Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
QUENTIN
This isn’t a mid-life crisis.
I know that’s what some people would call it, what they’d assume if they knew what we were doing. A typical suburban man in his mid-forties, with a successful career and a decades-long marriage, suddenly opening his relationship? Yeah, I know exactly how people will gossip when they find out.
But that’s not what this is. It’s not some reckless decision in an attempt to fill a void or fix a problem. It’s a genuine connection, and both Sarah and I have agreed upon our desire for a relationship with Kat regardless of the deviance from social norms.
This is too real and rare to ignore.
I glance across the table at Kat, who’s laughing quietly at something Sarah just said. They’re beside each other in the restaurant booth, and seeing the two of them side-by-side warms my heart.
This is our first date with the three of us. We’d been nervous about it—me, especially. How do we even do this? Do we act like it’s just Sarah and I bringing along a friend? Do we hold hands in public? What happens if we run into a student’s parent or a colleague?
We’d had that conversation before we left the house, sitting in the living room with Kat perched on the arm of the couch.
“What happens if someone sees us?” Sarah had asked nervously. “I mean, we work in schools. People talk. Maybe we should have a story straight.”
I had worried long and hard about what all this might mean, but I had realized that when all is said and done, it doesn’t matter. Non-monogamy is still frowned upon in a lot of communities, but ultimately, our happiness takes precedent over others’ comfort.
I had said as much when we discussed it, and Sarah had agreed.
Kat had nodded, but her expression was solemn when she said, “I don’t want you guys to wake up one day and realize this was all too complicated.”
I hadn’t had the words then to reassure her, though I tried, but I’d taken her hand and squeezed it, and Sarah had done the same, holding her between us. That was two hours ago. Now, sitting across from her at a dimly lit restaurant, watching her make Sarah laugh, I realize that nervousness was unwarranted.
Because this feels like the most natural thing in the world.
The waiter comes by to refill our drinks, glancing at the way Sarah and Kat are huddled together in the booth. He doesn’t comment, and I let myself settle back into my seat, taking a slow sip of my bourbon.
I’ve spent so much of my life worrying about how things should look, how relationships should work. It’s a byproduct of my job, I guess—working in administration means constantly thinking about public perception. But none of that can define this.
Kat is talking again, something about an art exhibit coming to the city soon. I watch her as she speaks, and another wave of affection flows through me. I had thought when all of this started that she was really here for Sarah—that she and Sarah were the ones with the feelings and attraction, and I was just adjacent to it. But I was wrong.
Because I’m falling for her too.
It snuck up on me. At first, Kat was the exciting unknown, this new person that brought out a different side of my wife that I hadn’t seen before. But she and I had hit it off instantly, and with every moment we spent together, all of this grew into something more.
Sarah glances across the table at me with a smile still on her lips. “You’re awfully quiet over there.”
“Just thinking,” I say. “I’m happy we’re all here.”
“Me too.”
“Me three,” Kat chimes in with a playful grin.
I reach across the table, taking each of their hands in mine and simply enjoying the moment. A second later, Sarah snorts out a laugh, and Kat and I give her a questioning look.
“Sorry,” she laughs. “I just thought about the fact that if someone looked over here, they’d probably think we were praying over the bread basket.”
We all burst into laughter just as the waiter returns to take our orders.
Dinner goes by quickly, with Kat regaling me with more college stories about her and Sarah, and once we’ve finished the last of our drinks, I look at my watch.
“Well, ladies, it’s eight o’ clock. Shall we head to the club?”
I’m met with two eager grins. “Hell yeah, let’s go.”