 
### A Sunset In The Palm Of His Hand

### By Kathleen Christopher

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 by Kathleen Christopher

Cover design by P. and K. Christopher

Thank you for downloading this ebook. It is the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied, and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this novella, please encourage your friends to download their own copies at Smashwords.com where they can also discover other works by this author. Thanks for your support.

This is a work of fiction. Names and characters, incidents and places, are either products of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

~~~~~

Stepping from the bobbing boat in the harbor, Dave Schilling gazed west; every second the pinkish-orange sun slipped further into the horizon. He smiled, stretched, then rubbed his balding head. He was twenty-six, but men in his family had looked the same at his age, closer to fifty than thirty. Dave had been losing his hair since puberty, and had teased his girlfriend Ali that one day he would just shave off what remained. She often called his bluff, their easygoing manners one of the reasons they had stayed together for the last two years. Then he glanced at the houseboat, where she was napping. They had made love all afternoon, albeit quietly, other boats tethered nearby. Something was bothering her, but it had nothing to do with his thinning hair.

He didn't think it had much in common with their sex life either, or she had become very adept at faking it. Was it their accumulated two years, was it his new job, or her job? Or was it... He sighed, then strolled along the pier, toward where a sliver of peach light remained over the water. Then it vanished, leaving pink mist in its wake. Dave wanted to reach out, grab a handful, then present it to Ali, like a peace offering or truth serum. But maybe ignorance was indeed bliss; he ached with each step, having lain alongside her for much of the afternoon. Their positions had changed, as lovemaking had erased the sense of futility. He shivered, then gazed at the fading pink light hovering just above where others shared leisurely moments that were supposed to celebrate passions and commitments. Was that it, was she afraid of being tied down?

Dave hadn't asked her to marry him, no hint to anything more than what they shared, which since spring had been cohabitation, yet, she still kept her apartment. Was she seeing someone on the nights she didn't stay at his place? Was this weekend at the beach, staying in a friend of a friend's houseboat, her way to ease _goodbye_ into Dave's consciousness? He inhaled as others emerged from their boats, all gazing at the western sky. It felt to be right in front of them, but it was miles away, and even if they chased it, it would still be an illusion. Then Dave looked back to where Ali slept. If he walked to that boat, would it be like the sunset, further from his grasp?

Well, no, as he was able to reach it in two minutes. But he didn't step down into it, just stared at... He didn't know a thing about boats, starboard and port and all that. He knew they were good for having terrific sex in, or that with Ali, the sex was spectacular. It had been wonderful from the start, but now... Now it felt to be missing something. Dave had always found something lacking in a girlfriend, and he had gone from woman to woman, searching for what had eluded. With Ali, everything had fallen into place from the beginning, maybe he had taken something for granted. Not her, certainly; he felt he was a very good boyfriend, a damned fine lover. Then he smiled. Maybe all men thought they were the best a woman had ever had.

Yet, she told him he was; she said he was all she needed, but if that was true, why lately had it felt so incomplete? The orgasms were plentiful, for both. The manners were varied, but the emotions were... Dave glanced back at the sunset, which was now just the dusky horizon. He loved her, he could admit that. She said she loved him. So if that was the case...

He gazed at the boat, could hear her stirring. Dave stepped down, softly calling her name, hearing her hushed response. To his surprise, he grew hard, then he gasped as she met him in the engine room with nothing on but her panties.

She smiled, resting her arms on his shoulders, playing with the few hairs gracing the back of his head. "Where've you been?" Then she kissed him, giving him no opportunity to answer.

The kiss was very intimate. It was also... lacking. Dave wondered if she could tell, and as he pulled away, her nod told him she did. But instead of confronting the issue, she led him back to bed, where they made love while night fell. As Dave drifted off to sleep, he wondered if she was talking to someone. Her warm, fluid voice finished him off, but Dave's dreams were full of the other person on the phone.

"I was thinking," she started, two weeks later, "that maybe we need to try something new."

Dave nodded, as he had been expecting this, but hadn't wanted to initiate anything, mostly because other than breaking up, he had no ideas. After that weekend on the houseboat, their love life had gone into free-fall; on several nights she hadn't even slept at his rented house. No pretense was made, as if both acknowledged that something was wrong, yet, Dave still had no clue why they were drifting apart. His new position as a manager hadn't required more time at work, and she still waited tables. He smiled, as she seemed shy about revealing just what might bring them closer. But her furtive eye contact combined with how she wrung her hands spoke of a big alteration, or at least something unconventional. Dave cracked his knuckles, then smiled. "What do you think we should try?"

"A threesome."

He coughed, then felt like choking. "A what, a threesome?"

"Dave, you okay? You want some water?"

Dave nodded, feeling something caught in the back of his throat. He'd lost his virginity at sixteen, had done it about any way possible, but never with more than one woman at a time. Not that he hadn't dreamed of two, or three, or... Ali returned with a cup, and she held it to his lips. Dave sipped slowly, trying to imagine what that might be like, Ali and... Did she have someone in mind, or was she bi, and this was her way to introduce that part of her life?

"Thanks, I'm okay now." Dave took the cup from her, setting the glass on the coffee table, then he patted the sofa. Ali sat beside him, her movements still halted. Dave stared at her, finding brown eyes full of possibilities. For two years they had dated each other exclusively, or so he had thought. But maybe all that time she was...

"Dave, I know what I've suggested is out of the blue, but..." She started to cry. "But while you're great, you really are, I just need..."

He caressed her face, then kissed her. She responded, and they necked for several minutes. Did women kiss each other differently? Dave was clean-shaven, but maybe stubble was an impediment. Maybe women's softer lips were what turned her on, maybe... He let her stop the kiss, then she cuddled into him. Dave's heart pounded, his prick was huge. Two women, both naked, in his queen-sized bed...

Ali had small breasts, which now that Dave thought about it, was indicative of most of his past lovers. Big boobs had never been important, but maybe that turned her on. Ali was a petite blonde, with enormous widely spaced brown eyes that she said were from her grandmother. All the rest in her family were blue-eyed blondes, but those chocolate eyes had caught Dave's attention from the start. Her eyes, warm smiles, and sensuous manners in bed, but what kind of woman had turned her head, what sort of partner would join them?

He was so enraptured by those thoughts that he missed what she said next. Her words were also muffled into his chest, which was hairy, which they had joked about the first time they got together. If he could have transplanted some of those curls to his head... Would his baldness put off whoever she had chosen? Dave stroked her hair, then smiled. "What honey? What'd you say?"

Ali leaned back, then stroked his face. "Dave, before you say anything, hear me out, okay?"

"Sure baby." He smiled, wondering why she looked so skittish. Had he accepted her idea with too much enthusiasm?

"Dave..." She giggled, then took a deep breath. "You know I care about you, oh Jesus, I love you, I really do."

He started to tell her he loved her too, but she put a finger to his lips. "Let me finish. Okay, so I love you Dave Schilling. I love your laugh and your cock and your shiny head." She gently rubbed his scalp. Then she took another long breath, letting it out slowly. "But there's just something missing, someone. On my honor, we haven't slept together yet, I couldn't do that to you, but I have been seeing someone else." She twisted her hands, then glanced at the floor. Then she gazed into his eyes. "Sometimes, and I don't know why this is, but I just need, oh God, a lot. In bed. I thought I was past it, because you're just, Jesus." She smiled, putting her hand on his chest. "I have never been with anyone who has given me so much fulfillment, and for a while I thought okay, I'm over that, he's a tiger."

Dave smiled, trying to keep her words in perspective. She was clearly making it _her_ issue, not that he had been lacking.

"But the last few months, I realized that while I love you, and I really do, it just wasn't..." Her voice trembled. "Enough. God, I hate saying that, because it sounds like you're not enough, but this's happened before, and..."

"Ali, it's okay. I understand."

Her damp eyes, gigantic in her face, unnerved him. "Dave, it's not what you think. I'm not bisexual."

She squeezed his hands, then nodded, as he started to shake. "I want us to sleep with another man Dave. I want, I need two guys. Dave, Dave?"

Dave had stopped listening when she said she wasn't bi. Then he closed his eyes, wondering how long the pain would last, now that this was over.

In the aftermath of Ali's appeal and his refusal, Dave's self-esteem plummeted, and he questioned everything about his life. When he wasn't mired in navel-gazing, he tried to ignore her absence, but it was as brutal as her request. A few times he upbraided himself for his chauvinistic assumptions. Sleeping with Ali and another woman had been thrilling. Sleeping with her and another man...

She had said that Jon, Jon Shipman was his name, that Jon was open to the idea, but he wasn't gay, or bi, just a guy that she had found herself attracted to, and he was equally smitten. Ali had told Jon the truth, that while she was mostly happy with her boyfriend, something was missing. Yet Dave had a hard time accepting that Ali wanted it with two guys at the same time.

A week later, he ran into her at a grocery store on the other side of town. Purposely he had avoided markets near his house, which wasn't far from her apartment. That both had needed distance eased some of his pain, then he watched as she broke down in the produce aisle, sobbing as she inspected onions. He wondered if they reminded her of his bald head, then he left that section, scouring the store for what remained on his list. But the layout wasn't familiar, and it took him forever, how he felt when stuck in line behind her, one person separating them.

She still sniffled, her hand basket overflowing. She hoisted it onto the belt, then wiped her eyes and blew her nose, every single sound slicing Dave's heart into pieces, which floated in his ribcage, causing immense pain when they bumped into each other. Different chambers clanged around inside his chest as she tried to tell the checker that paper bags were fine. She avoided Dave's gaze, then practically stumbled from the store, an old man asking if she was all right. Dave didn't hear her answer, his heartbeat an erratic and deafening thump in his upper body.

Her car was parked two down from his, and he inhaled deeply, able to see her slumped over the steering wheel as if she was dead. He put plastic bags into his trunk, wheeled the cart to where others were gathered, then approached his car, feeling depleted. He had truly fallen in love with her, no other way to describe the sensation now that she was so close, but miles away, like that sunset. Even if he walked to where she was, she would still be out of reach.

Dave got into his car, put the key into the ignition, but couldn't turn it. From the corner of his left eye, he could see her, still weeping, of course she was crying. She had sobbed as he abruptly jumped from the sofa while he shook in rage, trying to shove her request from his brain. She had cried as he ordered her to leave his house, yelling that he wanted nothing more to do with her. She had bawled leaving message after message, trying to explain how sorry she was, that she hadn't meant any slight to him. It was her, she had always been this way, from when she was in high school. She'd been the town slut, because of course it got around that Ali Messinger liked it with as many guys as possible. Yet not one after another, but two or three at a time. She had never gone back to her hometown, she blubbered into Dave's voicemail, not even when her mother died three years ago. Ali's reputation was draped with a big black X, no one willing to accept her.

Now Dave added himself to that heaving pile, and it made him feel miserable. Which wasn't hard, considering how badly he ached already, but this was coated in chauvinism. Until she had mentioned the gender of whom she wanted to introduce into their relationship, he had been all over the idea. But why were females branded as whores when men often did the very same things, no condemnation falling their way?

He glanced at her; she was still bent over the wheel, her hair spilled out, partially concealing her. But not all was hidden; her shoulders were slumped, she trembled, and her tears were like gongs in his head. Dave stared ahead, not seeing what sat outside his windshield, only the sunset, from the dock, as if time had stopped at that moment. Then he peered across. Time had kept ticking for all of them.

He got out of his car, unsure of what he would say. But he needed to tell her something, that she wasn't to blame, that he didn't hate her, that... That if he was a better man, a stronger man, he would comply with her request. His steps were like a dead man walking, for he felt utterly incapable of giving her what she wanted, which was just permitting another man into his bed. That's truly all it was, but if that was all it was, why couldn't Dave just say _yes_?

Reaching her door, he shuddered, for now he could hear her, and she wasn't quiet. He wasn't sure if he should rap on her door, or the window, or just stand there until she calmed, then started her car; maybe she could hit him with her side mirror as she pulled away. Instead he tapped his foot, which must have translated into vibrations passed through her tires. Ali looked at him, his torso actually. Then she peeked up at his face.

But she didn't meet his eyes, which made Dave wish to be ill. Her countenance was as wrecked as he had ever seen on anyone. He knelt, placing his hands on the window, to steady himself. They were at eye-level; hers were bloodshot, his were questioning.

"Are you okay?" he said, but not loudly. Then he spoke up. "Ali, you all right?"

She nodded, then immediately shook her head. Then she slumped over the steering wheel again.

All his resolve melted, his love for her more powerful than his fears. That realization propelled him to his feet, which wobbled, but remained by her car door. He loved her, God help him, and he owed her more than a brush-off.

