[interesting]

I get home a little after six. I have dropped by the fried chicken place because for some reason, I'm still eager to have some. I didn't have my fix yesterday night, and I know Jennifer is feeling better, and Jim won't mind.

I enter the apartment and barely hear a sound. The lights in the living room are off. For a moment, I wonder if Jim and Jennifer are still there; suddenly, I hear a door opening and Jim comes into view across the hall. He smiles at me.

"Hi! I've..."

He places his finger on his lips. I go quiet. I drop the food on the kitchen table and go to him. I whisper.

"What's going on?"
"Wait here."

He goes over and locks the door, then comes back to me. He gently kisses me on the lips steps back, motioning to my body. It takes me a while for me to understand that he wants me to strip. I look confused for a while but I manage to do so. I stand naked before him and wonder what he has in mind. He retrieves a piece of cloth from his pockets and places it over my eyes, effectively blindfolding me. I'm curious about his plans by I play along. I get to thinking that everyone has plans for everyone now.

He lifts me up from the ground and carries me towards the bedroom. I feel his finger on my lips, telling me to remain quiet. I lean in against him so as not to bump my head down the hall or on the door frame. We enter my bedroom. I can't hear if Jennifer is still there, but I don't see where she could be, unless Jim found the key and freed her. I somehow don't think he would do that.

Jim puts me on my bed. I remain quiet and docile. Suddenly, I hear a snap and I feel the metal on my wrist. Trapped!

"You can remove the blindfold now."

I'm half-expecting what I'm about to see, thinking turnabout is fair play, but I'm a little surprised. I see Jennifer on her own bed, naked, in exactly the same predicament as I am. He hasn't freed her. Why is she now naked? Why is Jim giving me the same treatment I gave her?

"Jenn, did you put him up to this?"
"Actually, it was his idea."
"Our idea," Jim corrects.

I stare at the both of them. Jim smiles and leaves the room.

"I'll be back with the food."

I watch him leave, then turn my attention to Jennifer.

"What's going on? Did you two make up?"
"In more ways than one."

I'm a bit taken aback by Jennifer's comment.

"Did you two...?"

The question trails off. Somehow, the idea of them together fills me with fear, and I can't reason why. Jennifer laughs.

"No, we didn't. But I'll tell him you were worried. He'll find it amusing."
"It would be all right if you had."

But I'm lying. I know it, and I'm finally realizing it. That feeling of guilt, that suspicion trailing off in my mind, that unspeakable stress, that's where it comes from. I'm the same as him. And I can't believe I'm thinking about sleeping on him left and right! Jennifer manages to calm me down.

"He knows, you know? He understands."
"He does?"

I'm feeling so small right now. I want to cry, but my eyes won't let me.

"And what about you?"
"I guess I understand where it comes from. You were right. We talked quite a bit today."
"And?"

Jim enters the room. He's carrying the food, three plates and a chair.

"And we got to an understanding, something we can both live with for the moment."

His comment soothes my nerves. He sets his chair up, then places the food on the plates and brings it to us. We eat with our hands. He's even brought the napkins.

"What is this understanding?"
"That's for us to know and you to find out."

They both smile. Now I'm really intrigued.

"Okay, I'll bite. How do I find out?"
"We're going to play a game," Jennifer says.
"What are we playing?"
"Twenty questions."

I've played this before, but never in the nude, and certainly never under these circumstances.

"What do I have to guess? It's hard to define something that only exists within your minds."
"That's why we wrote it down."

This time, I turn to Jim.

"Like a contract?"
"No. Just to get everything out in the open."
"What do I get if I win?"
"Both of us, to do with whatever you want.
"Anything?"
"Within reason, but yeah, anything."
"And if I lose?"
"You remain tied up - and you get to watch me and Jenn have fun together."

This time, I'm truly perplexed.

"You're kidding."
"We're not," Jennifer replies. "You have twenty questions, no more, to guess what we're hinting at, or you have to watch us have our fun together."
"Jim, are you serious?"
"Yes. We are. We've talked about it, and decided that if you don't get it, well..."

He lets his words trail off. I'm suddenly extremely agitated. On the one hand, I have been anticipating, almost premeditating a romantic encounter between them. On the other hand, my reaction a few moments ago puts me at odds with my fantasies. Could I be able to handle seeing them together - and being kept apart, just watching them go at it? Somehow, it doesn't feel right. And both of them seem absolutely adamant about this. I try to call their bluff, but I can't. They are serious.

