Blizzard — Chapter 6 by Redsliver
* * *The girls were talking but I wasn’t processing a word. I walked straight up to Sam. She was sitting on the coffee table in front of my old armchair. I knelt down. I picked up her foot. I yanked the zipper down, pulled the boot off, and threw it into the closet.
“I assumed you wouldn’t mind and—” She stopped when I looked at her. She slid back on the table and frowned and turned her eyes away.
“Fuck!” I muttered in frustration. I cleared my throat and looked over my shoulder right into Max’s eyes. “Girls, front and center.”
“What?” she asked. Alex dashed from the staircase railing to stand knee to knee with Sam. Sam climbed to her feet. Her shoulders were slumped and she would’ve been standing behind Alex, if she could have inched back without hitting the table. Max ran over and stood on Sam’s other side. I collapsed into my armchair.
“What’s wrong with me?” I ran my hands back through my hair.
“There’s nothing wrong—” Alex didn’t shut up when I stared her down like Sam had. She squared her shoulders, and looked more determined than concerned. “Nothing at all.”
“What do you need us to do? Anything at all. Just say it,” Sam promised. I could see fear in her face, and my guts cartwheeled. I didn’t want to upset these girls. I didn’t want to hurt them. I was a nobody, thirty-one, without a life, and I wasn’t going to be the albatross around any one of their necks.
“You don’t listen to me.” I laughed miserably. “I like that.”
“You keep saying stupid things,” Max spoke up. “You keep telling us how to think and act. How to feel and what choices we should make.”
“Yeah, just man up already,” Alex smiled warmly. “Why should we make all of our stupid mistakes with idiot boys who are making the same mistakes?”
“There are three of you,” I huffed, and rolled my shoulders back. I stood up. There wasn’t much room between the chair and the table, so I was in Sam’s face. She looked up.
“Is three not enough? We can find you other girls, or—”
“You touch another girl and I’ll kill her.” Alex beamed. I looked shocked. She twisted her lips and laughed. “Not kill her, kill her. I’d mostly just cry and write short plays about killing her… Or about wishing she wasn’t happy.”
“Sam, don’t ever let someone push you around and make you their ‘other’ girl,” I sighed. “And it was a nice try, but I won’t be blackmailed by your tears and hurt the others because you’re less afraid to speak your feelings, Alex.”
“Blackmail, what—”
“I get angry when you see another pretty girl, don’t listen to Sam. Her idea’s crazy,” Max interjected.
The gears in my head were turning fast and running hot. I was drawing so little willpower from my reserves, maybe I even thought it was a good idea. I wanted to illustrate how dangerous this was. They needed to know how much power I had right then and there. It didn’t help that I was looking into Sam’s innocent face. She was too pretty with her big eyes and parted lips, her flushed cheeks and shaking shoulders. I grabbed her head, teasing her silky brown hair through my fingers. I kissed her.
I made a go of it. I overwhelmed the shit out of her. She was melting like jelly. I had never felt so powerful in my life. This was only part one. I felt her tongue and I pulled her back up straight and withdrew.
“Wow, I never knew it could be that good,” Sam smiled dopily as I sidestepped and grabbed Max. I knew why I didn’t go for Alex. Out of all of them, Alex’s bright-smile, big-eyes-and-eyelashes, Disney-princess innocence slapped me in the face. She seemed the most fragile. I somehow knew she would be the toughest. I was a monster.
Max giggled when our lips touched. She was a live wire of exposed nerves. Her feet bounced and distracted my aim. I took a second run at her lips. She lightninged her hands around my waist. She wasn’t about to be passive and surprised like Sam had been.
She rushed forward. Her lips opened and she teased inside my mouth with her tongue. A bullfighter’s red cape if my own tongue was the bull. I cupped the back of her head. Her red hair was soft, but coarser than Sam’s. Her skin was warmer, her lips larger. She folded her chest right against mine and I felt her breasts pushing against me. She felt me as well. I hurried back.
“How come you didn’t kiss her as long?” Alex asked. Her honesty in the question scared me. Why do we drive on the right side of the road? Curious about the world. I was in a different state of mind. She might as well have asked, “Why do forks fit so well in electrical sockets?”
“What?” I looked from Alex, warm and curious, to Sam, dizzy and giddy, to Max, heated and energized. She had refused to let go of my hips. She used her head to point to Alex.
“It’s OK, she needs her first kiss too and—”
“We shouldn’t lie!” Alex spiked the room with worry. I turned. I was starting to feel relief. Had I a moment to let the momentum boil off, to let the rider get my elephant under control, I might’ve come up with a sane plan. Sam still looked dazed, and Max still hadn’t let go, but Alex was lucid enough. She was getting it. There were only two ways for this to go. I could hurt two of them, then the third, or I could hurt all three of them together. I was sure she was getting it. I nodded for her to go on.
