Two Three One Ch. 09

9. One

When Keri and Victoria awoke and arose the next morning there was no breakfast awaiting them. Perplexed and even a little alarmed, Keri went from room to room looking for Sam. She found his jacket on the living room floor and thought it very odd and unlike him to leave it like that. With an ominous feeling she opened the front door to see if he was in the hallway, and on the ground in front of the door, on top of their morning newspaper which he always before brought in, was an envelope addressed to them both.

She called to Victoria and after showing her the envelope, had her sit down as she opened it. As she had feared it was from Sam, and after composing herself she began to read the handwritten note aloud.

Dear Keri and Victoria,

I realize that by not being there to serve you today that I have broken the most basic tenet of our original contract and agreement. I fully understand that the consequence of this act is that I will never be allowed to serve or see you again. While this is the difficult price that I will have to pay for my action, it is without any doubt the best course for us all. You are soon to move into the home of your dreams and begin the life you both have so long envisioned and looked forward to together. You don't need anything that might compromise or interfere with that happiness, or in any way bring you distress. I now recognize that my continued involvement in your lives would do that, and this is something I cannot ever bring myself to allow. I know that I have no right to ask, but I do make one small plea. Please do not try to find or contact me. It will not be easy for me if you do. Forgive me for any pain or hurt that I have caused. It was never my intention to do so, but that is no excuse. I tried, I overstepped, I'm sorry. Most of all, please be happy. You both deserve only the best in life, and you will always have that in each other.

Sam

Keri, bereft, put the letter down on her lap. "He was here last night, Vicky." she said plaintively. "He heard it all. That's why I found his jacket

on the floor."

"Well at least he's made it easy for us." Victoria replied.

"EASY!!! You think this is EASY?" Keri proclaimed. "This can't happen. It's not right." She looked resolutely at Victoria. This was her turn now, in the full light of day. "Vicky, you are the most important person in

the world to me, and I love you with every fiber of my heart, and nothing, NOTHING will ever change that or come between us." She paused. "But Sam is very special to me too, in his own special way. And he could be for you as well if you gave him any chance at all. He certainly tries hard enough for you. God knows he's different, with his own unique needs, but we're different too, and we've all become connected, intertwined. He's become part of us, Vicky. He's made us whole. Complete. We're much better people ... nicer people ... happier people with him around. I can see that. Why can't you? We need him as much as he needs us. And I don't mean that 'slave' thing. I can live with that if it's so important to the two of you. But we need SAM. Every part of him. Badly. We can't let him go like this. We just can't."

And now for the wild card.

"And if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even have a new home to move into."

"So he helped you with your investments." Victoria challenged weakly. "So what."

"That covered less than half of the down payment. Sam put up the rest and asked for absolutely nothing in return."

"He did what?" Victoria stammered. "Are you telling me that he paid for half of our down payment?"

"He made sure to call it a loan." Keri responded. "I have no doubt to make it clear that he didn't want or expect anything in return. Except for us to be happy. And this is how we pay him back. For that, and for everything else he's done for us."

Victoria was seriously shaken. She had never seen Keri so animated and vehement. This all put things in a new and different light. She didn't know if she could agree with Keri's premise. She just couldn't comprehend what all Keri saw in him, or in the arrangement that was so important. But it

clearly was to her, and Victoria realized that things couldn't stand as they now did. She made a preliminary decision.

"Okay Keri. My Love. We'll go talk to him, try to calm things down, and see if we can figure out what to do from here."

"But he's asked us not to try to find or contact him." Keri whimpered.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that." Victoria offered with her half smile. "He's still our slave." She stated. "Until WE say otherwise."

********

But all of their initial efforts to find Sam proved fruitless. Numerous attempts knocking at the front door of his apartment brought no response, and this time it really did seem as if there was no one within. Calls to his cell phone yielded only the 'voice mail full' message, and queries to all of the local merchants and shopkeepers in the neighborhood also produced little in the way of results. They all knew and had come to like Sam, and many commented on how much more outgoing and convivial he had become since they had first come to know him. But none unfortunately had seen him recently.

This was all further complicated by the rush of events leading up to the closing on the lake house. Fortunately, the lease on their apartment was running out at roughly the same time so they wouldn't incur any further expenses there, but there were movers to arrange for, new furniture to buy, and an incredible amount of packing to be done, all while they were both working full time. For that reason alone Victoria was coming to lament Sam's absence. But as she watched Keri's growing despondency as the weeks progressed approaching their move, in what should have been a busy but joyful time, she also surprisingly was coming to the realization that she herself was becoming depressed as well.

This was not only because of Keri's despair, or that it would have been extremely useful to have the slave around to do the lion's share of the

packing and all of the other myriad number of moving tasks. It was more that she noticed a change in herself that had not been so readily self evident

to her before, a sharpening and prickliness in her attitudes, particularly at work in her interactions with others, that had always been present in the past, but had been softened and even absent over much of the past year, but were now again beginning to re emerge.

