Mark sits up straighter in his chair and folds his hands on the table. I don’t mean to put him on the spot, but I genuinely want to learn more about these men, especially if we’re to have a new kind of relationship.
“Well, I have always been interested in English and Literature. My parents were worried that a bachelor’s degree wasn’t enough to ensure a steady career, so they encouraged me to go for my master’s. I was able to teach a few community college courses with that, but it wasn’t enough for me or my parents. If I’m going to teach, I want to do it at the university level.”
“That’s an impressive goal.”
Mark blushes. “Maybe not as impressive as a literary journal...”
I laugh. “That’s not a done deal. University jobs are probably more stable than working for a journal.”
“True. But probably not as satisfying.”
I disagree. It seems like both Mark and John love teaching. They’re not selfish with their knowledge. They want other people to learn. And they’re really good at it. I feel like I’ve learned more in my lit class with them at the helm than in all of my other courses put together. Plus, I enjoy going to class every week, and not just because the professor and the TA are hot. They make it fun to learn. I understand why they chose this career path.
“You’re a natural at teaching,” I say. “You seem so comfortable in front of people. I could never do that.”
“It’s a learned skill. I hated public speaking in high school. My undergrad courses helped me learn to enjoy it, but speaking in front of others still stresses me out.”
“Really?” I ask doubtfully. “I don’t believe that.”
“Believe it! I’m much more comfortable behind a computer screen.”
“Wow! I never would have guessed from your presence in class.”
Mark shrugs. “I’m good at faking it. The truth is, my passion isn’t with teaching. I’m a card shark.”
I scrunch my brow. “What does that mean?”
“It means I do a lot of gambling. Most of it is online.”
“I didn’t peg you as a gambler.”
He laughs. “Hey, just because I’m good with words doesn’t mean I’m bad with numbers!”
“That’s not what I mean! I told you, my dad gave up a journalism career for accounting.”
“Your dad and I would get along well, I bet.”
“Well, you are a betting man, after all.”
“That I am. And I do pretty well for myself.”
John scoffs. “Pretty well?”
Mark rolls his eyes. “Yeah, pretty well.”
John turns to me. “Don’t let his modesty fool you. He does better than he’s letting on. Mark takes in more than six figures a year just from gambling.”
I gasp. “Are you serious?!?”
“Yeah, it’s true. It pays my student loans, at least.”
“Damn! I should get into that business.”
“It’s not easy, but I love it. I’m not sure I’ll even bother with teaching when I finish my doctorate. I make plenty of money just playing cards, and I can do that from the safety of my home.”
“You’d give up teaching?”
“Yeah, I would. My parents would be pissed, but I would be happier. I think I would be fine teaching, but it’s not really where my passion lies.”
I can’t imagine going through the effort of getting my doctorate, only to give up English for gambling!
“Why didn’t you major in math or statistics?” I ask.
“Because I’m better at the practical stuff. Sitting in a classroom for math was always hard for me. I can handle gambling in an online setting, but taking tests and stuff was hard. I would’ve flunked out before I could earn a degree. I tried taking a few classes during my undergrad, but they were a waste. I barely passed. And I only did because I showed my professors my gambling abilities so they would believe I could do math.”
“Well, that’s good. I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this...”
John laughs. “Are you regretting getting to know us?”
I shake my head quickly. “No! Not even a little bit. I’m just surprised.”
“I like surprising people,” John says. “My time in Nepal tends to do that to people.”
“Same. No one ever believes I’m a gambler.”
“I’m still trying to believe it. I might need to see you in action sometime.”
“I’m best online, where it’s hard to have spectators, but I’ll take you to Atlantic City someday and show you how it goes.”
“I’d like that,” I admit. Not only do I want to learn more about these guys, but I want to experience them, too. I’m not sure I can travel to Nepal, but Atlantic City I can handle.
I quietly finish the pasta Mark made as I wrap my mind around all they’ve said. I’d expected to find out about the guys’ families and careers. Instead, I’ve learned surprising facts about them that no one else would believe. English TA’s aren’t supposed to be card sharks. Professors don’t typically spend two years in Nepal.
Yet the more I think about it, the less surprised I am. I can see John out in the wild, climbing mountains and living off the land. I don’t want to picture him screwing a bunch of Nepalese women, but I believe he did that, too.
I look at Mark and picture him in a dark room, sitting in front of his computer with a gambling site loaded up. I’m not as familiar with how all of that works, but the image fits. Mark may seem confident, but now that I’m looking for it, I see the underlying shyness we share.
What do the guys think about what I’ve shared? I’m so boring compared to them! I’ve barely left New York, let alone gone on an overseas adventure. My farthest trip was to Florida when I was a kid. And I don’t remember much of it.