"Ali, can I talk to you?" Dave's voice quivered, then he cleared his throat. "Please honey?"

That endearment seemed to reach her, for she opened the door as he stepped back. Then he knelt in front of her, but had to grab her legs for support. The heat from the vehicle coupled with her beautiful scent and a rolling wave of sorrow nearly knocked him over. She steadied his hands with hers, that softness keeping him upright.

Their eyes met, apologies exchanged, but Dave felt she had nothing to fret over. He'd been the asshole, what he told her, in a hushed tone. Then he sighed. "Baby, God, I just, I don't know, I, I..."

"Oh Dave, no, it's me, I'm sorry, I never should've..."

He clutched her, feeling his heart falling off of his ribcage. As the pieces landed at the bottom of his chest, they tried to knit themselves back into a cohesive organ, but they weren't aligned properly. Still, it was better than it had been for the last seven days. "Ali, come home, to my place. We'll figure out something."

She nodded, then sighed, then shook her head. "No, it's not fair to you. Better if we just break up now and..."

He kissed her before she could continue. He didn't want to be apart from her, wasn't sure why, other than as tongues intermingled, his heart was being set right. Not only there in his chest, but the chambers were back to where they belonged, not that he knew where exactly, just like he had no idea about boats, other than on a boat, he and Ali had been fairly happy, and somehow they would navigate this new scenario too. Dave was certain of it, as she collapsed against him, weeping into his chest. He loved her, she loved him. She also needed something more, and Dave would make the necessary room.

Ali sat to Dave's right, across from Jon, who wasn't seated directly opposite either Ali or Dave. They were at Ali's apartment, which had seemed a neutral location for this initial meeting. It had to take place at one of their homes, no restaurant or bar able to brook this sort of introduction, or the ensuing conversation. Not much more than _Nice to meet you_ accompanied by firm handshakes had been shared, the reverberations of which now seemed to echo in the small living space. Until meeting Jon, Dave had been fully prepared to give this arrangement a shot, more in love with his girlfriend than ever. However, actually seeing Jon Shipman face to face had dampened some of Dave's spirit. Jon Shipman was probably one of the best-looking men Ali could have chosen.

Not that Dave checked out other guys, but on one glance, Jon possessed the basics of handsome; square jaw, flawless skin, blindingly white teeth. His hair, of which there was an abundance, was a wavy dark brown, which set off his large sapphire eyes. They were bright pools in his perfectly formed face, as if someone could drown in his exquisite attractiveness. Dave didn't attach _beautiful_ to Jon, but he could have, it would have been completely accurate. Ali couldn't have selected a more striking man if she'd tried.

Then Dave peeked at his girlfriend; she was very beautiful, how had he missed that before? Her brown eyes were just as captivating, her mouth as sensuous, for Jon had similar lips to Ali, voluptuous and... Dave inwardly winced at what a stunning couple Ali and Jon made, their contrasting coloring adding to the spectacular whole. Jon was six foot two, while Dave was barely five eleven. Jon also outshone Dave when it came to employment; Jon was a supervisor at FarReach, the city's state-of-the-art technology center. Jon had his masters in computer engineering, was making over six figures, which handily beat Dave's measly salary, even with his recent promotion to manager. What was that, he wondered, as Jon's deep voice punctured the silence. Dave kept track of TV and tablet sales while Jon oversaw the creation of those devices.

There seemed no issue in which Dave Schilling could best Jon Shipman, except for one that Ali had revealed just last night, in bed. Allegedly, Dave was bigger than Jon, which at the time had greatly eased Dave's mind. Now, what did penis size matter, when in every other category Jon surpassed Dave. Then Dave smiled at himself. Why had size even been a consideration? Ali needed more than him; she needed Mr. Perfect, who to Dave seemed utterly relaxed in his Polo shirt and khaki trousers and boat shoes. Jon undoubtedly knew everything about ships, yachts most likely. He probably owned one or two, along with a Porsche, Mercedes Benz, and a BMW tucked away for good measure.

Why did Ali need Dave at all, when the most thorough specimen of manhood sat right across her dining table? Dave wanted to wish them a happy life together, then flee. He needed to urinate, could use that as an excuse. Then he could slip from the room, get into his aged Corolla, and drive off in search of that ideal sunset. He would be gone forever, for as he well knew, one could never reach the furthest horizon. Perpetually it would be just beyond his fingertips.

Ali was that impossible to retain, even if she gripped his hand. Jon had stopped speaking, and both were gazing at Dave for a response. "Uh, I think I missed that last sentence."

Jon's pleasant laugh further dug Dave's grave. "I just wanted to know if this was okay for you."

"Uh..." Dave nodded, what else was he supposed to say? Ali's grasp on his hand was the only thing keeping him in that seat. Otherwise he would be in the john, then down the steps, into his car... "Sure, whatever Ali needs."

He said that from the ache in his chest, from thinking to how they had made love just last night, and for the fleeting knowledge that according to Ali, Dave had a bigger prick than Superman. Jon looked just like Superman, and maybe after a few tumbles in bed, Ali would realize Jon was the Man of Steel, kicking Dave to the curb, where he felt he belonged. He had never been a defeatist type, but that sense was unavoidable, as Jon's big blue eyes bored a hole right through him.

"I mean, the last thing I want is to get in between you two, I mean..." Jon sighed, exhibiting the first sign of uncertainty. "I don't wanna be any part of breaking you guys up."

Dave laughed, couldn't help it. Then he inhaled, swallowing the rest of his cynicism. Jon looked chastened, Ali the same. They all knew the truth; Dave was second to Jon in nearly every manner. And what did size matter, Dave thought. He still wasn't enough to make her happy.

Ali cleared her throat, then clutched Dave's hand so tightly he grimaced. He glanced at Jon, who caught his expression, but Ali seemed unaware. "I know this's awkward, I mean..." She sighed. "Listen, if you guys don't wanna, if you can't do this, I understand." She looked at Dave. "I love you and I'm sorry and..."

Her tears precluded more words, and Dave gripped her, not caring about the man across, or what Ali seemed to require. "I love you honey, I don't mean to..."

He had whispered those words, not wishing to share them with Jon, but the three feet separating the men wasn't enough. Jon stood, then walked down the hall. The bathroom door was closed, making Dave shift in his seat. He badly needed to pee, he also needed Ali in his life.

"Dave, God, how can you love me when..."

He kissed her wet cheek, then smiled, feeling some relief from her pained tone, and her grabby nature. "Baby, we'll figure this out. Ali, I just..."

The toilet was flushed, then the faucet ran. Dave smiled to himself; that bastard even washes his hands after he takes a leak. He probably did the dishes and the ironing too, the type to take out the trash before being asked and... Dave shook his head, then kissed Ali's brow. He caressed her face, then grinned. If nothing else, Ali had chosen a guy who might make Dave a better boyfriend.

They decided to inaugurate this new arrangement on Saturday. Jon wouldn't spend the night, not unless Dave asked him to. Dave's queen-sized bed would accommodate three people for sex, but not for slumber, or at least not comfortably. Ali would separate the men, but that was unspoken, as were other notions, but Dave had no desire to be physically linked to Jon, other than via the woman that both men seemed to covet. Jon had made it plain that he was very attracted to Ali, and Dave believed him. Jon was willing to share her with someone else; he must have the hots for her.

During the week, Dave gave great thought to what made a successful relationship; up until recently, he thought all the ingredients were in place. He and Ali still laughed like before, that was essential, and what he hadn't found with other women. He had a dry sense of humor, which wasn't always appreciated. Jon had one too, shared in their brief encounter at Ali's place. She seemed non-plussed by appearance, in that Dave's wasn't noteworthy, while Jon's was exemplary. Dave hadn't asked how she knew about the men's physical differences. She had again remarked that she and Jon hadn't had sex, but fooling around hadn't been broached. And she was still eager for Dave; all that week she slept at his house, making love to only him. And while it was great sex, Dave still felt something was missing. Or that to her, an aspect was awry. But it translated back to him, which he couldn't ignore. Maybe that signified he was that much in love with her, to sense the deviation, but never in a million years would he have guessed the reason.

And when she had told him, initially he'd assumed the wrong scenario. That still rankled in his gut, not that he wouldn't get to sleep with two women at once, but in how disgusted he had been. Dave thought of himself as liberated _and_ liberal. Maybe sexual mores were so ingrained, they were the last biases to fall.

On Saturday morning, Dave woke before Ali. He used the bathroom, then stepped back into his bedroom. His horizons were set to expand, even beyond what a sunset required. He smiled, then stared at Ali, sleeping peacefully. She had been honest with him, that had taken an enormous amount of nerve. Maybe she did love him that much, maybe Jon was just the ultimate contrast, maybe... Dave sighed, then his stomach rumbled. He headed into the kitchen, and started the coffee.

When she woke, they ate breakfast, then Ali took a shower. She needed to do laundry, at her complex, but she would be back here before five, as Jon was arriving at six thirty; they were having dinner together first. Dave had offered to barbecue, but Jon had said he would bring Chinese food. Dave hadn't argued, but insisted on buying the beer.

Jon had agreed to that, requesting an ale that Dave enjoyed. Ali had giggled, as if it was a sign. Dave needed to pick up a couple of six-packs, not that they would finish all the bottles that night. But two apiece might not be enough to loosen the nerves that Dave could feel that morning. How tightly strung might they all be by evening, he wondered.

Or maybe just the men; Ali didn't appear overly tense, dirty clothes her only concern. She emerged from the shower in sweats, one of Dave's smaller t-shirts, and no bra. Not that she needed one, but all of hers were in a basket on his sofa. She had gathered that load last night, as they avoided speaking about what occupied both of their minds.

Dave approached her, and she hugged him. "Shall I take that out for you?" he asked.

"That'd be great, thanks."

He nodded as she pulled away. While she put on her shoes, Dave collected the laundry, then followed her outside, setting the basket in her trunk. She joined him and they made small talk, then she kissed him. He stood on the curb as she got into her vehicle, watching her start the car, then drive away. Both realized something was ending, but neither had said a thing.

Dinner had begun awkwardly, but by his third beer, Dave was feeling fine. Jon was a good conversationalist, and the men shared several interests, mostly sports-related. Ali permitted that banter, and by eight thirty all were in affable moods. Dave and Ali were on the sofa, Jon in the chair to Ali's right. Shoes were off, smiles were genuine, but a ripple of curiosity swirled, not enough alcohol to drown out the reason Jon was there.

Ali took the lead, for which Dave was grateful, and Jon seemed to feel the same. She stood and stretched, then grinned at both men. Dave wondered what she might say to initiate their activities, perhaps she had a line used with others in this situation. She hadn't mentioned her past to him after what she said when first telling him about... "Well, shall we retire to the bedroom?"

Her voice was suggestive, but not fawning. It was honest, that's why they were all together. Dave joined her, then Jon stood. The men stared at each other; both had seen Ali nude, but now...

She grasped their hands, clutching Dave's tightly, and he assumed she was gripping Jon's with equal vigor. Then she cleared her throat. "I know this's gonna be hard at first. Just try not to think about it too much." Then she smiled. "Or maybe I'm fulla shit."

Jon chuckled nervously, but Dave made no sound. Yet he took the first step, followed by another, as if his feet worked independently from his brain. Maybe they were tied to his heart, which wanted to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. Now the implications were all too clear, but he led the trio into his room. Once Jon stepped inside, Dave closed the door.

As soon as he did, he turned to find Ali removing her blouse. She wore a sheer pink bra, then stepped from her jeans, revealing matching underwear. Dave didn't look to see if Jon was gawking at her; instead he sat on what was his side of the bed, the left side. Ali remained standing at the foot, while Jon hadn't budged from beside the door.

Dave wished he'd had a fourth beer; if he was just a little more inebriated, this wouldn't feel so... Awkward wasn't even close to describing how this felt, at least for him. Ali now sat at the foot of the mattress, lifting her hair from her neck, then letting it down slowly. Her back was speckled with small moles that Dave had seen hundreds of times, but had never truly noticed. Now he inspected each one, as Jon moved her way.

He knelt in front of her, but Dave paid attention to the marks along her skin. Then voices hit him, hers and... Then Jon was quiet. Dave peeked their way. Jon's head was in her lap as she tousled his thick hair. She arched back, her eyes closed, her tones anxious and hungry, stirring Dave's desires. Yet, it was strange, because he wasn't the one touching her.

She didn't call his name, but she ached for him, he knew that from how she moaned. Did she need him too, was he that necessary? Whatever Jon was doing, and Dave had a fairly good idea, seemed to bring her immense pleasure. He wanted to join them, but felt like an intruder. Yet it was his bedroom, she was his girlfriend, and...

"Dave, please."

