6 Times a Day

Alan was in his room getting dressed for his date with Christine when Amy knocked on the door. "Hey, Beau, can I come in?"

"Sure."

Amy walked in and closed the door behind her. She whistled in appreciation, because Alan was wearing a dark blue three-piece suit. He was holding a red tie in his hand and said, "You're just in time. Do you know how to tie a tie?"

"Sorry. No. But wow! You look grrrreat! You're, like, all formal and dapper and stuff. It's pretty neat!" She beamed at him.

"Thanks. You look pretty good too." She was still wearing her surprisingly formal black dress. Putting the tie down for the moment, he said, "I can't believe how understanding you're being about all this. I'm dressing up like this for my practice date with Christine, you know. We're going to a really fancy restaurant."

"I know." She sat down in his computer chair.

He sat down on the edge of his bed, facing her. "Don't you ever feel jealous? You're my official girlfriend now, and I'm going on a date with another girl, even if it is only a practice date, and yet you smile and compliment me without a hint of bitterness. With that nice dress you have on, complete with a pearl necklace and everything, it looks like I should be going on a date with you. Heck, I feel bad about it. I'm sure Sis is annoyed, and maybe jealous. It would be weird if you don't feel something."

After a considerable, thoughtful pause, Amy conceded, "M'kay, I'll admit that I am a little bit bummed that it's not me going with you, but just a little bit."

He said, "Just a little bit? I'm not trying to stoke your jealousy, but aren't you concerned these practice dates could turn into something more serious eventually?"

"Could they?" she asked pointedly.

"Well... no. Definitely not. I simply will not allow that to happen." He sounded firm, but deep down he felt more doubtful. "But still, I have to admit that it's possible. Heck, anything is possible, since the future is unknowable. The thing is, I've been enjoying these dates with Christine, but also, I love you and don't want to do anything to hurt you. If you want me to call it off, then I'll cancel it."

"Awwww. That's sweet!" Amy got up from her chair, sat next to him, and gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Thanks. No wonder Mom calls you 'Sweetie.' But seriously, don't cancel it on my account."

"Really? Are you sure?"

She broke the hug so she could sit back for better eye contact. "Sure I'm sure! You see, I'm all about taking the bigger view. I haven't quite figured out the whole Christine situation yet, but the way I figure, we're moving in a harem-y direction in general. So there's no place for jealousy."

He furrowed his brow. "Excuse me, what do you mean by 'harem-y?'"

"You know. You, me, Kat, your mom, and my mom... for starters. Whether you use the 'H' word or not, it's a group-y kind of situation. Sure, you're smack dab in the middle of it, but it's not just about you. It's, like, a new family - a fun, loving, super-sexual family. That's where I see things going. I think it's great, and way better than how things used to be! It'll be the five of us at first, and then it'll keep growing until we're at a place where everything feels just right. Now that I'm your official girlfriend and all, I can kinda admit to you how I'd like to see things go. Isn't that how you see it too?"

He squirmed a bit uncomfortably. "Um, not exactly."

That seemed to puzzle her. "Well then, how DO you see it?"

He sighed. "Truth be told, I try not to think about it much. I'm kind of just living day by day without some kind of grand strategic plan."

Amy huffed in frustration. "I was worried you'd say something like that."

He said defensively, "It seems weird for me to plan like that. I mean, I'm way over my head already. How greedy and presumptuous would it be for me to say that four women aren't enough, and I'm going to aim to have any more? Good things keep happening to me, so I figure I'll just keep going down this path and let more good things happen."

Amy groaned in disappointment. "You're a case, Beau! Good things don't just happen all on their own, one after another like that. You're lucky that you have the likes of my mom looking after you. You really should figure things out and set goals. Certainly you must have SOME plans, right? For instance, what about Glory?"

He winced, and then spoke in a quieter tone. "We're not supposed to talk about her. That's a BIG, big secret!"

She lowered her voice too. "I know, but just this once, m'kay? Just between you and me, with my lips zipped shut forever, what would you like to see happen with her? In a long term, future-y kind of way, I mean?"

There was a long pause as he considered that. Then he moved his hands up and down helplessly. "I don't know! I know I love her and want to be with her. Forever, if at all possible. If that's what she wants too. But I don't feel it's fair for me to push anything on her. I mean, I'm involved with all these other women, and I could never give that up, not even for her. I'm lucky that she's with me at all. It's not fair to make big demands on her."

Amy tilted her head back and symbolically slapped her forehead. "Ugh! Beau, your efforts to be considerate are nice, but sometimes you've just gotta go for it, ya know?"

"I know. But I worry that if I push too hard, I'm going to jinx things. Plus, that could lead me down the path of being an arrogant asshole. Like smugly looking at a new woman and thinking 'I'm going to make her mine,' as if it's a done deal and what she wants doesn't matter at all. I'm deathly afraid of turning into that kind of a guy."

