Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
BODEN
“Come on, both of you in the car.” I shuffle the girls toward the car before they can strip one another out of their clothes again. Stevie opens the back door and hops in, and Audrey is right behind her. “Oh, so now I’m a taxi service too?”
Stevie deadpans, “Yeah, but you can control the music.” She shrugs, buckles her seatbelt, and then snuggles up with my wife. As I watch it all unfold from the rearview mirror, I can’t wipe the smile off my face from the pure joy that’s covering Audrey’s.
I planned a date night since they both just finished their three days at the hospital. Stevie had to go and relieve her grandma’s caregiver last night, but tonight she was able to sneak away once her grandma went to bed.
So, it’s a sports bar and putt-putt tonight.
This is our first outing as a throuple—whatever that is—and I’m more giddy than ever.
What we’re doing right now is what always scared Audrey from welcoming someone else in.
The fear of other people’s judgment, but I’d like to think Colorado’s relatively progressive, even living in one of the smaller towns.
And when it comes down to it, if they don’t like it, they don’t have to look. It’s not happening in their house or marriage, so why should we let other people’s issues or views stop us from living the life we want?
We’re at a high-top table in the center of the noisy sports bar as the server comes up to the table, taking our drink orders, and luckily only gives a couple of quizzical looks before heading to grab our drinks.
She’s older, and we all know an older lady loves to question absolutely everything.
I can see Audrey fidgeting, so I place my hand on top of hers on the table to comfort her, and Stevie follows suit.
From seemingly out of nowhere, the server pops up beside the table again, no drinks in hand, and the bad feeling starts to grow in the pit of my stomach.
She looks at where our hands are joined and questions. “Oh, is this your daughter? I see she got the love for the tattoos from—”
I cut the waitress off, which I normally don’t do, but this is Audrey’s actual worst nightmare, and I won’t stand to watch it happen. “This is actually our date.” Her eyes bounce to our wedding rings, and then her eyes float to Stevie, like she’s her next target.
“But you’re married.” The look of disgust grows immediately.
People’s boldness and their judgments will always shock me.
Stevie tilts her head and questions the server, “How’s your son?”
The server gasps and grabs her chest. “She doesn’t talk to me anymore, because she’s—”
Not her misgendering her own kid.
Stevie crosses her arms over her chest and sits back in her chair, cutting her off before she can say anything about her estranged son.
“Right, because your views are atrocious and you wouldn’t open your mind for your own son.
” The server gasps again, and my love for Stevie grows to a level I didn’t know was possible outside of Audrey.
“So, no, we don’t want your acceptance or approval.
This is polyamory, not that you care to learn or open your mind to it. ”
Audrey pulls out a twenty-dollar bill from her purse, placing it on the table, and says, “You have the day you deserve.” Then she tells us, “Let’s go, we can go through a drive-thru.”
“Then putt-putt,” I add with a smile as I stand from my chair to get the hell out of this restaurant.
Once we’re out the door, Stevie jokes, ”Oh, the wonders of a small town... And knowing everyone. Sometimes it does come in handy, though.”
I question over my shoulder, “How did you know about her son?”
“She boo-hoos all over social media, blaming her child instead of being accepting, and I have to watch her son be upset by his own mother. We went to school together, and I knew as she came up to the table she would have a problem with us, but I love to make folks like her uncomfortable.” She gives me a beaming smile.
“And just maybe that interaction will open her mind… probably not, but you never know.”
Audrey walks between us, holding both of our hands.
She looks to Stevie. “Thank you for that. That’s what I’ve been worried about, honestly, for the past decade.
It’s what has kept us from bringing anyone into the marriage.
And now that it’s over, it really wasn’t as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. ”
“Anytime, Princess.” Stevie presses a kiss to Audrey’s lips as I open the car door for them. Before getting in, Stevie presses Audrey’s back into the car, deepening the kiss. And I’m sitting here watching, so thankful that the door is hiding my quickly hardening cock.
By the time they break apart, I’m half tempted to tell them we can just head to our bedroom, but Audrey’s face lights up. “Putt-putt time! But burgers first, I’m fucking starving.”
I slap both of their asses as they climb in, finally. “Let’s go, I can’t have both of you getting hangry…”
Stevie chuckles from the back seat. “I hope you two are up for some PDA after that, because we’re not dealing with people thinking I’m your daughter every time we’re out together.”