Winner Takes All

Gray could not take his eyes off of her. After a while, it had become obvious to Trisha. Every now and again, as she tidied up, passing from room to room, Trisha either flashed him a smile or smiled to herself. Presently, she stopped in her kitchen, the doorway through which Gray could see with absolute clarity from his position. There, she stopped, and trained her eyes onto his. Trisha then proceeded to unbutton her blouse with slow, deliberate movements, and wearing the vague semblance of a smile on her lips. She dropped it to the floor, exposing her black lace bra. She commenced to undo the fly of her jeans, and then squirmed out of them entirely, revealing her black lace thong. With that, Trisha entered her bedroom, and stood before her window. Gray was mesmerized, and his cock was as stiff as it possibly could be. Shit, he thought, I forgot her number. He suddenly began a frantic search for a blank sheet of paper and a thick marker. By the time he'd scribbled the seven digits of his phone number, he looked up to see that Trisha was holding up her own sheet, upon which was written: Willing?

Gray sat back in his chair, and thought a moment. He then took another sheet of printer paper beneath his desk, and wrote: I. M. YOU?. Upon showing her, Trisha laughed, and then took a seat at her desk. Seconds later, she stood again, and let Gray see that she had written her AOL address. Gray transcribed it quickly to an open Word file, minimized the program, and then set about logging on. He turned to see that Trisha had moved away from the window.

graybleafgg: Hi Trisha.

Trishwish: Hi Gray. Change your mind?

Graybleafgg: Thinking about it. How's your girlfrend?

Trishwish: Girlfr? Oh, just a friend. Fine.

Trishwish: How's your fiancé'. name?

Graybleafgg: Clearice. Fine.

Trishwish: Pretty name. How's your cock?

Graybleafgg: Fine.

Trishwish: How is it right now?

Graybleafgg: Nervous.

Trishwish: Why?

Graybleafgg: Big risks need. big rewards.up front.

Trishwish: Hmm. Like what?

Graybleafgg:Visual stimulation.

Trishwish: Surely, you must already be stimulated enough.

Graybleafgg: Show me yours, and I'll show you mine.

Trishwish: I've already seen yours.

Graybleafgg: Seeddx's your turn. How bout I come over?

Trishwish: Nope. How bout you just come?

Having grown weary of their dialogue, Gray realized that his cock had gradually reduced to a semi-flaccid state. As he thought of what his next response would be, he suddenly realized that in order to have as much control as possible over the situation, the last thing he should do is allow any activity to occur through the manner in which Trisha was interested in having it occur. At this point, the "big risk" was not the potential of getting caught openly masturbating by multiple neighbors, but getting caught eliciting the sexual interest of anyone other than Clearice. This is a mistake, he thought. If I could have her, some how. No. If I can't get her to do it my way, then it's just not happening.

Trishwish: So what's it gonna' be boy, yes or no?

Gray mused over the Meatloaf verse Trisha had just typed to him, wondering whether she was being corny on purpose or by mistake. Still not sure what to write back, Gray glanced toward Trisha's window. He watched as Trisha came into view. She rode the wheeled chair to the end of the desk that bordered her window. In it, she leaned back, and propped the bottom of her feet against the edge of the desk, and spread her legs so that her knees were far apart. Gray's cock swelled again as he became worked up with the assumption that she was fingering herself. Suddenly, he reached for his keyboard and typed the words Let me see. He turned again to see Trisha read the message, and then extend her right arm toward her computer.

Trishwish: trust me

Graybleafgg: I don't know you

Trishwish: Who knows anybody

Trishwish: who is C anyway

Trishwish: show me U in C

Trishwish: C U lay ter

Gray was suddenly struggling with a variety of feelings, not the least of which was confusion, as he turned to see that Trisha had drawn her blinds. Then, in the next instant, he found that she had logged off. Now, furiously pumping his cock, having gripped it with something closer to anger than arder, Gray told himself that he was finished with the woman. But as his ejaculates painted graffiti upon his chest and upper abdominals, and flowed over the negligible space between cock and fist, Gray knew that it was not over yet. You want to watch me fuck my fiancé', he thought, then you're really going to have to show me that you deserve it.

