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44
Adjusting to Expansion
“Xian” by Tieu Bao Truong, ID1989392804 licensed from Shutterstock.com.
IT WASN’T EASY. The girls had all started to bond a little more after their slumber party. The concept was foreign to Xian, but she was working on becoming part of a family. She did seem to be willing to try almost anything sexually. She didn’t have much in the way of preconceived ideas about what should and shouldn’t be. Her education had mostly been inside the embassy, although she’d been taken to a Catholic day school for elementary education.
About the time the new embassy opened in 1967, the mission coordinator had given Xian a room in the residence and assigned her a modest salary to assist the coordinator’s wife. The wife had made sure she continued to get schooling—much of it from specialists in the compound. When that mission coordinator was reassigned, Xian’s position in the residence was simply grandfathered in and she stayed there long after the building had been repurposed as part of the CRA compound.
By the time she was eighteen, Xian was working with the maintenance staff, cleaning the 140 offices in the six-story chancery and the separate two-story consulate. Occasionally, she was asked to translate something, which she gladly did. She’d been in the chancery when the general spotted her and requested that she be reassigned as my assistant. The rest, as they say, is history.
Our history together.
John arrived at the studio with a truck on Wednesday. It had been a long time since I’d seen the theatre tech director. He looked at me a little strangely and I remembered I’d suddenly turned gray.
“Can you use some new backdrops?” he asked.
“I haven’t started doing any photography yet, but I’m happy to have backdrops for when we start getting customers,” I said.
“We did some more advanced panels in the workshop this year. The theme was realism and cut-outs,” John said. Min hopped down from the truck and rushed to give me a hug and kiss, then went in to see the wives. “That girl is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can’t thank you enough for bringing her to Stratford.”
“So, what are these cut-outs?” I asked. By this time, I was sure Min was being introduced to Xian by my other wives.
“The assignment was to have a panel with an opening. It could be a window cut out of the backdrop, a door, an arch, a porthole, or even a picture frame that would extend the depth of the scene. I think you’ll like some of these.”
We started unloading the truck. The downside of the new concept pieces was that they were heavier than the plain flats had been last year because they had to have an infrastructure that would support the opening. A couple of them were hung with complete doorframes. There were windows with removable sashes so they could be used with the fabric ‘glass’ or without it. And they came from all manner of periods. There was a formal French or Victorian setting, a brick exterior, a medieval stone archway, a sitting room with a picture frame that could be backlit to go transparent. A dozen new scenes that I could place models in.
I was having some problem lifting them and had to have help. My arms were still like jelly.
“Did you hurt yourself?” John asked.
“I guess you might say that. I kind of overworked it last month and I’m weak in my hands and wrists. I figure it will go away after a while. I just need to rest it.”
“Well moving these flats is not a good way to rest it. Make sure you have some help before you go wrestling them around.”
“I’ll do that. At the moment, I can’t even lift my camera steadily.”
“She’s adorable,” Min said, rushing into the studio. “If I didn’t have such a great man, I’d be insanely jealous of her. If she needs to see an Asian face now and then, I’ll be around. It can be a bit of a shock for an Asian girl to look around and not see anyone who is like her at all.”
“Thank you, Min. Xian is going to need all the friends she can get. She’s been pretty isolated in the past.”
“Just be patient. That’s what I told the others. Be patient.”
Min and John got back in the truck and headed to the theatre.
I discovered that I needed to make a conscious effort to include Xian in having sex. Ronda, Anna, and Patricia were all adept at maneuvering me into the darkroom, dressing room, or bedroom to have a little private one-on-one at any time during the day. Xian still thought she needed to be invited, or simply didn’t want to seem aggressive or needy.
I got the transparencies back that I’d taken in Vietnam and on the ship. One was just beautiful and I printed a nice Cibachrome of it. It took a while, but when the girls all saw it, there was a lot of exclaiming.
“You are so photogenic, Xian!” Ronda said.
“I love your wedding picture,” Anna added. “I think we should all find unique settings to have wedding pictures in, don’t you?”
“Not just with Nate, but with each other,” Patricia said. “And maybe all together, too.”
“Definitely all together,” Ronda said. “Maybe in our all-together.”
