"Hey, babe. Um. I've got a question," Bea said.

Trent looked over from his laptop. Finally. She'd come into his office and had just been kind of hanging around, asking a few idle questions, obviously wanting to talk about something but not actually talking about it. She'd been here for almost fifteen minutes. He could hear the others moving around the house.

"Shoot," he replied.

"Um." She paused and then walked over to the door and pushed it all the way shut. "I guess I've just been thinking about the...time we spent with Candy. A specific aspect of it."

"Ah." He turned fully to face her, feeling a little afraid. Had she decided she was disgusted with the incest stuff?

"It's nothing bad," she said quickly, as if reading his mind. "It's not-I'm not judging you. I don't think it's weird or gross or anything. Honestly, it was, like, really hot. I guess it's more a question of if-well, I guess…" She sighed and walked to the window suddenly. "I'm not sure how to word it."

"Well, I mean I'm listening. Ask it point blank, even if it doesn't come out completely right," he replied.

Bea hesitated a little longer. Trent waited.

It was officially his birthday. Mae, Ann, Claire, Melody, and interestingly Jen were all downstairs, getting things ready. Bea, it seemed, had been tasked with keeping him upstairs and busy. Although not with sex. After he'd gotten back from Candy's yesterday, they'd been very clear about the no sex. In fact, they were annoyed that Bea had failed to prevent him from doing it just once while over there. Mae had grumbled more than once about him 'spoiling his appetite too early'.

He was very, very curious about what this present of theirs was, but knew better than to ask. So he'd mostly just been hanging out either in bed or in his office.

"The incest stuff," she said finally, "the mommy stuff. Like...is it hurting you?" she asked.

"...oh," he replied, relieved. "I understand. You're worried me engaging with the mommy sex roleplay is hurting me because I had such an awful relationship with my own actual mother."

"Yes. That."

"I...don't think so," he replied. "In truth, I'm not sure. I feel...kinda weird, after? Not exactly in a bad way, more like in a...an I'm not sure how to feel kind of way? It's complicated and I'm still sorting it out. She said she'd let me do really violent forced sex roleplay with her if I wanted, to help...sort out how I feel about my mom? Or maybe just to feel good."

"Wow," Bea murmured. "I, um...would like to see that."

"You want to see me really violent?" he asked.

"Honestly? Yes. I want to see you screaming and hitting and humiliating a woman. Especially if that woman's Candy."

"I feel like there's a lot to unpack in that sentence."

She sighed. "This isn't about me! I just...want to see it." She paused, pursed her lips. "Would you fuck your real mom if she let you?" Trent opened his mouth to respond, but nothing. "I'm sorry, I realize that's an insanely personal question, I just want to know. I also won't freak out or anything if you say yes."

Trent thought about it, but not for long. "No. Not with how things are right now. I guess, if she had been better to me...yeah, I'd do it. I'd have sex with her."

"Wow. That's so…" She seemed to struggle for a moment. "I don't even know. Hot. I mean it's really hot. To me. Brave? I mean, I don't know, I'd never have sex with my dad. If I had a brother I wouldn't…" She paused. "Well, maybe I would. I mean, I don't know, right? Would you fuck your sister?"

"These are insanely personal questions, Bea," he said, chuckling. "But...maybe. She was definitely the least worst to me. She said shitty things, but she kinda slackened off over the past few years. I dunno. If she was really nice to me and came onto me and everyone was okay with it, I mean yeah, I'd hit that."

Bea laughed. "You'd hit that?"

"Yes."

"Is your sister hot?"

"Yes."

"Oh, right, she was a cheerleader...could I watch?"

"Bea! It's not like this is gonna happen. I probably won't see them again…" He sat up straighter suddenly. "You didn't, like, track down my sister or something and get her to come here to try and fuck me, did you?"

Bea laughed louder. "No! Babe, we would never do something like that. Trust me, the only surprises we're surprising you with are surprises we're like ninety nine percent sure you'll love."

"That's a good point. Sorry, I just...had to know for sure," he said. "It occurred to me all of a sudden. I mean, I know something sexual is going to happen. I gotta admit, I'm really curious about what you've come up with."

"Well, it's not terribly inventive," Bea replied. "But we're confident you'll like it, and even if you're a little disappointed by it, you'll still be having sex with women you're attracted to. So…" She shrugged.

"I'm sure it'll be fucking awesome," he replied. He checked his phone. "It's gotta be close to starting, soon, right? It's almost two…"

They both looked over as they heard someone (Mae) running up the steps. She had that distinctive way of racing up the steps like a kid still. She came into the office, began to speak, paused, then stared at Trent and frowned.

"So I was gonna say we're basically ready and you should calm down, but...you look calm? I mean that's good. Why are you calm? You always freak out over things...again, not that I'm complaining," she said.

