"Nothing's beneath me when I need a job, Mitch."

"I told you we would be glad to lend you money if you needed it. You shouldn't have to work at a minimum wage job."

"I don't mind working at the grocery store. I'll get a discount on my groceries, for one thing."

"It's not something to joke about, Jackie. You shouldn't have to work at all. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d hit you."

"Mitch, I didn't call to argue. I wanted to thank you for being so nice to me."

There was a sigh over the phone.

"I'm sorry. It just tears me up inside to know he hurt you, and now you're working a minimum wage job when you have a college degree. I care about you, baby."

"I know."

"Here's Sam. He wants to talk to you."

Before she could tell Mitch good-night, he'd handed over the phone to Sam.

"Hey, baby. How are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Fine. I told your brother, but I'll tell you. I really appreciate your finishing my dining room for me."

"No problem. We wanted to do it, and it didn't take long at all. Did he tell you we still have a few boards to replace on the barn?"

"Yeah. I'll be gone to work in the morning when you get there, so I'm going to leave a key under the flower pot next to the back step in case you need in the house for anything." She could hear him repeating that to Mitch in the background.

"Sounds good. Mitch said you're going to be working at the grocery store. You really okay with that?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm really okay with it. It's an honest job, Sam. It doesn't pay much, but it will pay my bills."

"So, anything else going on?"

"Stewart is fighting the divorce. I had a long talk with James, my lawyer, about it. We've decided to ask for half of everything he has to hopefully get him to back down. As it is now, the divorce is going to take a while."

"f.u.c.k. I'm sorry, Jackie. We screwed it up for you."

"He'd have fought it anyway. He wants to become a full partner at his office and that means not getting a divorce. So..." She let it trail off.

"He's going to fight you on this thinking he can get you to come back to him."

"Yeah." She sighed and looked at her wrist.w.a.tch. It was getting late. "Look, I need to go so I can get ready for work tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your help."

"Sleep well, Jackie. We'll take care of the barn tomorrow and talk to you later."

"Night, Sam." She hung up and stood looking at the dining room again.

Stewart would never have done something so nice. He wouldn't have even hired someone to finish it for her. What had she ever seen in him in the first place? She honestly couldn't remember. Her parents had liked him well enough, but she did remember that several of her friends, Mitch and Sam especially, hadn't liked him much.

When the divorce was finally final, what was she going to do about them? Could she ignore the talk and date them both? Did she want to? Well, if her dream was any indication of what her body wanted, she was sure dating them both would be a definite possibility. Scratch that, probability. It was obvious her body was turned on by them and the promise of what they could do for her together, but what about emotionally? Could she handle the logistics of a threesome relationship? What were they called, menages?

She walked around the house, thinking. She knew she could fall in love with them easily, as she was already halfway there, had been since high school. Even back then she'd been smart enough to know it would be a mess to deal with, and had stayed away from them. Why didn't she do the same this time?

She sighed. Because she was already half in love with them, and part of her didn't want to stay away from them. She wanted to have that relationship that would probably end in a mess. She wanted to fall fully in love with them and see where it could take her.

She finally gave up and took a bath and went to bed. She had a long day tomorrow, the first day of a new job that she knew absolutely nothing about. She hoped James would come back soon with some good news. She could sure use it.

Sam was arguing against backing off.

"Mitch, we're going to lose her if we back off too much. She's going to sh.o.r.e up her defenses and refuse to date us."

"Sam, she's got a lot on her mind right now. We've made it worse by giving Stewart something to use against her. She needs some s.p.a.ce."

Mitch didn't want to back off, either. He wanted her in their bed as much as Sam did, but he also knew they could screw everything up by pushing her, especially with her divorce hanging in the balance. No, he felt it was best if they backed off a little.

"Doesn't mean we have to stop seeing her, Sam. Just no more physical contact for now."

"Well, I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow to pick up a few things. Do you want to go with me?"

"f.u.c.k, Sam. Don't cause a scene." Mitch ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I won't. I'll just smile and say hi. I don't want her to forget what I look like."

"She's not going to forget. If we stick to our guns and don't hara.s.s her, maybe the divorce will go through faster without pictures of us all over her to stall it out."

