Trifecta (2 page)

Three buttons released, revealing her beige work bra. “Jason.” She tightened her grip on him, tried to cover herself. No matter how many times she pictured these men removing her clothes, this wasn't allowed to happen, not today, not after her promise.

“How come bras are so much sexier when they’re regular and not trying to be sexy?” He moved her hands away and tilted his face to Russell.

Both men looked down at her chest.

She exhaled in an attempt to make her chest appear smaller and to cool herself down.

Russell curled around her and nodded. “You know what else I like?”

The heat in her cheeks was only matched by the heat in her panties. Did they both agree her plain underwire bra was sexy?

“What might that be?” Jason finished off the buttons.

“Mismatched panties.”

With her shirt open, she listened to this diatribe and didn't possess the strength to stop Russell as he reached for the waistband of her pants. She knew she should say something, really she should, but she froze, needing to see what he intended to do.

The three of them watched as he unbuckled her patent leather belt. She held her breath when his fingers grazed her stomach working the hook, and she dug her fingers into the leather seat when he slid the zipper down.

No arguments, yells or screams, the fact being these men had seen her in various stages of undress many times.  Instead, she waited.

“Perfect.” Another smile formed on Russell’s face when he opened her pants showing Jason the triangle of white and light blue polka dotted fabric.

“Very, very nice.” Jason’s turned his gaze from her chest to her lap and reached out.

She took a breath, and with her intake of air, reality also entered her mind and she caught his hand. If he dared touch her he would find out all too fast what the effect of this joke or whatever was having on her. “Stop!” This may be what every one of her fantasies was made of, but it was a fantasy. “What are the two of you doing?” 

“As Jason explained, we need to get you dressed for the show.” Russell took hold of both sides of her pants.

“I’m not going to any show.” She clasped her shirt together and wiggled her hips forcing Russell to let go. “I can’t, I have things I need to do.”              

Jason put his fingers on her chin and stared right into her face. “I really need you to go with me, Laurie. Please.”

Russell moved forward and whispered in her ear. “It’s at the Loft’s in the Valley.”

Damn everything. Now she understood. She let her head hit the back of the seat. Not only did she have to go, she now knew why they were playing these games with her, anything to distract Jason. Steve's show should be Jason's. “I need to get dressed.” They needed to be together for this. One last time with her best friends.

Chapter Two

Even filled with people, an art gallery was a serene place. The smell of clay, paint and creativity filled the air, while the lighting illuminated everything the artist wanted their patrons to take in and masked the imperfections.

Jason took in the space, not the sculptures strategically placed on pedestals or the paintings hung in the exact right locations, but the people. The collection of people at these events could be more of a show than the art itself. There were the connoisseurs tiptoeing between the works, the groupies there to be seen, and the critics there to cast ruin with a mere head tilt. A chill ran through his body and he grabbed Lauren’s hand, trying to remember why they were here.

Tonight was not for art, at least not the kind of art that would be on display. The three of them needed to forge ahead. He studied the one woman who consistently held his interest for over six years. The dress showed off the curves she attempted to hide, but both he and Russell got a nice preview of things to come when they dressed her. Not that they hadn’t seen her before, but tonight possessed purpose. The sight of her polka dotted panties made him want to take her right there.

Once she realized she wouldn’t be getting out of the gallery event she combed out her long brown hair, and applied the exact right amount of clear lip gloss to her already plump lips. She didn’t need a lot of makeup, adding anything extra to her small features would detract from her overall beauty. No, she wasn’t hot, not in the Southern California, blonde, boobs and built sort of way. She was the ideal incarnation of the woman one spent the rest of his life with. The kind who could put on a suit and lead a board meeting, don a cocktail dress and entertain a room full of people, or put on nothing, and ensure any man's satisfaction. They both wanted her, which was why neither had her. 

“I need to find the ladies room.” Lauren faced Russell. 

Jason frowned, he may be the artist, the man who knew his way around a gallery, but Russell was the man with answers, including the location of every bathroom, any direction they needed to take and all life issues in general.

Russell put his arm around her and pointed toward the corner of the room. “Is everything all right? You look gorgeous.”

“I have some adjusting to do.” She pulled down the hem of her skirt before swiping Russell’s arm off her. Jason received one narrowed eye when she let go of his hand, looking at her palm as she walked away.

“You’re plan isn’t working. All we’ve done is piss her off.” Russell stepped in front of him, jaw set, fist struggling not to clench.

