For a week, Landon stayed away from the shop. During that time, he continued his search for Alice and Van, which proved to be as fruitless as ever. Frustration gnawed away at him whenever he thought of Selene and her refusal to provide any more information. 

But as Selene would have quickly pointed out, she did offer. And he made another choice: he chose Mara.

He spent plenty of time thinking of the two young women, and what the three of them had done Monday evening. His sex drive was back in high gear, the way it had been when Alice was still with him. In the evenings after arriving home from work, he was desperate to masturbate. It was easy to come while remembering Mara riding him, and recalling how incredible Selene's lips had felt around his cock. 

As the days passed, a semblance of normalcy returned to his life. The need to find Alice gradually grew less urgent, no longer all-consuming. By the following Tuesday, his yearning to see Selene again wasn't due to his desire for answers. Instead, he simply ached to be in her presence.

Rather than return to the shop, he drove to Selene's apartment building. He knew it was a foolish move, and one that might provoke her anger, but it wasn't as if he was spying on her this time. No, he would greet her once she arrived home. Hopefully alone, without Roger accompanying her.

A little after nine, he sat in the darkness of his car, waiting. An unfamiliar vehicle pulled into the lot twenty minutes later, and when the passenger door opened, Landon saw that the driver was a man of around thirty.  Before stepping out, Selene turned and planted a kiss on his cheek. That simple gesture made the man beam with pleasure. 

Landon waited until the stranger drove off and Selene was almost at the building before he got out of his car. "Hello, Selene," he called in a low voice, trying not to startle her.

She merely stopped walking, keeping her back to him, and Landon realized he didn't have to worry about taking her by surprise. 

"Do you often show up at people's homes uninvited?" she asked. "Even when you're not trying to spy on them?"

He chuckled at the dig, for it seemed good-natured enough. To his relief, she didn't sound angry. "I don't make a habit of it, no. But something about you has made me lose all sense of decorum." Slowly, he started toward her. "I hope you'll welcome me despite my lack of manners. I brought wine."

She looked over her shoulder at him. "I don't drink, but I'm sure Roger will enjoy it."

"Give it to him with my best wishes. Where is the old man, anyhow?"

Selene waited until he stood at her side. In the semidarkness, she gave him a long look. He had the strange feeling that she was waiting for some kind of revelation from him, but he had no idea what it might be.

"Roger will be here a little later," she finally replied. The glow of the streetlight illuminated the slyness in her smile. "You two should get to know each other better."

Before Landon had a chance to respond, she took his arm and guided him to her apartment door. Tonight, her hair fell in dark waves down her back. Her strapless dress had an empire waist, and Landon knew that one tug on the bodice would reveal her breasts.  As they walked, he felt the warmth of her body, and the scent of her perfume wafted to him on the breeze. 

Inside, she turned on the light and then moved to close the door. Landon hurried to set down the bottle of wine. When Selene started to speak, he couldn't resist the urge to draw her to him. She yielded to his embrace, offering no protest. 

"Kiss me," he murmured. 

His blatant desire made her smile. "You think we're lovers now?"

"You don't have room in your heart for another?" Landon teased. "I mean, there's Roger, and that man who drove you home tonight. Don't tell me he's simply another client."

"My relationship with that man is none of your business." Her tone was firm but mild. Growing bolder, Landon dared to slide his hands along the length of her back, and then to her ass. She let him press her firmly against his groin. "I'm glad you're thinking of something other than Alice."

"That last session did me a world of good." Burying his face in her neck, he breathed in deep, eager for more of her scent. "Besides, what good would it do to ask you about Alice? You've made it clear you won't tell me anything more."

Gently, she withdrew, only to caress his cheek. "Because you chose Mara," she reminded him. "By the way, she really likes you."

Landon rolled his eyes. "Don't patronize me, Selene. Mara could have any man she wanted; I'm sure what we did was just a bit of fun for her."

"You make too many assumptions," Selene shot back. "She's been talking about you nonstop since you first walked into the place. I certainly didn't have to twist her arm to get her to participate in our last session."

In spite of his skepticism, Landon was pleased to know Mara thought highly of him. Still, he said, "What is she, all of twenty-five? Young enough to be my daughter."

"She's thirty. And she has a thing for older men."

"But not Roger."

