31. Mia
MIA
It turned out that Chattanooga was a lot of fun even when you weren’t trapped behind a mirror and kissing a hot guy.
The hot guy part was still true, though no kissing as of yet.
It was Monday, the first official day of Thanksgiving break.
Cody had to attend some kind of practice tonight, so he and Diego would drive up tomorrow.
Aaron and I were already here and had the day to ourselves.
I was eager to spend time with all of them, but I wasn’t disappointed that it was just Aaron and me today.
It seemed like a good way to ease into a situation that… that… well, I didn’t even really know what this week was going to be like. But I was excited. My leg felt better. There were no classes for a week. And I was staying in a gorgeous condo with gorgeous men.
“This is nice,” Aaron said as he held my hand. We were overlooking the Tennessee River. I’d always liked cities that had a river cutting through them. It was a nice break from concrete and pavement.
“The river?”
“Being here with you.” He squeezed my hand. “And showing off my hometown.” He’d taken me to the Tennessee Aquarium this morning, and then we walked around Coolidge Park. It was so nice to spend time with him without any pressure or expectations.
Not that I thought he’d pressure me, but it was easier out here in the open than tonight, when we’d be at the condo together. I was excited about that on the whole, but I also liked this time when things were easy and simple. And really fun.
Aaron let go of my hand and leaned his forearms against the railing. “It really does feel like my hometown.”
“Isn’t it?” I moved closer to him and put my hand on his back, rubbing lightly.
Even such an innocent touch felt a bit bold.
I wasn’t used to being out in public touching, laughing, and holding hands with a man.
Actually, I didn’t have all that much experience with that kind of thing in private, either.
“Before age seven, it felt like I didn’t have one.”
My hand slid up to his neck and squeezed gently. “I’m sorry.” He hadn’t talked much about that period of his life, and I was afraid to ask.
“Don’t be. I basically won the lottery after that point.”
I couldn’t argue with that. When we’d arrived at the condo this morning, it was even more spacious and luxurious than I’d remembered.
The kitchen had been completely stocked with everything we could want to eat.
I wondered which of his siblings had done that, or could it possibly be staff?
His family was definitely wealthy, but for a scholarship student like me, it felt a little surreal.
But that wasn’t who Aaron was as a person. And I was pretty damn fond of who he was as a person.
He took me to his favorite Indian restaurant for dinner. It was a cuisine unfamiliar to me, but I really liked the spicy chicken and that delicious flatbread.
Back at the condo, we watched some TV, though not too late.
Aaron had put me in the same beautiful suite I’d changed in last time.
We lingered a little awkwardly at the doorway.
After asking permission, he gave me a kiss that made me melt against him, but I didn’t invite him in, and he didn’t ask.
This week was about all four of us, not just the two of us. It wouldn’t have felt right.
And then in late morning, they arrived.
“Wow,” Diego said, giving a low whistle as he surveyed the spacious condo. “Pretty sure the entire Baylor House could fit in this living room.”
That was quite the exaggeration, but it kind of felt true. The living room was gorgeous, with cream-colored fabrics and soft gray leather. There was a fireplace surrounded by a sunken sitting area, a great view of the city, and—to Cody’s obvious delight—a grand piano.
After a quick lunch, we did more touristy things, taking an inclined train up to Lookout Mountain, which provided a spectacular view of the city and the river running through it.
It was fun, but the vibe was different with four of us there.
I was conscious of how much time I spent with each of them.
Whose hand I held. Who I smiled at the most. It wasn’t that I wanted to have to keep score all day, it was just that I was a little nervous about how this all would work out for us.
And very, very nervous about the sleeping arrangements for tonight.
Aaron was the one who brought that up after we returned from another nice dinner out. He clearly knew the best restaurants in town.
“There are three bedrooms,” he began. “Mia’s already installed in the suite, so I guess two of us guys should double up.”
“I could sleep on the couch,” Diego offered.
“No,” I said, taking a deep breath. But I’d already given this matter a lot of thought.
“On the piano?” he joked. But none of us were laughing. The atmosphere wasn’t tense—but it wasn’t exactly relaxed, either.
“I think each of you should take a bedroom.” That earned me three looks of surprise.
“And what will you do?” Aaron asked carefully.