"Good point. Nobody wants that. But if you're going to be the master of your own harem, you've gotta be more take-charge-y."

He groaned unhappily. "Who says I'm the master of any harem? I'm just a guy who's in love with several women, and lucky enough to have them love me back."

Amy eyed him critically. "Do you really believe that? Is that all?"

He hesitated, clearly conflicted. "Well... yeah."

She gave him a chagrined look. "You know, you don't have to worry about being politically correct and all that. We - and I mean me, Kat, my mom, and your mom - we still love you, even with all the sharing. That actually makes everything better, since we get to share the love between all of us. We'd even kinda like you to be MORE aggressive taking what you want. Don't you think having a harem of lovely, beautiful ladies would be a pretty great thing? And not just for you, but for all of us too. For instance, if someone like Glory were to join our group, it would be like I maybe could gain a new sister AND a new lover."

He sat back, amazed. "Whaaat?! You'd actually approve of something like that?"

She spoke guardedly, "Well, maybe. It all depends on who we're talking about, and how things go down exactly. Besides, it's not for little ol' me to say. I'm not a super clever schemer like my mom, and I'm not mowing down the ladies with a big fat thingy like you are. But if I were in your shoes... Sometimes you gotta dream big, ya know? I've never been shy about the fact that I'm cool with sharing you. It's exciting that we're in uncharted territory, and we're all having the time of our lives! And that's partly 'cos you've gotten involved with some pretty darn great women - Heather aside." She frowned at that name.

But then she brightened again. "Like Glory Rhymer. I've never really gotten to know her like you have, but I've always gotten good vibes from her, and she's a total cutie too. Or Brenda. She's just too sexy and curvy to be denied! You know what I mean? Heck, I haven't even met this new therapist Xania yet, but I've been hearing reports that she's absolutely amaaazing! A total stunner, smart, and a great personality too. Plus, she has a special relationship with my mom that goes way back. If you get more involved with women like that, then I'm all for it, just so long as you always remember to spend lots of time with me as well." She gave him a playful wink.

He shook his head in wonder. "Aims, you're incredible. I still can't get over how accepting and encouraging you are. But there are only so many hours in the day, you know."

She waved a hand dismissively. "You'll work it out." She grinned and giggled at that.

"As if it's that easy. I don't want to let any of you down by spreading myself too thin."

She sat up straight and proud. "I have great confidence in you. Besides, my mom has a knack for making everything work out great, so trust in her. If I ever get to thinking you're in over your head, I'll let you know. M'kay?"

"Okay. What do you think about Christine then? What if I did get intimate with her? Completely honestly?"

Amy tilted her head in a quizzical fashion. "Hmmm. She's kind of a puzzle. Things could turn out super great, but on the other hand it could be a disaster. I think you should keep getting to know her better and let us know how it goes. That's one case where it's good to just go with the flow and see what evolves."

He nodded, but then said, "Well, nothing sexual is going to happen with her, in any case, so it's a moot point. I must admit that I'm sorely tempted by her sometimes, but it's far too dangerous to even consider. I shudder to think what she'd do if she found out about the incest! Aims, maybe it seems to you that I'm being too passive, but the truth is, just having five lovers at the same time is totally nuts! It's like juggling five balls at once. With each new ball added, it becomes exponentially harder."

She responded, "Maybe so, but I don't see it that way. Not if us 'balls' get along and come together as a group instead of fighting each other. If that's the case, more may be better, and a more stable kind of thing, to a certain point. Ya know, we really should get to know Glory a lot better, to see if she could fit into our special group."

He said, "That's easier said than done. Right now my relationship with her is at a very fragile, early stage. She knows I have some other lovers, and she's really uneasy with that. If she were to find out that I'm involved with Mom or Sis, that would be the end, I'm sure! Even with you, she would find it VERY awkward talking to you, now that she knows you're one of my other lovers. I know you mean well, but please don't try to push for anything with her, okay?"

Amy seemed disappointed, but she nodded "M'kay."

He chuckled. "You're weird. It's like you're actually rooting for me to have more lovers!"

She stood up. "Yeah, well, I kind of am, if they're the right kind of lovers. But what I want doesn't matter much. I'm just sitting in the front row of the movie theater eating my popcorn and watching you and my mom do all this clever stuff. It's a fun show to watch. I'll always be happy to give you my two cents though. Anyhoo, we don't want you to be late for your big almost-date. Let's go find Susan. I'm sure she knows how to tie a tie, from helping Ron with his."

"Good idea." The two of them left the room.

Susan did help with the tie, but she seemed unusually quiet, distracted, and subdued.

