Chapter Eighteen Bennett
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BENNETT
I n the end, Vivian was too worried about being seen together at a restaurant. Especially since it was a game night, and more people from campus would be eating out. So, we grabbed some Chinese takeout and headed back to her house. We hadn’t even suggested ours since we ran the risk of running into Theo.
Thankfully Grayson knew the way to Vivian’s since it was not the first time he’d been. The moment we pulled up, I smiled. It looked exactly like the house I would’ve expected her to live in. The interior was just as warm and welcoming as the exterior.
While Gray and I were getting the food, Vivian had headed home. She must’ve gotten busy setting the table in the dining room because it had plates, napkins, and cutlery set out for us. It certainly had a more welcoming feel than a restaurant would have. It was a hell of a lot more intimate.
As Grayson helped Vivian unpack the food bag, I hung back in the hallway examining her bookshelves. At the sight of her name on one of the spines, I pulled it off. “ Sisters of the Tudor Dynasty: A Look at the Lives of Mary and Margaret Tudor ,” I read aloud.
“That was my first published book,” Vivian called from the dining room.
“You’re an author?” I questioned.
She appeared in the hallway with a grin. “You must not have stalked my socials like Theo and Bennett.”
“I can’t say I have.”
“Well, let me fill you in. I’m a nerdy librarian who has a decent side hustle as an author of nonfiction Tudor history.”
“That is amazing, Pretty Woman,” I remarked.
She waved her hand dismissively. “Seriously. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Yes, it is. While I love modern history, I suck ass at medieval stuff.”
“Actually, Tudor England was post-Renaissance, so it wasn’t medieval.” When I blinked at her, she blushed. “Once again, I’m such a nerd.”
Shaking my head, I countered, “You have an impressive brain.”
“Not exactly sexy, is it?”
“To me it is.” Waving the book at her, I said, “I’ve never been able to say I’ve slept with someone who is a real author.”
With a laugh, Vivian replied, “Stop. You’ll give me an ego trip.”
Grayson poked his head out of the dining room. “Come on, guys. Let’s eat.”
Nodding, I said to Vivian, “I’m starving. How about you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “My appetite comes and goes.”
“Have you had a lot of morning sickness?”
“Unfortunately yes.”
“Try anything with ginger.”
She furrowed her brows at me. “How do you know about morning sickness cures?”
I laughed. “My baby sister is seven years younger than me, and my mom was deathly sick when she was pregnant with her. I can remember constantly bringing her ginger chews and making her ginger tea.”
Vivian smiled as she eased into her chair. “You have such a kind heart. Doesn’t he Grayson?”
Grayson snorted. “Oh yeah, he’s a total sweetheart.”
“Jackass,” I muttered back, as I sat down across from him.
As Grayson and I started attacking our food, Vivian’s fork froze midway to her mouth. “Sorry. We’re starving after games,” I mumbled through a mouthful of General Tso’s.
“It’s okay,” she replied.
Grayson didn’t utter an apology and kept shoveling in his Mongolian Chicken. As I paused in eating to aid both my digestion and Vivian’s appreciation of me, I asked, “Did you always want to be a writer?”
Vivian chewed thoughtfully on her egg roll. “Yes and no. I mean, I always wrote stories when I was younger, but I never imagined then I would want to write about the lives of Tudor royalty and everyday people.”
Tilting her head at me, Vivian said, “Did you know Bennett was a popular Tudor first name?”
“Really?”
She nodded. “It was only spelled with one t though.”
Cocking his brows, Grayson asked, “What about Grayson?”
“While it wasn’t a popular Tudor name, it’s certainly one of English origin. Most likely, it comes from ‘son of gray’ fromsomeone’s son with gray hair.”
“I can see that,” he replied with a grin.
“And why all the interest in the Tudors and not the other periods?” I asked.
A dreamy look came over Vivian’s face. “It all started with this old movie in my 11th-grade history class called Anne of a Thousand Days . I got positively obsessed with Anne Boleyn and in turn, Henry VIII. It kinda went from there.”
With a grin, Grayson said, “All my knowledge of Henry VIII comes from the show.”
I snorted. “You only watched it for the sex.”
Grayson wagged his brows. “And it was hot.”
Vivian speared one of her dumplings a little more forcefully than she had to. “I’m sorry to tell you that The Tudors was painfully inaccurate when it comes to the history of the period.”
“I’ll have to read some of your books to get the full story,” Grayson said.
“I would love that.”
“Are you writing now?”
“Yes, but I’m ridiculously behind.”
Wagging his brows, Grayson asked, “Anything we can help you with?”
She grinned. “Sadly, there isn’t much of a literary market for Tudor polyamory.”
“We’re so much more than just sex,” I argued.
“Such as?” she teased.
“Well, I’m a handsome troubadour for starters.”
Grayson’s brows furrowed. “What the hell is a troubadour?”
“A French poet who composed and sang music,” Vivian replied. With a wink, she said, “Now that I think of it, you aren’t a true troubadour since you don’t write your music.”
“Fine. I’m a half-assed one.”