"When do I start?"
"How about now?"

I have to make these questions count. I don't know exactly what they're talking about, what I need to guess, but I have to make these questions matter. I don't want to lose, and it's not simply because I hate losing. It's become extremely personal now.

"Is it an idea or concept?"
"No."

One down. Nineteen to go.

"Is it alive?"
"No."

They talk in unison, like they've rehearsed, which they obviously have.

"Is it an item?"

They have to consult each other. They seem hesitant. They finally agree.

"Yes."
"Is it... in this room?"
"Yes."

Four down. I'm doing good now. I look about my bedroom. The first things that come to mind are Jennifer and Jim, but no, it's not alive. Their clothes? I keep searching visually. Beds. Sheets. Pillows. Clothing on the floor. Drawers. Bedrest. Carpet. Ceiling. Wall. Light fixture. Light switch. I give up for the moment and go back to questions.

"Is is white?"

My bedroom walls are white. There are also posters.

"No."
"Is it... blue?"

Most of our sheets are blue. It's Jennifer's favorite colour as well.

"No."

I decide to forget about colour and try something else.

"Can I see it from where I am?"
"Yes."
"Is it a piece of furniture?"
"No."
"Is it a piece of clothing?"
"No."

That makes nine. I'm not doing so well anymore. I still have eleven questions to go. I know it's not clothing or furniture. Something I can see, not blue and not white.

"Is it something... on the wall?"
"No."

So it's not my posters and not my shelves. Could it be the chair Jim is sitting on?

"Is it the chair Jim is sitting on?"
"No."

Eleven. My mind is racing at the thought of Jennifer and Jim together, mixed emotions are driving me crazy, making it hard for me to think. I look about the room in desperation. The computer.

"Is it the computer?"
"No."

I sense a small moment of hesitation in that answer from Jennifer. Maybe I'm on the right track. I look at the computer desk. I see the monitor, the keyboard, the lamp, the mouse, the mouse pad. I see the computer chair, the drawers of the desk, the pile of CDs on top.

"Is it on the computer desk?"
"Yes."

Thirteen. A lucky number for me. I have to focus now. This is getting far too personal.

"Is it... electrical?"
"No."

That eliminates a few things.

"Is it the mouse pad?"
"No."

Five to go.

"Is it... the... toy on top of the screen?"

We have a little bobbling head of Elvis. Jennifer picked it up at a fair some time ago.

"No."
"Is it... something I can guess?"

I know this could be considered cheating, but the notion has occurred to me that I may not be able to solve this one; it may actually be a no-win situation. I'm both pleased and frightened when Jennifer answers.

"Yes."

I have three questions left. I look closely at everything on the computer desk. I look for something obvious, something that is in my line of sight. Illumination strikes.

"Is it paper?"
"Yes."

But the paper is white, and it's not white. So it can't be the paper, unless it's paper of another colour. But I don't see any. They said I can see it from where I am. I can't move, but I can change my perspective. I get up on my bed and look at the desk from above. I see a piece of pink paper - letter paper - on top of the computer screen. There's writing on it.

"Is it that piece of paper?"

There is a long pause. Jim gets up and retrieves it and hands it to me. One question to spare. I read the entry.

"To Sarah:
"We both love you very much, and we understand that our misunderstandings are causing you pain. We apologize for this. We know you are trying your best to keep us together, as friends, and we know we are not making your life any easier.
"The love we share with you is something unique to both of us. We don't want to cause you any more duress. That is why we have decided, both of us, to allow you to do as you wish with us.
"From Jennifer: I understand if you want to be exclusive to Jim. He's the one for you. I am here if you ever need me, for anything. You have all my love and devotion. I only want you to be happy.
"From James: You have transformed my life in ways I cannot even describe. Your openness and your love have made me a new man, a better man. I feel like I have grown with you. I have grown because of your desire for challenge and novelty, because you never take anything for granted. I cherish that in you. That is why I am letting you go, while holding onto your hand. I will walk alongside you, and be with you as you need me, but I will let you lead the way. Your happiness means more to me than life itself. I do not worry of losing you anymore, because I know I have your heart.
"From us: Remember that we are here for you. We love you now and will love you down the road, wherever it takes us, however bumpy it may be.
"J. & J."

Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I close the letter. I put it away and want to reach for them, but I'm tied up to the bedpost. Jim tosses the key to Jennifer as he comes over and hugs me. Jennifer frees herself and comes join us. We kiss each other as I thank them, drying my tears of happiness away. Jim is the first to talk.

"I know how hard we've made these past weeks, Sarah."
"And we sincerely regret all we've made you suffer."
"It wasn't all you guys."
"I was too aggressive."
"And I was too recalcitrant."

I kiss both of them and then we have a three-way kiss. I have to ask.

"Does that officially make us a threesome couple?"

Jim laughs.

"No. It just means that whatever you decide to do, I'm here."
"And I'm here too."
"I'm not ready to sleep with anyone. Don't know if I'll ever be. But that shouldn't stop you from doing what you need to do."
"I don't need to sleep with anyone else. I just like sex."
"And I love you, and I want you to be happy. It's like I said before. One day, one decision at a time. Let's not overdramatize anything."

Jennifer drags Jim away.

"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Having fun together."
"What? I won the game."
"Still... Jim, we should show her what we had planned if she failed."

I'm taken aback by Jennifer's bravado. She leans seductively, pressing her naked form against Jim's, and he's letting her do it.

"Jim!"

They ignore me.

"Want to play, Jim?"
"sure."

For a moment, I'm completely oblivious. Suddenly, Jim pulls two packs of cards from his pocket.

"What do you say? Double solitaire?"
"Sure."

They sit on the ground and start setting up the game. That's when I realize I've been had. I laugh and smile. They leave the cards there and return to me. Jim finally undoes my cuffs. I massage my wrist. I then pull him in and toss him onto my bed.

"Jenn, would you assist me?"

Jenn smiles. We go to work stripping Jim. He doesn't fight it; I work his bottom while Jenn works his top. As I remove his underwear, I see a spot of wetness on them. He is half-erect from all this.

"Okay... so you two are going to do what I want you to do? No questions asked."
"No questions," answers Jennifer.
"I'll comply."

Jim is calm now. He's accepted his fate, whatever it might be. There's something I've been meaning to have them do, but I still hesitate for a moment.

"I need you to tell me if you don't want to do this."

I'm specifically looking at Jim, but I see I have Jennifer's attention.

"I know Jennifer has been dying to feel you into her. So I'll ask... do we let Jennifer... ride you?"

I direct it as a question, because my hesitations are still flowing. I'm surprised that Jennifer answers this one.

"No. I don't think that's wise."
"Jennifer's right."

They agree on it. That's a good thing.

"Maybe just... blow him then?"

They look at me, then at each other. Jim nods. I kneel beside Jim, near his face, and turn his gaze on me.

"If at any time you want to..."
"Sarah, it's okay. It's what you want, right?"

It takes me a moment to focus. I redirect the question.

"Is it also what you want?"
"I'm not against it, but it has to belong to us both."

I stare at Jennifer. She has her face near his sex, smelling it. It's already reacting to the situation.

"I want Jennifer to suck you."

Jennifer takes my cue and swallows him. Jim is looking at me and grabs my hand. Somehow, this makes us even. I think I'm starting to understand Brigitte a little better. There has to be a balance. If Jim won't be with Jennifer, then I can't be with her either. Otherwise, it doesn't work. And we have to be together. That's the real key here. I think we're both realizing it. If we're together, it seems all right, even if it isn't. And appearances somehow seem more important than truth, at least in the here and now.

"I want Jennifer to swallow everything, Jim. Shoot into her. Don't hold back."

I look at Jennifer. She's working him hard, and Jim is deriving much stimulation from it. His hand fondles my breast. I take his hand to my mouth and suck his fingers. Jim is moving about in the bed; Jennifer's always been better at this than me. I've been with him long enough to read his body language. He's about to release. I'm about to tell Jenn when I see her face shift; he's shooting into her mouth, and she's doing her best to swallow. Jim lets out a long moan, then goes quiet. Jennifer keeps sucking a moment longer, then pulls away and licks him clean. Jim is relaxed now. I'm also very calm. There is no stress here.

I look at Jennifer. She seems happy. She's been aching for this for months. It's finally done. It becomes clear that this clears the air, lets us do a fresh start. I kiss Jim as he recovers, then go over to kiss Jenn. I taste Jim on her lips and tongue.

Somehow, this feels right. Balance has been restored. I think tonight, I will sleep well.

Ironically, the only question that pops into my mind is: whose bed do I sleep in now?