Gray left his office long enough to clean himself up before Clearice came home. As he wiped the come from his body, and threw on a pair of shorts, he realized that he had once again been taken off the track of his original intention to be nude in the first place. Thanks to Trisha, for some reason, Gray wasn't feeling very free. He felt as if his sensuality was so indefatigable that he could never disassociate it from his nudity. With his luck, he imagined that being with any other naked person, even in a public capacity where in the expectation was to behave as if everyone's clothes were on, any female or male, for that matter, would just become another aphrodisiac or fetish. In his attempt to avoid simmering in the juices of resentment, Gray had himself a roast beef sandwich, and then whiled away most of the afternoon in front of the TV. Still annoyed hours later, Gray returned to his computer to check for any new e-mails. Seeing that there was a message from Trisha's address in his in-box, Gray instantly felt the butterflies of both suspicion and hope begin to rage in the pit of his stomach.

Dear Gray,

I can understand your reservation. It takes a lot for some people to cross certain lines. But I'm here to tell you that it might be easier than you think. # 1. You need to relax. You need to think of it as just pussy. No big deal. It comes. It goes. Whatever you lose, you can always get back in some other form. # 2. For all you know, Clearice might be all you need to make crossing that line ddsafe.

So Gray? Do you guys keep a deck of cards at your place? Because I have this great game I like to play. Has it occurred to you that I like to play games? I know, I know. It only seems like I like games in which only I'm in control. That's not true, and I can prove it. I like games where everybody wins. Just read over the directions I've pasted in below, let them simmer, and let's just let fate be the deciding factor. After all, will is for free.

Cordially Yours,

Trish

P.S. I'll bring the dice.

Spicy strip poker procedure:

Note: a. each player must be wearing the same amount of clothing, five or more items are preferable.

b. Each die has eight sides. On seven sides of die 1, there are the directions, nibble, tickle, suck, blow,

lick, caress, and kiss,and the word sex on the eighth side. On seven sides of die 2, there are a

list of body parts that include toes, thighs, privates, lips, neck, ears, and belly button and the word

sex on the eighth side.

1.Dealer deals out the cards for a game of 5 card draw.

2.Strongest hand wins the round

3.Losers of each round take off articles of clothing until two out of three players are completely nude,

4.When one or two players are completely nude, depending on how undressed the least undressed of the two is, the Spicy Dice are factored into play.

5.The playing cards will be taken out of play when two players are completely nude.

6.If a completely nude player is holder of the last round's winning hand, that player must roll the dice, and perform the rolled act on the next least dressed player's indicated body section.

7.If there is still a player wearing clothes after the cards have been eliminated from play, that player must roll the dice, and play according to the dice until he or she gets a sex roll. Upon that point, that player will have to take off his or her remaining clothes.

8.When one nude player rolls the dice, and gets a sex roll, that player must allow the other nude player to choose how the other will proceed, whether the nature of the sex is oral or penetrative, vaginal or anal, and whether it will involve the use of body parts or toys.

9.The first sex between two players should last until the receiver is visibly aroused.

10. The third nude player or the player still wearing articles of clothing will serve as time keeper, and will have the authority to stop the sex upon seeing the receiver's arousal.

11.The receiver will then have the option to a. switch roles, b. switch partners, c. include the third player into the sex, or d. require them to watch the session, and masturbate.

12.If the third player wishes to contest the reciever's choice, that player must cross the line of his or her personal taboo, that being "a ban or an inhibition resulting from social custom or emotional aversion," in order to win the game, and receive the prize he or she seeks.

13.If the player has defied his or her own personal taboo, then he or she is the final winner, and must be given what he or she seeks from the session.

"Gray honey, I'm home." Called Clearice from the kitchen, "Are you decent? We have company."

Gray franticly clicked his Outlook closed. She wouldn't, he thought, she couldn't. He left his office, and casually glanced down the hall as he passed into the bedroom. Smiling at him from the living room was Trisha, dressed in the green blouse and faded jeans she had worn earlier. Clearice was in the kitchen, unpacking her lunch bag, and rinsing her thermos in the sink, when she called his name a second time. Gray threw on a fresh t shirt, checked his hair and teeth, reminded himself to be cool, and then headed for the living room.

"Hi, I'm Trisha." She said, extending her hand. "The last time I talked to you, you were planting your string beans out front. I can't believe how big they got."