Before he knew any better, Dave leaned her way, unfastening her bra. He slipped his hands to the front of her body, cupping her breasts. He was also on his knees, behind her, not looking down, but as he gazed into the mirror straight ahead, reality was apparent in Jon's backside and in Ali's obvious joy. Dave studied that image for seconds. Then he closed his eyes. She leaned against him, making blissful noises, like this was how they made love all the time. Dave kept his eyes shut, aware of an odd but significant pleasure. Perhaps, he considered, deftly fondling her nipples, this just might be okay.

At three a.m., he got up to pee, noting Jon's drones. Sometimes Ali snored, but men were louder, and Dave smiled, heading to the bathroom. By the second time Dave had made love to Ali, sending Jon home for the night had seemed juvenile. With Ali lying between the men, Dave had felt no overt uneasiness. He had exposed the most intimate part of his being in front of that man, so what was waking up to him, as well as Ali, in the morning?

Dave flushed the toilet, then washed his hands as an afterthought. Then he stepped back into the bedroom. Light through a break in the curtains exposed how Ali and Jon slept; she was turned to the left, away from Jon, but he faced her back. Dave smiled, but didn't return to bed.

Watching them sleep seemed invasive, so he headed into the kitchen. He got a cup of water, drained it, then stared out the window over the sink. The moon was full; would he remember that detail, or would it be lost among so many others? There was much to ponder, but the overriding feeling was of ease. That was as shocking as anything Dave had ever known, even topping when Ali had first brought this up. If someone had then told him he wouldn't be bothered with a man sleeping in his bed, Dave would have checked himself into a hospital.

He heard footsteps, probably Jon's, for they were heavier than Ali's. Dave hadn't put on any clothes when they finally said goodnight, nor had he stepped into briefs before or after using the toilet. But what did it matter now? Jon had held Ali in his arms while Dave made love to her, then other positions were enjoyed, Ali always between the men. But her presence hadn't precluded the guys from checking each other out, and yes, Dave had smiled, he was bigger than Jon. But that wasn't what mattered to Ali. It was being surrounded, also being made love to over and over. Dave inhaled, so much to consider, and not just about her. About himself too, and the man who quietly coughed, then entered the kitchen.

Dave turned around, and was relieved to see Jon wasn't clothed either. They nodded, then Jon spoke. "You been up long?"

"Just a few minutes. Had to take a leak."

"Yeah, me too."

Dave smiled, then glanced out the window again. He didn't want Jon to think he was interested in him, although Dave was curious about a few things. For all of Jon's outwardly appealing features, he was slightly reticent in bed, but maybe that was because of this situation. Perhaps Dave and Ali's history had put him off; they shared two years together, and this was Jon's first time with her.

Was it his last time, Dave wondered. Then he faced Jon. "So, you gonna stay the rest of the night, or..."

"Well I wasn't sure. I mean, she's pretty dead to the world."

"Yeah, she is."

"Is that, uh, normal?"

Dave chuckled. "Yeah, but maybe tonight she's a little more out than usual."

Jon nodded, then crossed his arms over his chest. That pose looked strange, exacerbated by his nudity. Then Dave looked back toward the window. Jon hadn't tried to hide a growing erection.

Dave grew hard, but maybe it was from talking about Ali. "Well, you're welcome to stay, I mean, whatever, you know."

"I'm pretty beat, don't really feel like driving home."

"Oh hey man don't, I mean..."

"If you're sure."

"Yeah, I don't want you getting into an accident."

Dave wondered if Jon was still hard. Dave was; if Jon wasn't there, Dave would get back into bed, wake Ali, then make love to her. Sleep would then be easy to find, but that night he might just put on his robe, then plop onto the sofa, once Jon went to sleep. For all their spent passions, Dave wasn't tired at all.

Jon's footsteps couldn't be missed, but Dave didn't face him. Yet he couldn't get this man's sexual appeal from his mind. The way he had made love to Ali was not as Dave made love to her, even if the methods were the same. Then Dave flinched, as Jon cleared his throat.

"Listen, maybe I'll go. This was more than I expected and..."

Dave nodded, meeting his gaze. "It was a lot, but she seemed..." He sighed. Ali had never expressed such fulfillment. "Better for it," he said. Then he laughed. "She was in heaven."

He sighed wistfully. She hadn't been kidding, she needed multiple partners. The novelty eased Dave's mind, but for how long would that assuage his heart? Jon was a good complement to Dave in many ways, then Dave sighed again. The beer had worn off while he slept, reality edging to the surface. He was standing naked beside another man in the middle of the night. What was real about that? This was more like a dream, a pretty damned good one, but people didn't live this way, or none that he knew. Ali's request had been outlandish, then unavoidable, because Dave loved her. But loving her and being involved in a ménage à trois were different things.

He hadn't given any conscious thought to that. This was just an experiment, and while it had gone very well, could this be the next step in his and Ali's relationship? His and Ali's and... Dave shook his head. "Listen, go back to bed. I'm not tired, gonna watch some TV."

"No, I'll just go home and..."

Dave met Jon's gaze. "No, don't. You're tired, I don't want you..."

"No, really, it's okay."

Staring into Jon's bright blue eyes, Dave swallowed hard, but it didn't calm the butterflies in his stomach, nor did it negate his erection. "Just go back to sleep. I'll be in there before she wakes up."

Neither man could look away from each other. Dave had to concentrate to breathe normally. Gazing into Jon's face was like staring at that sunset, so wanting to get closer, but no possible way to reach it. What did he want to do anyways; Jon wasn't any more than a conduit for Ali. He was good looking, but in the dim light Dave missed those attributes, lost in Jon's wide, appealing eyes.

"I'll go back to bed if you do too. I won't be able to sleep thinking I've sent you to the sofa."

Dave nodded, his stomach still in knots, but they weren't painful. "Sure, that's fair."

Jon's smile lit the room. Dave nodded, then let Jon lead them back to Dave's bed.

Two weeks later, inhibitions were gone. Rhythms had been established within Dave's bedroom and in all their schedules. Jon went to Dave's house after work, but not always before he had eaten dinner. The trio made a lot of love, then fell asleep in the queen bed, which surprisingly wasn't as cramped as all had initially feared. Jon usually woke first, but didn't shower, leaving Ali with a soft kiss and a smile in Dave's direction. Texts were exchanged during the day, mostly between the men to Ali, but the guys had sent each other a few concerning the beer supply or sports news. As Dave fell asleep with Ali in his arms, Jon already snoring on her other side, parameters had been set, with little conscious thought, or conversation, establishing those boundaries.

That everything had fallen into place so easily negated some of the need to talk about it. And that guys made up the majority also removed the necessity for lengthy dialogue. Dave and Ali had spoken, when alone, about how she was, which was terrific, and complete. Dave didn't know what Ali and Jon might have said, but when Jon appeared at Dave's house, he was good humored, and when he left, his grin revealed more than words could express. To Dave and probably Jon's great surprise, sharing a woman was actually a pretty fantastic situation.

Dave felt it was due to the pressure not all on him to make her happy. It was also fairly erotic watching two people make love, which he was loathe to ever say, but could admit to himself when work was slow or while driving home or just in witnessing that thrill. He wondered if this was why guys dug porn, something he had never needed, or was it deeper, which he didn't ponder with much enthusiasm. Yet, Dave couldn't escape how gorgeous they were together, but it wasn't their perfect skin or well-proportioned facial structures, Jon's muscular body or Ali's gorgeous breasts. It was their idyllic smiles and languid sighs and... And how he was asked to join them, making even more beautiful music together.

But those experiences were crowded out of Dave's considerations when he returned to the basics, that Ali had never been happier. She split her time equally between the men, and Dave never felt slighted. He hadn't slept better in his life, even with Jon's loud snores. As he drove home from an unexpected Saturday shift, he allowed these notions their due. Something about a ménage à trois was appealing, once he had given it a chance. It had taken guts from them all to attempt what hadn't been the end of the world. Dave chuckled, turning onto his street, seeing Jon's car parked in front of his house, Ali's in the driveway. Maybe this might work out okay.

The scent of spaghetti sauce wafted as Dave stepped through the front door. He wanted to say _Honey I'm home_ , but thought better of it. Jon and Ali were laughing in the kitchen; her joy was a balm to Dave's soul, and Jon's chuckles were... Oddly calming, as if Dave did belong within this trio. He still occasionally felt outclassed by Jon, although in bed, neither man had an edge. Finding them sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of wine in front of each, Dave smiled. He said _hello_ , opened the fridge, then grabbed a beer. He opened it, sitting between them. "Well, dinner smells good."

"Ali started it, I just brought over some garlic bread." Jon sipped his wine, then smiled. "And the vino."

"And more beer," Dave laughed. "You didn't need to do that."

"Well, Ali said you're not a wine drinker, so I felt..."

Ali stood, kissing Dave's head. Lately even that had felt better, her lips warm on his bare scalp. "I told him the truth. You wouldn't be caught dead hoisting a wine glass."

Dave nodded. "No shit. You bring the glasses too?"

Jon smiled. "Yes I did, and I'm leaving them here. Consider them a gift."

"Well, thanks, although I'll never use them."

"No, but we will." Ali rubbed Dave's head, looking at Jon. "All right, I'm off for a shower. Been slaving all day." She stirred the sauce. "Just check it before I get out, okay?"

"Will do," Jon called as she stepped from the kitchen.

"Thanks," Dave said, turning around, noting the flame was set to low. "I can't cook to save my life."

Jon stood, refilling his glass. "Oh, I bet that's not true."

"Well, I don't know jack about wine or anything like that."

"I grew up in a houseful of wine drinkers." Jon returned to his seat. "You know a good ale though, a few of them."

"I grew up with Bud Light." Dave laughed, then chugged from his bottle. "God, talk about shit for beer."

They exchanged stories; Jon was the eldest of three brothers, and the only one with a successful job. Middle brother Alex was back at home after losing another position, in part from his affinity for weed. Youngest sibling Denny was living with a girlfriend, but they hadn't been together long, and she had two young children, of whom Denny was fond, but certainly not as a substitute dad.

Dave shared that he was an only child, his parents deceased. He'd been born late in their marriage; they hadn't expected to ever have children. Their early deaths had been a shock; he hadn't assumed they would be around for long, but both had died in their late sixties. He had just gotten together with Ali then, and she had accompanied him to their funerals. "Maybe that brought us closer than we otherwise would've been."

"Maybe it did, but you don't seem worse off for it."

Dave nodded, then stared at Jon. His eyes still fascinated Dave, the sparkle intense, but not overwhelming. "How'd you meet her?" Dave asked, unable to look away from those deep, pleasant pools.

"At the grocery store. We bumped into each other near the frozen pizzas."

Dave smiled. "When, I mean, when did you..."

"Four months ago." Jon drank his wine, then set down the glass. "I fell in love with her instantly."

His voice was steady, and Dave nodded, appreciating his honesty. "I fell in love with her that way too."

Jon smiled. "She's really wonderful, but you know that. Hard not to fall for her, she's beautiful, funny, warm."

"Yeah, she's all those things."

Jon cleared his throat, then leaned back in his chair. "She also loves you very much. Told me that right off the bat. I wasn't sure what she was getting at, I mean, as soon as she mentioned she had a boyfriend, I made it clear that I wasn't gonna..."

Dave wondered just how that conversation had gone, and where. Probably not at the grocery store, but over dinner, on one of those nights when he came home to an empty house. He hadn't suspected a thing, which made her somewhat devious, yet, for what she wanted, or rather needed, she had to employ some stealth. And from the pained look on Jon's face, that duplicity had made an impression. Jon knew about Dave from the beginning, what else had she told him?

Dave hadn't considered these notions, too many others, of a far more pleasing nature, to ponder. Did he need to know, she'd said they hadn't had sex, and he believed her, for Jon's manners two weeks ago were of a man confronting not only a threesome, but one woman, for the first time.

Both men reached for their drinks, and Dave wondered what Jon was thinking. Dave was trying to reckon how that introduction at the frozen foods section had morphed into where they now sat, and where Ali stood in the shower. Dave set down his beer bottle, then stared right at Jon. "How'd she tell you, or ask you?"

Jon sighed, putting his wine glass near the bottle. He leaned forward, looking sheepish. "She asked if I was interested in sleeping with her while her boyfriend was there."

"And you said?"

"I said, well, uh, God, now I can't remember what I said." Jon flashed a brief smile, which made Dave's knees knock. "But the next think I knew we were making out on my sofa. I'd asked her to my place, I mean, shit." He looked at the floor, then around the room. "I guess I wanted to know just how serious she was about this boyfriend who she said she loved, but here she was, asking me that?" Jon sighed again, then met Dave's gaze. "As soon as I kissed her, I knew I wanted her, and I really didn't give much of a crap about you." Then Jon smiled wide. "Pretty heartless of me, but hey, all's fair in love and conquest." He stopped smiling. "Until suddenly I'm the one being conquered."

