My Wife in Another Woman's Arms

I felt my mind splintering, her thoughts filtering into my head. Every nerve seemed connected and entwined.

Standing became difficult as we both lost balance, leaning dependently on the other.

Our kiss broken by Sophie saying softly. "Coffees here."

Guilt flooded me, was she mad? When I looked, all I saw was love. No hint of anger or jealousy. "That looked so lovely." She sighed.

As we moved into the control room. Ella leaned close to Sophie, placed both hands on either side of Sophie's head and held her as she kissed her as she kissed me. It wasn't just passion, or even lust. It was emotions, feelings.

We drank our coffees in silence. With my cup empty, I said unconvincingly. "I better get going. It's late, and I have to open up in the morning."

Ella, looked sad as she pouted, Sophie, sighed ruefully. "We could stay." She looked pleadingly at Ella. "That would be all right wouldn't it?"

"It's what I was hoping would happen. I didn't want you to go."

Our love making that night may have been even more powerful than the previous night. We understood a little more about each other. What we liked, and of course what we didn't. We found new ways to include us all. Making sure nobody was left out unless they wanted to be.

At some point during our lovemaking. Ella's, body was wrapped around mine as we made love. My cock sliding in and out of her gooey swollen pussy.

Sophie, disconnected and lay back watching. Concerned I went to stop, but she cried out. "No, I love it. I just want to watch."

She lay on her back, her fingers diddling her clit as she played the voyeuristic perv watching intently as Ella, and I fucked furiously. Our bodies colliding with ferocity. It seemed more erotic than ever knowing Sophie, watched on perversely working herself to her own orgasm.

Sleep actually came easier this time. I guess we were finding ways to get comfortable.

The morning seemed less awkward than the first time.

As Sophie, and I were getting into my car. Ella, said. "You're coming back tonight... Right?"

"Yes." Sophie squealed with delighted giggles.

Ella, glanced at me questioningly. "Right?"

I nodded defeatedly. "Yeah, we'll be back."

It seemed our lives were being drawn inextricably closer. Like a magnetic force was at play.

When we arrived back that night. Ella, was still in the studio working with a local band who were recording a demo. Sophie and I went for a walk along the beach. We splashed in the cool water, held hands. Kissed and leaned close. Her arm circling my waist, her head on my shoulder.

When we got back. Ella, was inside searching through her fridge.

"What say we go out for dinner. My shout?" I announced.

She smiled knowingly. "Don't like my cooking huh?"

"No, I merely thought it would be nice to go out. Seems like you've had a busy day."

"Bugger, I didn't bring anything to go out in." Sophie grumbled.

"We can find something in my wardrobe babe." Ella, offered.

"Like hell, I'd never fit into anything of yours. I'm a fatty compared to you."

"Fat my arse. You're fucking gorgeous. Come on. We'll find something."

"Whoa, slow down a second." I called. Can I ask a question before you go?"

"Yeah." Ella replied.

"How long since you mowed your lawns?"

She giggled stupidly. "It's been a while. My mowers broken?"

"Do you mind if I have a look at it. That long grass pisses me off."

"Oh baby. You go for it. Nothing would make me happier."

Pulling the old mower over by the steps, I saw what the problem was straight away. The fuel tank was full of water. The poor old thing had been left outside. I drained it, flushed it, but had to drive down to the petrol station to buy fuel. I got some oil while I was at it. That was probably contaminated as well.

Fresh oil, and new fuel. I tugged and pulled on the pull start. Surprisingly it burst into life on the fifth pull. I laughed to myself as I worked slowly into the over grown lawns. Even with the mower on the highest setting it was hard work. Slowly working my way into the longest sections. It took over an hour, and two tanks of fuel before I turned the mower off. It still looked shithouse. I hadn't been able to use the catcher, and there were windrows of cut grass piled up.

She didn't have a leaf rake, so I could do nothing but leave them.

Ella walked out to survey my work. "Shit dude, that looks amazing." She slipped easily into my arms for a kiss. "Thank you for doing that."

"Nah, no worries. I'll finish them tomorrow."

Oooohh, does that mean you're coming back?"

"Yeah, I have an album to record."

She laughed happily as Sophie, walked out looking sexy as hell. "Wow, you look hot."

"Thanks she spluttered. "You don't think it makes my arse look fat?"

