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QT: Dave in Dallas CH 15 (FINAL)
🕑 Added 2025-04-28 19:30:57 +0000 UTCThis should be the final version of the chapter. I've dealt with enough revisions of various works that I do not recall how much has changed since release of the earlier version.
Ch 15 – Open Eyes
October 29, 2020, 8:20pm
Travel arrangements had already been made, just not relayed to Dave. Carmen drove a medium-sized hatchback with a second row that folded down. With decent padding, it would make a reasonable bed for three. She would of course have to take it easy – no fast turns, sudden stops, or hard accelerations. Carmen assured him she only used such maneuvers on the job, and only when they were called for.
Kittiwake came into the room with an orderly and two more nurses. The orderly and one nurse each bore a stack of hospital blankets. Working together, they transferred Peggy from the chair to the hospital bed. As Dave began to don the space suit once more, Nurse Kittiwake waved him to stop.
There’s no vaccinated women waiting for imprinting on this floor anymore. It was a low risk in the first place, but now it’s zero risk. Just leave it neatly on the chair there, please.”
They then rolled the bed down the hall to just outside Tasha’s room. One nurse remained beside Peggy’s bed. The others went inside, transferred Tasha to the bed in her room, and rolled her out as well. The elevator could only handle one bed at a time, so Carmen, Tasha, the orderly, and Dave took the first descent. By the time the second group reached the outer door, Carmen had her car just outside, one door open as she worked to lower the second row.
Most of the blankets the nurse and orderly brought were used to form a semi-soft pad in Carmen’s car. The ladies were laid in place. A thin blanket was tucked in around each of them, then two more blankets were draped across the pair.
With those two safely in place, Carmen got in her car and pulled around to the exit. Liv and Dave walked to Dave’s truck, sitting in one of the few parking spots next to the circle.
“You good to drive?” he asked. The yawn he followed up with made Liv bark out a laugh. She held aloft a travel mug with the university logo on it.
“Unlike you sir, I partake of the water of the bean. The orderly was kind enough to make me some to go, with one of their swag mugs.”
“You know, it’s gonna be a real kick in the ass if the Air Force confiscates our weapons and gear. I forgot to ask earlier. As late as it is, I’ll have to call in the morning. Whaddya wanna bet Big Brother ‘can’t find them’?”
“Oh, I insisted on getting them back when they sent me over here in the truck. It’s all there, under the tarp. I’ve already checked.”
Liv had the engine running by the time Dave hopped into the shotgun seat. Before putting on his seatbelt, he leaned over and gave her a kiss. Nothing overly passionate. This kiss was … comfortable. Love, gratitude, and familiarity conveyed by the lips. The kind of kiss shared by a couple that had been together for a few years. Liv’s eyes twinkled when they parted. Then she backed out of the parking spot and the short convoy got on the road.
The extended day and post-nut euphoria (times two) dropped Dave into a hazy, ‘half here’ state. Because of that, it took him an inordinately long time to recognize when they left I-30 well before crossing the lake.
“Where are we going?”
“Home.”
“Are we tryin’ to shake a tail?” Dave asked, turning in his seat to look behind them.
“Nope.”
“Liv, I’ve driven to my house plenty of times from downtown. If you and the detective have some new route to get there, it’s not terribly efficient. We should have hit Garland by now on the usual route.”
Liv’s only reply was to pat Dave’s thigh and smile prettily before returning her full attention to the road and the taillights of Det. Verratti’s car. Dave gave her some side-eye, for a minute, then turned his attention out the window. They’d just entered a neighborhood that had actual signs of habitation – and recent construction. In some cases, it appeared two houses had been joined, while others seemed to have had a second story added. In every case, the lawn space was enlarged. The brown patches on either side suggested that houses had been knocked down to expand the space available to the remaining units. Then they passed two blocks of restaurants and retail shops. No big box stores, but even in the dark, what Dave could pick up from the signs suggested a reasonable mix of stores. A quick look to the other side of the car showed a parking lot that might hold a bit more than half the expected number of customers at peak shopping times. If there was a similar lot on the other end of these blocks, then someone was setting up a walking retail district, right in the middle of a neighborhood.
The left turn snapped Dave’s attention forward. As the headlights swept over the street sign he read ‘Varma CIR’. Here, the homes looked new from the ground up, three stories, a larger setback from the road, and … grandiose. The houses were exclusively on the outside of the arcing road, with the large half-oval containing other buildings that Dave could not immediately determine in the dark. The astronomer in him appreciated that very few lights were on.
“Olivia, where the hell are we?” Dave’s drowsiness was evident as he spoke.
The car ahead turned into a circle drive of a home near the ‘peak’ of the road. Olivia followed suit. She stopped, got out and closed the door. Dave emerged as well, somewhat wary, but trusting Liv – and frankly, the detective too. He had no reason to suspect her, though little reason to trust her either.
“Liv?” There was a note of tension and sternness in Dave’s voice.
The door to the enormous home opened. With a screech of “Daddy!” Esme came flying out, followed by the rest of his family. Becca, Reena, and Esme were in the lead, though Shawna, Jan, and Lupe were not far behind, and from the looks on their faces, they wanted to rush pell-mell too. Dave’s chest heaved with emotion as he gave and received kisses and hugs.
As the scrum of love loosened, Lupe made her way in. She first grabbed Dave’s face and drew him in for a deep kiss, full of longing. Then she released, nearly pushing him back, and launched into a diatribe. In Spanish. A very energetic butt-chewing that Dave only caught pieces of, though the overall meaning was clear from the draining worry in her face and the yearning in her eyes. It was tough to focus on those with her finger shaking in his face. He picked out a few words, like ‘necessary’ followed by what might have meant ‘need you’. Now, ‘pendejo’ he knew, but the light in her eyes softened the blow.