“It wouldn’t be an Attic Allure photo if we were dressed,” Anna laughed.
“We have a lot of pictures of us, though. There isn’t a real Attic Allure photo of Xian. You need to get that.”
“Um… I don’t mind taking pictures,” I said. “But… I need help. I’m not able to handle the scenery or even the lights by myself. Hell, I can’t even hold the camera without shaking. I’ll need help putting it on a tripod.”
“You need to have Dad look at you when we go to Tenbrook for Memorial Day. We should probably all have physicals now that we’re home from all over the world,” Ronda said.
“Probably a good idea.”
“I will gladly help move scenery, Master,” Adrienne said. “Later, I will massage you again.”
“You are too good to me, Fifi,” I answered.
Adrienne got things moving, but we all pitched in. Ronda took Xian upstairs to choose an outfit and talk to her about the way I work with models. I think she might have built some expectations in Xian’s mind.
We chose a rustic brick exterior with an interesting window in it. The question was what to put behind it. What would be seen through the window? We looked at some of our drops and Adrienne suggested that we use the wall as a freestanding panel. We could assume that both sides of the wall were outside. I liked the concept. We pulled a nice pastoral scene with lots of green, then Patricia and Adrienne found some vines to weave through the lattice in the window. Anna and I went to work setting lights.
I kept having flashes of a scene in my mind. But the scene was not a simple Attic Allure glamour shot. It spoke of something else—though I was at a loss to explain what. Maybe this was a stepping stone. A stepping stone to a true work of art. I was looking for something beyond a glamorous portrait. I wished I had the vocabulary to explain what I was looking for to my girlfriends.
Ronda and Xian returned from the apartment. She’d worked on Xian’s makeup a little, not being too heavy handed, but brightening her lips a little and highlighting her eyes. Like a typical slumber party, the girls had all done their nails Sunday night and they looked great. Xian was wearing a simple black skirt and one of her yems. I thought it was funny that Ronda was wearing one, too.
“I love these things,” she said. “I might never wear a bra again.”
“That would be fine with me,” I said, running a hand under each girl’s top. Xian gasped when I cupped her breast. Ronda just moaned.
Anna and Adrienne got my cameras set on tripods and loaded with film. They both knew the routines well enough to function without being told what was needed.
I started maneuvering the Nikon and the Hasselblad for pictures and then positioned Xian, first in front of the backdrop and looking out the window, then moving her around to the other side. As I positioned her, I kissed her bare shoulders and continued to run my hand up under her little top. Gradually, I loosened the ties so the yem fell from her, first hanging on her small breasts, but then dropping down in front, exposing one and then both.
Xian looked a little unsure of having her nude picture taken and I slipped behind the window panel, to pose her. I made a show of moving her partially behind the wall so she was convinced she couldn’t really be seen by the camera. I kissed her into a smile and petted her breasts until she sighed. Then I quickly ran to the camera and took another picture. Ronda, Anna, Patricia, and Adrienne each took a turn posing Xian until the girl was giggling each time one of them touched her.
I was pretty sure I’d gotten the photo I wanted much earlier, but I continued taking pictures until I’d taken all the exposures on the 35mm roll. Then I picked Xian up and carried her into the dressing room, kissing and petting her. My arms shook when I picked up Toni. They almost gave way completely when I picked up Xian.
“We’ll take the color film to Dave’s,” Anna said. “The black and white is waiting for you in the darkroom.”
I continued removing Xian’s clothing until the girl was naked, sitting in my lap as we kissed and petted.
“Would you like to see how the darkroom works?” I asked.
“Like this?” she gasped.
“Oh, yes. It’s much better like this.” I led her through the deserted studio to the darkroom and locked the door behind me.
“It’s really dark,” she said.
“It has to be dark to develop the film, but now that the film is in a light proof canister, I can turn on a red light. That way we can see each other.”
“I feel really… um… can we kiss some more?”
“We sure can, honey. And we can make love in the darkroom.”
“Without anyone else? Without a bed?”
“Sweetheart, wherever we are, we can make love.”
“Oh, Nate. I love you. I’m so confused and overwhelmed by everything. The other wives and the mistress are all nice and I’m so afraid I’ll do something and they will hate me and I’ll have to leave.”
