13. Freddie
Freddie
“And that is the end of tonight’s Slick Love event,” calls the blonde kimono lady whose name I’ve forgotten. “Please slide over to the edge where one of our team will help you remove the excess oil so we can get you back on dry land safely.”
I whip off my blindfold to find Sloane’s already sitting up, all coy smiles and flushed cheeks. Slick Love might go down as the weirdest first date I’ve ever been on, but it was also hands down the sexiest. I can’t believe how quickly the hour has flown by.
I can finally see Sloane in all her naked glory, and fuck me , she’s breathtaking.
“Fuck me, you’re breathtaking,” I say, shaking my head slightly in awe. “You are actually perfect, you know that?”
She raises a single eyebrow, but the smile remains.
I’m not sure if I’m allowed to touch her again now that the event’s over, but I reach out a hand anyway to cup her cheek.
She holds my eye contact for a long moment, and it feels like something powerful shifts between us.
There’s no bullshit flirting or sassy clapbacks.
We’re just two people sharing a moment, and it feels fucking incredible.
She leans into my touch very slightly, and I give her what I hope is an affectionate but flirtatious smile. She doesn’t need to know that there’s a voice in my head screaming, “She’s the one! She’s the one!” at top volume.
Cole removes his blindfold and we both look over to him. He gives us both a lopsided smile and I gently drop my hand. It’s been years since I’ve seen him without many clothes, and my eyes drop down automatically, noticing the gentle definition of his abs.
“Well, that was something,” he says, as my gaze snaps back to his face. “Didn’t know what to expect, and honestly, I’m not sure what I’ve just experienced, but I doubt I’ll ever forget it.”
Sloane snorts a laugh before her expression softens. “I’m impressed you came,” she says, smiling at us. “I know this was a bit of a wild card suggestion, but you threw yourselves into it. Most people are super judgey about this sort of thing, and it means a lot that you just got stuck in.”
“It was our pleasure,” I say, answering for both of us. “I mean, I’m pretty sure we’ve just spent the last hour edging each other into oblivion, but it was a hell of a lot of fun.” I toss her a cheeky wink and she rolls her eyes, but her lips remain curled at the edges.
“Come for dinner,” Cole says, looking between us both. “Next week.”
“At yours?” I reply. He nods.
“I’ve never done this before,” he says, gesturing between us. “And I don’t really know how it would all work. But I think there’s something between us that’s worth exploring, and I think I’d like to have those conversations at home. I’ll cook.”
I perk up at those words – Cole is a fantastic cook. His lasagne is practically famous. I look at Sloane. She cocks her head, contemplating for a moment, then smiles.
“I’d like that. I’ll bring wine.”
“I’ll bring dessert,” I add. “It’s a date, then,” I confirm, rubbing my hands. I beam at them both and then look south. “Not sure that’s going down any time soon,” I say with a sigh. “Sure you don’t want to hit the playrooms?”
“Tempting – and it is tempting – but I need my beauty sleep. And I know from experience that it’s going to take me at least three washes to get the oil out of my hair. But I will look forward to dinner. With you both.”
The look she gives us sends a thrill right through me. I am trying so hard not to get ahead of myself but damn, I can’t wait to see her again. I want to know her more than I’ve ever wanted anything. This bizarre evening has only deepened my obsession.
Fortunately, we’re up next to get de-oiled, and the brusque woman who helps me gives me such an aggressive rubbing down with a dry towel that it kills my erection flat. I laugh to myself as I pull my boxer briefs back on and whip an old tracksuit on.
“Urgh, grey sweatpants? Did you have to?” Sloane groans, and I find myself shamelessly preening under her gaze.
“Grey joggers do it for you?”
She bites her lip in reply, casting her eyes down my body appreciatively. I glance at Cole, who shrugs.
We finish pulling our clothes on as Sloane surveys us both. She’s back in her silky robe, so I guess she’s sticking around for the cleanup.
“Until dinner, then,” she says, looking from Cole to me. Before either of us replies, she leans up to press a kiss to the corner of my mouth, then does the same with Cole. It’s not a proper kiss, but my heart still lurches in my chest.
