Cass walks into the room, making hungry noises.
“Breakfast? Seriously? Tammy… Did you cook this?”
I flinch back, totally surprised by that word. Tammy.
Will senses my discomfort and gives me a encouraging nod.
“No, I cooked it,” he calls out.
“No way!” Cass barks as he piles his plate high with eggs and bacon and comes over to the small dining table. He kicks his leg over the back of the chair and settles down, slowing in the middle of the motion as he realizes Will is giving him a meaningful look.
“What? Did I insult you? I meant to say thank you. Thank you for the eggs.”
“Maybe you should not call me Tammy,” I interrupt, grimacing. “It feels weird after all. I know I said… well, let’s just forget it.”
“I’ll call you whatever you want,” Cass grins brazenly with a piece of bacon between his fingers. “Just pick a name. We can do this all day.”
He keeps his eyes on me as he tears off a chunk with his teeth. I like watching the way his neck moves as he swallows those first big bites.
“It’s just that I will probably forget who you are talking to. I keep forgetting. You say Tammy and I don’t know who that is. It’s silly.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Will shrugs.
My belly tightens for no reason. I feel kind of ridiculous all of a sudden. Last night I felt empowered; now I feel conspicuous. Fake job, fake name, making a scene, making a spectacle of myself…
“Hey, hey, hey,” Will says, reaching out to take my hand from the table. “Are you okay?”
Startled, I look down at his big hand folded around mine. It seems weird that he noticed. It seems weird that he is paying attention to my thoughts, to my feelings.
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “Actually, I am okay.”
“Seriously?” Cass adds, though his cheek is still filled with bacon. “Looked like you checked out for a second there.”
I smile at him, not quite sure what to make of it. But clearly he is paying attention to me too. Not just playacting, but really paying attention.
Searching in my memory, I try to think of a movie that looked anything like this. Three half-dressed adults having breakfast. Talking. Sharing minor personal details.
I come up with nothing. I have to be honest, porn never prepared me for this. I suppose in real life, people make actual connections.
Okay, if this is how it’s going to be, I can do this. I might even like it. I feel sort of… Revealed. Like a lottery ticket that somebody just scratched off.
“No, I’m here,” I finally answer. “Totally here.”
“Good to hear,” Will says. “We can call you whatever you want.”
“Just call me Libby,” I shrug, happy to hear the word again. “That’s what everybody calls me. Except if I’m in trouble, then I am Liberty Jane. But hopefully I can stay out of trouble here.”
“Ooooohhhhhhh, I’m not going to be able to make any promises about that,” Cass smirks slyly. “Trouble is sort of what we are all about.”
My eyebrows go up. “Oh really? You want to fill me in on some of those details?”
“Most definitely,” he grins. “All day long, if you are up for the challenge.”
Will shakes his head and
chuckles into his coffee mug. Apparently he does not entirely improve of his brother’s naughty sense of humor.
“I would love to take you up on that… but I would also love a shower. Is that a possibility?”