Menage - Part 5

by sloanranger

She held her cup out and James got up and filled it. "But I guess I'm not cut out for it."

"Not your fault, hon," James said slightly drunk, standing by the chair.

"I don't suppose either one of you has any money?"

"His parents are loaded," Ben said, indicating his friend. "One day he'll have a bundle."

She looked up at James: "But not now?" She shook her head in mock sorrow.

"Not now," James affirmed solemnly, shaking his head, too.

Ben scooted off the bed and knelt before her. "You have money troubles, Julie?"

"Kind of, my company is downsizing. Also, the owner's kicking me out of my apartment so his daughter can move in."

"Bummer," James said.

"Chrissake," said Ben, while James refilled the cup that Julie had in her outstretched hand.

"Yep. Knowles, Fontaine and Aherne, suppliers of the finest in carpeting of all kinds - NOT," she added, "will no longer be requiring my services after next week. And two weeks after that, I have to vacate the premises of the Reseda Sunset Apartments."

James appeared to be in deep thought and Ben looked a little pensive.

"Well, hell, Julie you can come stay with us," Ben said. "We'll flip for whose bedroom you get. Or, you could always marry one of us."

The girl laughed.

James suddenly had a thought: "You know - the guy in the movie that always made her laugh, was a friend - not her boyfriend. The other two were lovers, but you're right: she didn't like Henry Daniell - the Count."

"Who would?" Ben said.

"Hell of an actor, though," James took another drink.

"We could we get a three bedroom," Ben said to James. "And what's the problem, Julie? We both make you laugh."

She looked from the one at her feet to the other, standing beside her with the remains of the burgundy. Her eyes began welling up. "I should be able to get another job soon," she said, "and I have a few hundred dollars in the bank...."

James shook the empty bottle. "Refill," he said, and went to the kitchen for another.

"I know I'm drunk, Julie," Ben said, "but not that drunk. We could get married if you like."

She laughed, sniffling between grateful tears. "You guys are great but I'm too young to get married." She was grinning: "But I may need a place to live."

James stood there with the new bottle. "Crissake, we can work out the financial and sexual arrangements later. I have no doubt as to whom you'll choose after a fortnight or two with me and Huckleberry Finn, here." He held his hand out to Ben.

Ben fumbled through his pockets and slapped the corkscrew into his friend's hand. "Yeah, me neither."

"So Julie, what do you say?" Ben implored.

"You can figure out which of us to marry later," James interjected.

"Or in the meantime," he spread his hands out wide, in an Al Jolson, ta-da stance - a big smile on his face: "you can have both of us."

"Yeah, Julie," Ben sounded wounded but he was grinning. "If two was good enough for Garbo, it should be good enough for you."

Finis ?