Love Gods

The next morning over coffee Addie brought up Susan and Jeff. "What did you think of them?"

"Pretty nice, I thought. Uh, Susan seemed to be really into you, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, we're pretty good buds."

"The way she was hanging onto you, one would think you two were an item. Even Jeff mentioned it."

"Well, Susan and Jeff have a pretty open relationship. I mean, they're a couple, but they allow each other some...uh...latitude, if you get what I'm saying."

"They get to fuck around?"

"Yeah, but they have little rules and it is all out in the open. They don't sneak around, you see."

"Oh."

"Have you ever been in a situation like that?"

"No! Never."

A few seconds went by while Addie filled her coffee cup and stirred in the sugar and cream. She cleared her throat and without looking at Joe asked, "Would you ever consider something like that? I mean, would you ever consider coming to bed with Susan and me, for instance?"

"A threesome?"

"Yeah, a threesome."

"Uh, I don't know a straight guy alive who doesn't fantasize about that, but I'm not sure when the chips are down that that's something I'd want to do."

"No?"

"I mean, wouldn't it make things kinda weird the next time you meet?"

"If you go into it knowing it's just for sexual release, for fun and there's nothing emotional attached to it, then the next time you meet, it's like two friends who had a drink together and run into each other later."

"Oh."

"So, if I wanted you to do this and if I asked openly and made it all happen, would you ever consider it?"

"Well, like I said, most guys only dream about such a thing. Maybe if the situation was just right and you wanted it, then I'd consider it, I guess."

"OK. Well, we can think about it. No decisions need to be made today, obviously."

"Nope. No decisions."

"You know, if we were to ever do it, then I'd want a return favor."

"Return favor?"

"Yeah. A threesome with another guy."

Joe suddenly looked pale and almost nauseated.

"What? You'd consider having a girl come to our bed but not a guy?"

"I'll have to be honest. I'm not wild about a two-girl threesome but I definitely would have to say 'no' to a two-guy threesome."

"That's sexist as hell!"

"I know it is, but that's who I am. Kinks are very personal and you seem to be interested in a threesome and me, well, not so much. And I would squick out if a naked guy was in bed with me."

"I see. Then I guess," she chuckled, "The idea of swapping partners might be too much for you also?"

"Yeah, it would. Hey, I enjoy sex with you. Probably, no, definitely the best I've ever had. But I see that you want way more than a monogamous relationship."

"Yeah, I do. I'm pretty kink-positive and I like to be with different sex partners, both female and male. I'd like my main partner to explore these aspects of sex along with me. But please understand, I am still very much interested in you being my main partner and all of the rest will be for fun, you know, occasionally."

"I'll have to think about that, but to be honest, I'm not seeing myself doing that lifestyle."

They moved on to other topics and around noon Joe took off to work on one of his long-term projects.

He called Addie a few days later.

"You calling to set up an evening together, Honey?"

"As much as I would like to, I'm sorry, Addie, but I'm going to pass."

"Well, maybe in a few days?"

"No. I've been thinking about our conversation the other day and I honestly don't see myself in anything but a monogamous relationship."

"Oh."

"So, to be honest, I think we should let things go, uh, you know, call it quits."

"Quits? Really? We've been doing great together and..."

"Yeah, we have. And you're the best in the sack I've ever had. But you were honest in tellin' me you want an open relationship and I'm just not down for that. I don't want to tie you down or cause you to resent me for keeping you from what you need."

"I see. Well, at least you're being honest and upfront. Joe, you're a sweet guy and I hope you meet someone who punches all your buttons," she chuckled. "Take care."

"Friends?"

"Definitely. See you around town, OK, Joe?"

"You take care, too."

-----

January -- Frigga

Frigga was flipping cartwheels over Eros' failure to get Joe into a relationship. She had actually worried when Joe and Addie were going at it hot and heavy more days than not. Once Eros conceded his loss, Frigga spent considerable time trying to figure out what Joe wanted and needed. Until mid-year he'd gone out rarely and was considered by many to be a hopeless cause. But the fact was when Val, Cupid and Eros directed women to him, he responded positively. It was just that each of these women failed to be 'the one.'

