Alan was stumped. Changing Glory's mind seemed hopeless. But then he decided to take a completely different tack, which was also completely heartfelt and true, but more desperate, in an attempt to keep at least some relationship going. "Let me be brutally honest. I'm the one completely dependent on you. Everything else aside, the fact is, my life is a hair's breadth away from total disaster. You're my only hope of salvation."
"How do you figure?"
"Glory, you're right. There does seem to be some kind of strange sexual thing going on with me. I don't know what it is. But the women I happen to love the most are all basically either submissive or passive types who seem to lose all willpower around me. The only exceptions are you and Amy's mom, and she seems to be getting overwhelmed, especially from my mom. There's no one to say no. It's approaching the point where I could start using my family as furniture. When I sit down to watch TV, I could literally tell my mother to be my naked footrest, and she'd do it! Now, I would never, ever do that to her, but it's so dangerously intoxicating to know that I could treat people like that! Yet, it's so very wrong! Sometimes I feel like my mind is slipping and I'm either going to go crazy or turn completely evil and abusive. Nobody should have that kind of power, because power corrupts, but I just can't trust myself to do the right thing all the time. I don't even know when too much is too much sometimes, anymore. I NEED someone to tell me no!"
He continued, "Look at my schoolwork situation. I missed half my classes today, and completely spaced out in the rest, as you certainly noticed. If I told my family that I was going to drop out of school tomorrow, not even Suzanne would try to stop me. She's too much of a hostage to her own lust."
His voice grew much more urgent. "You're the ONLY ONE out of the people I deeply love with the willpower to keep me on the right path. The very fact that you're telling me 'no' today shows me that you have the strength I need. Without your help, I can see my future, where sexual obsession leads me and my whole family to complete ruin."
He got down on his knees and begged. "Glory, I know that you're not ready to join my family, but don't leave my life completely! I can't make it without you!"
Glory was stunned by that, and just sat silently for a while. She recalled how Suzanne had said that he was thrust into a difficult situation not of his own making. She felt for his plight. She looked at him kneeling before her, and found her eyes drifting down to his shorts. Against her will, she was checking for signs of any bulges. She realized how wildly inappropriate that was and tore her eyes away. Then she said, "Sit back in your chair, young man. I don't like to see you like that."
While Glory had been checking out his package, his lower position gave him an accidental up close view of her legs and the space in between them. Even though she kept her knees close together and a hand on her lap to best protect her modesty, he was able to see some of the flesh between her legs.
He thought, I know it's totally inappropriate to think this right now, but am I seeing things, or is she not wearing any underwear? Maybe she's wearing flesh-colored pantyhose over her panties?
He returned to his chair and tried to keep his mind out of the gutter.
She thought some more. "I had an inkling about those kinds of problems, but I didn't realize their extent. I've been watching you slip into sexual abandon for a while now, and it's been worrying me. I can't bear to just stand aside and watch you drop out of school and out of life, becoming a sexually relentless terror to all women."
Her tone softened slightly as she looked at his earnest face. "You're such a good boy at heart, but you're right, power does corrupt. I want to help you, except for one thing. I don't know if I have the strength to resist you. What if I just totally lose it, and become, well, a sexual slave? That's what I feel like, sometimes. You're so emotionally intense! At times, I feel right on the verge of giving my whole soul to you. The fact that I love you so much makes you that much more sexually irresistible." She bowed her head down sadly. "I don't know if I have the strength you need."
He replied, "Maybe not, but I'm thinking that you and Suzanne can do it together. Right now, she's surrounded by submissives who are all pulling her one way. There's no one and nothing pulling her the other way. Together, you two can lean on each other."
Alan naturally didn't know about Suzanne's fantasy concerning Glory that she'd detailed to Susan a short while before, but if he did it would have served as an excellent case in point about how Suzanne was getting sucked into the submissive mind set. He also would have been completely appalled that even Suzanne would harbor such thoughts about Glory, even if only in fantasy. Worse, if he'd listened to the whole fantasy, he would have been both appalled and very aroused.
He continued, "It's not just a matter of saving me. It's like this new family is a new ship sailing off into uncharted waters, and we're all in danger of drowning. We're getting completely carried away by our lusts. But you're the missing piece. With you, we could right the ship and do great things that have never been done before. We could create a new kind of family and live lives few even dare to dream. That's one reason why it just feels so right that you belong with us."
Glory was hit by an epiphany. She thought back to her conversation with Suzanne, and remembered how Suzanne had told her that she thought they were fated to be best friends. Is this what she meant? That the two of us are the only ones with the necessary willpower, so we naturally have to support each other, and lean on each other, as Alan put it? Somehow, even though I've only met her once, I can imagine being best friends with her, and working with her as the family "backbone" for years to come. It's almost like I can see the future, the two of us, hand in hand, holding each other...
