The Other Side of This Life

From the subway, he emerged into a vision of New York City summer in the peak of its glory; bright and warm, the sun dancing off the Hudson River, from which a light breeze blew a kiss of cool relief from the heat. He took his time crossing Broadway and Riverside, enjoying the sights of the city and the thousands of lives that bustled around him. The commute had been good to him, and he was early for his lunch date. In theory, he could afford a little dawdling.

But then again, this was Megan.

As he rounded the trail in Riverside Park and the cafe came into view, he was not surprised to find her there already. Good, fastidious Megs; if you told her to meet you at 3:00, she’d be there at 2:00 just to be safe.

What did surprise him was the margarita in front of her. She seemed to alternate between it, a glass of water, and a coffee mug half the size of her head; which itself was so buried in some old book that she didn’t even notice him approaching. Even more surprising, she wore a flattering dress, a thin blue, low cut number that left most of her legs exposed. With her auburn hair brushed out, she looked bolder than he’d ever seen her.

He left her to her reading until he could order a coffee of his own. Then, thinking that she was probably onto something, switched his order to a beer before taking a seat across from her.

“Boo,” He said, feeling an odd sense of deja vu as he did.

She made a sound that sounded like “Gyuuugh”, spilling water across her body.

“Oh jeeze…I’m sorry,” He said, looking away and handing her a wad of napkins.

“It’s okay. I’m getting used to it,” She said as she tried to pat herself dry, and he tastefully ignored how revealing the soaked through dress had become.

“To me fucking with you?” He asked.

“No. Well…that too, but I meant hot accidents,” She replied.

“Hot acc…Megs, what are you on about?”

“Nothing. Don’t sweat it,” She said, putting the water aside in favor of the margarita. “Let’s start over…to beautiful days, and a sibling I don’t get to see enough!”

She raised the glass in toast, and he clinked his bottle off of it. For a moment, they sat in silence, enjoying each other’s drinks and company.

“So how are things? How’s school?” Jake asked, breaking the ice.

Again, she surprised him with her enthusiasm.

“Things are great! Like, really, really good,” She said. The beginnings of a flush were forming in her cheeks, the Margarita’s work, he suspected. “There have been some…significant changes for me lately. I was sort of terrified of them at first, but they all seem to be working out for me.”

“Boy things?” He teased, though he was curious.

Megan chewed her lip, then shook her head.

“No…not boy things,” She said, “I mean, I’ve got a boy I really like, but there’s really only one boy who is ever around and he’s decidedly not my type.”

“Ah…that’s too bad,” He said, and was strangely disappointed for her. Not expecting much, he added, “Girl things?”

To his surprise, a deeper blush and an uncomfortable shift. He raised his eyebrows.

“Kinda? I don’t know…Further experimentation required,” She said. “But whether she’s just a friend or…well…more than that…”

Blush. Lips. Shift. He raised his hand to settle her down.

“I don’t need the gory details,” he said, “But whatever the case is, I’m happy to hear it.”

He’d always thought of Megs as weirdly asexual. Perhaps that was simply that she was his little sister, but she’d also persistently failed to show any interest in much of anyone.

“And she is at least a friend, anyway,” Megan continued. “In fact, I’ve made quite a lot of friends lately. Feels like I’m finally coming out of my shell a bit.”

Suddenly, it all made sense. The dress. The day drinking. She was finding herself.

“That’s great, Megs,” He smiled, “I’m proud of you.”

Megan’s smile was warm and pretty, her dimples standing out. She shifted, examining him over her glass as she took a long drink.

“Thanks! In fact, I think I have you to thank for it,” She said, “To wit, how are the girls?”

Ah. That. He stiffened in spite of himself, and when he answered, it had a cautious edge.

“They’re good. Emily has a new exhibition coming up. Lori’s eying that Senate bid, and Farrah’s helping her gear up for it. Hannah just closed a massive real estate sale that ought to keep our own place paid for a while,” He said.

It was strange, talking about it openly, and with a family member, no less. He had to remind himself of who he was talking to. Megan wasn’t judging. If anything, she approached his lovelife in all its expansiveness as a sort of anthropologist on survey, cataloguing its contours, its peaks and valleys and the people who lived among them. Far from critical, she was fascinated, and he found himself opening to her.

“Exe and Lacy have started a podcast with Emily. Games and movies. Exe and Lacy, y’know they’re big game people, but Em doesn’t play them. And she and Lacy love movies, but Exe basically hasn’t seen any…”

“Sabrina,” Megan interrupted.

“Excuse me?”

“She prefers to go by Sabrina,” She insisted. “She likes Sabs, too, which I think is kinda cute.”

Another blush.

“I mean, yeah…she’s Sabrina to us,” Jake agreed, “I just figured, since her stage name is…Megs, have you been listening to it?”

“Every week. Lacy even got me a free membership to the Patreon.”

He sighed.

“Has it occurred to you that they talk about some stuff there that I’d prefer my little sister not know about?”

“You mean the naughty stuff?” She teased.

Sweet Jesus, Megan was busting his balls. What was his world coming to?

“Yes. The naughty stuff. Please, for the love of God, tell me you aren’t reporting any of this back to Mom,” he said.

His mother’s disapproval of his lifestyle was not so dramatic as disownment, but it was an undeniable strain on the relationship.

“What? No, of course not,” She insisted. “What do you think I am, some sort of Narc?”

In truth, that’s exactly what he thought she was. Not out of any sort of malice; Megan wouldn’t betray your confidence for any sort of advantage, simply because she was too guileless to conjure a lie, were someone she cared about to put her on the spot.

Keeping his true thoughts to himself, he simply said, “I appreciate that. Please endeavor to keep it that way.”

She giggled, and it was so good to see that he laughed.

“It’s…good to see you, Megs,” He said, “I feel like I barely get to see anyone but the girls these days. I love them, of course, but…”

“Welll…” She said, biting her lip again, “That’s precisely why I wanted to meet up with you.”

So this wasn’t some spontaneous request. She wanted to see him more, or appeal to him to be more social. He had neglected her, and wouldn't deny it. And as this conversation unfolded, he found he truly wanted more time with her; wanted more time with someone normal, with-

“I would like to join your harem,” She said, straightening her dress.

He spat beer and collapsed into coughs.

“You…The fuck?”

He could see her confidence falter, though not quite fail.

