The Penny Finally Drops

“Morning,” He said and got happy replies from the three girls.

As they have seen him naked Alex decided that going out to see the others in his boxers would be more than okay. Dani was in her bathrobe, Fiona had her red robe on and Clara was in her panties and a T-shirt. When Alex sat down she got up and poured him a coffee.

“There’s cereal and bread if you're hungry?” She asked him.

“Thanks but I’m not hungry yet, I’ll eat later.”

Fiona frowned but said nothing.

Dani got up and said, “I’d better get ready or I’ll be late.”

“Did you sleep well Alex?” Asked Fiona.

“Very well thanks.”

“Oh hell, look at the time! I’m going to jump in the shower. Alex, could you drive me to college?”

“Sure, I’m not working this week so I can take you every day if you like?”

She kissed his cheek, “You are the best, thank you.” Then she hopped off to the bathroom.

“So what was it that you needed doing, was it a leaky pipe? When I get back from dropping Clara off I’ll have a look for you.”

“Sweet boy,” She said, then got up. “I’m going to have a shower as well, I’ll see you when you get back,” Then she winked at him and disappeared.

His belly rumbled in clear dissatisfaction at his decision not to have breakfast so Alex got himself a bowl of cereal while he waited for Clara. He went into the bathroom after Clara was done and noted that he’d have to spend some of his meager funds on toiletries, he’d left most of his stuff at home. All he had was a toothbrush and his razor. Then he remembered his laptop and his ID card for work were still in his bedroom at home. He sighed and accepted he’d have to go back and get them.

On the drive over to Clara’s college he told her about his having to go home and get his stuff.

“Maybe Spohie can get them for you?” She suggested.

“That’s a good idea, I’ll ask her later.”

“I’m full of good ideas, speaking of which, I was talking to Fiona this morning. She has some neighbors who need a few bits doing around the house, you could earn a little extra cash.”

“That’s awesome, I’ll speak to Fiona when I get back. Do you know what they want done?”

“She didn’t say, the usual stuff around the home I expect. You know, if you do a good job and they tell their friends about you, you might be able to build up a client list of your own. When you are qualified you could work for yourself and you’d have your customers there ready for you. And, I’m doing business studies at college, I could do your paperwork, you know, all the company stuff.”

“I reckon we’d make a good team.”

“That’s what I thought too.”

“And the extra cash would come in handy, I’ll be saving everything I earn for a place to live in but it’s going to take a while.”

“About that. I was thinking, maybe it’s time I moved out too. We could share a place together, split the cost.”

“What about your mom?”

Clara sighed, “You said last night that you couldn’t live your life in your mother's shadow, that you needed freedom to grow. That’s exactly how I feel too. I love my mother but I can’t be her carer for the rest of my life. By looking after her I’m actually enabling her addiction.”

“Both our mothers need help.”

“True, but we can still be there for them and live our lives too.”

“You really mean it? You’d share a place with me?”

“Of course!”

“It’ll take a while to save up enough cash.”

“I’ll get a job weekends, maybe in a grocery store or something. Anyway, in the meantime, I’m going to help Fiona look after you.”

“Help her look after me? You make me sound like a puppy.”

“Ha! You’re cute as a puppy but not as messy. I was thinking that I could come over and stay weekends and maybe a night or two during the week. It’ll give my mom time to get used to me not being there as often. Anyway, if there’s one thing Fiona hates it’s household chores. I’ll come over and do your laundry and help keep the place tidy for her.”

“You don’t have to do that, I’ll learn to do it, it can’t be that hard!”

“Let me look after you Alex, I want to.”

“Okay, I’m not going to argue.”

Clara laughed, “It’s not all one way you know! There’s plenty for you to do too.”

“I like that, you know, you doing the laundry and stuff while I…while I…”

“Take out the trash?”

“Yes! Exactly, take out the trash and do guy-type stuff.”

“Fiona is right, you are a sweet boy.”

“First thing I’ll do when I get back is have a look at that leaky pipe of hers.”

“About that pipe.”

“What about it?”

“There is no pipe.”

“Of course she has pipes, all houses have pipes?”

Clara giggled.

“What?” He said frowning.

She took a deep breath, “Fiona wants to fuck you.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Fiona wants to fuck me? Clara, I promise, I’d never do that to you…”

“Alex stop panicking. Last night, when she was talking about keeping you busy around the house, that was Fiona’s way of saying she was interested in you. She was sounding me out, seeing how I’d feel about it.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“Well you were there.”

Alex tried to remember the conversation but his mind was a blur of raspberry wine and thoughts of his situation.

“Help me out here, Fiona asked you if she could have sex with me, right there at the table in front of me, and I missed it?”

“Yup, it went straight over your head.”

“Seriously, Clara, I have to know, how do you feel about this?”

“If it were anyone else other than Fiona and Dani then I’d freak out. But it’s different with them, I trust them and I know they don’t want to take you from me. Besides, we’re not a couple, right? So it’s not my place to say who you fuck.”

Alex pulled the van over to the side of the road and stopped.

“Okay, let’s get the elephant out of the room. This friends with benefits thing, why don’t we just admit that we are a couple?”

She kissed him, “We already are, I’ve just been waiting for you to realize.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not the most romantic of guys.”

“I don’t know, in your own sweet way I think you are very romantic.”

“When I get back I’ll speak to Fiona and let her know we’re a couple now and exclusive. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“You’re so sweet, but you still don’t get it do you?”

“Eh? Wait a minute, what do you mean Fiona AND Dani?”

“Give it a second…that penny will drop soon…” Clara raised an eye brown and grinned, “yup, there it goes.”

“Let me see if I have this straight. You and I are a couple, we’re dating, exclusively, like…what do you call it…”

“Monogomous.”

“Yeah, we’re monogamous, but that Fiona AND Dani don’t count and I can have sex with them?”

“We.”

“Eh?”

“We can have sex with them, but yes, that’s pretty much it.”

“We?”

Clara smiled, “Yes, WE. Now can you drive this thing please, I’m going to be late for college?”