Making Work a Better Place Ch. 06

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes," Paulette squeals as she wraps her arms around my shoulders and starts crying into my shoulder. I catch Peggy giving me one of her 'atta boy' smiles and I sense a few tears in her eyes as well.

"What kind of wedding do you want?" I ask Paulette as I stroke her hair. "My first one was a small affair; about three hundred people. You and Peggy can go shop for the right wedding gown, and I can use my tuxedo from the first one."

"New tuxedo," insists Peggy. I nod. Weddings are all about the girl after all. Paulette looks up at me then to Peggy.

"I nice big dress, white with lace and a long train?" Paulette goes down her wish list.

"I'm sure Louisa has the right boutiques to go to," Peggy adds. "She can also help with the guest list. How big a party do you want?" Paulette seems to think that over.

"Three hundred sounds good. I think that only my Mother will want to attend from my side of the family."

"My Father can give you away then," I volunteer. Peggy and Paulette exchange glances but nod.

"How about something in the fall," Peggy suggests. "Soon enough to keep people from talking about our living arrangement, but far enough out to make sure everyone can attend."

"This is all coming so fast," Paulette sighs. Peggy holds her hand.

"We are with you on this," she tells Paulette.

"How about we take a swim in the pool to celebrate?" I suggest when Paulette comes up for air.

"Joshua, we don't have any clothes on under these robes," Paulette answers. Somehow I miss the relevance of that statement.

"Indoor pool -- no neighbors ..."

"Is this an excuse to see us naked?" Peggy snickers. Again, why do girls ask such silly questions? Of course this is an excuse to see them naked.

"Maybe," I mumble.

"If we take a swim, you can only have sex with one of us," taunts Paulette. I look at them both, stand then turn and walk to the back of the kitchen.

"Joshua, where are you going?" Paulette inquires.

"The walk-in refrigerator; I need to cool off," I explain. Paulette and Peggy run to catch up with me. They drag me away from my chilly coffin of cold comfort.

"Fine, you can sleep with either one of us or both of us if you have the stamina and we'll go swimming with you, but you need to do one thing first," Peggy says.

"Yes," I agree.

"Do you like Nicholas as a boy's name and Nicole as a girl's name," Paulette says with all seriousness. Somehow the tear streaks on her cheeks make her look even sexier.

"Charles is a good boy's name, but I like Nicole," I respond.

"If you say you like Nicholas I'll give you a blowjob right now," Paulette smiles up at me.

"Paulette!" Peggy protests.

"Nicholas is a great name. It's my favorite name. It is the best name in the whole world!" I declare. Like there was any other answer to Paulette's offer. Paulette's response is to go down on her knees and open my robe. I love morning wood.

"If you two are going to fool around," Peggy protests as she grabs one of my hands and pushes it to one of her breasts, "I'm not going to stand around not participating."

"Children," mutters the cook good-naturedly. I reach down and start kissing Peggy while my free hand starts running through Paulette's hair.

"If you three are going to make children," the cook says with more force, "try the bedroom. Joshua, no more condoms in the pool. You know the pool cleaner doesn't like that. She's a nice girl and very sensitive to such things."

"Sensitive?" Peggy asks. Paulette holds my member in her hand but also turns to the cook.

"Ever since she came in and saw Joshua swimming ... naked. He was nice enough to give her a bikini to wear and lets her swim when she's over."

"Oh, did he?" Paulette teases and gives my member a hard yank. Ow!

"We never had sex! I swear," I plead. "She was part of the 'don't sleep with the employees' rule."

"Joshua," Peggy grinned evilly, "Paulette and I want you to know your Man-Whore days are over. You are going to make honest women of us. Are we clear?" I gulp.

"Are we all on the same page," Paulette says with her teeth barely an inch from my penis tip.

"Absolutely," I pledge.

"I always knew you were smarter than you looked," chuckles the cook. "Let me clean up here. You children go put on some swimsuits and take a dip." Paulette stands up and a wave of regret and relief pass through me. She still keeps hold of my penis and starts to lead me away with it. Peggy sidles up beside me, snaking an arm around my waist.

"So," Peggy asks sweetly, "is the pool girl cute?"

"Yes," I respond innocently, "she's got shoulder length black hair usually worn in a ponytail. Nice breasts -- maybe B's, slender waist and flat stomach. She does yoga three days a week, broke up with her boyfriend in March, and is thinking about going back to City College to finish her Chemistry degree. She's very cute with a sharp sense of humor."

