I laughed.
“I’d have three husbands in less than a year.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and paced around the room.
“What are you telling me?” he asked.
I had to think about it. What was I telling him? Did I love Kent? I was sure that I did. I loved him more than anyone else in the community. I’d been making out with him for years. The only thing we hadn’t done was have full-on sex. I had to save my virginity for my first husband. If not, I surely would’ve fucked him a long time ago.
“Nothing,” I said. “But you know what it will mean to be my third husband don’t you?”
“It means I’ll be with you forever,” he said.
I stepped close to him, grabbed his balls, and squeezed them hard.
“It means you will obey my every command, you’ll share me with two other men, and I will whip you. I’ll hurt you, Kent. Like I did that last time we were together. I’ll probably hurt you more than the others.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because you know my vulnerable side more than the others. You’ve seen me weak. You’ve seen me cry. You’ve seen me hurt. I’m a Dove now. You need to see me for what I am. Your master.”
Master. What a horrible word? Like my husbands were slaves or something. But in some ways they were. They were slaves to my commands.
“I understand,” he said as he leaned forward to kiss me again.
I squeezed his balls harder and he doubled up in pain.
“You will never kiss me again. You will never try anything with me again out of respect for me and for my husbands. Of course, that is until the day you request your suitor visit. Then…I promise, Kent, you’re all mine.”
He beamed at that and I felt good knowing I’d made him happy. As he turned to make his way toward the window, he stopped and snapped his fingers excitedly.
“Holy shit, I can’t believe I almost forgot to tell you. It’s one of the reasons I came over here. I know how much you love your secrets and gossip and all that. You’re not gonna believe who I saw the other day.”
He let the silence linger until I slapped him on the shoulder.
“Alé,” he told me.
I had to hear him say it again.
“Alejandro Alejandro?” I asked.
“Yeah, Alé. Lauren’s husband, well, you know what I mean.”
I grabbed his shoulders and forced him to sit on the bed. He had my attention and I even surprised myself by how much I wanted to hear about Alé, my secret crush for so many years.
“Okay, spill it all,” I said.
“That’s okay, I can always come back later and…”
I pinched his arm hard and for a moment felt like we were both back in school, trading stories at lunchtime, in between flirtatious touches. Kent had always been there for me and I’d been such a shithead leaving him hanging all this time.
“Tell me, jerk!” my voice came out a little louder than expected and I had to cup a hand over my and Kent’s lips for a second as I listened for any sign someone had heard me. I heard nothing so I let go of his face.
“Okay, I was bored and went a little outside the parameter. Remember how I used to go searching for cool stones and anything outside the ordinary for…”
He stopped talking and glanced down at his lap.
“For me,” I said. “Of course I remember.”