"Well...there's a reason, but you probably don't want to know," he replied.

"Why? Now I really want to know-wait. Is it my mom? It's because of you fucked my mom?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Short answer: yes."

Mae stared at him for a moment, then to Bea. "Is she really that much better than me? Than any of us?" she asked.

"Yes," Bea said.

Mae raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you didn't even hesitate. Like...why? What about her?"

"Are you sure you want to know this?" Trent asked.

"I mean, don't make it gross, but yeah, I wanna know."

"Well, I guess if I were to try and explain it simply...confidence? Also, like, she's a fucking freak. Your mom is a freak."

"Ew," Mae complained.

"Sorry."

"She is," Bea said.

"Double ew."

"Sorry," Bea replied, "but yeah, it's, like, the confidence and the experience? And I'm not sure there's anything we can do about it. Like to close the gap? She outfucks all of us. She outfucks Jen."

"Wow, really?" Mae asked.

"Yeah, it's true," Trent replied. "Um, let's just say that after she gets done with me...you know that cliché of people like laying around smoking, like 'I need a cigarette' sex? It's like that but for real. Just...contentment. It's kinda like...I guess, imagine going to a world class masseuse who like massages the ever-loving fuck out of you, and cracks like every joint in the perfect way, and does it for like a solid three hours. How do you think you'd feel after that?"

"I think I'd feel...crazy relaxed and good." She thought about it for a moment. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah, okay, that actually makes sense. I mean she's been fucking for like thirty years, I've been fucking for six months. I'm probably more confident now than when I was when I started…"

"Oh definitely. You used to get mad at me for looking at you naked while we were having sex. And now you pretty much walk around naked and don't care if me or Ann or Bea or any chick who happens to be staying here sees you," Trent replied.

"That's a good point. I guess I just need more experience."

"Do you want to be crazy freaky sexual?" Bea asked.

"...I dunno," she replied. "Kinda? I guess, I want to be able to."

"That makes sense...um, have you actually like spoken to your mom, since...uh…"

"Since you dipped your wick into her?" Mae asked.

"Yeah."

"Yes. And we, like, had an actual conversation about it. We're both still cool. I gotta admit, it's kinda weird still, like, I didn't think my boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever would be banging my mom of all people, but...it's not nearly as weird as I'd thought it'd be."

"I think she's woken up something in Trent…" Bea murmured with a grin.

"Wait, what? Are you into something new now?" Mae asked.

"Uh, well, not new, per se…"

"Tell me!"

He laughed awkwardly. "Incest roleplay."

"Incest impregnation roleplay," Bea said.

"Oh dude, that's...filthy man! That's like deep kink shit," Mae said.

"Well, at least you sound excited."

"Okay, that's fine then. Honestly it kinda gives me hope? Like I guess if my mom really is like me, she probably started out awkward and weird about sex, so that means I can be a fucking amazing freak in bed, too," she said. "Anyway, uh, go downstairs. Your party is started. Angus and Gregg are here and my mom texted me that she and my dad will be over in a minute with enchiladas and tacos...is it gonna be weird? Now that you two have...you know?"

"I don't think so," Trent replied. "I mean, probably."

"You're gonna struggle," Bea said.

"Why?" he asked, looking at her more directly.

"Because you can't get that swagger going on around her."

"...what?" he asked.

"The strut," Mae said.

He looked at her now. "Wait, so...wait, what? What are you two talking about?"

"I swear we've discussed this before," Bea murmured. "But okay, when you're with a chick you fucked, you walk different. You get swagger. It's super obvious with me. I didn't even notice it until I saw our reflection in a window while we were walking one day a few months ago. It's also pretty obvious with Jen, and Melody. But you do it with all of us...you don't do it on purpose?"

"What?! No-are you fucking with me right now?" he asked. "This is a joke, right?"

"No, we're being completely serious," Mae said. "Ask anyone. Ask Ann. Ask Melody. God, ask Gregg or Angus. You fucking strut after you stick your dick in a chick." She paused, then snorted. "Modern poetry."

"You know, I will ask them," he said, getting up.

Bea and Mae both followed him downstairs, laughing.

"Hey, happy birthday," Angus said as he appeared.

"Yeah dude, happy birthday! The big two...um...is it...five?"

"Three. Two three. I'm turning twenty three," Trent replied.

"Wait are you serious? You're that close to us in age? I coulda sworn you were older…"

"Nope, twenty three. And thank you. But I have a question for you two. Do I strut when I'm walking with a woman who I've slept with as opposed to a woman I haven't?"

"Been intimate with," Bea cut in.

"Why are you adding that modifier?" he asked.

"You strutted with Molly, and you never fucked her, unless something happened I don't know about," she replied.

"I didn't fuck Molly, but I…" He looked back to Gregg and Angus. "So, do I?"

