Chapter 33: Dinner for three 2 (Jason and Jasmine)

So its late, and i might re edit this one tomorrow, but i think i am happy with it. so its going up now anyway. enjoy the strange dinner date.

(Pov Jason)

The warmer air brushed over his face as they walked into Verona and Vine. The sound of muted laughter and the smells of warm food encased him as they approached the smiling waitress by the host stand. 

Click

Click

Jason's cane tapped weakly against the floor as they walked. His physical therapist had taught him how to use the thing. Everyone always thought walking with a cane meant placing it on the side that was injured or weak. Which was simply the wrong way of doing it. It needed to be on the opposite side of the injury. Which would all be well and good if he had an injured leg. No, it needed to be in his non-dominant hand. Though, as Jasmine was carrying some of his weight and certainly helping with his balance, he had decided that the opposite side of her was where the cane went.

Her grip tightened on his arm almost imperceptibly as they reached the host stand. The waitress nervously adjusted the tie on her black-and-white uniform.

“Hi, I am Erin. Welcome to the Verona and Vine. Do you have a reservation?” The waitress said cheerfully. 

“Hey. Yeah, it should be under Bjork. It should be a table for three at seven.” Jasmine answered easily. 

“Just a second.” The woman's fingers flew across her tablet. “There you are.” She looked back up at them with a now wider smile, radiating genuine warmth on her lips. She grabbed two menus. “If you will follow me, I will show you to your table. The third member of your party is already here.”

She led them through the rather intimate restaurant. Separating walls covered in what seemed to be plastic vines, and in a few cases what looked like real ones, rose to above head height, splitting the room into a maze of intimate booths. The vines framed artwork and pictures of famous guests that decorated the walls. 

It didn't take them long to reach their table. A half-moon-like shape of a single continuous couch faced a table and one of the windows looking out at the darkening streets outside. 

A warm smile spread across his face as he spotted Chloe. She looked gorgeous, and he had to make a small effort not to glance down at the cleavage revealed by her halter top. Jason's heart sped up. 

Jasmine and the waitress exchanged the pleasantries that are always traded when the waitress was about to leave, as she gestured for Jason to sit first. Placing him firmly between his two lovers.

“Hey, how's the legs?” Chloe asked with a nod to his cane as he scooched in beside her. 

“The cane's a little unfamiliar. But it's worked well enough.” 

Chloe winked at him. “That's good to hear.” A small smile played on her lips. “Also arriving to a date with another woman on your arm.” She theatrically placed a hand on her chest. “Oh, Jason, you'll make me jealous.”

Jason's smile faltered for a second as doubt about this whole way of dating clawed at his heart. However, the still bright smile and theatrical flourish told him she didn't really mean it… Or was just hiding it. She had been a little weird lately, after all. 

Jasmines thigh bumped into his, and she made absolutely no move to remove it. She rested her thigh against his, as one of her fingers started drawing small circles just above his knee. 

It didn't take them long to decide on what they were eating. Chloe used far less time than she used to, ordering a pan-seared duck breast. Though he suspected she had decided before they even arrived. 

He ended up ordering some steak with a complex arrangement of vegetables. Jasmine got something called a bistecca with roasted marrow. Not that he had any idea what that was. 

What he did know was that it smelled amazing. All the food did, really. But the duck and bistecca certainly had a more defined, mouthwatering scent than his steak did. Not that he was really complaining; the vegetables were perfect, and the steak was almost raw. Just like he had ordered it. 

He had nearly thrown his arms up in exasperation when he had heard someone in a booth not far away order their steak well done. It should be a crime to waste perfectly good food like that, but alas, there were some legitimate reasons to do it. probably.

Jasmine twirled her glass, the wine leaving a brief red tinge to the clear crystal as it passed along the walls. “I am just saying, people have way too thin skin about it. Yes, children are in public; they sometimes cry, get over it.”

Chloe scoffed. “I mean, sure, I wouldn't put it quite that aggressively. But sure, that makes sense.” Chloe hesitated, then drew a steadying breath. “So I kinda, think we should just throw ourselves into… You know how this entire thing works.” 

