Just A Bit Obsessed

The end of Alexander Sheldon's orderly life came to an ordinary Saturday night.

His girlfriend is snuggled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder, and the two are watching her favorite TV series.

"Baby?" Meera whispered softly during the commercial.

"Ok?"

"I am always thinking……"

Alexander turned to look at the top of her dark hair. "What are you thinking?"

Mira's fingers fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "I...do you want to try something new? I mean in bed."

Alexander watched her for a while curiously.Meera wasn't usually this shy when it came to sex.

"Of course," he said with a shallow smile, put his fingers into her hair, and gently stroked her neck. "What do you want?"

Mira bit her lip, then looked up at him, gray eyes full of hesitation. "How about 3P? Add a guy?"

Alexander's smile froze on his lips, then faded.

"You don't have to make any decisions now," Mira said quickly. "Don't worry, think it over carefully. But don't stress."

If she hadn't added this sentence, Alexander would have refused on the spot.But he understands her.Apparently she really wanted it.

Alexander looked away.He's not very good at sharing his stuff, and he's a firm believer in monogamy.But he had to think about Mira at least, even though he hated the thought of another man touching her.

"Okay," he said. "I will think about it."

He did think about it.

The incident was on his mind for the next few days, even while he was working.The thought of Mira having sex with other men brought a bitter taste to his mouth, but he wasn't jealous per se—just uncomfortable, unhappy, and vaguely annoyed with Mira.She knew how Alexander felt about having multiple sex partners at once, but she asked anyway.But on the other hand, a qualified boyfriend should not ignore his girlfriend's request.

Damn.His mind fell into a strange circle.He needs to look at this matter from a new angle.

Finally, Alexander called Jared, his cousin and best friend.They don't see each other very often these days because Jared works in England, but they've been close since they were kids.Jared always made him feel reliable.

"If you feel jealous, say no," Jared told him.

"I'm not jealous," Alexander replied, leaning back in his chair. "I'm never jealous, you know. I just don't want to share something private."

"She can't force you. If you don't want to share her, tell her."

"You don't know her," Alexander sighed. "If I told her I didn't want a threesome, she'd sulk, pout, and have a cold war with me for weeks. I really didn't like it when she did that."

"Is this really that big of a deal to you?" Jared asked. "Some men just like to watch their women have sex with other men."

"I don't," Alexander replied immediately.

Jared pondered for a few seconds, then asked cautiously, "You know, it's not cheating if your partner agrees."

Alexander stared unfocused at the painting on the opposite wall.He tried hard to suppress himself, making his voice seem leisurely and indifferent. "Any other ideas you have? 'Mr. Of course'."

Jared sighed heavily. "I don't think she has the right to force you to do things you don't like, but on the other hand...a good relationship is based on compromise."

"I understand," Alexander replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.That's why he thinks so much about it. "When are you going to be home? You've got a stuffy British accent now."

Jared laughed. "Actually, I will have a vacation in a few months."

After a few minutes Alexander hung up the phone, closed his eyes, and sat in meditation.Jared is right: good relationships are built on compromise.

Alexander turned off the computer, locked the door, and left the office room.

"Going home, Mr. Sheldon?" his secretary asked with a smile, fluttering his long eyelashes.

He nodded, ignoring her flirting as usual.Erica was an excellent secretary, and that was the point.She's quick, smart, and doesn't need much direction.She is good at dealing with clients, although most of them don't speak much English.Over time, Erica would discover that her flirting was pointless: Alexander never cheated.

"Is there anything urgent, Erica?"

"No, it's nothing serious. Neville says he'll be finishing the Russian translation right away. It should be over by tomorrow."

Alexander nodded and left the office.

He drove straight home.Normally he'd pick up Mira from school, but if he remembered correctly—and his memory was always right—her class would end early today.

As he expected, Mira was at home.

Alexander kissed her briefly and unbuttoned his tie and shirt.

"I've considered your idea carefully," he said quietly.

He heard her gasp. "so?"

"I have a few conditions."

"Tell me."

Alexander took off his shirt and put it in the laundry basket. "First of all, he can't do the same thing with you."

"Oh." Dissatisfaction was evident in her voice.He ignored it.

"Second," he said in a steady, controlled voice. "Just this once, you have to make it clear to him."

"Ah. Alright." Mira came over, pressed her body on his back, wrapped her arms around his waist, and kissed his shoulder. "You're the best boyfriend ever."

Alexander unzipped his trousers. "Do you have any candidates?"

"Yes, I have already chosen." Mira replied. "I have a few classes with him."

Mira was clearly attracted to someone else, which annoyed Alexander, but he made no comment.

"What was he like?" he asked instead.

Mira laughed. "How should I answer? He's younger than you, about my age—twenty or so."

"He's handsome?"

She laughed again and buried her head in his back. "He's... charming, but don't worry—Christian isn't as handsome as you. The girls in my class were so jealous when you picked me up." She said after a moment of silence. "You're not mad at me, are you? It's not that our sex life wasn't great or anything—it couldn't be better, but—"

"I understand," Alexander replied immediately. "You just want to try something new."

"That's right. We can have threesomes with other girls later if you want."

Alexander didn't think it was what he wanted, but he took the obvious olive branch anyway.

"Okay," he replied.

"Great! I'll tell him right away. I think he'll agree, he's a good talker."

Alexander resisted the urge to frown and just nodded.