“Para!” Dave said firmly, then gripped her by the upper arms. He pulled her in and kissed her deeply. She was stiff at first, but as the kiss continued, he could feel the angry energy drain out of her. When he separated them again, he said with a smirk, “Thanks for not breaking out the chancla.” Lupe swatted him on the arm, her lips tight while she tried to suppress a smile. Dave grunted when her blow landed on his stitches. Lupe’s eyes widened. She grasped his shirt sleeve and pulled it up.
“David?!! You’ve been shot!!” Several eyes, already fixed on him, filled with worry.
“I managed to notice. But don’t worry,” he adopted a rather poor British accent, “Tis only a flesh wound.”
Lupe was not amused. Mel punched his good arm. Becca and Reena giggled, though both had a look of concern. Clearly Becca had been keeping up with Reena’s nerd culture acclimation.
Shawna moved in to kiss his neck and hug him tightly. “Let’s take this inside, shall we? It’s rather chilly out here.”
“Uh, sure. We should get, uh, well, we didn’t come home alone.”
“Oh, we know. Liv kept us up to speed by text. Our hero brought back conquests from his campaign of justice.”
“She left out the part about you getting shot though,” Vanessa said sourly.
Dave fixed Shawna with a despondent smile. “I’m not living any of this down, am I?”
Shawna laughed as she shook her head, her short curls bouncing and her eyes flashing with joy and relief.
“They’re just in hospital gowns and wrapped in a blanket, so maybe send Esme out of view first?” Olivia suggested.
Dave nodded before kneeling next to Esme and wrapping her in a big hug. He planted a big, demonstrative kiss on her forehead. With him on one knee, Esme was slightly taller than Dave. “Back in the house now, mija.” She beamed, hugged him tightly again, then let Lupe lead her away.
“Um, where’s Nicole?”
“She’s still out. We moved her in the backseat of my car.” Vanessa replied.
“Okay, what are we doing here?”
Carmen stepped in. “The security risk for you staying at your prior home was too high. The politicians, police leadership, and Air Force folks may be unhappy with you, but they also know that you need more security. This new neighborhood gets regular police patrols, so this,” she said with a wave of her hand, “is your new home. There’s a lot more to tell, but it’s late, and I know everyone’s tired. You most of all.” She moved over to her car and opened the hatch. The remaining members of Dave’s family gathered around the back.
“Oh! I recognize her! She’s the golfer with the big tits!” Becca cried.
Dave stared at her blankly. “Do I need to talk to you the way I talk to middle school boys? Her eyes are up there,” he said with a wave of his hand towards Peggy’s face. “This is Peggy Spears, and beside her is Natasha Larmonov. They’re imprinting, so I don’t want to jostle them too much. I’ll carry them up one at a time. Do we have beds and such set up?”
Jan replied, “Yes, the movers were very helpful. We’ll need to get more furniture for the other rooms, but right now we have one unclaimed room with two twin beds. Those beds were already here.”
“This was originally supposed to go to some big wig’s errand boy lawyer,” Vanessa added. “It was ready now though, and big enough for all of us, and then some. Somebody upstairs softened the blow by promising him a place in the same gated community as his boss, so he’s getting an upgrade.”
“From this?!” Dave said, incredulously. Vanessa just grinned back at him. “Ok, I’ll get Peggy first. Someone lead the way please?”
“Oh really?” Mel asked. “You’re just gonna he-man Peggy all by yourself, huh?” She flicked the top of his shoulder, a few inches above the wound. Dave flinched from the implication, not the contact.
“Uh, okay, yeah, maybe I’ll need some help.”
Shawna laughed, walking towards him. “That may be the most Cro-Magnon moment you’ve had while I’ve known you.” She kissed him softly on the cheek. “It’s okay baby, we already know you’re strong and capable. Let us help, okay?”
Dave nodded. “We can use the blankets as slings to carry them. Vee, can you help me here at Peggy’s head? And Becca and Reena, take the sling near her feet?” The three ladies joined up as he’d requested. Together, the four moved away from the car, their charge gently swaying between them.
Dave was halfway to the house, when he heard the hatch slam. Looking back, He saw Shawna, Jan, Mel, and Olivia each clutching part of a blanket with Natasha resting inside. Shawna and Olivia, the two strongest, took the rear, next to Tasha’s head. Vanessa guided the procession upstairs, to a room near the back. He waited as Becca pulled back the covers on the left-hand bed, then the four of them carefully laid Peggy on her side, the thin hospital blanket loose around her. He pulled the covers back over her sleeping form.
Turning, he saw the same had been done for Tasha by her carriers. Jan took care of covering the older woman. All six, plus Becca beside him, and Carmen at the door looked at Dave expectantly.
“Thank you ladies, I appreciate your help. Carmen, thank you for everything you’ve done today. I hope you don’t have too far of a drive. I think we can handle it from here. I’ll walk you out.”
“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Dave stared blankly at her for a minute, trying to suppress a grin and a groan. The flat tone Carmen used erased any doubt of movie reference.
“You got your injection today, didn’t you?”
“I’ve had one injection, yes. What about second injection?” She made a passable imitation of the original voice.
Taking a hint, Dave played along. “You keep talking in movie quotes and I’m gonna have to spank you.”
Carmen’s face flushed. Actually, more than just her face. From her jet-black hairline down to the neckline of her shirt, the pale young woman took on a distinctly pink hue.
Becca jumped in. “Oh yes, spank her. And then me.”
“And me!” Reena rejoined.
Piling on, Shawna added, “And after the spankings, the oral sex.” Then she and the two teens chanted “Oral sex! Oral sex!”
Dave rolled his eyes. “Could y’all at least stay in one genre?” The trio laughed heartily, while the others stood there with grins, not quite catching the reference. He turned to Carmen. “So you got matched to me in Oracle?”
