he's handsome, right?" She asked Selene and Kat for support.

"Ow-" Selene winced as Kat's elbow bounced off her rib. "He's handsome." Selene agreed.

Kat shrugged but winked when Arthur looked at her. "I think we'd need to see what he looked like before this glow-up I keep hearing about."

"No, you don't." Arthur countered immediately and glared at his mother.

Kat giggled, and his mom smiled knowingly. "Don't worry." Debrah raised her hands in surrender. "I won't push." She smiled.

"Is there a bathroom nearby?" Selene interrupted.

"Oh sure." Debrah answered and pointed toward the exit. "In the hallway there. There's a half bath. Take a right, and then pass through the family room to the door on the left wall there."

"Thanks." Selene said. She stood up and pushed her chair back in.

"I'll come with you." Kat offered and immediately went with Selene, practically sweeping out of the kitchen.

"So... I know I ask you this every time, but... is there anyone at school?" His mom asked after the two left the room. "Have you been dating since Lori? Any nice girls catching your eye?" She nodded toward where Kat and Selene had gone. "The one in pink is pretty cute. The quiet one's not bad either."

Arthur thought about it. What had he, Kat, and Selene workshopped to say in this situation? He tried to remember it but knew he got it slightly wrong.

"I'm dating around." Arthur nodded. "I'm not exclusive with anyone, but I have a few girls I'm seeing, who are aware of each other, and they're all cool with our situation."

His Mom paused for a moment as she put her hand on her hip. "You're sleeping around?"

"Not behind anyone's back." Arthur defended. "But..." He paused. "How much do you wanna know?"

His mom laughed. "I feel like I already know too much." She shook her head. "Whatever makes you happy. Just be safe, and don't get anyone pregnant. But keep an eye on the future. Eventually, you'll have to settle down and pick somebody to share the rest of your life with."

Arthur thought about it. Selene was absolutely devoted to him. She literally worshiped him and would do anything for him. Kat was still something of an enigma. She definitely enjoyed the sex more than she was willing to verbally admit. She probably wasn't interested in a romantic relationship, though.

Kelly was probably his most traditional relationship, even if she was a little kinky, and they'd agreed to keep dating while seeing other people. Win-win. Mindy was something of an unknown. Probably more traditional, but after being given the details of her talk with Kat and Selene, it sounded like she was open-minded. He'd have to see how the date went later today.

"Any forerunners? Anyone you're bringing for Thanksgiving?" His mom asked.

Arthur laughed. "Maybe I'll bring all of them. If there's enough room at the table."

"Ooh, I love me some Holiday drama." His mom joked. "But maybe don't try and take all your dates to the same place."

"I told you they know about each other." Arthur assured her. "They're cool with it."

"A regular Hugh Hephner you are." His mom chuckled.

"Who?" Arthur tried to play innocent.

"Nice try." His mom shook her head. "Just be careful. Okay?" His mom stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to see my boy get his heart broken because he couldn't decide between two..." She looked at him for confirmation. "Three...?" She counted, still looking for a signal. "Four...?" She started to sound incredulous. "Five...?" Arthur smirked, unable to hold back the smile from teasing her, and she smacked his shoulder.

"Don't worry." He told her as he gave her a hug. "I will be careful, and if I get my heart broken, I will let you know."

She hugged him back. "Seriously, though. Do I ever get to meet any of these girls? Can I give you my opinion?"

Arthur laughed. "You've met two of them already. You think one of them is pretty cute, and the other one's not bad."

"Those two?" His mother asked. "You're dating sisters? And they know about it?"

Arthur nodded.

"I will never understand young people." His mom muttered.

"Didn't they have Free-love and all that stuff in the sixties?" Arthur asked as a joke.

"I'm not that old!" His mom smacked him gently and rolled her eyes. "And you want to live in the same house with two sisters you're dating? You don't think that's a recipe for a nuclear blowup?"

"I dunno." Arthur shrugged. "You're being something like an old prude at the moment."

She smacked his shoulder again. "Alright, alright." She shook her head and started to make her exit. "Just make sure you clean everything up, or I'll have to listen to your father complain."

"Yes, Ma'am." Arthur nodded. "Where is dad, anyway?"

"In his office. He's finalizing that paperwork for the lease agreements, your job, all of that." His mom explained.

Arthur nodded. His dad had talked to him about this briefly last night. His mom and dad wanted to move back to the city. This house was in the middle of nowhere, more or less, and while the grounds around the middle-class six-bedroom McMansion gave it some excellent privacy, it was also twenty minutes from town and even farther from the city. Twenty minutes from campus wasn't too bad, so his father's idea was that he live there and make a small salary as the landlord/handyman. This sounded okay for the most part. The only part of the initial conversation he was hesitant about was leaving his current job.