Once Alan was all ready to go, Susan called Katherine and Amy to her bedroom, where she and Alan were. She had them all sit down on the black sofa in her room and stood in front of them, like she was going to make a speech. She was dressed in a long, fancy maroon outfit, due to the "sexiness battle" earlier where she, Katherine, and Amy had tried to outdo each other with ever more impressive and arousing clothes.

"Kids... I have some... news. Shocking, disturbing news... about Ron."

Katherine sat up straight in alarm. "Is he okay?!"

"He's fine, he's fine. But... As I already told you recently, Suzanne found out that he's been cheating on me for years." (Susan had told that first to Alan two days earlier, but it had been discussed some more with Katherine and Amy as well the next day.) "It turns out that's not the full story. She's suspected for some time that he may be... homosexual. Recently, she shared her suspicions with me."

She waited for a reaction from the teens. They were alert but silent, so she continued, "I've come to believe that's almost certainly true. So, I thought I should let you know, so you could come to your own conclusions."

There was a prolonged silence. Obviously, this was shocking and disturbing news indeed, but nobody knew what to say just yet.

Finally, Katherine asked, "How do you know?! What makes you and Aunt Suzy believe that?"

Susan spent the next few minutes giving a brief summary of what Suzanne had discussed with her earlier, including Suzanne's claim that she had proof that Ron currently had a long-term male lover in Thailand.

That was followed by another long silence. She asked, "Well? What do you think?"

Katherine said, "I'm reeling for sure. But at the same time, it's not such a big blow because the really big blow was finding out he's been cheating on you for years. That was the death knell to your marriage, wasn't it? This is like kicking an already dead body."

Alan nodded at that. "Yeah, it just proves your marriage was even more of a sham. But why are you telling us this now?! I mean, I practically have a foot out the door for my practice date with Christine. I'm going to be a mess after learning this!"

Susan replied, "I was trying to decide when it would be a good time to break it to all of you. Suzanne hit me with her claim to have proof the day before yesterday. I'll been mulling it over ever since."

She paced back and forth in front of the sofa. "However, I decided the full truth needs to be told. Today has been a day of introspection, what with our discussions with that therapist in L.A., and after that I couldn't hold it in anymore. Son, I decided I had to say something before you left for your date, so I'd only have to explain it once to all three of you. But I'm hopeful the timing actually could be fortuitous. Perhaps you'll be so distracted by Christine that you'll be able to put this out of your mind for a couple of hours."

Amy spoke up. "Oh, totally! All you have to do is mention her name, and it's like WHAMMO! Boner city! In fact, I'm kinda surprised that there's not a super bulge-y shape in his slacks right now, since her name just came up."

An annoyed Alan asked, "Amy, how can you say that at a time like this? How could I possibly be aroused after what Mom's been talking about? Sis and I are clearly shocked by this news. But Aims, you seem hardly surprised at all. Why is that?"

Amy hemmed and hawed in her seat. "Well..."

Alan asked her, "Don't tell me you suspected this already?"

Amy replied, "Well, kinda. It's not like I was thinking about it a lot, but it does make sense to me. I mean, sure, Ron is a good guy-"

Susan cut in, "Good point! I might not have emphasized that enough. Tiger, Angel, no matter what his sexual orientation may be, never forget that Ron will always be your father. He's a good man and was an excellent father for the first dozen or so years of your childhood. Keep in mind that, although Suzanne says she has proof, I haven't seen any of it yet. This might all be a big misunderstanding. And regardless, I'm not trying to turn you away from him or anything like that. This is mostly an issue between him and me."

Amy nodded. "Like I was saying, he is a good guy. But, Aunt Susan, don't count on this being a misunderstanding, because it makes perfect sense to me. I mean, think about it. Susan, you're, like, a total babe! Any straight guy would be drooling over you, like, 24-7. There'd be all kinds of flirting and lusty gazes and bouncy-bouncy noises from your bedroom, if you know what I mean. But I've practically spent more time in this house than in my own home since before I can even remember, and I don't recall ANY of that."

Katherine spoke with awe. "Damn! She's right! That's like the dog that didn't bark. Why didn't I ever put two and two together?!"

Alan pointed out, "I'm feeling the same - why didn't I suspect?! But maybe it's 'cos we assumed since Mom was so prudish, that kind of thing only went on behind closed doors. Mom... did it?"

Susan grimaced. "No, not really. In fact, there was hardly any of that at all. It was like we were roommates most of the time. That's what makes me think it must be true."

Alan shook his head. "Wow. I don't know what to think. A part of me says that now that you laid it all out, of course it must be true and I was blind for not figuring it out already. But another part of me says 'NOOOO!' It's not that I have a problem with homosexuality; it's the deception! I mean... if this is true, it means our entire childhood was based on a lie!"