“I don’t mean it in the sense that you’re likely imagining,” She said, “I want to be part of what you’re building.”

A million thoughts sprang to his mind. “No, you’re my sister,” “Our Mother would flay me alive,” “My weird, fucked up lifestyle is no place for a girl like you,” “You’re my sister, seriously, what the fuck?”

“Megan….” He started.

The environment was so target rich he didn’t know which specific one to shoot at.

“How can you not mean it like that?”

She froze, like a dear in the lights of a semi, and for one, fleeting moment, he thought the embarrassment might actually kill her.

“I mean your community,” She stammered, “Like…okay, let’s consider, for a moment, the effect you’ve all had on one another…”

What followed was gushing; a torrent of professions about this woman, or that, details of relationships, personal and professional, all of it undeniably accurate. After a time, he stopped bothering to correct her; only gaped at her depth of knowledge, and the understanding she couldn’t possibly have.

“Who have you been talking to?” He finally asked, bewildered.

Megan only straightened, affecting an imperious bob of her head that was only minimally successful.

“How do you know I’ve spoken to anyone? Perhaps I’ve evolved into a master reader of…”

He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow, and watched her deflate.

“AJ,” she confessed.

Guileless, but still a narc. He sighed, but smiled despite himself.

“Yeah…She would give it to you straight. But…you know I’m still…seeing all these girls, right?”

A euphemism, but she took his meaning all too eagerly.

“No,” She corrected, “I have it on very good authority that you and AJ…”

“AJ doesn’t count, she’s gay!” He objects.

“And I’m your sister. Why can’t I not count as well?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was descending into cosmic farce.

“Because…” He stammered.

He was grasping at straws, and coming up empty.

“It’s not an environment for a girl your…”

“I am 23 years old. I am more than old enough to…”

“You’re…too innocent to…”

A head tilt.

“Oh? Do you have some secret topography of my sex life?”

He sighed, giving her the exasperated look that only an older sibling could manage. This at least made her relent the onslaught.

“Okay. I guess I made that kinda obvious earlier. But, c’mon…you’ve got that huge space, and I know you have guest rooms for visitors and whatnot.”

She bit her lip, then drove the point home.

“Can you really tell me I’m better off renting with some stranger, some psycho or whatever…”

“Megs, we live half the city from Columbia.”

“And I am an ardent supporter of public transit! What better way to express my solidarity with municipal transportation than to take the 1 train every day.”

He employed a heavier, more theatrical sigh.

“It’d be way less money?”

Here he could hardly argue with her. New York rents were a disaster.

“What are your alternatives?” He asked.

She pounced.

“Strangers!” she says at once, “Potentially dangerous people. I could be killed. Or robbed.”

He raised an eyebrow, she shrank accordingly.

“Or, y’know, embezzled. And with the opioid epidemic, and all…”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Guileless she might be, but he felt his little sister might have missed her calling as a lawyer.

“What do I have to do to make this stop?”

She was still biting her lower lip, but now at least smiling as she did it.

“Let me come visit for a handful of days,” She said.

She raised her hands.

“Look, if I think it’s weird, or you think it’s weird, or you decide you’d rather put your innocent sister on the street…””

“Bags, packing, leave,” He interrupted with a sigh, though he knew already he wouldn’t have the heart to do it unless something truly disastrous happened, “And not a word of this to Mom, you hear me?”

Megan slapped her hands together, then pointed.

“Yes. I hear you. Omerta,” She agreed, then hesitated. “But if she calls me, what do I…”

“Megan…”

She nodded, pantomiming zipped lips. He had his doubts.

“I suppose if I tell you no, I’ll just find out that Lacy or AJ or Hannah invited you over for a sleepover or something.”

She made a theatrical shrug, tilting her head.

“Life is full of crazy random occurrences.”

“I can’t believe I’m entertaining this,” He said, “When did you have in mind?”

“Well…I was kinda thinking in the vicinity of now. Or at least after we finished our drinks,” She said, pulling a large duffle bag from beneath her chair. “To wit, may I have some assistance with this? It was terribly heavy.”

It looked heavy, and full; conspicuously so given this was supposed to be a brief visit, though whether he should chalk that up to Megan’s general eccentricities, or the ones that made her a clumsy sort of schemer, he couldn’t say.

“Now? We haven’t even had time to make up the place.” He objected.

“You know just as well as I do that Amelia and Juju keep that place almost spotless,” Megan said. “It won’t be any trouble. Besides, the school has already been closed for the summer, so my options are essentially limited to going with you or hauling this down to Moynihan so I can catch a train to Buffalo.”

Jake groaned as he picked up her bag, which must have included nearly everything she owned as a college student.

“Summer? What happened to ‘a handful of days’?” He sighed.

She was too evidently pleased with herself to successfully look abashed, but she at least had the grace to attempt it.

“What is summer, when you think about it?” She asked, “If not a handful of days.”

“You’re working very hard to talk me out of this,” He said, despite the fact that he was already enjoying himself, and thinking how nice it might be to have a person around beyond AJ that he wasn’t sleeping with.

The bag was heavy, and by the time the two had arrived at the place he kept with the girls in the Village, he was feeling its weight.

That place occupied the top two floors of a large, historic flatiron on the corner of Seventh Avenue; a collection of two story apartments they’d pooled their resources to purchase and remodel.

It sat above a bar, a bakery, and a little French style brasserie, only one of which was open in the early afternoon. Its owner, a handsome French immigrant named Viviane, was setting up chairs outside. He could see her eying them, so he struck first.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Ousette!” He greeted in French, “How is business?”

He’d been working on his French, the better to communicate with Amelia.

She waved a dismissive hand.

“I make enough to keep the lights on and my belly full,” She said, “Sans dec, le fils, are you adding another one?”

“No…this is my sister. She’s coming to stay with us for…” He was not yet ready to concede the whole summer to her, “For a short time.”

Viviane shook her head, and muttered something rather vulgar before returning to her work.

“She’s not so bad, and her food is unbelievable. She just doesn’t really approve of…” He broke off. After all this time, he still wasn’t sure exactly how to refer to it.

“Of the harem?” Megan supplied for him cheerily.

“You know, I really hate it when people call it that,” He said.

“Then what would you call it?”

“The collective,” He tried, and hated businesslike it sounded.

“The…commune.”

Too political.

Megan shrugged.

