Quaranteam
Chapter 15
In the morning, Andy was woken up by the feeling of Niko getting out of bed. She tried to be as subtle and quiet as she could, but Andy still felt her slipping away. She smiled when she saw him with open eyes looking at her naked form as she pulled on her underwear. She brought a fingertip up to her lips, motioning for him to remain quiet, as she moved back over and kissed him on the lips, soft and tender, before she waved.
“Go back to sleep,” she mouthed at him as she pulled a set of fatigues from the closet. Today was going to be her first day on the base within the enclave, so she wasn’t going to be late. Andy knew that and was glad to see she’d found a way to ensure she woke up in time, doubly glad that she’d done it without waking the whole household.
Andy practically drifted back to sleep as soon as she started walking into the bathroom.
A few hours later, he started to wake again as he felt Lauren starting to slide out of bed. Taylor was curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, but Lauren had draped a blanket over her at some point in the night, so she wasn’t cold. Andy found himself wondering if Lauren was already softening a little in terms of her anger towards her former partner, but certainly wasn’t going to bring it up first.
Aisling was stirring next to him, and he could hear Lauren turning on the shower in the bathroom. “Where is everybody?” Ash asked him, snuggling her face into his shoulder.
“Lauren’s in the shower, Niko headed off to the base early this morning and Taylor’s asleep on the floor, so we have the bed to ourselves,” he laughed. “Although we should probably get up anyway.”
“What about...”
“You touch my cock, Ash, and it may very well fall the fuck off.”
She giggled a little bit mischievously. “I mean, I guess you did satisfy five women yesterday, so I suppose I can let you off the hook for today.”
“I mean, I’m not even sure if it’s working any more. Here I am and no morning wood.”
“I feel like I’m letting you down, babes,” she sighed. “I did tell you that you weren’t going to go a day without giving me a load, and here I am, agreeing to let you have an entire day without it.”
Andy laughed, waving a hand in the air. “No no, I’m good, I promise. No sex today, so my dick can continue to function later.” He started to stretch a little bit, seeing Lauren coming out of the bathroom, one towel around her torso, another tying up her hair.
“The bathroom’s steamed up, but I didn’t leave it as a total mess for you two,” Lauren said, as she smiled at them. “I gotta get toweled off and head to the training camp the ’49ers set up in town, so I’ll see you guys for dinner, okay?” Lauren looked over at Taylor, who hadn’t woken up yet. “Don’t let her off easy. This is a month of punishment, so I want her to feel it. My wrath isn’t to be taken lightly, and if you got light on this daffy bitch, she’s only going to make us regret it. No clothes, no plates, no utensils, no exceptions, got it?”
“Yes ma’am,” Andy said, waving in her direction, as she headed into the large walk in closet. “We should go and get showered, Ash.”
Aisling groaned before she made an over-exaggerated noise and then pulled back, sliding to the edge of the bed, reaching over to tug on Andy’s ankle, as he moved to follow her. Their time in the shower was relaxing and Andy saw Taylor wake up when Aisling turned on the hairdryer.
As Andy tugged on the boxers, he decided he should probably talk a little bit to Taylor, especially since she wasn’t going to start any conversations under orders from Lauren. “You must’ve really pissed Lauren off something fierce, Taylor,” he said, as he grabbed a pair of jeans. “She is the most gentle kind soul I’ve ever met, but you brought out an anger from her I didn’t even know she was capable of, and we’ve been living together for almost two months now. I know you cheated on her, and that’s horrible enough to start with, but there’s more going on here. So what happened?”
Taylor frowned, shifting a little bit beneath the blanket. “I fucked up. Sir.”
Andy cocked his head to one side before pulling the t-shirt down over his head. “That’s not an answer. Not good enough. What. Happened.”
Taylor’s bright blue eyes watered up a little, as if she was going to break out into tears. “Lauren and I had been fighting. We’d both been so busy that we hadn’t really had time for each other in weeks. My ex-boyfriend was in town. We went out drinking, I drank too much and I... I just needed dick.” A single tear dropped from one of her eyes before she took a deep sniff in, trying to steel herself up. “It’s not an excuse. It was a mistake, a horrible one. I should’ve talked to Lauren about my needs, told her that I found myself needing a man’s touch, but, like I said, I fucked up.”
