Threes Company (16 page)

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In a
polygamous relationship.

Fuck
.

I
really
needed time to think.

So I did what I'd done every other time I needed to clear my head. I walked barefoot on the beach. I don't know what it was about the ocean, but it seemed to set things straight in my head. The ebb and flow of the tide was somehow reassuring.

I headed in the direction of the headland with my feet being lapped by the water as I walked. The water was cool and the sun was warm. People smiled as they walked by me. And I walked, and thought, and walked and thought some more.

It'd been a good two hours by the time I got back to the hotel. I'd made some decisions and was starving. The breakfast crew was cleaning up, but I sneaked into the kitchen where Syd was packing everything away and pleaded for some fruit salad. She scowled at me, but I batted my eyelashes until she gave in.

She walked out of the cold storage room with a plate of cut fruit and almost handed it over, but held it hostage at the last second. "You're in a better mood today,"

she quipped. "You actually look like you slept."

I knew she was fishing for information and details on what happened when she left last night. I played along.

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"Because I did sleep."

Her eyebrows lifted. "Just like how Simon and Adam both look like it was the first time they'd slept in three days. Not to mention they're more pleasant to be around." She smirked at me. "Not a coincidence?"

I smiled at her. "Possibly."

Her smile widened knowingly, and she handed over my breakfast. "I'm glad to hear that, Wil."

I walked out, sat at my usual table, and watched the water. When my fruit salad was gone, I made some phone calls. From my accountant back home, I requested full financials for the previous year to be emailed to me ASAP.

Then I called the real estate agent to get copies of the lease agreement emailed. I ignored the Realtor—a very nosey gossip—and her sly baits for information. Why on earth she didn't just ask outright where I was, and why I wanted information on the restaurant's lease, I'll never know. She'd save herself some time.

I knew by the time I hung up that all of Dalton, Alabama, would know Wilson Curtis had called.

I smiled to myself and went in search for Adam and Simon.

* * * *

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I walked through the foyer, past the sign that said

"Private Only" and went up the stairs. Just as Simon had said, there were two doors. One was closed. The other was wide open, and I could hear them talking.

Adam asked, "Can't you just replace him?"

"Where am I going to find someone to replace him on such short notice? Tonight, Adam. I need someone to work tonight. It's Thursday. That restaurant will be packed."

"What about Wil?"

Simon sighed. "I think we've asked enough of him for one day. I can't ask him to do that."

"Can't ask me to do what?" I asked, moving to stand in the doorway.

Simon looked up, a little shocked I think, whereas Adam just grinned. He ignored my question and asked his own. "Have you decided?" He was almost bouncing. He had an energy that confounded me.

I looked at him and smiled, but then I shook my head.

Adam's grin died, right there, and he paled. He swallowed hard and exhaled sharply. "No, you haven't decided, or no you won't stay?"

I stepped into the room, which I belatedly realized was Simon's office. "I haven't decided. Not really." Simon

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turned in his chair to look at me, and I looked at them both.

"I have some questions…"

Adam exhaled loudly and gave me a watery smile.

"Of course."

"Well, first off you should know, I um… I don't have much experience in talking about how I feel or anything like that." I took a deep breath. "This is all very new to me."

Adam took my hand and led me over to Simon's

desk. He parked his ass on the desk, so I did the same, while Simon stayed in his chair, looking up at us. And they waited for me to continue.

"And this doesn't mean I've agreed to anything. I'm just trying to get it right in my head first," I clarified. "So I don't want you to get your hopes up"—I looked directly at Adam—"because I haven't made a decision. Yet."

Adam nodded. "I understand." I know he said he understood, but I worried how he'd react if or when my answer was no. I got the impression Adam didn't handle good-byes very well at all.

I took another deep breath. "I need to know what we'll be. What
we
are to each other, technically." I wasn't being very clear.

Simon blinked. He was confused, I think. "As in labels?"

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I shrugged. "I guess… like if we're out and meet someone, how are we introduced?"

"Well," Adam answered. "If you agreed to stay, we'd be boyfriends. Partners. Like me and Sy are now, only then it would be me and Sy and you."

"You're not really worried about labels, are you?"

Simon asked. "What you really want to know is where you fit in?"

My eyes shot to his. "Well, yeah, kinda."

Simon stood up out of the chair and stepped over to take my hand. "Wil, you would be an equal third. Not a third wheel, not an afterthought. Okay?"

He could read me so well. He knew exactly what I was asking. I gave him a smile. "Okay."

"Wil, this is new to all of us," Simon said, with a squeeze of my hand. "Yes, Adam and I have been together as a couple, but not as part of a threesome. It's new for all of us," he said again. "Please don't think you're not included. If we do this, there will be three of us. That's three minds, three sets of opinions, three sets of perspectives. It's going to take some adjusting." Then he brushed the side of my face with his hand. "I think we can do this. Actually, I think we'd be amazing. But, Wil, if you go into this feeling like you're not equal, then we're doomed before we begin." Then his tone brightened. "So to answer

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your question, yes, I think 'boyfriends' or 'partners' works just fine."

I smiled. "Okay."

Adam smiled at me. "Next question?"

"Well, it's not really a question," I told them. "It's more like a rule."

Adam groaned. "Really? More rules?"

I sighed. "Yes, Adam. Rules." Then I looked between both of them. "I want complete honesty at all times, or it's a deal breaker. I've lied about who I am, and I've been lied to, and I won't do it again."

Simon nodded. "Fair enough. That's not asking for anything I wouldn't. Adam?"

"Oh, sure," he said quickly. "Even if you won't like what I tell you, as long as it's the God's honest truth?"