Though now a partner she still felt herself to be the perpetual outsider in the 'Old Boys Club' that continued to make up the bulk of her law firm, and even in her overall profession itself. Because of her known orientation she didn't even benefit from the flirtatious camaraderie that might have existed with her male colleagues, which she would have disdained in any case, but the lack of which made her seem even more alien. She couldn't help the feeling that others, most especially the men, were more favored and valuable and she less so, and that she always had to work twice as hard, achieve twice as much, and still not be held in the same regard. It would always be the 'good old boys' who would reap all the benefits. Or so she perceived as she bristled.

And so, as time went on, she had begun to find it very soothing after her daily battles against these barriers, to come home and find a male waiting, willing, and wanting to see to her every need, to be at her beck and call, and to cater to her every whim. And not just any male, but one so obviously smart, talented and able, and who was so clearly a self success. And so exceptionally funny as well. Not that she had ever allowed herself to experience that part of him directly. Not as Keri had. But she had noticed all too often how he could make Keri laugh, and while at times this had bothered her, at other times she couldn't help but laugh herself, much as she tried to hide that from them both. Lastly, she half smiled to herself, she had come to discover that he had the most amazing tongue. Not as sweet as Keri's, but a bit more adventurous.

And then there was the dildo, which she had kept hidden away since that one night. She still had no further need to use it that way on him again, but if the slave asked ... her half grin widened a little more ... no, if he begged, well ... But there were so many other ways that it could be utilized. It could be fashioned with a chin strap wrapped around his head to be so used for their enjoyment. She began to feel a very pleasant warmth below. When she had purchased that one she had also seen another one, a double ended dildo, with a shorter end that could be fit into the slave's mouth, with the longer, thicker end fastened outward from his face. She began to rock slightly back and forth. Maybe she would have Keri experience it all first, to keep everyone happy. There was no end to the inventive ways a slave could be used ... if properly trained. And she wouldn't even begrudge him making an occasional mess ... as long as it was strictly supervised, and appropriately cleaned up after.

But it was far, far more than all of that she was now coming to understand. Being so fawned over on a nightly basis, even as she usually did not deign to acknowledge it, had had the effect of softening her demeanor, especially in the outside word. She had begun to sense being referred to less often behind her back as the 'Ice Princess', perhaps the mildest of the epithets that had been used. Colleagues had started to engage her more, even to include her in non professional conversations and interactions, now that her sharp defensive shell seemed to be lessening. It was also not lost on her, in retrospect, that after so many false starts and broken hopes she had finally been offered partnership when it was implied to her that she now brought the entire package to the table, and not just her legal skills. This had all occurred during the time that the slave had been with them, and she began to see that his increasing involvement had made the entirety of her life that much easier. And nicer.

But as the month had marched on since the slave had left she had felt many of her old resentments returning, and her reactions to them once again becoming sour. She actually began to realize how much, for all of these reasons, she missed having him around. Even more than that, she conceded with a start, she missed him as a person as well. She had been jealous, perhaps unjustifiably, of what he had become for Keri, but she was now coming to understand just how much he had been offering and providing for her. She doubted that she would ever feel the same way about him as Keri felt, but there was something about him that helped fill a hollow in her, and she wanted to have that back. To her own surprise, even shock, she now came to the utterly astounding conclusion that she not only missed him, but that she actually ... liked him ... and needed him. If they could just find him, and work it out. She didn't know how it all might eventually evolve, but she now had to acknowledge that deep within her it all now just seemed and felt, and would be ... right ... and good.

********

But they had exhausted all of their ideas on how to find him, and as their moving day came they both glumly had to conclude that more than one end may have been reached. It was the actual move however that sparked in Victoria one last possible approach in their search. While it was certainly apparent that he was no longer living in his apartment, they had not noticed anyone else moving in or out in all of this time. Victorias decided to pay a personal visit downtown to the landlord's office.

Indeed, the landlord informed her upon her arrival when she asked,

Sam had been in contact with him through the mail, paying his rent, but also indicating that he too would be moving out at the end of his lease in two months. Mustering as much charm as she possessed, drawing upon her envisioned example of Keri, and even for that matter of the slave himself, she asked the landlord for a favor.

********

Sam had not been back to the apartment building since the morning that he had left his letter in front of their door. It just hurt too much to even consider it. Taking only a suitcase full of clothes and his laptop computer, he had been living in a small hotel on the other side of town. It was a significant expense, but he had no intention of ever living in his own apartment again, and had so informed the landlord that he would be moving out at the end of his lease. And he didn't even dare to think about going back to his own place to sort things out until they were gone. There would be time enough for that once they had left, and he had asked the landlord to send him a note letting him know when they had moved out.

Although it had never been discussed, he had known in his heart that the move to the lake would bring about the end of their 'arrangement'. He had just hoped that he would be able to 'help' with the moving out and moving in, and possibly be invited up, perhaps even frequently, to 'assist' with the many special projects and general maintenance that was part and parcel of home ownership. That was all out of the question now of course. How could he have been so blind? To have been the cause of so much distress and discord to the two people who meant more to him than anything in the world. He knew that he could never face them again. His shame and self disgust were just too great.