She hesitated. “Not exactly. I was told to partner with you both as protection for you and punishment for my transgressions. They did give me the survey and ran me against you. Came up with an 81% match, which, as I understand it, is pretty good. I don’t know anyone I’d want to partner up with, and …” her face scrunched in embarrassment, “I kinda thought you were hot back when I first took your class.” The pink, which had begun to fade, made its presence known again.
“Well, it’s good to know you used to think I was attractive,” Dave said with a sly grin.
Now Carmen’s ear tips turned bright red, much of her face following suit. Then she stomped her foot. “Ok, I think you’re a good-looking guy, It’s just … I know more about you now, and that’s not the only reason to be here.”
Dave sobered up his behavior. “Sorry, I’m a little punchy right now, and sometimes I’ll put on a façade when I’m worried about something. In this case, I don’t want you forced into pairing with me.”
The short woman nodded her head. “Okay, I get that. Hell, that mentality is part of why I’m glad to be here. I’m sure one of the Brontë sisters could write me a better match, but that’s not the real world. You’re an honorable man, Dave Belsus. I like your sense of humor, and I like these ladies you have around you. The fact of the matter is, I may not have a job by the end of next week. I would gladly be your security chief and keep you safe, for your benefit, and for all of us.” She circled her hand around to indicate all of the women bonded to Dave.
Dave noticed a few heads bobbing. All of the women in the room liked the idea of someone keeping any threats away from him. And she was cute as hell. Dave gazed at the ceiling, his thoughts churning, falling into place like pachinko balls. “You’re sure this is what you want? There’s no going back from this.”
Her whole face brightened in a way that answered him before a single syllable left her mouth. “Yes, I do.”
“Nice choice of words,” Mel observed, giving the detective a high-five.
Flustered, the pale lady accepted the gesture, and sputtered. “I didn’t mean it like that! I mean, I don’t mean not that either, I just mmph–”
Dave put her out of her misery by taking hold of her shoulders and planting a kiss directly on her lips. He started out just mashing lips, moving them gently. Carmen parted her lips invitingly, so he delved into her mouth, tracing her tongue, and questing within her. She hummed at the initial kiss, then moaned as he took her with his tongue. Finally, Dave broke the kiss, though Carmen let out a soft whimper. They opened their eyes at the same moment, gazing at each other as they did so. Dave broke away from the soul staring to address the others in the room.
“Can one of you show us to the master bedroom please?”
“Sure,” several voices responded, then laughed at themselves.
“It’s just next door,” Vanessa said, “and Nicole is resting in the room on the other side of the master suite.”
“I’d like to check in with her real quick. I know you said she’s still sleeping, but I’d just like to look in on her before going to bed.”
“Oh, while you’re doing that, I can run down and get my bags out of my car.”
“No ma’am,” Shawna interjected, “give us your keys, we’ll bring your bags in the house. We’ll put them in the room after you’re out.” In reply to Carmen’s surprised face, she added, “We’re all sisters here, now hand over the keys and go get yourself ready for our man.” Then she turned to Dave. “And Liv will take care of moving your weapons and gear into the house.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then began marshalling the family’s movements.
Carmen gave Dave a quick kiss and hugged Shawna after handing over her keys. Mel led her out of the room. Becca grabbed Dave’s hand and led him out of the room as well. He took care to note which room Mel and Carmen entered as he followed Becca into a room much like the one they’d just left, but containing only one double bed. Dave brushed one of her thin braids out of Niki’s face as he knelt on his toes by her bedside.
“When we moved her, we noticed some kind of … stuff all over her legs. We left it alone because all the serum stuff is weird, and we didn’t want to mess anything up. Shawna called the vax center while we were driving. It’s some side effect of her regen. They said to leave it until she wakes and just have her shower it off.”
Dave nodded his head, half-absently. He turned to look at Becca. Her face was twisting with words she hadn’t expressed. Dave took her in his arms. “It’s okay. I’m back, I’m fine, and the bad guys won’t be coming back.” She squeezed him tightly with her thin arms.
“I was so scared, Dave. During the attack, and then while you were gone. I’ve lost everyone else, David. I can’t lose you too.”
He kissed her cheek, her forehead, then her eyelid. “I’m not going away, baby. I love you, and I’m not going to abandon you.”
She held him for another minute, then relaxed her grip and stepped back. “I better let you go. You have another babe to imprint.”
“I’ll get to her quickly, but right now I’m with you. The only way I’m going to get this even close to right is if I’m with the person I’m with, every time.”
Becca’s smile could have lit the room. “Thanks. I think I’m good now. At least for a while. Besides, how can I call myself a nerd girl if I keep you from boinking Wednesday Addams?”
Dave swatted her ass.
“Ooo, got the spanking, now where’s the oral sex?” she giggled.
“Later. This weekend, ok?”
She nodded happily. “Now go.”
Dave exited quickly. He found the door Mel had led Carmen through and knocked lightly before entering. He closed the door behind himself quickly and quietly. Carmen sat on the end of the bed.
Her dark hair hung loosely behind her. Her blouse, pants and nearly everything else had been removed, lying on a corner of the bed to her left. She wore only a lavender colored lacy bra and matching lavender high-cut panties with a lace trim around the waistband. Her legs were close together and her feet brushed the floor. She kept her hands in her lap. Truthfully, she looked about as small as she possibly could. The look on her face reinforced the ‘helpless little thing’ image.
Dave crossed the space from the door to the bed, taking time to notice it was his four-poster canopy king bed. Something they might need to change if more women wanted to share the main bed. But that was a problem for later.
As soon as he sat down, Carmen leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her.
“Talk to me, Carmen.”
“I’m scared. Not of this, not being with you or part of this family. I want that. I want you and I want them.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “My whole life has been targeted at becoming an officer and climbing the ranks, being a detective. I even hoped to be chief of detectives one day. Not the chief of police, that would be more than I want to deal with, but the chief of detectives would be just about right.” She paused again. “And now, I may not get that. Hell, keeping your ass safe could be a full-time job anyway. What with you gallivanting off every time some cute lady tells you somebody somewhere is doing something bad.” She giggled.