“I got asked out to a dance in grade 9. I was so afraid Spencer was going to kiss me, and I didn’t know what to do, so I bullied Max into practicing. You won’t be my first kiss.”
“Really?” Sam’s eyes opened wider.
“What?” That had nothing to do with what I was expecting.
“You’ll be the first boy, though! Spencer didn’t even try, so when he asked me for a second date, I said no,” she assured me. Alex reached out to me with both hands. I looked at Sam. I needed another approach.
“Sam, I just kissed a girl who wasn’t you?”
“It was hot.” She touched my chest. I staggered back.
“Max?”
“Are you OK?” she worried. “I liked it, but we can go slow if you really meant that?”
I fled. I didn’t remember it but I must’ve taken my jacket off before I had taken that boot off Sam, because I was only wearing my shirt and jeans when I opened my front door.
The wind howled past me and up the stairs behind me. The girls squealed (Max squealed, Sam cursed, Alex asked the others if they didn’t think the swaying building was at least a little fun). I was chilled to the bone. That new neighbor was setting out with a black toque, white earmuffs, black mittens, and a white parka. She covered her face with a black and white striped scarf.
“You might want to respect the winter a bit better before you go running off into it dressed like a moron,” she warned. I slammed the door. I turned back to the stairs. The girls were up there. As were my winter clothes. I was stuck.
I had no idea how I was going to tackle this. I had no words. I had to say something. I clenched my jaw, and soldiered back up the stairs. They were still where I’d left them, standing at attention in front of my coffee table. I didn’t know what to do. Hanging in my closet, in the pocket of her coat, Max’s phone rang.
“Shit!” She dashed by me and fished out her Samsung. “Oh my God. Shh girls, Gene, please?”
I nodded, hoping that a moment with my thoughts would revive the hamster which had fallen out of its wheel. That’s how brains work; trust me, I was in pre-med for almost a semester. I was broken. I was terrified that I was a piece of shit, but so happy I got to kiss those two girls.
“Daddy!” Max beamed, sarcasm dripping from her words like venom. “You always pick the best time to call.”
My apartment shook and the pots on my kitchen counter rattled loudly.
“I’m just at a friend’s place.” She gave me an apologetic frown for calling me just a friend. I staggered. I dropped into my chair. Alex knelt down in front of me. Sam settled on the table.
“In the South End,” Max replied. “It could be nicer, I suppose. But, I—Are you sure? I’d be interrupting everything and… Let me ask first, alright?”
We all looked at her. She had clenched teeth, and terror in her eyes. She muted her phone and panicked. “My dad wants to talk to you.”
Maybe that’d help me form an argument to shut these girls down. God, I’m so glad I del—No, I wish I had acted. I wish I hadn’t ki—No, I knew I didn’t regret anything. Her dad asked to talk to me? I smiled and nodded.
“I’m going to put you on speaker, alright Daddy? Oh shit.” She unmuted the phone and repeated her question.
“Hi-ii Wayne!” Alex singsonged immediately.
“Oh, girlfriends is it?” The voice through the phone sounded big and jolly. “Here I was worried that my little girl was off at some boy’s house.”
“It’s my apartment, actually,” I spoke up. Max freaked for a moment as she sat down next to Sam and held out the phone in the middle of the group.
“Is it now?” he said, clearly ready to continue but Sam interjected.
“I’m here too!” she squeaked.
“And you are?”
“That’s Sam, Daddy. My roommate. Remember? You met her in October?”
“Oh yes, the brunette one! Hello again, Sam Daddy!” He chuckled for a moment. Max winced at the off-the-rack dad joke.
“It’s just the four of us, Daddy,” Max said hurriedly. “We stopped by his place after going for milkshakes.”
“OK, sorry to interrupt your little party, girls, but... young man, you might want to see the ladies home.” There was a strength to that command. “Your mother and I, Maxie, just saw the weather report, and it’s going to be a hell of a storm.”
“If that’s the case, maybe we’d be better staying safe where we’re at.” The wind hit again; the rattle almost overcame Alex’s plea. Snow and sleet started pelting my window. She wasn’t wrong.
“Young man?”
“Gene, sir,” I answered.
“Gene, I expect you to be a gentleman. Listen to the girls, then make a decision. Walk them home or keep them safe. Believe me, I’ll be picking my daughter’s ear in the morning.”
“She’ll be safe and sound when you do,” I agreed.
