“Where is Tina?” Lucy asked Megan.
“Spending some quality time with Ben.” Megan said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Lucy looked over at Catherine who had a serene look on her face as the woman washing her hair gave her a scalp massage. She looked back at Megan.
“I thought you said Ben was your mother’s boyfriend?” she said directing her voice towards Megan in an attempt to be discreet.
“He is. He’s also Tina’s and Gabriella’s.” Megan nodded watching the woman paint her nails.
“Wow! I didn’t get that impression from Ben at all!” Lucy said with surprise in her tone.
“What impression would that be?” Catherine asked curiously.
“Uh, that Ben was a player.” she said timidly.
Catherine snorted then blushed at the rude noise. “Ben is a lot of things but a player he is not.” she replied firmly.
“But he has three girlfriends?” Lucy pressed. “How does that work?”
“Quite well from what I’ve seen.” Megan responded and her mother smiled at her. Lucy gave her a frustrated look.
“It’s quite simple really. We love Ben, heart and soul. He loves us the same way. We can’t all be with him at the same time but we have full lives with our families and careers so we share his time between us. Tina lives with him but she’s a special case. She’s completely selfless in her love for Ben and he’s really good for her. Her husband, who’s no longer alive, was a special kind of bastard to her, taking her submissiveness as permission to abuse her mentally and physically.” Catherine growled.
“Mom!” her daughters chastised her in unison for disclosing too much about Tina.
“Oh! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have over shared about Tina.” Catherine said contritely.
“Ben’s a Dom?” Lucy said quietly in shock, trembling slightly.
Catherine’s face showed her discomfort at blabbing and her daughter’s scowls didn’t make her feel any better. “He is for her. She’s so much happier these days. But I’ve said too much on that!”
Lucy tucked that information away for a later time. She needed to speak with Tina.
“Isn’t there jealousy with Ben being with three women?” Lucy asked Catherine.
“Four!” Sophia said with a smile.
“Five!” Rachel corrected her sister with a grin.
Lucy’s eyes were threatening to leave their sockets as she stared at Megan’s sisters. Her jaw dropped but nothing came out.
Megan caught on to Lucy’s misinterpretation first. “They wish!” she laughed and her sisters caught on and laughed as well though the two looked pensive.
“They meant Trish and Rochelle.” Megan answered. “They’re also neighbors and good friends of Ben who have been in his bed.”
“Ben has only expressed his love to four of us and Trish is only just coming around to admitting she feels the same way about him.” Catherine had an impish look on her face as she looked at her daughters. “The actual count of women Ben has shared his bed with is nine.”
“Nine!” her daughters and Lucy all yelped at once.
“Oh! Ten if you count his wife who walked out on him years ago.” Catherine said after thinking about it.
Sophia leaned forward eagerly. “Mom! You’ve been keeping secrets from us! Dish! Who else has been with Ben? We only know about you three, Trish and Rochelle.”
“You’re giving Lucy the wrong impression of Ben.” she chastised her eldest then she turned to Lucy who was wide eyed. “Ben is a physically affectionate man. It’s completely unconscious with him. He’s also a deeply compassionate man. When our neighbor Beth Wilson was going through severe depression he spent an evening with her making her feel loved and beautiful. He and Hannah have group therapy sessions with her and you know how good Ben’s hugs feel. Beth’s depression turned around and she’d doing really well these days. She’s back at work and back to her usual bubbly happy self. Ben played a large role in her recovery.”
“Rochelle was lonely and Ben spent an evening with her. She’s smiling more these days too though she isn’t sure if she can shake her issues with jealousy to be with Ben on a more regular basis. Ben cares for her. He was also with Trish’s cousin Shelly but I understand that was Tina’s doing.” Catherine suddenly frowned and bit her lip. “Maybe I should stop there.” she said looking uneasy.
“What? You can’t stop there! There are two more! Who are they?” Rachel gasped.
Catherine looked at her daughters and saw identical looks of frustration and anticipation. She sighed. “The other two are special cases again. He only took them to bed to discipline them. Oh, that came out wrong.” she winced.
Lucy licked her lips unconsciously. “Discipline?”
“They were exhibiting some very bad behavior jeopardizing their mother’s livelihood and their future so Gabriella suggested he use their desire for him as a reward for changing their ways. He had to discipline the young ladies and from what I hear it worked very well. They are both on their best behaviour and are hoping for another session of rewards when Ben gets back.”
“OH MY GOD! You’re talking about the twins! Lisa and Lori McKellan!” Megan shrieked.
Sophia and Rachel erupted in cries of surprise as their mother’s expression gave her away.
“Twins? How old are they?” Lucy squeaked.
Catherine looked at her. “How old are you?”
“Twenty three.”
“Your age then. Ben has trouble with being so much older than some of the people who want to share his life and his bed. Tina is a special case as I’ve said but even for her she had to promise Ben to keep her heart open for the possibility of finding someone to love who is closer in age. Ben is paying for her to go to University this fall and she may meet someone there. That’s the idea at least.”
She looked at her daughters who were still processing the idea of Ben having sex with the twins. They were only two years older than Sophia who had a little smile creeping across her lips as did Rachel. Megan just looked incredulous.
“Don’t get any ideas in your heads. Ben watched you all grow up and he had a really hard time disassociating those memories with the twins. He doesn’t need any more mental anguish.” Catherine growled at her two oldest daughters. They frowned with the unfairness of that.
“Ben watched the McKellan sisters grow up too! How did they get him past that?” Rachel insisted.
“That would be Trish’s secret.” Gabriella said as she and Miriam joined the others.
Catherine smiled at Gabriella who absolutely glowed with relaxation. Miriam was looking a little disappointed that she’d missed out on some juicy gossip.
Gabriella looked at Lucy’s new hair length with a big smile. “Oh! Your hair is lovely!”
Lucy smiled at the woman and a tear came to her eye. “I don’t know how to thank you all for taking me in.”
“While how we met may not have been in the most pleasant circumstances we’re glad you’re with us now.” Gabriella smiled. “I believe you and Megan are going to be going next door when you are done here to look for a dress for tonight.” She looked at Megan. “Something pretty for underneath as well and don’t forget to get shoes too!”
“We want to go too!” Sophia said and Rachel nodded.
“We’re not stopping you.” Catherine smiled.
They were all looking forward to the evening!
The group was to meet up in the hotel lobby thirty minutes before their dinner reservation. The plan was to walk to and from the restaurant as it was a beautiful night and the scenery made for an enjoyable walk.
Ben and Tina were first to arrive and Tina immediately found a seat to wait in. Even the nap they’d shared hadn’t been enough to recharge her after the intensity of their ‘activities’. She was wearing her beautiful black cocktail dress and it was all Ben could do to resist sweeping her up in his arms and taking her back up to his room. Tina made it clear though that she needed a day at least to recover from their fun in the bathroom. She smiled in contentment at his steamy gaze.
He was wearing his classic black suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a grey tie. Tina told him he looked very handsome and that was good enough for him. He thought he looked a bit too severe and with his new facial adornment he was worried the combination might be a little too intimidating. When his back was turned Tina tingled with delight at his new look.
Gabriella arrived with Miriam and Daniel next. The woman looked stunning in a green silk dress which did wonderful things with her lush curves. She’d had her nails done as well in a shade of green so dark it almost looked black.
Miriam was wearing a cream and tan cocktail dress and looked very lovely and mature for a sixteen year old. Ben mouthed a ‘Wow!’ at her and grinned. She returned Ben’s smile with a shy smile of her own. Daniel looked very handsome and at ease in his dark grey suit and Ben gave him a serious nod which he returned with a smile.