“We've just started and she’s jet lagged.”

“From a sixty minute flight from San Francisco?” Russell grabbed his sleeve. “You said we all had the latent desire to be together, I’m beginning to think you don’t know what latent means.”

“It means dormant, existing as potential, and that’s exactly what we do have.” Though he wanted to flaunt his psychology minor at his best friend, a flash of orange stung the corner of his eye. Like venom, the color seeped into his retinas, taking hold of him and rendering him motionless.

“What do we do now?” Russell waved his hand in front of his face.

His eyes remained affixed on the living Jack ‘o Lantern. If the woman had a green stalk coming out of her head the picture would be complete.

“Jason?” Russell looked behind him and turned back, his fist closing at last. “Let’s get out of here.”

“No, we can’t after we dragged Laurie here.” Caught in a stare, his voice lacked any backbone. He watched the bitch pick up a glass of champagne and nod. She nodded, damn it.
             

“Speaking of Lauren.” Russell stepped to one side, blocking his view of the woman who destroyed his life.

With the spell broken, Jason blinked and got his mind back to the present. “If you stick to the plan the three of us will be a couple by morning.” He conjured a smile at the image.  "Actually in our case it would be a trouple."

“How are we supposed to be a couple?” Russell raised his arms.

“So the two of you finally made it official.”

Catherine Dumar loomed out from behind Russell, the orange glowing blob who would like nothing more than to overtake him, smother him and absorb his lifeblood. She already did.
             

“At least I have someone to make it official with.” Everyone assumed artists were gay. He didn’t defend his heterosexuality anymore, and shoved his hand in his pocket.

She licked her teeth, reminding him of an animal who finished off its kill. “It’s nice that Steve was able to make it for a last minute show.  I suppose he has enough finished pieces to act fast.”

“I had less than twenty-four hours for my show.” Jason's throat dried out, his voice cracking like a blob of dried paint.

She cocked her glass of champagne in his direction. “When you get the call you need to act.”

“I’m an artist, not an actor.”

“Then maybe you should go into acting.” She chuckled, sounding like a wicked witch even if she looked like a pumpkin right before it was carved.

“You were the only critic who didn’t admire his efforts.” Russell leaned forward.

Jason’s body went dead. That same sensation when he woke up after sleeping on his arm. The numb right before the prickles came. No matter how many times he explained to Russell that efforts and talent were two different things, his friend would still defend those reviews. Laurie understood, she never reacted, only read the comments and scooped them up for her scrapbook.

“You forget something.” Catherine stared Russell down, even though he stood well over a foot taller than her. “My opinion is the only one that matters.” She finished off her drink and thrust the glass toward Jason. “This one looks like he makes a good living, maybe you can be the housewife.”

She pushed the glass into his chest, but Jason held his arms back, causing the champagne flute to crash to the brick floor. The shatter of crystal echoed off the walls, causing everyone to turn toward them. “Or maybe not.” She kicked the shards in his direction and turned.

“Don’t say it.” Jason moved toward a wall when a uniformed waitress rushed over with a dustpan and brush.

Russell shook his head. “Say what?”

“That I shouldn’t have defended myself after her review.”

“All right, but it wasn’t a defense, you went after her, and rule number one is not to comment on your reviews.” Russell motioned for a waiter with a tray of drinks. 

"Stop telling me what I know." Jason took a drink and sniffed it. “This is watered down garbage.”

“Whatever.” Russell retrieved two glasses. “Here comes Lauren, now what?”

“Keep the plan. Take everything to the next level.”   Right here was the reason they had to move forward with Lauren.  He was distracted and his art suffered.  Russell just needed her, period.  He downed his drink. There wasn’t enough alcohol to even tickle his tongue.

Lauren returned stepping backwards, pounding her fist into her palm. “The bitch is here.”

“Here.” Russell gave her one of the drinks.

“Should we leave?” Lauren turned up backwards, again at Russell.

"I'm standing right here." He waved at her.

“They already went a few rounds, maybe it’s over.” Russell shrugged his shoulders.

She frowned at him while she had her conversation with Russell. “It won’t be over until he kills her by putting on a show to die for, not by attacking her.”

Russell tapped his glass against hers and they both took a sip.

Jason crossed his arms. "I'm standing right here."

Lauren turned and held her glass out to him. "You have the talent and soon the world will know."

