Three is a Prime Number

"So, you kept score?"

I looked at her. She wasn't smiling anymore. I thought I was suddenly driving down a track with disaster waiting at the end. I really liked the flirting and the banter, but I touched a nerve. I knew how important it is to Phoebe that Abby and I get along. Most importantly, I knew that having my girlfriend's best friend like me could be crucial to the Phoebe and me being together long-term. I had seen best friends ruin relationships and I didn't want that to happen to us. I did my best to get our burgeoning friendship back on track.

"Abby, I'm just kidding. I never did anything like that. I really was a study nerd. Academics didn't come naturally, so I had to hump it all the time. As far as women, well, until senior year I had a total of two dates. Neither one of them was charmed enough to consider learning even the color of my underwear."

"And, senior year?" she asked, seeming to start to warm up again. At least she was continuing the conversation.

"Had a girlfriend second semester. Not serious for either one of us. We had fun, were each other's dates for the big social events and parted with whatever virtue we had when we met still intact."

"No shit?"

"Sad, but true. I think I was the only Brown senior still a virgin."

"And then?" Abby probed.

"And then, at Harvard I continued my social awkwardness streak. Finally, at UVA I met a whole bunch of Southern misses who wouldn't say shit if they had a mouthful, but who loved to screw."

Abby laughed and I joined her.

"Long time coming, but I was making up for lost time."

We rode along as I pointed out various local landmarks. Abby asked general questions about Portsmouth. After a short silence, I asked if she were going to share her social history.

"Not while you're driving," she said. "I wouldn't want you to have a heart attack and drive off the road."

"Really," I said. "Now, you have me interested. How about I ply you with alcohol when we get home?"

"I never resist plying," Abby said and touched my forearm. The flirting finally started again.

We chatted about each other's work until I pulled up to our condo building. I pulled into the garage and unloaded Abby's bags while she carried her large purse. Entering the condo, she remarked on the charm of the converted warehouse.

"This is nice, Jamie. What a great apartment." She walked to the bay window and admired the view of the Piscataqua River.

"Thanks. I've had it for three years. Since Phoebe moved in it looks a lot better. She has great taste."

"Yes, I can see that," Abby said and then let her eyes roam up and down my body.

"God, you are a flirt," I said.

"Raised in the south, so it comes naturally. And, you already know about southern girls." She grinned and tried to give me a seductive look.

"Uh, what I meant before is that only some southern girls liked to, you know..."

"Screw?"

I nodded. Was I in trouble again?

Abby walked by me on the way to the guest bedroom. She touched my cheek and said. "Actually, I think you were right the first time. All southern girls like that."

I thought "This is going to be a hell of a week."

Abby freshened up and joined me in the kitchen. I was preparing a light lunch of Caesar chicken wraps and a garden salad.

"Ooh, and he cooks, too," she said.

"Not much cooking involved in a sandwich and salad, but I do enjoy making dinners. Tonight, though, we will go out and celebrate your visit."

Abby munched on a cucumber slice and said it sounded like fun. "What other plans have you made?"

"Well, Phoebe was in charge of plans. If she can get her ass out of work, I think she wanted to go to the beach tomorrow. Then again, if she doesn't have to work on Monday, she had in mind that you and she could go up the coast and do some sightseeing and shopping in Maine. Other than that, you'll have to work it out with her."

"Sounds like fun," Abby said as I placed our food on the table. "But, you won't be with us."

"I gotta work on Monday and Tuesday, but I kept my calendar open for the rest of the week. If Phoebe's supervisor keeps her promise to let her have some time out of work, we can play tourist in Boston for a couple days. If you'd like, we could try to get to Cape Cod."

Abby finished a bite of her wrap. "I haven't been to the Cape since grad school. That would be great. Living in Chicago, I really miss the ocean. A big lake is just not the same as salt water and crashing waves. Just thinking of sinking my toes in the sand makes me warm all over."

"Then, how about a beer to cool off?"

"A man after my own heart," she smiled and placed her hand over heart, while cupping the breast lying underneath her shirt.

I opened a couple local craft beers and we enjoyed them along with the rest of our lunch.

Abby offered to clean up and I called Phoebe to see what the situation at work was.

"I am freaking buried. If I get home before four, I'll be lucky. How's Abby?"