She had a few weeks before her month started, time she wanted to use wisely to figure Joe out. After mulling it over, she had her 'Aha moment' and knew what Joe needed. She grinned at herself as she got ready to rub the other gods' noses in it. She was going to win!

-----

Joe attended the community New Year's party on the town square. They had a small version of the Times Square ball drop for the several thousand people to watch and cheer. A band played big band and classic rock music while several food trucks sold snacks and drinks. Many of the revelers had clearly snuck alcohol to the event, something the police ignored as long as people behaved.

Joe wandered around greeting a few people and coworkers he knew only by Zoom. The crowd got more festive as time went on and alcohol was consumed. He was alone but was more than happy just being with the crowd.

Before the countdown started he had pulled himself away from the biggest crowd and watched the activities with a bit of bemusement. During the last few minutes, people were laughing, cheering and blowing noisemakers. As the seconds ticked down he heard the crowd shouting out the seconds down to zero when everyone screamed 'Happy New Year' as many couples came together and kissed.

Suddenly, from his left, a woman jumped up, grabbed him, called out 'Happy New Year' and planted a big, long and fairly intense kiss on his lips. She then laughed at his surprised look before saying, "You looked like you needed a New Year's kiss."

"Uh, thank you."

"Hey, it was for me also. I didn't have anyone to celebrate with, either."

"Well, I wish you a happy one also."

"I'm Trish. You?"

"Joe."

"Care to share a glass of bubbly with me, Joe?"

"Sure, as long as the police don't mind."

"Joe, they just want to keep things calm and they're not worrying about a little champagne. Let's find my friend Frieda, she has some." She pulled him by the hand into the crowd and led him to a tall, Scandinavian woman.

"Frieda, this is Joe. He was my New Year's kiss. We need some of that champagne to celebrate."

Frieda handed over a half-empty bottle letting Joe and Trish share it. They passed it back and forth, not worrying about germs; they had just kissed, after all. In short order Joe was feeling a buzzed.

"Whoa, I better take it easy, here."

"Drank too much, Joe?" asked Frieda.

"Yeah, a bit much on an empty stomach. I didn't realize it was so powerful."

"Trish, should we offer him a place to crash tonight?"

"Yeah, let's. Joe, our place is just over there. You can have the couch until you can drive. OK?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

Once he had crashed on their couch, the two went back to Trish's bedroom. They sat on her bed, talking quietly.

"Thanks for setting that up, Frieda. Putting vodka in the champagne was a great idea."

"You sure looked like you were drinking a lot, too."

"No," she giggled quietly, "It looked like it, but I mostly kept my tongue over the bottle. He ended up with most of it."

"Well, good. Now you've got a chance with him. I'm going to leave now for several weeks. You'll have him all to yourself when he wakes up in the morning."

"Thanks, Frieda. You're a peach. Night."

Joe woke up to the wonderful smell of freshly brewing coffee and frying bacon. When he sat up he was surprised to have no real headache or hangover. On his feet he felt stable and wandered to the kitchen. Trish was standing there in a thin tank top and flannel PJ bottoms.

"Uh, Good morning, at least I think it's morning."

"Oh, same to you. Yes, it's still morning, about ten thirty. How're you feeling?"

"Actually, pretty good. I wasn't totally hammered, but I knew I'd had more than enough to drive safely. Thanks for letting me crash here."

"Coffee will be ready in three minutes, breakfast in ten. Bathroom's back there."

"Uh, thanks," he replied as he toddled back. Once he finished, he returned up front.

"How do you like it?"

"Black, two sugars, thanks."

Once they sat down for breakfast their conversation was pleasant and wide-ranging. They occasionally teased each other like old friends. He helped with clean up but was reluctant to leave. She didn't seem to be in any rush to push him out the door and settled on the couch, patting the seat next to her.

Once he sat down, he realized Trish was an attractive woman. Her hair was a blonde mop of curls on top with short hair on the sides. It reminded him of a Lucille Ball hairstyle and he thought it looked good on her. Under her tank top were two nicely-sized breasts with nipples tenting the cloth. She seemed to have a thin torso and the PJ bottoms were loose and hid the shape of her butt and legs from the casual view.

