The Birthday Wish We Couldn't Forget

The morning light filtered through our bedroom curtains as I watched Alex sleep, her dark hair spread across the pillow like spilled ink. In three days, she'd turn twenty-eight, and I'd been planning her birthday surprise for months. Not the usual dinner reservation or weekend getaway—this year, I was giving her something she'd confessed during one of those late-night conversations where secrets slip out like wine from an overturned glass.

"I've never been with two people at once," she'd whispered, her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest. "Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like, having four hands on me instead of two."

My stomach had twisted with something between jealousy and intrigue. Alex and I had been together for four years, our relationship built on trust and honest communication. But hearing her voice that particular fantasy had awakened something in me too—a curiosity about watching her unravel under someone else's touch while I participated, the three of us creating something new together.

That's where Jamie came in.

Jamie had been my best friend since college, long before Alex entered the picture. She was the kind of beautiful that made people stare—tall and willowy with honey-blonde hair and eyes the color of sea glass. More importantly, she was trustworthy, discreet, and had casually mentioned her own interest in group experiences during one of our wine-fueled catch-ups last month.

The plan had been simple: invite Jamie for Alex's birthday weekend, let the chemistry build naturally, and see what happened. But as I watched Alex's chest rise and fall in sleep, doubt crept in. What if this ruined everything? What if she felt pressured, or what if I couldn't handle seeing her with someone else?

Alex's eyes fluttered open, catching me staring. "You're doing that thing again," she murmured, voice husky with sleep.

"What thing?"

"Thinking too hard." She scooted closer, pressing her warm body against mine. "What's on your mind, birthday girl?"

I almost laughed. Alex always got our roles mixed up—she was the one with the birthday coming up, but she insisted on calling me the birthday girl ever since I'd admitted my own secret wish: to watch her lose control completely, to see her desire reflected in someone else's eyes as well as mine.

"Just planning your party," I said, running my fingers through her hair.

"Mmm, is Jamie still coming?"

My heart skipped. "Tomorrow. She's staying through the weekend."

Alex's hand slid down my stomach, fingers teasing the waistband of my pajama shorts. "Good. I miss her. It's been what, six months?"

The way she said it sounded innocent, but I caught the slight catch in her breath. Had she picked up on the tension during Jamie's last visit? When the three of us had shared a bottle of wine and increasingly personal stories until the early hours, Jamie's hand accidentally brushing Alex's thigh as we laughed, the way Alex's pupils had dilated when Jamie described her last girlfriend's adventurous nature?

"She's excited to see you," I said, then paused. "Alex, about this weekend..."

"Yes?"

"If anything feels weird, or if you want to change plans—"

Alex silenced me with a kiss, slow and deep. "I trust you," she whispered against my lips. "Whatever you've planned, I'm sure it's perfect."

But perfect was a lot to live up to.

---

The next day, I found myself fidgeting with the wine glasses for the third time, checking the apartment for imaginary dust. Alex had gone to pick up Jamie from the airport, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.

I'd spent the morning trying to act normal, but normal felt impossible when I knew what might happen this weekend. I'd changed the sheets twice, lit Alex's favorite candles, and stocked the fridge with enough food to feed a small army. Now I was just pacing.

When the key turned in the lock, I forced myself to breathe. Jamie's familiar laugh filled the apartment as she dropped her bags, and I caught Alex watching her with an expression I couldn't quite read—something between affection and curiosity.

"You two look guilty as sin," Jamie announced, pulling us both into a warm hug. She smelled like vanilla and something citrusy, and I noticed how Alex's hand lingered on Jamie's back a second longer than usual.

"Just excited to see you," I said, maybe too quickly.

Jamie's eyes danced with knowing humor, but she let it slide. "I brought wine," she said, producing three bottles from her oversized purse. "And that cheese you like, Alex—the one with truffles."

"You're too good to us," Alex said, but her smile was brighter than I'd seen in weeks.

We settled into our familiar rhythm, the three of us curled on the couch with containers of Thai food between us. But underneath the normalcy, electricity hummed. When Jamie stretched, her arm brushed Alex's shoulder. When Alex laughed at Jamie's story about her disastrous Hinge date, she leaned in closer than necessary.

"Remember that night sophomore year," Jamie said, refilling our glasses, "when we got high and you admitted you'd never had a threesome?"

I nearly choked on my wine. Alex's head snapped toward me, eyes wide.

"You told her about—"

"No," I said quickly, then caught Jamie's amused expression. "I mean, not exactly."

"I've always been good at reading between the lines," Jamie said, not sounding apologetic at all. "Plus, you're not exactly subtle when you're interested in someone."

