36. Cas
“All unpacked?” I ask as Grayson and Caroline come out of his bedroom, looking disheveled.
Caroline is giggling and flushed.
Grayson looks satisfied and smug. He’s carrying Caroline’s empty suitcase. “Yep.”
“If you can call dumping all my clothes on a chair unpacking.”
“Then what took you so long?” James asks with a grin, pulling the takeout boxes we’ve just arrived with out of the bag with one hand, Evelyn on his opposite hip. “We were gone for thirty minutes picking the food up.”
I reach into Grayson’s kitchen cupboards and pull out plates and bowls, Noah asleep in the baby carrier I have strapped to me. We’re going to have to sort out dinner better than this in the future and nap times and schedules, but for today, it will do. It’s only been two days since Caroline came flying into the gym, a little spitfire of emotion, telling us she’s in love with all of us.
We’ve got details to deal with, but we’re all so fucking happy with this outcome it’s ridiculous.
“I might have fucked our girlfriend,” Grayson admits.
Caroline pretends to look sheepish. “It’s true. There might have been some fucking involved in the unpacking process.”
“Shocker.” This is something we’ve already discussed. Grayson and Caroline can have sex with each other whenever they want, like me and James. I set the plates on the counter next to James and give him a kiss on the side of the head.
“Where are you taking that suitcase?” James asks.
“We’re throwing this suitcase in the dumpster because she’s not going anywhere.”
“Grayson.” Caroline throws him a look of disapproval. “What if I want to, you know, take a trip to see my mother? Or go to New York with you?”
“I’ll buy you a new one. This one makes me angry. It almost went with you to Colombia.”
She laughs. “You’re ridiculous.” Then she leans over the kitchen counter to eye the Thai food. “Mmm, thanks for picking this up.” She gives James a kiss, then runs her hand across his back as she shifts around him to kiss me.
Affection is free for the offering and taking at any time, between anyone, with anyone else around. That’s another thing we agreed on. There isn’t any jealousy between us and we don’t want there to be. Open communication and open affection. That’s a solid foundation for our new relationship.
Grayson opens the door to his apartment and sets the offensive suitcase in the hallway. “I need to text Kyle.”
Caroline stiffens. “About what? You told her not to come over tonight, right? Fucking Kyle.”
“Why does Kyle annoy you so much?” James asks, lifting a piece of chicken to Caroline’s mouth and easing it between her lips. “Eat this. You sound hangry.”
“I am hungry,” she says, chewing the chicken. “But I’m not hangry . I just don’t like how pretty Kyle is. She’s been in this apartment every night for weeks while my boyfriend is asleep in bed in the other room. It pisses me off the way that suitcase pisses off Grayson.”
“Well, we can’t throw Kyle in the dumpster so put that thought out of your head,” I tell her, pulling out silverware from Grayson’s kitchen drawer.
James laughs.
“Are you sure?” Caroline teases.
“Kyle saved my ass and allowed me to sleep,” Grayson says. “Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t hate so hard on Kyle.”
“She’s so…put together. And gorgeous! Don’t tell me you didn’t notice,” Caroline insists.
Grayson looks genuinely confused. “Is she gorgeous?”
James and I exchange a look.
“She’s gorgeous,” James tells him.
“Absolutely the full package,” I agree.
Caroline wrinkles her nose.
“Huh. I honestly never noticed,” Grayson says.
Caroline rolls her eyes.
“It’s not Kyle’s fault you’re jealous.” Now Grayson is smirking a little as he picks up his phone. “I’ll text her now.”
“You’re firing her,” Caroline reiterates. “Just so we’re clear.”
“We’re clear.” He types quickly and then shows her the text. “Good?”
“Thank you for all your help, but I no longer require your services, effective immediately. I will pay you for the next four weeks and give your agency a very positive review.”
I just raise my eyebrows and start dishing pad Thai onto plates.
“Good?”
“Good.”
“Send.” Grayson taps his phone with a flourish. “But we’re keeping Jane, right?”
“I feel like we need a full recap of all our decisions and plans to make sure we’re on the same page,” I say. “Let’s do that while we eat.”
“We’re having a family meeting?” Caroline asks. “I love that. It’s a great idea, Cas.”
“Kyle texted me back,” Grayson says.
Caroline yanks his phone right out of his hand. “What did she say?”
Grayson’s hand is just hanging in the air. “Sure, you can have my phone. No problem.”
“She wants to know why you’re firing her.”
Grayson reaches for his phone. “May I?”
“Of course. I’m not going to text her.”
Grayson types and shows her the screen.
She reads it aloud. “It has nothing to do with your performance. My girlfriend is jealous of how gorgeous you are…Grayson! What the hell?”