“So, Max, your mom’s giving me the look. Is this Gene husband material? Or—”
Max gave out a shout as she scooped up her phone and turned off the speaker. She stuffed it against her ear. Her cheeks were redder than her hair.
“I hope so!” she hissed. “I mean… I’m working on it! I mean... I mean don’t jinx it!” That wasn’t helping.
“You girls should get dressed so I can take you—”
“The power’s going to go out again. I’ll lay out the candles.” Sam kicked her legs over Alex’s head as she went straight for the utility drawer. The little steel-bottomed candles were in an old cereal bowl with loose change and a battery. She got to work laying out the candles.
“I’m going to pick a board game.” Alex stood, using my knee as a handhold.
“Bye Daddy, I love you,” Max whispered, and hung up with a hefty sigh. “I’m so sorry I embarrassed you like that and—”
“He seems like a good guy.”
“Takes one to know one,” she teased affectionately. I gave her a tired frown.
“Can we play Ascension?” Alex asked. “You obviously like it so much. I think we should all learn.”
“OK, that sounds fun,” Sam said. I shrugged.
“Get the Storm of Souls box. I’ll teach you the rules.” I gave up. There wasn’t anything I could do to stop them. I took a deep breath. “We’ll play teams. Whoever’s the worst at games’ll be my partner and—”
“I suck! I suck!” Sam gleefully announced.
“I have no idea what I’m doing. Teach me,” Max purred in as seductive a voice as she could manage. I smiled. I looked to Alex.
“You kidding? I could kick your ass with one arm tied behind my back to your headboard.” She stuck out her tongue. “Even if Sam was my partner.”
“I’d be insulted, but that’s two votes for me on Gene’s team.” Sam pumped her fists in the air.
“That means you sit across from me and the other girls sit next to me.”
“I am so good at all games,” Sam declared, inverting her own argument with a broad smile. I got up and pushed aside my armchair so we could sit on the floor around the table.
“Girls,” I said looking at all of them. “I think I’m stuck. I want to do the right thing, which is to not take advantage of any of you.”
“How would you take advantage of us?” Alex seemed genuinely confused. I looked to the other girls for help. Sam grinned.
“He could throw one of us on his bed. Tear off all her clothes. Ravish her until she’s his mindless puppet.” Sam flashed a smile at me. “Right?”
“Not right.” I shook my head.
“Damn!” Alex bit her lower lip and smiled when I looked at her for that. I looked to Max.
“I can wait my turn. Don’t worry about me,” she said, which was clearly intended to reassure me, and did the exact opposite. I slumped forward and buried my face in my hands. Alex rubbed my shoulders.
“I’ll put on some tea,” Max suggested, and headed off to be domestic.
“I like these little plastic crystal things. What are they for?” Sam had opened the box and was searching through the cards and paraphernalia.
“They’re for keeping score and clocking the length of the game.” I frowned. “It might not be for beginners, and—”
“I’m not a beginner,” Alex said, puffing up.
“Then maybe I should save it for just the two of us.” That lit up Alex like a lightswitch. She grabbed the baggie from Sam and stuffed the red plastic jewels back in. She rushed the box back to the shelf.
“What if I wanted to learn?” Max muttered.
“So what are we going to do?” Sam talked over her roommate. “Lingerie pillow fight?”
“I only have three pillows,” I reminded her. “And my teddy’s at the drycleaners.”
“Rats!” Max smiled. She settled a teacup in front of me, and offered some to the other girls. They declined. The cup rattled as the apartment shook once again. She dropped a green tea bag in and poured the steaming water into the cup. I sipped, put the cup back down, and slumped against my chair.
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked the universe.
“Man up,” Sam suggested.
I laughed, madly. I couldn’t help it. Alex came down and snuggled in on my right. I wrapped my arm around her and held her close.
“You OK? Can we help?” she asked. I kissed her too.
The Green Goblin once said: “Life is simple. You cowboy up and do what you have to do.” There’s a number of great life lessons you can learn from supervillains.
Alex was as surprised as Sam had been and as pushy as Max had been. The theater major struggled over my knee and sat down straddling my leg as I brushed her hair from her face and pressed in harder with my lips. I ran my hand over her shoulder. I wanted to run it down further.
I was afraid to surrender to urges. Alex had amazing tits. Sam’s ass. Max’s smile. There were long legs everywhere. I knew I wanted all of these girls. I knew I wasn’t going to toss any of them out into the winter. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed; squeezed her back.
“That’s all three of us!” Sam pumped her fist with elation. I looked to Max.
“Better than in grade 9?” she asked Alex.
“Well, that had its charm too.” She lunged her tongue out at her friend. Max smiled warmly but tried to keep it cool when she noticed I had noticed. She wasn’t very good at it.
