Life on Another Planet Ch. 28-31

"You have been approved by Candice as an excellent boyfriend," Kirsten said simply. "She speaks of your ... uhhm ... personality ... in very favourable words." Her accent was more pronounced, perhaps indicating nervousness.

Jesse could see that Kirsten wasn't quite as bold or as comfortable with this conversation as Candice. But the meaning of her comment was crystal clear. He was about to be blessed with two of the most desirable females on campus. It was hard to accept that it was even possible, but apparently, it was so.

"I'm still in shock that you would agree to this," he said, addressing the two. "I thought one or both of you wouldn't want to share. I've never been in a situation like this before. I don't really know how to handle it," he said, thinking aloud.

"Don't worry," Candice grinned, "We'll keep you on the straight and narrow."

"Are you unhappy, Jesse?" Kirsten asked with a serious expression.

"No ... I mean ... I'm confused, but how could I be unhappy. I thought for a moment I might lose both of you. That would hurt. But I never dreamed you would agree to what you have. I do have one question, though. Who's in charge?"

"You are," Candice said, laughing. A quick glance at Kirsten indicated she wouldn't contradict her.

Jesse groaned at the thought. If he was to believe them, which was doubtful, it was now all on him.

"Jesse, you were the one who asked me if I had a boyfriend." Kirsten said. "And you are the one who told me about Candice and your thoughts that she was interested in her friend Pete. So, why are you surprised that this might happen?"

"I didn't expect you two to gang up on me," he said in a resigned tone.

"I was always good about sharing my toys when I was a little girl." Candice giggled. "This is almost the same thing,"

"Oh, so now I'm a toy, huh?" Jesse was getting angry at the casual way the two girls were treating this decision of theirs.

"Jeez, Kirsten, maybe we made a mistake. Maybe this guy isn't as adult as we thought." Candice said impatiently.

"You've got to admit, this is not a usual situation," Jesse said in his defence. "I'm going to leave it to you two to decide how it's going to work. No matter what I think, I'm sure you have your own ideas. You didn't come up with this idea without talking it over with each other."

"See, Kirsten, I told you he was smart," Candice said with a hint of humour. "We will tell you about our thinking and you can tell us if you agree," she continued.

"When?"

The two girls looked at each other. "Tomorrow afternoon, after lunch," Candice announced. "Okay?"

Jesse sighed and nodded. "Okay. I can't wait to hear this," he said with a shake of his head.

~*~

As he rode home with his carpool group, his mind was fixed on the idea that he was about to be gifted with two very beautiful young ladies as girlfriends. Candice made it clear (he thought) that Kirsten was well aware that Jesse and Candice had been intimate. How that would play out was going to be awkward, to say the least. He had even toyed with the idea that he might, at some point, reveal his secret to Kirsten, just as he had in his future existence. But not yet. First, this mess had to be cleared up.

Chapter 31 Fantasy or Reality?

Thursday, January 4, 1962 12pm

The girls arrived together precisely at noon the next day. Jesse was still confused about how this shared girlfriend-boyfriend thing was supposed to work. It seemed to be full of potential problems, not the least of which might be jealousy. Would one of them feel the other was getting favoured treatment? He'd been unable to get a good night's sleep as he pondered the possibilities. He saw only two choices: accept their decision, or call the whole thing off and each go their separate ways. His gut told him that he wasn't going to nix the proposal unless it was unworkable. To be honest, his real objective was to win Kirsten. As willing and sexy as Candice was, his heart belonged to the big Swede.

They ate their lunch in relative silence with just a few comments about their day so far. No mention had been made of the big plan yet to be revealed. Jesse was quiet, intending to wait until one or the other of them told him of how this whole scheme was going to work. Neither of the girls seemed anxious to begin. Jesse began to wonder if the two were having second thoughts. There was certainly doubt on his part and he wondered if he was walking into an untenable situation.

"So, Jesse, here's what we were thinking," Candice began as she pushed her lunch tray aside. "The biggest problem as we see it is finding privacy for us. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

Jesse nodded. "That thought crossed my mind too. I mean, if each of us wants some alone time, then we need something better than the back seat of my car."

"Well, I'm glad you realize that, Jesse," Candice continued. "Yes, we do need a place we can have that privacy as well as some comfort. I think I've come up with a solution."