Selene snickered at that. "No, not Roger. It's not fair, the way he favors me over her. But he and I have been friends and business partners for a longer time. His fondness for me isn't due only to his preference for brunettes with small tits."

Landon saw an opening for more information and took it. "How did you and Roger meet, anyway?"

He was surprised to see her smile fade a little. "Let's sit down," she told him. 

As Landon sat next to her, he couldn't help but remember the way she'd looked while bent over the couch's arm. He slid his palm along the upholstery, caressing it the way he would Selene's bare skin.

Turning toward her, he patiently waited while she made herself comfortable. She slipped out of her shoes and folded her legs beneath her, so the skirt of her dress fanned out. "Roger and I met at a... gathering of sorts, when I was nineteen. It was a place for spiritual mediums and psychics, and I was desperate to find others like me." She stared down at her hands, her expression darkening even more. "I didn't always have this ability; it arose only after I became gravely ill as a child. My fever was dangerously high, and I spent some time in the hospital. Once I got back home, I discovered I... knew things." She offered a helpless shrug. "I was confused and scared, and when I told my mother, she made me promise I wouldn't speak a word about it to anyone else."

Landon reached for Selene's hand, hoping to comfort her. "Why did she make you promise that?" he asked quietly.

Selene took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "She was afraid of the consequences it might bring. At best, I'd be ostracized for being a freak, and at worst, I'd be taken from my family to undergo all kinds of tests." She gave Landon's hand a gentle squeeze. "I kept the secret for a long time."

"I'm sorry, Selene," Landon said, and he meant it. Never before had he considered all the ramifications of her ability, or the suffering it might have caused her.  

She cleared her throat and continued, her voice a little stronger. "Once I turned eighteen, I was done hiding. I moved away from home and supported myself working various low-wage jobs. I was a horrible barista," she added with a laugh. "But then I learned about this annual gathering, and I used all my savings to attend. Many of the people there were delusional about their supposed ability; they'd convinced themselves of it but failed at convincing others. A few were outright liars. I wasn't there to prove anything; I just wanted to find someone who could relate to what I experienced on a day-to-day basis. Though I never did, I found Roger, and that was a gift in and of itself."

"How so?" Landon was more than a little curious about their relationship, which seemed at times both tender and antagonistic. 

"He was there looking for someone like me, someone who could tell him what had happened to his brother. It was as if the man had just walked off the face of the earth. Roger's grief was palpable, and I wanted to help him. When he showed me a picture of his brother, the story slowly came together in my mind, like pieces of a puzzle. Images flooded my consciousness, letting me know Roger's brother was alive. He'd decided to walk away from everything: his wife, his job, his home. He was at some kind of artist commune in the Pacific Northwest."

Landon's eyes widened. "Did Roger manage to get in touch with him?"

"Yes." Selene pulled her mouth to the side, appearing regretful. "The first question his brother asked was, 'How did you find me?' The next thing he said was, 'I just want to be left alone.'"

"I can imagine that was quite devastating."

"Roger was hurt, but he had closure; he knew his brother was okay. As the bond between me and Roger deepened, I developed feelings for him." Now, Selene wore a sheepish smile. "Maybe I considered him a kind of savior. But he believed in me, and when he suggested that we open up a shop, and he would use his business acumen to attract clients, I jumped at the chance. Finally, I could do something more than serve shitty coffee while pretending to be like everyone else. Mara joined us a couple of years ago. She doesn't have any psychic ability, but she's great at reading energy fields."

"So I've noticed." Landon leaned a little closer. "Have you ever thought about letting more people know about your gift? I mean, I was lucky to learn about you. I only did so because of a guy I met online; you helped him find his daughter."

"I know who referred you to me." Selene sounded almost curt, which made Landon wonder if he'd somehow upset her. "I don't want to be famous, Landon," she went on. "Every time I'm confronted with someone's grief over a missing loved one, and I know there's no possibility of a happy outcome, it drains me. I couldn't do that day in and day out and keep my sanity."

"I understand," he rushed to assure her. "I mean, not on a personal level, obviously, but I can see how that would be incredibly difficult."

