WIP: Harem House Chapter 32 - Part 2

((Continuing after the initial Harem House 31 Part 1 with Beth and Arthur's not-a-date)).

“But would you be okay with Mindy being there, too?” Arthur asked. 

Beth hesitated but nodded. Unsure how she felt about an audience. “If that’s the only way…” 

“It’s not.” Arthur said. “I could ask my girlfriends for an exception.” He sounded like their approval was assumed. “She volunteered to come with me tonight, but I wanted this to be a conversation without distractions.” 

Distractions. Right. Because if Mindy were here, she would distract him with her big tits and cute face. The Asian secretary routine, or schoolgirl, depending on the day, distracted Beth, too. Not because she enjoyed it the way Arthur did but because it annoyed her. She couldn’t compete with Mindy or any of his girlfriends. Yet here he was, offering to ask them for an exception to whatever rules they laid on him. 

Beth couldn’t imagine the process being so simple or easy. What kind of girl would say: Yeah, sure, go ahead and fuck that old bitch you work with! Then again, she couldn’t imagine being the kind of girl who was cool having a shared boyfriend, either. Was she really willing to share his affections with the girls who made her feel so inadequate by comparison?

“I don’t…” Beth hesitated, unsure of what to say to that. “I don’t know why you’re interested in me at all if you have them.” 

“We’ve been over that.” Arthur said. “I find you attractive, and I enjoy variety. Are you still interested in me?” 

Beth didn’t answer right away, swallowing the guilt that clouded her yes. She nodded rather than respond verbally. 

“You still find me attractive?” Arthur asked. 

Beth scoffed, blushing. “Are you kidding?” She asked, almost angry at his teasing. 

“So what are you looking for me to be, to you?” Arthur asked. 

Beth looked at him, waiting for him to continue. She frowned when he didn’t elaborate but sipped his water and took another stuffed oyster. 

“Do you want me to be your boyfriend? Your subordinate office worker? Your villainous morally gray fantasy made flesh that pushes your boundaries and gives you orgasms over his lunch break?” Arthur listed out the current options she’d been mulling over. 

“Well, obviously, you can’t be my boyfriend.” Beth said. Almost laughing at the idea. “You’re way too young for me. Even if you weren’t dating five other women.” 

“I’m twenty-two.” Arthur said defensively. “I’m not too young for you.” 

“I’m thirty.” Beth said, reminding him of their age gap. 

“So what, an eight-year, sometimes nine-year, depending on the time of year, age gap? That’s not so bad.” Arthur said, shrugging. “Half your age, plus seven, right? I’m old enough.” 

Beth laughed. “That’s not a real thing. That’s for old guys with young gold-digger wives.” She took another sip of her drink. 

“I’m not too young for you, so stop with that.” Arthur said, offering her the last oyster. 

She took it. 

“I am, however, dating other women. And that’s not going to change.” Arthur said. 

“So what would you suggest we do?” Beth asked. “Keeping in mind that sleeping together will get me fired.” 

“Like that doesn’t make you want it even more.” Arthur said, smiling when Beth’s expression turned guilty. “The way I see it, we have two options, ignoring the HR issues.” Arthur held up his hand and presented his index finger. “One - you get to know the girls and see if you want to join their… well, they call it a harem.” 

Beth stared at him. She’d heard the term before, but it evoked a specific image of silk curtains and veils. The idea of belonging to some round-robin sex club wasn’t as appealing to her as it might be to Arthur. Picturing it made her feel cheap and used. 

“They also call it the sisterhood of Excalibur when they’re trying to be funny.” Arthur shrugged, and Beth rolled her eyes. 

The sisterhood of Excalibur made zero sense to her, but it sounded droll and annoying. She might have considered women now and again, but she was straight. She wasn’t interested in any of his girlfriends that way. Nor did she want some kind of crazy polyamorous arrangement between her and a bunch of girls who were like sisters to each other and nothing to her. She had a sister, and dealing with Krissy’s desire for Arthur was terrible enough. 

“And option two?” Beth asked, dreading his answer. 

“Option two is somewhat easier. You and I take on a casual relationship. We hook up when we want to, if we want to, but we do not commit to each other. You’d be free to seek out other boyfriends and find a more permanent relationship.” Arthur said. “In the meantime, we enjoy ourselves, have our fun, and when it ends, we go our separate ways with as few hard feelings as possible.” 

Beth scoffed. 

“What?” Arthur asked, clearly missing the joke. 

“I’m a thirty-year-old virgin, Arthur.” Beth said, explaining the joke that was her dating life. “No one’s looking to date me.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “A thirty-year-old, hot, single woman without kids? You'll clean up. Are you on any of the apps?” 