I’ve gone with Jessica to her parents’ Hampton’s house in the summer, but that’s not even close to a trip to Nepal or even comparable to gambling online. Mark and John live such exciting lives. What do I do? I go to school and then to my dorm room to do homework. I’m the exact opposite of them!
Are they changing their minds about me? Surely, they want someone more exciting than I am. They’d get bored with me in a second.
My plate is empty. I have no excuse to stay quiet any longer.
“I feel so boring compared to the two of you,” I admit.
“Oh! Don’t worry about it, Mari. You’re so young! We talked about this. You have plenty of time to add to your accomplishments, and I have no doubt you will.”
Mark’s faith in me sends a shiver down my spine. I hope he’s right. I want to travel and experience new things. That’s part of why I showed up here. I need to step out of my comfort zone. Being with John and Mark is about as far from my comfort zone as I can get.
“Thank you,” I say. That’s all there is to add. I set my fork down on my plate and lean back in my chair. I’m comfortably full from the pasta and garlic bread. If they eat like this regularly, I might need to join them for dinner all of the time. The dining halls at NYU aren’t bad, but they’re not great, either. I much prefer eating at my parents’ kitchen. I won’t tell my mom this, but Mark’s cooking is slightly better.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” Mark asks as if he can read my thoughts.
“I did, very much. Thank you for cooking. And for having me over. This has been fun.”
John smiles. “We’re not done yet. Why don’t we head to the living room?”
“Okay. Can I help you clean up first?”
Mark shakes his head. “You’re our guest!”
“Please, I want to. At least let me bring my plate to the kitchen.”
Realizing they aren’t going to win this battle, Mark and John grab their own plates and the pasta and bread bowls. I follow the two of them into the kitchen. We’ve all cleaned our plates, so we set them into the dishwasher.
“See! Easy enough to let me help.”
“You’re right. But now, you are our guest.”
John reaches into a cupboard for a bottle of wine and three glasses. He leads the way to the living room he showed me earlier. I didn’t get a chance to really look around on our brief tour. The room has two large couches in an L shape. There’s a large TV mounted on the wall. Below it is a beautiful brick fireplace.
“Wow!” I exclaim. “I didn’t know there were fireplaces in apartments!”
John laughs. “I had to get special permission to have it. It was built custom for this apartment.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Even more so when I fire it up. Pun intended.”
I laugh. John loves to crack Dad jokes like that in class. Most of the other students groan, but I find it endearing. I bet he’ll make a great father someday.
John lights the fire while Mark and I settle onto the largest couch. I sit in the middle with Mark to my left. When he’s finished with the fire, John takes the seat to my right.
We’re silent for a few minutes, enjoying the slow warmth of the burning fire. It feels like Christmas, even though that’s still a couple of months away.
“Do you decorate the fireplace for the holidays?” I ask.
“I don’t usually. Maybe I will this year. You can help me, if you’d like.”
“I’d like that very much. It would be such a waste not to have stockings and boughs on a fireplace in December!”
“Honestly, I don’t spend much time in this apartment. I’m mostly here to eat and sleep.”
“Where do you write?” I ask.
“At a coffee shop in Brooklyn. Yes, I realize that’s cliché. You should see the other clientele. They’re exactly what you’d expect at a coffee shop in Brooklyn. It’s a great atmosphere.”
“That sounds nice. But if I had an apartment like this, I don’t think I’d ever leave.”
John grins. “Well, speaking of, you could spend a lot more time here if you want.”
My stomach flutters. “I could?”
“Yes. We want to talk to you a bit more about the offer we made last week.”
“I think that would be a good idea.”
Mark moves to the arm of the couch on John’s side so they can both look at me. I adjust myself so that I’m facing the two of them. It almost feels like I’m being chastised, but the looks on their faces are far from angry. If anything, I see lust reflected in their eyes as they look at me. I hope that’s what they’re feeling because it’s what I’m feeling. My panties have been damp since I walked into the apartment.
The place itself is gorgeous, but what really got to me was seeing Mark in the kitchen fixing dinner. It was such a hot, domestic scene that I got immediately turned on. If I weren’t so nervous, I would’ve jumped them right then.
John takes Mark’s hand in his. “As we told you last week, we’re bisexual. We enjoy both men and women.”
I nod. I’ve known what ‘bisexual’ means for years, thanks to health class, but I still did some Googling over the weekend to learn more. I feel quite prepared for this conversation.
“That means that Mark and I enjoy each other’s bodies, as well as those of other women. For the past year and a half, we’ve been in a monogamous relationship. We’re looking to switch things up. We want a woman to join us.”
I stare at them, stunned. I know they told me all of this already, but hearing it again is overwhelming. Can I really do this?
“I have a few questions,” I admit, “if that’s okay.”
John leans forward. “Of course! Ask away.”
I open my mouth to say something, but words don’t come out. I know what to ask, but I’m embarrassed. All of that Googling I did led to some interesting stories. I need clarification.