Dave placed his curled right index finger under her chin and gently lifted her head, turning it to look at him. “Hey, let’s take this one step at a time, remembering you are not in this alone.”
She gave a small grin and nodded. Then she brought one hand around behind his neck and pulled him down for a long, smoky kiss. Her other hand sought out Dave’s leg, sliding up his inner thigh. She started stroking him through his pants. When they broke the kiss, he could see the hunger in her eyes overriding everything else. Not a serum hunger. He’d had enough experience to notice a difference. Carmen Verratti wanted him. And she wanted him bad. Her nipples strained to break through her bra and her panties had darkened from her arousal. Those could be written off as the serum, if it wasn’t for the look in her eyes.
Shucking her undergarments, she turned and crawled up the bed, on her hands and knees. More rushed than a saunter, but just enough self-control to avoid racing to the top. Her pink, glistening sex taunted Dave. She shoved the covers down and waved him up. He stood quickly, his shirt already off by the time she signaled. He doffed the rest in short order and crawled up the bed, not hiding his eagerness. That drew a grin from the petite woman.
Carmen lay on her back, with Dave on his hands and knees above her. He bent down to deliver a kiss. As he extended the kiss, he felt her slipping her legs out from under him, so that he was now kneeling between them.
“Eager beaver, huh?” The words were out before the entendre doubled itself in his mind. He grimaced.
Carmen laughed. “Why yes, actually. I haven’t had many partners, but when I have a guy, my beaver is very eager to get filled.” She bit her lip as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Her hands settled over her head. Taking the hint, Dave placed one hand on her adjacent wrists. She moaned lightly. She moaned again, even louder as his other hand cupped her small, perky breast. When his thumb began strumming her thick, brown nipple on her small, dark brown areola her body rocked beneath him. Her breath came in gasps.
“Oh God, yes. Oh, oh … David, you know you can’t get me there without cum yet right? I mean, with the serum and all.”
Dave had a wicked gleam in his eye when he looked at her. “I’m aware. But I can still make you feel good.”
“I feel good now. On fire good. Electricity dancing on my skin good. I feeeeeEEEEEL …”
Dave taking her other nipple in his mouth stripped away her ability to speak coherently. He didn’t want to tease her mercilessly, though, so he lowered his pelvis to match her writhing lower body. He was as aroused as she was, so a bead of precum already waited on the tip of his organ, along with more smeared about the head. The moment he made contact with her slick, flowered folds, Carmen’s body was wracked with the most powerful orgasm she’d ever known. Her lithe body arced, her ribs slamming hard into Dave’s. Her head rolled back, as did her eyes. When she relaxed again onto the bed, there was joy in her eyes, along with the need.
“More. Please, master.”
That wasn’t even a signal, that was clear, blatant, and unmistakable communication. Dave drove forward, but slowly, taking a full minute to seat himself inside her. With his balls pressed against her taint, he leaned down to kiss her once more. She groaned, receptively, and ground herself against him. Dave took the invitation and began thrusting, slowly at first, building in speed and power. Within minutes, Dave was hammering his cock into her eager, wet entrance as she panted and moaned her pleasure. Even with two prior inseminations, the serum plus an hour or so of recharge worked its magic and David climaxed, blasting several spurts of man cream into Carmen’s receptive tunnel. Carmen’s body reacted instantaneously to the much-awaited injection of semen. Dave held her with one hand as she seized. The other kept him aloft so he didn’t crush her. Then she went limp and intoned “Imprinting… imprinting … imprinting.”
He settled in beside her. Tucking Carmen in close to him, Dave drifted off to sleep after a very long day.
******
October 30, 2020, 10:15am
Dave awoke with a warm, wet sensation on his cock and soft kisses on his right cheek. A hand stroked his chest. Cracking one eye, he spotted red hair close, and to his right.
“Morning, Mel.”
The lips kissing his jaw moved to his ear. In a soft whisper, she replied, “Good morning, lover,” Melanie purred. “You’ve had a good, long sleep. Well deserved, of course. But now, it’s time to play with your two coed babes.” The redhead nibbled on his ear lobe. Dave looked downward, seeing the flowing brown locks that confirmed the sensations on his cock.
“Good morning, Liv.” Her head shifted to lock her soft brown eyes on him. Even with her mouth full of his schwanz, her smile was unmistakable. She gave him a wink before returning her focus to fellating him. Dave’s breathing picked up.
“That’s it babe, give your girl what she wants. Blow that lovely wad of man juice into her hungry little mouth. Bathe your eager slut’s tongue with your creamy white essence. You know she wants it, Dave. Give her every drop.”
Dave’s hips thrust involuntarily. Mel caught the sign and swiftly placed her hand on the back of Olivia’s head, shoving her fully onto Dave’s cock. Dave and Liv moaned in unison, both shuddering, one muffled. Once the train of orgasmic waves had washed over her, Liv cleaned the remnants off Dave’s slightly softened sex staff. Then pulled off of him, her lips tight. She glared at Mel with narrow eyes and lips upturned at one corner.
“That was totally unnecessary, bitch.”
Melanie giggled. “Fun though. You said you wanted to experiment with interacting with each other while we’re with Dave.”
“Hell, for the first time, I thought we’d just tag team him, not shove his cock down each other’s throats.”
Dave realized it was time to deflect their energy to a common enemy, rather than each other – even if they were play fighting. “Ladies, ladies. There’s no need to fight. I’ve got plenty of dick for the both of ya.”