"Jesus, fuck me." Ella sighed. "I told you it looked good."

"I need to hear it from Prentiss. You'd say that anyway."

"I just said you looked hot."

"You need a shower. You better hurry, the restaurant will be closed in an hour."

Dinner was nice, and we talked more intimately. That sounds ridiculous after we had made love. But we were opening up. Revealing more of ourselves to each other. Talking about how we ended up here. And a little of where we wanted to go."

Listening to Ella, and even Sophie talking honestly about their journeys, was an extraordinary experience. Sophie, god, I was only just starting to understand. I knew so little of who she really was.

Our lives were merging. The next night I finished the lawns, and started on the overgrown hedge that lined her driveway. The next night I finished the edging with an edge trimmer I hired in town. Then it was water-blasting the house.

I understood it must have been difficult living alone in this run down old place. However, hiding underneath all the grime and dirt was a pretty nice old place. Ella, apologised again, explaining she spent all her money on the studio.

I didn't care, I enjoyed working around the place. It needed a fresh coat of paint. Needed some rotten window frames repaired, broken steps replaced, but the outside was in reasonable condition.

We continued to work on my album every night as well. Sometimes working until one or two in the morning.

Seeing me pour myself into tidying up the house brought Sophie, out and she helped me in the gardens as Ella, worked in the studio.

Closer... Ever closer we grew. Little tendrils interlacing. Like a climbing vine we merged... Ever closer.

It was slow, but irreversible process of integration. Sophie had more clothes at Ella's than she did at her own place.

I couldn't remember the last time I slept at my own flat. Our lives were becoming one, in a relentless inevitable assimilation of three souls into one giant mass.

Ella, I think realised, or maybe felt it more than us. Over dinner one evening. She said. "This doesn't make sense."

"What?" I asked.

"The three of us living in different houses. You have your own place. Sophie has her place. It costs a lot of money to maintain that. Why don't you all move in here. You virtually do now anyway?"

Sophie, glanced at me. I could see she wanted to say yes, but was waiting for me.

"We would lose our independence. I'd have nowhere to go when you get sick of me?" I replied, trying to hide my unease by trying to turn it into a joke.

"Piss off dude. We won't get sick of you."

"Not unless somebody invents a lawn mowing vibrator." Sophie added giggling.

"Oh yeah, that'd make you happy. You wouldn't have to wax."

"Fuck you." She spat back at me playfully.

"Do you think we're ready for that?" I asked seriously.

"No, yes, maybe. I don't know Prentiss. All I know is it doesn't make sense to be maintaining three places, and I'm locked to this one. I actually own it." Ella said firmly.

"Yeah, but what happens if it all falls apart?"

"Does it feel to you like that's happening? Because I gotta say dude. I feel the opposites true. I feel closer than ever. I want you to move in."

"I want to." Sophie gushed, entering the conversation for the first time. "This is the most amazingly fulfilling relationship. I love you both. I want it to get closer."

Ella, and her melded together in a tight embrace, their mouths becoming one.

There was no sense fighting it. We moved in, and it did make sense. I was paying three hundred bucks a week in a shared flat. Sophie was paying over four hundred.

It wasn't easy, there were discussions on what was going where. Ella, put up a fight the first time I gave her money.

"No way dude, I own this place. I don't need more money. You look after the house. Fuck, don't insult me."

"I feel guilty. I paid that much where I was living."

"Yeah babes, we have to pay our way." Sophie, added taking up my argument. We decided to do it differently. What I would have paid in rent. I put into repairing the house. I fixed the rotten window sills and frames. Replaced the leaking gutters. Then when I got a few days off. I painted the house with Sophie and Ella's, help. Like a well oiled team we worked. Me up the ladder, and the girls trimming the windows.

It was fun, and if anything brought us closer together. The roof was a different story. Once I climbed up to inspect it. I saw how rusted and rotten it was. The corrugated iron was near the end of it's life. I highlighted the worst areas and using my old employee discount card. I purchased some new corrugated iron.

The day it turned up. Ella flipped. For the first time since moving in. We had the biggest fight ever.

"What the fuck is all that doing here?" She screamed.

"Your oof is fucked. I'm replacing it."

"Like fuck you are. I can't afford that?" She snarled viciously.

"I'm bloody paying for it you stupid bitch." I spat back angrily.