Alex set down her wine glass with deliberate care. "What exactly have you been reading between the lines?"

The air in the room shifted, became charged. Jamie studied Alex's face for a long moment before answering. "The way you two look at each other when you think nobody's watching. Like you're sharing a delicious secret. The way your breath catches when I touch you accidentally." She paused, her voice dropping lower. "The way you've been looking at my mouth all evening."

Alex's cheeks flushed, but she didn't deny it. "And what about you? What are you looking at?"

"Same thing you are," Jamie said simply. "Possibility."

I watched the exchange like a tennis match, my heart hammering against my ribs. This was it—the moment where we'd either cross the line or step back. The silence stretched between us, heavy with potential.

"More wine?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

"Definitely more wine," Alex said, not breaking eye contact with Jamie.

---

Two hours later, we were on our second bottle, the conversation having circled through safe topics before settling back into charged territory. The space between us on the couch had disappeared, shoulders touching, knees brushing.

"You know what's funny?" Jamie said, swirling the wine in her glass. "I've been thinking about that conversation we had last time I visited. When you told me about your ex who wanted to try swinging."

Alex shifted beside me, her thigh pressing harder against mine. "What about it?"

"The way you described it. Not judgmental, exactly. More like... curious. Like you were trying to figure out if it was something you could want too."

"I was curious," Alex admitted quietly. "Still am."

The confession hung in the air. Jamie's eyes found mine over Alex's head, asking a silent question. I nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Curious about what specifically?" Jamie asked, her voice casual but her body coiled with tension.

Alex took a long sip of wine before answering. "About what it would feel like to be the center of that much attention. To have two people focused on my pleasure instead of just one." She paused, then added, "To watch two people I care about want each other too."

My breath caught. This was the fantasy she'd shared with me that night, but hearing her voice it to Jamie felt different—more real, more possible.

"That's..." Jamie cleared her throat. "That's quite specific curiosity."

"Is it?" Alex turned to face her fully, and I could see her trembling slightly. "Or is it exactly what you've been thinking about too?"

Jamie's control cracked slightly. "Fuck," she breathed. "You're going to kill me with the directness."

"Better than dancing around it all weekend," Alex said, and I heard the steel in her voice—the same determination she brought to her work presentations, to negotiating contracts, to getting exactly what she wanted.

"True," Jamie agreed. "So no more dancing?"

"No more dancing."

Jamie set down her glass and turned to face us both. "Then here's the truth. I've wanted to kiss you since the first time she brought you to drinks. I've imagined what you sound like when you come. I've thought about what it would be like to have both of you looking at me like—" She gestured vaguely. "Like this. Like I'm something you want to consume."

The raw honesty of it hit me like a physical blow. Alex made a small sound, half-gasp, half-whimper.

"But," Jamie continued, "I love you both too much to risk what you have. If this is happening, it's because we all want it, and we all know exactly what we're doing."

Alex looked at me then, and I saw the question in her eyes—the same one from four years ago when she'd asked if I wanted to move in together, when she'd whispered "I love you" for the first time. Are you sure?

I answered by taking her hand and squeezing it tightly. "We should talk," I said. "All three of us. Really talk."

---

Our bedroom felt different as we sat in a loose circle on the bed, like the walls were listening. I'd lit candles, more for something to do with my hands than ambiance. Now the three of us sat cross-legged, wine glasses abandoned in the living room, facing this thing we'd created between us.

"Ground rules," Alex said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "No penetration with Jamie tonight. I need to process what this feels like before we go there. Everything else is... negotiable."

"Fair," Jamie said easily. "What else?"

"We check in constantly," I added. "Any weirdness, any jealousy, we pause and talk about it."

"Of course."

"And this doesn't leave this weekend," Alex continued. "Whatever happens, it's ours. Our secret."

Jamie's smile was soft, almost tender. "I would never. You two are my favorite people. I'm not looking to complicate your lives—I just want to give you something beautiful."

The vulnerability in her voice made my chest tight. This wasn't just about sex—it was about trust, about the years of friendship that had led us here.

"Can I ask something?" Jamie said, looking at Alex. "When you imagine this—when you touch yourself thinking about it—what does it look like?"

Alex's breath hitched, but she didn't look away. "I imagine being between you both. Not knowing whose hands are whose. Feeling completely overwhelmed in the best way." She paused, then added in a whisper, "I imagine watching you kiss her while I'm touching myself. Seeing how she reacts to someone new."

"Fuck," I breathed, the image hitting me like a punch to the gut.

"And you?" Jamie asked me. "What do you imagine?"