“No one is going to hate you or make you leave. Remember how it was the first time we made love and everything was brand new and overwhelming, but we did it and we loved it? This is just the same. When we make a mistake, we go back and do it over. We learn from the mistake and we just keep trying. I do it all the time.”
By that time, I was naked as well and I set the film drum in the sink with water running to rinse it. I sat on the chair and pulled Xian into my arms. We kissed and petted and I made love to that girl. I held her in my arms as she shook in orgasm and I filled her.
Then we printed proofs of the pictures we’d taken and Xian learned a little about the process.
And we made love again.
I spent another night with Adrienne Friday, and the next morning I took her to Toronto to the airport.
“I’ll try to visit soon,” I said. “If I can’t, please come back to be with us again, my pet.”
“All you have to do is whistle and I’ll come running, Master. But now you need to focus on your family and make it whole. Especially before Jane and Peter get here. You should tell Xian about her.”
“Oh, Christ! I don’t know if I can deal with them this summer.”
“They dealt with your whole family when Ronda became ill, and kept us safe and made us healthy,” Adrienne said. “Do your best.”
“Yes.”
She headed for her gate and I headed back to Stratford.
We all went out to the ranch Sunday afternoon. Toni was progressing extremely well and the instructor there complimented her. They had a pony for Alex to ride and Patricia kept a lead on it as Alex mostly just had a good time riding in a circle in the ring.
I didn’t ride. I couldn’t trust my hands to have enough strength to control a horse. Xian had never been near a horse before and was understandably a little shy around the big beasts as she reached out to pet them.
Much of the next week was spent just resting and getting comfortable with each other. I set up a still life in the studio and loaded the Hasselblad with high speed black and white film. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going for yet. The image in my mind had nothing to do with the vase of flowers and miscellaneous objects I arranged on the table. I set lights and took an image, then changed all my settings and took another. I went back to my original method of working when I was in high school, and wrote down all the settings: exposure, shutter speed, lighting. I was definitely in an experimental mode.
I didn’t know for sure if what I was looking for was in the photograph or in the processing and printing. The thing was I had this idea in my mind and I didn’t yet know how to achieve it—or even explain it. Once I’d shot a roll of film, I went immediately to the darkroom, processed the negatives, and printed a proof sheet. None of the images really showed what I was after.
The next day, I repeated the process. I changed the setting, changed the lighting, changed film. I shot another roll and retired to the darkroom. Anna slipped inside before I got the door closed.
“What are you trying to accomplish, lover?” she asked as I turned the crank on the developing tank and she worked on getting our clothes off.
“I wish I could describe it,” I sighed. Then I moaned as Anna sank to her knees and sucked my cock into her mouth.
“What does it feel like to you?” she asked.
“Like the most wonderful creature in the world has just taken me into her mouth,” I said.
“I mean the feeling you are trying to get in the photo,” she giggled. Then she resumed sucking.
“Mmm. Yes. The Photo. Maybe the feeling is what I’m looking for. How can I create a photo that is pure emotion? What is the subject matter? How should it be lit? What film speed should I use?”
“That sounds like you are looking for a technique, not a particular composition or story,” she said. Once the film was rinsed, she pushed me down in the chair and straddled my lap. She sank onto my cock as we both sighed.
“Story,” I mused. “You know how I used to say the props closet was filled with stories waiting for a model to capture them? I’m feeling like there’s a more potent story waiting to be told that supersedes both the prop and the model. The story is all around us and I need to find the right props and models to tell it.”
“Art,” she said as she rose and fell on my cock. “You want to compose your picture on the canvas instead of in the lens.”
“Yeah. But my canvas is the lens.”
“Maybe the lens is simply your brush and the canvas is on the enlarger.”
“Maybe I’m trying to be something I’m not. I just know that even when I photographed Patricia and Xian last week, I was looking for something beyond the subject matter—no matter how much I love the subject matter.”
“You love Xian, don’t you? I mean you love her like you love the other three of us.”
“Yeah. Yes, I do. It took me by surprise. She’s been part of us for such a small amount of time. But already, I can’t imagine her not being with us.”