Two hands swatted him in unison. Two faces play-glared at him, restraining the urge to laugh at what they knew very well was said in jest. Dave just laughed. He grabbed Mel under her shoulder and into a kiss. Then he ‘pulled’ Liv up with one finger under her chin. He kissed her forehead, then lightly kissed her lips. Olivia settled in beside him, her head on his shoulder, and her pelvis a few inches away from his hips. Melanie slid over on top of Dave. She began kissing him with growing hunger. With his cock trapped between them, she started rocking lightly back and forth. As soon as he hardened, she impaled herself on him, then lifted her torso to ride him. As worked up as she was, Mel reached her peak within a few minutes of rolling her hips on Dave’s cock.
When the waves of bliss settled down from their crescendo on her nerves, Mel paused to breathe. She gazed into Dave’s eyes. Gazing back, he saw hope, and worry and … love. It hit him like a jackhammer. This wasn’t just a fun frolic. Melanie was fucking her man, the one she loved, that had come back from a dangerous task and been victorious. She leaned down to kiss him and Dave responded, looping his arms around her to pull her in tight. They kissed for several minutes. They started slow and smoldering. That grew into panting, frantic nibbles and mashing of lips until Dave rolled them over. He elevated his torso and began thrusting. Melanie’s eyes were alight, spurring him onward. In a short time, he was pounding fervently at her sopping wet sex. Her breathing was rapid, punctuated by approving grunts as Dave slammed his pelvis into hers. She shuddered and tensed before her body bowed, emitting a soft moan as her nails dug into Dave’s back. Her inner muscles ran riot along his shaft. Moments later, he erupted within her, the induced orgasm riding the tails of her ebbing natural bliss.
Dave lowered himself, intending to lie beside her. Mel insistently tugged him to lie directly on her. “I’m not fragile. Let me feel you on me.” The two lay entwined, occasionally kissing, mostly just staring into each other’s eyes. As Dave’s softening organ slipped out of Mel’s happily sore passage, they each made motions to get up and start the day.
Liv joined them in the shower, taking a moment to embrace each of them in turn. The trio focused on cleaning themselves or each other, with no hanky-panky. Carmen, in her imprinting sleep, still lay on the bed when they came out to dress, fully unaware of the activities of the morning.
Am I becoming an exhibitionist? Or a hedonist? I’ve been treating sex like it’s nothing more than a handshake with genitals like some damn coastal lib! Somedays, I do more fucking than anything else. I need to do something about that, or I’ll lose them. No matter what the medical people say now. No reasonable person would leave women in an untenable situation the rest of their lives. I have to try to give at least a few of them a reason to stay. Maybe.
“Not to be greedy, dear,” Liv said as they exited the bedroom and headed for the kitchen, “but the medical staff said that because of our potential exposure, I should get extra dosing this week. That’s part of why I joined in with Mel just now. Three times over the next week should be acceptable.” She bumped against him. “More than that would be just fine, if you’re not otherwise occupied.” She kissed his cheek.
Damn, not only did I drag her into that mess, I got her exposed and neglected her immunity needs for two days straight.
“Oh, I didn’t know. Okay. Let’s see how the rest of the day plays out. I guess we need to ... get together over this weekend once then too.” Liv nodded in reply.
Lupe was already in the kitchen when they got there. She was not alone.
“Good morning, Nikki. Nice to see you awake again. How do you feel?”
The dark-skinned woman’s eyes lit up like the fourth of July when she saw Dave. Her face broke into an enormous grin as she leapt from her chair with a slight stumble. She recovered quickly and raced into Dave’s arms. He had just enough warning to brace himself so they didn’t wind up a tangle of limbs on the ground. She mashed her lips onto his and held him tight for a long embrace. When she broke from him, she made leaps and hops around him.
“Look at me! My legs are sturdy again!” She bobbled the landing but recovered before anyone could reach out to her. “Ok, I need to work on my strength and coordination, but my legs are fit again!” Dave beamed at her joy. When she turned his way and approached, he pulled her in for a hug and kiss.
“I’m so happy for you Nikki. The smile on your face is infectious.”
“I wanted to thank you as soon as I got up, but you were still asleep. I got a shower and Lupe was going to make me something light to tide me over until lunch.”
“I’ll make a bit more and feed Dave too. After all, we can’t let our man go hungry, now can we?”
“Thank you, Lupe.” Dave turned his head. “What about you two?”
“Oh, we had breakfast a couple hours ago.” Liv answered for herself and Mel. “I’m heading out to check the backyard. Figure out the best place to put a greenhouse.”
Dave nodded his understanding. Mel left as well, heading a different direction.
“Anything special, Dave?” Lupe inquired.
“Whatever you’re making is plenty special, Loops.”
“Okay, charmer. Fried egg sandwich it is. With or without cheese?”
“With please. And that sounds delicious, by the way.”
Lupe smiled back at him.
Nikki led Dave over to the small breakfast nook in the kitchen. Nikki shared more details about her father and his plans for a barbecue restaurant that were now on hold. Vanessa drifted in during their discussion, just as Lupe brought over the saucers with the sandwiches. With an impish grin, Vanessa grabbed a piece of egg hanging out of Dave’s sandwich, ripped it off, and ate it. All three ladies giggled at Dave’s mock horror.
Dave and Nikki made short work of their sandwiches. Lupe insisted on clearing their plates, even as Dave rose to do so himself.
“Go on into the open lounge. I’ll join you in a moment. Nikki, you should go with him. Get to know the others some more.”
Vanessa led the other two out the archway opposite the breakfast nook into an open area with the living room furniture from the old house – and what might be a bar. Liv & Mel had led him to the kitchen through the dining room, so this room was new to him. Well, the entire house was new to him. He’d need to take time to explore today and the next few days.
Becca was already in the lounge / living room, along with Jan, Peggy and Tasha. The youngest blonde was speaking animatedly with Peggy while Tasha and Jan had a more sedate conversation.
Nicole got a mischievous look on her face shortly after they entered. She turned her gaze on Becca. “What the hell, blondie? You some kinda sex gremlin? Dave got you all wet so two more blondes pop outcha back?”