“I think you should lean in. Own it. Have some fun with it,” She said, “You can have some intraharem chess tournament. Or a Harem Bowling Team. Maybe have a harem D&D campaign or something.”

Jake chuckled, despite his annoyance.

“It’s funny you say that…eh, well, you’ll see I suppose. C’mon,” He said, opening up their apartment.

“Holy smokes…” Megan whispered, wide eyed as she took in the scene around her.

The door from the stairs opened onto the lofted, shared living living room that took up the back half of the building’s triangular design. Each floor had a large entertainment center, one of which was currently occupied by Emily, Rachel and one of Farrah’s two forms, the three of them watching an episode of the Bachelor.

Farrah wore a simple blouse, and jeans that conformed to the contours of her legs and hips, her thick black hair loose around a pair of glasses as she took notes. It was an unusually casual look, and one that immediately got his blood up; though not nearly so much as Emily, who lounged on her stomach, naked, beside her. You’d think he’d been used to the sight by now, but something about how pretty and casual she all made it never failed to stir him.

“Heya babe,” Emily blew him a kiss. “I see Megs talked you into it.”

Jake sighed, dropping Megan’s bag. He slid in next to Emily and she rolled into his lap.

“Did everyone know about this but me?”

Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into a kiss with him.

“There might have been a secret team meeting.”

He let out a soft moan as her body pressed into his, the scent of her luxuriant hair filling his nose. He ran his hands through it, and then along the curve of her body as their lips met. Only belatedly did he become aware of Megan staring; not at the spectacle the two were making of themselves, but at Emily’s bare backside.

“Megs, don’t do that. She can’t help it,” He said, though he found himself unable to conjure an explanation as to why such a condition should exist, as though some wall stood between himself and the knowledge.

“She can look,” Emily withdrew, “Looks I’ve gotten used to.”

Removed from her, he felt a self-conscious flush. He’d grown so used to acting on his affections here, and doing so without shame or limitation, that he’d barely registered in front of who he was doing it. If Megan were bothered, however, she made no show of it. She took a seat on the couch as if nothing had happened.

“This show hardly seems like your sort of entertainment, Dr. Jones-Ali,” she noted.

“Not entertainment. Research,” Farrah corrected. “Part of my ongoing study on American parasocial relationships.”

Rachel scoffed.

“She’s lying. She gets a way better sample of all that with all of our homegrown content here. She’s getting into it and doesn’t want to admit it.”

Farrah smiled.

“I’ll admit, this season has its intrigues. But don’t tell my colleagues back at the university. It would devastate my credibility."

Jake turned to Rachel who was standing up. She was in full work regalia; yoga pants, a sports bra and a light jacket. Nothing deliberately sexy, but something about Rachel dressed in such a fashion had always appealed to him.

“You headed out?” He asked her.

Rachel nodded.

“I gotta meet with Penelope Cruz’ people. She’s got some action thing coming up.”

Megan looked starstruck.

“Oh, I just saw one of her movies. How did you get connected to something like that?”

“Hannah. She got me into training for some of her rich real estate people. And once you start working with the wealthy in New York, it’s not hard to get in with the famous.”

She shrugged.

“One of my clients is a Hollywood big shot. This doesn’t pay as much as the Teppers, or whatever, but it gets me closer to fight choreography. And I wanna do more of that.”

Megan smiled.

“That is so cool!”

“Thanks! Anyway, I gotta jet.”

Jake turned to Farrah as Rachel left.

“Are you back at school, or, y’know?”

“With George? No, not today,” She said.

Farrah’s two forms allowed her to keep one foot in this life and her other in the old one, a trait she shared with Julie. There was some niggling oddness there; some impossibility his mind wouldn’t reconcile, but again, he proved unable to examine it further.

“No, today I’m helping the girls with schoolwork,” She said.

Jake smiled.

“Thank you for that, by the way. It’s good to see them working toward something,” He said. “How’s it coming along?”

“Quite well,” Farrah said, “Lacy’s always been gifted, and I think she’s finally found something in psychology that motivates her. Sabrina is starting at a disadvantage, but she’s a remarkably clever girl now that she’s setting her mind to it. And Lindsey, well…she’s smart, and a bit of a coaster.”

He’d slid beside her, placing his arm behind her waist as she nestled into and against him. The curve of her hip settled into his, immediately arousing him to stiffness, and she drew his hand to her thigh.

“We have a meeting today,” She reminded him quietly, looking up from his shoulder. “The finances.”

“Yeah. I remember,” He said, looking down into her face. “Are you staying among us tonight?”

Farrah met his gaze, her fingers worrying at the top button of her blouse. For a thrilling moment, he thought she’d undo it, but she sat up instead, tapping his chest with the back of her hand.

“Go make your rounds,” She said with a wink that promised future indulgences, “You need to get Megan situated, and you and I will get plenty of facetime later.”

Jake nodded, standing. That was Farrah for you; not a tease, but a temptress, intoxicating your senses until you could think of little else, submitting to you only once you desired her as much as she did you.

Jake collected himself, letting his head cool. Mercifully, Megan seemed to have ignored the exchange, occupying herself in a conversation with Emily.

“So what do you do around here?” Megan asked, “I mean, I know you do art and stuff…”

“But it doesn’t make much money. Sadly, I’m sort of a freeloader,” Emily confessed, “I’m in a lot of the content side of things, but my job is mostly…team companion.”

“I can see that,” Megan agreed, with a slight blush. “You are quite friendly…and I especially enjoy your spots on the pod.”

Emily cocked a blonde eyebrow.

“Which one? The main one or the really adult one?”

Megan’s eyes widened.

“There’s a really adult one?”

“And we’re moving on,” Jake interrupted, hefting her bag. “Come on, Megs.”

Megan looked at him and stuck her tongue out, but ultimately followed.

“So where to next?” Megan asked.

“Next, we get you settled,” He said, leading her up a flight of stairs to the room lofted above the living room. It was a sitting room slowly being consumed by a collection of chairs, loveseats, footstools and end tables; a place where they could all congregate.

“Are the bedrooms up here?” Megan asked.

Jake nodded.

“There’s only ten, and nine of them are spoken for,” He warned, “So your choices are the guest room, and couch surfing..”

Megan stopped, cocking her head.

“Aren’t there a dozen of you?”

“Thirteen,” He corrected.

“So…how does that work?” She asked. “I mean, like, kinda cramped right?”