“We’re all beginning to feel that way,” Anna said. “I was skeptical at first, I admit. And we’ve only been together for two weeks. But she fits. I mean she fits our family story, you know?”
“Oh, my dear Anna. Right now, I am once again amazed at how well we fit together. I’m getting close, sweetheart. Feeling you wrapped around me, I’m not going to last long.”
“Don’t try to last. I’m ready for you, my love. I’m ready to have you fill me.”
By the end of the week, we were all ready to head to Illinois to visit our families. We headed out on Friday and drove all the way to Camp Otterbein. Xian was a little less nervous about meeting my parents than about meeting Ronda’s, Patricia’s, and Anna’s. She’d met Mom and Dad already and had the initial shock.
When we got to camp, Toni and Alex led the way to hug Gamma and Gampa. It was so funny to watch two-year-old Alex trying to emulate everything her six-year-old sister could do. And Toni was the sweetest big sister any girl could ask for. She always paused to wait for Alex and didn’t try to get away from her. She helped lift Alex up so Gampa didn’t have to bend over so far to pick up his granddaughter. She never seemed to tire of having Alex around, even when it meant she had to share dancing time.
The wives all went to greet Mom, and Mom gave each a big hug, including Xian. Then the wives headed for Dad while Toni and Alex went to Gamma.
“Oh, I’ve missed you girls!” Mom said. “It’s been so long since Christmas when I saw you last!”
“Love you, Gamma!” both girls chimed in.
“Gamma, did you know we have a new Mama?” Toni asked. “Xian Mom just came from Vietnam. Isn’t she pretty?”
“Oh, she is, sweetie. Are you getting along with her?”
“She likes to play games and we’re teaching her to dance,” Toni said. “Gamma, her country is where the war was. It’s where Father died. She is very sad about that. She might have died, too, if Daddy hadn’t saved her.”
“That’s right, honey. I’m so happy she’s safe with your family now,” Mom said.
“Family has to take care of each other,” Toni nodded.
We joined the campers in the dining hall for dinner and Xian got yet another introduction to an American oddity. The idea of a camp was kind of frightening to Xian because all she knew of were refugee camps and prison camps. Seeing a hundred happy campers singing at dinner and running back and forth with food for their tables gave her a whole different look at the experience.
We also got to share the campfire that night, but slipped away to bed before they got to the religious part of the evening. We got the girls to bed and then all went to crowd into the one bed we used at Mom and Dad’s house.
“It’s very cozy,” Xian said.
“I don’t mind if you cuddle up on top of me,” Anna said. “I’ll hold you.”
“Will you, Anna? I… didn’t know I’d like cuddling with a woman as much as I like cuddling with Nate.”
It wasn’t long after that when I noticed Anna and Xian were sharing some sweet kisses. I didn’t get too distracted by that, though. Ronda and Patricia were ganging up on me, but it was definitely Ronda’s turn to ride the pony. Patricia was not about to be left out, though, as she rode my face and made out with Ronda until all three of us were quite well sated.
We had breakfast in the kitchen Saturday morning instead of over in the dining hall. Dad sat with us as Mom went over to lead the campers in morning devotions.
“Are you adjusting well, Cheyenne?” he asked my wife.
“There are still many strange things,” she answered. “My sister wives are the kindest and most wonderful people I’ve ever met. Being part of a family is a very new experience.”
“Well, you are part of the best family I know,” Dad said. “I hope you girls all know that I love you like my own daughters. Don’t ever forget that. You make this old man very happy.”
“Don’t go calling yourself old, Papa Rich,” Patricia said. “You are still young and spry. I can’t believe how much you’ve done here at the camp.”
“It’s good work,” Dad said. “But how can I not be old when my own son sits there covered with gray hair?”
“Dad, I try not to think of that. I’m still just eighteen as long as I don’t look in a mirror,” I said.
“Keep that attitude, son. It’s the only way you’ll keep up with four beautiful young wives and your children,” Dad said. “When’s the next one due?” I guess one of the things I love about Dad is his lack of filters. We all just kind of stumbled along.