"Yes," Gregg replied.

Trent stared at him, then at Angus. He began slowly nodding. "Think about it, yes, you do. Bea mentioned it to me once, I think back in March, and now I can't unsee it. It's like…" He began shifting, then paused. "Well, it's, you know, like a strut."

"Like a swagger," Mae said, snorting.

"Like this!" Gregg said, and immediately began walking back and forth like he was a model on a catwalk, though one clearly failing as he swung his hips around in an exaggerated fashion until he lost his balance and went sprawling on the floor, making everyone laugh.

"No," Bea said, "no, it's subtle. It's just...I don't even think you can see it, babe. Don't worry about it."

"I walk around looking like an idiot every time I'm around a girl I've shot a load into and-"

"No! No, no! It's not-you don't look stupid," Bea said.

"Yeah, we're not like, making fun of you, dude," Mae agreed.

"Coulda fool me," he replied, crossing his arms.

"No, it's hot, Trent. Like...it's hot, is the point we're trying to make," Bea said.

"Seriously?"

"Oh yeah," Gregg said, "if you were bi I'd so fucking-" He froze, then glanced sheepishly at Angus. "Well, um…"

Mae immediately started laughing, and then so did Claire and Ann.

"No, it's okay, I get it," Angus said.

"Would you?" Gregg asked, raising his eyebrows.

"...I think we're making Trent uncomfortable," he replied.

"I mean I don't mind hearing about it. It's kinda weird, but whatever," he replied.

"Yeah! I actually really want to hear this!" Mae declared.

"Super curious," Bea murmured.

Angus chuckled awkwardly. "It wouldn't work out between us, we're different in a few small but key ways. But...it'd be while it lasted."

"Probably same for me, too," Gregg said.

"Well, um...thanks," Trent replied. It was a little weird, but they were calling him hot, so it couldn't be a bad thing. "Okay, someone take a video of me next time we're out, I want to see this."

"I'll try to," Bea said, "but if you know we're looking for it, you probably won't do it. It's, like, a subconscious thing. But I will try. I'll sneak a video when you're walking with Mae someday, you won't even know. I don't know if it'll show up on video. Like...it's hard to describe. It's nothing crazy. It's subtle."

"Why do you like it?" he asked.

"It's confidence," she replied.

"Yeah, she's right," Ann said.

"Yeah...I kinda thought that everyone was just feeding each other bullshit about that whole 'confidence is attractive' thing, but like, it's actually really hot," Mae said. "When we had the whole c-the whole...dangerous thing, and you were all 'I'm in charge', I pretty much creamed in my jeans."

"Gross," Gregg said, laughing.

"She's right though," Bea said. "Immediately just sploosh."

"Okay! Let's...you've withheld sex from me enough, let's not talk about this," Trent said.

"Oh my fucking God, are you kidding me?!" Bea cried. "You came inside of a woman twenty hours ago. Not even a whole day!"

"Yeah and it was my mom, whose pussy is apparently just-" She threw her hands up in the air.

"Mae!" Trent cried.

Gregg spit out his drink and started coughing harshly. "Whoa what!? You banged Mae's mom dude?!" he cried, coughing harshly.

"This is definitely why it wouldn't work," Angus murmured, taking a drink. "I can't share."

"Keep that under your hat, okay?" Trent asked.

"Yeah, for real guys," Bea said. "Jesus, Mae."

"I'm sorry! Gregg and Angus get filed in with my 'no secrets at all' drawer with the rest of you, okay?! But yeah, seriously, please don't tell anyone or mention it to my mom at at all or just anyone! Just never speak of it. It's, like, for real a huge secret."

"I won't tell anyone," Angus said.

"Yeah, I'll just kick it in the hole of things we're not allowed to talk about because people would flip their shit," Gregg muttered.

"Jesus, how much shit has happened to you guys that you can't talk about?" Claire asked. Trent looked at her. "I know! I fucking know, I don't want to know, I'll be happier not knowing, I see nothing, I hear nothing."

"Sorry," Gregg said. "It's just...you know, it's a bunch of boring stuff."

"Oh sure, so boring. This feels like when Obama got sworn in and talked about Area 51, saying it was like a disappointment or something, but you know he learned some mad crazy shit and he has to pretend-whatever," she said. "Um, happy birthday."

Trent laughed. "Thanks. Uh...what's first?"

"First you chill here, right here," Mae said, putting him onto the couch. "And then I think my mom and dad are gonna-yep, there they are. Just chill and talk with your friends babe."

"Okay," he replied.

She hesitated, then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, then went to help her parents with Claire. Bea, Ann, and Melody sat down on the couch with him.

"Do I really strut?" he asked.

Melody laughed. "You do, it's true. I've seen it."

He sighed heavily, then shook his head. There were worse things.