She seemed appeased by his response, for her shoulders visibly relaxed. "I enjoy having a small clientele, and I feel like I have a deep connection with each person I choose to help. I'm not rich by any means, but I make enough to live comfortably, and I'm putting my ability to good use. Some clients come to me about fairly trivial matters. They ask, 'Should I take this new job?' Or, 'Should I propose to this woman? Is she the right one for me?' Many times, they already know the answer. I just guide them to it."

Without thinking, Landon lifted Selene's hand to his lips. "Maybe you did save me, after all," he said softly. 

Selene gave him one of her beautiful smiles, but before she could respond, there was a knock on the door. "That would be Roger," she said, quickly climbing to her feet. 

Though Landon bristled at the interruption, he strove to make his expression pleasant. When Selene let the older man in, he immediately took her in his arms and planted a kiss on her mouth. A moment later, he noticed Landon but didn't release Selene.

"I didn't realize you had company," he told her.

"You've met Landon." Selene made a sweeping gesture in Landon's direction, presenting him as an honored guest.

Roger approached, hand extended, and Landon rose to greet him. "Nice seeing you again, Roger."

"A pleasure! Selene's told me you've become a valuable client of hers and Mara's."

There was that phrase again, valuable client. Landon had apparently become so valuable that Roger was now welcoming him with open arms. 

Reaching for Selene, Roger again drew her to him. "She also mentioned that you watched us fucking." His tone remained utterly cordial, while Landon felt his face growing hot. "Did you like what you saw?"

As Selene leaned back against the man, her stare held an unmistakable arousal. "Tell us, Landon, did you enjoy the show?"

"You know I did," he managed to reply in a strained voice. Suddenly agitated, he yanked at the collar of his shirt. "I should let you two get back to it."

"Why?" Selene demanded. "Don't tell me you want to leave already!"

Roger's hands roamed over her body, gathering fistfuls of her dress. In spite of Landon's uneasiness, the sight made him horny as hell. 

"I don't want to interfere." Landon's gaze grew pleading as he regarded Selene. Desperately, he wished to know how she truly felt about him. "You and Roger are obviously..." He floundered for the right word.

"Lovers?" Selene lifted her eyebrows. "Oh, we are that. But it's not like we're exclusive." Casting a playful glance at Roger, she added, "We can't be, since Roger's married."

Roger let out an exasperated sigh. "Separated," he said, just as emphatically.

"Separated for years now." Selene giggled when he grazed her neck with his teeth. "Living apart, but never divorced. And it's not cheating," she told Landon, as if he were about to accuse her. "His wife knows about me. She's fine with us playing as long as Roger comes back to her. Because she cherishes his companionship."

"Keep teasing," Roger warned her, "and I'll punish you with my cock. Perhaps I'll invite your new friend to dole out some punishment of his own."

Selene gasped, feigning shock, while Landon's dick continued hardening. Her stare settled on his groin as she said, "Now you understand why I sometimes resent Roger for being so controlling. He tries to manage my schedule, insisting that I'm going to get burned out if I'm not careful. But as soon as his wife calls, he makes a speedy departure."

"Lies," Roger murmured. "You know I'd drop everything for you in an instant."

"And now," Selene went on as if he hadn't spoken, "he's offering to share me!" She licked her lips while returning her gaze to Landon's crotch. "You'd never do that, would you, Landon?"

His breaths came faster as his pulse quickened. Only the surreal nature of this scenario, with Roger, of all people, inviting Landon to join in, made him hesitate.

"I bet this will convince him," Roger said, then yanked down the bodice of Selene's dress. She let out a shriek, making a show of covering her breasts, but Roger pulled her arms down and then drew them behind her. "Come over here and enjoy her," he urged Landon.

That was all the encouragement Landon needed. He descended upon Selene with a fierce hunger, his mouth claiming hers. She moaned into that kiss, her tongue sliding between his lips. Cupping her breasts, he toyed with her nipples while Roger lifted up her dress. 

"You want to be inside her sweet pussy, don't you?" the man asked Landon. "You've been thinking about it nonstop since she sucked you off."

Christ, there really were no secrets between these two! Landon kissed his way down Selene's neck and between her breasts. When his lips circled around her nipple, she thrust her hips toward him. Weaving her fingers through Landon's hair, she whispered, "Do you want to fuck me?"

He stood upright again, holding her face in his hands. "More than anything."