He spent very little time outside the hotel room, venturing out only for the necessities. He did his trading on the computer but his heart was no longer in it. He reflected a great deal on his lot. In many ways it had been very hard being a slave, and there were some things about it that he definitely hadn't liked. But during that time he had never felt more alive. At least then he had had a purpose. Somebody had a use for him, no matter what that use

might be. But in the end it had all been for naught, and he had only caused pain. Was that all he had to offer? To anyone. What was his purpose? What was his use? He was a day trader. Who did nothing for anyone but himself. It had always just been a way for him to survive. But was it truly a life?

The letter from the landlord had come at the anticipated time. Yes, it read, the two women had moved out, but they had told him that Sam had an

extra key to their apartment, and that he had also left some of his own personal items in it which they had left behind for him. As the landlord would be showing the apartment soon he asked that Sam meet him there at noon on the coming Saturday to pick up his items and give back the key.

Sam's initial impulse was to send back the key in the mail and forget about whatever he had left behind. Other than his jacket he couldn't recall anything else he might have left. But he was suddenly struck with an overwhelming desire to see the place one last time, now that they were gone.

********

He arrived at their former residence about a half an hour early on that Saturday hoping to have a few moments alone there before the landlord came

and put a final end to it all. With great reluctance he opened the door with his key and stepped across the threshold that he had vowed never again to cross. But that promise had only been meant for when they were still there, and he no longer felt it to be a violation. Surveying the apartment from the doorway he was struck at how barren it was, stripped of all of their things. Of them. He made his way to the closet and found his jacket hanging there.

He then slowly began to go from room to room, lingering a bit in each, savoring whatever memories he could, no matter how much they now stung.

He could find no further items of his, or of anyone's. The place was truly empty. Almost as much as his life had become. He made his way out to the living room and stood, staring out the picture window, lost, and not only in his thoughts.

"Hello Sam."

He whirled around as if struck, at the sound of a voice that he knew so well. And incredibly, he did find Victoria standing there in the middle of the room, with Keri a step behind and to the side.

"Victoria! Keri! I didn't expect ... I'm so sorry ... I didn't think you'd be here ... The landlord just asked me to pick up some things and give him

back his key ... Please forgive me."

Victoria laughed. "There's nothing to forgive, or for you to apologize

for. We also had to come back for some property we left behind."

Sam was sincerely puzzled. He had been through every room and had seen nothing else.

"I don't know what that might be Victoria. There's nothing else here. I've looked."

"Oh, but there is. Our most important possession. One that we now know we can't be without." She gazed at him with calm assurance.

An inkling of comprehension slowly began to dawn, but he had no idea

how to react, how to respond.

Keri now stepped forward.

"We came back for you Sam. We want you to come with us. We need

you to come with us. Both of us." She glanced at Victoria, who nodded, before turning her attention back to Sam. "You've become part of us. A most important part. One we cannot be without. You make us whole, Sam, happier ... nicer ... better." She looked at Victoria again and then back. She took a deep breath. " Please believe. We need you badly ... Don't you see ..." Her voice was yearning. " ... You're Family, Sam."

"The family slave." Victoria added dryly, but then her face and voice both softened. "If you still want to be ... Sam."

Sam looked from face to face and, astonished, saw only honest and sincere desire. And hope. They truly did want him. And there was no doubt in his mind on what he wanted, and no longer on how he needed it. He slowly sank down to his knees.

"Miss Keri. Miss Victoria." was all he could say.

Keri rushed forward and pulled him up and hugged him fiercely. He cast a nervous glance at Victoria but saw that she was smiling broadly, not

just the half smile that was her usual.

"Well, I'm glad that that's all settled." she said after a rather extended

period of time when finally Keri had peeled herself away. "I think that it's

time we all got going to the new place." She looked pointedly at Sam. "After all, you've got a lot of unpacking to do." She continued with her broad smile. "And I believe my financial portfolio also needs some intensive

evaluation and management." She started to turn to the door to go, but then paused and turned back.

"Oh, and Sam." she added. "I think that from now on I'm going to allow you to kiss MY feet as well"

Sam offered an awestruck grin. "It will be my very great honor and privilege, Miss Victoria."

"Yes. It will." She acknowledged, her smile becoming more serene.

Sam stood there, transfixed, with Keri still tightly holding one of his

hands. He could never have imagined, would never have believed. He now had a place and a purpose in someone else's life. In two lives. The two most wonderful lives in the world. He had always known that he would forever adore Keri, and worship the ground that she walked on. But he now knew, without any question, that he also wanted, and had a very deep need, to serve

Victoria.

But far more important than all of this, as they were making abundantly clear to him.

He not only belonged TO them. He belonged WITH them.

And he would spend the rest of his life proving to them every day that this should be so.

Sam's grin now extended from almost ear to ear. Miss Victoria was right. They really should be going. He had a lot of unpacking to do.

Together ...With Them ... Family ...

At home.