3. Chapter 3
Chapter three
Anelya
“Ithink I should just wear my black shorts,” I said to my reflection again, tugging on the skirt Carolina told me to wear.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d worn a skirt. And the shoes were also my sister’s, black strappy sandals. They covered my toes, thank goodness, as I also couldn’t remember the last pedicure I’d had.
I looked at my nails. I’d filed them and put a couple coats of clear nail polish on them that I’d found in my sister’s closet.
“What am I doing?” I asked my reflection, tugging up on the v-neck of the shirt she’d told me to wear.
My phone buzzed.
“Send me a picture.” Carolina demanded.
I snorted but complied.
She returned with some fire emojis, and I returned with some eye roll emojis.
A glance at the clock told me it was almost time for them to me to leave. I’d insisted on meeting them, and I could tell that didn’t sit right with them, but clearly they had work to do and didn’t want to press me on picking me up here at Carolina’s townhome.
It wasn’t a date anyway, I told myself. For one thing, there were two of them. And for the other, they were the kind of bossy guys I usually avoided. I tried to remember the last guy I’d dated for more than a few dates, or even spent the night with. Jack? Jason? What was his name again?
Jax. That’s right. He’d been in the EMT program with me and was now engaged to another paramedic friend. I was friends with both of them now. I barely remembered our one night that was two years ago.
That has nothing to do with tonight, I reminded myself as I hurried out the door.
***
The Exchequer was a small pub on the square surrounding the gazebo, and I’d had to park two blocks away. I was hurrying along, trying not to trip in the unfamiliar sandals, through the crowd of people still milling around for the last day of the Lumberjack Days.
Several people smiled and waved at me. I returned the gestures, feeling uncomfortable as I didn’t really recognize people. I supposed the sight of me the night before covered in blood was memorable.
Burris and Greg were waiting outside. I paused my steps, catching my breath for a minute before joining them.
Burris was wearing a dark green polo that looked amazing next to his light brown skin. His short curls and faint beard scruff looked hot along with his toned arms.
Greg’s folded arms in his blue dress shirt and tight jaw were a bit intimidating, and I wondered what they were talking about, but his smile met his eyes as I approached.
“I hope I’m not late,” I said, stopping in front of them.”
“Not at all,” Burris said.
Greg held the door open for me and leaned close. “We had some business at the police station and were in town anyway.”
I thought about the pieces of the saw from the night before and wondered if that was connected.
“Three please on the private patio, Jules,” Greg said, as we walked in, to the hostess.
“Of course, Greg. How are you two?” She came around, and I saw she was pregnant. She gave each of them a hug. “These two helped my husband and I get this place started!”
I felt a warmth inside me. Oh no. I was really attracted to these two. I barely knew them, and they seemed like cold corporate types most of the time. But there was something about them. And how could I be attracted to both of them?
“So Raymond will be back to work part-time within six weeks and possibly full-time after that. We offered him retirement, but he did not like that idea.” Greg leaned back after finishing his steak.
I nodded. “Some people always like to be busy. I suspect you two are like that.”
Burris flashed a grin, and I felt that warmth again. Neither man smiled much, and I was happy to start seeing it more and more as we talked.
“I go fishing sometimes,” he said, his deep voice carrying even across the noise of the festival outside the mini private patio.
“Do they usually have a private patio?” I had a feeling this was a special request.
“No.” Greg held my gaze.
I felt myself blushing. I couldn’t remember the last time this had happened since high school. “Listen, I really appreciate this, but no thanks were necessary. I went into this field because I like to help people.”
“You did more than help,” Greg said. “You reached into his wound and held his artery together as blood covered you.”
I looked down, unable to look at him anymore. “I’d hardly be much of a paramedic if I was scared from some blood.”
“Were you planning on applying for a job here?” Burris seemed to know I wanted a subject change.
“I wasn’t. I came to visit Carolina, and I’ve been applying all over Knoxville and the suburbs there.”
“We have a first rate hospital and rescue operation here.” Greg clearly didn’t do small talk well.
I nodded. “I’m sure you do. I think I’d always pictured myself in more of a city environment.”
“Is the job hunt going well?” Burris was glaring at Greg.
Looking at them, I wouldn’t have known they were brothers. But then, hearing them talk, I could hear it. I laughed and they both kind of glared at me, which made me laugh more.
“You two are kind of like Carolina and me,” I said. “Tell me about how you two came to run the company. You two kind of run the town, from what I hear.”
“Greg won a design contest when he was 12,” Burris said. “Contemporary wooden furniture, which is a bit of an oxymoron.”
“That was 4-H, and my dad made me enter. I think I won because I didn’t want to spend a lot of time on it, and made a simple design, but then I got into it. My dad was dating Burris’ mom by the time we were in high school, and we were on the football team together.”
“Of course you were,” I said. “Go on.”
“I had a business helping people with websites after I learned about coding in high school,” Burris said. “Then our parents got married and I started interning at the company while going to college and business school.”
“I wouldn’t say we run the town.” Greg said “But we like to support the town as many people work for us.”