“There’s some…sharing going on. I have my own. Then Farrah and Lori share one, so do Hannah and Em. And Lacy and Lindsey seem to like being roommates,” He said.

“You’re short one,” She said.

“Pardon?”

“You’re short a room,” She repeated.

Then he remembered.

“Ah, well, Leah makes her own space. It’s…complicated.”

And how on earth would explain that? The way she made the world malleable around her, reshaping its form and inhabitants to her will. Pondering the question now, he couldn’t remember himself, or even how she’d come into his life.

Fortunately Megan relieved him of the burden, opening the guest room and stepping inside.

“This will suit me admirably. And thank you again for letting me do this.”

“I haven’t let you do anything,” He corrected, “Trial run, remember?”

“Sure. Of course. I would never be presumptuous,” She said, with the most presumptive smile he’d ever seen on her.

Jake rattled off the amenities as they discarded her bag.

“Most of the creature comforts are downstairs,” He explained, “The living room, along with the studies, the conference room, the dining room and the kitchen. Up here, we’ve got the sitting room and bedrooms. And then there's a patio and pool on the roof.”

“You have a pool on the roof?” Megan said, “How did you manage that on an old building like this? The historical permitting alone must have been a nightmare, to say nothing of the engineering challenges.”

“Uh, well…y’know,” He stammered, unsure of the answer. “AJ, y’know, she’s part owner of that construction company. And Leah can make all kinds of stuff happen.”

Megan only beamed. There was something impish in it.

“It’s fine. I don’t need the full explanation,” She said, “Aren’t you going to be a gracious host and show me up there?”

Jake shrugged and invited her along, but she stopped again just before they entered the access stairs, and he chuckled when he saw her transfixed with the bulletin board.

On the wall, situated perfectly in the spot where the bedroom hall emptied out around the stairwell into the sitting room beyond, there sat a bulletin full of community announcements. At the moment, it displayed a flyer for Emily’s art show, a sign up sheet for the podcasts, a basic schedule of where everyone would be for the week (Loretta was in DC, presently, and Leah tending her spa) and the whiteboard containing a shopping list of things they were running out of. At present, toilet paper (evergreen), eggs, laundry pods, and cat food were all scribbled on in various residents’ scripts.

But Megan’s attention had fixated on a blue green flier, lined with crude drawings of dice, martini glasses, baseball bats, and cartoonish roasts. Multiple copies sat pinned together, and she’d torn off one.

“This is fascinating!” Megan squealed. He’d rarely seen his sister so effusive.

“Ah, yeah. That’s the event list,” He said, “Lindsey makes it up every month. It’s got all our group activities.”

The softball team they’d formed in an adult league. The weekly movie night. Special celebratory dinners, and video game tournaments. An ice cream social, a cocktail night, a field trip on the 30th to DreamWorks Waterpark. And, just as Megs had predicted, the weekly play schedules for not one, but two tabletop games, one DMed by Lindsey, and the other by his truly.

“Do you really do all this stuff?” Megan asked.

“Some people do,” He said, “Everyone hits and misses stuff from time to time, but we try to keep social. It’s good for us to spend time together, so this is a community instead of a flophouse.”

“Fascinating,” She repeated, “Am I permitted to join while I stay here?”

Jake chuckled.

“Of course you can. You’re our guest,” He said, the added, “My guest.”

She hugged him then; a full armed embrace that didn’t last long, but expressed her enthusiasm. He patted her back, smiling.

“It’s not that big a deal, Megs.”

“Well, it is to me,” She said, relinquishing him, “Kindness is in the eye of the beholder.”

“I think you mean beauty,” He said.

“That too,” She nodded, leading him up the stairs, “Come along. I’d like to see this pool.”

They stepped onto the rooftop bar and patio. Here, so high above the street, the sun and breeze could meet them unobstructed, and it was even prettier than in the park. For a moment, he stood on the corner of the building, watching the Village sprawl out beneath him with a warm smile. Then laughter drew his attention.

He turned to find Megan conversing with Sabrina, Lindsey, and Lacy, who were stretched out on the deck chairs in various swimsuits and summer clothes. Lacy wore a V-neck tee, a green and yellow number that showed her taught midriff above a pair of bikini bottoms, and Sabrina a tube top with boy “shorts” that scarcely warranted the name. Lindsey’s concessions to modesty were limited to a pair of denim cutoffs, though she covered her chest by lying on it.

He eyed the scattering of drinks around them, dubiously.

“Some study session,” he commented.

Sabrina was wearing sunglasses, but he could sense her rolling her eyes as she looked at him. Her voice dropped into a teasing lilt.

“Call it a free period. Besides, we already put in like, two hours earlier.”

“She’s not wrong,” Lacy said, a little more earnestly. “I got ten pages toward my dissertation this morning!”

Jake felt a swell of pride for her. Ryan would never have pushed himself like this, and here was Lacy, knocking on the door of a degree, and eventual career, in psychotherapy. For a moment, he pondered the two, Ryan and Lacy, how one became the other. But like so many of the thoughts ricocheting around his head today, their conciliation proved elusive.

Lindsey stretched out, catlike, propping up a shapely leg. Leaning down she withdrew a lotion bottle, holding it up for him.

“Care to be a gentleman and get my back?”

He took her up on it, massaging her shapely legs.

“Why are you doing this exactly?” He asked, “I thought you just burned.”

“Mmm….fuck that feels good. Honestly this right here is half of it,” She admitted, “Although who knows, maybe I’ll talk Leah into giving me a tan.”

Jake moved to her back, drinking in the sight of her.

“Nah. I don’t think so,” He said, “Wouldn’t work with the hair.”

“Maybe I’ll mix that up, too,” She tried, “Go pink, or blonde.”

“Awe, I like the teal,” He said, “Blue would be cool. Or maybe greener. But I dunno…it’s such a unique color.”

“Leah made it natural, you know that?” She said, “Just a few days ago.”

He arched his eyebrow. He was up to her slender neck now.

“Oh yeah? I just thought you got the brows done, too.”

She looked back over her shoulder at him.

“If I lose the shorts, you can see for yourself.”

He checked to see if Megan was watching, and gave her ass a playful slap when he saw that she wasn’t.

“You’re such a fucking exhibitionist,” He teased, “Y’know, Em misses clothes all the time and you can’t seem to get rid of them fast enough.