The moment she looked at him and the edges of her mouth curled up in the type of smile girls used when they held a great secret, the scene from before began to dissipate. Halloween began to morph to Christmas, and he wanted his present.

“Let’s go see the art.” Jason clinked his glass against hers and they finished off their drinks. He took her glass and motioned forward.

Lauren walked ahead and he turned to Russell. They nodded at each other, put their glasses down, and followed.

They caught up with her at the first piece. Russell put his arm around her, while Jason took her hand.

Lauren glanced between the two of them, pursed her lips, and stared at the sculpture.

Jason leaned back on his heels, allowing Lauren time to absorb the art. The sculpture depicted a man and woman in the throes of sex. The man grabbed the woman by the hips, and his thick erection was ready to plunge into her.  The woman's head was thrown back in apparent ecstasy.              

Lauren let go of him and put her hand over her mouth.

“I like it.” Russell pointed at it. “Do you?” He pushed Lauren closer.

Jason supposed this was his best friend's way of talking sexy to her, but he went in for the redirect. “Watching can be almost as fun as doing.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and stomped to the next piece.

“We sound like perverts.” Russell elbowed him.

“No, we’re getting to her. I could sense how turned on she was when we dressed her.” He watched as Steve, the artist of the evening intercepted her. The two of them hugged, and Steve leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Lauren returned the favor and gave him another hug.

"Great." Russell grumbled.

"Come on." Jason pushed him and the two of them went after her.

“Let me show you something.” Steve put his arm around her, corralling her to a different sculpture.

Both Jason and Russell rushed behind them.

The second sculpture was derivative of the first, with the same man and woman now having sex. Her legs were spread, he was deep inside her, one hand cupped her breast, the other held her tight. The woman's mouth was half open as if she wanted, no needed, to moan.

“Tell me what this evokes in you.” Steve moved his arm down around Lauren's waist.

Russell looked at him, eyes wide, jaw set. "Steve wants her."

Jason held up his finger. "They're friends, maybe he can relax her."

This time Lauren's art critique wasn't silence and storming away, she put her hand on Steve's shoulder and whispered something to him.

Steve moved her hair away from the side of her face, his mouth heading for her ear.

Russell stepped forward, but Jason took off, sliding between Lauren and Steve. They couldn't have this roadblock now. "Do you use live models, or do you just work from your very foggy imagination?"

Steve chuckled, gave Jason a friendly slap on the arm and shook Russell's hand. "Erotic art is where it's at. I am just trying to get a read on what Lauren thinks of it."

The three men turned their attention to her.

Lauren curled her lower lip over her teeth and bit down, her gaze traveling between each of them.

Steve stepped forward. "If Lauren wants, she and I can go talk about it in private, not in front of her roomies."

"Lauren can do anything in front of us." Russell crossed his arms. 

Lauren's mouth opened.

"Maybe Laurie would rather talk about in private with us." Jason put his arm around her, and attempted to pull her toward him.

"No." Lauren pushed him away. "I told you I had to talk to you before, but you ignored me with your dumb games." She put her hands on her hips.

"Lauren." Russell reached out to her.

Jason tensed. He couldn't be wrong about this.

Lauren backed up. "So, now I'm going to say it. I'm done with this, I'm moving out." With her hand pressed to her chest, she glanced around the gallery and ran toward the exit.

No, not Lauren, she never left. She had to be with him, with them. "Shit."

"I think I need to see to my show." Steve nodded and walked away.

"Looks like you have no choice but to be the housewife, your little woman just ran out crying." Catherine came up behind him.

Jason arched his back. Her words crawled down his spine giving him the chills.

"Well, your art can always be your hobby." She chuckled.

"Maybe being a decent critic can be yours." He turned to her, the bright orange overtaking his sight. "I take your crap as a compliment."

"I guess we'll see on your next show, if you ever have one." She tilted her head and sauntered away.

"Are you trying to destroy everything in one night?" Russell elbowed him. "You and your ideas and your mouth."

"Hold on, let me think." He shut his eyes. In the grand vision he created in his mind of the three of them, Laurie announcing that she wanted to leave them was definitely a break in his plaster.

"You think. I'm out of here."

Jason opened his eyes and watched Russell dash in the direction Lauren took. The gallery was crowded. Steve's show a success. Steve got the head nod. He took a breath and tried to figure out how to revive his own masterpiece.