“We haven’t planned another yet,” Ronda said. “Patricia said she’s all done now and neither Anna nor I have decided we should stop taking birth control.” She suddenly stopped and all three of my wives suddenly looked at Xian.
“Xian?” Anna said. “What kind of birth control do you use?”
“I… uh… What is it?”
“Oh, my God!” Patricia said. “You’ve been… Um… Well, Papa Rich, that next grandchild might be coming along before you know it.”
I think my heart stopped beating for a minute.
Xian was wise and worldly in many ways. She’d lived in an embassy in a war-torn country. She heard the news every day. She saw people who were either seeking favors or wanting to flee. She knew of poverty and markets filled with food. But in matters of the flesh, no one had really taught her anything. In the church school, she was taught simply that everything regarding sex was between husband and wife and no one even spoke of it with anyone else. In the embassy compound, she’d been warned to stay away from Marines and other embassy employees.
That left her terribly unprepared for the realities of having a husband, making love—repeatedly—and planning a family. And I had not taken sufficient precautions to protect her, or the rest of my family. What a jerk! I’d just assumed she was like the girls back home and would say something if there was a danger. She didn’t even have a concept of birth control. She fully expected that when she had sex, she would have a baby. What other result could there be?
I guess she was more surprised that Patricia was the only wife who’d had children.
I was puzzled by my wives’ response. The prospect of Xian being pregnant didn’t anger them at all. In fact, the three of them spent time encouraging Xian and me to mate again that night, as if to make sure she was pregnant.
Sunday, we headed out to Tenbrook. We started with the Bergs. Of course, Toni and Alex were happy to see their grandparents and we had a nice Sunday dinner.
“Mom and Dad, this is Xian,” Patricia said. “She’s joined our family and she’ll be with us from now on.”
I thought Patricia was really working to be sure Xian was accepted and was impressed that she’d made such huge strides in just two weeks of knowing her. Tor and Elise were surprised, but were fascinated by the story of my time in Vietnam and how Xian and I escaped during the helicopter evacuation. Any skepticism they might have had was put to rest when Toni came into the room with Alex, after having cookies and milk in the kitchen.
“Xian Mom, will you teach us more Vietnamese?” she asked.
“Sure I will, Toni. Alex, do you want to learn a new language, too?”
“Teach!” Alex said enthusiastically.
“Let’s sit outside while Mommy and Daddy talk to Grandmother and Grandfather.”
They went to the front porch so the lesson wouldn’t disturb us as we continued to talk.
“The children sure seem to love her,” Elise said.
“They do,” Patricia answered. “That convinced me more than anything. When we met, I tried to find anything I could for an excuse to hate her. But everything I thought of had nothing to do with Xian. When it came down to it, I realized I hated the idea of Vietnam because it took Tony away from us. But Xian was as much a victim of the war as he was. Now, I’m still adjusting, but I realize it was my problem. Just as Tony wouldn’t want me to be alone because he was gone, he never hated anyone and wouldn’t want me to hate people because he died there.”
We talked for a long time before we headed over to Ronda’s parents’ house for Sunday dinner and our medical appointments.
“It must be difficult for you to make the rounds of the parents’ houses introducing a new wife,” Dr. May said as he examined my wrist and hands.
“All of our parents have been supportive ever since we first got together. That speaks for their ability to accept something new and out of the ordinary in the way of relationships,” I said.
“Yes. Well, we have a support group for parents of Nate’s wives,” he chuckled. “Have monthly meetings and everything.”
“You’re kidding!” I said.
“Yes. The meetings aren’t really monthly. But there have been a lot of phone calls among us. We do check in when we hear from one of you. We try to reassure each other that whether you are in London or Oman or, for God’s sake, in Vietnam, that you are all safe and being cared for. I nearly flew to England when I found out Ronda was sick, but by the time she let us know, she was out of the hospital and on the mend.”
“I didn’t know about it until the embassy called me. And my contact there didn’t know where she’d gone to. I would probably have abandoned my mission if I’d known where to go,” I said.
“Well, I’m afraid you’ve got some tendonitis. That’s an inflammation of the tendons in the wrist and arm due to overuse. Obviously, your squeezing the handles on that stamp with enough force to make the impression caused the injury.”