“No.” Beth laughed. 

“Are you… looking to date anyone?” Arthur asked. 

“I’m open to it.” Beth said, leaning back as Darla appeared to clear away the empty plates. Not that she’d tried to meet anyone recently. Typically, the cycle was: get introduced to a friend of a friend, have a terribly awkward dinner, go home, and masturbate to some conjured fantasy or a romance audiobook. 

Arthur nodded, leaning back as Darla took his plate. “Thank you, Darla.” 

Darla smiled. “You’re welcome. Let me know if you want anything. I’ll be back to refill your waters in a second.” 

Arthur nodded, and Darla took their dishes away. 

“But I haven’t had much luck. And none of them do… what you do.” Beth said. 

“So you’re looking to date and want someone who plays into your fantasies, but you’re not actively trying to meet people.” Arthur said, summarizing her situation. “Do you want a husband, kids, the whole family life thing?” 

“I…” Beth hesitated, pondering the question she’d never really asked herself before. She wanted that life but never asked herself if she wanted it. It was an assumption. That was what she was supposed to want, right? So, of course, she wanted it. The white-picket fence. The 2.5 kids, a dog, preferably a golden retriever, and a man to… be there? That was the goal, right? 

Not that she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom or a housewife, but that was what life was supposed to be, and hers wasn’t. She’d be moving back with her parents after her sister got married and Krissy’s new husband moved into their duplex. 

“I don’t know.” Beth answered. “I just… don’t want to be alone.” 

Arthur’s expression softened. 

“Don’t do that.” Beth said, almost snapping at him. 

“Don’t do what?” Arthur looked confused. 

“Don’t pity me. I don’t want that. I’m fine with being single. I don’t need a guy. I have a job, and my student loans are almost paid off. Life is… fine.” Beth said, frowning. “It’s fine.” 

“So what do you want?” Arthur asked as Darla reappeared and poured their water. “Would sex help make it better?” 

“I don’t know. You complicate things.” She glared at him. “But I know we have to stop.” 

“So you want to call it off?” Arthur asked. 

“What I want doesn’t matter.” Beth shook her head. 

“It matters to me.” Arthur argued. 

Beth sighed. Did she want sex with Arthur? Yes. The pent-up sexual frustration in her yearned to rip that purple shirt from his sculpted pecs, straddle him, and use him like a dildo. She could ride him while he told her what to do, what he wanted, how he liked it, and how he wanted her. Preferably, he’d say it in dark and inescapable tones that drove her to a frenzy. He could haul her to his car in the parking lot, force her into the backseat, and ruin her for other men. She wanted relief. She tried to live a little instead of being the good girl she knew she should be. She wanted to have her cake and eat it too. 

“I don’t know what I want.” Beth sighed. “And it doesn’t matter. Us doing anything together is wrong. I could get fired. Or worse, I get blacklisted and end up begging for money from my parents for the rest of my life. I know I don’t want that.” Beth stared at him. 

Arthur nodded. “Okay. Then we call things off and don’t do what we did again. We go back to being employer and employee.” 

Beth frowned but said nothing as Darla approached with their food. She set it in front of them, and Beth leaned back as Darla lowered the plates to their table. 

“Thank you, Darla.” Arthur said. The waitress smiled and nodded, reminding them to let her know if they needed anything before departing. 

“And you’re okay with that?” Beth asked after Darla left. 

“It’s not what I want or what you want, but it might be best, and I respect your wishes even if it isn’t.” Arthur said, picking up his fork to begin eating. 

“What do you want?” Beth asked, watching him as best she could while she prodded her chicken with her fork. 

“I told you what I wanted.” Arthur said. “I want to fuck you.” 

Beth sucked in a gasp of breath at the frank answer and stared at him. 

“The only reason I haven’t already ordered you under the table is because of the arrangement I have with the others.” Arthur said. “Things are… complicated. I care about each of the people I’m with, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Including you. I certainly don’t want you to lose your job, or feel used, or have issues with what we’re doing. I’m not opposed to a good time, but if it comes at the cost of your conscience, I’ll respect your wishes.” 

Beth’s chest flared with breath, and this time, she watched his eyes dip to her breasts, remain there as he brought the forkful of smoked haddock to his lips, and return to her gaze with an unashamed heat behind them. 

“So the question is, what do you want?” Arthur asked again. 

“I don’t know.” Beth said. “Do I have to have everything figured out? You were this fantasy I could get off to without anyone getting hurt, then you… you made it real. Now it’s so complicated, and everything is so frustrating! Can’t I just go with the flow for once? Can’t I just start somewhere and figure out the rest later? Maybe I can get a boyfriend. Maybe I’ll die alone. Wanting hasn’t worked out for me so far, so who knows?” 