Ow! I groan inwardly as Paulette yanks hard on my favorite part. I'm still trying to figure out what I've done wrong this time when Peggy adds to my confusion by asking.

"Have you ever helped her stretch when warming up before going into the water?"

"Sure, she's very flexible." I try not to scream. I'm telling the truth so why are people hurting me?

"Joshua, why didn't you sleep with her when you certainly could have?" Peggy lures me in with another obvious question which I am not starting to associate with pain (who says I can't be trained?). As I hesitate I can feel Paulette's hand tightening in the prelude to more yanking-pain. I don't know what else to say though,

"I didn't know it then, but I was in love with the two of you. Peggy, you asked me to not sleep with anyone but Paulette. I did what you told me to do because it felt right." Now I wait for the yank. It doesn't come. Instead I get stroked and both women stop moving me along and hug me. I no longer know what to think or do so I hug them back instead of trying to reason it all out.

"Can we go swimming now?" suggests Peggy.

"Does this mean you are going to stop hurting me?" I hope.

"We'll keep that option open in case the pizza delivery girl is on a first name basis with you," Paulette threatens.

"You know Stephanie too?" I say. Ow! What did I do now? I suddenly think that telling Paulette that Stephanie's a hot Asian chick that reminds me of her would be unwise.

"Spill it Joshua," Peggy drills me.

"She's a hot Asian chick who reminds me of Paulette," I blab. Ow! Life has suddenly turned painfully cruel and I don't know why.

"Paulette, we can't punish him for every woman he comes in contact with. We need to find another way to keep him in check," Peggy says.

"Sorry," Paulette grimaces, "I'm sort of new to this whole fiancé thing. My few relationships with boys never got that far or ended well. What do you to keep him in line?"

Most guys might resent people having a conversation about them while they are standing there, but it is par for the course in my life.

"I give him a Dove chocolate when he does something good, and block his sports channels when he's bad. It works really well," Peggy informs Paulette. That would most likely be why I lost access to the Women's Lacrosse Finals damn it.

We get back to the bedroom and all the robes go sliding down to the floor. My thoughts about ... hell all thoughts cease as I watch the two women I love bend over and get dressed. Peggy smirks at me while sticking her ass in my direction and tosses me a swimsuit. I dress quickly, and lead the charge down to the pool.

When we get there, Lorna the pool girl is already in her swimsuit working on the pool. Maybe I forgot to mention that she was on the swim team in high school.

"Joshua," she squeals as she drops the pole and jumps into the pool to swim across to me. I drop into the pool from my side. She meets me most of the way across the pool, wrapping her arms and legs around me. We don't kiss. We've never kissed. We do go nose to nose. Someone coughs behind me.

"Lorna, hey, these are Paulette, my fiancé and Peggy my Life Partner." I can't read the expression on Lorna's face. Something tells me that I'm about to get my face slapped. It has been a rough day.

"Do you ladies like to share?" Lorna asks playfully.

"Do you and Joshua share often?" Paulette inquires.

"No," sighs Lorna, "he has been telling me he's had someone and he can't fool around. It is nice to finally meet you. I was beginning to think he was blowing me off ... or gay."

My two women slip into the pool and float toward us.

"We thank you for taking good care of our Joshua," Peggy starts.

"But we aren't at a sharing moment in our relationship," Paulette finishes. They are finishing each other's sentences. I wonder what I do if they started dressing alike. Actually that sounds kind of kinky.

Lorna kisses me on the nose and strokes back to the other side of the pool. She gets back and smiles at the three of us as she towels off. She is soon back to cleaning the pool and checking the filters. Only after Lorna is gone does Peggy sneak over to me and give me an 'atta boy'.

"Huh?"

"You kept your eyes on us, and Paulette and I noticed. That means a lot," she says. Sometimes I don't get women. I love them. Why would I be looking elsewhere?

(Monday morning)

I walk up to my Dad's office. I've got a good head of steam on. I need it to dampen down the fear. Peggy and Paulette are tagging along, but hanging back.

"Mr. Dillard ..."

"Go right on in," Dad' Personal Assistant says. I spy Louisa behind him in her customary spot. She gives me a hopeful look.

I walk into Dad's office. It seems to take forever to cover the distance in this cavernous space. Dad is busy doing the stuff that makes this company run. I stand in front of the desk and clear my throat. I don't bother sitting down.

"Hello Father."

"Joshua."

"Father, I'm getting married to Paulette Ellis and I would like you to attend our wedding." Dad stops working and looks up at me.

"I forbid it," he states. It isn't an order; it's a fact.