“What should I do?”
“The answer to that is ‘nothing.’ In a literal sense. The tendons need rest. I can give you an anti-inflammatory to help, but the more you keep using those muscles, the longer it will take them to heal.”
“It’s hard to rest my hands.”
“I’ll recommend a brace for both wrists to wear the bulk of the time. Then avoid activities that require active hand movement. Like driving. Let your wives handle the wheel.”
“I didn’t think about that.”
“You might need assistance with your cameras, as well.”
“We’ve already discovered that. I’m too weak to hold them steadily.”
“The weakness is caused by pain-avoidance, not lack of strength. That’s the good news. But pain-avoidance is also the remedy. Stop working those muscles.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, let me congratulate you.”
“Sir?”
“I believe your new wife is pregnant. It’s really too early to be definite, but she is definitely showing signs, and it has been six weeks since her last period. She is experiencing some nausea in the mornings and thought it was the result of adjusting to different food. I’d suggest it’s likely morning sickness.”
“Wow! I guess I’d better start recording her progress,” I said. “Um… How’s Ronda?”
“I don’t like seeing her this thin, but the encephalitis seems to have run its course. That doesn’t mean she won’t have weak spells and need more rest than usual,” Dr. May said. “Anna is the picture of health but might need some rest, too. She’s been carrying a lot of the support of the family. That’s not to take away from the stress that Patricia was under and continues to be under while raising two children. She needs to gain a little weight, too. The girls, by the way, are both fit and fine.”
“Thank you for taking the time to see us all,” I said.
“Well, Susan and I are cheating on our camping vacation this year, so I’m not feeling too rushed,” he said.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“We won’t be leaving until Tuesday. We’re flying to Acapulco. We decided we’d ‘camp’ in a luxury hotel on the beach for a couple of weeks.”
“You really get to live a little now that you have no kids at home,” I laughed.
“Don’t assume that means we are no longer available. We’ll always be ready to help our kids. Like all the parents are.”
Monday morning was only the twenty-sixth of May, but the uniform Monday holiday act said it was Memorial Day. We spent some time in the hotel Monday night explaining our Memorial Day tradition to Xian. She understood the honoring of war dead which had taken place in Vietnam each year as well. She was devastated, though, to hear the whole story surrounding our loss of Tony. She tried to beg Patricia’s forgiveness, but that was put down right away. Xian was twelve years old when Tony was killed. And America’s involvement in the war wasn’t the people’s fault anyway.
We stood out on the street with the citizens and waited as traffic cleared and Billy came marching around the corner with his flag. We fell in with him and with other widows and parents and orphans of veterans as we walked out to the cemetery. We stopped at Tony’s grave and Patricia and Toni put flowers on it.
Xian knelt with Patricia and the two women wept together. Ronda and Anna squeezed me from each side, but I was too drained to cry anymore. Maybe I had helped lift the burden of Tony’s death. I’d helped 100,000 people escape. I tried to convince myself that somehow validated his sacrifice.
That afternoon, we went to Anna’s house. Don and Nancy were cautiously accepting of Xian. They’d never really understood how our family worked, but were determined to support their daughter no matter what.
We stayed in Tenbrook another night so Toni and Alex could have one more sleep-over with grandparents, then we headed to Chicago. I let Anna drive and told my wives what Dr. May had said about resting my arms. We stayed in a hotel for the night and went to the Social Security office first thing Wednesday morning. It was only a few blocks from where Ronda’s and my office was. It took a while to explain why there was no birth certificate for Xian, but the office finally copied her marriage certificate and passport, then issued a social security number and card. We all breathed a sigh of relief when that was finally done. We went immediately to the Post Office and she filled out a voter registration card, using our Antioch address.
While we were taking care of all the business, we called the housing office at the Chicago office and told the agent we would need our home in Antioch on September first. They agreed that the lease expired the first and therefore would issue a notice to the tenants who had been very good about paying the rent. We might actually pay the house off in a year or two with the amount the rent had brought in over and above our mortgage.
By the time we were done, it was already mid-afternoon. We decided to drive on to Windsor and spend the night in the hotel there. We hadn’t stayed there in a couple of years, but the hotel manager recognized Toni and greeted us warmly. We had dinner in the restaurant and crashed once the girls were asleep.