Arthur was quiet at that. Beth didn’t have an answer either. There was no easy answer. There was only what was best for whoever was involved in this messed up situation. Even if the best thing to do wasn’t what either of them wanted. 

“What if I weren’t your employee?” Arthur asked. “What if I quit?” 

“Please don’t quit.” Beth said. “I need you at the office. I can’t manage the girls without you. They’re…” She didn’t have a word that summed up how annoying and complicated juggling the many student workers in the office was. Tedious? Training them repeatedly on the same thing she told them a week ago made her lose her temper so often that they thought she was the evil witch. Arthur’s patient answers and voluntarily sparing them manual labor caused them to hail him as their knight in shining armor. 

“They’re not that bad.” Arthur said. “Tara has a good head on her shoulders. You could promote her to the student worker supervisor position and let her manage things.” 

Beth shook her head. “Half the team would quit on the spot. Not everyone gets along. There are so many factions and infighting, changing all the time. The number of schedule requests I get because Sara said some mean thing to Evelyn that made her cry and Lisa thinks Sara is a bitch, but doesn’t want to work with Jill because their boyfriends don’t get along is too damn high!” 

Arthur’s eyes crinkled with a smile. 

“How you’re dating so many women is a mystery to me. Have you met women? We’re terrible.” Beth stabbed her chicken. 

“That might be a human thing, more than a gender thing.” Arthur said, shrugging. “But either way. I get what you mean. I promise not to quit on you. I’d give you at least two weeks’ notice.” 

“Honestly.” Beth said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when you graduate.” 

“Me either.” Arthur shrugged. “Want me to train up one of the girls to take my place? Someone that everybody likes?” 

“You can’t train Mindy. People know you’re dating her. I had to make that direct-report to me position legitimate with HR this afternoon. If you start training her to replace you, they’re going to scream favoritism.” Beth said, shaking her head. 

“I was talking about Dinah.” Arthur said. “She’s a junior, so she’d have to train somebody else up next year, but… she’d be a good fit. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, can see the big picture, is solution-oriented, and as far as I know, everyone likes her.” 

Beth considered the premise and frowned. “I’ll consider it. But enough work talk. We’re out of the office. What are we going to do about… about us?” 

Arthur considered her question. “Well, my vote would be we keep things as they are. You and I get together every once in a while and have fun. When you need stress relief, I come in, and we play out whatever fantasies you might have. We like each other, we care about each other’s happiness, but neither of us is looking to get into a serious relationship with the other for different reasons… it seems like it would work.” 

“So, friends with benefits, essentially?” Beth asked. “But without friendship.” 

“Coworkers with benefits doesn’t have quite the same ring.” Arthur admitted. “But I’m told I offer a nice benefits package.” 

Beth stared at him. “Did you just…” 

“Yeah, sorry. Trying to break things up with a pun. Kat doesn’t like my jokes either.” Arthur shrugged. 

Beth took a deep breath. “Can you stop talking about your other girlfriends?” She asked. “It makes me feel… never mind, it’s stupid. This isn’t a date.” 

“It kind of is.” Arthur said. “But I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was. I’ll stop. Or at least I’ll try. They’re a part of my life now. It seems normal to mention them when something reminds me of them.” 

Beth nodded, understanding but still frowning. “Any chance you know someone just like you who does the same things but is single and not working under me?” 

Arthur almost made a joke about working under her. She could tell by the expression on his face as he clamped his lips shut and returned his attention to his plate. 

“Are you asking me to set you up with someone?” Arthur asked. “Someone who can play to your fantasies but isn’t as complicated?” 

Beth considered the question and sighed, sitting back in her chair. “Kind of? Do you know anyone?” 

Arthur considered the question but shook his head. “No, not off the top of my head, but…” He stroked his chin. “There’s a club not far from here. We could go and see if you can meet someone.” 

“A club?” Beth asked. “I'm not exactly dressed like one of your college girlfriends.” 

“A BDSM club.” Arthur said. “Lori and I have gone before.” He swallowed. “We’re dressed formally enough. We could go and see if anyone catches your eye.” 

Beth stared at him. Clubs were loud and annoying. Still, sipping her drink had worked for courage thus far, even if the blush on her face didn’t fade. The flames of passion fueled her body, and she could feel the heat seeping out of her and coating her thighs. She wanted him. The memory of his hard-on under the table made her mouth water. She wanted everything and nothing. 

They should call the whole thing off. She knew that. The right thing to do ended with her going home alone tonight and masturbating to a harmless and imagined Arthur. The wrong thing had that imagined scenario become a realized scenario. She stared through the table, already imagining and licking her lips at the possibility. 