Jan stared, unblinking while everyone laughed. Becca of course, turned bright red and ducked her head. Tasha put a soothing hand on the teen’s back. Embarrassed, she clearly understood the reference and was laughing along with the rest.
Dave turned to Jan. “Seriously, you’ve never seen the movie Gremlins?” She shook her head. “Okay, that’s on the 80’s education list.”
“Tomorrow’s Halloween. Perfect night for it.” Peggy suggested. Dave took a moment to note what Peggy considered casual, around the house clothes. Last night she’d been in a hospital gown. Her public photos were at least semi-staged, not necessarily reflecting the ‘true’ Peggy. The woman before him wore form-fitting white cloth shorts over smooth, strong thighs and a whipped, olive-colored tank top with no bra to help contain her sizable bust.
Then Dave realized something. “Tasha, Peggy, do you have any clothes or other belongings from … your prior home?”
Lupe slipped in quietly. Everyone seemed to notice, but did not react.
“No,” Peggy responded, “the police told us to stay away for at least three days, maybe a week. Shawna loaned me the shorts and Reena loaned the top. No undies, though. That would be weird.”
A quick glance elicited a nod from Tasha, confirming she was in the same situation. Rather obvious, but it still bore checking. “Then we need to fix that. You two are part of the family now, and family takes care of each other. You can order anything online, but that could take awhile. Even without the shipping delays from the pandemic it would take until Monday minimum to get anything here. Maybe we can find an open store nearby.”
Vanessa interjected. “There’s a SuperTarget just three miles away. It’s part of why this subdivision is here. Other communities will get built around it as well. Eventually, there will be shopping mixed in between the neighborhoods, but right now, I don’t think the clothing stores are stocked or manned. There’s a greengrocer and a butcher shop open, and a bakery planned. Lots of things planned, actually, including some restaurants, doctor’s offices …” Vanessa blinked. “Sorry, I wandered off there. Anyway, you could get some clothes this afternoon to at least last a week while we wait for online stuff to arrive or get the chance to get your old clothes.”
“That would be great,” Tasha replied with a grateful smile. “The only problem is my credit cards are at the old house too.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Lupe asserted. “Like Dave said, we’re family. Between the adults here, we have a respectable income and savings. Maybe not as big as the circles you’re used to, but certainly enough to get you two clothed, and clothed well, without hurting us financially. Let us get you taken care of.”
“So, a girl’s shopping trip?” Dave asked.
Several grins replied around the room. Except one.
“Actually, I need to stay here until Carmen wakes up,” Vanessa stated. “She and I need to talk with you, Dave.” She turned her head. “You should be here as well, Lupe. As for the rest of you, wear masks. We’re a big team, so we’re safe. Most of the other teams are at three, maybe four women. They’ve been advised to limit their exposure to others, and ‘boost’ their immunity after every trip out of the house. Their men are strongly advised not to leave the house yet.”
Everyone noted a change in the room. It was clear on all faces.
“Is this something everyone should hear?” Dave inquired.
“Not just yet. Right now, just you and Lupe. I would include Shawna and Jan, but someone over thirty should go along with the others, and Shawna is at work.”
Dave nodded. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet, then removed his credit card. He handed the plastic rectangle to Jan. “Liv already knows my pin. Is she going with you?”
“Well, I haven’t asked her yet,” Jan replied slyly.
“Ah. Okay. Well, I’m sure Becca will easily remember this.” Dave told them his pin. Becca giggled, while Jan smiled.
“I won’t need help. I know what that number means too,” Jan responded with her usual soft smile and shining eyes. She leaned in to deliver a quick peck on Dave’s cheek. “Let’s find some sandals for these two. Becca please find Reena, Mel, and Liv and invite them as well.”
“Heck, given the timing,” Dave added, “y’all should get lunch while you’re out as well. And since it’s a SuperTarget, grab some groceries while you’re there.”
“You sure?” Jan asked, holding up the credit card.
“I just paid off this month’s bill. It has a zero balance and a five thousand dollar credit limit. Do some bonding and have some fun. Hell, if you find a clothing store that’s more appropriate, go in there too. Don’t feel obligated to spend the entire five thousand,” he said with a grin, “but take care of what needs doing.”
“Okay. Maybe there’ll be a restaurant with outdoor seating. It’s a little chilly, but not too bad. Warmer than it has been. The sun’s out, and no drizzle. Might be nice.” She leaned in to kiss him before departing to get herself and the others going.
Dave turned to Vanessa. “Okay, so what’s up?”
“I’d like to wait until Carmen wakes, but until then, why don’t we tour the house and get familiar with it?” Dave and Lupe shared a guarded look.
“Oookay. Lead on.”
“Well, we can start here, the living room, or open lounge. Not quite sure which to call it. That counter over there in the corner is a wet bar. The door along the same wall leads into the four car garage.”
“Side by side?” Dave asked.
“Two by two, with plenty of workspace to do repairs and storage and rack space for tools and bikes. There’s other storage spaces to use so there’s little threat of the garage getting stuffed and leaving no room for vehicles.”
“Nice. Four isn’t a lot, given how many adults we have here though. I’ll need to build a carport over part of the driveway.”
“We’ll put that on your ‘honey do’ list. This second door,” Nessa pointed to a set of double doors near the wall separating the kitchen from the lounge space, “as you can see through the windows, leads out onto the deck with an outdoor kitchen, including a smoker, and then out to the large, lagoon style pool. Oh, there’s a hot tub built into the deck. It’s situated so you can observe the pool from the hot tub.”
Lupe and Dave rose while Nessa was talking so they could look out the windows at the outdoor space. Dave nodded as possibilities spun in his head. He pointed off to the left.
“That area seems to have a decent southern exposure. I’d like to put a greenhouse – or two – over there. Think I’ll also build a sauna, off the deck, but near the pool and hot tub.”
“I’d like a gazebo,” Lupe interjected softly.