“You understand that if you join this family, the only dick you’re going to be getting is mine, right?”
“I do, sir.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I am, sir.”
“What’s changed?”
She frowned a little, looking at her hands before looking up at him as the blow dryer went off in the bathroom. “I’ve grown up a bit. It’s been half a year, and I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. That whole time I’ve missed Lauren crazy mad. And I just really like both men and women, so with your family, sir, I’ll get both. Lauren was the best thing that ever happened to me, and if you make her happy, and it sure seems like you do, I know you’ll make me happy as well.”
“Did you like what you saw last night?”
“Yes, sir. Very much sir.”
“And are you horny right now?” Aisling asked as she walked into the room, completely in the buff.
“Yes ma’am. Very much so, ma’am.”
“You’re not going to get it today,” the redhead said as she tugged on a thong. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Good girl.” Aisling smirked wryly, looking over at Andy. “What do you think of her, love?”
“It sounds like she’s learning, so that’s something.” It was a little odd to be talking about Taylor as if she wasn’t in the room, but Lauren had made it clear that they were supposed to keep Taylor from being comfortable the whole time, and Andy couldn’t think of anything that made people more uncomfortable than being talked about in front of them.
“Quite the cracking body on her too, I’d say. Pint sized in height, but Jaysis, I’d kill for tits like hers.” She pulled on a sports bra, shifting as she got it adjusted. “The advantage of youth, I’d guess. I’m surprised you’re even old enough to go drinking, Taylor. How old are you, slut?”
“I’m twenty-five, ma’am.”
Aisling laughed and grabbed her towel, throwing it at Taylor. “Oh fuuuuuuuuuck you!” Aisling was giggling, shaking her head. “I’m only two years older than you.”
“I’m... sorry, ma’am?”
“Oh, hush,” Aisling said, shaking her head with a sly smile.
Andy walked over and tugged the sheet off Taylor, who didn’t blanch at all, staying on her knees, folding her hands behind her back to proudly jut those firm, natural double D breasts at him. The pink nipples that capped them were stiff like pencil erasers. Taylor kept her eyes lowered, even as Andy reached a hand down at cupped one of Taylor’s tits in his hand, hearing her breath catch when he did. “Lauren didn’t say I couldn’t touch her, did she Ash?”
Aisling shook her head. “She said nothing goes in her cunt for the month, and that she wasn’t going to get fucked for about a week, but I think that was the extent of her rules for you in regards to touching her.”
“I’m not usually the kind of man drawn to overly big tits,” Andy said, “but I have to admit, it just sort works on Taylor.”
“Thank you, sir,” Taylor whispered, each word almost strained.
Andy couldn’t help himself, and pinched one of Taylor’s nipples, hearing a high pitched squeak emanate from her before she held very still and then forced a breath out, shivering quite visibly as she did, her skin covered in goosebumps.
“Holy shit,” Aisling said. “Did you just cum from that?”
“Yes ma’am,” Taylor whimpered. “Sorry ma’am.”
“You couldn’t control it, so I suppose just good on you.”
Andy’s hand left her nipple and then he scrunched his face up before he crouched down. He pushed Taylor’s thighs a bit wider apart and then slid his hand between them, his fingertips just below her pussy, and then waited. A second or so later, he felt her drip onto his hand. “Dripping wet.”
“Yes sir. Sorry sir.”
Andy smirked as he brought his hand up to his lips, licking the taste of her snatch from his skin. “I think the only thing you really have to be sorry about is that you’re going to be making a mess on the floor for a while now.”
“May I ask a question, sir?”
“You just did, but go ahead.”
He thought he saw a slight smile from Taylor at that, as if the point was made. “May your worthless bitch clean herself up with toilet paper?”
“Go on then,” he said, as Aisling tugged on some yoga pants and one of Andy’s t-shirts. She had plenty of her own clothing, but had to wearing his t-shirts as often as she could. “We’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast. Yours will be in a bowl.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Taylor headed into the bathroom as Andy and Aisling headed downstairs.