"Hey baby." cooed Clearice, before granting a kiss upon his left cheek, and poising herself at his side. "And the basil is huge. Gray honey, can we give Trish some basil? I stopped at Albertson's after work, and we found each other in the produce isle. It's funny how you can talk to a person a dozen times, and never exchange names. Anyway, we started talking about how expensive their basil was, and in season too."

"An absolute joke." Trisha remarked.

"I mean really." Clearice continued. "And you have to buy this big bunch that you only need a little of at a time, right, and then it goes bad. It's just not worth it. So I told her we'd give her some of ours. That's okay, right?"

"Well yeah, of course it is." Said Gray. "Let me go get you some."

"Actually honey," said Clearice. "Why don't you get dinner started first. I invited Trish to join us for dinner. I mean, you should have seen her carriage, full of nothing but TV dinners and Doritos. I still find it hard to believe that you'd even pass through the produce isle."

"Actually, I do have this thing for tomato and mozzarella salad, and you just can't get that in a can."

"I don't know how you manage that body after eating all those carbs and junk." Clearice remarked.

"What can I say. It's my metabolism."

That evening passed harmlessly enough. As Gray prepared dinner, his apprehension had eventually hid itself among the memories of Trisha in her black lace underclothes, the rules of the game she wanted to play, and his ideas of how her naked skin might feel against his or against his fiancé's. The trio's conversation wore on compellingly enough, yet neither Gray nor did Trisha betray anything even remotely provocative, not even the slightest, most discreet glance.

Other than Trisha's sensuality, Gray realized that he enjoyed her sense of humor, and ability to tell stories. Perhaps it was Clearice's presence or it was just Trisha's nature to be charming and very animated. Either way, Gray and Clearice had laughed for nearly ten minutes after Trisha had spun the tale of how she, since the age of ten, has not been able to keep a goldfish alive for any longer than two weeks. No matter how often she changes their water or how small the amounts of food at feeding, she has managed to murder over three thousand Fancies, Comets, Black Moors, and Orandas. Trisha felt however that she had finally redeemed herself with her current fish, Velveeta, which she has actually had for over a month. He is doing so well that she is thinking about changing his name to Lucky, and then having him stuffed when the inevitable finally occurred.

Through the trio's exchange of stories of serial goldfish homicide, condo community gossip, workplace gossip, detailing of likes, expounding on pet peeves, and the sharing of family horror stories, the trio collectively understood that a new friendship had taken root. Through the course of the night, it seemed to Gray that Clearice and Trisha had become as close as sisters. Gray was sure of how much closer he and Trisha themselves had become through the evening, and he knew by the end of dinner that he was feeling more certain about trusting her. However, he was not yet sure how to feel about how closely Clearice and Trisha sat, how easily they triggered each other's laughter, and how touchy feely they were. It was around 11 o'clock when Trisha got up to leave. She thanked her hosts by embracing them each in a hug, and told them that next time dinner would be on her. It wasn't until after Gray had watched Trisha reach her arms around Clearice, and cradle her chin between his fiancé's head and shoulder, that his sexy neighbor gave him a smoldering glance, and he realized exactly how much was at stake.

Trisha had kept her word by the weekend, and treated her new friends to dinner at the Saybrook Fish House. She insisted that all three of them have oysters on the half shell as an appetizer. Both Gray and Clearice were reluctant, but they ultimately came to appreciate the reputed aphrodisiac, especially with the addition of lemon juice and Tabasco drizzled atop the soft, glistening pink flesh. Trisha's insistence that they share oysters was the only aspect of the evening that seemed the slightest bit out of the ordinary or suggestive of Trisha's covert operation, if that was in deed her true intentions. Their time together passed as jovially as the trio's last dinner, and Trisha's and Clearice's exchanges were just as honest as the first time. On the surface, it appeared that no one had anything to hide. Gray sometimes thought that he should feel trapped by the whole situation, but realized that the best thing he could do was remain cool, and let the whole thing, whatever it was, play out. As the next two weeks passed, Gray never called Trisha back nor sent her an instant message, and she acted in kind. Gray, hoping for the best possible outcome, also thought of the worst possible outcome, Clearice sleeping with Trisha and leaving him for her, and was prepared to handle it if he had to. As it stood, Gray patiently bided his time, and tried not to wonder what it was that Trisha really wanted.