“Or, I could call Mindy.” Arthur said. “She can take your place at the table while you crawl under and give me some relief. Then we can go back to my place, and I’ll return the favor.” 

“Stop that.” Beth said, visibly shaking as she brought the fork to her mouth. Her body had stopped listening to her moral compass. Her morally gray fantasies crossed the lines, but… maybe Arthur was right. They were consenting adults. Besides, they weren’t at the office right now. They weren’t employee and manager. They were two adults out for dinner in a restaurant with vanilla candles and food that tasted wickedly delicious. 

“Option one, the club, or option two, dessert for three?” Arthur asked. “Pick one.” 

“We can’t.” Beth said. “You know we can’t. It’s wrong.” Her words sounded hollow, even to her. 

“You’re not my boss here.” Arthur said. “And you don’t care if it’s wrong. You love that it’s wrong. The taboo gets you going.” 

Beth didn’t answer. 

“If you genuinely want me to stop, you can say ‘red light’ anytime.” Arthur reminded her. “Or Bratwurst or yellow light.”

Beth didn’t answer. She didn’t look up either. She took another sip of her drink. 

“If I put my hand up your leg, will I find you wet?” Arthur asked. “If I look under the table and ask you to show me that you’re a good girl who knows how to listen and obey when I tell her not to wear any panties to our dinner, will I see how aroused you are at the idea of fucking me in the parking lot?” 

Beth’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her fork. Her breathing shifted, but her mouth remained in a defiant line, holding herself steady against the assault of desire. 

Arthur leaned sideways and looked under the table. Beth hesitated but opened her legs for him, shifting her skirt aside. The air struck her, but it wasn’t enough to cool her off. She was slick between her legs, a glistening bead of arousal present on her pink petal folds. Arthur didn’t sit up immediately, and she smiled at the thought that he saw her surprise. She’d waxed for him. 

She’d told herself she’d done it for herself, but she knew that was a lie. She’d waxed for him, and she was totally bare down there. Pale white flesh surrounded soft, pink lips already opening in anticipation of more than his gaze. 

Arthur straightened, his smile sly and wicked as his eyes met hers. 

“So, which will it be?” Arthur asked, staring at her until she answered. 

“Why can’t we do both?” Beth whispered. 

Arthur laughed. He pulled out his phone. 

“What are you doing?” Beth asked. She closed her legs and fixed her skirt. 

“Texting my girlfriends.” Arthur answered. “Letting them know I’ll be home late tonight and seeing if anyone wants to join us.” 

Beth swallowed. “What… would they really?” 