“Like Raymond.”
They nodded at my words. I had another thought. “Was something wrong with his saw?”
They looked at each other for a long moment.
Greg set down his ale. “We are interested in you, Anelya.”
I nearly choked on the mouthful of soda I’d just swallowed. When I had my breath back, I asked. “Both of you?”
“Would that bother you?” Burris was leaning closer, until our arms were almost touching.
“Is this something you’ve done before?” I couldn’t seem to answer in anything other than questions, but each statement brought up more questions.
“We have tried casually dating some women together. Some of our college friends are happily married in poly arrangements and we’ve always thought that is what we wanted. But we’ve never found anyone we were seriously interested in.” Greg studied my face.
“You just met me.”
“And yet we’ve been though a lot already.” Burris said.
I felt my heart rate pick up. None of this made sense. I wasn’t planning on staying here. I knew nothing about these men. And yet, I wanted this.
“Okay. I think I’d like to get to know you both.” I nodded slowly.
“We’d like to trust you by telling you about the saw, then, if we will be seeing a lot more of each other.” Greg looked around.
It clicked into place. “There have been more incidents like this.”
“The woman you saw us with earlier today in the diner is a friend of ours who is a local detective. We went to high school with Rhonda and trust her,” Burris said. “And Bryan is one of our college friends, who is going to pretend to be a big potential new client at the company.”
Then they started telling me about the other incidents.
“Rhonda told us off,” Greg said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not many people talk to us like that, to be honest.”
“I think I understand your point of view too,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.
“You employ a lot of local people and didn’t want to point fingers until you had more information.
You were hoping to uncover it and sort it out among yourselves.
You two seem like you are used to handling everything yourselves. ”
***
“Would you like ice cream, or pie?” Greg asked as we left the pub.
“Didn’t we just eat toffee pudding?” I wondered if they were serious.
“Yes, but there’s about a half hour until fireworks,” Burris said. “If you’d like to see them.”
“The field is at the end of the main street here in the factory parking lot. We could watch them from my office,” Greg said.
“I’d like that,” I said. I found that I, too, didn’t want the evening to end.
I was bemused when Greg took my hand. Several people called out hellos and not just to them, but also to me.
“You are already getting known,” Burris said.
Not even everyone in my EMT program had known me by name. There were three hundred of us. I’d been here two days and people knew me. It was a nice feeling.
We’d made it to the parking lot when the fireworks started. We stopped walking to watch the shower of red sparks. I could hear patriotic music.
“Is that an orchestra?”
“We fund a community orchestra and band for all ages,” Greg said.
I glanced at him. He seemed embarrassed. “Is there anything around here you aren’t involved in?”
“We like to help the community.” Burris walked around to my other side, so I was standing between them.
I looked at the crowded lot, with people sitting on folding chairs and blankets. It was peaceful, and cozy.
Two kids running past jostled us and the men pressed closer to me, in a protective stance.
“Let’s move inside,” Burris said, taking my hand.
We hurried inside, and they walked me quickly through a corridor with wide windows so we could still see the show going outside.
“Hey, Travis,” Burris waved to the guard at a checkpoint. “We’re going to watch the show. Quiet night?”
He smiled and waved. “I’m enjoying them here, too.”
Soon we were in a large office. I could see another opening off of it.
Greg switched off the lamp on the desk and the room was lit only from the fireworks outside the large windows.
We moved to stand in front of the window, and Burris put an arm around my waist. I rested my head on his broad shoulder, marveling at how quickly I was growing close to these men.
It felt right, though.
***
And as the finale boomed, even rattling the windows a little, I lifted my head and pressed my lips to Burris’s mouth.
He turned towards me, his hand framing my face. I could feel Greg moving close behind me, and loved the feeling of being surrounded.
My mouth opened under Burris’s mouth, and the tip of his tongue teased my lips lightly. My hands clutched his strong arms.
After another moment, he lifted his head and smiled at me.
Then I was turned towards Greg, who delivered a kiss that started with soft brushes across my mouth then turned passionate.
I leaned back against Burris, who wrapped his arms around me. His teeth closed over my earlobe, and I shivered.
My hands threaded into Greg’s wavy hair and we moved even closer together. My doubts about dating two men at once fled in my excitement and pleasure at being with them.
Because we were so into each other, it took a few moments before we realized something was buzzing on Greg’s desk.
“Greg.” I tried to step back but Burris was behind me. I closed my eyes at the feel of both of their mouths sliding down my neck.
I heard it again. “Greg. Burris. What is that buzzing?”
Both men froze then stepped away from me. I noticed both put a hand on my waist or shoulder to help keep me steady, before Greg hurried to the blinking light on his desk.“Yes?” He said into what was clearly an intercom.
“I’m sorry sir, but there was an accident with Harris’ truck. The brakes failed as he was backing out and he smacked his head against the wheel. He seems okay, but you said to let you know if anything else happened.”
“Thank you, Travis,” Greg said. He looked at Burris, who was already pulling out his phone.
“Can I help?” I said.