The Perfect Fit

C3. Raised Different

Ashanti woke up in bed alone. That wasn't surprising given the fact that she was off until the Monday after next due to her long business trip. She had recently been promoted to business operations manager for the fortune 500 company she works for. She had been with this company since she graduated with her Masters in Business Administration from Illinois State University. She liked the company but loved the perks and 100% paid benefits more. Money wasn't an issue for her because Ashanti was born into a family that was very well off. She was the only child of her father and two mothers. Being raised in a polyamorous  family wasn't that different from being raised by one mother and one father family. The only difference was by Shan having two mothers, she was able to pick up things from the both of them on how to treat a man. Her birth mother Lynn,

was the domesticated wife that made sure the house was cleaned from top to bottom. She wasn't a good cook, but she didn't have to be because Jennifer,

Shan's second mother, was the wife that was the cook. Her cooking was so good, she could open up her own restaurant, which she eventually did once Ashanti got older.

Ashanti took in everything she could from both of her mothers. She learned the importance of catering to her man and making sure his needs were met.

"Sometimes, a man isn't going to tell you something's missing. He will show you with how he acts. Pay attention."

Her mother Jennifer told her that when she was 11yrs-old. She never forgot that nugget of information ever. Because of that, Ashanti made it a point to watch her husbands. She can be caught just staring at them as they do regular things to watch for subtle changes. She learned her husbands' tells fast and she knows what to look for to make sure they're good.

For example, when Tristan needed some alone time with her, he tends to touch her face, a lot. That's his way of telling her he needs to touch her. Hold her. Mentally connect with her because something happened be it at work or outside of work, that has him needing to center himself because he's off balance. Tristan being off balance can he bad for the entire house with two Alpha males running around. He tends to challenge Xavier for Shan's attention if he can't get it when he needs it. Xavier on the other hand, when he needs Shan's attention, he tends to rebel from the house rules to get it.

For example, when Xavier wanted attention, he would want to talk a lot. Call and text Shan throughout the day . He would check on her, send her random memes about relationships. On a normal day, Shan may get 2 calls and or text that weren't in response to her calling or texting him. So, his tell was smoking. Shan has really bad asthma and can't be around smoke like any other person with asthma. Xavier and Tristan are heavy weed smokers with Xav being a bit heavier. Knowing Shan doesn't like them smoking in the common areas in the house, they had their own man cave built out of the lower of the lower floor, that's where their extracurricular activities went down. When Xav didn't get what he wanted, he would purposely smoke upstairs and wait for Ashanti to get angry and go off on him for doing so.

One way Shan was able to keep both of her men happy and full of attention as to make sure whenever they were together, she was touching both of them. If they were on the couch watching something, Shan made sure her legs were in one's lap while her head was in the other and she would switch about an hour later. Some may say that was a bit much, but it wasn't for Shan. It was one of the many ways she showed her men that she cared about them both equally.

"Whatever you do, always let a man feel like a man. It doesn't matter if it's switching out a light bulb to lchanging the TV from being snowy to the right channel for a picture, let him do it. Our men walk around every day out there in this cruel world being emasculated. He doesn't need it when he comes home where he's the King."

Another nugget she learned from her mother Lynn.

With that nugget, she made sure she called them for everything. The WiFi didn't work. Xavier. She needed something hung on a wall. Tristan. Can't reach something or there's a spider? Either one would do. She made sure to show them both that she needed them just as much as they needed her and so far, that was working for them.

Throughout Ashanti's high school and college years, she was always told she would make the perfect girlfriend and she didn't really understand why until she would hear her friends complaining about their boyfriends. What they didn't like about them and what they wouldn't put up with. The things that they would complain about were crazy and she didn't understand why these things were a problem for women to accept.

"He's always playing his video games and never gives me attention!" One would say.

"Why he always gotta go to the strip club? He tryina fuck! I know he is" another would say.

Shan would just sit there and shake her head. She didn't see a problem with either of these and that's probably why she lucked up and married the two men that she did. While she was dating both Xav and Tris, they both did these things and still do. They had the same issues with their previous relationships as well with the video game play and clubbing were issues, amongst other things, just not with Shan.

She figured her men being home playing video games for hours in their man cave was the best of both worlds. How could it not be? They were home with her, not out in the streets or with someone else. She knew they were playing the game because of how loud they'd get because the play was intense. She wanted to put eyes on them, take them some food and drinks. Wanted them to stop playing and give her attention, strip naked while they're in the middle of a game and walk away. As soon as the match/game was over, they were on their way.

Strip club with the guys? Still not a problem. Shan kept stacks of ones in their safe to give them when they were heading out. She knew they would come home ready and she would be too. Don't want them going out? She had a pole installed in the master sitting area so when they wanted a show, she gave them one. Shan was the perfect fit because she was taught by her mothers how to adapt.

What made her want to be with Tristan and Xavier were two totally different things. They both were special to her in their own ways, but I'll let them tell you their side in their own words. Stay tuned.