Jesse leaned back in his seat and looked around. There was no one nearby except the three of them. They wouldn't likely be overheard.

"I told you my brother has an apartment that he would be sharing with me. Dave works long shifts at the hospital, as I've already explained. I always know what his shifts are so that gives us quite a bit of time that we'll be on our own, understand?"

Jesse nodded again. "What about you, Kirsten?"

"My parents both work at the store and are away all day during the week and Saturday. That gives us some time and privacy at our home."

"I thought you worked at their store on Saturday?" Jesse said.

"No. My parents want me to have some free time apart from my studies and the only time they call on me is for our twice yearly sales. So ... we have some free time that we can take advantage of," she said, smiling only slightly.

Jesse looked back and forth between to two. "How will you decide who gets who when?"

"Simple," Candice said. "We'll alternate. We'll start with one day a week each and see how it goes. That all right with you, Jesse?"

"I guess so. I mean, this all sounds so ... organized. Don't get me wrong. I really want to have some alone time with you both, but ... I don't know ... this whole idea kind of sucks the romance out of it."

"Romance?" Candice said in surprise. "You're expecting romance? I thought we were just talking about sex?"

Jesse was startled by the frank revelation that Candice had no other interest than in the physical act of sex. Anything beyond that did not appear to be part of her side of the agreement.

"No ... at least, I was expecting something warmer than just sex," Jesse said, looking at both of them now.

"I'll guarantee you it will be warmer," Candice smirked.

"What about you, Kirsten?" Jesse asked, turning to her.

She didn't look at all comfortable and couldn't look Jesse in the eye. That was the turning point for Jesse.

"No!" he said. "This won't work. I don't want a relationship with you if that's all you think it should be," he said, aiming his remarks to Candice.

"What? You're turning us down?" Candice said with a shocked expression.

Jesse nodded, looking carefully at both of them. "Yeah, I am. This was never just about sex with me. Even though I knew we weren't forever, Candice, it meant more than just ... just a physical act. I like you. I like you a lot. To me ... well ... it wasn't just a way to have sex with a sexy girl.

"As for Kirsten," he continued, "I don't want that kind of relationship at all. I think there might be something more there for us and I don't want to spoil it by just ... using her. No ... your idea won't work ... not for me. I'm sorry to ruin your plan, but I'm not going to go along with it."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Candice said, looking at Jesse, then Kirsten, then back at Jesse. "You're really saying no?"

Jesse nodded, remaining silent.

"I think he's mentally ill," Candice said to Kirsten. Kirsten remained silent, neither confirming nor contesting the other girl's comment.

"Sorry, girls. That's the way I see it. If you change your mind, we can discuss it, but I'm not going to agree to having an intimate relationship with two at the same time. That's just not right," Jesse said emphatically, picking up his lunch tray and heading for the door.

The two young women sat silently, wondering just what had happened to their plan. Candice couldn't believe Jesse would turn down the proposition. What guy wouldn't want to have two girls to have sex with on a regular basis?

Kirsten, on the other hand, was secretly relieved. She was interested in Jesse, but she was very uncertain about Candice's plan, wondering if she could accept being a part-time girlfriend and lover. I didn't sit well at first, and now she knew why. As she thought about it, she was becoming more in agreement with Jesse's opinion. The fact that he had turned them down was something unexpected, but in her view, a confirmation that Jesse was no ordinary young man.

Sunday, January 7, 1962 9am

Jesse parked the VW in the main lot and headed toward the chairlift shed. He had a season pass, so no ticket was necessary. His heavy wooden Panzer skis and poles were over his shoulder as he trudged through the wet, sloppy snow at the base of the mountain. He wasn't really paying any attention to his surroundings and it was quite a surprise when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Jesse! Wait!"

He turned and saw Kirsten hustling toward him.

"Hi," he greeted her with a smile. "Would you like us to ski together today?"

"You're not angry with me?" she asked cautiously.

He shook his head. "No. Why would I be angry with you? I'm pretty sure that idea Candice proposed was all hers. I'm surprised you went along with it."

She nodded. "I don't know why I did," she admitted. "I'm glad you turned it down. I didn't expect that, but maybe I should have. You are a very honest person, Jesse."