After a quick breakfast (even though it was closer to lunch than morning), the two hopped into the Tesla and headed into town to get groceries. Andy was a little surprised it was a Safeway, but suspected that whoever had built this community had decided to go for convenience over rustic.
Andy found the whole experience surreal. The people he saw coming and going were a weird mix of high fashion and modern style, and there were a lot more women than men, although he wasn’t all that surprised by that. With the number of women that each man was expected to be paired with, he knew their little village was going to have a sizable imbalance, and he saw that reflected in the people walking through the lanes. As expected, there were many hot young women, but he was also pleased to see several older good looking women in their fifties and sixties. A community comprised solely of young fit gorgeous women would’ve made it all even more awkward than it already was.
They were mostly done getting their groceries when Aisling tapped Andy. “Hey, I know her! Lisa! It’s Ash!”
Walking towards them was an older man in a ridiculously expensive looking suit, and a woman in a tight tube top and hot pants quite younger than the man she was accompanying. The woman, a stunning brunette, offered a slight wave, but didn’t say anything in response. The man, however, immediately addressed Andy. “Hello good sir! Arthur Robert Covington the Fourth. You must be new to our little colony.” He offered a hand out to Andy, who almost didn’t want to shake it, but did so reluctantly. Some things were almost just reflexive.
“Andy Rook, and this is my first partner, Aisling.”
“Nice to meet you,” Aisling said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand, but he’d lowered his hand to his side, so her hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before she finally took the hint and lowered her own. “I didn’t know you were here, Lisa. I haven’t seen you in, what, five or six years? Andy, Lisa was in a bunch of classes with me in college.”
“Oh, Lisa doesn’t talk out in public any more,” the pompous git said to them. “It’s for both of our benefit. I find it’s much better if women are just seen and not heard, don’t you agree, Andy?”
Andy immediately wanted to beat the shit out the pompous prick. “Can’t say that I do.” Everything about the man screamed old money, and it was taking all of Andy’s willpower not to just walk away from them right now. Clearly Ash had some familiarity with the woman, and he wanted to support Aisling any way he could. “I find it’s best to treat everyone you meet like an actual person, rather than some sort of fashion accessory.”
“That is so modern of you, young man,” Convington said. “And so en vogue. You don’t have to pretend here, though, young man. In this community, though, we don’t answer to anyone but each other. You certainly are quite a bit younger than the majority of people who have been brought here, and perhaps you are expecting that you need to blend in to the modern times.” The older gentleman smiled at Andy with a condescension that made him want to punch the guy until he was lying on the floor. “But you are among friends now, and we the elite men of the world have always been best supported by our women with their support and their stoic silence.”
“I couldn’t disagree more, old chap,” Andy said, trying to make it clear by his tone that he was mocking the man’s arrogant tones. “While I understand that it’s not very traditional, at least in the western world, for a man to have multiple wives, but I’m never going to ask them to be silent in public. I value their opinions all the time, and I see them as equals, not lesser people.”
“Well,” Covington sniffed. “I imagine you’ll come around eventually, but even if you don’t, we’re all entitled to our own lifestyles. Good luck to you both.” Then the man, who had to be at least sixty, walked off with his twenty-something woman, who offered a tiny wave to Aisling before walking away.
Once they were around the corner, Aisling punched him in the shoulder. “If you think I’m better seen and not heard, you are in for a world of trouble, fella.”
“You heard me say that I didn’t agree with him, Ash. Sexist pig.”
“Still. Don’t want you getting ideas.”
Andy sighed. “I sort of suspected we were going to find some people like that here, but I can’t say I’m thrilled about it. And we can’t try and rescue her, because they’re already bonded.”
“Do you believe Phil when he said the bonds are permanent?”
“Phil’s usually right about these kinds of things, so I don’t think he’d lie to us about it.”
“Then I suppose I’m just happy that I’m not bonded to a total git.”
Andy and Aisling decided to spend a little bit more time getting additional groceries after the experience, mostly to cool off.