It might be that the word of Xian’s pregnancy did as much to heal our family as anything I could have hoped to do. There is something about a pregnant woman that just brings out the mothering in everyone. We’d seen it when Patricia was pregnant and both Anna and Ronda started feeling all mother-y. Now, all four women started bonding over the barely started baby growing in Xian.
“We have to start photos,” Patricia announced on Sunday morning.
“I think we should all participate,” Anna suggested. “I feel like I’m going to put on a lot of weight with this one.”
“When did you put on weight while I was pregnant?” Patricia laughed.
“Well, I did. I gained five pounds,” Anna insisted.
“I gained fifty!”
“Yes, but I never lost it. You did.”
Xian wasn’t sure about what the fuss was about until we showed her the progress pictures of Patricia’s pregnancy and told her I wanted to take the same kind of pictures of her.
“All… naked like that?” she asked uncertainly.
“Xian, you are beautiful and my profession is taking pictures of beautiful women. Just like the sweet picture we took of you at the window, I want pictures of you each week that show our baby growing in your tummy.”
“And Patricia had a good idea,” Ronda said. “We’ll take the pictures on Sunday mornings when only the family is here, and we’ll all pose so you aren’t the only one.”
“If it’s really okay,” Xian said. “I still sometimes get embarrassed when we are all undressed. I’m not used to it.”
“Well, just think,” Patricia said. “After the photo session, you get to go to the darkroom with Nate while he processes and prints the pictures.”
“Really?” Xian looked at me with a twitch of a smile and started undressing.
That was the cue for clothes to start flying. Anna helped set my camera up and load it. Even Alex and Toni got into the spirit of posing for their weekly growing photo. I figured that since the photos were just for the family, it was okay. Then all seven of us rotated into the posing position and I snapped the pictures. When it was my turn to pose, Anna tripped the shutter.
Then the girls got the film processed and in the darkroom, ready for me to print. That was the cue for me lead Xian to the darkroom. The other girls all dressed and headed for the ranch and Sunday afternoon riding lessons while Xian and I made love.
Thursday, June fifth, was Xian’s twentieth birthday. We celebrated at the local pub, enjoying the food and good wishes. Things seemed a little different this year. Many of our friends had moved on from Stratford. I understood Damien and Kathleen were employed by the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. Anita, of course, was doing quite well out in California. There was a new managing artistic director for the festival and the most aggressive schedule of productions the festival here ever had.
There were fourteen shows on the Festival schedule and the first six would all open in the next week. Shakespeare would not be limited to the Festival Stage. Two of the four plays by the bard would be performed at the Avon. Nonetheless, even though John was still managing scenery production and movement, and Min was with him, most of the actors we knew had moved on with a new young crew having moved in.
On Saturday the seventh, Jane and Peter arrived in town.
“So, where are you living?” I asked when my friends showed up at the studio Saturday afternoon.
“We bought the house from Damien,” Jane said. “Peter’s had some work done on it this winter and it’s more comfortable for the six of us.”
“Six?” I asked.
“Well, we hope to have one more by next summer, you know,” Peter chuckled.
Oh, yeah. Jane had definitely come to Stratford this summer with the intention of getting pregnant again. Kendra, their nanny, had son James; and Derek, Peter’s lover, was running errands to get the house ready for the summer, including supplying the kitchen.
“I want to introduce you to our family’s newest addition,” I said.
“We had all your family at Plympford just a month ago and no one was pregnant!” Jane laughed.
“She was with me. This is my wife, Xian,” I said. “We were married on the ship after being evacuated from Saigon.”
“Oh! Well, hello there,” Jane said, forcing a smile.
“Always lovely to welcome a new face to the melee,” Peter said, more warmly.
Of all our family and acquaintances so far, Jane had the hardest time accepting Xian. I could sort of understand that. Jane wasn’t actually in the family. In fact, she didn’t even have the position Adrienne did. Suddenly having another woman added to the mix—especially one so young and exotically beautiful—left her uncertain of where she stood.