As Jon finished speaking, Dave felt uplifted. No matter if Ali had needed another man, Dave was set in stone. If Jon hadn't been willing, she would have politely moved on, looking for another... Not an applicant, but a partner, for a trio. She hadn't slept with Jon until he was exactly where she wanted him to be, next to her and Dave.

"What made you say _yes_?" Dave asked, eyeing his beer, then glancing at Jon.

"I wanted her." He didn't smile or raise his voice. "So I figured if you were amenable, what the hell?"

Jon clutched his wine glass and drained it. Then he stared at Dave. "Why'd you say _yes_?"

Dave so wanted to chug a beer, but his bottle was nearly empty. "Because I love her."

Jon nodded. "That makes two of us."

"Well, at least we're even."

Jon smiled, then laughed. He stood, walking to the stove, stirring the sauce. Then he stepped to the fridge, taking out two beers. He opened them, put them on the table, then placed the empty bottle and wine glass on the counter. Taking his seat, he lifted his bottle, then Dave did the same. They toasted each other, then chuckled, draining those beers with a minimum of gulps.

On that night, and those subsequent, the men didn't shy away from expressing to Ali how they felt about her. It wasn't a rivalry, for she made it plain that Dave was her heart's desire. Yet, Jon satisfied other needs, and no one made an issue of declarations issued via passion. Two months had passed when Ali moved into Dave's house permanently. As another month went by, much of Jon's wardrobe hung in Dave's closet, plenty of room for it, Dave joked, as his uniform rarely changed.

By the fourth month, Ali asked if they should get a bigger bed. A king would fit with little trouble in Dave's bedroom. It was still called Dave's room, even if Ali lived with him, for referring to it as Dave and Ali's seemed unduly proprietary. Jon spent little time at his townhouse, although sometimes he didn't arrive at Dave and Ali's until eight or nine, due to work. Yet, all three slept together nightly, unless Ali was on her period. Then Jon went home, having spent most of the evening where the trio was based.

Due to cramps, Ali went to bed early that night. Dave walked her to their room, then closed the door, finding Jon on the sofa, working from his tablet. Dave smiled, not disturbing a man who was now a friend. It was the only term Dave could use, for he and Jon weren't lovers. They weren't workmates either; they weren't related in any manner except for the aching but hopefully slumbering woman in Dave and Ali's bedroom. Truth be told, it was Jon's room too.

Maybe they should get a king-sized mattress; the queen felt empty when Jon wasn't there, and maybe if they had a king, he wouldn't leave even when Ali was on her period. Dave nearly blushed with that thought, but not due to Ali's cycle. It felt wrong to send Jon home, as if he wasn't necessary unless sex was involved. He was Dave's friend, then Dave grimaced. That seemed erroneous, because it implied a basic level of interpersonal knowledge. Dave knew Jon pretty damn well, in bed and out of it.

He knew that Jon hated being so good looking, as if his brains weren't considered. He had gotten his masters just to get the edge, because many employers didn't take him seriously. He hadn't had much luck in the relationship department; gorgeous women were usually vacuous and plain women were scared of him. He'd been close to his brothers, but now both were screwing up their lives, and didn't want to hear his gentle but earnest advice. For all his stunning outward appeal, Jon had been lonely, wondering if anyone sought out sincere and lasting companionship.

That he had found it here made Dave laugh, not that he could tell anyone. Jon's presence had gone largely undetected, although a few neighbors were starting to give Dave funny looks. But he didn't care, as this house was a rental. Dave didn't associate with his co-workers outside the job, and he had no family. Neither did Ali, except for her best friend from high school, who had also moved away as soon as she could. Beth Morgan knew all about Ali, Dave, and Jon, but she was the only one, and probably would be for a long time.

Dave tidied the kitchen as Jon remained on the couch. Ali's light snores drifted from the back hallway, and Dave was relieved she had gone to sleep. He would go to bed as soon as... As soon as Jon left, but Dave wasn't eager to send him home. That felt wrong, but Dave still was puzzled, bordering on troubled, by the reason Jon had to leave at all. The only reason Jon would depart was because they all wouldn't make love. Yet after four months of near-cohabitation, was sex the only binding tie?

Maybe Jon was more than Ali's other lover. He was certainly more than Dave's friend. They weren't brothers, because brothers didn't sleep with the same woman at the same time, or at least brothers who respected each other. Then Dave sighed. What were he and Jon, or was it simply a relationship without an appropriate term?

"Well, I should be going." Jon entered the kitchen, then smiled. "You're getting pretty handy in here. Making me look bad."

Dave grinned. "Are you kidding? I'm just trying to keep up. You think you have dibs on always taking out the trash and..."

Jon chuckled. "That was my job at home, too engrained within me to stop now."

"Hey, you don't have to go, I mean..." Dave felt awkward, but somehow if Jon left, that would be more disturbing. "She's not gonna wake up for hours and..."

Jon shifted in his shoes. Dave rarely saw him flustered, but at least Jon sensed what Dave did. Were they roommates or... What exactly were they, Dave wanted to know.

Dave couldn't say that, but Jon's blue eyes ached with a need to belong, also from something concealed. Ali had looked that way before she told him she needed another lover. But as Dave hadn't been able to ascertain exactly what she had desired, neither could he deduce what darkened Jon's gaze.

"I've got some work to finish up, and I can do it easier on my computer at home. Tablets are pretty handy, but some things require a little more muscle." Jon smiled, then left the kitchen.

Dave nodded, but by then, Jon was in the other room, gathering his things.

Dave nearly walked Jon out, but it was cold and Jon motioned for Dave to just stay inside. Dave did stand at the window, watching through the curtains as Jon drove away. Dave didn't move, wondering if Jon would change his mind. He was hoping for that, but after ten minutes, Dave sighed, then locked the front door.

He checked the back door, then gave the kitchen a once-over. Ali would think Jon had cleaned, but Dave would tell her the truth, which would include that he had asked Jon to stay. What might she think about that? Then Dave decided one other thing. He would buy a bigger bed. Maybe the queen had put Jon off, but how could he say _no_ to a king-sized mattress?

Dave brushed his teeth, peed, then washed his hands. He always washed his hands now after taking a leak, even if he used a urinal. It was just the right thing to do, like making sure that Jon didn't go home alone again. With that thought, Dave got into bed, Ali's breathing smoothly. She would probably want more pain pills in a couple of hours, and Dave would get those for her. He loved her incredibly, cared a lot about Jon too. Jon should be there, Dave thought, pulling the blanket over his shoulder, turning to his side, facing Ali.

Then Dave shivered, shutting his eyes tightly. The reason behind Jon's furtive look hit him like a brick, also made Dave hard. Jon Shipman wasn't just Dave's friend, or Ali's lover. He wanted to be Dave's lover too.

Often on Sundays, the trio shared a late breakfast, having spent much of the morning in bed. That Sunday, Dave started coffee at seven thirty, aware that with caffeine ingested, pain pills would more readily ease Ali's aches. She didn't sleep long once the coffee was detected, and they shared a light breakfast, just the two of them, at the kitchen table.

Dave had considered texting Jon, but didn't, however he would tell Ali what he thought, once she was alert enough to pay attention. It took two cups of coffee, and three Tylenol, but before Dave could ask her anything, she wanted to know if he had heard from Jon.

"No, but I asked him to stay over last night. Said he had work to do at home."

Ali nodded, sipping her third cup of java. "Well, tablets are good for some things, but not everything."

"Yeah, I know." Dave drank his coffee, then set down the cup, reaching for her hands. "Ali, I wanted him to sleep here because it seemed wrong to send him home."

"Yeah, I always feel bad about it."

"Honey..." Dave cleared his throat, then stared at the dark circles under her eyes. She had to work at noon, but by then she would be looking, and feeling, better. Dave didn't have to work that day, neither did Jon. He should be there, not by himself at that modern but empty townhouse.

"Dave, there's a reason Jon didn't stay last night." Ali spoke quietly, took another sip, then put down her mug. She grasped Dave's hands, then blinked away a few tears.

"Ali..."

"He told me, well, we email about it. He tried to text me, but that seemed too..." She sighed. "He cares about you Dave, more than just as my other half."

Her tone was as if trying to ease an unpleasant subject, but to Dave's surprise, he wasn't at all offended. "Yeah baby, I know."

"What, did he tell you?"

"No, but it was all over him last night when he left. Although..." Dave gripped her hands, then released them. He grabbed his mug, but he didn't drink from it. The warmth was comforting, also elusive. Jon should be there, but was that because Dave's feelings for him had altered, or that it was just silly for Jon to leave if Ali didn't feel like making love?

Those kinds of rules hadn't been broached, because this was just her third cycle since this began. And only now was there enough of a relationship established that this discussion was even necessary. And if Dave added how Jon seemed to feel about him... Dave smiled, then chuckled. Four months ago if a man had showed any interest in him, Dave would have run for the hills. But Jon wasn't just any man, he was...

"Ali, what do you consider Jon?"

"What?" she asked, about to take a drink.

He set down his cup, then took the mug from her hands. Then he squeezed her fingers. "I was trying to figure that out last night, what is Jon, I mean, to me? He's my friend, but God, that sounds so, well, weak. Do you consider him your lover or..."

She blinked away a few more tears, then nodded. "He's not quite my boyfriend, but he's more than just a friend."

"Yeah, I mean, yeah." Dave laughed. "He's not my boyfriend either, but friend seems so..."

Dave paid attention to Ali's uncomfortable countenance. "What Ali?"

"He, he..."

"He what?"

"You know what."

"Oh Jesus."

"Now Dave..."

Suddenly Dave did feel awkward, but that too wasn't as he would have previously imagined. It wasn't revulsion, more like how he had felt as a twelve-year-old first learning when a girl liked him. Dave had been a late bloomer when it came to the opposite sex, but by the time he was fourteen, he'd had several short-lived romances, and when he was sixteen, just starting to notice his shifting hairline, he'd lost his virginity. But those first months of middle school, thrown together with thirteen and fourteen-year-olds, had been terrifying. How was he supposed to react to exploding hormones, his own included?

There hadn't been any way to talk about this with his middle-aged father, and Dave had no brothers. Other boys his age weren't any help, but Dave had fumbled his way through it, then emerged virtually unscathed. Only his head had suffered, but that was nothing he could change. And this with Jon wasn't anything Dave had control over either. Ali needed Jon, and Dave truly enjoyed having Jon around, be it in bed, here at the house... This house was the only place they hung out together, but it wasn't just a house when Jon was here. When Jon was around, Dave thought of this place as his home.

He hadn't felt that way with only Ali; no dwelling had seemed permanent since he moved out of his parents' house. Dave shuddered, grimaced, then sighed. He knew why this rental had felt like home since Jon had joined them, but he didn't want to say it, not even to Ali. Love had changed the atmosphere; love now touched everything within this space.

Dave loved Ali, he cared about Jon. Jon loved Ali, he probably cared about Dave. Then Dave shivered. "What'd he tell you, about me?"

Ali stood. "Let's sit on the couch honey."

Dave nodded, and followed her.

An hour later, Dave brushed away a few streaks that had dotted his cheeks on and off as Ali did most of the talking. He had fetched her more pain pills during that conversation, but to his slight surprise, Jon hadn't texted either of them. Maybe he knew what Dave and Ali were discussing, or maybe he was trying to sleep off... Dave gripped Ali, attempting to put her words in the right places. Within this threesome, Jon had only expected to satisfy his lust for Ali. He had never dreamed that Dave would be a part of it too.

Dave kept returning to those initial weeks of middle school, a time he hadn't thought about in ages. Who wanted to revisit the most awkward period of one's life; there wasn't any reason to dredge those days, except that now Dave couldn't get away from that confusion, mixed with wonder, and slight fear, all buffered by a desire that was formless but so real, Dave had woke with hard-ons every morning. He hadn't had one that morning, in part due to Ali; her period carried the same basic scent as other women with whom Dave had slept, each with their own personal touch. But in another few days it would be replaced by the beautiful fragrance that lingered along every inch of her flesh. Dave loved how she smelled, and he didn't mind how Jon smelled either. Those different scents blended in an aromatic harmony that enhanced their bedtime exchanges.