"Anything?" Her voice and smile held a clear challenge.

"Anything," he repeated before giving her another kiss. It was a tender contrast to his fervent need, encouraging her to melt against him.

Roger took control then, stripping Selene out of her dress and panties while Landon rushed to remove his own clothes. When the older man told him to get on the couch, he readily complied. 

Moments later, Roger had fully undressed, revealing that he was just as hard as Landon. The two men took their places at either end of the couch, facing each other while on their knees, and with Selene on all fours between them. Landon couldn't resist giving her ass a squeeze. She moaned around Roger's cock, which was now in her mouth. 

The man's jaw slackened as he relished her oral pleasuring. "Oh, that's perfect, sweetheart! Suck the tip like a good girl!"

Landon knew the way Selene liked to be touched, and he worked his fingers between her thighs, circling her clit. He teased that swollen bud until she whimpered in protest. Roger withdrew his dick long enough for her to cry out, "Please!"

Oh, it was so fucking hot to hear her beg like that! As a reward, Landon massaged her pearl, and she soon grew so loud that if not for Roger's cock muffling her wails, the neighbors certainly would have heard.

His stimulation, tender yet firm, had her trembling in little more than a minute. Landon's eyes locked with Roger's, and the older man grinned. When Selene stiffened and grew completely silent, he again withdrew. Landon continued rubbing her clit, faster and faster. The sound of her wet flesh beneath his fingers made his cock give a fierce twitch.

Selene writhed and groaned, her body contracting from the force of her orgasm. Roger was gentle in pulling her hair back from her face; eagerly, he studied her expression as she came. His cock was wet from her saliva, and he idly stroked it with his free hand. "I'll give you a chance to recover," he told her, "but I want you to lick my balls while you do."

Landon's gasp was audible. It was shocking to see the woman who had ordered him to eat her pussy, and who always wielded control, now flip over onto her back so Roger could rest a knee on either side of her. She placed her left heel on the back of the couch and allowed her right leg to dangle off the side. 

Landon jerked his cock, taking his own pleasure from the sight of Roger lowering his sac to Selene's lips. His scrotum was heavy and smooth, his balls substantial, yet Selene enthusiastically licked and sucked them, making every effort to take both in her mouth. 

Roger's expression revealed just how much he enjoyed the act. "She's full of surprises, isn't she?" he said to Landon.

"Absolutely!" Landon knew he'd masturbate to the memory of this later. Slowly, he slid two fingers inside Selene's pussy. Roger stroked his dick while watching Landon finger-fuck the woman he clearly adored. 

"Add another," Roger said. "She likes being filled."

Carefully, Landon inserted his ring finger. Selene moaned in response, her breasts rapidly rising and falling. When he dared to start gently thrusting again, she arched her spine. 

"Keep that up!" Roger said. "She's about to come." A thick strand of precum dangled from his cock. 

Landon did as Roger ordered. He couldn't muffle his own groan at the feel of Selene's tight pussy constricting around his fingers even more. Easily, he sensed each spasm coursing through her as she climaxed.

Roger lifted his balls off Selene's face so she could look up at Landon. "Fuck me," she demanded, her stare wild with lust.

Once she was back on her hands and knees, Landon quickly positioned himself to give her what they both wanted. Roger contented himself with languidly masturbating while Landon slid inside Selene. When her head fell forward, her hair shielded her face, but she released a cry of such bliss that Landon shivered from the pleasure of hearing it. 

As he began taking her with deep thrusts, Roger brought his cock back to her lips. Not even during Landon's wilder college days had he participated in a threesome, and the novel experience made his desire for Selene intensify to a frenzied level. Though he knew from watching her and Roger that she liked a hard fuck, he didn't want to get carried away too fast, too soon.

The sound of Selene's wet mouth, and wet pussy, repeatedly taking their cocks filled the room. Roger was breathing hard, his features contorted from his obvious effort to last. His gaze traveled from Selene's face to Landon's body colliding with hers. 

"Stick out your tongue," he demanded of her in a raspy voice.

Landon grew still, balls deep inside Selene. Roger jerked his cock until a guttural, primal noise emerged from his throat. Landon wished he had a better view of the man's seed erupting onto Selene's waiting tongue.