Arthur nodded. He texted on his phone, taking a break after sending a message to eat. 

~~~

Selene took a deep breath at the entrance to the theater building, steeling herself for the battle to come. She wished Master were here, but the thought of him seducing his boss over a fancy dinner warmed her heart. She’d seen Beth, and the older woman was cute in her way. Not the sexiest woman she’d ever seen, but certainly Master’s ‘girl next door’ type. Though, MILF next door was more accurate, even if Beth wasn’t anyone’s mom. 

They’d call her with any luck, and she could meet them at Arthur’s apartment. She didn't want to join them if Beth wasn’t into that, but she wanted to do what Kat had done last night. They could strap her to the wall and make her watch. Her body reacted to the mental image, and she squeezed her thighs together and practiced her Kegels. 

“Hey, there she is!” 

Selene turned to see Maria walking toward her from the campus walk. She waved, and Maria returned the gesture as Selene waited for her by the door. 

“Ready to deal with Yvonne again?” Maria asked, looking around. “Where’s Arthur?” 

“He’s busy tonight.” Selene said. “He’s still committed to the Theater Club, but since he’s not in the fall show, he doesn’t need to be at every meeting.” 

“You had that locked and loaded.” Maria said, laughing, not accusing. “No need to be defensive with me. I get it.” 

Selene nodded. “Sorry.” 

“Not a problem.” Maria hugged Selene, who returned the hug. 

“Where’s Mark?” Selene asked. 

“Inside, waiting for me.” Maria said, gesturing to the door. “Shall we?” 

Selene nodded and opened the door. They entered the building and walked the hall to the meeting room. The posters of shows from the Theater Majors lined the hall, signed by casts and crews recent and ancient. The theater doors were open, but the house was empty, waiting for the performers and audience of a show still weeks away. 

“How was your weekend after homecoming?” Maria asked. “Your whole group has been pretty quiet.” 

“Heh. It was… fantastic.” Selene said. “Master took us to a hotel.” 

Maria giggled. “You did it again.”

“Hm?” Selene asked, turning to look at her as they walked. 

“You called Arthur ‘Master’.” Maria pointed to her collar. “Not to shame you about it, but you might want to watch who you do that with. Mark and I don’t care, obviously. We’re not into that, but to each their own, right? Still…” 

Selene nodded. “Sorry.” She sighed and shook her head. “I just… I think of him that way in my head, and I don’t have to worry about it with the harem, so it just… slips out.” 

Maria smiled. “I think it’s kinda cute, honestly. The way you two are together.” 

“Thanks.” Selene said, smiling. “You and Mark are pretty cute too. How was your weekend after the game?” 

“Oh, it was… good.” Maria said after thinking about it for a moment. “Mark, Brad, Jen, and I hung out and went to the Alpha Theta Party. We had fun.” 

“Nice.” Selene said, nodding. They’d reached the meeting room and stood outside it long enough. “Ready?” 

Maria nodded. “Let’s get this over with.” She opened the door, and they were immediately met by Yvonne’s icy glare. 

The long table only had a few people sitting at the far end of it. Yvonne sat at the head. Mark sat beside her, with an open chair between him and Caleb. Brad sat on the other side across from Mark, reading his phone and smiling as he texted whoever he was messaging. 

“Finally.” Yvonne said. “Where’s the manwhore?” 

Selene flinched as if slapped. 

“Mrow.” Caleb flexed his fingers like cat claws, mocking her. 

“Arthur’s busy tonight.” Selene said, and that was all she said as she sat next to Brad, across from Caleb, leaving an empty seat between her and Brad. 

Maria kissed Mark’s cheek, then sat between him and Caleb. 

“What’d we miss?” Maria asked. 

“Nothing.” Caleb said, putting his phone away with a sigh. “We were waiting for you because Yvonne wanted a quorum.” 

Maria turned to Yvonne expectantly. 

“We have an urgent issue we need to take care of, and we need at least five of us.” Yvonne explained. 

Herself, Brad, Mark, Maria, and Caleb made five. The number roused Selene’s suspicions since a quorum was only needed on matters requiring a vote, including disciplinary actions. 

“There have been some complaints raised against a member of the Theater Club for sexual misconduct.” Yvonne continued without waiting. “So I wanted to move for immediate expulsion.” 

“Is this because I joked about sucking Brad’s dick?” Caleb asked, looking as though he knew it wasn’t. “Okay, not joked so much as offered.” 

“You did?” Brad asked, confused. 

Caleb winked at him. “Just let me know, hot stuff.” 

Maria giggled and shook her head. Yvonne looked as though someone had spiked her punch with something sour and non-alcoholic. “No. This is about Arthur.” 

“Of course it is.” Mark rolled his eyes. “Who complained?” 

“Multiple members of the club.” Yvonne said, not naming names. 

“And what did Arthur do?” Caleb asked, confused. “Did he flash somebody? Did I miss it? Did anyone take a picture? And can they send it to me?” 

“Down, boy.” Maria said. “Arthur didn’t do anything. I expect any complaints we’ve received were because of rumors a certain someone spread all week last week.” She turned her stare to Yvonne. 

“He’s made multiple members of the club uncomfortable.” Yvonne said. 

“Okay. Let’s review the complaints.” Maria said, pulling up her phone. “Are they on the Suggestions and Complaints Google Form?” 

“...No.” Yvonne frowned. “They were delivered verbally.” 

Maria put her phone face down. “So, there have been no documented official complaints.”

“There have been multiple complaints.” Yvonne said. 

“Has anyone here besides Yvonne heard complaints about Arthur’s sexual conduct?” Maria asked. 

“I’d like to submit a complaint that none of Arthur’s sexual conduct has been conducted toward me.” Caleb said, raising his hand. “He should rectify this immediately.” 

Selene couldn’t help the smile that quirked her lips at that. 

“We need to take this seriously.” Yvonne said. “He’s made multiple women uncomfortable with his behavior, and it’s not rumors of his behavior. He was seen doing… sexually aggressive things to another club member.” 

Selene sighed and put her forehead in her hands with her elbows on the table. 

“Oh?” Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow at Selene. “What’d he do? I thought he and Selene were together? Is Selene the one complaining? Did he hit on somebody else? What happened?” 

“He threw me in his trunk.” Selene said, recalling the conversation with Maria. That was apparently the ‘sexually aggressive’ act that Arthur had committed. “A completely consensual act.” Selene stated. “I practically begged him to do it.” 

Yvonne looked surprised by that but took it in stride. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is the effect he’s having on others.” 

“And what effect is that?” Selene asked. 

“He’s made other people uncomfortable.” Yvonne said, repeating her battle cry. 

“Who?” Selene asked. She shrugged her shoulders and held her hands palm-up, completing the gesture. She had no idea who Arthur made uncomfortable besides Yvonne, who wanted him for herself. She’d made that clear at homecoming. 

“The complaints were anonymous.” Yvonne said. “And were made with the expectation of privacy.” 

“No, complaints are anonymous when they come through the proper form anonymously. You saying people told you he made them uncomfortable is hearsay. We have no means of follow-up to determine exactly when, where, and how any misconduct occurred.” Maria objected. 

“We’re not putting him on trial. We’re not a court. We’re the club’s committee, and it’s our job to follow our guidelines and remove any questionable or objectionable members before they cause issues.” Yvonne said. 

“So, you want us to kick Arthur out of the club?” Mark asked. 

“I want us to vote on expelling a club member whose conduct has made others uncomfortable.” Yvonne said. 

“And this member’s name is Arthur Clarke?” Maria asked. 

“Yes.” Yvonne nodded. 

“Well, that’s easy then.” Caleb said. “All in favor of kicking out the hottest guy on campus because Yvonne’s bitter he went for Selene instead of her?” 

Yvonne looked like she’d been slapped in the face with a wet hand. 

“What?” Caleb asked. “I’m never mean, just sassy.” He wiggled his shoulders and laughed. “So… all in favor?” 

Yvonne raised her hand. 

“All opposed?” 

Selene, Caleb, Brad, Mark, and Maria raised their hands. 

“Motion shot down in flames.” Caleb thumped his fist on the table. “Next item on the agenda, Madame President?” 