“Girls…” I started.
“ ‘Women’,” Sam corrected. “I think the problem is you see us as girls. We’re adults.”
“Yeah, you are.” I frowned. “Which means you have to face that I’m not going to put up with some crazy bloodsport dating game. You’re all very attractive, and blasting signals at me. I’m not going to choose. I’m not going to pick Max and sweep out Alex. I’m not going to romance Sam and then hide it from Max.”
“Do the names matter, or are you just throwing examples around?” Max worried.
“They’re examples,” I said. “There you have it. You’re too young. Too valuable. Too awesome. Don’t let anyone play you. Don’t let anyone make you their girl on the side. Not even me. Are we understood?”
The girls looked back and forth among each other. They eventually all were smiling. Thank God, I had ended—Sam turned back to me first. “Can we make out again?”
“Didn’t you understand what I said?” I frowned.
“Sure,” Alex smiled, and stroked my hair back over my ear. “Sam and Max and me are equals. Team Girlfriend!”
She high-fived Sam, who passed it on to Max. I was laughing madly.
“What would your dad think?” I asked Alex. “You know that—”
“That he’s my father, I love him, but he doesn’t make my love life decisions for me.” She slapped her hands against each other several times, throwing off imaginary dust in an all-taken-care-of gesture.
The apartment rattled. The power flickered. I groaned, frustrated. I looked to Max. Sam rocketed up.
“The candles need to be lit.” We watched her pull open the utility drawer once more. I realized what she was looking for.
“The lighter’s still on the desk,” I said. She walked over me to get to it. It was a beautiful display. I looked to Alex. I made a decision. “Alright, fine. Team Girlfriend.”
“We can still take it slow right?” Max called my attention. “Maybe just a handjob and seeing our tits tonight?”
“You can do anything, Max,” Sam returned, and squeezed the redhead’s shoulder. I blinked. I leaned forward. I laughed. It came out without all of the backed-up gunk and self-doubt. I felt good. A whiff of Alex’s scent filled my tank. A clash of Sam’s eyes stamped my accelerator. A squeeze of Max’s fingers lighted my path. I rolled my head back. The power blew.
“Just in time!” Sam grinned as she lit the first candle. She had put them on every surface. The lighter traveled until we were sitting in warm firelight. Alex returned and cuddled in on my right. Max slipped in and cuddled on my left. Sam sat down on my bed.
“Do you girls want to strip down to our pjs?” she grinned.
“It’s barely even six.” Alex reached her arm tighter around my belly.
“Besides, we didn’t even bring any,” Max pouted. “It was all I could do to leave a toothbrush in his washroom.”
“I was planning on sleeping naked anyways,” Sam grinned even wider.
“Really?” Alex considered this with an excited smile. “OK.”
“OK what?” I asked as Alex rose up on her knees and took off her sweater. She had been wearing a t-shirt and bra underneath. By the time I reached to stop her hands from continuing, Max dropped her bra on my lap.
I turned. She was grinning, blushing from her cheekbones, down along her throat, over her shoulders and across the tops of her breasts.
For the first time in my life, I managed to look a woman in the eyes first. I wasn’t made of stone. I had caught myself after a flicker with Sam’s texts. That was some time ago, when I had had an ounce of willpower left. I ran my hands up the sides of Max’s arms. I squeezed her shoulders as she quivered. She stood up tall. Holy shit.
They were big tits, lovely tits. I had never personally seen tits this good. I caught the struggle of her smirk but I had to see what I had to see. She didn’t open her jeans but she fingered the fly. Alex cleared her throat.
There were four tits behind me. Sam smirked with her hands on her hips. She stood over Alex who was chewing her lip. She giggled brightly as I saw her as well. The tan line of a mildly conservative bikini was on her chest. It was late February in Canada. Why she’d get in a tanning bed wearing that seemed crazy. Her skin was naturally so bright and clear.
Max slipped her arms over me from behind. Her body was hot but tentative. She was struggling to be aggressive. I couldn’t help but smile with the warm glee that came only with female attention. Alex reached out and ran her hand over my chest. She looked up to Sam. So did I. It just took my eyes much longer to climb her body.
“You going to join us?” she asked. I was struck by a fear of my aforementioned dad bod. I didn’t have the opportunity for fear. Max and Alex ushered my arms up so they could get rid of my shirt.
I ratcheted up the confidence as I was disrobed. We technically all were clothed from the waist down. It was easy to act like the king of the world with these girls looking on me like this. I turned to look at Max. I grabbed and kissed her again. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what was going to happen was no one’s definition of slow.