Amy said to him, "Come on, you kinda do."

"Do what?"

"Have a problem with homosexuality. I've heard you say don't do this or that 'cos it's 'so gay.'"

He groaned unhappily. He searched his feelings. She's got a point. Right now I'm so damn friggin' happy that I'm adopted, because that means I can't possibly have inherited his "gay genes." But that's not a mature or tolerant way to look at it. I have to do better!

He said, "Okay, maybe I'm not totally tolerant, but I'm working on it. I'm only a teenager, for crying out loud. I've said stuff like that because nearly all the other guys at school talk like that. But I truly believe that if this was a different situation and a good friend like Sean or Peter came out as gay, I'd be shocked at first, sure, but I'd get over it and I'd continue to be their friend."

Amy nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. But it's different when it's your dad. I probably saw the signs better because he's not MY dad. I can put more emotional distance on it."

Katherine said, "To be honest, I should be all teary-eyed and broken-up over this, mostly over the deception. It probably means that Mom and Ron will get a divorce, because how can Mom's marriage survive if it's true? Except that I'm not broken-up over it, because I feel emotionally distant. For one thing, we were already gobsmacked with the cheating news, but that didn't hit me as hard as it should have. He's been gone so much of the time, for years and years now, that he doesn't really feel like a dad anymore. He's more like an uncle you only see at Christmas."

Alan nodded. "I feel the same. I'm emotionally detached, like Mom is talking about someone I used to know well many years ago, who used to visit our family a lot but doesn't do so anymore. Even when he came home recently, it was like he was hardly here. He didn't seek me out to have any meaningful discussions with me or really ask me how I was doing or anything. In fact, it almost felt like he was avoiding me the whole time, what with him going in to work for most of his so-called vacation home. And it's been like that for years. It's weird!"

Susan said, "Suzanne and I have talked about it. Perhaps the reason that he comes home so rarely and doesn't really engage with us when he does is because he kind of left this family emotionally a long time ago. He may well have a richly-fulfilling emotional life in Thailand, and merely maintains the pretence of being one of us because he's not ready to come out. That's just speculation, but it would seem to fit."

The teens all nodded at that.

Then, after a pause, Katherine said, "On top of all that, I have to confess... total brutal honesty now... there's a part of me that's actually happy to hear this. Because things have changed in a big way here lately, as we all know. Brother, you've got the makings of a little harem here, with me, Mom, Aims, Aunt Suzy, and others to come."

He rolled his eyes. "Please don't use the 'H' word."

"Whatever you want to call it, you know it's true. But how would Ron fit into that? Clearly he doesn't, and couldn't. What would happen if he were to come back for a month, or more? Heck, what if his work in Thailand ended and he lived with us full-time again? How could we deal with that, given the new sexual reality we're all loving? If it's true that he's gay and Mom's marriage is done for, we could be spared all that. Maybe everyone can get their happy ending. He can stop living a lie and totally focus on his gay lover in Thailand, or whatever makes him truly happy. And we can focus on our new way of life without having to worry about explaining things to him. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, and in fact it'll spare him a lot of pain."

Susan said, "I'm glad you said that, Angel, because I've been feeling much the same. The truth is, not only do I not love him now, I doubt that I ever really loved him. At least not with the passionate, sexual, all-powerful kind of love that I feel these days for my son." She flashed a loving smile at Alan.

He smiled right back.

She continued, "So, you're right, this could actually be a graceful way out of a marriage that had been dying anyway. Ron might never need to know about our new lifestyle. Of course we'll still keep in contact with him, at least somewhat, because we'll all always be tied together due to our shared history. But, if he's not actually living with us anymore, it should be relatively easy to keep our incest secret and all the rest from him."

She went on, "In fact, I believe that's why this is coming up now. In retrospect, I'm sure Suzanne must have had a strong suspicion about him for years, maybe since she first met him. But she never said anything to me about it. She probably sensed that the time wasn't right, realizing that I'd fall apart if my marriage crumbled without having anything to replace it. But now she's brought the issue to the fore and hired a private investigator, no doubt because she feels that this is the time for a big change for all of us."

The teens nodded at that. Amy commented, "Gee, my mom is really smart. Aunt Susan, she's totally looking out for you. I'm sure she waited until she felt you'd be able to handle it."

Susan nodded. "It's like she's my Earth-bound guardian angel."

The four of them continued to talk about the issue for another ten minutes or so. The initial shock had quickly faded, eventually being replaced by a sad resignation. Both Alan and Katherine felt guilty that they weren't more emotionally upset about it, since Ron had been a good father to them for many years before his extended work in Thailand had begun.

Eventually, Alan grew concerned that he would be late for his date with Christine. So he said goodbye, leaving the other three to continue to talk things over without him.