They talked of themselves, their jobs and interests. Trish was a nurse practitioner at a clinic serving the low income and marginalized members of the community. She described caring for them with warm empathy in her voice. Outdoor activities were high on her list of likes but she also enjoyed community theater and was a "very amateur" actress. Joe told her of his background, as well.

It was early afternoon before they knew it. Joe went to excuse himself but Trish teased him, telling him he could leave only after they had arranged to meet again. He offered dinner in two nights but she insisted with a wicked grin on her lips that dinner would be the next night, no excuses accepted.

As he turned to leave, she approached, gave him a big hug and tipped her head up for a kiss. It was quite nice, not too long but with a hint of her tongue tip. "Now, that ought to give you something to look forward to when you return."

Dinner the next night was great. Their talking was free, loose and comfortable. She was on call and had to answer her cell phone a few times but always did so after politely excusing herself and turning away to provide patient privacy. Their kissing that night was even nicer than the night before. After spending several minutes on her front porch, she sighed, "You know your way around a girl's lips, don't you?"

"Mmm, I guess."

"Your kisses are making it very hard to not invite you in, I'll have you know."

"I'd love to come in, but you and I both have busy days tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right. But don't be surprised if I drag you in here one of these nights."

"I'll look forward to that," he smiled.

Their next date was two days later. She met him at her door with a long, firm hug. "I needed that, Joe. Thanks."

"Rough day?"

"Not really, but it's been nearly forty-eight hours since I had one of your fabulous hugs. So, you ready for your special date?"

"I guess," he answered, "Just where are we going?"

"Remember how I told you I like community theater? I'm starring in the next show and I am practicing tonight. I thought you might like to watch us put the show together. It's kinda fun to see what goes into one of these productions."

She was right. Joe enjoyed sitting near the director, watching her bend and mold the actors into what she wanted for the show. At one point she introduced herself to Joe and whispered to him Trish was one of her best actresses. On the way home Trish sat right next to Joe on the bench seat, resting her head on his shoulder. They chatted a bit about the practice but most of the ride home was in quiet.

At the door she demanded an extra-long hug and gave him several minutes of sweet kisses. As she turned to her door, she stopped and looked at him. "Joe, I'm thinking I might really like you. You?"

"Oh, I like me too," he chuckled until she smacked him playfully on the arm. "Seriously, yeah, I like spending time with you. Let's see where this leads."

"I know it's only been a short time, but would I be out of line to suggest we consider ourselves exclusive at this point?"

"No. I agree. I'll have to tell the other thirty-three they'll have to do without me," he added with a smirk. That earned him another smack on the arm. He laughingly pulled her back into his arms, gave her another hug and a kiss before whispering in her ear, "I'm honored, really, that you want us to be together more. I look forward to it. G'Nite, Trish. Sleep tight."

On the next time they got together for drinks and dinner, there was an air of anticipation between them. She had a wonderful meal for him and they both worked on clean up; he washed while she dried and put the dishes away. She then dragged him to the couch, lit a few candles and turned off the lights. Soft jazz played in the background and the romantic atmosphere was heightened when she straddled his lap and leaned forward to him.

"I want to taste those great kisses of yours. You?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Good."

Some twenty minutes later she broke away and looked at him in the eyes. "I want to tell you something. I'm actually a pretty conservative gal. I don't sleep around and I usually like to wait longer before I invite a guy to my bed. You, however, are proving to be a wonderful exception."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Joe," she paused as if emphasizing things, "I, uh, oh shit, I'll just ask. Would you please come to bed with me?"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I've never been more positive in my life. It's just a bit sooner than usual but my feelings for you are very positive."

"Then I accept," he said with a smile. She stood up, gently took his hand and led him to the bedroom. She excused herself to go to the bathroom while he stood quietly admiring the artwork on the walls. When she returned wearing a see-through floor-length gown, Joe knew this was the makings of a wonderful night. She approached him, slowly unbuttoned his shirt, slipped his shoes, pants and boxers off him before kneeling in front of him and taking his engorged cock lovingly into her mouth.

Trish was quite skilled giving head and in no time he was ready to blow his load. He tapped her on the head and she nodded yes, allowing him to come into her mouth. Once he recovered, he pulled her up and went to kiss her.

"You sure you want to?"

"Why not? It's not poison, is it? I have no problem kissing you. Will you have a problem kissing me after I go downtown on you?"