There had been nothing alluring in how middle school boys smelled, but girls were always intoxicating, once Dave had adjusted to them as possibilities. It hadn't taken long, a couple of months maybe. Then he was as obsessed as every other guy he knew, or most of them. Just about every other boy his age lusted after teenage females, to the point that their dreams were invaded. It had lessened slightly in high school, especially once Dave had lost his virginity. Then it was a matter of how often he could score, because truthfully, getting laid was the best thing in the world.

After high school, relationships became the rule, even if the main goal was still having sex. By then, chicks wanted more than just nights in bed. And Dave was okay with that, it provided stability, and sex on a fairly decent basis. Of course his idea of a relationship wasn't the same as a woman's; Dave wasn't searching for a wife, just someone with whom he could laugh, make love, then... Then he met Ali, and while they never talked about getting hitched, he wanted to live with her for the rest of his life, he loved her. He must love her, for now he had to consider Jon Shipman. Dave stared at Ali, feeling a slight ache. Jon was a part of them, no way to shut him out. And if Jon was falling in love with Dave, what would that do to this situation?

"How serious is he, I mean..."

"About you?" Ali said.

Dave nodded.

"Pretty damn serious." She giggled, then grew still. "I think he cares more about you than he does me."

Dave inhaled in jerks, then coughed. Then he nodded. "Was he gonna tell me or..."

"He wanted to, but first he told me, hoping that was okay." Ali sighed. "Honey, I don't care, I mean, well, okay. It's the first time one of the guys has fallen more for the other guy than me but..."

Dave smiled. "But you'll live, right?"

She chuckled. "I think I'll manage. But Dave, the last thing he wants is to screw this up. He said he nearly left six weeks ago, when he realized how he felt. I told him it'd be okay, that..."

"He's been feeling this way for six weeks?"

"That's all he's told me. Dave, I think he's cared about you since..."

_I fell in love with her instantly_ : Dave could hear Jon's earnest voice, from months ago, as if he was there in the room. Yet, something in Dave's heart didn't think Jon had only been speaking about Ali.

"He said he'd never been attracted to a man before, that he never expected this to happen. He was so scared Dave, because he, oh my God."

"He what?"

"He likes this, us. Both of us, but not just the sex. He said he stayed over that first night because you insisted, and while he wasn't sure if you were just being polite, the last thing he'd wanted was to go home because, because..."

"Because what Ali?"

"Because he said this was his home. His family's a mess, his brothers, I mean, and while you and I don't have any relatives left, he said he felt at home with us. He wasn't sure what that meant, I mean, we laughed about it, because while this is pretty unusual, it works. I've never been this happy in my entire life, and he says he hasn't. And I don't think you have either." She paused, grimaced, then stroked his face. "I think you care about him too."

"I do Ali, I mean... Jesus, I don't know what I mean!" Dave sighed, then rolled his eyes. "You wanna know how I feel?"

"Of course baby."

"I feel like I'm starting middle school again, only this time..."

"It's not the girls who are turning your head."

Her voice was soft, and he nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

"Dave, you wanna know what?"

"What?"

"That's exactly what Jon said, verbatim, I swear to God."

"Oh Jesus."

Ali nodded. "Then he said that too."

They sat for another ten minutes, not saying much at all. Then Ali went to shower. Dave got up after the water started, looking around his rented house. He had wanted a house over an apartment because a house seemed more established, even if he wasn't paying a mortgage. A house was adult, it was... for a family, which hadn't been Dave's intention. He and Ali had never spoken about kids, not that they didn't want children, but again, Dave was a late bloomer. While he might look like a grandfather, procreation wasn't an immediate desire.

He didn't own any pets, didn't have any reason for a house other than it wasn't an apartment, which screamed of turnover. Dave's parents had left him a sizeable inheritance, which sat in his savings account, but he wasn't to the point where he wanted to buy a home. Yet, he thought of this place as his home, his and Ali's and... It was Jon's too, damnit, even if Dave wasn't certain how he felt about Jon.

Dave walked into the kitchen, putting their mugs into the sink. Two seemed insignificant against the stainless steel; Jon should be there, even if the next time they saw each other it would be uncomfortable. Dave didn't dismiss that, but the house was just a house without him.

When Jon was here, laughing with Ali or working on his tablet or beating Dave to taking out the trash, it was a home. Why that was, Dave wasn't sure, although he had a few ideas. Jon had facilitated Ali's deep happiness. Jon also made Dave laugh. Jon might drink wine, but he also liked beer, and enjoyed baseball, football, and basketball. Like Dave, Jon thought hockey was too violent. Then Dave laughed. Was that some test of their manhood?

They were men, who slept with the same woman, in the same bed. Time after time they made love to Ali, taking their turns, not doing much to each other. Yet, Dave always watched Ali and Jon, as such beautiful love was made. And the way that Jon gazed at Dave, if Ali lay in one man's arms while another was inside her... Dave shivered. He now recognized that look on Jon's face, which wasn't all about the woman between them.

But if they did something, would that spoil everything? That was the overriding question, and it wasn't small. Dave tapped his foot, hearing Ali's off-key voice, the running water not drowning her out. Sometimes Jon would sing along, he had a much better voice, and Dave smiled, then his mouth trembled.

Dave wanted to see Jon's striking eyes, hear his melodious voice, his hearty laugh. This rental house was a shell, even with Ali's discordant warbling. But if Jon was there, providing the right notes...

Dave grew hard with that thought, which brought a small smile to his face. He needed to get a new bed, that was first. But he couldn't do that without help. Jon hadn't complained about Dave's mattress, other than it was a little narrow. If Jon was going to sleep over on a permanent basis, then it was about time to make them as comfortable as possible. And more space might ease the truth, which didn't bother Dave in the least.

Ali called Jon, who would meet Dave at the store. Dave wasn't sure how their appearance might be received, two men shopping for a bed, but he didn't care what others might say. He cared about Ali and Jon, and while he wasn't quite ready to speak to Jon's feelings, he certainly didn't want to dismiss them.

Jon was there when Dave arrived. Ali couldn't get off work, but she didn't care which style of mattress Dave chose. She was a little concerned about Dave and Jon doing this on their own, for of course they would be perceived as a gay couple. But maybe that was easier than if she was there. A threesome was probably beyond what the salesman could tolerate.

In the parking lot, they laughed about what they were about to do, the humor diffusing obvious tension. Dave wasn't shy about standing close to Jon, although Jon seemed anxious. To their shock and relief, the salesman who greeted them was rather flamboyant. Doug led them to several expensive beds, but they were out of Dave's price range.

Jon inquired about something more economical, and Doug walked to where another brand was featured. "Give them a try, you'll love the memory foam."

It took all of Dave's resolve not to laugh, and he motioned to the bed. "Jon, honey, you go first."

Jon's jaw dropped, but Dave managed to keep a straight face. Doug chuckled. "Just give me a shout if you need anything."

The salesman approached another couple as Jon went to Dave's side. "I about died when you said that."

"Hey, he's cool," Dave smiled. "Not so sure about the one behind the counter, but at the end of the day it's a sale."

Jon nodded, then sat on the bed. He shrugged, then stood. "Seems fine to me."

Dave grinned, having never felt so audacious in his life. "Now Jon, how're we gonna know unless we lay down on it together?"

"Oh Jesus."

"C'mon honey, he says we're gonna love the memory foam."

Dave heard sniggers from across the store, but Jon mumbled something Dave couldn't understand. Dave lay down first, on the left, then patted the middle of the bed. Ali would lie there, if they chose this model, or any of the other mattresses. But for the first time, Dave wanted Jon beside him. Maybe it was easier to explore that possibility where everyone who looked at them already thought they were together. Dave stared at Jon, who hadn't moved. He was drop-dead gorgeous, maybe that was why the salesman was so friendly.

Dave didn't notice how soft the mattress was, or how large it seemed. He was lost in Jon's wide eyes, which were trying to make a decision.

"Jon, it's gonna be all right."

"Is it?" Jon asked.

"Yeah it is."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because this's the most comfortable bed I have ever laid on," Dave smiled. "How can anything go wrong?"

As Jon absorbed Dave's words, Doug rejoined them. "Now, that's exactly my sentiment. It is the best bed, in this price range of course. Give it a try Jon, I swear you'll never go back."

Dave and Jon glanced at each other. Then Dave nodded. "I'm in this for the long haul. What about it, huh?"

"Are you serious?" Jon asked.

"Of course he's serious," Doug answered. Then he clucked. "Good lord man, get your butt on that bed!"

Laughter reverberated throughout the store, but Dave didn't think Doug was bothered by it. He probably sold a lot of beds with his affected mannerisms. As he clucked a little more, about a warranty and free pillows, also king-sized, Jon took tentative steps to the right side of the bed. Then Doug slipped away, speaking about interest rates and throwing in a free comforter. That was the last thing Dave heard, as Jon sat on the mattress.

"How does it feel?" Dave asked.

"Okay. Fine." Then Jon looked at him. "How does it feel to you?"

"Like something I wanna try out."

"Oh Christ. Well, Ali's not here," he added quickly.

"I don't mean with Ali."

Jon stared at Dave. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh."

"Jesus Christ." Jon shook his head. Then he examined the mattress, picking off invisible fluff. Slowly he lay down, leaving three feet between them.

Dave didn't speak as Jon turned from side to side, then laid on his back. Then Jon inhaled, letting it out in jerks.

"So, is this okay?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, I think so. But is it okay for you?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Oh my God," Jon whispered.

Dave turned to face him. "Stay with us tonight. I know we won't have this big bed, but..."

"Dave..."

"Jon, I care about you, I really do." Dave's voice was barely audible. "The only way I'm gonna find out the depth is if..."

"You sure you wanna know?"

"Do you?"

Jon sighed, then nodded. "But if it's not..."

"If it's not, we both still love Ali, right?"

Jon nodded.

"Okay, well, that's enough for me. Can it be enough for you?"

The frantic beating of Dave's heart barely drowned out the pounding of Jon's. Dave wanted him, wasn't sure what that meant, other than he and Jon were sort of on the same page. Maybe Jon was chapters ahead, maybe Dave would never catch up. But for the first time, that impossible sunset seemed within Dave's reach. He ached to stroke Jon's cheek, then he smiled. One horizon remained miles away.

But not so far, as Jon nodded, then grinned, while Doug bickered with his manager, that yes, besides free pillows and an extended warranty, a down comforter could be thrown into the bargain.

Two months later, all three were used to the new bed. Often Jon or Dave slept in the middle; Dave sometimes woke to Ali at his back, her arms around him. Occasionally Dave woke in Jon's embrace, if Jon wasn't sleeping on his stomach. That morning, Dave woke on the left, for which he was grateful; he needed to pee, and getting out of bed when in the middle, wrapped around someone or not, was generally difficult.

Dave noted that it was three a.m., plenty of time for more rest. Rest was sometimes a precious commodity, for now that he made love with both Ali and Jon, there seemed no limit to their shared passions. A king-sized bed made it easier, but having sex with two people, usually at the same time, took far more time than just sleeping with Ali. It wasn't merely making sure everyone was satisfied; it was the boundless joy that emerged from such a situation.

After washing his hands, Dave peered back into the bedroom. Jon lay on his belly, his face turned toward Ali, who was curled around him. Dave smiled, thinking to how quickly he had grown accustomed to making love to Jon, as if another facet of his sexuality had been waiting to be acknowledged. He didn't think of himself as bi, this wasn't dependent upon gender. This ménage à trois had started on love, and was continuing in that manner, only now they _all_ loved each other.

It wasn't the sort of love Dave could qualify, and he stepped into the bedroom, just for his robe. When he thought about it, which didn't happen often, he couldn't quite put his finger on what within him had altered. But something had; Dave smiled, pulling closed his robe, then the door behind him.

He flopped onto the sofa, but didn't turn on the TV. He wanted to think about Ali and Jon, but had given up trying to consider them at work or when driving home, too distracting. Then, once he was home, so was one of them, usually Ali first, then Jon, and then... Then if they weren't making dinner or attending to tasks, they were in bed, pleasing each other in the most heady yet tender manners. Dave was having the best sex of his life, but it wasn't just because he now had two partners.

It was due to this being their home, all three of them, what he had told Jon two months ago, before the new bed was even delivered. Jon needed to be with them because only with all three did this rental feel like Dave's base, and that was due to love, which he did not say then, but had told Jon recently, after the first time Jon said he loved Dave. Love made all the difference, which felt a little funny slipping from Dave's tongue, not for the sentiment being spoken to a man, but that Dave wasn't a mushy type. Yet, it was the truth, and truth had brought them together in the first place. Now six months later, Dave had fallen in love with Jon too.

