Chapter 18
~
June
“I think this is the best idea you’ve had in a long time, Price.”
Mads sunk back into her chair, closing her eyes in pure bliss. I’d come up with the idea for us to have a spa day, and after all the studying we’d both been doing, she’d only been too happy to agree.
We were getting pedicures side by side, and I hadn’t seen Mads this happy since we won the derby. I laughed. “I figured we deserved the break.”
“Oh we definitely did. Especially me because, as we both know, I’m the one with the strongest dedication to my academics,” she said airily. I shook my head, just happy to be able to spend this time unwinding with my best friend. “On a serious note though, how are things going on that front?”
I took a breath, the excitement I felt a few days ago when Ronan broke the news coming back in a rush. “I actually meant to tell you. I scored an interview with Muller & Co.”
“What?” Mads almost kicked her feet out of the pedicure bowl. She gave a feverish apology to the pedicurist, who simply waved her off good-naturedly before turning to me again. “An actual interview with one of the biggest urban developers in the country? And your dream company, to boot?”
“Yes,” I said, hardly able to fully believe it myself.
It felt like a dream. I thought back to the very start of the semester.
I’d been so determined to ensure I got a chance like this, to the point that I focused every aspect of my life onto achieving it.
I thought it would’ve only come after I sacrificed everything else to get there.
And yet here I was, having more fun and taking more risks than I thought I was capable of and still managing to get that interview.
“I’m so proud of you, June,” Mads said, grabbing my hand and squeezing. Her face was beaming with genuine joy, and my heart clenched. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”
I've been hearing a lot of that lately. The only thing that could subdue the impostor syndrome settling in was the determination to make that comment ring true by the end of the year.
“See what happens when you play your cards right? Did I or did I not tell you how important networking was? You’re so lucky to have me as your friend,” she said. It was clear she was only joking, but she was also absolutely right.
“Thanks, Mads. I appreciate that. Thank you for always being so supportive of me,” I said, the weight of the words sinking in as I said them.
It’s not like I spent too much time leaning into the sentimental parts of our friendship.
But I would always cherish the role it played in my life more than I think she knew.
Her face softened just a bit before she rolled her eyes. “Stop being soppy. You’re ruining my vibe.”
I snorted. “Oh, my bad. Well, answer for an answer, then? You know where I’m standing on my future plans, what about yours?”
“Well…” she trailed off. I raised an eyebrow at her, the way she would’ve done to me if the roles were reversed. “Fine. I’m planning on speaking with my parents in two weeks about me taking a year off to travel.”
I felt my eyes pop in surprise. I gave a low whistle. “Wow, Mads. That’s brave.”
“You know, a little mutual support would be great,” she complained.
“You know that you have that,” I said. “How are you feeling about telling them?”
She paused, seeming to think about it for a minute. “I don’t know. Relieved, mostly I guess? But also scared. More scared than I’d care to admit.”
Now it was my turn to squeeze her hand. “That’s understandable.
But honestly, I think you’re underestimating how much they love you.
And how much they respect the things you’ve been able to do on your own as well.
And at the very worst, they’ll probably just reply with short answers for about a month before they get over it. ”
Her mouth pressed into a tight line. “Hopefully.”
“Aren’t you typically the optimist?” I asked.
“Yeah. When it comes to other people,” she pointed out. “It’s always a little different when it’s your own gamble.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be. Everything’s going to be just fine,” I reassured her. “There’s no reward without risk, right?”
She gave me a sidelong look. “Who are you and what have you done with my friend June?”
“She’s still here. Just invigorated,” I answered.
“Hmm,” she hummed suspiciously. “You got laid, didn’t you?”
I almost choked on air. She smiled triumphantly. “You just can’t hide things from me. I thought you knew that by now. And I’ll wait for you to feel comfortable enough to tell me at your own pace. No pressure. I just know whoever you’re hooking up with is better than Evan.”
Now that little tidbit caught my attention. “Evan Jack? Oh God, Mads please tell me you didn’t.”
“I did and I regret it deeply,” she said, her voice forlorn.
“I’d have warned you if I knew that was even a possibility,” I told her.
“I know, I know. He has two first names, that should’ve been the first red flag,” she said.
“You sound like Chloe,” I chuckled. “But in this case, she might actually have a point.”
“He was a total weirdo,” she shuddered at the memory. “And he was so strangely obsessed with threesomes, too. But of course only with another girl. I had an ex like that, too. I wouldn’t mind bringing in another girl if they wouldn’t be such creeps about it.”
I tried to keep my voice casual, or at least as casual as it could be given the question I was about to ask her.
“Oh yeah? Well now I’m curious. Have you ever had a threesome before?” I said.
I half expected her to look scandalized at the fact I’d even broached the question at all. But instead she just shrugged. “Yeah. A few actually.”
My shock intensified at the blasé answer. There was no shame or shyness at all with Madison, and while I knew that she had a rather colorful sexual history, I had no idea she’d done that.
“With another girl or guy?”
“Both,” she said.
“And?” I pressed.
“It was really fun. Both ways,” she replied. “I actually had two guys on rotation who liked to mess around with me at the same time.”
There was something almost cathartic about hearing her speak about this that set my own guilt at ease.
I’d been chewing over the fact that I’d really, really enjoyed having Oren and Ronan at the same time.
I didn’t recognize myself in that moment, the intense desire for both of them and nothing less.
Afterwards, I worried whether that meant something was wrong with me.
But seeing how easily Mads could talk about this made me feel a bit better.
There was nothing wrong or broken with her and yet she’d enjoyed the same thing.
Minus the professor bit, which was another variable but that could be ignored momentarily.
“Interested in taking a trip to Paris?” she asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
I blushed at the innuendo. As though I hadn’t actually been hopping around “Paris”.
“Well, if you are interested, then I’ll say that it makes it so much better when the other two people actually like each other.
Especially if it's two guys. Egos getting in the way can ruin everything so if you’re looking to explore that, make sure they get along even if they’re not planning on touching each other.
Makes it better for all parties involved. ”
Huh. Well that put things into a bit of perspective.
Lucas, Ronan and Oren were all friends. It was very obvious that the latter two were into our little library romp.
I knew that they’d be at least somewhat receptive to the idea of doing that again.
Maybe more, too, and on that score I’d definitely lucked out.
But Lucas would be the hardest one to try and get on board. I didn’t want to push him into doing anything he was uncomfortable with. But I also knew that the feelings we had for each other weren’t going to be easily extinguished. And he himself seemed more than willing to pursue me.
The very least I could do was try. For the first time ever, I began to think about the possibility that I wouldn’t have to pick between them. Maybe this could be something more than just sex and fun. Maybe I could truly have all of them, in every sense of the word.
Mads and I enjoyed the rest of our time together, our conversation branching out into other topics until the end of our appointment. After, I pulled out my phone and brought up Lucas’s contact, steeling myself to send the message.
Me: Hey. We really need to talk. Dinner at The Foundry this Friday night?