Xian stepped up to the challenge. The girls had carefully strategized the session, telling Xian about Peter’s sexual orientation and Jane’s dependence on me during the summer. They did not, however, mention that I was the father of Jane’s child—or future children.
“Oh, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” Xian said. “Lord Peter, I’m told you are an accomplished horseman and will join the children at the ranch tomorrow. Do you suppose you could spare time to introduce me to them—the horses, I mean? Until a couple of weeks ago, I’d never seen a horse live and up close. They are huge. I’m sure Lady Jane and Nate have photography processes to discuss while we are at the ranch.”
“Miss Xian, it would be my pleasure and privilege to introduce you to the fundamentals. It sounds like an excellent plan. It’s really not as frightening once you get to know the horses…” Peter wandered off with Xian to talk about horses as my other wives giggled and embraced Jane.
“Is she attempting to seduce my husband?” Jane asked in disbelief.
“No, sweet Jane,” Ronda said. “She is trying to make it easier for you to seduce hers.”
“I… Are you okay with all of this?” Jane asked. “Married? Nate, how could you marry a woman when you have these wonderful three at home?”
“That is a subject for a glass of wine and a relaxed evening,” I said. “It’s wonderful to see you, Jane. And in addition to anything else you might have in mind, I do have some photography questions to ask you. I’ve been trying to explore a new concept, but between my shaking hands and my somewhat scattered thoughts, I haven’t figured it out yet.”
“You know I’d love to work with you. I’m just managing to get back into the flow of having portrait clients myself. And of course, just as I am, I’m thinking of getting stuffed and putting it all on hold again,” Jane said.
“First, let’s get things set for dinner. Oh, we’ll want to try a new restaurant in town called The Church,” Patricia said. “Not tonight, of course. It’s rather formal from what I’ve been told. An actual church downtown they’ve converted into an exclusive restaurant. We’re all looking forward to trying it.”
“Well, where to tonight?” Jane asked. “I should call and have Kendra and Derek bring James to meet us.”
“Let’s just do the pub up the street tonight. They always love to see the kids and the music on Saturday night is always good,” Ronda said.
We got things arranged and before long, we had a long table laden with good food, surrounded by our family and friends.
Saturday night, I was at the mercy of my wives. Xian kissed and petted all of us, but held off on coupling until our photo session in the morning. Anna decided to delay a bit as well since she was feeling bloated with food and premenstrual cramps. Patricia and Ronda were a few days behind Anna’s schedule, so I did manage to satisfy them both before simply settling in to pet and comfort Anna.
In the morning, the whole family went straight to the studio after breakfast for weekly photos, after which, Xian joined me in the darkroom.
“I would feel terribly guilty about claiming you in the darkroom after photos, but I know Anna, Ronda, and Patricia have all had time in the darkroom with you this week,” Xian said.
“My little love, there is no reason to feel guilty about our time together. We needn’t even be concerned about printing the proofs. It’s just an opportunity to have a little private time together. How are you doing, sweetheart?”
“I’ve been told pregnant women often crave strange things,” she said.
“Do you?”
“Yes. I find that I crave having you in me. With the reality right here, waiting for me, I can’t imagine why I dream about it so much. Do you… crave me, Nate?”
“Xian, I am always aware of where you are, as I am with Ronda, Patricia, and Anna. I always want to reach out to you,” I said. “I woke up early this morning and found you had switched places with Anna and were right up next to me. My hand was on your shoulder and I looked down at you. The sheet was pushed down because we all generate so much heat and I could see your breasts, just inches from my fingertips. I imagined lightly circling your nipples with my fingers. I thought how enticing your breast would be in my hand. I wanted to feel your nipples stiffen when I placed my lips around them and touched them with my tongue. And all the while, my cock was getting harder and harder, straining to reach your soft center. Do I crave you, Xian? Oh, yes. I do.”
By this time Xian was panting. I’d not yet touched her, but she pressed her lips against mine and her tongue into my mouth. And my thumbs stroked across her nipples.
“Oh!” she cried. “Yes! Oh!”
She rose up and slammed down on my hard cock, impaling herself to my full length. I could feel her insides quivering as she cried out another orgasm and I came.
Please feel free to send comments to the author at devon@devonlayne.com.