Sam's jaw worked, a testament to how aggravated he was.

"She doesn't deserve to have to go through the d.a.m.n thing in the first place. That sc.u.mbag should have just given her the divorce after hitting her. End of story," he said.

"You're preaching to the choir, Sam. I agree. There's nothing we can do but back off."

"We can finish her house for her. Let's get the barn done, then find out what she wants done to each room and do it."

"We can do that. We should have the barn finished by the weekend," Mitch agreed.

"I'll try to find out what her schedule is like when I go tomorrow afternoon to the grocery store," Sam said.

"Don't push her, Sam."

"I won't." Sam walked off to his part of the house.

Mitch grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the top. He chugged the first few swallows, then slowed up. He needed to rest, and if he had to get up and pee every hour, he wouldn't get any sleep. Truth was, he wanted to sleep so he could dream. They'd been so real lately. The one last night had ended up being a wet dream. He hadn't done that since he'd been in high school.

He and Sam had her between them in their bed in the master bedroom. They'd saved that room for their bride when they found her. He was glad they hadn't used it yet. It would be there all new for Jackie when they finally convinced her to be their bride.

She was writhing between them as they covered her with kisses. Sam would lick her from breast to breast, and he would inch his way to her p.u.s.s.y. He couldn't wait to taste her. She would be sweeter than sugar and spicier than a cider. He had his tongue between her wet folds licking her sweet p.u.s.s.y while Sam nibbled her nipples.

He'd located her hotspot and was stroking it as he sucked her c.l.i.t. She came all over his face. It had been the hottest thing. He hadn't been able to wait. He rolled on a condom and pulled her from Sam's arms to the edge of the bed so he could shove his c.o.c.k inside of her. She'd cried out and wrapped her legs around his waist. Sam had moved and continued feasting on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s while he tunneled in and out of her sweet c.u.n.t. He had to work his way inside of her with each thrust, her tight p.u.s.s.y squeezing him with each pa.s.s.

The faster he f.u.c.ked her the more she begged.

"Harder. Please, more, Mitch."

He pounded into her over and over until he felt his b.a.l.l.s draw up. He knew he was about to come. She wasn't ready yet.

"Sam, I'm going to come. I can't hold off. You've got to finish her off."

"I've got her." Sam pinched her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and she moaned.

"f.u.c.k, she's so f.u.c.king tight, Sam. You're not going to be able to hold out, either."

Mitch redoubled his effort to hold on just a little longer. He wanted to see her face when she came. He would miss it when he came, so he was glad that Sam would finish her for him. He felt the c.u.m begin to boil in his b.a.l.l.s. He changed his angle and b.u.mped her cervix with each thrust until he filled the condom with his c.u.m. The climax seemed to go on forever, and he couldn't see for the stars exploding behind his eyelids. Finally he was able to move, and carefully pulled out. He discarded the condom by the bed and climbed up the bed to let Sam between her legs.

Jackie was begging to come now. He reached down and rubbed her nipple with the palm of his hand. She groaned and thrust her breast further into his hand. Then she screamed, and he saw that Sam had started to enter her. Watching his brother's c.o.c.k disappear inside of her was one of the most erotic sights he'd ever seen. Inch by slow inch, he pushed his sheathed d.i.c.k inside of her hot c.u.n.t.

Mitch watched the mirage of expressions cross Jackie's face as he played with her nipples while Sam f.u.c.ked his way inside of her. Once he was all the way in, he rubbed his pubic bone against her c.l.i.t. She tried to push back against him for more sensation, but he pulled out then slammed back in all the way.

She must have liked that because she tried to meet him halfway with the thrust the next time. He placed a hand over her pelvis to keep her still while he pummeled her with his c.o.c.k. She thrashed from side to side as he shoved his thick c.o.c.k in and out of her hot c.u.n.t. When he began to get close, he nodded at Mitch. Mitch began twisting her nipples and pulling on them while Sam found her c.l.i.t and pinched it. She screamed as she came long and hard. Sam's shout of release could barely be heard over hers.