"I imagine watching you make her come," I admitted. "Seeing her face from a different angle while someone else learns what she likes. Then I imagine her watching us together, seeing how we fit."

The confession left me dizzy. Alex reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers.

"That's..." Jamie swallowed hard. "That's exactly what I want too. The three of us, creating something together that's bigger than any two people could make."

We sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of it settle over us. Then Alex stood, moving to the edge of the bed.

"So," she said, looking back at us. "Do we do this here? Or should we—"

"Here," I said quickly. "Our bed. Our space."

Jamie nodded agreement. "If that's okay with both of you."

Alex looked between us, then reached for the hem of her shirt. "Then maybe we should stop talking and start showing each other what we want."

---

The first touch was hesitant—Jamie's fingers brushing Alex's jaw as they faced each other at the foot of our bed. I watched from a few feet away, giving them space to find their chemistry without my interference.

"Tell me if it's too much," Jamie murmured, then leaned in to kiss Alex softly.

The sound Alex made was unlike anything I'd heard from her before—part surprise, part relief, part pure desire. She melted into Jamie's touch, one hand coming up to grip Jamie's hip while the other reached back to find me.

I stepped closer, pressing against Alex's back as I pulled her hair aside to kiss her neck. Jamie's eyes opened to meet mine over Alex's shoulder, and I saw the same wonder I was feeling reflected there.

"She likes her neck bitten," I told Jamie, demonstrating. "Right here—"

Alex arched against me with a moan that went straight to my core. Jamie's eyes darkened as she watched Alex's reaction.

"Can I touch you?" Jamie asked Alex, her hands hovering over Alex's waist.

"Yes," Alex gasped. "God, yes."

Jamie's hands were different than mine—longer fingers, softer palms. She touched Alex like she was precious, running her hands down Alex's sides before settling on her hips. The three of us found a rhythm, Alex sandwiched between us, grinding back against me while pressing forward into Jamie's touch.

But as Jamie's hands moved to the buttons of Alex's shirt, I felt the first stab of something sharp and unexpected. Jealousy, maybe, or fear—watching someone else undress the body I'd memorized over four years. My hands stilled on Alex's hips.

Alex felt it immediately, turning her head to look at me. "You okay?"

I forced a nod, but she spun in my arms to face me fully.

"Hey," she said softly, framing my face with her hands. "Talk to me."

Jamie stepped back immediately, giving us space. "We can stop," she said. "Any time, no questions asked."

"It's stupid," I muttered, feeling heat crawl up my neck.

"Nothing you feel is stupid," Alex said firmly. "Tell me."

"I just... watching her undress you. It's different than I thought it would be. More real."

Alex kissed me gently. "Do you want to stop?"

I thought about it—really thought. The jealousy was real, but underneath it was something else. Excitement. Wonder. The thrill of sharing something this intimate with someone we trusted.

"No," I said finally. "I want to keep going. I just needed a second."

"Thank you for telling me," Alex said. "How about we do this together? You undress me with her. Make it something we share."

Jamie moved closer cautiously. "We can take turns," she suggested. "You show me what she likes, then I follow your lead."

The solution felt perfect—collaborative instead of competitive. I nodded, and we turned back to Alex, who looked between us with dark eyes.

"Together," she agreed.

---

What followed was the most erotic game of show-and-tell I'd ever experienced. I unbuttoned Alex's shirt slowly, kissing each inch of skin as it was revealed. Jamie watched, learning, then mirrored my movements when it was her turn to remove Alex's jeans.

"She likes being teased," I told Jamie, running my fingers along the waistband of Alex's panties without pulling them down. "The anticipation drives her crazy."

Jamie's smile was wicked as she caught on, pressing kisses to Alex's hip bones while avoiding where Alex wanted her most. Alex's hands found both of us, tangling in my hair with one hand and Jamie's with the other.

When Alex was down to her bra and panties, Jamie stopped us both.

"Let me look at you," she said, and the reverence in her voice made Alex flush. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined."

"You're wearing too many clothes," Alex said, reaching for Jamie's shirt. "Both of you."

We undressed each other slowly, reverently. When we were all down to underwear, Jamie pulled back the covers and climbed into bed, holding out her hand for Alex. Alex looked at me one more time, and I saw the question in her eyes—are you sure?

I answered by joining them, stretching out on Alex's other side. We lay facing each other, hands exploring carefully. Jamie traced Alex's collarbone while I teased her nipples through the lace of her bra. Alex's hips bucked involuntarily, searching for friction.

"Tell us what you want," Jamie murmured, kissing Alex's shoulder. "We want to give you exactly what you fantasized about."