~~~

Mindy’s mother had driven to campus, so she drove home. Rani rode with Mindy in her car since Mindy insisted on driving separately. Her parent’s apartment and restaurant weren’t far from campus, but walking would have taken too long. 

“Whatever you do, please don’t mention the harem or tell my parents I’m bi.” Mindy said. “Oh, and don’t mention Arthur. Don’t call me Whore, either, or any nicknames other than Mindy. Don’t joke about sex or religion. Maybe don’t mention all the people you’ve slept with, and don’t bring up politics with my Umma or sister-in-law. And if they ask, would you mind saying you’re a Christian? If you tell them you’re Hindu, it’ll be this whole thing, and I don’t want them to try and convert you.” 

Rani stared at Mindy for a moment before answering. The girl was clearly panicking, her ordinarily cheerful attitude gone and her pulse spiking. Rani put her hand on Mindy’s thigh and gave her legging-clad lover a gentle squeeze. “Maybe I should just stay on campus.” 

“No.” Mindy said. “It’d be suspicious if you don’t come now.” 

“Okay…” Rani said, hesitant. “Mindy… are you okay? Your mom seemed nice. Is she super strict? Is your house not a safe space for you?” 

“What?” Mindy asked, confused. “No, there’s no, like, abuse or anything. I just… My parents have this specific image of me. I’m their studious, hardworking, talented daughter. I get good grades, and I work hard. I don’t mess around with boys, and I don’t do anything immoral with women, either. I’m a good girl. I go to school and church, and they’re proud of me. I’ve worked hard to maintain that image with them, no matter what.” 

Silence reigned as they drove as Rani digested her words. 

“Wow.” Rani said. “There’s a lot to unpack there.” 

“What?” Mindy asked again, clearly distracted as she drove. 

Rani closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Mindy… I’m not a good liar. I can cover for you some, and I know it’s not my place to out you to your parents. That’s a conversation you need to have with them, which I will one-hundred percent attend and support you if you want me there. But I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not. I’m Rani. Your parent’s gorgeous, cute, sexy, hardworking, studious, and talented daughter is in a polyamorous relationship with a smart, beautiful, loud-mouthed, sexually liberated pansexual. They can either accept me for who I am or reject me. I don’t have to bring you into it, but they’ll know me for me, not for who you want me to pretend to be. Okay?” 

Mindy frowned but tried to lighten the car's atmosphere by giggling. “You think I’m sexy?” 

“Duh, you bimbo. You want me to reach over and prove it?” Rani asked. 

“No.” Mindy said, glancing at the car in front of them, where she could see her mother’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. 

Rani sighed. “What you tell your parents and reveal to them is between you and them.” Rani said. “But if you want my advice? Let them know the real you. You’re fuckin’ awesome, and hiding who you are never works out long-term. It’s better to know upfront if people accept or reject you.” 

Mindy’s frown didn’t fade as she parked behind the restaurant, but when she and Rani left the car, her face had become neutral again. She even smiled at her mother as her Umma unlocked the back door. She opened it to reveal the stairs leading to the second-floor apartment, and Rani followed Mindy up to the landing at the top. 

The landing led to a narrow hallway to their left. The rooms on either side were shut, but the hallway passed a doorless opening on the left that led to the kitchen and emptied straight ahead to a small rectangular living room. To the right, a comfortable sofa, a well-loved armchair, a coffee table, and an entertainment center made up the ‘living room.’ 