They snapped on their skis and waited as the next chair arrived and plucked them off the landing and upward to the village.

"I was tempted, Kirsten. But I knew it was wrong. Besides, I have enough trouble handling one girlfriend, much less two," he smiled.

"I thought so too," she said. "I didn't really want to share. I like you and if you want ... we can be friends, but I don't want to share either."

"Good, then it's settled. As I sit here beside you, I will formally ask you to be my one and only girlfriend," he grinned.

She laughed. "As I sit here beside you, you will be my one and only boyfriend."

"Perfect," Jesse said, taking her gloved hand in his, and leaning toward her, touching shoulders. Her smile in return warmed him and confirmed that he had made the right decision.

They spent the day together once more. When they weren't skiing, they were talking about themselves, trying to make the connection between them stronger. Jesse had no doubt whatsoever that Kirsten was the woman for him for the long term. Kirsten had no such belief yet, but was completely comfortable with Jesse and her decision that he was the kind of boyfriend she wanted. Candice would have to look after herself.

Jesse could easily account for his buoyant mood that day. It was all down to Kirsten. He was on the path toward what he almost achieved in his other life, and he knew how he wanted this journey to end. He would continue to be patient with her, despite her indication that she was at least considering becoming intimate with him. He wasn't totally convinced she meant it and would leave that decision in her hands. That didn't mean it would be "hands off" with her, but he would proceed cautiously.

Sunday, January 7, 1962 5:30pm

Jesse arrived home after leaving Kirsten at the lift parking lot with a kiss and a promise to see her at lunch on Monday. He entered his home through the garage and parked his skis, poles and boots where they would dry and air out before heading upstairs. His appearance in the kitchen was greeted by his mother.

"Hi, how was your day on the mountain?" she asked as she continued peeling some potatoes.

"Great. Good snow and of course, Kirsten was with me," he said brightly.

"Kirsten seems to be the new girl in your affairs," his mother noted.

"Kirsten is officially my girlfriend, Mom. I consider myself one of the luckiest guys alive."

"Now that she officially your girlfriend, when are we going to meet her?"

"I was thinking that if it's okay with you, I might invite her for dinner here next Sunday. We'll probably be skiing and she can come right after we quit. Is that okay?"

"That's fine, Jesse. I take it your centerfold model is no longer in the picture?"

"No, Candice and I are no longer seeing each other. I don't think she was the right fit for me, if you know what I mean."

"No ... I don't know what you mean. Explain," she said in an undemanding tone.

"Candice has plans for her future. I was just a stop-gap in those plans. I wasn't comfortable with that. Kirsten is completely different. She's a keeper," Jesse grinned.

"Oh ... a keeper, huh. What does that mean?"

"This is the kind of girl you don't hesitate to bring home to meet your parents, if you get my drift. Besides, she's a Swedish beauty that I can hardly find the words to describe. I hope she'll become my long term girlfriend."

"First a centerfold and now a Swedish beauty. Your father is going to want to know just how you attract these girls. On second thought, don't tell him. I don't want him getting any wild ideas," she chuckled.

"You know, Mom, I've been asking myself that same question over and over. I'm happy as heck, of course, but I can't figure it out either. I'm not going to question my luck, though. I guess some guys have got it ... and some guys haven't," he grinned.

"Don't get too full of yourself, young man. You remember what happened before with Juliet," she warned.

Jesse was shaking his head. "No ... not this time, Mom. This young lady is completely different and we fit perfectly together ... so far."

Margaret smiled at her son. He was clearly elated at his good fortune with the as yet unseen new girlfriend. She was very curious about what happened to Candice the centerfold. She remembered her husband's face when he saw the picture of her from the Halloween dance. It was mixture of shock and lust. She too wondered just what it was the Jesse had that brought Candice into his fold. And now, she was replaced by the unseen Swedish girl. Her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Do you have a picture of this Kirsten, Jesse?"

"No ... not a good one. Thanks for reminding me. I want one. I'll get Dad to take one of us when she is here."

"She won't be at her best, just coming from skiing all day. Maybe you should try and find a better time for that picture."