"Great. She's a lot of fun. We just finished lunch here at the apartment. How about if we walk downtown, grab an ice cream and you can meet us when you're free?"

"Sounds perfect. Let me talk with her?"

Handing the phone to Abby I took over drying the dishes.

Abby was animated and bubbly talking with Phoebe. She gave her the details of how I met her. She looked at me as she said, "He's really nice, Phoebes. And, not bad to look at."

I grinned and posed like a magazine model.

"He's a bit geeky, though," Abby said. She giggled as I exaggerated a collapse from my pose.

She ended the call and handed me my phone. "Says to tell you she loves you."

"Really?"

"You doubt it?"

"No, but she is not usually so expressive around other people," I said.

"Jamie, I'm far from other people." Abby looked at me with a strange smile.

We walked to downtown Portsmouth in about ten minutes. We bought our ice creams and strolled around the quaint downtown. Abby marked a number of stores she wanted to visit before she left town. We ended up sitting in Market Square and doing some serious people watching. Abby had a wicked sense of humor and had me laughing at her observations about the crowds moving along.

Around four my cell buzzed. Phoebe said she was finally finished. I told her where we were and twenty minutes later we saw her walking our way.

Abby jumped up and ran to her. They hugged and shrieked. After another extended hug, they broke apart and quickly kissed each other on the lips. I enjoyed seeing how much Phoebe loved seeing her friend. Arm in arm they walked back to me.

"Jamie, thank you so much for being such a good sport with Abby," Phoebe said after kissing me.

"Well, it was a huge pain, but I managed to endure it."

"He's cute, Phoebes, but an asshole."

"Oh, wait until you really get to know him," my girlfriend said.

"He's nice then?"

"No, just a little bit less of an asshole."

We all laughed. As a lawyer, I get a lot of asshole jokes. Unfortunately, they're not all inaccurate. I can be a bit abrasive at times. And, of course, I think my opinion is always correct. As I like to say, I may not be right, but I am always certain.

"Hey, how about this asshole buys some drinks before dinner?" I offered.

"See," said Phoebe, "He's getting better."

With me in the middle, each of the women snaked an arm through mine. We headed off to one of the bars along the waterfront. We grabbed a table and ordered beers and nachos.

"God, I'm starving," said Phoebe. "All I had all day was a granola bar and a cup of coffee. This beer will go right to my head."

"Don't worry, sweetie," said Abby. "Jamie and I will take care of you."

"That's what I'm hoping for," said Phoebe and then blushed.

After another round of drinks, we walked up the street to another restaurant and were lucky enough to score a table on the deck. As we sat looking up the river, a tugboat maneuvered its way into its berth on the pier.

"This is really charming," said Abby. "I miss New England. Chicago is fun, but I feel isolated being so far from the east coast."

Phoebe rested her hand on top of Abby's. "Well, maybe someday you'll find work back here. Or, maybe find someone who lives here and convinces you to come back east."

The two women locked eyes. I suddenly felt like a third wheel, which is a strange feeling when it's your girlfriend sitting across from you.

Our waitress appeared and we ordered. All of us went for a seafood dish, and I asked for the wine list. I suggested a couple options, and the girls opted for a Pinot Grigio. With conversation flowing freely, we enjoyed the evening. We decided to leave Phoebe's car at work and walked back to our condo near Strawberry Banke.

I told them I was going to turn in early. In reality, I thought they probably wanted some girl time to catch up on what had happened since they last met. They put up token resistance to my plan, but did not try too hard to discourage me.

I was in our bedroom, having just stripped off my clothes, when Phoebe walked in.

"Hmm, maybe I should reconsider and go to bed now," she said as she let me pull her into my arms. Her closeness produced a predictable result.

"There's a standing invitation," I said and kissed her. She looked at my erection and smiled.

"Ooh, you make it hard to decide," she parried.

"Kiss me again like that and you'll find out how hard it can get," I said.

Phoebe giggled and reached between my legs. She tugged on the erection and sighed once more.

"Raincheck, babe?" she pleaded.

"Anytime. Go talk about whatever you girls talk about," I said.

"I bet Abby wouldn't mind talking about what I have in my hand."

The thought of the tall, pretty blond and my girlfriend discussing my dick made the topic of conversation jump. The thought of both of them doing more than just talking about my dick made my heart race. I recalled the erotic night when Phoebe shared me with the mystery woman.

