60. Ember
EMBER
As I approach the men’s front door, it opens, and Frank is standing there. “Come on in,” he says, standing aside.
It’s three days after my graduation. My family has gone back home. Mom asked more questions about the men, but seemed to accept my answers. She also asked if I was seeing anyone, and I told her that I’d been focused on finishing my final semester.
True, so far as it goes. But I’m tired of evasiveness.
Still, when the men asked me to come over for dinner, I couldn’t say no. I need to at least hear them out. Not sure exactly what I’m going to find, I step across the threshold.
The lights are dim. Most of the illumination is coming from the candles on the dining room table, which has also been dressed up with a tablecloth and fancy glassware. A bottle of what looks like champagne sits in an ice bucket.
Griffin’s waiting by the table. He pulls out my chair for me before he and Frank take their seats. A few moments later, Zeb serves the first course.
It’s a feast; he’s prepared a lot of my favorites. A crisp green salad, creamy roast carrot soup, steak, scallops, his special mashed potatoes, asparagus, and turtle pie for dessert. It’s presented like a taster menu, so we can have a little of everything without getting too full.
The men keep the conversation light during dinner, talking shop and asking me what I’ve been doing with my free time since I graduated. I don’t tell them that I’ve spent a huge chunk of it thinking about them and our situationship. Instead, I talk about my family, and the expansion plan.
Zeb, who’s just served me a slice of turtle pie, says, “Yeah, Kai and Gage mentioned that.”
I frown at him. “When was that?”
It’s Frank who answers. “They asked us to come by the shop the other day.”
“Oh.” I need to ask why, but I'm afraid to know the answer. “Is … is everything okay?”
“We weren’t sure until we got there,” Griffin answers. “Turned out, they were pretty sure something was up with you and the three of us, and they wanted answers.”
It’s a good thing I’m sitting down. I can feel all the blood rushing from my face, and then I’m dizzy.
Griffin pulls my chair out, turns it sideways, and gently pushes my head down between my knees. “Deep breaths, Emmy.”
I try to obey, and then Frank is there, kneeling at my feet, folding my hands in his. “It’s okay, baby. Everything’s all right. Griffin shouldn’t have scared you like that.”
My head is still down, but I can so easily envision the look he’s sending Griffin’s way right now. I’m also distracted by Frank calling me baby. It feels nice. Really nice.
“Sorry,” Griffin says when I sit back up. “I thought I could get to the next part before you freaked out.”
“My freakout skills are highly advanced,” I tell him.
He gives me a grin, not his wicked one, but a warm smile.
“What did they say?” I look back and forth between him and Frank, and then Zeb pulls his chair around so they’re all right next to me.
“So,” Zeb starts. “Like Griffin so helpfully announced, the bosses had gotten their suspicions about us.”
“But why?” I say. I can’t imagine that this leaked from Ava or Brax.
The men exchange glances before Frank says, “We, um, kind of went over there and asked what was up with them coming to our location for that meeting that got you so upset.”
Oh jeez. With everything that’s been happening, and since the threat has been lifted, I forgot that I never told the men what was going on. “Ah. And they told you.”
Griffin says, “Yeah, that bullshit complaint from Jennifer.”
“It was Jennifer?” I blurt.
The men stare at me. “They didn’t tell you?”
“They just said it was a client. I was afraid to ask.” I grit my teeth. “That?—”
“Exactly,” Zeb says.
“Anyway,” Griffin continues, “we got pretty ticked off about Jennifer, and they put two and two together and got a big fat four. So we fessed up, but we told them that we’re serious about you, and we’ll do whatever they want to make it okay for us to keep seeing each other.”
Frank adds, “And we told them if that wasn’t okay with them, we’d leave Beasts Ink and get jobs at other shops.”
I’m stunned into silence. Beasts Ink is the most prestigious shop in town. “You told them that?” I say at last.
“We did.” Zeb leans forward and takes my hands. “Because we are serious, Em. This isn’t just about sex.” I bite my lip. “What are you thinking?” he urges. “If we’re going to make this work, we have to talk to each other.”
“It’s just … it sometimes seems like the three of you don’t like each other all that much. And with Lexy, and Ava—” it makes me blush, even now, to mention them “—all the guys get along with each other.”
“That’s fair,” Griffin says. “And we’ve been talking about that, too. We’re going to work at it.”
“It’s already better,” Frank adds. “You know Zeb and I didn’t have a problem that day you came over.”
I blush again. How that’s possible after everything we’ve done, I don’t know.
“I loved the night we shared you,” Griffin tells me. “I don’t mind watching sometimes, so long as we all get a turn.”
The men watching each other with me … all of us together, really together … I get tingles. Lots of them. In very special places.
“Yes,” I say, and the energy in the room goes up several notches. “We can try again. But I think I should stay in the apartment a while, and we should date before we live together again.”
“We can do that,” Frank says immediately.
“Yeah,” Zeb agrees. “No problem. I can think of lots of dates I’d like to take you on.”
Griffin, eyes twinkling, says, “I can dress up like one of your business dweebs if that’ll help.”
I burst out laughing. Then I get serious and say, “What did Gage and Kai say? Are you all staying at Beasts Ink?”
“We are.” Zeb gives me one of his rare smiles, and it’s beautiful. I hope I’ll be seeing him do a lot more of it. “Since we’re serious, and they’re not hypocrites, and we assured them we wouldn’t let any relationship drama affect our work or yours. Hopefully because there won’t be any drama.”
“Good.” I scan their faces. “Then what do you need from me? I have to do my part, too.”
“Trust us,” Frank says.
“Talk to us,” Zeb adds.
I wait for Griffin to make one of his jokes. Instead, his eyes get soft and he says, “You’re already perfect, Emmy. Perfect for us. Let us show you how much.”
I give them a tremulous smile. “Okay.”