As Vivian laughed, Grayson said, “What about athletes? They had to have more game than a bunch of singers.”
“Yes, but it was more about archery and jousting.”
“I’d like to challenge Theo to a joust,” Grayson grumbled.
“He’s like Voldemort–he shouldn’t be mentioned,” I countered.
“More than anything, I wish we could ignore him and what happened.” With a forlorn look, she added, “But he could be the baby’s father.”
“Although I’m still extremely fucking pissed at him, I’ve known Theo for four years, and I do feel he’ll come around. He just needs some time.”
Grayson’s expression darkened. “After the stunt he pulled, he shouldn’t get any time.”
“I agree. But that’s not our choice to make.”
Vivian rubbed her temples. “Can we change the subject, please?”
“Absolutely.” After scooting my chair over, I took Vivian’s hand in mine. “I meant it when I said how much I’ve missed you.”
“Me too,” Grayson piped up.
Vivian blinked at us in surprise. “You have?”
Grayson nodded. “You know I didn’t want you to end things when you did.”
“True. But I just imagined you’d find another girl or woman to be part of your superstition.”
“But there’s no one like you, Viv,” Grayson replied.
“You’re just saying that,” she mused with a smile.
“I’m serious,” he argued.
“While I’m flattered, I don’t understand how you can say that.”
Grayson’s face fell. “You think I’m just shooting you a line?”
“No, it’s not that.” She slid her spoon around her soup as she tilted her head in thought. “Call me older and cynical, but I can’t understand what it is about me that would make you say that. Or what it is that makes you guys jump at the chance to be with me again.”
I furrowed my brows at her. “Did someone do a number on your self-esteem?”
She shook her head. “I think it’s more the fact we haven’t spent any real time together outside of the bedroom.”
“Maybe we know enough of what we’ve seen of you to know how different you are,” I suggested.
Grayson nodded. “I could argue that with all the experience I have with girls, I can tell something different and special when I see it.”
“And the fact that you’re so different makes us want to be with you. We want to chase the feeling we get when we’re with you–the one that’s so different from other girls…or in my case girls and guys.
Vivian stared intently at us. “Even though it doesn’t make sense, I understand what you’re saying. I even feel it to a certain extent. It was why I knew I couldn’t keep sleeping with you guys because I could fall for you.”
“See. What I said is for real,” Grayson argued.
With a grin, I said, “And if nothing else, you’re magical pussy put a spell on me.”
Vivian smacked my arm playfully. “Bennett, be serious.”
“I am.” With a wink, I added, “But your impressive brain also has me under its spell. And your heart.”
“What are you saying?”
“While I can’t speak for Grayson, I do know what I want, and that is to date you.”
Vivian’s green eyes popped wide. “You want to date me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Even though I could be pregnant with Grayson or Theo’s baby?”
“Yep.”
She slowly shook her head back and forth. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m as serious as a fucking heart attack.”
“But we don’t know each other,” she protested.
“Isn’t that why most people date? So they can get to know them? I mean, dating would solve the problem of you thinking we don’t know you.”
Vivian’s wide eyes shifted over to Grayson who had been deathly quiet as I professed my desires. Although he looked like he was about to piss himself out of fear, he rose out of his chair. After kneeling beside Vivian, he took her other hand. “I want to date you, too.”
“Oh my God. Not you too!” she shrieked.
“Yes, me, too.”
“But you guys are young and have your whole lives ahead of you,” Vivian protested.
With a roll of my eyes, I countered, “You have a mere seven years on us, Viv. Not seventy.”
“You know what I mean. You’re about to graduate from college and start your lives. Why would you want to tie yourself down with a pregnant woman who might not even be having your kid?”
“Because that pregnant woman is pretty fucking amazing. She’s smart and funny and quirky.”
Grayson nodded. “She’s also great in bed and doesn’t mind being shared.”
“I never said that.”
“But you–”
“That was one night. I don’t know what it would mean long-term.”
“Then let’s try,” I blurted.
“What?” both Vivian and Grayson said.
“Let’s try the three of us tonight. If we suck as a threesome, then we can try to date you individually. But if we work, then we can be together.”
As Vivian blinked at me in disbelief, I said, “But only if you’re interested. You might not be up to it.”
“I’m horny as hell with the pregnancy hormones,” she admitted breathlessly.
Both Grayson and I groaned. “You are?”
She nodded. “I know now why you’re supposed to have a kid when you’re married–your husband is obligated to have sex with you.”
“We’ll be happy to help you with that problem, Vivian,” Grayson said.
“Oh yes.”
Without a word, Vivian swept out of her chair and started out the dining room. Just when I thought I’d taken things too far, she crooked her finger at us to follow. Grayson and I practically knocked our chairs to the floor in our fast pursuit of her.
We followed her down the hall and into her bedroom. After we entered, she closed the door. She’d barely released the door handle when the two of us pounced on her. We made quick work of stripping her out of her clothes and shoes.
Once she stood naked before us, we quickly got rid of ours.
With her eyes locked on ours, Vivian started backing up to the bed while Grayson and I quickly followed.