Bella’s words rang in the back of my head for the rest of the day. They haunted me in a good way, but one that reminded me that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t being entirely honest with myself.
Is she right? Do you love them?
The word ‘yes’ popped into my brain almost immediately. Of course I loved them. It was easy to love them.
But could you love them?
That was the better question, really. Whether or not I could fall in love with three men at the same time. Three men in two different states, two incredible cities, clear on the other side of the country from where I lived.
Dating them officially would be a logistical nightmare. In the past three months I’d seen just two of them, and only for a brief few days. They were incredible days mind you, capped off by even more incredible nights… but they were three days nonetheless.
Even if we lived in the same city, how would it work? I’d be one woman, dating three men simultaneously. Three different men, each with his own individual wants, needs, and desires. Three men who would demand roughly equal time with me, both inside the bedroom and out.
You’ve already done lots of things with them simultaneously, the voice in my head reminded me. Why not this?
I decided I could definitely try. And it would be fun… beyond fun, really. Not one, not two, but three boyfriends! Three times the romance! Three times the dates, dinners, birthday gifts…
I set my phone on the table, plugging it into the charger before dropping exhaustedly onto the couch. It had been a long, eventful day. A day capped off by one-too-many margaritas, and then a few bonus glasses of wine with Bella. All in all, it was a bad mix. My head was still spinning, even an hour after she’d left.
Besides, I thought to myself, would the guys even want to date me?
It was laughable to think so, but only at first. After all, Corey and Brody had stopped seeing other people. They’d remained celibate for more than three months, just to stay loyal to what we had.
Them handing me that flyer-phone was more than just a sweet gesture. It could easily be construed as an act of exclusivity. A promise to stay monogamous that ran mutually in both directions, theirs and mine. And when you boiled it all down… wasn’t that a relationship?
I thought it was. Even Mason had been ‘too busy’ to date, and he lived in Hollywood, practically drowning in beautiful women. Could it be possible he wanted to stay exclusive too? Even though we’d never discussed anything like this before, between any of us?
Slowly I brought my thumb and forefinger to my temples and squeezed. My headache had somewhat subsided, but the dizziness still wasn’t going away.
I guessed it would all make sense once I got to Las Vegas. I’d be staying with the guys this time. Any answers I needed would happen then.
For tonight, I could clear my head knowing everything was done. I was already packed, all ready to go. I could kick my feet up. Maybe catch up on some shows, or—
BZZZZZT… BZZZZZT…
I rolled my eyes at the sound of my phone, vibrating across the kitchen table. The gods of relaxation were certainly not with me. It was probably one of my friends, saying some last-minute goodbyes and imparting the usual unwanted advice. Then again, maybe it was Corey, or Brody, or Mason…
Struggling to my feet, I got up and checked. The number wasn’t recognizable at all. Under normal circumstances I’d let it go to voicemail, but I had a plane ticket for tomorrow and for all I knew it could be the airline upgrading me to first class.
More like giving away your seat, I chuckled to myself.
“Hello?”
“Hi there,” the voice at the other end of the phone said. It was a man; prim, proper, and polite. “Ms. Hansen?”
“Adamo,” I corrected, although I still hadn’t changed my name back.
“My apologies Ms. Adamo, I was given the wrong information,” the man said smoothly. “This is Jack Garfield. I’m the—”
“I know who you are Mr. Garfield,” I interrupted him.
“Ah, yes. Very good. But please, call me Jack.”
Without realizing it, my whole body had gone rigid. Jack Garfield was the owner and CEO of the firm. The man in the office at the very top of the building. The big boss.
“O—Okay,” I stammered.
I’d never seen the man in person, only in photos. And in every one of those he was golfing, or boating, or d