Dave never asked Jon when he had fallen in love with him, but for the last four weeks, Dave had said _I love you_ to both Ali and Jon. He said it to them softly on the sofa while cuddling, he said it to them through gritted teeth naked in bed. He said it half-awake on Monday mornings before coffee was ingested and half-drunk on Saturday nights if too many empty beer bottles had accumulated. He said it in the shower to whoever stood beside him, he said it kissing one of them goodbye. He thought it all the time, but didn't consider the implication unless something struck him. That night, it was Jon snoring deeply, Ali so close to him. Dave smiled, then wondered what would happen to them.

They couldn't marry, which didn't bother him; he and Ali had been committed, but not wed. They could buy a house together, but the rental was fine, for now. For now, they were engaging in a rollicking good time, twenty-six years old all around. For the next few years, this could be the status quo.

He stopped there, distracted by footsteps. They were light, and he smiled, as Ali quietly cleared her throat. "Dave, you okay?"

He nodded, growing hard as she reached him. He patted his legs, and she lay on top of him, naked underneath her robe. She giggled, then slipped over him, making him moan. Neither did more than just fit together, but it did make Dave feel very good.

"Is he still out?" Dave asked, nibbling on her neck.

Ali nodded. "I needed to pee. You having trouble falling asleep?"

"Nah, just thinking about us."

"Uh-huh," she chuckled. Then she sat up, stroking his chest. "And what were you thinking?"

"Well, this, sort of..." He groaned from her fingernails on his nipples, also where he was inside her. Neither man was into anal sex; the only one Dave wanted to penetrate was Ali, and as it happened, he considered what sort of life they could make for each other. Did Jon want a family more than just Dave and Ali, did Ali? Dave wouldn't mind having kids, in a few years. In several years, he allowed, nearly ready to scream.

He climaxed thinking about Ali pregnant with someone's baby; Jon would be a better biological father, only for how damned good-looking he was. Better to pass along attractive genes than premature baldness. Ali came as Dave was thinking about Jon holding a newborn, and then Dave was caressing Ali in a similar fashion, as she now lay right against his skin.

Mothers cuddled infants like this, Dave thought, as a few of Ali's tears trickled onto Dave's chest. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sniffled.

"Ali?"

"It's so good, how can it be this good?"

He chuckled. "Hell if I know."

She stroked his head. "I was so worried, when he told me that he loved you..."

Dave nodded. "I know, I mean..."

"No Dave, hear me out." She adjusted herself, then wiped her face with her sleeve. "I didn't worry about you, I mean, that you'd be upset. It's just that none of the guys have ever fallen for each other. I've always been..."

"The object of everyone's affection." Dave said it quietly, something the men had discussed. Jon still reiterated that he didn't want to come between them, but no longer was the fear that Ali would prefer Jon to Dave. "Baby, we all love each other." He laughed softly. "God, what a bunch of horn-dogs we are."

She giggled, then kissed his nose. "I love you most."

He nodded. "I love you most too." Then he smiled. He did love Ali more than Jon, but since telling Jon, Dave's feelings had increased. He was still getting to grips with just how much he felt for a man.

Loving Jon was different than loving Ali; at first, Dave loved Jon like he had loved his parents, something innate, also static. Or maybe how Dave had loved his parents hadn't evolved, because just as he was old enough to love them as an adult, they were dead. Loving his mom and dad hadn't required much energy; he had loved them since aware of that notion. Loving a partner was another animal altogether.

Loving Ali had been an active deed; it was the difference of loving and being _in love_ with a person. Dave had never been _in love_ with his parents, but Ali, and now Jon, called that action from him. Falling in love with Jon had been a conscious decision, in that it had required Dave to lower his guard. But it was also as automatic as when he had fallen in love with Ali, nothing Dave could have done to stop it, like toppling over a cliff as the earth crumbled beneath his feet. He couldn't grab anything to halt the stumbling, then over he went, into an ocean of pleasure and happiness. The sunsets had looked exceptional since Dave had told Jon that he loved him. And they had seemed closer to Dave's grasp than ever before.

Dave wanted to take another houseboat vacation next summer, this time with the two people who offered him every joy imaginable. It was sexual, yes. It was also deeply fulfilling in every other manner of his life, which he was starting to discover went beyond sex. He chuckled, because now children were starting to filter into the picture. Jon had completed Ali and Dave both. Thank God she had needed more than one man.

Dave stroked her hair; she had been quiet, maybe she'd fallen asleep. Her breathing was rhythmic, and it soothed his mind in the same way Jon's steady breaths did after they made love. There was still an air of anxiety sometimes, just when Dave and Jon were alone together. The threesome had made the decision not to wait until all were present to have sex. If Ali had a night shift at the restaurant, Dave and Jon would go to bed, then one would wait up for her, or both would be sitting on the sofa, eager for her return. If Jon worked late at the office, Dave and Ali took advantage of what now felt like old times. If Dave had a rare weekend shift, Jon and Ali used that king-sized bed that all admitted seemed huge for two. But that didn't preclude any pairing of couples from making love in it.

If Ali was sleeping, Dave would remain on the couch, catching forty winks. Otherwise he would lead her back to bed, and if Jon woke... Dave smiled. He hadn't expected to lust after Jon in the manner he did, needing him as much as he needed... Maybe he did love them the same. He certainly couldn't choose one over the other, which he had never considered. But even with Ali warm against him, having just been inside her, there was no way for Dave to assert her presence over the man snoring in another room. Ali wasn't quite asleep; she was starting to inhale awkwardly. But Jon was dead to the world, and Dave wasn't surprised. The way they had made love that last time, Jon would probably sleep through his alarm.

"Honey, Ali, you wanna go back to bed?" Dave whispered, gently patting her back. She wasn't a baby, but she was his beloved, as was that man. Dave was glad his parents were gone. No way in the world would they have ever understood this relationship.

Ali mumbled something, and Dave smiled, would let her wake up, or perhaps go back to sleep, whatever she needed. What he felt for them was one connection, a single bond. That it was shared between three was unusual, but he never felt what he had with Ali and Jon was wrong, because he loved them the same. He did, which was new, or maybe he hadn't had the time to comprehend it. But it was simple to digest, for if he couldn't pick between them, he must love them equally, albeit with personal quirks. They weren't identical people, they weren't even the same gender, but for the rest of his life, Dave needed both of them.

To his surprise, he was hard, which seemed nearly impossible after all the sex they'd had hours ago, plus what Ali had just done to him. She didn't seem aware, and he was glad. Jon would have understood, but it was impossible to explain to a woman, even Ali, a man's sex drive. It worked independently of Dave's brain, which was why Jon was the perfect complement. Two women wouldn't have satisfied, no matter what Dave used to think.

That thought enhanced his erection, and Dave sighed, but not all in frustration. "Ali, baby, let's go back to bed." He wouldn't foist his attentions on her, just walk her to the other side of the mattress. Then he'd get in, cuddle next to Jon and see just how knocked out that man was. It only took a hint with Jon, somehow that sense of irrepressible but involuntary need was never lost on the man Dave loved.

Ali nodded slowly, then stood from where she had been laying. Dave got up, closed his robe, then brought her to him. "Hey baby, what's wrong?"

She was still crying, and Dave embraced her. He then went to sit back down, but she pulled away, reaching for a tissue on the coffee table. She blew her nose, then gripped herself. Dave stroked her hair, then cleared his throat. "Ali, honey, what is it?"

Their eyes met, hers full of tears. "Do you love him more than you love me?"

"No," Dave said, shaking his head. "I love you both the same."

She nodded, wiping her eyes with the now balled-up tissue. "But you just said you love me more. Dave, I'm scared."

"Of what?" He nodded to himself; he _had_ just told her that he loved her more, but introspection proved that a lie. Yet, what difference did it make? Maybe tomorrow he'd love Ali more, maybe it would go back and forth.

"Dave, I don't love him the way I love you. I need him, I mean, he's a great friend, a great lay..."

Dave didn't hear anything after she said _lay_. Was it her slightly disdainful tone, or just that word, like Jon wasn't any more than a pick-up. Dave's heart pounded over her peevishness, but maybe she was tired, maybe it was PMS, maybe...

Then she bolted into his arms, bawling profusely. Dave wrapped her close, in part to comfort her, but also to shield Jon. Dave led her into the kitchen, his steps slow and heavy. Dave was certain they would wake his... His other lover, his boyfriend, his beloved. Dave had two of them, but how did Ali consider Jon?

Was Jon suddenly, or maybe not so suddenly, without a proper title; that had bothered Dave before, spurring him into buying the bed, then taking Jon home and letting things happen as they did. Dave and Jon's first time had occurred before the bed was delivered, it didn't even happen in bed. It happened in the living room, where Dave and Ali had just stood. Dave could still hear Jon's fevered sighs; he would never forget that glorious sound, or what else had bound the men's entangled hearts. Jon was now a part of Dave, there was no going back.

Ali was too, hell, Jon was there because of how much Dave loved Ali, and now Dave also loved a man. Loving Jon had altered Dave's soul, but he was still the same beer-guzzling, sports-crazy guy he'd been six months ago. He was tidier now, that was Jon's doing, but he hadn't started drinking wine, hadn't changed his style of dress, still felt confused by the same things that had tripped him up before. But Ali's heartache was all too clear, and it scared the hell out of him.

"Honey, Ali, I love you. I will always love you." He would, of that Dave had no doubt. She had supported him at the cemetery, squeezing his hand as the last of his blood family was set into the earth. She had opened his mind to the idea that love beyond one's parents existed, then she further broadened his horizons to the point where there was no way out. Dave would love Ali Messinger forever. He would also love Jon Shipman too.

Dave wasn't a complicated guy. This with Ali and Jon was as deep as Dave got, why he knew he would always love them both. Dave had always been bald, he would always sell electronics. He wouldn't always live in this rented house, and someday he'd probably be a father. Jon had been a huge detour in Dave's normal orbit, but he was linked to Ali, who was a constant. And now they both spun on the same track, providing Dave all the affection and erotic pleasure he could take. Well, he could take a little more, but he'd lost his erection while Ali sobbed. Still, it was right at the surface, he could feel it, nothing he could do about it. He was a man, and men had little control over their pricks. Ali, however, seemed fully aware of her feelings.

Anxiety was etched along her face like a scar, many of them; furrows in her brow, lines along her mouth, crow's feet near her eyes. Only the light from the stove shone, but Dave saw all those marks as if they were as permanent as nicks in the table. Ali had never looked so hardened; she seemed like a different person. Dave stroked her face, but her skin felt cool, in part from her many tears. Dave didn't want to consider why else she was chilled.

"I love you Ali, I will always love you." He spoke softly, but with conviction.

Her crow's feet lessened, her forehead looked smoother. But her mouth, as she spoke, was still bordered by those harsh wrinkles. "Dave, I know this's gonna sound awful, but I need more than that. I need you to, oh Jesus." She started weeping again, her hands hiding her face, but not blocking out the truth. "I need you to love me more than you love him."

Her words were muffled into her palms, but Dave didn't miss them, or how difficult it was for her to vocalize that notion. Her needs were great, and Dave had yielded to them. But the true depth hadn't been considered.

"Ali..." Then Dave wished he hadn't spoken, for she started to shake, crying harder. He brought her close to him, which at first she fought. She wobbled, then collapsed. Her tears were many, as was the growing ache in Dave's heart.

She spilled the rest there in the kitchen, then calmed in his arms on the sofa. Jon emerged, sitting on her other side, as she started to breathe steadily. He asked what had happened, but neither Ali nor Dave answered him. Then she fell into Jon's grasp, but she didn't cry.

Dave stood, needing to pee. He didn't think about her words, even forgot to wash his hands. He didn't go back into the living room, but stood at his bedroom doorway, peering at the mattress, which was enormous when empty. Three was perfect, but for how much longer?

He shivered, then joined Jon and Ali on the sofa. She was in the middle, right where she wanted to be, which again made him tremble. She felt bad, well, somewhat guilty. But more was her poorly concealed anger. Dave didn't miss that at all.

The kitchen light illuminated Jon's frantic eyes. Always before Dave was at peace in Jon's blue pools, but not that night. Dave stroked Ali's hair, then kissed her head. Was this something she could work through, or was this the point where Dave's life took another unexpected turn. He had done that six months ago, meeting Jon Shipman. He was perfect, or he was perfect-looking, but Dave had learned otherwise. Then Dave's world was shaken again, but that hadn't done more than add another layer. Both of those changes had been based on love, which smoothed even the rockiest surfaces. As Dave tried to untangle knots in Ali's hair, love seemed oddly absent.

"Listen, we all gotta work in the morning." Ali sniffled, then inhaled. "I didn't mean to..."

"Let's just go back to bed." Dave nodded, but nothing felt right.