“Ugh,” Lindsey groaned, “I’d kill for her deal. I’d trade with her in a second.”

“That tracks,” Sabrina chimed in, “Love you, babes, but you dress like shit.”

“I dress like a hipster,” Lindsey corrected, “Looking a little cheap is part of my whole deal, and it’d be cheaper if I didn’t even have to do that.”

She rolled onto her back, at least possessing the restraint to drape an arm over her chest.

“Do this side?” She asked.

Jake shook his head.

“Not in front of the s-i-s,” He said.

Lindsey stuck her tongue out at him before rolling over again.

“You’re no fun.”

He found Megan engaged with Lacy, and caught the conversation mid-stream.

“So that’s my dissertation. 19th century romanticism. What’s yours?” She asked.

“Gender normativity, sexual identity, that sort of thing,” Lacy said, with an adorable little blush.

Her work was of a deeply personal character; a study of self as much as general psychology, and she shared it only with trepidation. Megan seemed to sense it, but charged ahead.

“It sounds fascinating,” She said, “If you ever want a proofreader, or contributor, or what have you, I’d be happy to make myself available.”

Lacy tilted her head, blowing a stray, black bang from her face as she did.

“Well, I don’t mean to pry, but is there some…gender confusion I wasn’t aware of.”

Jake raised his eyebrow, as curious as Lacy. But Megan only furiously shook her head.

Her gaze met his for a moment, and then she leaned in close to Lacy, whispering to her. He watched as Lacy’s eyes widened.

“Oh…Interesting!” She said, with a smile, “Well, if you’re into it, I think I’d love to add your voice to my interviews.”

“Anyway, we worked really hard today. We’re gonna get back to it later, but we earned a break.” Sabrina said, pushing past his inquiry.

“Ehhh,” Lindsey said, making a seesawing gesture, “You two worked really hard today. I did okay, but I’m taking a break anyway.”

Megan was sitting up now, leaning toward the three of them conspiratorially, as though it would somehow stop him from hearing every word she said.

“Hey, since I’m going to be staying with you guys all summer–” She started.

“Unbelievable, what’s happening right now,” Jake groused.

“--You think I could guest on the podcast? Like, once a month or something.”

This request, at least, seemed to make them a little uncomfortable. Lacy and Sabrina exchanged a look, but it was, as ever, Lindsey who expressed what they were all thinking.

“I mean, we talk about a lot of horny harem stuff. I kinda think having Jake’s sister on there might freak people out.”

“No no. I don’t wish to…we don’t need to tell them that part,” She said, “We can pretend I’m…a journalist, perhaps. Or a sociologist. Someone studying, with an outsider’s perspective.”

“That might be kinda cool, actually,” Sabrina allowed.

“Guys, okay. I think I need to put my foot down on-”

“Juju!” Megan interrupted him.

He turned to find Julie. She was in secretary form today, blonde hair piled in a professional bun, with dark-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. A tight, white blouse hugged her chest and waist, tucked into a pencil skirt barely long enough to contain her shapely bottom. Dark hose covered her long legs, ending in shiny red pumps.

For a moment, he was dumbstruck by the sight of her. It was one of her most alluring getups.

“Do you have a moment?” She held up a binder, “Hannah and Farrah would like to go over the numbers with you.”

He turned back to Megan, who inexplicably had a violent blue drink in her hand, despite not having moved to the bar.

“You cool if I pop out for a bit?”

She made an okay sign, taking a drink that left a line on her upper lip.

“Take all the time you need. I’d like to explore a bit on my own in any case.”

“You guys stay sober enough to study, okay? Farrah’s taking George day off for this.”

“Yes, Dad!” Four voices including, annoyingly enough, Megan’s called in unison before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

He followed Julie, admiring the sway in her hips as she went. It was such a gorgeous look for her, and on top of that, one of the most useful; part accountant, part rolodex, part scheduler. As they made their way down the stairs, from the rooftop to the conference room on the first floor, he employed that latter capacity.

“Hey, Jules, who are my dates this week?”

Without so much as glancing at notes, she rattled them off.

“I’ve got you booked for a Tuesday dinner with Leah at Club A’s. Hannah agreed to Saturday night as well, so she’ll be meeting you, AJ and Lacy at Boho’s for Karaoke,” She said, turning to him with a smile, “And on Thursday, you have me.”

Jake was a poor keeper of his own personal schedule, but he had a solid running tally on which of the girls he was seeing, and when.

“I thought you and I were going out next Thursday,” He said.

“We were. But Loretta needs a husband for a party event in Philly, and I had to bump you so you could attend,” She said.

“Fair enough,” He said, though it would mean significant reworks of his work calendar to make it happen, “Do you know where we’re going yet?”

She gave him a coy smile.

“I'd be a poor secretary if I didn’t.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“And ruin the surprise? Not a chance,” She teased, giving him a peck on the lips; a gentle, but intimate, inviting one, “Don’t worry, I’ve stayed on budget this time.”

Jake made it a point to go out with the ladies on a regular basis, a feat which took some doing given how many of them he had to fit in. There were dinners and movies, of course, but also club nights, miniature golfing and all manner of other activities one or the other of them enjoyed.

But it was Julie’s dates he looked forward to the most. She picked activities she felt she’d missed out on in that nebulous before. With her it was skydiving, interactive art installations and forays into exotic neighborhoods where neither of them spoke the language of those surrounding them. The others gave him dates, Julie gave him adventures.

He returned her flirtatious kiss with a more forward one, and she craned her neck to meet it. She allowed him one more, for his hand a brief incursion beneath her skirt before she laid a finger on his lips.

“Keep your powder dry, sir,” She said, “We have business to attend to.”

Reluctantly, he nodded, collecting himself.

They’d reached their destination now, the conference room with its long, glass walls surrounding a table big enough to seat all of them, with a large TV for presentation behind them. It was for meetings, both within and without the group, but also where they often played games and had meals together. With every chair available, the table was just long enough to seat all of them with a couple seats to spare.

Hannah and Farrah were waiting within, his brain trust who helped him administer everything from inventory to scheduling, and above all, the money that kept their collective lifestyle afloat. There was a third figure in the room as well.

“Oh, you brought Amelia. Thank you, I was going to ask.”

She gave him a mock pout.

“What kind of assistant do you take me for?”

He opened the door for them, and they stepped inside.