She glared at me menacingly. "The fuck you are, and don't you ever call me that again."

"I'm sorry but it has to be done. Your roofs shot."

"How much is all that fucking tin?" She asked.

"Ten grand or so."

"Holy fuck dude. Jesus, I can't afford that."

Sophie, jumped into her arms and cuddled her. "It is gonna be okay. Shush. He's only trying to help."

"I don't want any money. I didn't want you to come out here to fix my house."

"Wow, come on. We know that. We love you, and Prentiss is just trying to show you that."

Ella, glared at me from across Sophie's, shoulder. "You should have told me, or even better asked me."

"I was trying to surprise you. I thought you'd be pleased."

"Fucking did that all right."

She waved for me to join their hug.

Ella, wouldn't have it any other way. The day I climbed up on the roof and started ripping off the old iron. She was right there beside me. I told her to get down but if anything that made her more determined than ever.

On the ground Sophie loaded the old iron on the trailer preparing for a drive to the dump. It took us a month. Doing small sections at a time. Then two days painting and the place had a new roof.

We celebrated as was our way. A barbecue, drinks and an early night. Lovemaking that went on and on. Together, they were insatiable. Sometimes, all I could do was lay there and watch.

Was I the luckiest bastard on the planet.

With the outside finished, it made the inside look bad. It was Ella, who started that. One evening she picked at a bit of the peeling wallpaper, and soon we were ripping off long sheets off the shitty stuff.

It was an old home, and Ella had said many times she hated the inside. Because it was old, it was built in the old ways. The kitchen, the dining room, the living room and the sun room were all separate tiny little rooms. Ella wanted to rip all the walls out and make it one big open plan room.

We talked about it a lot over a month or so. One of my fans from the boat shed was a builder. I ran the ideas past him. He came out for a look and he talked to Ella.

"Okay, how much?" She asked him.

Rob, looked at me and smiled. "Tell you what. It's my wife Mary's, birthday in a couple of months. If you play at her birthday party. I will do this job for three grand."

"I can help." I threw in.

"Yes, I was hoping you would. If I charged full price. The job would cost fifteen grand."

"Okay, I'll play at Mary's, birthday. Could I pay you for your work spread over two months?"

"Yes, I think we can wear that." Before Ella, could argue. I shook his hand and sealed the deal.

Things all came together. We finally finished my album. I was amazed with the results. Over dinner I raised the suggestion of having a release party.

"Where would you do it?" Ella, asked.

"Dunno, maybe the boatshed?"

"What about here?" She replied.

"Here?"

"Yes. I have never had a formal opening. I was scared letting too many people know exactly what equipment and instruments I had here. Living alone made it difficult. Plus, the place was a shit hole, but now, it looks sensational. I am so proud of this place. I would love to show the world what we're capable of. Your album is the perfect example of what my studio is all about, and what capabilities it has."

"It's not the studio Ella, it's you. The equipment is excellent, but it's you who provides the magic."

"Flatterer." She said blushing. "It would be nice to have like an open day, and an album release on the same day."

"Sweet, we can both have a big day." I said.

Our lives were now so intrinsically linked. Every day, the bonds drew tighter. I no longer tried to separate my thoughts. I no longer thought about I as an entity. It was always we.

I sensed it Ella and Sophie as well. Our early lives seemed forgotten, the past was nothing more than the torturous twisted peril ridden impetus to push us forward.

It was one day as Sophie, and I drove into work, that I asked. "How do we protect us, you and me? It feels like it's a commodity that is losing it's identity."

"What does that mean my love?" She replied dubiously.

"When you and I met, and we planned our life together. We had some dreams and aspirations. A home, good jobs and a family. Now those goals seem lost in a much wider us."

"We can still do all of those things. I have a great job. You have your music, the job at the bar. A family, we still have time, and there's nothing standing in our way."

"Ella?"

"No, she would never stand in our way. She loves kids, you have seen her with the neighbours children. She's a teacher, and widely respected at the college."

"I understand, but how do we have children in our current situation?"

"The same way we would anywhere."

"No, it's not that simple. We set our goal to own our own home before we pulled that lever."

"Prentiss, I don't know what to say. I love Ella, and you do as well. I know we haven't talked about this, but I love her."