To the left, a wooden oval table with four chairs around it made up the ‘dining room,’ except it was covered with books, notebooks, mail, and junk of various kinds, which Mrs. Tae immediately started clearing. 

The entire apartment smelled the same, the faint scent of wood underlying the kitchen's spiced smell and the living room's fabric-heavy scent.

“Why don’t the two of you wait in Mindy’s room?” Mrs. Tae asked as she straightened up the table, which was the only messy item in the room. “I’ll make some popcorn, and Judy will be here soon!” 

“Judy?” Rani asked. 

“Sister-in-law.” Mindy said, nodding. “Come on.” She took Rani’s hand and pulled her back into the hallway. “I’ll show you my room.” 

Rani followed her pull and staggered into her room as Mindy shut the door behind them. She leaned against it and took a deep breath. 

“You okay?” Rani asked, looking at Mindy. 

“Yeah. This is just… I didn’t expect to be showing you my old bedroom tonight.” Mindy said, smiling awkwardly. “This is uh… this is me.” She gestured, and Rani looked around. 

The room was cute. Mindy had decorated its walls with pictures of her, her family, and high school friends, and given the matching t-shirts that all said ‘youth group’ on them, her church friends. There wasn’t a lot of crossover between the groups, but Rani didn’t really have a chance to study them before her eyes fell on a picture of Mindy as part of a cheerleading team. 

She looked at Mindy, then back at the photo, then at Mindy, who took the cheerleading uniform hanging on her closet door and shoved it into the closet. 

“You were a cheerleader?” Rani asked, the confusion evident in her voice. 

“Uh… yeah!” Mindy said. “Back in high school.” 

Rani stared at her. 

“What?” Mindy asked. 

“At homecoming, you made it sound like you knew nothing about football. You and Kelly bonded over her teaching you the game.” Rani said, still confused. “And yesterday–” 

“Well… I might have known more about it than I let on.” Mindy admitted. “I thought maybe if I pretended not to know about it, Arthur would jump in and teach me, but then Kelly jumped in and… I don’t know. It just didn’t seem like a big deal.” 

“You lied to Arthur?” Rani asked. “To all of us?” 

“I pretended with Arthur. It’s… girls do it all the time! It’s flirting! You know how you pretend to be dumb to get a guy to like you sometimes so they can explain something they know a lot about?” Mindy asked, as if everyone did it all the time. 

“I don’t do that.” Rani said, shaking her head. “I have guys trying to explain things to me all the time in my STEM classes. I hate it.” 

“Oh.” Mindy said. 

“And you… you don’t have to do that. You know? Arthur likes you. We all like you. You don’t have to act dumb or ignorant around us.” Rani said. 

“I know.” Mindy said, almost reflexively. “I’m sorry.” 

Rani still looked confused but didn’t refuse a hug when Mindy moved in for one. They looked at each other, their lips close, and their faces drifting closer. Rani tilted her head in anticipation of their kiss. The moment Rani’s lips touched Mindy's, a knock at the door sent the younger woman spinning away, and by the time the door opened, Mindy was sitting on the bed, and Rani was standing there with her arms in an embrace without a partner, facing the door. She had a confused look on her face. 

Mrs. Tae pushed the door open and smiled. “Judy is here! Come, come!” She held up a DVD with a woman and two young men on the cover, the writing in Korean that Rani couldn’t read. “Time to watch!” 

Rani nodded and followed Mrs. Tae to the living room. Still in a slight daze from everything, she erred on remaining silent rather than risk saying the wrong thing. Mindy followed behind her, her head bowed. 

A small but wide-hipped woman with shoulder-length black hair was in the hallway with them, following Mindy until they split apart. She was caucasian, which surprised Rani, but she wasn’t sure why. 

The young woman was dressed well, as if she’d done her hair and makeup for this, hoping to make a good impression. She and Rani met eyes and studied the other’s face, trying to determine where they’d seen the other one before. 

“Salon lady?” Rani asked, pointing. 

Judy raised her eyebrows. “You’re that girl from outside the salon, the… the inappropriate one?” 

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Rani said, nodding and laughing. 

“You know each other?” Mindy asked, alarmed. 

“No.” Judy said. 

“No.” Rani said, shaking her head. “But she came out of the salon as I was talking to…” She glanced at Mindy and amended the word before she spoke it. “My boyfriend. I was in the middle of joking around with him, trying to cheer him up.” 

“Cheer him up?” Mindy asked, concerned. “Why were you cheering him up? What happened?” 

