"Can I have like ten minutes alone with your husband?" Tabby asked as Bea headed for the bathroom to grab her own shower.
They'd gone on for another five minutes or so before he popped again.
"Yeah, but any particular reason?" Ann replied as she and the others began getting up.
"Just wanna have a nice feel-good one on one with him," Tabby answered.
"Awesome, let's go girls," Mae declared, and within a minute, he found himself being cuddled by a very naked, very friendly Tabby.
For a bit, they just laid there together, listening to the faints sounds of the town beyond and Bea showering. A train called out into the night.
"So, um, everything okay?" Trent asked.
"Oh yes, everything's perfect. Don't worry, there isn't some problem I'm keeping back because I think you're too emotionally fragile to handle it right now. Honestly everything's going fucking amazing. When I give you your first real paycheck on the July first, even after I take out the money you owe me, my cut of the royalties, and covering the cost of what I paid to get Demontower to publication, you're still getting two thousand dollars. And the next month? There was an initial burst at the beginning of May when we launched, and then it started to kind of decay, but then, I don't know, something kicked in near the beginning of June and it cracked the top two hundred again."
"My impression is that that's very good," he murmured.
"Trent, yes. It's insane. Demontower is one of the top two hundred selling books on the entire planet. Out of millions of novels. Like, from combined ebook and paperback sales, we've sold about ten thousand copies so far. And probably another ten thousand from the Kindle Unlimited people borrowing the book. Like, you are probably going to get ten thousand dollars on August first."
He was silent for a long moment.
"...seriously?"
"Yes. After all is said and done, you make roughly a buck fifty per sale for an ebook, and about a buck and a quarter for each paperback sale. For the Kindle Unlimited, you get roughly half a penny per page read-well, closer to a fourth of a penny-and Demontower was about four hundred pages, in terms of the Kindle. And that comes to about a buck forty per full read through the KU. But that's not even the most exciting thing."
"What's the most exciting thing? I'm kind of afraid to ask," he replied.
She laughed. "The audiobook. It caught."
"Caught how?"
"It's selling roughly a hundred copies a day. Audiobooks are a lot more expensive than ebooks. After it's all said and done, you get about four bucks a pop."
"Wait, so, the audiobook of Demontower is earning me four hundred dollars a day? Seriously? I have that right?"
"Yep. Collectively, you've sold about twenty five thousand copies of Demontower, between ebook, paperback, and audio. And you are averaging another two hundred a day between them all. That is mind blowing. I mean, it's not like Stephen King or whatever, but it's fucking amazing."
"Yeah, it is, fuck…" he muttered.
"But that isn't quite what I wanted to talk with you about. Also, if you need money, I can just deposit the two grand early."
"I...am going to take that offer. We could use a bit more money. I've been a little...loose with it, just recently."
"Then I will make the deposit. But listen, what I really wanted to tell you is that...I'm really grateful for you, and I'm really glad you came into my life."
"Oh. Um. Thanks. What prompted that?" he replied.
"I mean I've been thinking this for a bit now, but when I found out what had happened to you, I guess it just got me really thinking about it, and realizing just how much you've helped me. I'm thirty five now, Trent. I know that probably doesn't seem too old to you, but...let's just say that more separates you and I than you'd think. And I can't really explain how or what. But one of the things that happens is...it just gets harder to care. You know? In general."
Trent thought about it. "Yeah, I can see that. Life kind of...files the edges down."
"Yeah, exactly. Plus, there's just less to do, in the sense that you've done so much by then. I've experienced burnout before, but I think a more subtle malaise had been gripping me for a few years now. And I didn't truly realize it until you kicked me out of the dumps I had moved into without even realizing it."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yeah! This whole Demontower thing has made me feel revitalized. Do you know how many games I've released?"
"I feel like I should, but I don't," he replied.
"A hundred."
"Holy shit."
"Yeah. I released my hundredth game near the start of the year. It was one I'd been working on off and on for a few years there. I finished up my most recent series and decided I needed to just bite the bullet and get it done, because it'd been sitting there on the back burner for a long time, and I did. And after that...I don't know, man. I was just...so fucking tired. And empty. And I realized that I had been for a while now, like a few years. And I just didn't know what to do. Also, sorry if I said I was working on another game at some point, I kind of adopted lying about it because I was kind of panicking because I didn't want to fucking work on anything."
"It's fine, I get it."
"This is weirding you out, isn't it?" she asked.
"No. I mean, well, that's not really the right word. It's more just that, I feel like you had a far more profound impact on my life. You reached out and you gave me an opportunity to novelize your series of games, and that changed everything for me."
"You aren't wrong, but it's safe to say we both had profound impacts on each other. I've been going through my entire catalog of games. All of it, back to the very first one, since you apparently lit a fire under my ass."
He chuckled, shifting his hand that was on her hip back to her ass. "Your sweet ass."
She snorted. "Yes. I've decided that I'm going to do a sort of reunion tour of everything. Polish up my released works with a patch or two, and take another look at the dozen or so games that died before birth. At least a couple of them I figure I can make work. And something about this just feels...right. Like going through all of my fucking one hundred games and twelve unreleased games is going to help kinda clear out my head, let me focus, help me figure out where to go from here. I have ideas, but none of them seem quite right or appealing, and I can tell I'm just too burned out to focus, but that's been the case before, and usually it went away, or became tolerable, after a week or so. But not this time. Only now, it's lifted. Because of you."
"I imagine there were other factors…"
She dragged a fingertip slowly across his bare chest. "Trent?"
"Yeah?"
"Take the win."
He chuckled. "All right, fine. I'm glad you're feeling better."