"Ah, you like that idea?" she said and ran her hand slowly up my shaft.

"I like you touching me," I whispered.

"Mutual," she said and kissed me.

"I need to change," Phoebe said and stepped away. She looked down at my erection and sighed.

She stripped to skin quickly. I love her body. She is about five feet five inches and well-proportioned. Her legs show the result of years of soccer with muscular, toned thighs. Topping them is a tight and round rear. I often spent a lot of time kissing and fondling her butt. As she turned to pick up her sleeping tee shirt, I once again lusted after her breasts. They are not much bigger than an orange, but always stand firmly on her chest. They moved seductively as she moved. Her dark nipples stuck out from her slightly darker areolas. Being a bit short-waisted, my eyes did not have far to travel to admire the thin dark line of pubic hair that ended at the top of her neat slit. I noticed she didn't add panties, but she usually didn't wear them to bed. It struck me as a little odd that she would go back out bare-assed under her shirt to be with her friend.

"Good night, Jamie. I love you," she said after a long hug and sweet kiss.

"Love you, too."

After Phoebe left our room, I climbed into bed, wincing as the sheet rubbed against my sensitized member and decided to pull the sheet off. I thought about masturbating, but decided to wait. Making love to Phoebe in a little while would make up for any temporary deprivation.

Fifteen minutes later I was reading a brief, a sure way to bring on slumber, when Phoebe appeared back in the room.

She was slightly flushed.

"Uh, babe, would you mind if maybe I slept in the guest room tonight?"

"Isn't Abby sleeping there?"

Phoebe nodded.

I may be slow, but am not completely brain dead.

"Oh," I said. I pride myself on snappy comebacks.

"I meant to talk to you about this before," Phoebe said. "I didn't know how to bring it up."

"Helluva time to do it now," I said, letting a bit of peevishness creep into my voice, "with a woman waiting in the other bedroom. That makes this more than a little awkward."

"Well, I did tell you when we first started going out that I had some bi- experiences. And, you know that special night for your birthday sorta included me and the mystery woman having some fun."

"Yes and you said that night was special, like in a one-time thing. And when you spoke about the past, Phoebe, it seemed sorta theoretical. Now, I think we're talking about reality. And, you never told me when you invited Abby that she was one of your 'experiences'."

"You know I love you, Jamie."

"Yes and I love you. But we are talking about you having sex with someone else," I said. After a pause with just silence between us, I said, "Aren't we?"

"Yes," Phoebe admitted. "But, it's not with another guy. And, it's not behind your back."

"So, is Abby like your girlfriend?"

"She's my best friend," said Phoebe. "And, well, a lover."

"This is a lot of shit to just drop on me. I thought I was your lover?"

"Oh, you are, sweetheart. You're the best."

"Then why are you telling me you want to sleep with someone else?"

"I know, this is kinda messed up," Phoebe said. "And, to be honest, I didn't think it would go this way. I thought the two of you would meet, get to know each other and you would see how beautiful and special she is. Then, I would sorta work around to talking about her and me being together in the past. Then I could discuss how maybe she and I could re-live some old times and that would lead to Abby and me in bed together."

"And, what happened with that plan?" I asked.

"She is just so fucking hot," Phoebe said. "I can't keep my hands off her."

Phoebe realized what she had blurted out. As her hands covered her mouth, she had a look of terror in her eyes thinking she may have crossed the line. Her insecurity was seeping out.

I said nothing for a bit and then I let a smile appear. I couldn't hold it back. Phoebe was so cute right now.

"Yeah, she is pretty hot. Come give me a kiss."

Phoebe crawled into bed and sprawled on top of me. She smashed her mouth to mine and soon our tongues were dancing. My hands were on her bare butt peeking out from her shirt and she was grinding on me. In a second my erection was moving along her sex. Maybe I could convince her that the best times were still in this bed, not in the guest room.

Phoebe rested her head on my shoulder. "Do you hate me?"

"To say I'm confused would be a great understatement," I said. "I am very confused. I hear what you are saying about loving me, but at the same time you are saying you want to sleep with someone else."

"But it's not a guy," said Phoebe, sounding a bit confused.

"That makes it better? Tonight I hear that my girlfriend is a lesbian and wants to fuck another girl in my condo." My anger was rising again and I was failing at holding it back.

Phoebe recoiled at the intensity of what I said. Her eyes began to brim with tears.