"Uh, sure, I mean, if that's what you guys wanna do."

Jon sounded confused, which was probably how he should sound. But Dave wasn't, and he bet Ali wasn't either. Dave stood first, holding out his hands to Ali. She took them, squeezed his fingers, then walked to the bedroom.

Then Dave offered his hands to Jon. Jon's were warm, and like Ali, he gripped Dave's fingers. "Is she okay?" Jon whispered.

Dave shook his head. "She's..."

Jon gazed toward the bedroom. "Sorry I slept through everything. I woke, had to pee, then saw you both were gone. How long've you been up?"

Dave shrugged. "A while."

Jon traced around Dave's eyes. Dave always liked it when Jon did that, an intimate, gentle gesture. Ali used to do it, when they first met. She hadn't done it in a long time.

"You sound exhausted." Jon sighed. "I love you, sorry about this."

"I love you too. And yeah, I'm sorry." Dave nodded, then kissed Jon. Then they walked to the bedroom hand in hand.

Three days later, Ali announced that her best friend Beth needed help with her colicky six-week-old daughter. While Beth was still at home with her baby, breastfeeding was becoming a huge stress. Not that Ali could assist with that task, but Beth wanted the only person, other than her boyfriend, who she considered family. As Ali packed, Dave didn't ask for how long she would be gone, but Jon did. Two weeks was Ali's reply, which surprised Dave. "Can you get that much time off work?"

Ali sighed. "No, but she needs me and if I have to find another job, so be it."

Jon nodded, then hugged her. "Honey, take all the time you, Beth, and the baby need. It's no biggie if you come back and have to look for something else. Dave and I are doing okay."

Jon's light tone made Ali smile, but Dave grimaced. Jon had a fantastic job, while Dave made a little more than Ali. But that wasn't the worst of Dave's problem. The worst was that Jon didn't know the real reason for Ali's departure.

Dave wasn't sure if it was permanent. He also didn't think that in two weeks she would return happy as a clam. The few times she had gone to see Beth, it had taken her double the length of her absence to be close to Dave again, as if Beth diminished part of Ali's happiness with him. The last time was over a year ago, a long weekend that stretched into an even longer week before Dave felt they were on the same page. Then... He winced. Then she had pulled away, which led to Jon standing among them.

The houseboat vacation had been arranged because Dave wanted to set things right, because Ali had still been touchy. He stared at her, finally catching her gaze, as if she knew all his thoughts. But it was fair; he knew hers too.

But Jon didn't. He was genuinely glad for her to help out a friend, but would miss her terribly. She teased that he wouldn't miss her at all, jovial banter that grew quiet as they kissed. Dave didn't watch them, because Ali was lying through her teeth, and Jon had no clue.

Usually when two were locking lips, the third stood close, then was enveloped by one warm mouth, followed by another. Dave didn't step their way, because Ali's kiss would have rang with deceit, Jon's with ignorance. Dave left the room, getting a beer from the fridge. If Jon came asking for him, perhaps Dave would end this charade, whether Ali liked it or not.

To Dave's surprise, Ali's light steps resounded through the living room, reaching him in the kitchen. She sat beside him, then gripped his hand. "Jon's taking a shower. Listen, it's just for two weeks..."

"Did you tell him the truth?"

"What?"

Dave chugged the beer, setting the bottle on the table with a thump. Then he shook his head. Drinking wasn't going to fix this. "Ali, every time you go see her, you come back all pissed off. Okay, so her baby's cranky, but we need to..."

"I know Dave," Ali nodded. "I know we do."

He glared at her, then sighed. "So you're gonna go anyways?"

She glanced at the back door, then at the empty bottle. "I need some time, and she needs my help. I can't tell her _no_."

"And you can't tell him what's really going on either." Dave inhaled, then tipped her face in his direction. "Is this your way of..."

She shrugged, but her lower lip trembled. Dave kissed her, seeking traces of Jon, of what had made him so happy for the last two months, both of these people not only in his bed, but deep in his heart. But she didn't want Jon at her level. Ali had to be the most loved of all.

As they parted, Dave felt heartsick. Nothing of Jon remained within Ali, not on her mouth, or far inside her. She didn't speak, but she nodded, as if affirming that fact. Then she stood, picking up the bottle. She rinsed it out, setting it near the sink. Both Ali and Jon preferred Dave's bottles to go into the recycling bin after they were cleaned out. Soon, Dave felt, only Jon would care.

The day after Ali drove away, Jon confronted Dave. "What's wrong with you?"

"What?"

Jon sat up in bed. "You're completely somewhere else. You wanna tell me what's going on?"

Dave sighed, then shook his head. He'd been thinking about that sunset, when Ali was napping in the houseboat. Those colors had been like fire in the sky, electric and dangerous. But so beautiful, peaceful too, maybe because they had been so far away. Ali was now that sensuous flame, hazardous if she got too close to him. If Dave let her consume him, Jon would be the one to burn away.

"Dave what? You can tell me anything."

Dave stared into those cool pools, so wishing to set Ali into Jon's calming eyes. There she would find all the peace necessary, if that was actually what she wanted. Then Dave shivered. Maybe Ali didn't want to know any peace at all.

Perhaps all this time she had been flitting like a moth to a candle, or some other source of light. The source changed, for no matter how warm and enticing was the flame, it never completed her. Something within her endlessly sought new challenges, further highs, like trying to attain the sunset within one's hand. Dave would never capture that brilliance, no matter how far he traveled. And Ali was just as lost to him.

To him, and to Jon, but Jon was only here because of... Dave sighed, then leaned against Jon. He smelled like their bed, which reeked of sex, because neither man was bothered to change the sheets. Ali did that, once a week, but she hadn't before she left. When was the last time...

Jon also smelled like home, which punctured Dave's heart, stirring small tears at the corners of his eyes. Jon smelled sweaty and delicious, and while Ali emitted a slightly sweeter fragrance, both drove Dave nuts. He could nearly detect Ali on the sheets, but like the sunset, it was an illusion. Yet, Jon was right at Dave's side.

"Dave, listen, I didn't mean to..." Jon stopped speaking as Dave kissed his skin, needing to taste that reality. Jon was real, God help them both, but Ali was already gone.

As they made love, Dave didn't think about her, until he came. Without Ali, fatherhood would be more difficult, but then, maybe Jon didn't want kids. Dave hadn't, until just the other night, when he realized he couldn't choose between Jon and Ali. Now Ali was making the choice for him. But what about Jon, and children, and Dave's... He'd had a family, of three. But now it was Jon, just Jon. As Jon came, Dave gripped him; he couldn't fathom this man not a part of his...

They lay side by side, panting slightly, then breaths calmed, and Jon chuckled. "My God, I love you."

"I love you too." Dave's voice was light, for he did love this man. "Jon, do you want kids?"

"What?" Jon laughed. "Kids, are you serious?"

"I am."

Jon still chuckled. "You think she's gonna come back here and want a baby?"

That was the last thing Dave thought. "No, just that I was wondering if you did, I mean, one of these days."

"Well, hmmm. To be honest, I've never really thought about it."

Dave nodded. This with all three of them had precluded much consideration past the day-to-day. But the day-to-day was about to be upended, and Dave wanted to ponder the future, past the hurt. Plus, now that he knew he did want children, best to learn Jon's views. Maybe this whole situation was headed... Dave cleared his throat. "Jon, that night you found me and Ali in the living room..."

Jon sat up. "Hey, were you two talking about having kids? Is that what that was all about?"

Dave nearly laughed. "No, that wasn't what that was about."

"Oh, well, okay." Jon lay back down. Then he faced Dave. "Are you sure?"

Dave rolled Jon's way. "Jon, just answer me. Do you think you'll want kids someday?"

"Uh, well, sure. I mean, not right away. Like maybe in five years, five or six. Is that okay with you guys?"

We're the only guys left in this relationship, Dave nearly said. "Yeah, that's fine with me."

"What about Ali?" Jon asked.

What about Ali, Dave wondered. "Jon, I don't know, to be truthful."

"Well, maybe after hanging out with Beth and her baby, she'll know."

"Maybe," Dave said, certain that Ali already knew her mind.

Two days later, Ali called Jon, but not Dave. That irritated Dave, not that she hadn't talked to him, but that she was stringing Jon along. That night, over burritos from the local taqueria, Dave groused about co-workers who were starting to bug him. One nosy guy in particular was close to getting slugged, which Dave thought might alleviate some of his anger toward Ali, but would probably get him fired. Jon had joked that Ali didn't need her job, but Dave didn't want Jon supporting him.

"Hey, everything okay?" Jon wiped salsa from his mouth, then set down his burrito. "Listen, I don't wanna get in the middle of you two..."

Dave stared at him; Jon had missed a cilantro leaf, which clung to his bottom lip. Dave reached over, gently removing it, then he moaned, as Jon took Dave's thumb in his mouth. Dave closed his eyes, seeing the fiery sunset, hearing the soft lapping of waves along boats and the pier. Then he inhaled deeply, smelling Mexican food, Jon, and the sea. Ali was conspicuously absent from all of Dave's considerations.

As Jon released Dave's thumb, Dave caressed Jon's face. Then he opened his eyes. "It's over Jon. Ali isn't coming back."

Jon smiled. "What?"

"You heard me. Whatever she told you today was bullshit. She's through with us. It's over."

Dave knew that as he recalled dusk turning into night. No matter how brightly the light had blazed, eventually the sun slipped into... Where did the sun go, Dave wondered, as Jon's face mirrored the darkness that arrived every evening. Jon's pupils were huge, then his jaw went slack into Dave's palm. Dave kept his hand there, as if Jon's whole head would otherwise fall to the table.

"No," Jon muttered. "That's not what I wanted!"

"It's what she wanted, from the very beginning." Dave sighed, then moved his hand just long enough to stand, then sit right beside Jon.

Jon took Dave's hands, squeezing tightly. "No damnit, I told her and I told you. I did not wanna get in between you guys."

"We're the only guys here."

"What?" Jon looked puzzled, then grew pissed. "Dave, shit!" He dropped Dave's hands. "No godddamnit. I'll leave, this wasn't gonna happen..."

"You're not going anywhere." Dave sighed. "Jon, it's not about you, or me. It's her. She can't be happy, not for long. For a while, yeah. Then she has to tweak it, says it's what she needs. But that's bull. What she needs is..."

"You, just you, shit!" Jon stood, balling his hands into fists. "Christ, I knew this was gonna happen, I knew..."

Dave stood too, grasping those fists, then uncurling them. He loved the length of Jon's fingers, he loved everything about this man. If nothing else, Dave would thank Ali for leaving him with someone Dave never would have fallen in love with on his own accord. "Jon, she goes from relationship to relationship, says it's that she needs more than the usual. But that's crap. What she needs is the constant drama. We're just the players, that's all we are."

"How can you say that? Shit, that sounds like..."

"It sounds crappy, I realize that. I've also realized this's what she's into, just playing a game."

Then Dave winced, for it was a game she would never win. His heart pounded for how much he loved her, and for how Jon loved her, instantly. He had fallen in love with her just as Dave had, in the blink of an eye. But those glances were fleeting, as the sunset changed, as Ali had altered. Yet it happened so slowly. Watching the sunset, Dave never dreamed it would actually disappear, the light and the warmth. But it did, replaced by cool dark night. Ali needed to vanish in the same way, slipping from one set of lovers to another. Would she ever settle down, Dave wondered.

He would, and with this man, believe it or not, who he welcomed into his arms as if Jon was Ali from a week ago, weeping uncontrollably. Jon shook so hard that Dave walked him to the sofa, as he had Ali. But unlike Ali, Jon was there for good, even if he tried to suggest the opposite.

"You're not going anywhere, I won't let you," Dave smiled. "I love you, you idiot. Where do you think you're gonna go?"

Jon pulled away, his eyes so wet, as if they were pools. Dave wiped away those tears, then kissed Jon's lips. Then he cupped Jon's jaw. "I don't know why she's like this, but if nothing else, she brought us together. I will always be indebted to her for that."

"I can't stay, I won't..."

"Jon, shut up." Dave kissed him again, but this time it lasted until Dave ended it, which wasn't for several minutes. "Look, if you wanna step away, I mean, stay at your house when she gets back, be my guest. But when she comes back, it's only gonna be long enough to pack up her stuff. I know her," he sighed. "Too little too late, but I do. She sets herself, and the ones who love her, up for heartache. But this time, this time..."