"No! Definitely not," she laughed.

"Good," he said as he picked her up, squealing and laughing, before dropping her on the bed. Once he teased the gown open, he slowly traveled over her entire body, savoring every inch with tiny licks and kisses. She responded vigorously when he sucked on her nipples, but the loudest response was for his slow, sensual licks from her taint to her clit. He noted a slightly odd taste that seemed to fade as she continued to get even more excited. As he got her more and more excited, she pulled his head to her, forcing him to increase the pressure of his tonguing. He barely heard her moans for the legs clamped around his head, squeezing his ears. Her release was loud and lusty, followed by a giggling sigh.

"Wow. Somebody knows how to please a woman!"

"You think?"

"I know. Give me a few seconds and then I want you in me. Uh, I'm clean. You?"

"Yes. I've got condoms..."

"Not needed," she interrupted, "I put in my diaphragm."

"Oh. So that was the odd taste."

"Yeah, the jelly. Not too bad, though, is it?"

"No! I was having too much fun to even think about it much. Now, were we talking about me being in you?"

"Yes. Come on, Joe. I want your friend there."

After the evening was over and he lay there with her slumbering body wrapped in his, Joe's mind kept reliving the evening with tiny little flashbacks: her grasping his flanks so hard he was sure he'd be bruised, her riding him cowgirl and leaning over letting her ample breasts trail little circles over his chest and her back arching as he rode her doggy style while she fingered herself.

Trish was obviously intelligent, working as a provider in the clinic. She was not one to hop into the sack at the drop of a hat and had even requested an exclusive relationship. Although not a stunning number ten, her beauty was a wholesome, inner beauty amplified by her great personality; funny, reasonably reserved in public yet a wildcat in the bedroom and giving of herself. Yes, he could see she might be the real deal.

After a quick breakfast of coffee and bagels, she dragged him back to her bedroom for another round of fun and exploration. When he left that afternoon, Joe was as happy as he ever had been with a woman.

-----

Over the next few weeks of growing closer, they spent nearly every day together. On evenings when she was exhausted from work, he would hold her in his arms, give her gentle back rubs until she drifted off to sleep before carrying her to bed and tucking her in. They enjoyed the outdoors and once skied cross country on some groomed trails before soaking nude in the resort's hot tub. Some evenings were spent with both sitting together just reading or doing 'paperwork' on their computers.

On one Saturday evening she gave him a blank piece of paper while holding one for herself. "Honey, write down the one thing you would like to see us do, sexually, that is. I'll do the same."

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything, as long as there's no pain, well, not too much, anyway," she giggled.

He nervously wrote down 'watch you masturbate' and when she asked to switch papers, he let it go with clammy palms. Looking down at her note he was amazed to read, 'dominate me, own me, make me yours.'

They looked at each other nervously before she stood up and dragged him to the bedroom. Once there she smiled and said, "Sit down over there and I'm going to enjoy myself. Then you'll need to punish me for being such a naughty, naughty girl."

-----

The end of January found them stranded at his place due to a record-breaking snow storm. The power was out for two days and the snow plows didn't make it to his place until the morning of the third day. She had called in to the clinic explaining her absence but was told the clinic was closed anyway due to the storm. To keep warm they read books by the fire, drank warm beverages and snuggled under the heavy duvet cover on his bed. Once she could leave, he held her in his arms and whispered, "Best snow storm ever. Thank you for sharing it with me."

"Hey, fun for me, too. Anytime there's a snow storm, feel free to call. I'll be right out."

"Would you ever consider staying here?" he asked, anxiously.

"Maybe, but it's a little early for that, don't you think?"

"No, but I'm willing to wait for you. Drive safe, OK?"

As she drove away he whispered, "Trish, I'm falling for you, big-time."

-----

At their monthly meeting of Gods United, held on the fifteenth of February, but this time behind a sheep station in the Australian outback, there was a spirited debate among the love gods. Eros, Cupid and St. Valentine were all ganging up on Frigga.

"Look, you losers, they are in a relationship. I demand you pay up the bet," she stated to their exasperated sighs.

"They aren't living together and they aren't married. They're just screwing," said Eros.

"Yeah, and what about the L word. He hasn't said it to her face once," added Cupid.