"I thought this was 'our' condo."

"Well, you moved in with me, so it was mine to begin with and I pay the goddamn mortgage." I hated the way I sounded, but couldn't seem to put my emotions back into a bottle. The asshole part of me was clawing its way out.

"I'm sorry I've upset you," Phoebe said.

I knew she did not do well with this type of confrontation. I was telling my brain to back off, but my anger got the better of me.

"Surprised me, you mean."

"Whatever," Phoebe said quietly. "Now, I've ruined everything. I'll ask Abby to leave tomorrow. Maybe I can get her a hotel tonight."

"Fuck that," I said. "I'll get a hotel. Then the two of you can share 'our' condo."

Phoebe started to cry. As angry as I was, I now felt like a total shit. In our relationship, I played the part of the strong one—the one who provided a safe refuge for Phoebe. She often let her insecurities take over and became almost fearful in dealing with issues. Now, I was not being her safe harbor. I was hurt, but I did not want to destroy Phoebe.

"Babe, I'm afraid I'm going to lose you. I don't want that, Phoebe."

"You're not going to lose me," Phoebe said between sobs. "Think of it as gaining a new sexy friend."

I took a deep breath to try to quell my anger. I held her and rubbed her back. "Phoebe, I love you too much to just blow up everything. You have to admit that this is awkward."

She nodded as I spoke and I felt her head move on my chest. "Jamie, I love you, too. If this is too much, I'll stay here with you tonight and tomorrow we can all talk about it."

I cupped her head and asked her if that was what she really wanted.

"Jamie, I don't know."

"Yes, you do. Be honest with me."

I could feel her tears on my chest. Her words, when they came, were so soft that I strained to hear them.

"I want to be with Abby tonight."

I always encouraged Phoebe to tell me what she felt and not what she thought I wanted her to say. She was now following my advice and I had to deal with her honesty.

"Go. Go be with her and we can begin to sort this out tomorrow."

She lifted her head and stared at me, searching to see if I was sincere. I smiled and she moved her mouth to mine. "I love you so much," she said.

Slowly, she moved down my body and slipped her lips over my erection. I knew I should be offended that she thought I could be so easily thrown off course. As her lips glided up and down my shaft, I admitted I enjoyed giving up my anger. I guess Phoebe did know me pretty well.

"Do you really still love me, Phoebe?"

"God, more than ever. Every day I love you more." She took me deep in her mouth. Obviously, most doubts about her affection for me quickly disappeared.

I enjoyed her attention for a minute or two. "That's enough. You don't want to go to Abby with penis breath. We still have a lot of sorting out to do, but I love you too much to just walk away. And, I am pissed that this is coming up at the last minute. That's unfair, Phoebe. Still, I think this is so strange that I can't even categorize where it belongs in a normal relationship."

"Maybe we don't want a 'normal' relationship," she said. "Maybe we can think about other ways to be together."

"Maybe," I said. "Go to Abby. Just don't break my heart."

"God, you are just the best, Jamie," Phoebe said while showering me with kisses. "I'll never break your heart because my heart and yours are the same."

"And, Abby's?"

"No rule says that three hearts can't be together."

"That will take some thinking, Phoebe. But, go. I love you."

I kissed her and she ran from the room.

As I lay there naked, with my boner pointing to the ceiling, I was totally conflicted. On the one hand, what man would say "yes" to having his girlfriend sleep with someone else - in the next room no less? On the other hand, what man wouldn't say "yes" to have his girlfriend sleep with a beautiful woman if it meant possibly being part of all that in the near future? My hand circled my dick and soon I had a great physical sensation to accompany my vivid imaginings of what was happening in the next room.

I was half-way to a most satisfactory conclusion when there was a rap on the door and it opened. Abby stuck her head in. She looked at my naked body, my hand on my erection and smiled. "Just saying thanks, Jamie. Phoebe always said you were the best and I agree. I, uh, see you have everything well in hand now. Love you." She closed the door.

In a second it re-opened. "Nice cock, by the way," and she closed the door.

"Well, that should break some ice among the three of us," I thought and kept stroking until I reached the satisfaction I was seeking.

***

I was up early on Sunday and was standing in the kitchen making breakfast when I felt arms around my waist. Phoebe kissed my cheek.

"Morning," she said.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

She giggled. "Jamie, about last night..."