"No." That word escapes me before I even grasp the meaning and consequence of it.

"No? I wasn't asking you Joshua, I'm telling you. You are not marrying that man." Huh?

"Paulette is a woman. She is a woman in every way that matters," I reply.

"'She has a dick. She's a he," Dad persists.

"I take it then you are not coming," I respond.

"There is not going to be a wedding," he repeats.

"No, there will not be a wedding you attend, Dad, but I'm marrying her. I didn't come here for permission. I'm a grown man. Attend or not, that's on you."

"And if I kick you out of the family?"

"I guess I'll flip burgers," I shoot back.

"Idiot, your Mother left you with your house, the home in Aspen, and twenty million dollars. You'll hardly be destitute." Oh yeah, Peggy mentioned something like that. My stark raving terror made me forget.

"I'll buy a MacDonald's and hire people to flip burgers for me then."

Dad taps his Blue Tooth and the grin he shoots my way is full of menace.

"This is no longer a problem. I paid your two bimbos a million dollars each -- plus a generous severance package to leave the company and never talk to you again. We are done here."

"You are lying," I groan. With more conviction I add, "They love me. They wouldn't do that."

"Go out there and see that they are gone," he taunts me.

"You are a lying bastard and I'm tired of you playing with me," I snap. "Even if they are not there, I follow them and make it work. You won't take this away from me."

Dad stands up and looks at me. I refuse to wilt; I glare back.

"Do you know why I never liked you?" Dad asks me.

"No, I never really did. I gave up trying with you a long time ago."

"Exactly; Joshua, I never cared that you were an idiot. You can't help that. That I resented you for was that you were lazy. Good or bad, you took whatever came down the road without caring. Why are finally working for something? Why now?" He inquires. I'm not the smartest guy in the world and I have no coaching to fall back on, so I reach out blindly.

"I found something I couldn't buy. I found love. I found people that love me. I want it enough to work for it. Once I felt that way about one person it became easier to expand on that. I earned it Dad. You didn't buy it for me, I earned it," I answer.

"Oh," he muses. He sits down and gets back to work. "You may go." I don't know what to make of that.

"Dad, are you going to come to my wedding?" I wonder.

"Of course I am," he sighs in a bored manner, "I have to give Ms. Ellis away don't I?" I'm almost to the door when I understand what that means. I try not to do summersaults.

"Dad, where are the girls?" I ask.

"I imagine they are still in the waiting area. I offered them five million each to leave. Peggy threw the papers back in Mr. Dillard's face and Paulette threatened him with physical violence," Dad finishes with a chuckle. Mr. Dillard was a linebacker in college and bench presses 280 lbs. Paulette is 100 lbs. soaking wet and is just starting to exercise. Paulette's fighting for Peggy, me, and are yet-to-be-born children. I put even money on Paulette.

"Well," Paulette asks, tense as a bow string.

"Oh," I hesitate" ... he says he wants to take you down the aisle." I then break out into a big grin. Paulette hug-tackles me. Peggy reaches out and strokes my arm and I think she gives me something better than an 'atta boy'. It doesn't make me feel good; it makes me feel proud.

"Ms. Ellis," Mr. Dillard interrupts from his desk. He extends a card. "This is a bridal boutique the company has an account at. You have an appointment for tomorrow at eleven."

Paulette takes the card numbly. Suddenly this had become so much more real for her. She's going to get a dress, white, flowing, and just the way every woman wants it. Peggy looks like she wants to cry.

"Ms. Anderson," Mr. Dillard says (that's Peggy), "there is some files that need to be processed on your system. Ms. Ellis is being recommended for Ralph McCoy's position as Assistant Director of Purchasing which is more in line with her new status in the company. I'm sure Mrs. Winton won't be a problem, don't you?" Peggy smiles.

"No, I think Mrs. Winton and I have an understanding. I am staying on as Mr. Townsend's Personal Assistant?"

"Yes, unless you want a transfer," Dillard stated.

"No," Peggy responded quickly. "I'm quite happy where I am."

I'm happy where I am too. Somehow when I was making other people happy I was making myself happy. I wonder how that happened. I'll ask Peggy to explain it to me when we get back to the office.

*

(This storyline had no real direction when I envisioned it. It was supposed to be a series of small tales about a Well-Meaning Idiot and his Girl Friday. The inspiration for how it has evolved is due mostly to the feedback and comments I've gotten. Thanks to everyone who helped me get to this spot. I hope it has been as much fun for you to read as it has been for me to write.)