8. Emily
Ilook between the three men who are waiting on pins and needles for my answer but desperately trying to hide it. Alexei’s dark, brooding features are a study of forced neutrality, but the tightness in his jaw gives him away. Oliver looks relaxed. The corners of his mouth are slightly turned up in a smile, but his eyes are wrong. They”re opened a little too wide and his eyebrows are just a little too high. He’s overcompensating in an attempt to appear unfazed. And Ian? He’s the worst of the lot at hiding it. He’s looking at me like he’s never going to see me again.
It”s clear that the only choice left to be made is mine. I barely know them, but I”ve already started becoming attached. Something about them draws me in like a moth to the proverbial flame.
What if I do get drawn in and all I”m left with on the other side is a pile of ashes? There are a million reasons to say no. They”re stupid famous. That means I”ll have to deal with the press and the fans if this goes beyond tonight. Beyond the obvious security concerns and potential backlash over our unconventional relationship, there”s my heart to consider. It would be all too easy for me to fall in love with them. Could my heart stand being broken not just once, but three times if this ends in disaster?
The biggest problem is Audrey. There”s no way Oliver won”t find out. Hell, I made a teddy bear for her from the tee shirt I took from him that night so she”d have a tangible part of her father. It”s game over when he sees that. If I do this, I”ll have to tell him, but when would I do that? Now? After things get serious? What if he hates me forever and tries to take her away from me? With how much money he has, I would have no chance in court.
Let”s not take a hard left turn into Crazy Town.
I count to ten in my head.
Rationally, I”m aware he wouldn”t do anything like that, especially since he”s always traveling for games. I do want Audrey to have a father who”s present in her life. It would be hard, but we could adjust to split custody if this doesn”t work out.
Doesn”t work out? Girl, you”re still deciding whether you even want to continue this date. That white dress has gone to your head.
Realistically, it”s just a matter of when to tell them and working up the courage to do it. I still have time to decide when, and where, and how. Tonight’s not the night to make those plans.
I take another hard look at the men seated around the table. Could I really walk away from them without even seeing if this could work? Would I be able to do without all the messages from them that brighten my day? How could I go back to just my vibrator after the mind-blowing orgasms Alexei gave me earlier this evening?
I take a deep breath. “I have a few conditions.”
“Name it,” Alexei commands.
“If you continue to see me for physical therapy, there is to be absolutely no nonsense during treatment. No flirting. No teasing. No nothing,” I tell them.
They silently communicate through glances, and in that moment I understand exactly how they’re so good on the ice. It’s their own private language. I wonder if I’ll get to be with them long enough to learn it.
“Understood,” Alexei says.
Oliver and Ian nod their assent.
“What else?” he asks.
“Well, there’s only one more thing, but it might be a deal breaker for you,” I say nervously.
Ian puts his hand over mine. It amazes me how much comfort he’s able to offer me from such a small gesture.
“This is something new. None of us know if it’s going to work out, and while we’re still in the figuring things out stage, I want to limit any public affection. The press is all over you three, and I want to keep myself and Audrey out of the limelight for as long as possible, especially while this is still a casual thing. If things get more serious, we can revisit it and discuss safety precautions. I want her life to change as little as possible.” I hate the way my voice shakes, but at least it’s out there now.
Oliver’s eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean by limit and public?”
Alexei and Ian both give him a dirty look.
He laughs nervously. “I’m not trying to be an ass. I think that’s too vague. Personally, I think we need to know exactly what that boundary is. We’re in a club. There’s people around, but no one has a phone or a camera and there are no paparazzi. Does this count as public or not? What does limited mean in this context? Can we dance with you? How much is too much touching?”
“That’s a good point,” I acknowledge. “Since there’s no press, but there are people we don’t know, I guess it’d be semi-public so we would do what a normal group of friends would do here. We can dance like everyone else is dancing, you can throw an arm over my shoulder or lead me through the crowd by the hand, but any romantic affection would be a no-go.”
“So, like a PG rating,” Ian suggests.
“Exactly.”
“And when there’s press or the potential for press?” Alexei asks.
“Rated G platonic,” I answer.
“And in private?” Oliver raises his eyebrows suggestively.
I can’t help but smile. “You can go all the way up to an R rating unless Audrey’s there, of course.”
“I think we merit an NC-17, at least,” he teases.
I laugh, and the tense mood seems to have broken.
“I understand if that’s not something you”re comfortable with but, if that’s the case, then I need to go home now. No hard feelings or resentment if that’s the case,” I say.
“Is that all?” Oliver smiles. “From the way you were leading up to it, I was thinking you were going to demand roses and imported chocolate every day.”
“If I’d have known that was an option, I definitely would have asked for that,” I tease. “Seriously, though, will that be a problem?”