Jason bit his lower lip briefly before he looked over at Jasmine. “I have been wondering that too.”

Jasmine swallowed the piece she had been chewing. She slowly lifted her glass and took a slow sip. “Well, it does vary somewhat, but I can tell you how it's been done with the people attached to and in the clan. Which is basically how it's done in the old country too. Does that work for you too?”

Jason glanced at Chloe. Their eyes locked as they both nodded. “Yeah, that works.” Chloe said as they both looked back at Jasmine.

Jasmine nodded. “So basically, we share; we become a family as the three or more of us eventually. We help each other. If you stay that long, and I do think you want that.” 

Jasmine pointed to herself and Chloe. “We try to hash things out between ourselves. So we don't stress him more than we have to. For the relationship between us…” 

She hesitated, as if she was trying to translate cultural assumptions and relationships into something an American could understand. “We will be sisters, I guess, is the best translation. It's closer than that, but it's the best description I can come up with. Anyways, the core of it is still right. We help and support each other like friends, allies, and siblings should.”

Chloe was nodding, though Jason had to admit he didn't entirely understand the implications. “Ok, so we all live together then?”

“I kinda hope so. If we make this work, that is.” Jason said, as he looked at the center of the table.

Jasmine's hand crawled up to run her fingers through his hair slowly. “I certainly wouldn't mind. I did always want a big family, and it's kinda hard to do that with people spread all over the place.”

Chloe nodded, seemingly considering it. “I am not against that, long term at least. I'll be out of state for college, though.” Her eyes locked onto Jason's. “And make no mistake, I am in for the long haul. Long distance might be hard, but it's more than worth it.”

Jason couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. He had never really doubted Chloe would be worth it; he just doubted she would find him worth it. Or if they could actually sustain a long-distance relationship, doubts that had by no means disappeared. But in that moment, those doubts did feel smaller.

“Fantastic then. I am sure we can come up with something that helps make it easier.” Jasmine said, beaming at both of them, as her fingers started making small circles at the back of his head. 

Though he still wasn't quite sure what he should do in all of this. “What about me? What should I do? I get that I'll be boyfriend or husband to the both of you, but how do I… Manage that?”

“Eh… I am sorry, Jason. Dad never really took any other wives than Mom. I know most of what I do because it's just common knowledge amongst, well, the clans. I know the basics, but for specifics, I would say you should talk to Richard and the other thralls.” She hesitated briefly. “I can tell you that it's important to avoid both favoritism and the appearance of favoritism. I know it's common for the guy to just mention wanting a date of some type and then the girls discuss the practicals. Like who's going to take you, planning, and that stuff. Most guys only really choose when they think there is a very good reason to. Like the wife or girlfriend in question really needing the extra time and intimacy.”

“So I shouldn't choose?” Jason's eyebrow rose slightly.

“You can, but then you need to be very careful to avoid favoring one of us too often. It leads to all kinds of problems if that happens. Of course, sometimes one of us getting more attention is perfectly fair. I certainly won't resent Chloe here for getting more attention when she's back from college for a weekend or over summer or for Christmas. And I hope she won't resent me getting more attention if I get frontline deployment and want some extra time with you when I am home.”

Chloe shook her head dismissively at that. Looking like the very idea would have been absurd.

“It's a balancing act, and most find it easier and more practical to leave it to the women to hash it out on their own. It's ok if you want to choose, but resentment will make the marriage a tragedy before anything else can.” 

She was right about that. God only knew how much his own parents had to work to get their marriage out of the terrible state it was in after they lost the herd. Sophia might not remember, but he certainly did. They hadn't been all that good at talking before that; they hadn't gotten good at it until they had managed to repair it. He was fairly certain the only reason they hadn't parted was his mother's hardline stance on divorce. His father had always said it was just as much about what not to say as what you said. 

He would have to talk to Richard or anyone else there. Not that he knew anyone, but Richard.

—---------------------------------------------------------

(Pov Jasmine)

Jasmine shimmied back into her spot in the booth as she watched Jason slowly disappear down the short walk to the bathroom. The main course had been fantastic, and luckily it seemed the two others had enjoyed it too. 