But as she thought this she recalled how attractive Suzanne was, radiating sexiness and desire so strongly that she began to get aroused just thinking about her pale face. She further recalled the hungry looks Suzanne had given her, and wondered if Suzanne secretly lusted after her. In her mind, their holding each other for mutual support turned into a more intimate embrace. She found herself looking up into Suzanne's shimmering green eyes as their lips drew closer. Somehow along the way their clothes disappeared, and Glory's C-cup breasts were swallowed up by Suzanne's soft yet firm G-cup mountains. Their faces came closer and closer together until their quivering lips were on the verge of touching...
Glory suddenly rebelled in disgust at the thoughts entering her mind, and tore herself free from her daydream. She thought, What is WRONG with me? I am NOT interested in women, period! But with Suzanne, who can blame anyone if they... What I mean is, she's so beautiful that any human being, male or female, can't help but desire her sexy, sultry body... It's as if she was one of the Greek goddesses come to Earth... A giant Amazon of pure lust ... holding and squeezing a mere mortal like me...
To her disgust, she realized she'd been drifting off again. She looked at Alan and saw he looked very puzzled by what had been her dreamy and distant gaze. She shook her head as if that would clear her mind, and protested to him, "But I'm not like them! I'm not bisexual. I wouldn't fit in..."
He answered, "I'm not asking you to do anything bisexual just to fit in. That would be wrong. Some people just are that way, and some people aren't. I'm sure they would gladly accept you in a loving but completely platonic way. You must know enough about them from all I've told you to realize they're very loving and understanding people. What's important is that you and I stay together, and my family stays together."
She refocused her thoughts and tried a different tack. "Look. Here's an idea. Your academic career is hanging at the edge of a cliff. Why don't I work with Suzanne to try to get that back in order? Between her at home and me here at school, we can use carrots and sticks to get you back on track. Lately, you've somehow been doing some homework, but it's been a pale reflection of the work you used to do. You can do better. Then, if that works, we can talk about tackling some of the other, bigger problems."
Alan was overjoyed. He jumped up to hug her.
But she recoiled at the prospect of the hug and said, "BUT! Wait! There's a 'but.'"
He stopped just before he reached her and listened.
"The condition, young man, is NO sex with me. Nothing. No hugs, no kisses, no touching, nothing. Frankly, I am very, very doubtful that I have the willpower to do even this. You want to know the truth? I was aroused and wet through the entire fourth period today. And when the class was over, I spent the lunch in a masturbatory frenzy, cumming over and over. Does that sound like the kind of woman with the willpower and strength you need? No! I should flee this whole city if I know what's good for me. I fear that you'll pull me into this sexual storm surrounding you, and I'll never get out. But I'm willing to risk it for you, because... because I love you."
He smiled and joked, "Stop saying that already!"
She laughed. "You see? That's the problem. You're just too damned lovable. Very funny. But you have to work with me, okay? Don't tempt me! Help me, okay? We have to help each other."
"Okay. You're right. I'm so relieved. I was so worried that this would be the last real conversation I'd ever have with you. This feels right. I still feel deeply that you and I should love each other in every way, but we should gather our strength first. Together, we're going to do it!" He reached forward to hug her, but stopped himself at the last moment. "Oh. Right. No touching. Sorry."
She nodded, her face both happy and sad at once.
He started walking to the door. "I'll just let myself out then. Thanks so much, Glory. You're the greatest!"
She remained in her chair after he'd gone. What have I done? "Willpower?" Ha! What willpower? I've just doomed myself to an endless future of frustration and misery. Tonight I know I'm going to be dreaming and masturbating about him yet again, just like last night. Then tomorrow I'm going to see him in class and my heart will leap up into my throat, but I won't be able to even share the smallest hug with him. Is there any other woman as unhappy and trapped between a rock and a hard-on as I am? But I can't stand by and watch him fail. I couldn't live with myself.
She paused. Wait! Did I just say "hard-on"? I meant "hard place." Hard PLACE! See? This is my problem! Why does he assume I'm not as sex-obsessed as the rest?
She raised herself off of her chair a little bit to adjust her skirt. She thought, Of all the days to forget to wear my underwear, why today? And with Alan getting down on his knees he must have seen everything! He'll think I'm a complete slut... But I'm going to prove him wrong. I will NOT let thoughts of fantastic sex overwhelm me. Willpower! I must have willpower!
As Alan closed the door behind him, he thought, Well, that wasn't a total disaster. I feel hopeful that maybe we can reach some kind of new understanding. But now I have to go from the frying pan into the fire. It's time to deal with the whole Dr. Fredrickson situation. Ugh! And so much more to do today. But no time to think - I've gotta run!
He ran to the front of the school, where he expected a ride would be waiting.