"I do as well, the last few days I've been trying to get my head around what has troubled me. Everything's changed. You were living with Ember, we went straight from that to this. We've lost our identity."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know." I sighed uneasily. "We can't live like this forever. It's fun, but it's not a permanent arrangement."

"Why not?"

"Three people living together..."

It got worse for me over the next few days. I spent a lot of time alone, trying to get my head around what it was that bugged me. As I retreated, pulling my head back into my shell like a nervous turtle. I watched as Ella, and Sophie, got closer, they talked in hushed whispers., seemingly searching quiet places where I wouldn't interrupt. Whenever I walked into a room, they shut up.

It didn't help my uncertainty.

The release party open day was huge. We had literally hundreds of people through the studio. I played out on a little stage we built next to the studio. We catered, and had a bar. Ella had some of the other artists she had recorded come in for short performances.

The local newspaper sent out a photographer and reporter.

I sold fifty or more CD's. For me it was a cathartic, a moment of clarity where I saw myself as an artist. Up until that moment I never really saw myself as anything other than a pretender, a wannabee. Now with the album released. I held something tangible in my hand that was me. Okay, it wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for Ella, but they were my songs, I wrote them, I came up with the melody's.

Holding the album in my hands I saw it, and I knew I wanted it to mean something.

That night after we had cleaned up, and were getting ready for bed. Ella and Sophie both trapped me.

"We need to talk Prentiss."

I nodded, yes, we most definitely did. "Yeah, I think so too." We moved into the living room. We sat together. "Babe, we know you've had a lot on your mind lately, we've watched you withdrawing from us. We want to talk about the future." Sophie whispered.

They exchanged glances, before Ella, said in a hesitant faltering voice. "Sophie, and I have talked a lot over the last few weeks. We see you drifting away. She told me of your concerns about us, and your future."

"Ella..."

"No, let me finish." She said firmly. When I heard your concerns, it scared me. I can't imagine a life without you both in it. So we are here today to say one simple thing."

They both sucked in deep breaths and said simultaneously. "Will you marry us?"

It wasn't what I was expecting. I had let my insecurities once again get the better of me. "You want to marry?"

"Yes my Love. You talked about wanting to start a family. It starts right here. I don't want a life without Ella."

"And I don't want a life without you and Sophie." Ella whispered.

"My love, I don't ever want to imagine a life without you. I love you so much. We want to marry you."

"That's crazy. It's illegal?" I mumbled incoherently. My mind of on some weird tangent.

"Yeah, okay. Maybe marry is the wrong word. We want you as our husband."

"Prentiss, you talked about children. We both want children. We all want children."

I looked at Ella, and she looked so impassioned. "Yes, I want to have children as well."

"This is crazy." I spluttered. "How can we ever make this work?"

"With love. Think about it Prentiss. We have three incomes, we have three people to carry the load. Three parents. We can do this. It makes so much sense. We all love each other."

"Fuck... What will people say?"

"Who cares what people say. The only people that matter here, are us." Ella stated. "All of this, what we have now. The house is something wonderful. We all made that happen. I want it to become ours, all of us, it should be our family home."

"Prentiss, do you love Ella?" Sophie said interrupting my thoughts.

"Yes."

"Prentiss, do you love Sophie?" Ella, asked.

"Yes."

"Then it's done. Decided. We are one."

"You're both insane." I muttered disbelievingly. It happened so fast, it made sense, and yet it didn't. I did love them both.

I don't know where it started, but there were mouths crushing mouths, bodies rubbing against me. Hands everywhere. It grew so quickly that there was no holding it back. We made love with a new found urgency. When I reached for a condom. Sophie, stopped me. "Not tonight, not with me. Tonight we start our family."

We lay together in bed cuddled closely together. Love binding us closer than ever.

It was Ella's, idea to start entering our favourite songs in song writing competitions around the world. Sophie took control of our social media stuff. She drove the publicity.

I played any gig I could get. It started slowly, but bit by bit, day by day we blossomed. On the back of doing well in some of the prestigious competitions the requests I received came from much wider afield. It required touring to promote.

Being a soloist, it's much easier to get gigs. Bands cost a lot. Not only paying them, but food drink and accommodation costs are high.

We brought a van, and I did a tour of the south island. Not just major centres either. I played anywhere that would have me. Word travels, and my reputation expanded. The tour expanded to include as far north as Whangarei. I pumped the sales as hard as I could,