This time the men had fallen in love, which had never happened before. Ali had never presumed the triangle would fall this way, which maybe was good for her, in the long run. Dave and Jon would mourn Ali, but move on, of that Dave was certain, for how Jon nodded, then clung to him, muttering how much he needed Dave, that he didn't want to leave. Dave replied that he didn't want Jon anywhere but in this house, their home, all the while hoping that Ali might learn something from this turn of events. Maybe the next person she fell in love with, or roped into her net, might be it.

But Dave wasn't sure of that. It might be years in the making, or maybe Ali would never drop her troubled tendencies. But Dave stopped thinking about Ali's future, as Jon insinuated what he wanted at that moment. The men didn't move from the sofa, but they did take leave of their senses, which ended with Jon assuring Dave that yes, one day, he did want kids. He wanted a whole passel of Dave's bald-headed offspring.

While Ali was gone, Jon gave notice on his townhouse. He had kept it in part from sheer laziness, but now that dwelling seemed superfluous. The men didn't move a single item of Ali's possessions, but they tread lightly around them. Perhaps she would change her mind, Jon said late in the evenings, as he or Dave locked the front door. Maybe she would come to her senses.

Dave didn't expect her to, or maybe it was easier to start mourning her before she returned, then left again. He didn't kid himself; he had loved her immensely. But there was a small comfort in analyzing her actions. This wasn't his or Jon's fault. And to Ali's disadvantage, they would heal more quickly than she would.

Yet, as she texted both men with her impending return, Dave acknowledged a deep pain. She had supported him at his lowest point, she had stretched him, and she had bestowed upon him a lover unexpected yet so required. One afternoon, before Jon came home, Dave wept by himself, needing to purge this sorrow independently of the man who would soon relieve that ache. Dave didn't want to cry on Jon's shoulder, that seemed wrong. He had to grieve for Ali alone, then put her aside.

She arrived as Dave blew his nose, taking him by surprise. She looked upset, and they said little, as she hefted her bag. He asked if she had more, he couldn't recall what she had taken. She said one suitcase remained, and he went outside, her car in the driveway next to his. For how much longer, he wondered, feeling maudlin. Then he shook off that malaise, collecting the case, closing the trunk, then entering the house. She sat on the sofa, her head in her hands, painful wails bouncing off the walls.

Dave set the bag on the floor, then sat beside her. She leaned into him, seemed to want him to embrace her. He wanted to do that too, but something held him back, not anger, he felt. It was... The last moves of the game. This was how she ended it with others, except this time, her pain was more than crocodile tears. She did ache, and deeply. Then why was he being so reticent?

As she sobbed, so grew his distance. He was being a prick, and if Jon was here, he would tell him so. If Jon was here, she might be rocked in his arms, but Dave's remained at his sides. "You want a Kleenex?" he said.

He could give her that, and she nodded, so he did. She blew her nose again, then looked at him. "Aren't you gonna hold me?"

_What difference does it make?_ teetered on his tongue. Instead he shook his head.

"God, you're an ass." She scooted away from him. "Well, I guess it's not gonna make any difference then. I'm moving out. Beth's asked me to live with her and..."

"I know."

She stared at him, balling the tissue into her hand. Then she dabbed at her eyes. "Whatdya mean _you know_?"

"I know it's over. So does Jon."

Ali's eyes grew wide, her mouth was slack. "Oh, well, uh..." Then she collected herself. "Well, okay then. I guess I'll just get outta your guys' hair."

She stiffened, moving to the edge of the sofa. But she didn't stand, staring at him. Dave didn't speak, but could see her shock, which she tried to conceal.

Yet, her beautiful brown eyes were as big as he had ever noticed. Her shoulders trembled, her mouth did too, those full lips aching for him to ask her _why_. She wanted some big messy scene, but he had just shed those tears. He still loved her, and would for a good while. But now he saw her as she was, like that sunset, stunning but fleeting. Tomorrow it would burn again, but not in Dave's view.

"Aren't you gonna say something?" she finally said, her voice cracking.

"What's there to say? This's your..." He so wanted to be honest, but cruelty would have spilled instead. "There's nothing I can do to change this Ali, nothing any of us can do."

For one second she glared at him. Then she nodded, twisting her hands in her lap. She gazed at those digits, then back at him. Her eyes were full of awareness, and remorse. Dave wondered if she had ever admitted the reasons behind her actions. Maybe this was the first time.

"When's Jon coming home?" Her voice was barely audible.

"The usual time." Dave peeked at the clock on the wall.

She nodded. "Does he, oh, you said he knows." She untangled her hands, then stood. Then she stared at that clock, which made a soft ticking sound. "Okay, well, I'll uh, I don't wanna see him." She sighed, then looked at her bags. Then she gazed toward Dave, but didn't meet his eyes. "Beth was hoping I could come back soon, the baby's pretty cranky. I'll just get some more stuff, I know she won't mind."

Dave nodded. She didn't have a lot of possessions, maybe this was why, going from place to place, gravitating back to one person who she trusted, or who would take her in at a moment's notice. He considered that as she walked into the bedroom, pulling out dresser drawers and gathering items. Dave could picture her actions, as he knew her motivations. A part of him ached to stand beside her, begging her to stop this cycle of self-abuse. It wasn't deadly, but it was harmful, and not only to herself.

Yet he remained on the sofa, occasionally glancing at the clock. Depending on how much she packed, Jon might come home. But she didn't want that, somehow facing Jon was beyond her. Dave clasped his hands, leaned over his lap, stretching his back. When he sat up, she stood near him, large duffel bags in her hands, a bulging shoulder bag strapped over her chest.

"You want some help?" he mumbled, feeling a huge weight dangling in front of him.

"No, I can get it. But will you do something for me?"

"Anything."

She sighed, gazed at the clock, then at her feet. "Tell him I'm sorry, that I didn't mean to hurt him."

What about me, Dave thought, while nodding. "Sure, I'll tell him."

She nodded too, then stepped to the door. A few minutes later she returned, grabbing the bags that had just been brought inside. She didn't speak, but loitered at the doorway. Dave watched her hesitate. Then she slipped outside, closing the door behind her.

For several weeks Ali's absence lingered heavily. Dave never saw her again, but she stopped by the house when Jon was there, retrieving the last of her stuff. Dave was glad to have missed it, and Jon was relieved for the closure, or what conclusion she had allowed.

The men talked about Ali and her choices, no use tiptoeing around it. After the last of her belongings were reclaimed, Dave breathed easier. A few months later, he wondered how that life had been lived.

A year after Ali, Dave rarely thought about her. When he saw a woman who looked like her, he would smile, then grasp Jon's hand, if they were together. If Dave was alone, he wished for Jon at his side. By the time he saw Jon again, Dave had forgotten about that woman, who mildly resembled another from Dave's past.

The men rented a houseboat for their summer vacation. Dave didn't think about Ali as the boat bobbed up and down, gentle waves easing him to restful sleep, especially after he'd made love to Jon. They were talking about buying a house, Dave's inheritance and Jon's income easily affording whatever residence they desired. Dave wanted three or four bedrooms, as both knew that in lieu of a marriage certificate, children would bind them. Jon didn't care how big the house was; once they had kids, Dave would quit work, his job to see that the place stayed relatively clean, as well as raise their offspring.

On their second to last evening, they ate dinner at the wharf, then walked back to their boat, talking about mortgages and surrogate mothers. These subjects had been the mainstays of conversation for the last few months, in between work and mundane household tasks. Dave smiled as Jon squeezed his hand.

"What?" Dave asked.

Jon chuckled, but said nothing. Dave turned around; had Jon seen something? All that Dave saw was the sunset. He stared at it for several seconds, blinking as he did so. Even in that peachy-orange glow, the glare was blinding. Dave closed his eyes, the orb reflected beneath his lids. Then he inhaled deeply as again Jon clutched his hand.

It had been nearly two years since Dave had been near the ocean, which he realized while smelling the mechanical residue from boats and hearing the faraway squawk of seagulls. That weekend with Ali now seemed like another life, and in way, it was. Dave hadn't thought about her since Jon arranged this vacation, and then only in that again Dave would be staying on a houseboat with someone he loved. But unlike that weekend with Ali, when he felt that they were drifting apart, life with Jon was becoming more settled. Buying a home had reached the point where they simply needed to choose a neighborhood, pick a place, and make an offer. They were both twenty-eight, and Dave wanted to set down roots. The rental house had lost its appeal; he didn't want to be living there when he was thirty. When he was thirty, he wanted to be changing diapers, making dinner, even cleaning a toilet. Jon still took care of many household chores, although taking out the trash was now solely Dave's job.

They hadn't made a lot of new friends, but occasionally they ran into Doug, the bed salesman, who never failed to ask how they were sleeping. What if Ali had gone with them to choose that mattress, Dave wondered, looking at the dusky eastern sky. It wouldn't have made any difference in how she had left them, but Doug might have finally encountered an arrangement to make him blush. Dave chuckled, thinking about embarrassing Doug, as Ali slipped from Dave's thoughts. Then he gazed west, finding a halo of fiery brightness behind Jon's smile. "What is it?" Dave asked.

"Will you marry me?"

Dave laughed. "What? Uh, sure, yeah, I'd love to marry you."

Their voices weren't loud, but Dave's tone was light. Buying a house was the closest they would come to that sort of commitment, until they had a baby. Dave joked that he wanted Jon as the father so their sons would avoid premature baldness. Mostly, Dave wanted to see this man's face on their children; the boys would be as tall as their dad, the girls inheriting Jon's hypnotic eyes. It would be less complicated if they used one man's sperm, plus Dave felt no need to extend his genetic family tree. Jon's brothers had accepted the men's relationship, although his parents were having a harder time. Dave believed that if Jon presented them with a biological grandchild, their mood would improve.

Marriage, however, hadn't been broached. That seemed as impossible as when Dave, Jon, and Ali had been together, which did seem like another existence. Dave grinned, wondering if she hadn't left, what would their lives have turned into. Having kids might have been easier, but Dave never regretted letting her go. What she had wanted wasn't conducive to an honest, loving relationship. Then Dave laughed. He'd finally found the right person, but it hadn't been a woman after all.

He wanted to stroke Jon's cheek. Instead he gripped Jon's hand. "Let's have some kind of ceremony. You wanna do it before or after we have the first kid?"

Again Dave kept his voice jovial. He glanced at the sunset, then stared at Jon, his blue eyes wide. "Hey, you're serious, aren't you?"

"I don't wanna buy a house here Dave."

"Then where?"

"Someplace where I can marry you. There's a few states now to pick from."

Dave chuckled. "Are you shitting me? What about your job?"

"I can find work anywhere. But I can't marry you here, and if we're gonna get all domestic about it..."

Dave swallowed hard, then gazed west. Halfway beneath the horizon, the sun seemed plugged into every wall socket on Earth, an enormous electric pink band spreading along the water, edged in peach, which was fringed by a shocking yellow. Dave had never seen such a memorable array of hues, like that part of the world was on fire. He was lost in those lively colors, how he felt every time Jon came home from work, or when they ate dinner together, or woke after a good night's sleep, or after hours spent making love. He gazed at that man, who on first glance had scared the crap out of Dave, perfect in every way. And he was, but not as competition. Dave wanted to caress Jon's face, but instead he stretched out his hand. His fingertips graced that shrinking orb, sinking into the water as every second passed. Slivers of the sun seeped into Dave's digits, like he had crossed every obstacle to reach them. As he made a fist, the sunset was gone, leaving in its wake a dazzling spectacle of colored light.

"Marry me Dave. I love you. I want it to be legal, I want..."

They weren't alone on the pier, but Dave didn't care. He gripped both of Jon's hands, then kissed him as if the forgotten sun had declared them... Whatever Jon wanted a pastor or justice of the peace to proclaim them. As the kiss ended, Dave continued to grip Jon's hands. The sunset's vibrancy coursed through their palms, ran up their arms, adding to the intoxicating sense of... "Yeah Jon, let's get married."

Jon laughed, then gazed at the water. "A beautiful night, huh?"

Dave chuckled. "It's the perfect night to get engaged."

Jon nodded, then had a languid sigh. "Where do you wanna live? We can go to the East Coast or Washington State or the Midwest or..."

"Let's go back to the houseboat," Dave smiled. "Take me home baby."

"You got it."

Dave gripped Jon's hand with newfound strength. Something to do with the sunset, he imagined, which resonated throughout Dave's entire body. As they reached the boat, Jon stepped in first. Dave took one look at the darkening western sky, then heard Jon's gentle hum. It sounded like the Wedding March, or something equally appropriate. Maybe it was a little tune based on that magnificent sunset. Dave gazed into his right palm, tracing the lines. A brief glow teased, making Dave chuckle. He stepped into the boat, then admired emerging stars, wondering how the sky over Seattle might appear.

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