That did leave her with the problem now in front of her.

Jasmine's eyes scanned Chloe briefly. Something had been off tonight, and nearly every time it had been the three of them for the last few weeks. She did have some inkling about what the problem was, though. However, subtlety hadn't helped. Direct it is then.

“You know, Chloe, you can touch him.” Chloe tensed. “I don't mind. You're his girlfriend; it's fine if you wanna sit close to him, or display affection in some way. Don't hold back on my account.”

Her hopefully future kho, not that she could accurately explain the co/sister-wife terms' meaning to any of them right now, seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. “I know I can… It's just that.”

She hesitated, her eyes searching Jasmine's face for something. As if looking for any hint of deceit. One of Jasmine's eyebrows rose slightly as she waited.

Chloe sighed heavily. “It's just that I don't want to make things weird for him. And I don't know what's appropriate in our… situation. I am afraid that if I do, it will be awkward. And to a degree, I was afraid of your reaction; I thought it might be presumptuous. I also thought it might make me seem too possessive. We didn't exactly get off to a good start, because of… you know.”

Jasmine blinked. And then she blinked again. It did make a strange, twisted kind of sense. But never in her life had she heard anything so profoundly stupid. Why the hell would it be presumptuous to kiss and touch your own boyfriend? How were you supposed to mark your territory if you didn't engage in at least a little PDA?

“Ok… I kinda get what you mean. But Chloe, there is nothing presumptuous about it. And to tell you the truth, possessiveness is fine. As long as you remember that he's ours, not just yours. It's entirely appropriate to just do what I do. You know, as long as he doesn't say anything or stops you. And if he seems to enjoy it, there isn't any reason to stop.”

“Who had the chocolate fudge cake?” The waitress said as she stopped by them. Interrupting their conversation. But not stopping the idea that had started forming in her mind.

The waitress had just left when the faint tapping of Jason's cane could be heard in the distance, coming toward them. “Just follow my lead ok?”

Chloe's eyebrow arched. “Sure?”

Jasmine stood up before Jason reached them. It took effort to keep her smile from turning into a smirk as she held out her hand to help him sit down.

Jason's eyes darted between her hand and the booth as he hesitated. 

“Please, darling, let me?” She asked, injecting her voice with as much soft concern as she could.

“Fine. Thanks.” Jason said in a somewhat defeated tone, though his slight blush that had spread across his cheeks told her he didn't dislike it.

Her eyes locked with Chloe's as she nodded towards Jason, signaling for her to move closer to him. She followed him in as quickly as she could, without looking rushed. Taking his hand in hers before he could start eating. Chloe took the other as she moved closer to him.

“Ehm, guys, I kinda need my hands to eat.” Jason said, as the small blush grew brighter.

She moved his hand up and started kissing the soft skin on the back of his knuckles. “Ohh well, we can't have that now, can we. Chloe, I think our boyfriend is feeling neglected. That's no good.”

“What? No, I don…”

Jason let out a weak whimper as Chloe started kissing his other hand. “No, we can't have that.” She said.

Still, there was a point: they had ordered dessert, and at least Jason should get his while it was hot. Chloe was a big girl, and quite frankly, she needed this more than she needed a hot or cold dessert. 

She picked up Jason's fork and took a piece of cake. She looked at Jason, no longer able to restrain the smirk that had split her face in half as she looked at her boyfriends glow red face. While she had been a little concerned he would only find this embarrassing, the grin he was struggling to suppress told her he very much enjoyed it. 

“Here you go.” She said as she held up the cake piece to Jason.

Her fiancé stared at the piece of cake for a second before he finally leaned forward and ate it.

Good boy!

Of course, while she did want to keep going, that wasn't the point of this whole thing. No sometimes what a boy needed was to get tag teamed. It was just so wonderfully practical that his other girlfriend needed to help do it.

She offered the fork to Chloe, winking with the eye Jason couldn't see. The woman's face glowing red, though Jasmine doubted her own face was any less red. A fire burned in Chloe's eyes as she took the fork. 

She returned to kissing the back of his knuckles. Speaking in between kisses. “It's ok to depend on us, Jason. We've got you.”