More must have painted her face, for once Roger was spent, he climbed from the couch to retrieve some tissues. Tenderly, he wiped Selene's face clean, then kissed her. Landon heard him whisper his thanks against her lips.

Then Roger moved to stand at the other end of the couch, close to Landon's side. Like a performer putting on a show, Landon circled his hips, drawing a needy cry from Selene. 

"Don't tease her too much," Roger warned with a grin, "or she'll make you pay for it later."

"I have no doubt!" Maintaining a firm hold on Selene, he began giving it to her harder. 

"Fuck, yes!" she panted.

The room felt almost uncomfortably warm, but Landon knew it was his arousal making him hot. Sweat broke out on his skin, and at Roger's encouragement, he pounded Selene at a brutal pace.

Her orgasmic cries were silenced only by the violent shudder that overtook her entire body. Landon gasped, his own need to come almost uncontrollable. He fucked her through the climax, and when it finally ebbed, leaving her quivering, he pulled her to him. 

"You're going to let me come inside you," he said, his lips close to her ear. Cupping her breast in his palm, he gave it a squeeze. All the while, his cock remained hard within her. "You let Roger make a mess of that tight, wet pussy, and now it's my turn."

"Yes!" she choked out. "Give me your cum!"

He held her almost upright, just as Roger had. His hips thrust at a relentless speed, and he vaguely worried Selene would be sore in the morning. But maybe she liked that kind of pain. It would certainly make her think of him.

Finally, he came, unable to suppress his cry. It excited him in an indescribable way to fill her with his seed. The orgasm was powerful, draining him dry, and though he longed to stay inside her, his yearning to see her pussy stretched and brimming with his cum prompted him to gently pull out.

Selene rested her face against the couch, the position further elevating her ass. Roger spread her wide, giving both men a good look at the thick semen oozing out of her. 

"So fucking sexy," Roger commented with obvious appreciation.

Landon agreed, and he continued to gaze upon Selene's cunt as Roger grabbed more tissues. Again, the older man was gentle while cleaning up the mess Landon had made. 

Without speaking, Landon stood and retrieved his clothes from the floor. Selene lifted her head to watch him, her stare sweeping over his body. When Roger was finished tending to her, she gave her friend and lover a sweet smile. 

It was then that Landon realized the depth of his feelings for Selene could never make her solely his. He could fall in love with her, the way he'd fallen for Alice. He could ask her to spend the rest of her life with him. But she would never leave Roger, the man who had saved her from an existence of solitary despair. 

Selene climbed to her feet, not bothering to dress. Her gaze was full of affection as she approached Landon and straightened the collar of his shirt. 

"Thank you for tonight," he said softly. "That also did me a world of good."

"I'm glad. I must say, the three of us do very well together." Cupping a hand against the back of his head, she guided his mouth to hers for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her, eagerly returning it. 

When Selene withdrew from his embrace, he sensed she wanted to tell him something. For a long moment, she studied his face, as if trying to make up her mind. "You'll be okay tonight?" she finally asked.

He smiled, more than a little confused by the question. "I'll be a lot better than okay, and that's because of you." 

While Selene walked him the short distance to the door, Roger lingered by the couch. Landon nodded toward the bottle of wine he'd brought. "Enjoy that," he told Roger. 

"Let's do this again sometime," Roger replied with a lazy grin. 

Before Landon left the apartment, Selene circled her fingers around his. She held onto him for a few seconds more, then wordlessly let him go.

Relaxed and beyond satisfied, he strolled to his car. In just a couple of weeks, his entire world had changed because of Selene, and he wondered what other surprises she might have in store for him.

During the drive home, he also thought of Mara. Sweet, sexy Mara, who made no secret of her feelings. Due to their age difference, it was still strange to imagine asking her out on a proper date, but Landon found he definitely wanted to.

His apartment building was quiet, with most of his neighbors already settled in on a weeknight. He fought the ridiculous urge to whistle while approaching his front door.

A sudden movement in the shadows made him stop. Someone—a woman—stepped closer. Though he couldn't make out the features of her face, her stance and way of walking were intimately familiar.

She didn't need to speak to reveal who she was; he already knew. "Alice." Her name was like a sliver of ice on his tongue.

"Landon," she said in the voice that had haunted both his sleep and waking hours for months, "I've missed you."