I might have just been stroking her naked, oiled up body ten minutes ago, but this somehow feels more intimate. She steps back just as I move to take more.
“See you soon, boys,” she says, a smirk now firmly in place again as she gives us a little wave.
We bid her goodbye and then set off into the night.
“Are we going home, then?” I ask, after five minutes of walking in relative silence.
“Do you want to grab a drink?” Cole suggests, turning slightly to me. We’re walking along the river towards Parliament Square. Big Ben is looming ahead of us.
“I want to do something ,” I say, feeling fidgety. “How are you not completely wired right now?”
“I’m actually feeling pretty relaxed,” he says with a shrug. “I could probably go home and sleep like the dead.”
How have we gone from needing a pre-event briefing to Cole being completely unfazed? I feel like we’ve flipped the board and now I’m the one who’s all antsy.
“We just got naked and proceeded to sensually grope an American woman who potentially wants to date both of us – and now you’re pretty relaxed ?” I make air quotes at the last bit and he chuckles, before nodding in the direction of a pub nearby. I nod back and we make our way inside.
By the time he sits down and hands me a pint, I feel like my heart is doing double-time.
“I meant I’m relaxed as in… I just spent a weird and wonderful evening enjoying time with my best friend and a woman I’m interested in,” he says, taking a long sip of his beer.
“It doesn’t mean I’m not spinning out slightly about what’s going on here.
Because, let’s face it, Freddie, I’m bi, and the idea of being around both a naked man and a woman in bed doesn’t rattle me in the slightest. It sounds like a fucking great time.
” He hesitates and then sighs. It sounds oddly heavy.
“But you’re straight, and we’ve been best friends for ten years.
So that’s the bit that is fazing me. Not the possible threesome with a man and a woman, but a possible threesome with my straight best friend.
I don’t want to make anything weird or complicated between us.
But the reality is, I’m just as into Sloane as you are, and her preference for poly relationships is definitely… intriguing.”
He pauses, mulling over his next words.
“What I’m not sure about is what Sloane actually wants.
Is she looking for a bit of fun or is she looking for a relationship?
Because I’m open-minded, but I don’t want anyone to get hurt.
So I guess I need to ask you the same thing here.
Now that you’ve spent a bit more time with her and we’ve all been naked, what are you hoping this is? ”
His question makes me pause, because I know I won’t get away with bullshitting him.
I pride myself on being a happy-go-lucky soul, but Cole will see straight through any of my bluff in an instant.
I take a long sip of lager to buy myself a few moments.
The image of Cole’s slick abs flashes back in my mind, unbidden. Weird .
I take a deep breath.
“Honestly, I’m not really sure. But I can tell you what I do know.
I know that I like this girl a lot. I like her more than I’ve ever liked anyone.
She’s intriguing, and she’s sexy, and she’s weird.
I want to know her. The poly thing is throwing me slightly, because what sort of man is comfortable sharing?
But sharing her with you feels different. ”
I think over my next words.
“I think because it’s you , I was expecting to feel jealous when you touched her, but I didn’t.
I wanted to share it with you. Share her with you.
I don’t know exactly what I want or how it would work, but nothing that’s happened so far feels wrong to me.
Is that weird?” I finally make eye contact with him again as I finish thinking out loud.
“No, it’s not weird,” he says softly. “It felt natural to share her with you too.”
For a moment we just look at each other, gazes held as time pauses around us. I’ve never really noticed Cole’s mouth before. It’s a really nice shape , I think absently.
There’s a small furrow in his brow as he thinks. Finally, he sighs.
“Look, I think the smart thing to do is just follow our instincts with it, get to know her, and keep communicating. Dating out in the open puts a lot of pressure on things. Dinner at mine will be a brilliant chance to get to know the real Sloane. We can put all the puzzle pieces together and see what the picture looks like.”
“Excellent plan, daddy,” I say with a shit-eating grin.
“You’ve got to stop calling me that,” he says, though I notice his cheeks have gone slightly pink.