Dave looked her in the eyes. “You want a gazebo, I can build you one. Just pick a spot. You want trellises so vines or flowers can grow along the sides? Maybe roses?”
“Roses on an archway entering the gazebo, and honeysuckle along the lower half of it. The upper half should be kept clear so we can see out easily in every direction, but still have plenty of shade.”
“Start looking at designs. You’ll need to tend the vines so they don’t grow beyond what you want. When spring rolls around, I’ll get on it. Nessa, anything you want?”
“Actually, I like the gazebo idea. Although I might add a pavilion – basically a platform with a roof and room for a table and chairs for all of us. Far enough from the pool to not crowd it, but near enough to use both for birthday parties and such.”
“Maybe. Let’s see what they’re putting in for community amenities. No point in duplicating if there’s something like that close by.” Nessa shrugged her shoulders at Dave’s reply. Then she led them around to the kitchen, pointing out the two fridges, double oven and large range. The island with the suspended magnetic knife rack was a big hit as well. Both cooks appreciated the sizable pantry. Dave noted that all the items from his old pantry seemed to be present, though much was still in boxes. Even then, the pantry was less than half stocked. Necessary, given the growing size of his family.
Vanessa walked them through the dining room into an open space adjacent to the entryway and the open lounge / living room. Beside that was a bedroom and a bathroom. The other side of that hallway held a billiard & darts room (Dave wanted to say pool instead, but immediately realized the confusion of a ‘pool room’). Beside that was an entertainment room with a theater pit.
“Two closets here for games, folding tables and chairs and such. So this is clearly a gaming room or tv room.”
“Yep. Gonna need to get an appropriately sized tv then.”
“Hundred inch?” Lupe asked, goading him.
“At least. And a good sound system too.”
Lupe smirked at him and patted his shoulder. Nessa led them out through a second door, which opened directly into the entryway. “So there’s the spiral staircase you’ve seen already. There is a second staircase I’ll show you in a moment. If you look up, you’ll see the two upstairs walkways that overlook the entry.” She then pointed out the closets on the other side of the entry, the bathroom beside that, and the undesignated room that separated the entryway, the open lounge and the smaller open space beside the dining room.
The three spent a few minutes speculating on the purpose of the space before settling on the ubiquitous ‘multipurpose room’ as its name. Nessa led Lupe and Dave around that room into the hall leading behind it and out of the open lounge. There they found a small library space.
“Given the shelving, and the desk in the back corner, and the fact the intended owner was a lawyer, I think this was specifically a law library, so he could work from home and not miss out on any of his reference material.” Next door to the law library was another lounge, but this one had a door. Nessa immediately titled it the ‘quiet lounge’.
“On the left are two bedrooms with a Jack n Jill bathroom. On the right is another bedroom with its own bathroom. There’s also a linen closet and a small lounge space for relaxation. A house this big begs for staff and this looks set up to be staff quarters.”
Dave shook his head. “Look, before all this DuoHalo and QuaranTeam stuff, I could probably have adapted to having a huge house and a staff, but now that comes with the expectation that I’m sleeping with them.”
“You need to get used to the idea, and fast.” Carmen’s voice came floating down the staircase beside the single bedroom. Carmen herself quickly followed.
Looking up the straight stairwell gave Dave a brief flash of memory of his house – his old house, now – and a pang of loss hit him. Dave suppressed any expression of it. He certainly didn’t want Carmen to misinterpret his sadness as being evoked by her.
She went straight to Dave’s arms and moved in for a hug. Dave readily obliged. At least this much he’d gotten used to – small shows of affectation for a woman he was sleeping with in front of other women he was sleeping with. Carmen broke the embrace after several seconds of savoring the closeness.
“You need security. That’s not just my police paranoia. And it's not just about you going into that compound. Men are scarce. Every country on Earth will be scrambling to repopulate, and for once, the number of wombs is not the limiting factor.”
That thought rocked Dave back a bit. Carmen’s statement brought into focus several small bits of information he had not put it all together, but the facts made for a compellingly clear picture once assembled. A snide part of Dave’s brain chimed in: Well, at least now someone values my balls.
Vanessa interjected, “Right, let’s table that for now. Since Carmen’s up, it’s time the four of us had that talk.”
They quickly adjourned to the open lounge, where they could easily hear the others return before their conversation could be overheard. Lupe got Carmen a cup of coffee and a quick snack. Dave took a seat though his thoughts would not settle. The way Vanessa alluded to this discussion gave it all the allure of a proctologist’s examination. Carmen spoke first.
“Dave, I told you last night the move was for security reasons and that is true, but not just because of your raid on the separatist compound, and security is not the sole reason. This community is not gated or access controlled in any way, but it is well patrolled. It’s nearer to police services and they’ve concentrated part of the population here instead of leaving us scattered wherever we started this mess.” Carmen’s pale face darkened as she worked to get the next part out with a level voice. “The reason it took so long to get anyone out to your place is there were no emergency services anywhere near you. Rockwall, Fate, and Royse City PD’s were completely wiped out by Duo. Even those that took precautions had too many friends or relatives being too lax.” Carmen swallowed hard. “David, between the deaths and the evacuations for partnering, there was no one else alive within five miles of your house.”
She paused while they each reacted to that revelation. Dave rocked back in his seat, his back firm against the chair as his eyes traced along the ceiling and walls. He felt a bubble of despair rise in him, battled by a will that insisted that if a way could be found, he had to keep going. His gaze settled on Lupe, her eyes tearing, her face imploring. He flicked his hand in a ‘come here’ gesture and she strode three swift steps to sit in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder.
Dave took a deep, shuddering breath. “So … no one else survived from our neighborhood?”
“There were some women, who’ve since been partnered and moved,” Vanessa stated. “A few children under eleven years old have been moved to a hotel downtown until families can be found to take them in. Most of the kids under four … didn’t make it. In many cases, mom died and an older kid managed to survive, but they couldn’t take care of an infant. They also found clear evidence of kids dying while mom was sick, she recovered, found her children dead, and committed suicide.” Vanessa’s voice broke with the last statement.