"How about you?"
"I'm...getting there. I think." He sighed. "It's so hard to tell. Sometimes it's like...I'm back to normal. And then I'll get hit with a sledgehammer of rage or sorrow or just, I don't know, psychic pain?"
"I'm sorry," she murmured, and hugged him against herself. "You really, really don't deserve that."
"I sure hope not."
"I'm positive you don't deserve it. If you want to talk, about anything, do really text or call me. I know you've got these women here with you, but...sometimes you find yourself really wanting to talk to a specific person. Not even necessarily about something specific. And I want you to reach out when you get hit with that, or if you think of anything you want to talk about either."
"I will," he promised.
They fell silent and laid together for another few moments. Finally, Tabby stirred, patting his chest and then sitting up. "Should probably let your wives back in." He chuckled. She grinned down at him. "That doesn't bother you at all, does it?"
"What? Wives?" he replied, sure that he was missing why she had asked that.
"Yeah. It's kinda funny. So many guys are scared of commitment, and the few guys I've talked with or heard from online who actually have relationships like yours, they all say the same thing: it is really draining trying to keep up with more than one partner. And you have three. Or three and a half with Claire. Or...four with Molly?"
"Um, we're still figuring that out, but yeah, yes. It's sometimes overwhelming, and draining. It's why I'm pretty damn happy settling on a five person household and no more."
"Oh? So if another pretty girl offers to bounce on your dick…?"
"I said move in, not fuck."
"Thought so."
"Can you blame me?"
"No, not at all. Also...is that limit a hard limit?"
"What? On people in this household?" She nodded. "I mean...not exactly. Why?"
"I've gotten better at predicting myself, and...I don't think it's impossible that I might want to live with you guys in a few years, after you get to Bright Harbor. You know, if you'd have me."
"Wow. Seriously?'
"Yeah. You're all so awesome and fun and chill. And you turn me on like no other man I have ever met in my life."
"Oh. Wow. That's...a very bold assertion."
She laughed. "I love your articulation. And yes, it is. I don't want to put pressure on you, but I do want you to know that the door is open for something more...but legit no pressure, and we have a very long timeline on this. Unless you up and move tomorrow."
"Oh no, gonna be in Possum Springs for at the very least the rest of twenty eighteen. Probably through twenty nineteen...hmm."
"What?"
"Just thinking, new decade coming. I always felt like something big and crazy is going to happen when the decade rolls over, but it didn't last time, and I don't really know why I think that."
She snorted. "Wouldn't it be hilarious if some massive thing kicks off December thirty first, twenty nineteen?"
"Well...it depends on the nature of the thing happening. Although to be honest, most 'big and crazy' things I can think of happening are bad. Just a question of degree."
Tabby yawned. "Well, I am going to go to bed. My ass has been fucked and I've showered and I have places to be tomorrow that I gotta get up early for. And because I've opted to leave quietly without waking anyone else, this is where we say goodbye. Also, huge display of trust giving me a copy of your house key."
"Well, you've earned it, and it's practically useful," he replied. "And Tabby...seriously, thank you for coming down here entirely to let me fuck you in the ass."
She snorted. "You're welcome. And that wasn't entirely why I was here."
"I know. Thank you for caring, and helping me. You are a very good friend and boss."
"I am also effectively a long distance low maintenance girlfriend right now, given you are the only cock I've let inside of me for...oh God, two years now? At least two years, maybe even three. And I don't intend to go looking for more now that I've got yours on standby."
"Well...I mean, not quite that much on standby, given you need to fly or drive for like, what, seven hours to get here?"
She chuckled. "Yeah, fair, but you're welcome, Trent." She gave him a kiss, then got up and gathered her clothes, pulling them on quickly. "It's been fun, and we'll see each other again in the future. Not sure when, but definitely this year. Goodnight and farewell."
"Goodnight and farewell, Tabby."
She smiled as she finished pulling her shirt on, lingered for a moment, then walked out. Sure enough, he saw Mae and Molly right outside the door, scrambling to get out of the way and tripping over each other in the process.
"Wow, you two," Tabby whispered.
"Sorry! I just miss Trent!" Mae replied as she picked herself back up.
"And I'm kinda attached to Mae and Trent at the hip right now," Molly said.
"That has to be complicated. Well, I'm not annoyed. Goodnight, girls. It's been fun."
"Oh, I guess it is bedtime," Mae murmured.
"It is for me," Tabby replied.
They said their goodbyes and then Mae and Molly came into the room and immediately began taking their clothes off.
"I don't know how we all fit in this bed," Trent muttered as they climbed on it.
"Not well," Molly replied. "We need a bigger bed."
"Yeah. Probably really soon. Think we'll have to get it on a payment plan, though. Even with the two grand coming in-"
"Wait, what two grand?!" Mae asked.
"Oh. Right. Tabby is going to wire me my May check early."
"I thought you sold like ten thousand copies or something? And you only get two grand?" Molly asked uncertainly.
"No, no, it was going to be more, but she agreed to essentially 'loan' us like seven grand when we were trying to save Mae's parent's house."
"Ohhhhh, and she'll take it out of the first paycheck, got it. Well, shit, that's a lot of money."
"Yeah. And the next month is going to be a lot more than that."
"How much is a lot?" Mae asked cautiously.
"Tabby said I can expect at least ten thousand dollars."
"That...is an unthinkable amount of money to me," Molly whispered.
"What's this I hear about ten thousand dollars?" Ann asked from the hallway, her voice getting closer.
"Come in here and take your clothes off and I'll tell you all about it," Trent replied.
He grinned as Bea and Ann walked in and began taking their clothes off.