He worked in the University's marketing department, mostly doing data entry and overseeing the other student workers. It was tedious work, sure, but it was a decent payday, and he liked his coworkers. Even if things might be a little awkward with Beth, his boss, on Monday since she'd licked some tequila off his abs last night and seemed pretty upset about it at the time.

"For what it's worth." His mother chimed in as he closed up his toolbox. "I think it's a great idea. I'd really like to keep the house in the family. I love it here. And you wouldn't have to do much. Unless you break something-" She gestured to the door. "There's not much to fix maintenance-wise. And you're handy enough to cover the usual upkeep. The cleaning service will handle all the deep cleaning stuff. The landscapers will handle the gardens and lawn. All your old and new friends can live under one roof!"

"Old-" Arthur started to ask but was interrupted by his father's arrival. He came in and set a stack of papers on the table.

"There you are." His dad said, as though he'd been looking all over for Arthur.

"Here I are." Arthur agreed, using intentionally lousy grammar, which his father failed to notice or comment on. Arthur picked up his toolbox but set it down when his dad offered him the stack of papers from the table.

"Look these over. It's the contract and proposed lease agreements. It lays out the rules for the common areas, utility splitting, and everything else. Since we expect to rent the bedrooms to students, we figure we'll do the leases by semester. This means the house will be empty for a few months this year, over the holidays."

"You're moving that soon?" Arthur asked, looking to his mom for answers.

"Already started packing." His dad answered. "The real estate market moves fast. We closed on a nice apartment in the city already."

"Oh." Arthur said, realizing he already should have known that. "Well, I know my lease is month to month. I think a few others might too. If they can move in, maybe we can offer people a prorated lease in the next couple of weeks?" He asked. "Give them the rest of October for free, so they don't have to pay double and can move in without an issue?"

"Free?" His dad barked.

"It's an incentive." His mother suggested, putting her hand on his dad's shoulder, who thought about it for a second and then nodded.

"Fair enough." His dad nodded. "When can you move in? I want you in here before we let any other tenants in."

"Well..." Arthur scratched his neck a little. "My lease is up at the end of the month since I'm on a month-to-month. I'd have to give them notice by the end of the week, but I could probably move in as soon as you move out. Maybe before, depending on what room I'm taking."

"You have your pick." His mom shrugged. "The Master Suite is nice. The finished basement is a full in-law suite. It has a small kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and living room."

Selene and Kat returned to the kitchen, standing by the end of the table.

"Ah, there you are." Debrah greeted them. "George, these two are girlfriends of Arthur's, potential renters. Selene and Kat."

"Oh?" His dad looked over to see them and nodded hello from where he stood. If he caught the term 'girlfriends' being applied to them both, he assumed it was just an odd way of specifying they were female friends without stating their pronouns. "Nice to meet you. Now, if you can convince my son to sign these papers, you can move in by the end of the month. Is your lease on a month-to-month basis too?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Kat nodded. If George cared about not being considered old as much as Debrah did, he didn't show it by correcting anyone. He was used to being called sir at work, so it didn't bother him when someone called him by the honorific.

"Good!" He barked. "We'll be locking the rents for the school year." He explained. "So you won't get price-gouged by market fluctuations." He looked satisfied with himself, as though they'd already praised him for having such a good idea. "At least not until summer." He laughed at his own joke. "Can you move in next month?"

"We can probably swing that, depending on when Arthur moves in." Selene looked at him for an answer, but he didn't have one yet. "We'll follow his lead."

Arthur coughed. "I could start moving things over as soon as you guys are out of the house." He said to his parents. "And be moved in by the end of the month." Arthur shrugged.

"When can Lynn move in?" His dad asked, looking at Arthur's mother, who was looking guiltily back at Arthur.

"What?" Arthur asked. His mouth instantly clamped shut.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him about that yet, Sweetheart." Arthur's mom answered and shook her head. "Arty, look-"

"Nope." Arthur shook his head.

"We promised her parents." Arthur's mom tried to explain. "We were hoping you two would hit off last night, now obviously-"

"Nope." Arthur repeated.

"Arty." His mom sounded frustrated. "You're both adults now. I don't know all the details about what happened between you, and I don't need to. It was years ago! It was high school! She's grown up, you've grown up, and you can get along like adults and be housemates."

"Let Lynn be the landlord then." Arthur crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I'm not living here if she does."