They’d gotten a list of things from Jenny, which covered most of what they would be having for meals. Jenny had even told them that she would be happy to do all the grocery shopping, but Andy had insisted they wanted to see the town a bit more anyway before they left, so Jenny had made it clear that this was going to be an exception, and prepared them a list that she was strict they pick up all of.
Most of what they picked up at the end were some comfort foods to go along with everything off Jenny’s list. Candy, soda, chips, the kinds of things he suspected Jenny wouldn’t approve of too much, but he wasn’t ready to let go of his sugar addiction quite yet.
As they picked up food that clearly wasn’t good for them, Andy kept his eyes on the other people he saw coming and the mismatch of young and old he’d seen with Aisling’s friend and the stuffed shirt seemed to be the norm. The men could occasionally be found chatting with each other, but for the most part, the women remained silent, although he did spot a couple of women following the same man talking between themselves.
Andy was a little used to feeling like an outsider. When he’d gone and done his first sci-fi convention, some of the older writers had thrown a lot of shade his way about his books. Many of them felt like urban fantasy was something of a slum compared to either high fantasy or pure sci-fi. In fact, more than a couple of people he used to called idols had called his particular strain of fiction “juvenile,” even going so far to describe the Druid Gunslinger books as “starter fantasy, for unsophisticated minds.”
It had almost made him want to not do any more conventions, but after a little bit of searching, he’d found a group of similarly minded writers, people like him who looked at genre boundaries as a roadmap of what rules to break and how.
What he loved most of all, though, was that the fans didn’t give a shit. Sure, there were detractors to his writing in the crowds, but they’d get booed down by the rest of the people who were there to learn more about where his books were going and what kinds of secrets he’d been leaving off the page. Most of the fans believed he lived in San Francisco proper, but Andy certainly hadn’t made enough money off the books to justify that kind of lifestyle.
There were other things about his books that had drawn people to his audience—he wasn’t afraid of writing sex scenes in his books, some of the supporting characters were gay or bisexual—but the main reason they kept coming back was that the books were unpredictable. He’d killed off main characters mid book, he’d changed the city the protagonist’s base of operations was in multiple times and one of the villains he’d introduced in one of the first few books had gone through a surprising redemption arc in the most recent book, something that the early readers had raved about how much they hadn’t seen it coming.
All that had instilled him a sense that he never had to go along with something just because it was what was expected of you, and he certainly didn’t plan to change the way he treated people now because a bunch of blue blood uppity vampires thought he should join their little club.
“It’s so weird,” Ash whispered to him. “Seeing all these beautiful women, being forced to walk a few steps behind their men. All of this pretentious bullshit, these assholes thinking their money makes them invincible. It used to be the stranglehold they had over women was figurative, financial. Now it’s literal. They’re literally dependent on these assholes for their survival. If they don’t get their fix, they’re going to go out of their minds. I mean, what are we going to do if you leave us? Or if you get taken away from us? Or get sick and die?”
“I’m sure they’re working on something to stabilize it, Ash, but until then, you’re alive, I’m alive, and that’s all that matters.” Andy sighed. “But I’m still alive, unlike ten million other American men. And the death rates are starting to climb around the world too. So anything that keeps me alive, I’m going to take that as a win. Speaking of which, how is your brother doing?”
“He’s sheltering in place with the rest of my clan, luv. You don’t really know my mother yet, but when you meet her, you’ll learn how much of an iron fist she’s got on the whole family. They’ll do whatever it takes to survive. Your brother?”
“He and his wife are doing the same. She ventures out from time to time, but other than that, they don’t dare leave the house.” Andy waved his phone over the credit card machine, and heard the telltale ding that meant the bill was paid. “Martial law got declared in Kansas City, though, and I know the tanks rolling down the streets have them more than a little spooked.”
“Whatever it takes to get through it, luv, we’re gonna do it.”
“Well, not if it takes me turning into that asshole.”
Aisling giggled. “Oh, Andy, you’re not built to be a snob.”
“Suppose you’re right.”
When they got to the car, Andy couldn’t help but start laughing a bit as he replayed the earlier conversation in his head. Aisling asked him what he found so funny. “I mean, he’s the FOURTH in a long line of pompous assholes, Ash. Why don’t we understand how important that is?”
That set her off laughing too.