One early evening, Gray arrived home to find Clearice seated naked before his computer, browsing the web. He could not help but notice that the blinds were open just enough to see across the complex, into Trisha's bed room. At quick glance, all Gray was able to see across the way was Velveeta swimming circles within his bowl.

"Hon? What are you doing?"

"I'm researching polyamory. Did you know that Trish is a polyamorist?"

"Uh...no. What's a polyamorist?"

"A person who lives a life style of loving multiple people."

"Okay, loving multiple people; you mean like. a prostitute, a nymphomaniac, sexual hysteric, porno star...what?"

"No, it's not like any of that. She says that before she ever gets involved with multiple lovers, she makes sure that everyone gets tested for all the usual diseases. Then Trish gives them this multiple choice commitment threshold test, and then-"

"Uh-huh, and when did she share with you what seems to me like very private information honey?"

"Oh, we've met for lunch a few times, and...well, she's just a very honest and secure person. Trish is sort of refreshing actually. Don't you think?"

"Sure. Refreshing. So tell me: When she says...them, how many others at one time equals them, I mean, how many at once? Because after more than two people, it just becomes an orgy, doesn't it?"

"Actually, she only takes on two at a time silly. I'm sorry Gray. Is it bothering you that she and I hang and talk and stuff?"

When Gray tried to disguise his initial surprise and fear, he knew that his sarcasm betrayed him. Now, trying to free himself from the mental paralysis of the chaos brewing between his feelings for the woman he loves, the woman he wants, his wild imagination, and the lingering ghost of guilt, Gray could not generate an answer. However, he did manage to shrug. With that, Clearice turned to face the computer again.

"You think Trisha's hot, right?" asked Clearice plainly enough as she began to read the content of polylove.com. "You can be honest. I won't be jealous. You can't help but notice that she's really pretty, and well. sexy."

"Then yes, I'd have to say that she is obviously attractive." Gray answered, as he tried to think thoughts cold enough to stop his penis from engorging with blood. "Why? Does it bother you that I might think she's attractive or...sexy?"

Gray reached for the back of the chair, turned Clearice to face his direction, and then brought himself to rest on his haunches before her.

"No," answered Clearice as she stared into her lover's eyes, and gently trailed her finger along the contours of Gray's nose, lips, and chin, "That doesn't bother me. And it also doesn't bother me that the two of you have already indulged in a little...flirtation."

Gray's dwindling erection felt as if it had curled up, and hid itself in some secret place in the back of his scrotum. The look on his face betrayed the sudden feeling of emptiness that was working its way up from his balls, into the pit of his stomach.

"Don't freak baby." Clearice laughed, "It's okay. I mean, you were minding your own business, being nude in the privacy of your own office, and Trisha couldn't help but stare. Who wouldn't stare?"

Clearice leaned in to kiss Gray gently on the mouth.

"You happen to be living in a very beautiful body. whispered Clearice.

Struck dumb, Gray turned his gaze away, and scanned the surface of his desk long enough to see what looked like a questionnaire that had been partially filled out. Clearice followed his gaze, and noticed its target.

"So." Gray uttered, thinking about how the situation was entirely too good to be true, "Is it fair to say then that you are genuinely interested in...Trisha on a polyamoric level?"

"Oh, well...I don't know." Clearice answered, "I just thought that we ought to determine the full range of what really spices us up."

"Spices us up?" Gray repeated.

"yeah you know; figure out how to maximize our orgasms, understand what really churns the waters upon which our boat floats, determine how much churning our boat can handle and-"

"And," Gray interrupted, "Ascertain whether we have enough room on our boat for anyone else?"

Clearice laughed.

"Only you can take my metaphors, and be as corny as me." said Clearice as she shifted her pelvis closer to the edge of the chair.

"Is Trish home?" asked Gray, glancing out his office window.

"No." Clearice answered, turning to look as well. I haven't seen her. But it's obvious that Velveeta is still kicking."

"Are you finished filling out her questionnaire?"

"Nope." answered Clearice, sighing. "I'm ready for a break. Besides, I think the two of us should complete it together later. For now..."