Alex's voice was barely a whisper. "I want to feel both of you everywhere. I want to lose track of whose hands are whose. I want to come so hard I forget my own name."

Jamie and I exchanged a look over Alex's body, and I saw my own desire reflected in her eyes. We moved together, a choreographed worship. Jamie kissed down Alex's stomach while I claimed her mouth, swallowing her moans. When Jamie reached Alex's underwear, she paused.

"Can I taste you?"

Alex's answer was to lift her hips, helping Jamie slide off her panties. The sound Jamie made when she saw Alex completely naked for the first time was obscene.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," Jamie breathed, spreading Alex's legs gently. "Look how wet you are already."

I propped myself up to watch as Jamie lowered her mouth to Alex's center. Alex's back arched, her hand finding mine and squeezing hard as Jamie's tongue found her clit.

"Oh god," Alex gasped. "Oh fuck, that's—"

I kissed her, cutting off her words, while my free hand found her breast. Jamie was taking her time, licking and sucking like Alex was her favorite dessert. Alex's hips rolled in slow circles, chasing Jamie's mouth while grinding against my thigh.

"Don't stop," Alex begged. "Please don't stop."

Jamie made a sound of agreement, doubling her efforts. I could see Alex getting close—the way her breathing hitched, how her thighs trembled on either side of Jamie's head. Just as she was about to fall over the edge, Jamie pulled back.

"Not yet," Jamie said, voice rough. "I want to feel you come around my fingers while she's kissing you."

Alex whimpered, but nodded frantically. Jamie positioned herself between Alex's legs again, this time sliding two fingers inside slowly. I captured Alex's cry with a kiss, tasting the desperation on her tongue.

Jamie set a steady rhythm, curling her fingers to hit the spot that made Alex see stars. I focused on Alex's breasts, kissing and gently biting her nipples until she was writhing between us.

"So close," Alex panted. "I'm so close, please—"

Jamie added a third finger, her thumb finding Alex's clit. "Come for us, beautiful. Let us feel you fall apart."

Alex's orgasm crashed over her like a wave. She cried out, her internal muscles clamping down on Jamie's fingers as she shook. Jamie didn't let up, drawing it out until Alex was begging for mercy.

When Alex finally stilled, we both held her as she came down, whispering how gorgeous she was, how good she'd tasted, how honored we felt to watch her come undone.

"Your turn," Alex said suddenly, looking between us with dark eyes that had gone almost black with desire. "Both of you. I want to see you touch each other."

Jamie and I froze. In all my planning, I'd imagined watching them together, maybe letting Jamie touch me while I touched Alex. But the idea of Jamie and I together while Alex watched—it sent a fresh wave of arousal through me.

"Only if you want to," Jamie said carefully, reading my hesitation.

But Alex was already moving, positioning herself against the headboard. "I want to watch you kiss her. I want to see what she tastes like when she's turned on."

I looked at Jamie, who nodded slowly. We met in the middle of the bed, and when our lips touched, it was different than kissing Alex—less familiar, more exploratory. Jamie's mouth was softer, her kisses more teasing. When her tongue brushed mine, Alex made a strangled sound.

"That's so fucking hot," Alex breathed. "Touch her breasts, Jamie. I want to see her react."

Jamie's hands found my breasts, thumbs brushing over my nipples with just the right amount of pressure. I arched into her touch, gasping when she rolled them between her fingers.

"She likes it a little rough," Alex instructed, her hand moving between her own legs. "Pinch them. Make her feel it."

Jamie complied, and I couldn't hold back the moan that escaped me. The sensation shot straight to my core, making me press my thighs together.

"Look at you," Alex said. "You're soaking through your panties. Spread your legs, baby. Let her see what she does to you."

I obeyed, opening myself to Jamie's gaze. Her eyes darkened as she looked at me, then back at Alex.

"Can I taste her too?"

Alex's smile was wicked. "Only if I can watch."

Jamie positioned herself between my legs, looking up at me one more time for permission. When I nodded, she lowered her mouth to me with no hesitation, pulling my panties aside.

The first swipe of her tongue had me seeing stars. She was different than Alex—more confident, more experimental. She licked patterns around my clit before sucking it into her mouth, making my hips buck off the bed.

"Fuck," I gasped, looking down to see her blonde head between my thighs, Alex watching with hooded eyes.

"Does she feel different than me?" Alex asked, moving closer to get a better view.

Jamie hummed against me, the vibration making me whimper. She pulled back just enough to speak. "So good. She tastes like you but different. Like honey and need."

"Put your fingers inside her," Alex commanded. "I want to see her take you."