“Thanks for doing this guys,” He opened, “I know I set this whole thing up, and I’m sorry I’m running late. My little sister blindsided me…Not to stress what we’re already here to talk about, but she’s going to be staying with us for a bit.”

“That shouldn’t be a difficulty,” Farrah said. “I doubt she takes up more than the things we already stock, and we get more than we need as is.”

“Shall we go over the numbers?” Hannah asked, as a spreadsheet of their inflows and outflows appeared on the presentation screen.

Their expenses were staggering. Feeding, housing and providing entertainment for 13 people was not cheap in New York City. But finally, after a couple of years, their cashflow and investments had outpaced their enormous cost of living, and looked only to be on the rise from here. It was his and Hannah’s income, Loretta’s speaking engagements, and the ever lucrative content business that Sabrina and Lacy continually found new ways to grow. It was Leah, putting her powers to work in the salon, Julie donning work clothes to lend her services, Farrah’s book royalties, and lately, it was Amelia above all.

He dropped into French, turning to her.

“Who was right on Oriza?” He asked, referring to an AI company that she’d invested in, and he’d shorted.

Amelia preened, tossing her hair. In theory she should look absurd. Her uniform today bore a peplum skirt that barely covered the essentials, exposing long legs clad in white stockings. An apron was built into a bodice, which hefted her generous chest and left her olive shoulders bare.

Yet when she opened her mouth, she was all business.

“You know who was right,” She said. “You knew when you put the money down. If you’d thought I was wrong, you’d have invested more than me.”

A point, though an irritating one. He was always reticent in betting against her, and not just because it was both their money. Becoming their maid had done nothing to dampen her killer instinct.

“You sound disappointed,” Farrah added in French, every bit as fluent as Amelia’s.

“I’m disappointed because I think they’re an evil, overleveraged company,” Jake said.

Amelia preened, making a point to push her breasts together.

“He’s disappointed because he lost his shirt to the woman who cleans the sheets.”

The tone was friendly enough, but he could tell she was enjoying herself.

“It’s like watching a foreign movie without the subtitles,” Hannah sighed. “Might we return this conversation to English?”

“How much are we up by?” He asked, obliging her..

“$750,000,” Amelia answered, before adding, “And it’s not even a top three in my portfolio this year.”

A round of applause broke out after Farrah translated, and Jake couldn’t help but admire his one time rival. For all their differences, he was glad she had a place among them.

They spent some more time discussing inventory, future sources of revenue, and upcoming major expenditures before disbanding. On his way out he caught Julie’s light blue eyes, and she gave him a sweet, genuine smile that warmed his heart. Julie, who had such a hard time of things, had grown so much more confident and comfortable with them all.

Thursday, he thought, Though damned if tonight won’t be a tough choice.

He looked for Megan. With no sign of her downstairs, he climbed up to the second floor, where he nearly literally ran into AJ.

“You seen my sister?” He asked.

“Megs is here?” She asked, “No fucking way, that rules!”

He chuckled.

“Good to know you weren’t all in on it,” He said, before pausing. He found he badly wanted a taste of normalcy. “You uh…got a sec?”

“For you?” AJ asked, “Obviously. Something up?”

“Nah,” He said, “Just wanna pick your brain a bit.”

She smiled.

“I gotcha. Balcony?”

“Deal.”

The only balcony sat off the master bedroom; his, of course. It was a tiny, metal thing, with only enough space for the two lawn chairs he kept there, and the small table between them. AJ slid in next to him. There was a sharp crack as she popped the tab on two bottles of Genny Cream. They clinked them together, took a swallow, and enjoyed the comfortable silence that was the exclusive providence of siblings, the long married, and old friends.

The ritual observed, he broke the silence.

“So we went over the numbers just now,” He said, “You’re making a killing, y’know.”

After some discussion, they’d invested in an ownership stake in her construction company. It had been an elevation of her responsibilities, but she’d handled it well.

“Yeah? I didn’t think I’d be up for this ownership thing, but I guess from manager it wasn’t that big a’ jump.”

“Never doubted you,” Jake said.

“That means a lot,” She said, and he could hear the earnestness in her voice, though she didn’t let it linger for long. “But I’m bettin’ you didn’t call me out here to talk about me.”

If Hannah and Farrah were his brain trust, the management group that kept everyone housed and fed and comfortable, then AJ was the union boss. Nobody was more attuned to who felt neglected, who was upset, who needed something. Nobody had a better handle on what was working, and what wasn’t. It was true for the girls, but also for him.

“So what’s up?” She asked, “Megan?”

“Yeah,” Jake admitted. “I just don’t know about all this. Having her here. All of that.”

AJ kicked legs up on the railing, leaning back.

“I get it, believe me. This place is horny as shit. She’s your sister. Makes sense you’d feel weird about it.”

Jake let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you! I feel like everyone’s been trying to convince me I’m crazy for that,” He said, “I’m glad someone else sees this is a bad idea.”

AJ chuckled.

“Don’t get too far ahead of me. I don’t know if I’m saying I agree,” She said, “Just that I get it.”

He groaned.

“Not you, too.”

But AJ put her hand on his shoulder.

“Talk me through it. I got the basics and all that, but let’s go through…I dunno…the worst case scenario of Megs being here. What worries you?”

Jake thought it over. That he slept with so many of them. That he was so eager for all of them. That he sat at the center of it, as someone they all looked up to, and that it felt so indulgent.

He talked through it, and as he did, she didn’t interrupt. AJ sat, sipping her beer, listening until he finished, adding only the occasional, “I hear you,” “Makes sense,” or, “Totally”. Only when he finally subsided did she speak up.

“So, I get all that. But you didn’t really answer my question,” She said. “Well, not directly anyways.”

“I’m…not following,” He said.

“I asked about Megan. Why you wouldn’t want her here. And you answered with a bunch of stuff about how you felt about the whole thing.”

He met her gaze.

“You’re driving at something. I don’t know what, but you are.”

AJ pulled back her legs, sitting straight. Her lips pursed as she mulled the thought.

“I think you’re embarrassed. The sex stuff, the alternative lifestyle, how much you enjoy it, all that,” She said, “But Megan’s a big girl. She knows about all that.”

“Doesn’t make it go away,” he said.

“Yeah, but she clearly doesn’t give a shit, so let’s put it all aside for a sec.”

He considered all the things she’d ignored throughout their visit, and supposed it was true.

“Alright. So what happens when we set it aside?” He asked.