I nodded. "Yeah, exactly."

Adam smiled. "Like how hideous your shirt is?"

I looked down at my very non-offensive, plain

white T-shirt. "What's wrong with it?"

Adam laughed. "Nothing."

Simon sighed. "Adam, this is serious."

"I know," he said, trying not to smile. "I'm just glad it wasn't a rule like that stupid can't-have-sex-when-there'sonly-two-of-us rule."

"Oh, I still think that rule should stay," I told them,

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earning two blank stares.

Adam's head lolled back, and he groaned. "Ugh.

Wil. You're trying to kill me."

Simon smiled at Adam, but then he looked at me.

"If you'd be more comfortable."

"It's not all about what I want," I replied. "Equal, remember?"

"Fair enough." Simon nodded. "I think that while we're finding our feet in this, we could impose this rule."

Adam sighed. "Well, I could concede maybe a three-month trial, then we can re-evaluate. How does that sound?"

I smiled. "Sounds good."

"But just so I'm clear," Adam said, looking at us both. "The exceptions to that rule were kissing and blow jobs, yes?"

I chuckled. "Yes."

"Good."

"Happy?"

"Yes."

Simon chuckled at us. Then he asked, "Any other questions?"

"I have one," Adam said seriously. Simon and I both looked at him and waited for him to continue. "Well, I think it's something we need to discuss further, but for right

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now, I'd like us all to be tested." He looked at us both. "I'm not saying I want to start having unprotected sex. I just think being tested is something we should do." Then he added, "If we're gonna do this whole honesty, full disclosure thing, that is, then it's a big part of that."

"I agree," I told him. "I have no problems with being tested. In fact, I think it's a very good suggestion."

Simon stepped in front of Adam and kissed his

cheek. "I think it's a great idea." Then he smiled at me and seemed pleased at how our discussions went. "Anything else you can think of?"

I shrugged. "Only that I better actually see the place I'm going to be living in."

Adam leapt up off the desk. He had my hand and was pulling me toward the door and Simon followed. They led me across the hall to the other door, and opened it. It wasn't huge, but it was nice. It had the same type of décor as the rest of the hotel, with dark floors and white walls.

The space wasn't big. The furniture was kind of mismatched, but the couch looked comfy. It felt… homey.

"Living room," Adam stated the obvious. "I like to keep it pretty clean and that will probably drive you nuts,"

he said cheerfully, as he kept pulling me through the room, toward a small kitchenette. "Kitchen. Not as big or as nice as you're used to, I'm sure," Adam said with a shrug. Then

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he nodded, as though something made sense in his head.

"But it's still plenty big enough for you to make me pancakes or eggs."

I laughed, and Simon chuckled behind us.

Adam pulled on my hand, leading me down a small hall. "Bathroom in there," he said pointing to one door.

"Bedroom in here," he said, opening the door. "But it's mostly just for clothes and storage and shit." Then he led me to the last door. "Our room," he said.

And I knew he wasn't referring to himself and

Simon. When he said
our
, he was referring to me as well.

There was a huge bed, the same as the one in my room downstairs. There was a huge window which overlooked the courtyard, pool, and the ocean.

"So we'd all sleep in here?" I asked, my voice just a whisper.

Adam smiled, and when I looked back to Simon, he was leaning against the doorjamb. "Yes, Wil. We'd all sleep in here."

I nodded and let out a somewhat steady breath, in spite of my erratically thumping heart.

Adam squeezed my hand. "So what do you think?"

"It's lovely."

Adam nodded. "It's great, isn't it?" Then he proceeded to ramble on, in his enthusiastic way, of all the

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benefits of living there: the laundry service, the cleaners, the people, the view, the ocean.

While Adam talked, Simon walked up beside us and squeezed my arm, silently asking me if I was okay. He just knew I was trying to take it all in. He could see me trying to get my head around it all. Simon just kind of knew. I gave him a quick smile to let him know I was okay.

And then my cell phone beeped with an incoming email. It was from the accountant.
Financials attached and
cc'd to Ms Callie Talbot, as requested.

The room had gone quiet, and when I looked up, Simon and Adam were both looking at me. "Just a notification email," I explained. "Callie's been sent the financials on the restaurant."

They both looked a little confused, and it was Simon who clued in first. "She has?"

I nodded. "I asked her if she wanted to buy it."

They both stared, and then they both grinned. I turned to Adam and warned him. "It's still in the early stages. The only thing she agreed to was to look over the reports and run some figures. She might not even be able to."

Simon nodded. "And if she can't?"

I looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know. I've had exactly three hours to think about this."

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"Then take a week, a month, if you have to," Simon offered. "Stay here, but take the pressure off. Give yourself whatever time you need. We kind of threw you into the deep end, didn't we?"

I chuckled. "Ah, yeah. Kind of."

He smiled. "Sorry."

I stepped closer to him and slid my hand along his jaw, pulling his face closer to mine. "You're not sorry at all," I said, just before I kissed him.

He kissed me slowly. It was the kind of kiss that sends shivers down your spine, and when Adam moved in behind me, I laughed. "Oh, I think we'd better get out of this bedroom."

"Why's that?" Adam asked as he kissed the back of my neck.

"Because that bed's really close, and it looks really big and really, really comfortable."

Simon laughed. "Come on," he said. "Wil's right. If we start now, we'll never get anything done. And I need to get these reports put together." He led us out through the living room and back into his office.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" I asked.

"Ah, it's okay," Simon hedged. "Adam was
helping
me before…"

Adam smiled and nodded, and when I looked back

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