Jamie slid two fingers into me slowly, curling them to find that perfect spot. My back arched as she set a rhythm, her mouth never leaving my clit.

"That's it," Alex encouraged, her hand moving faster between her own legs. "Make her come. I want to see her fall apart for you."

The combination of Jamie's talented mouth and fingers, plus Alex's dirty commentary and the sight of her touching herself while she watched, had me climbing fast. My orgasm built like a storm, coiling tighter and tighter until I was almost sobbing with need.

"Come for her, baby," Alex whispered in my ear, having moved to hold me. "Let her feel what you feel like when you let go."

Jamie added a third finger, pressing deeper, and that was it. I came with a cry, my whole body shaking as wave after wave crashed over me. Jamie didn't stop, drawing out my orgasm until I was pushing her head away, oversensitive and gasping.

We collapsed together in a tangle of limbs, all of us breathing hard. Alex kissed me deeply, tasting herself on my tongue plus the new flavor of my own arousal.

"That was the hottest thing I've ever seen," she said. "But I'm not done with either of you yet."

---

What followed was a blur of sensation and discovery. Alex rode Jamie's thigh while I kissed her breasts, learning how they felt different in my mouth when she was this turned on. Jamie and I went down on Alex together, our tongues meeting around her clit as Alex's hands guided us, showed us the rhythm she needed.

"Like that," Alex gasped when Jamie focused on her entrance while I sucked her clit. "Oh fuck, just like that, don't stop—"

She came again, harder this time, her thighs clamping around our heads as she shook through it. We held her through it, whispering praise against her skin.

Later, Alex demanded Jamie teach her how to make me come with just her fingers the way Jamie had. They lay side by side, Jamie's hand guiding Alex's as they worked me open slowly, deliberately.

"Feel that spot?" Jamie murmured. "That's where you want to focus. Curl your fingers, press up—"

I came undone between them, Alex's familiar touch combined with Jamie's expertise creating something entirely new. The orgasm left me boneless and shaking, my two favorite women holding me through it.

"Jesus," I panted when I could speak again. "That was..."

"Incredible," Alex finished. "I felt you from the inside. The way you tighten around our fingers when you come—"

"You're going to kill me," I groaned, making them both laugh.

As the night wore on, we learned each other's rhythms. Jamie discovered that Alex's knees were surprisingly sensitive, making her giggle and moan when kissed there. Alex found that Jamie liked her nipples played with roughly, the opposite of her gentle exterior. I learned that watching them together—really watching, not just participating—was almost more arousing than being touched myself.

"Come here," Alex said at one point, pulling me up to kneel beside her. Jamie was on her back, Alex's fingers working inside her while Jamie touched Alex in return. "Look at her face. Look at what we do to her."

Jamie's eyes were squeezed shut, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she chased her orgasm. Seeing her like this—my best friend, usually so composed, falling apart because of us—it was almost too much.

"She's close," Alex murmured. "I can feel it. She's going to—"

Jamie came with a cry, her back arching off the bed as Alex worked her through it. When she finally stilled, we all collapsed together, a tangle of limbs and satisfied sighs.

"That was..." Jamie started, then laughed weakly. "I don't even have words."

"Good," Alex said smugly. "I like rendering you speechless."

We dozed intermittently, waking to touch and explore more. Around dawn, I found myself between them, Alex spooning me from behind while Jamie faced me, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my stomach.

"Tell me something," Jamie said softly. "Was this everything you hoped it would be?"

I thought about it—about the jealousy I'd felt and worked through, about the pleasure of watching Alex discover new parts of herself, about the way the three of us had fit together better than I ever could have planned.

"More," I said simply. "It was more."

Alex pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "Same. Though I think we're going to need a bigger bed if we make this a regular thing."

Jamie's fingers stilled. "Is that... are you saying you want to?"

"We'd have to figure out logistics," Alex said practically. "This can't be a constant thing—we all have lives, boundaries. But as an occasional... celebration?"

"An occasional perfect weekend," I agreed, turning to face Jamie. "If you want that too."

Jamie's smile was bright enough to rival the sunrise painting our bedroom walls. "I thought you'd never ask."

We drifted off to sleep as the city woke up outside our windows, three bodies finding their perfect configuration. As I listened to their breathing even out, Alex's arm thrown over my waist, Jamie's fingers loosely entwined with mine, I thought about how we'd crossed a line that could never be uncrossed—and how I didn't want to go back anyway.

Some birthday wishes were meant to come true. And some, I realized as Alex shifted closer in her sleep and Jamie's breathing deepened into dreams, were just the beginning of something even better than we'd wished for.