AJ smiled, leaning back again.

“You tell me. What do you think we’ve got here?”

He thought it over. Julie, coming out of her funk. Lacy embracing her new self. Sabrina letting her persona go and embracing who she was. He saw Emily and Hannah, once an odd division in his life who now formed a new harmony, and Rachel, relaxed and inclusive instead of jealous and lonely. The big picture was the outings, the laughter, the community they shared and the myriad ways they enriched one another’s lives.

And as he thought it, the real truth of it all dawned on him.

“Holy shit,” He said, standing up. A slow smile crept to his face, “I need to go find Megs.”

AJ looked up at him, confused.

“The fuck you on about?” She asked, “You look like you’re having an epiphany.”

“I am,” he agreed, leaning down to give her a hug, “Thank you for helping me see it.”

He left herto her confusion. He didn’t want to explain the show, the dream sequences, any of the things that this alternative version of her wouldn't understand. But he remembered them now.

It was all Megan’s design, he realized; to show him this vision and then bring his memory back. And now that he had it, he wanted to talk to her.

But in this, he was disappointed. As he approached the guest room, there was no sign of her beyond a note written in her neat, careful script.

Jake,

If you’re reading this, I can only suppose it’s because you’ve recognized the dream for what it is. I apologize for preserving my own understanding of the situation while denying you the same, but it was not without purpose.

I know how much this situation troubles you; that we are coerced, that we’re exploited, that we’re being changed against our will. I think what bothers most is that you are the beneficiary of it all. But it isn’t all bad. Given the choice to show you anything, I opted to show you an alternative world in which we had not been coerced, or exploited, in which our odd union was an act of our will. I believe that world could be fun, romantic, or even beautiful.

People are obdurate by nature. Even in the face of disaster, we carry on, we strive, and we grow. Though none of us wished for our present disaster, we will all inevitably have to do the same. And I truly believe that as we carry on, it could be fun, it could be romantic, and it could even be beautiful.

There is a light at the end of this tunnel. And if we get through it together, we may find ourselves better, and happier on the other side. I know I have, and I think you can, too.

Go enjoy the remainder of this vision as best you can. I’m sorry for disappearing on you, but I have a very important item to check off my list, and I need to do it alone.

Sincerely,

Megs

Jake sniffed as he read. He’d always treated Megan as a child, and he could see now what a mistake that had been. She even saw that she was right.

“Thank you, Megs,” He said to no one, and looking around, he wondered where she’d gotten off to.

As if it may have the answer, he wandered toward the sitting room, and stopped to admire what he found there; every one of the women roped into the game, occupying various seats, engaged with one another. Only Megan was missing.

Loretta sat in a blue dress, playing cards with Julie and one of the Farrah’s, the other worked on her daughter’s makeup. Lindsey had traded her short shorts and nothing for one of his t-shirts and nothing, and sat drinking wine with Rachel and Emily. Hannah wore an evening slip that clung to her shapely body, and lay on the floor next to Sabrina, who guided her fumbling through a game she’d evidently never played before. AJ cuddled with Leah, stroking her long, beautiful dark hair.

Somehow, time had shifted as he’d read his sister’s letter. It was late evening now, and Amelia wore a revealing black nightgown with a built in apron as she clicked up to him.

“May I get you a nightcap?” She asked, her voice dropping. “Or perhaps you’re looking for your evening company.”

This was part of his life in this world, he realized, and would continue to be when he returned to his altered one; choosing who to go to bed with each night. He remembered Farrah against his hip, and the shape of Lindsey’s body as he rubbed it with oil. Perhaps he’d try out Leah’s abilities in the bedroom before the dream ended, or enjoy the company of these emboldened versions of Amelia and Julie. He felt a brief flash of curiosity about AJ, who he’d slept with as a woman, but not as a man. He was sure she would do it, at least here, but respected his friend too much to take advantage of even her likeness.

Jake smiled, and called out to his selections.

Elsewhere…

Megan enjoyed the company of the other girls. The three had become her closest friends since she’d been abducted for the show.

“I think I’m going to head back to my new room,” Megan said, “Get changed into something more comfortable.”

“You do that,” Lacy beamed. “We’ll probably still be here.”

“And the place is big, but it’s not a mansion. You can find us,” Sabrina agreed.

She stood there awkwardly for a moment before dismissing herself, trotting down the stairs to the bedrooms. She had mapped this place out in her head before the dream, and even created some rudimentary floor plans on a drafting computer in the island’s library. It was more work than she’d strictly needed to do, and she’d felt more constrained by realism than she probably should have, but it had allowed her a finite control as she’s built the world Jake would spend four hours inhabiting.

Jake and herself. He was the reason for these visions, and she at least hoped she’d given him plenty to do and to think about. But she existed in it too, with all the freedom of movement he had. And since he was busy, she had an agenda.

She slipped into the guest room she’d claimed as her own, and from there, into the small bath. She slipped out of her kitten heels and into the shower, as a safety precaution. The floor was smooth, and it’d be no good if she fell and broke her nose or shattered her skull, or any similar calamity. She wondered what would happen in such an eventuality. Would she wake up? Would it end the dream for both of them? If you died in the dream, did you die in real life?

“I’m stalling,” She said aloud, realizing it only as the words escaped.

She was nervous. She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and stepped through the wall.

The room on the other side was much like that which she’d left, except it was night, rather than day. The lighting was warm, but low, and provided as much by the cityscape beyond the windows as the lights within.

And she wasn’t alone.

“There she is,” Sabrina’s voice said from her bed.

“I was starting to wonder if she got distracted or something,” Another added, this one a boy’s, about her age.

“Sorry. I uh…I had to…y’know, Jake and whatnot.” She stammered. Had she kept them waiting too long?

For a moment she wondered if she should have brought something, flowers, or wine, or something to set the mood. But that was absurd…wasn’t it?

“We know,” Sabs said cooly, “We just wanted to make sure you had enough time.”

She wore the outfit Megan had imagined for her. It was nothing special; a camisole and a pair of panties, her chestnut hair brushed out and loose to her waist., though not done up in any particular style. It was how Megan had found her one night upon returning to their room, casually browsing on her phone, and she’d remembered thinking, “God…how can she be so beautiful so easily? She doesn’t even try, and she looks better than I ever will.”

It was an image that had been burned into her mind, and now made manifest before her.