I start laughing. “You walked right into that, Caroline.”
“Hit send?” Grayson asks her.
“No. God. Fine. Just tell her whatever. Just not the truth, which is that I’m jealous.” The corner of her mouth lifts up in a smile.
“I knew it!” Grayson reaches behind her and tugs her against his chest. “But you have nothing to be jealous about, ever. I haven’t had eyes for any woman but you since the second you strolled off that elevator, all tits and long legs and a perky smile.”
She laughs and leans back against him.
I’m enjoying their banter. I like having a full apartment with our family, Evelyn trying to eat the noodle James has handed her, James talking to her as he pours wine with one hand. He’s head over ass for Grayson’s little girl.
Hell, our little girl. She belongs to all of us now. Just like Grayson and Caroline will be parents to Noah.
I would have thought my reaction to that would be on par with Caroline’s feelings toward Kyle, but they’re not. My son will only benefit from having people to love him.
“Answer Kyle. She’s probably fretting.” Caroline pulls away from Grayson and gives Evelyn a kiss on the cheek. “I just love you so much, you little cutie.”
“Oh, now you’re worried about Kyle’s feelings? I can’t keep up.” Grayson obediently texts though and puts his phone in his pocket. “That’s done. What can I do to help?”
“Put all of these plates on the table.” James pops Evelyn into her high chair.
Grayson does what James tells him without question. It’s interesting to me that a man who is used to being in charge is so easygoing with the three of us. Oh, sure, he’s still demanding as hell and thinks money can solve everything, but I like his energy.
“You know, there are very practical advantages to being in a poly relationship as a formerly single dad,” Grayson says. “There are a lot of hands to help.”
Caroline carries the wine glasses to the table beside him. “There really are. You can fly to New York whenever you need to on business and leave Evelyn here.”
“Or take you with me,” he protests.
“It depends on what is going on. I am planning to get a teaching job, but I’ll probably only be able to sub this school year since it’s already started.”
“What did your employer with the international school say when you quit?” I ask. “I know you felt bad about putting in your notice.”
She nods. “I did. But the assignment doesn’t start for four weeks. I wanted time to acclimate. But it’s still not ideal. I have to reimburse them for the travel stipend they gave me.”
“That’s easy enough,” Grayson says. “I’ll pay that. What is it, like ten grand or something?”
Caroline laughs. James snorts.
“You really have no idea the value of the dollar, do you?” I ask him, wryly.
“That’s almost my whole salary,” Caroline tells him. “No, it is five hundred dollars.”
“Oh.” Grayson has the decency to look sheepish. “Just tell me where to send it.”
“I can pay for it. I do have savings.”
“I want to,” Grayson insists. “Think of it as payment for my grumpiness and general lack of understanding of how to do basic daily tasks.”
Now I’m the one who laughs. “I still can’t believe you didn’t know how to use a can opener. My mind is blown by that.” I had found him staring at it last night when I asked him to open a can of tomatoes.
“When am I opening cans?” Grayson protests. “What even comes in a can?”
“Tomatoes.” I shouldn’t be as surprised as I am. I’ve met Grayson’s mother. She doesn’t lift a finger in the kitchen.
“We should grow our own tomatoes,” James says, taking Noah out of the carrier on my chest and putting him in his swing.
“I agree,” Grayson nods. “Sounds very healthy.”
Caroline isn’t saying anything. She’s just beaming at all of us.
“What?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I love you. All of you. Sure, this is practical for any number of reasons, but you know what isn’t practical? How we feel. It’s big and bold and beautiful and warm and incredible.”
That makes me pause in pulling the carrier off over my head. “Perfectly said, gorgeous,” I murmur, my throat tight.
Grayson takes a seat next to her. “We need to toast to that.” He raises his wine glass.
“To cutting a cased opening in this wall to make these two apartments into one,” I say, raising my own glass.
“Ooh, I love that idea,” Caroline says, lifting her glass. “James?”
“To living and loving with my best friends, who happen to be the loves of my life. And to finding an office space for Grayson because I can’t be a stay-at-home dad with a nanny and him underfoot too. I’m a patient man, but not that patient.”
Caroline laughs.
“To finding out I got full permanent custody of Evelyn,” Grayson says.
Everyone gasps and gives out congratulations. James claps him on the shoulder.
“Bravo to that,” I say. “There is a Dutch saying. A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you. That’s how I feel right now.”
Evelyn gives a happy shriek and throws a noodle.
We all laugh.
“Cheers,” Caroline says. “To the future.”
We can all drink to that.
Thanks for reading Three Dirty Dads!