“Does this mean…well, I was wondering…would it be, like, sex one-on-one and then switching partners, like swingers?”
The men are amused. My cheeks flush red with embarrassment. I probably sound like such a child to them. Maybe I should’ve done more research…
“We have gay sex sometimes,” Mark begins. I’m shocked by his frankness, but I appreciate it. We don’t need to beat around the bush here. I need answers if I’m going to agree to this. “But like we said, something has been missing. We need a woman to join us.”
“So would I play with both of you…or one at a time?” I stammer.
They both shrug. That’s not helpful.
Finally, John gives me a straight answer. “It could be one of us or both of us. It depends on what we feel like doing at the moment.”
I gape at them. Are they serious? This seems so intense, but they’re making it sound casual. I guess for them, it is casual.
“Does the school know you’re gay?” I manage to ask.
Mark laughs. “We’re not gay; we’re bisexual. The important question is how do you feel about that?”
“I’m fine with it.”
“Good. The school is aware of our sexual orientations but not that we’re in a relationship with each other.”
That makes sense. They’d already mentioned that the school doesn’t know they’re together. I understand that part. I guess NYU is pretty forward-thinking when it comes to LGBT people. That’s good to know. I’m sure if they knew about John and Mark being together, they wouldn’t be as open-minded. Not because it’s a gay relationship, but because one of them is technically in a position of power over the other.
I’m shocked but titillated at the same time. My mind starts to wander as I look in awe at Mark and John. I can picture the two of them kissing, touching each other… My pussy is getting wetter by the minute. I never thought I’d get turned on by the thought of two men having sex, but here I am!
“Okay,” I finally say. “I want to give it a try.”
“Really?” Mark asks.
I nod. This may be insane, but I’m in. “Yes. Really.”
Mark doesn’t waste a second. He leans in and kisses me hard on the lips. I lean into the kiss as his arms wrap around me. He forces my mouth open to taste me with his tongue.
I moan against his lips. How did these guys get so damn good at kissing? I’ll be ruined for men if this arrangement doesn’t work out. No one else could possibly be as good as they are.
While Mark and I kiss, John decides to work elsewhere. One hand snakes up my shirt and fondles my breasts while his other makes its way into the front of Mark’s jeans. We both moan at John’s touch.
Mark’s hands get to work as well. We’re a tangle of arms and lips on the couch. My jeans are open, and Mark is touching me over my panties.
“Oh, fuck, that’s good,” I moan.
“You know what would feel even better?” Mark whispers huskily.
I meet his eyes. “Please, I want it.”
Mark immediately stands and drops his jeans to the floor. I slide my own jeans off. John, not one to be left out, does the same.
“You don’t get to have all of the fun,” John pouts.
“Baby, I know what you want,” Mark responds. “Let’s show Mari how we do this.”
My eyes widen. John lines himself up with Mark’s back and slowly penetrates his ass. Holy shit! I’ve never seen gay sex before. My pussy is so wet watching them.
“Don’t think we forgot about you,” Mark says. “Get up on the arm of the couch.”
I eagerly do as I’m told while John thrusts in and out of Mark’s ass. Both men are moaning like crazy. It’s so hot!
Mark shuffles forward and stands between my legs. John is still behind him, his hips working hard to pleasure both himself and Mark. John kisses Mark’s neck as Mark leans forward to kiss me.
Mark guides his hard cock to my waiting center. I nearly cum when his hot tip enters me. I’ve been waiting for this moment since that day in John’s office.
“That’s it, Mari, take my cock,” Mark says, slowly sliding in me. I lean as far forward on the arm of the couch as I can without falling off. “Good girl!”
“Please, Mark, give me everything you have!”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Mark’s thrusting starts in earnest. It’s crazy that Mark is having sex with me while John is fucking him from behind. I didn’t know people actually did things like this! I don’t know if I can ever return to regular sex now. It feels too damn good.
During one big thrust, Mark is all the way inside me, his balls pressing against my stomach. John leans around Mark’s neck to give me a quick kiss. When Mark pulls out, John does the same, backing away from me. Mark kisses my neck with each thrust.
“I’m close, baby,” John whispers.
“Me, too,” Mark replies. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
The two men grin.
“What are you thinking?”
Mark pulls out suddenly, and John does the same. Mark pushes me down onto the couch, and the two men stand over me. Without warning, they both start to cum. Their white seed lands on my body. Mark’s fingers enter my still-soaked pussy and thrust hard until I join them in orgasm.
“That was amazing,” I moan when I can speak again. “I never knew it could be that good.”
John kisses my temple. “It is when you find the right person. Or people.”
I think John might be onto something with that. No one has been right for me before. John and Mark, though, are different. I feel like we could really be something.
That thought is both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.