“Take a seat,” the boy said, gesturing toward the bed. “And try to relax a bit.”

Megan nodded nervously, sitting between him and Sabrina..

Dev was a boy in her program at Columbia, and a frequent at the social events and impromptu after school hang outs for the apartment. Megan had never been terribly adept at talking to boys, but Dev was one she could, and he had a nice smile, and pretty eyes. This both was Dev, and wasn’t; he was taller than the genuine article, and muscular. His hair, rather than medium length was more lustrous, parted in waves that begged for a lady’s fingers.

Megan had a crush on him for years. This was not Dev, not really, anyway. It was a fantasized, imaginary version ripped straight from her smuttiest novels.

“So…how is this supposed to go?” She asked. “I mean…are you supposed to seduce me or something?”

She swallowed. Oh god, She thought, Am I supposed to seduce them?!

“Little forward, aren’t we?” Sabrina asked, shifting her long, pretty legs behind her, “And I have to say, generating a special room to screw your new best friend is a bit strange.”

Dev chuckled.

“At least you two are close,” He said, “I think I’m more of a fantasy than anything.”

“No, I mean…that’s not true,” Megan protested, gathering her skirt into a ball, “We’ve had…conversations. Y’know, pleasantries, and whatnot. There was that one time, too, right after the Christmas party…”

She pouted.

“This is so unfair. Even my erotic representations are bullying me.”

Dev gave her a smile that disarmed her frustration.

“I remember. We talked for an hour about healthcare policies. I’d never seen you so animated.”

Megan felt herself blush.

“You should relax,” Sabrina said, sliding in behind her, “We are totally fucking with you, but it’s all in good fun.”

Megan felt Sabrina’s hands work at her shoulders, relaxing them. She pulled Megan’s auburn hair loose, and kissed her neck. Megan turned her head, returning the kiss. Sabrina’s fingers explored her breasts and ran through her hair. After a moment, she pulled back.

“This isn’t working,” Megan said, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Sabrina said, softly, giving her a kiss on the cheek, “I’m not really surprised.”

Megan bit her lip.

“You’re not?”

“I don’t think you want to be with me, babes. I think you want to be me,” Sabrina said. “I’m…what’s the word…”

“Aspirational,” Megan whispered.

“Yeah. You’re attracted to my presence. How I’m like, in charge of my womanhood or whatever. But you don’t wanna fuck me.”

Megan nodded. It made sense.

“It makes sense. I don’t really think I’m into girls,” She said. “It’s somewhat confusing, though.”

“I don’t think you’re immune. There’s one in particular,” Sabrina said, but patted her thigh, “But it’s not me. I think we’re buddies.”

The tensions left her shoulders, and she breathed easier. It was as if a weight had lifted. She didn’t want to be in love with Sabs. She wanted a friend, and this was a relief.

“Does that make it my turn?” Dev asked.

She turned to him, biting her lip.

“Only if you…y’know…want it to be,” She said.

He stepped toward her, but she kept babbling.

“I wouldn’t want to…to coerce you. Or…”

“You’re a beautiful woman.” He said, “You…do know that, right? That you’re sexy.”

She had undergone some changes, she supposed. And people had told her she was pretty. But she’d never thought of herself as sexy, before. And here, trembling before what was, for all practical purposes, a video game NPC, it still felt hard to believe.

“You don’t have to coerce me,” He said. His fingers fell to her dress, undoing one button, and then the next. He was gentle, taking his time, and with each that loosened, Megan felt her heart quicken. “Besides…I’m kind of imaginary.”

“Mmm…don’t ruin it,” She muttered.

She felt Sabrina slip in behind her, and let out a yelp of surprise as she unzipped her dress.

“Just making it easier for you,” Sabrina cooed in Megan’s ear, giving her a flirty kiss on the cheek that made her wonder all over if their assessment about her feelings for her new friend had been accurate.

“And while I’m back here,” Sabrina added, as she felt her bra unhook.

“One at a time now. Let’s not overwhelm her,” Dev chided.

Somehow, Megan found the courage to look into his face.

“My dress, please?” She said.

Dev bowed low, smiling.

“As my lady commands.”

She liked that, she realized. And as Sabrina spoke up again, she realized something else.

“So, should I fuck off or something?” She asked.

Megan shook her head.

“No…you stay. And…uhm…have some fun while I’m doing it, if you take my meaning.”

Megan’s back was to her, but she could hear the smile on Sabrina’s face.

“What if I don’t?”

“No bullying…” She moaned at Sabs.

Dev was removing her bra now, tossing aside. With the back of his finger, he traced a line along her flat belly, up to her breast, which he teased with his thumb. Megan tilted her head back, moaning.

He gently removed her glasses, setting them aside, and her world devolved into blurry sensation. He was an attentive lover in all the ways she’d fantasized, not groping her body so much as worshiping it. She gasped as he kissed her breasts, stopping to suckle a nipple. His kisses traveled down her stomach, and when his strong hands moved her thighs apart, she gasped as she felt his kiss on her lower lip.

From the corner of her eye, Megan saw Sabrina spread her own legs, and her hand travel beneath her panties. She felt a rush as she realized her command made her do it; another data point toward the things she wanted to learn about herself.

Dev entered her, then, his thrust strong, but gentle. This was her understanding of the process, drawn from the pages of hundred years old books; sex as an act of beauty and worship. She cried out, balling the sheets in her fists.

Afterward, she lay in his arms, head resting on his broad chest. She loved the feel of him beneath her, his solidity and strength.

“How was it?” He asked.

“Good…” She breathed. “Very, very good.”

Megan consulted her internal clock, and realized she still had some time. She pushed herself up, looking down into his face.

“If you think you’re up for it again, though…”

“I can be up for anything,” Dev said. “I don’t really have a staminal limit.”

She bit her lip.

“But it would help if Sabs and I…you know, played around a bit? Get you back in the mood?”

No. That was lame, shy Megan talking. And she wanted to be assertive, fledging sexual goddess Megan.

“Sabs, I want to put on a show for him.”

She turned to Sabrina, and pulled her top off to reveal her perky chest. She kissed her with performative passion, pulling her tight as their breasts came together.

Looking back over her shoulder, she met Dev’s gaze. He looked impressed. She’d had the Victorian romance version of her fantasy. What she wanted now was the trashy bodice ripper.

“And this time,” She said, “Be kinda rough with me.”