The food is delicious, and the conversation fun. I spend much of the time moving my head back and forth like I'm watching a tennis match, trying to follow everything. What I do notice most clearly is that Danna is beaming throughout.
I thought I was going to come here and find that my cousin really had been sucked into a strange cult. I thought she was going to be submissive in this arrangement because ten men could be a totally overwhelming prospect. The reality is completely different. My lucky cousin has ten men who value her and respect her. Contrary to my preconceptions, she's the center of this arrangement, the sun, while the men are her planets.
I try to imagine what it must be like when they are alone. Does she get tired of keeping them all satisfied? My cheeks flush just considering the intensity that would come with so many men and just one small woman.
After dinner, the boys make themselves scarce, and Danna takes me to the converted barn. It's effectively another house, rustic and charming, fully renovated by the Jacksons. We flop on the expansive couches and smile at each other.
"You were worried about me, weren't you," Danna says. "Everyone is until they get here."
"I only heard from Walter yesterday… your arrangement isn't something that you come across every day, but I can tell that you're really happy."
"I am," Danna says, curling her legs up. "This isn't the life that I ever would have imagined myself living, but I'm happier than I ever thought would be possible. It's funny how you can stumble in a different direction and end up exactly where you're supposed to be."
"It's amazing," I say. "The guys all seem really great."
"They are. I'm not going to say it's always harem bliss in here. They're brothers. There can be lots of sibling bickering, but I leave them to work it out between themselves. We all have past experiences that rear their heads periodically, but we love each other enough to keep pulling in the same direction. And it's awesome that they are all so different. It brings so much to the relationship."
"I wanted to ask…" I trail off, blushing at the thought of voicing my most personal question.
"How it works in the bedroom?" Danna grins. "It's the question everyone wants to ask, but most don't pluck up the courage to."
"Yeah… sorry if it's too much…"
"It's okay." Danna rests her hand on my arm and squeezes. "We're family, and I'm not shy talking about my sex life. Me and the boys are together. That means we do everything together."
"Wow." I feel my eyes bulging. It's even more flabbergasting hearing it from Danna now I've met all those hulking men.
"It is wow… every time." She wiggles her eyebrows, and we descend into noisy giggles that take me back to the fun we used to have in our childhood.
"So how's it been meeting all your foster brothers?" There's a definite insinuation in that statement. I guess she has ten men, so eleven wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for her. What's one more?
"It's been strange. I didn't even know they existed before yesterday. Walter told me, then took me round to the house and left me there."
"They've been okay with you… respectful?"
I nod, fiddling with the seam on my jeans, wondering how much I should confide here. It's not that I don't trust Danna. I have no reason to doubt her, but it's been such a long time since we spent any time together. I've never been good with confiding anything. I've seen secrets spilled at school and reputations ruined. Then again, if I don't ask for her advice, I don't know who else I have. Mom has her own agenda. She's going to be looking at things from her point of view. I can already hear her saying, "Sell the house and use the money to set yourself up." But is that the right thing for me to do?
"They've been great so far… except… I overheard them talking."
Danna leans forward, her eyes widening with intrigue. "About what? Were they saying filthy things about you because I wouldn't blame them? You're hot!"
"Not filthy… they were talking about you, actually."
"Me?"
"Yeah… about your setup and how they should be doing the same thing for me."
Danna throws her head back and whoops, clapping her hands with glee. "I knew it! I had this feeling when Uncle Walter told me you were coming back to town."