Lupe spoke up. “You say the children are in a hotel?”
“Yes.” Vanessa gathered herself to reply. “One of the luxury ones. I know they have so many kids they were thinking about expanding operations to the Adolphus for more space. They’re using surviving hotel staff, social workers, CASA volunteers, and anyone else even remotely qualified to keep the kids healthy and at least somewhat occupied. The pool in this very nice hotel for executive business types is now the site of swimming lessons and splash parties.” The imagery Vanessa evoked helped lighten the somber mood, briefly.
Lupe sat up, looking Dave in the eyes. “We have to do something to help those children.”
Dave nodded. “I know. I don’t think you’re capable of not helping the kids,” he jested. Lupe half-heartedly swatted at his arm, missing by several inches on purpose. “Hell, I like having kids around, so I’m not going to say no. It’ll probably take a while, but … yes, we should be a part of the solution here. Maybe Vee can hunt down someone for us to talk to. In the meantime, we need to speak with the others as well. I’m pretty sure they’ll agree we need to help also, but this isn’t the kind of thing you make assumptions on, or just spring on a person.”
Lupe nodded. Both looked at Vanessa.
“I’ll find the contact information for the group currently taking care of the kids. I take it Lupe will be the point person in our family for this?” Dave nodded in reply, so Vanessa continued. “Okay, I’ll get that to you as soon as possible.”
The resolution that they were going to do something about even a small part of the darkness in the world lifted the mood somewhat. Enough so everyone agreed when Vanessa suggested they finish the house tour with the upstairs. Most, of course, were bedrooms and bathrooms. There were quite a few bathrooms, fitting with a home that would have several adult women and who knows how many children.
Most of the bedrooms were along the outer wall upstairs. In the middle of the floor were four ‘islands’ of rooms. One sat above the multipurpose room, though it was much larger, and had windows that looked out over the open entryway. This appeared to be intended as an indoor playspace, given its ease of access to multiple bedrooms and three bathrooms. One adjacent block of rooms held two more bedrooms and a bathroom. A nursery, linen closet and bathroom comprised the third block of rooms in the middle of the floor. The bathroom of that block could be accessed from the hall or the nursery. The fourth held a craft room (judging by the cubbies and cabinets built into the walls), a bathroom, and a laundry room and … a security office.
The security office was apparent in its purpose by way of the fiber optic cabling running into it from several exterior points intended for cameras as well as wiring to security devices already installed on the windows and doors. There was also the secure arms room adjacent to, and only accessible through, this room. Dave recognized his arms seemed to be all present.
“Okay, I know I have a thing about security, but this is over the top.” Dave jibbed.
Carmen gave him a level stare. “Not really. Consider what I said earlier about the scarcity of men.”
“That brings up another question, one I should have asked earlier – how did all the weapons from my old house get here?”
Lupe spoke up. “We had Liv text us the code. The military supplied movers to help us move in one day. When we mentioned the weapons, they had a mild fit, but eventually called in someone with military authority over weapons and had them handle your guns and other items. We all rejected the idea of leaving them behind, but were unsure how to move everything safely. The military finally gave in.”
“Thank you.” Dave paused, then went on. “The east side looks to be bedrooms and bathrooms well away from the master, so obviously for kids. And the staircase leading down is the one that comes up from the … staff area. I like this nice little lounge space here by the stairs and the bay window. Nice for reading or studying, but is there a third floor to this place? Or an attic?” he asked, pointing to the stairs leading up.
“Go on up and look,” Lupe said with a huge grin, which was matched by Vanessa.
When Dave climbed the stairs, he found a single room with tile floors, shelving and desk space no higher than his waist, and wrap-around windows. Full three hundred and sixty degrees of unblocked view. There was even a door leading out to a walkway surrounding the room, with a waist high parapet.
“Holy crap. This is amazing.” He paused, his eyes analyzing distances. “I think I can fit a telescope up here on the walkway. I’d have to be careful with the kids up here, though. That railing by the stairs is not as sturdy as I’d like.”
“We were thinking this could be your office.” Vanessa asserted.
“Seriously? Okay, sure, ya sold me.” He hugged each of the ladies with him.
After a few more minutes, they descended the stairs to the second floor again and followed the hallway as it went around the back of the house. Another small lounge area, between an office space and a bedroom, held another bay window, this time looking out over the backyard. The lounge was conveniently close to the nursery. The ladies commented on the benefits of getting natural light on the baby while burping or feeding. The nook was on the north side of the house, so even in summer, the light wouldn’t be too intense.
The hallway continued around, bringing them to the master suite, which had two walk-in closets. One was quite large and claimed by the ladies. The second was more the size one might expect for a walk-in closet in an average home, which the ladies declared Dave could have one side of. The other half would be for linens and towels.
Before they left, Dave stopped for a minute to look critically at the north and south walls of his bedroom. He stepped into the master bath, which was along the north wall and cast his gaze around carefully there as well.
Further down the hall was another bedroom, with the ‘island’ of two bedrooms and a bathroom directly across from it. At the end of the hall, as it bent back towards the entryway was a large room with an equally large storage space on the end forming the southwest corner of the house. This room had a few windows that overlooked the circle drive. Vanessa confessed they didn’t have a guess at any particular purpose for this room. Perhaps an upstairs study or a closed lounge. Dave suggested it was intended to be a music room and the large storage space was for instruments.
Carmen spotted the others returning from the shopping trip while they were talking. They headed to the spiral staircase to meet them in the entryway. Before following the others, Dave looked carefully at the room’s dimensions, then down the outside wall of the room toward the corner in the hallway. As his mind mulled over a few possibilities, Dave walked toward the entryway and the sound of happy voices.
