Poly-Dexterous Moments

"Are you happy now?" she asked me.

"I am," I said. I really was. Like Linda had said, I was now enjoying the moment. What happens tomorrow is something I will deal with when it occurs.

"I don't think it's for me Dan. I do like you, maybe love you, but I can't share you. I wasn't brought up that way."

"I understand. If you change your mind, call me. I still care about you and wish we can be friends."

She murmured an agreement and hung up.

That evening I was subdued and the other girls picked up on it. I told them about Jennifer's decision. Sharon hugged me and sat next to me stroking my back.

That evening everyone climbed into bed with me. We didn't make love, we didn't have sex. We all just held each other. I felt a loss from Jennifer, a girl I wished to have known better.

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Cindy packed her bags. She was moving on. It turns out she was a physical therapist and now with the state budget passed, the hiring freeze was over. Cindy managed to secure the job of her dreams, only it was in the city two hundred miles away. There was a lot of tears as we all said our goodbyes. I was to drive Cindy to her new apartment in her new city. I was able to set her up in a good neighborhood close to her work. Once she got paid she would be able to cover her expenses herself.

"It's been a wild weird time, hasn't it Dan?" she told me a few hours into the trip.

"Yeah, it has been."

"I never imagined that I could live that type of life."

"That makes two of us," I said. "I still can't believe it myself."

"You know it can't last forever, right?" she said. "Nothing ever does," I replied smugly. She got a little annoyed with that remark. "Dan, people who live in the now, only in the present are blind to the fact that things change. You ignore the signs and when it happens you get hurt. Don't get yourself hurt."

I soberly nodded.

"Love them, like I know you can, but realize that sooner or later things will change."

We said our goodbyes after I had gotten all of her stuff in. We hugged but that was it, no kiss, not offer of one last romp in the sack. We were now exes. I was sorry to see her go as I walked out her door. She had a brave face, but inside I knew she was breaking.

I cried on my way home. Once there I shared my love with my three girls.

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"I've been promoted!" squealed Linda. She had bounced through the doorway and ran into all of our arms. Frieda broke out some champagne and we had already finished the bottle by the time we were able to get the details out of her.

She was promoted to Director of Communications. It was a significant pay raise for her. The last Director had actually gotten sick and the company needed to fill the vacancy. It came as a shock to Linda, and before she had a chance to discuss things she was presented with an offer she couldn't refuse. It meant a lot to her to be given this opportunity.

"There's just one problem," she said. "The job is in Atlanta."

Well that sobered us up quick. Now the questions from us came. I think I was able to get one question in. The other girls didn't give me a chance to ask anymore. Bottom line, Linda was leaving us.

The next evening I was in bed with Frieda. After a particularly tender session of lovemaking, Frieda spooned with me. "I think I'm going to go with Linda to Atlanta." "Oh?" I asked. "To help her move?" She was quiet for a moment. "No, to stay with her." "For how long?" I asked. "Forever, if she'll have me."

I was silent at that. Deep down inside me I always knew that Linda and Frieda were close. Now I knew that they were closer to each other than to me. It hurt, but that didn't mean that I didn't love them.

"I'll miss you both. I love you, you know." I told her. She pushed herself back into me. "I love you too, but you still have Sharon. Linda will be all alone and I care for her deeply." "I know you do," I told her.

"Are you mad at me?" I sighed. "No, I don't think so, I'm sad, but I always knew about you two." "It wasn't like that, you know," she started to cry. "I know," I stroked her shoulder. "I just always knew that you two shared a special bond. That is what always upset me. I was always worried about this day when we would have to make a choice. I always knew deep down that I would be the one left out."

Frieda sobbed. "I do love you Dan." "I know you do." "But if I had to choose between you and Linda, it would be Linda." "I know," I told her and kissed her.

I didn't blame Frieda for this. I thought about blaming Linda, but figured that it would be a waste of emotional energy. Tomorrow had come and reality was moving on.

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We said our goodbyes at the airport. Linda and Frieda were in tears and Sharon and I were subdued. Both of them promised to stay in touch and visit. It seemed like empty promises to me. We all hugged and kissed and just before they left I whispered into Linda's ear, "You've broken my heart. I would have stayed with you forever. I didn't need anyone else."

She held me then pulled back and looked me in the eyes. "But I did," she told me.

They turned and left through the checkpoint. Sharon and I wandered back to the car.

It was on the freeway outside of the city when Sharon finally broke the silence. "Alone at last," she said and she rubbed my shoulder and rested her head on it. I wrapped my arm around her, careful to stay in my lane. "Yes we are," I said. "I'm so happy," Sharon said. "You are?" She smiled at me and stole a kiss from me. "I love you honey, only you. I knew if I hung in there long enough the others would leave you." I looked at her, back to the road and then back to her again. "Nothing lasts forever, and I am very patient."

I smiled.

An hour later, still on the road, I spoke again. "I was happy with one woman. All of this sharing was never my idea."

"I know. You never were comfortable about Linda and Frieda's relationship. I know that deep down, you are a one woman man, and you expect your woman to be the same."

I nodded.

"Dan, I'm a one man woman. I'm your woman, and only yours. Will you be mine and only mine?"

I pulled the car over, got out and pulled her out from the passenger side. I hugged her and then kissed her deeply. "I will be yours and only yours, that's all I've every asked for."

We kissed some more, oblivious to the drivers who passed by and honked at us.

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Sharon and I were everything to each other. Lovers, later husband and wife, mother and father, but most importantly, what I had desired the most: we were best friends and confidants. We were the ones laughing at our inside jokes. We shared not just physical intimacy, but emotional intimacy.

Cindy got along well. She managed to find a man and they had married. Her husband knew about what had happened in the past and he was wary of Sharon and I. We were friendly towards each other but we never really socialized.

Linda and Frieda tried to stay close to us, but Sharon was adamant that she and I were monogamous now. That kept Linda and Frieda away from us. They managed to stay together and make a decent life in Atlanta. On holidays we call each other and wish each other well, but we aren't close anymore.

I found that I didn't miss them. Sharon was all I needed and we were both happy as we raised our own family. Our two daughters are now five and as it turns out, I'm destined to always share my house with girls. Now I couldn't be happier!

As always, comments are most appreciated. I tried a different style of writing here, I hope it worked! Thanks for reading!