“We…” Rani hesitated, looking slightly nervous. “We had a very serious conversation.” Rani said. “Then we… shared a hug, he bought me ice cream, and we went back to his place.” 

Judy and Mrs. Tae’s eyebrows rose. 

Mindy tugged on Rani’s sleeve. “What serious conversation? What did you two talk about?” 

“Don’t be so nosy, Ji-Min!” Her mother rebuked her with a poke on her nose. “What Rani and her boyfriend do is none of your business!” 

“No, it’s okay.” Rani said, intervening for Mindy’s sake. “I don’t mind talking about him.” 

Judy smiled slightly awkwardly. “It sounded like things were about to get pretty heated when you passed the salon.” 

Rani smiled. “Oh, well… yeah.” 

“Your boyfriend goes to school with you?” Mrs. Tae asked, getting the DVD ready for the player. 

“Oh, yeah.” Rani nodded.

“Well, if you don’t mind talking about him, why don’t you tell us about this boyfriend. Did you meet him at school? Tell us the story.” Mrs. Tae said, passing out the popcorn. Literally. She’d microwaved popcorn while the girls were in Mindy’s bedroom. 

“Oh, uh…” Rani said, sitting at the table as Judy and Mrs. Tae took their seats. Mindy sat beside her, looking uncomfortable. 

“So, how did you meet this boyfriend of yours?” Mrs. Tae asked. “And what’s his name?” 

“Arthur.” Rani said, answering the second question first. “And… technically, I met him last semester in a business writing class.” 

“You’re a business major like Ji-Min?” Mrs. Tae perked up. 

“Oh, no.” Rani shook her head. “It was an elective. I’m an Engineering major, but I guess it’s important for us to know how to write professionally, for manuals and such, so…” 

Mrs. Tae nodded. 

“Yeah. I met him last semester.” Rani said, glancing at Mindy. 

“And he asked you out?” Judy asked. 

“No.” Rani laughed. “He’s totally clueless about women who are into him. We didn’t start dating until recently.” 

“You seemed… pretty close for a couple who just started dating.” Judy said. “You were all over him. Not that I blame you. He’s a hottie.” 

Mrs. Tae gave her a curious look, not the disapproving one Rani expected. 

“That was actually our first real date. We’d only uh… been on group dates before that.” Rani looked at Mindy for help, but Mindy didn’t know what to say either. “Did you guys want to watch that show or…” Rani looked at the TV, still off. 

“Oh, soon.” Mrs. Tae said, waving away her concern. “But we want to get to know Mindy’s friend! She never brings her friends home to hang out.” 

“No?” Rani asked, looking around. “It’s a nice place. Cozy. Homey.” 

“Thank you.” Mrs. Tae said, smiling. “So, do you have a picture of this boyfriend? He’s good-looking?”

Judy nodded. “He’s uh… good looking.” 

Rani laughed. “He’s hot as fuck.” 

Mrs. Tae flinched. 

“Oh, sorry.” Rani said. “I’m… uh… Well, no, I’m not really sorry. I curse a lot. It’s just a habit.” 

Mrs. Tae nodded, her smile more subdued. “And you and this boyfriend… you went on group dates first? That’s a good plan. There’s no pressure for anything to go too far on a group date. You should do that, Ji-Min, when you start dating.” 

“Umma!” Mindy said, finally snapping out of her silence. 

“You’d be surprised.” Rani said before she could stop herself. 

Mrs. Tae looked surprised. “Oh, well, if he’s pressuring you before you’re ready, you shouldn’t be with him. He's not the one for you.” 

Rani shook her head. “Arthur would never pressure anyone for sex if they didn’t want it. He knows what it’s like to–” Rani glanced at Mindy and shut her mouth so fast there was a small noise as her lips clapped together. 

Mrs. Tae and Judy stared at her, waiting for her to continue. 

“He just wouldn’t.” Rani said, shaking her head. “He hasn’t. If anything, I’ve been pressuring him. Like I said, he’s clueless sometimes.” 

Judy laughed as if knowing Rani’s secret. 

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me about that.” Mrs. Tae said, smiling. “When I met Mindy’s Appa, I almost had to ask him to dinner before he got the clue. And we didn’t until–” 

“La, la, la, la.” Mindy said, shoving her fingers in her ears in such a juvenile way that the others at the table laughed. 

“Okay, okay. You didn’t come here to listen to me reminisce about my romance. Come on.” Mrs. Tae waved toward the television. “Let’s watch our chick flick.” The emphasis she put on the last two words made Rani laugh. 

Rani sat on the end of the sofa, her arm on the back of it, behind Mindy, who sat beside her but was far enough away. Judy sat on the other side of Mindy, and Mrs. Tae took the armchair, which she rocked gently with her foot as the show began.