“I thought maybe I could bunk with one of you.” I closed my eyes briefly.
That wasn’t even the hardest part to say.
“Each night, with one of you.” It was the most diplomatic way I could say it, but I could feel the heat flood my face.
I couldn’t look at them, even though I’d been thinking about this all day.
“No,” Diego said instantly. “We’re not passing you around like...”
Cody looked at him sharply. “If you finish that sentence, we’re going to have a problem.”
Okay, this was going worse than any of the scenarios I’d imagined. “I just... I’m not saying that we... I just...”
“It’s okay, Mia,” Cody said, surprisingly gently. “No one’s judging you.” He gave Diego a look when he said that.
That gave me a little courage. “I want to spend time with you all. I want to get to know you better. It’s just sleep. Why can’t I share a bed with you?” Except I knew it might be more than sleep. We all knew that.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Aaron asked.
“Yes. If that’s what you guys want, too.”
“I’m not going to say no to that,” Aaron said. “But only if I know you’re 150% you’re comfortable with it.”
“I am.” I let out a ragged breath of air. “That was really fucking hard to admit.”
That made Diego raise an eyebrow. “She swore, so she must be serious.” That got a small smile from me.
“You guys figure out the schedule, and I’m going to curl up on the couch and die from embarrassment.” With my cheeks still on fire, I turned away from them.
“Don’t,” Aaron said, catching my arm. “We’re here because we want to be with you. It’s good to know you want to be with us too. In any capacity,” he said, before Diego could question the word choice. “But you must have some preference for where you’d like to stay first.”
I couldn’t answer that. It was too much like choosing between them.
When they realized I couldn’t or wouldn’t answer, Diego looked at Aaron. “It’s your place,” he said finally. Then he shook his head. “Shit, this is hard. Mia, I want you to know that we know you’re not some kind of… toy we get to share.”
How was it possible to appreciate the sentiment and be extra mortified at the same time? “I know.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. How about... I’ll stay with Aaron tonight?”
“You were with him last night,” Cody said.
“No,” I said, even as Aaron shook his head as well. “We stayed in separate rooms.”
“That’s still an option for tonight,” Diego said.
“That’s not what I want,” I said simply.
“She’s made her decision,” Cody said, catching my eye.
And that was the end of that discussion.
“I like this,” Aaron said, his finger gliding along the edge of the smooth satin of my new pajama set as I lay next to him. The room was dark except for two lit candles he’d placed on the dresser.
I was glad he liked my new pajama set. I’d never owned anything like it.
It was peach satin. The camisole top was held up by spaghetti straps.
It draped at the neckline and was cropped at the waist. The matching shorts were, well, short.
But also satiny and smooth. The material felt good on my legs.
Over the weekend, Tori and Hailey had dragged me to a local store, correctly guessing that my current sleepwear wasn’t adequate for this week spent with men.
Tori had gotten some things, too. She and Jayden were headed down to Florida to see Jayden’s new little nephew.
She got a respectable pair of pajamas and a robe, since they’d be staying with his family.
Later, Kyle and Lucas would join them at a beachfront resort, and I gathered she’d be wearing a lot less then.
Hailey didn’t buy anything, telling us with a gleam in her eye that her men kept her well-supplied with lingerie that could be worn—or torn off—as needed.
I admired the way she and Tori were so comfortable talking about this kind of thing.
I still turned beet red whenever any adult subjects came up.
Aaron pulled his hand back. “Is it new?” He hadn’t said anything, but the dark blue pajama pants he wore looked new. That was all he wore, and I could see the muscles of his chest even in the low light.
“Yes.” And then nerves took over. “It’s not like I always wear things like this. I’m not?—”
“Hey, relax. There is absolutely no pressure on you here.” His voice was gentle.
“I-I know. I’m glad to be here, it’s just… a little difficult.” I’d almost said hard, but that wasn’t a word I should be throwing around in casual conversation tonight.
“Would it make you more or less nervous if I kissed you?”
“I don’t know,” I said, and he laughed.
“Well, that’s honest. How about we put that idea on hold for now?”
“Okay.” It didn’t make any sense. We’d shared a very heated kiss last night. But that was when we were headed off to separate rooms, not sleeping in the same bed.
“If you get too nervous, just let me know. I know something we could do that’ll take your mind off all of that completely.”