"Trust me, Mom. She looks good no matter what. She doesn't need makeup and she has the most beautiful blonde hair. After skiing, her cheeks are rosy red and they really make her look even more beautiful. You'll be surprised, I know you will."

"Okay, Jesse. I believe you," she chuckled once more, pleased at his enthusiasm and spirit. He'd been a bit pensive over the past few days and she wondered what had been the cause of that. When she asked about his studies, he assured her that all was well, including his first semester marks. Perhaps it was the issue of Candice that was on his mind.

Margaret had no way of knowing that she was quite correct. It was the matter of choosing Kirsten over Candice and rejecting the unworkable double dating concept. Candice seemed to take it well, but Jesse had made a special effort to talk to her, he said, hoping to stave off any bad feelings. She accepted his decision, but was sad that she was not the chosen one. However, Candice recognized that this was a problem of her own making. She was the one with the longer-term plan at the end of her university life.

Monday, January 8, 1962 12pm

Jesse was surprised and a bit concerned as he spotted both Kirsten and Candice sitting at their usual table in the cafeteria. He wondered what this might be about. After his one-on-one conversation with Candice last week, he made it plain he had chosen Kirsten for his only girlfriend. Candice had a few days to absorb that decision and Jesse hoped that she wasn't going to make a scene. As he approached the table, he could see the two girls chatting quite amiably.

"Hi," he said warily as he set his tray down across from the two and sat.

"Hi," he got in reply from both Candice and Kirsten.

"What's new?" he asked cautiously.

Candice shrugged and Kirsten said, "Not much."

That seemed to be the extent of conversation at that point. Jesse concentrated on his lunch meal, buying time until one or the other of them spoke.

"I'm not going to be skiing this winter," Candice finally announced.

Jesse's head came up in surprise. "How come?"

"Not enough time to study and work and ski at the same time. One of them had to go and I decided that I could do without skiing," Candice explained.

"That's too bad, but I understand," Jesse said sympathetically. "I've been trying to get all my studying done during the week so that I can have Saturday night and Sunday. It's a hassle sometimes when there's a big assignment due, but so far, I've been able to cope."

"I'm carrying some extra courses this year, so that's what's taking up the spare time. I won't do that again. After a while, it just wears you down," Candice sighed.

Jesse nodded and Kirsten added her agreement about the amount of studying required. "I'm in second year, so it's not a surprise, but I still have to make sure I set enough time aside to get everything done. I'd hate to give up my skiing on Sunday and I'm sure Jesse would hate to give up his baseball too. We don't get much time to have a social life, do we?"

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons I won't bother pledging a sorority. That just adds more responsibility to our free time and I don't need that," Candice said emphatically.

"I haven't been asked to pledge one," Kirsten said.

"That's a surprise," Candice said. "Why do think they haven't asked?"

Kirsten shrugged. "Maybe because I'm a foreigner."

"No ... no ... no!" Jesse snapped emphatically. "You are not a foreigner! Get that idea out of your head. I can't believe that would be a reason."

"Calm down, Jesse. Let Kirsten tell us what she thinks."

"It doesn't bother me," Kirsten said. "I wasn't planning on joining one anyway. But some of the other girls have been approached and I wondered why no one had come to talk to me."

"It makes absolutely no sense to me," Jesse stated strongly once more. "It sounds like ignorance or something is holding them back."

"Jesse, I wasn't planning on joining anyway. Don't get upset about it," Kirsten said soothingly.

"It's just that some people have this caste system that excludes others. The elite decide who is included and who is not. I saw it at high school and now here in UBC too. It's wrong, but it goes on anyway."

"That's true, Jesse," Candice nodded. "I was one of the elite in high school, so I was one of 'those people,'" she admitted.

"How did you get to be one of them?" Kirsten asked.

"My father runs a very successful business in Cranbrook and everyone knows him and our family. I would have been very hard to exclude me or my brother ... or Pete. It's just the way it is," Candice said with a shrug.

"Well at least you don't act like some of the stuck-up bitches that I ran into in high school," Jesse continued, still expressing anger. "Okay, so my dad wasn't a judge, or a big business owner, but he was just as important to his company as anyone else."

"Okay, Jesse," Candice said with a grin. "Calm down. You've made your point. I have to say, it's the first time I've ever seen you angry."