Mitch felt his c.o.c.k grow even harder just thinking about the dream. He prayed to have another dream like that tonight. As hard as he was, he would probably end up jerking off in the shower just to get some relief so he could sleep. As good as the dreams tended to be, he knew the real thing would be ten times better. Her smile came to mind and he knew he would do most anything for one of her smiles. If that meant backing off for a while, he'd do it. It wouldn't be easy, but he would do it.

Jackie rose early the next morning with a plan in her mind of what she wanted to do after work. She wanted to start on the living room next. She would wash down the walls after work and paint the ceiling the next day.

She showered and dressed and headed to work. She prayed she would be able to catch on quickly. Once she arrived and had clocked in, the manager took her over to a cash register and explained the mechanics of operating the new scan systems. She practiced for thirty minutes, and he declared her ready for the real thing.

She counted her drawer and set up on register number four. The manager worked with her through her first two sells and then left her on her own. She worked until nine, when he gave her a break. She sat down in the break room and got off her feet. She could tell her legs and feet were going to ache after today.

She got a lunch break at eleven thirty. When she got back from lunch, she worked steadily until Sam came in. He waved at her and continued down the aisles with a cart. A little while later he got in her line and waited for her to check out a family of four with food stamps. She had to have help in figuring them out.

Then Sam was next. He'd bought what looked like the makings for a soup of some type. She concentrated on scanning his groceries. He seemed to be concentrating on her. It made her nervous. Being nervous made her fumble-fingered. She sighed and frowned at Sam.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't stare at me so hard. I'm nervous enough as it is," she whispered.

"Sorry, I can't stop looking at you. You're cute in that little ap.r.o.n."

"Thanks, that will be twenty-eight sixty-two, please." She held out her hand.

Sam laughed and handed her his debit card. Good, she could handle a debit card. When she slid it, then handed it back, he touched her fingers just a few seconds too long. She felt the electric zap on her fingers. Sam jumped as well.

"Static electricity," she explained. He didn't look so sure of that.

"So when do you get off work?"

"Three." She handed him his receipt.

"What is your schedule for the rest of the week?"

"I work tomorrow and Sat.u.r.day seven till three, and I'm off on Sunday."

"How about working on your house Sunday?" Sam asked her.

"I'm planning on painting the living room next. I'm going to wash down the walls this afternoon after work."

"I'll paint the ceiling for you tomorrow while you're at work then."

"Um, thanks, but you don't have to do that. I can paint."

"I don't mind, and it doesn't take any time at all to do."

"Um, there's someone behind you. I need to get to work."

"I'll talk to you tonight." He smiled and grabbed his groceries and left.

Jackie smiled to herself and checked out the next set of customers. By the time three rolled around, she was dead on her feet. If she managed to make it home, she wasn't sure she'd be washing down anything. Her feet hurt. Her back hurt, and her arms hurt. Cashiering wasn't a wimpy job.

She clocked out and left thinking about a nice hot bath with Epsom salt in the water. Lord knows my feet would benefit. She would add her bath salts, too, for the scent. By five that afternoon, she was in her tub with the bath salts and a gla.s.s of wine. Her walls weren't going to get washed down this evening, that was for sure. She was exhausted.

When she finally roused herself enough to climb out of the tub and dry off, her cell phone rang. She wondered who was calling so late. She checked the caller ID and found it to be James. She walked into her bedroom and grabbed her robe then answered the phone.

"Just wanted to let you know we got a good reaction from Stewart. His lawyer wanted to negotiate. I told him no deal. Either take the last offer we made and sign the papers, or we're going for broke."

"So, do you think he'll take it?" she asked.

"Not this soon, he'll try and fight a little first, but he'll come around."

"I hope soon, because I hate knowing I'm married to him."

"How was your first day at work?"

"Good, but I'm exhausted. I'm probably going to bed in about an hour. It's nearly six-thirty."

"Hard to work on your feet all day when you're not used to it."

"Tell me about it. My feet and legs are one big ache." Jackie sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hope you rest well. I'll be in touch." James hung up.

Before she had even gotten her feet up in bed, the phone rang again. This time when she checked the caller ID, it turned out to be Sam's cell phone.

"Hey, Sam. How are you?"

"Good. How did the rest of your shift go?"