“No way,” Oliver says.
Alexei and Ian’s nos follow immediately after his.
I beam. “Then, Gentlemen, I think we’re ready for a restart on this date.”
We make quick work of the fried pickles and nachos. Once the plates have been taken away and drinks have been refilled, the headliner DJ has stepped into the booth and started his set. The opener had gotten a fair share of people onto the dance floor, but the way this guy was mixing the sounds electrified the room. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy, and we couldn’t resist joining them for long.
Oliver insists on “taking me out for a spin” first as a reward for asking a good question. When Alexei protests, Oliver lightheartedly accuses him of hogging me. He scowls, but it’s more pout than power, so Oliver and I race into the writhing crowd on the dance floor.
He dances how he talks—a mix of playfulness and sincerity. We spin and bounce and flail around like teens at the prom. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much.
Before we dance a full three songs, Ian sweeps me away claiming that since he was the emotional spokesperson of the group, he should have gotten to dance with me first. Oliver protests, but Ian quickly bests Oliver with his own logic and we dance away.
Ian is more tuned into the music. He keeps perfect time to the beat, making me wonder if he played an instrument as a child. He has skill and passion and makes me feel like a princess at a ball.
We make it four songs before Alexei cuts in claiming that as captain of the Cold Hearts, he outranked Ian and was invoking his divine right as team leader. How he managed to do that with a straight face and an even tone will be one of the great mysteries of my life.
Alexei is Alexei no matter what he’s doing—skilled, methodical, and demanding. He holds me closer than the other two men, making it clear to everyone around us that I belong to him, but not once does he get close to crossing any of the boundaries I set.
He makes it a record six songs before Oliver cuts in insisting he’s dying of a broken heart.
What follows is nearly an hour of dancing with one man, only to be stolen away by another with increasingly ridiculous threats or reasons it’s their turn.
I had expected flirting. I had expected the sultry promises of what would happen once they got me alone. What I hadn’t expected was the easy camaraderie and lighthearted fun. These men, my men, are full of surprises, and I never want this night to end.
Unfortunately, I don”t have the same stamina I did at twenty-one. Since I”m basically just a houseplant with big feelings, I decide water is in order to keep from wilting completely. After shooing Ian back to the table, I hit the restroom and run some cold water over my wrists to cool down faster. I almost don”t recognize the bright-eyed, glowing girl reflected back at me.
Mom was right. I really should get out more.
There”s an extra bounce in my step as I head to the corner of the bar and wait for an opportunity to catch one of the bartender’s eyes.
It isn”t long before I”ve got a delightfully cold glass of water in my hands. When I turn toward the table, I catch sight of someone I hoped to never see again barreling toward me at top speed.
I grip my glass so tightly it”s bound to shatter at any moment. My legs won”t stop shaking, and the fried pickle chips are coming dangerously close to reappearing all over the club floor. All the muscles in my body are taut and ready to run, but I can”t make myself move. I am a toad frozen by the gaze of a snake.
Every vile word she said to me nails me to the floor.
“Do you have any idea how many girls a week I get in here claiming Oliver is the father of their child? Come up with something original, at least.”
“I”m sure you believe it”s the truth. Everyone is always so sure. I can”t say I blame you. I imagine it”d be a lot more convenient for you to be knocked up by an up and coming athlete than your addict boyfriend.”
“The only possibility? Don”t make me laugh. Do you actually remember who it was or were you so blitzed, you landed on the last face you saw on TV?”
“The papers? Little girl, even if you had triple the amount of contacts that I have in the press, I could still bury you so deep your child won”t ever see the sun. No matter where you go or how hard you fight, you”ll always be the whore who cried wolf. Do you really want anyone stupid enough to give you an interview to find all those articles about you? You won”t be able to land a job as a night shift dishwasher when I”m done with you.”
“Not afraid of me? The confidence is adorable. Do you really think the press will leave you alone if you do end up going to them? Being harassed at home, at your ‘job’, and anywhere else you show your greasy face? That”s brave, putting your child at risk. Maybe you could handle the stress and bring it to term. But then there”s all the scrutiny of every feature that baby has to see if you”re actually telling the truth, prying into your medical record and theirs. Not to mention that I”ll personally make sure that child”s face is splashed on the front page of every paper in this city. But go ahead and go to the press. It”ll be the most fun I”ve had in ages.”
“Not going to leave until you see him? Are you just stupid or are you mentally impaired? Security will have no issue throwing you out on your ass. They can each lift three hundred pounds, so if they balance the weight between them, it”ll only take two of them to haul you out of here. Three if you try to fight.”
“That”s what I thought. Now run along, Skank.”
The closer she gets, the more frozen I become.
I should have known this night was too good to last.