“I feel like I do,” she countered. “And I already don’t like her. Anyone who makes you work that much to feel needed is suspect in my book.”
I sighed. She meant well. She just had a one-sided view of the whole picture. She wanted Meara to be head over heels with me and willing to do whatever I needed. I wasn’t willing to buy into Danielle’s opinion, but I could see where she was coming from.
We all sat down to a meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was just like the good old days where Mom took us to the library and brought us home so we could eat popcorn and read our newly acquired books. After that, she would make grilled cheese, and we would turn on cartoons.
“Do you remember when Mom used to make this for us?” I asked.
“Of course. Why do you think I make it for Nova?”
I got sucked into a game of Monopoly, although it was the kid version, so it didn’t take hours and hours. Danielle kicked me out late in the afternoon. She said that Nova had homework to do, and she wanted the child to wind down before dinner.
I gave both a kiss on the cheek before pulling out of the driveway. I knew it was selfish of me, but I was glad they were both around. If Nova’s dad was in the picture, I might not be able to pop by anytime I wanted to.
I checked that thought. I was still ready to fight the guy if I saw him again. There was no excuse for leaving your pregnant girlfriend alone to raise your kid. At least she had a good job and wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck. I thought about Danielle all the way home, a welcome distraction from thoughts of Meara.
Considerations of dinner and the evening’s entertainment crossed my mind. Maybe I would go out and treat myself to a beer at a local bar. There was an upscale gastropub that often had friendly customers. I could lose myself in a little harmless flirtation. Since I’d left things up in the air with Meara, it seemed like all avenues of experimentation were still on the table.
But just as I made the decision to kick loose and bury my sorrows in the arms of a stranger, I pulled into my driveway and found Meara sitting on my porch steps. My heart leapt. I couldn’t deny it; I missed her. To find her waiting for me was nothing short of joy. I tamped the emotion down, not wanting to scare her off. It was like I was back in high school, pretending not to be interested in the girl I desperately wanted to take to prom.
“Hey,” I said, getting out of the car. “Have you been here long?”
“Not long,” she answered, standing up.
“You should have texted.”
“I just got here, and I didn’t want to interfere with whatever you were doing.”
“I just went to see my sister,” I explained. “She says hi.”
“Does that mean you were talking about me?” Meara wondered. She had that coy look that I so appreciated, the one that meant that the night had only just begun.
“Maybe,” I allowed.
“Okay.” She hovered on the step awkwardly, not sure whether to embrace me or not.
I walked past her and opened the door, holding back so that she could enter. She glanced over her shoulder at me as she crossed the threshold. I followed her in, hitting the lights and dropping my keys in their dish.
“How was your weekend?” I asked.
“I thought about what you said,” she cut straight to the chase. “If you’re still interested, I think I’d like to try dating all three of you.”
“Three of us?” I blinked. The last time I considered a polyamorous relationship, it had just been me and Sean.
“You, Sean, and Kent,” Meara explained.
“Kent?” I stammered. How the hell had Kent gotten involved in this love affair? I thought his kiss was unwanted.
“Is that a problem?” she asked innocently.
“No,” I responded quickly. “Yes. I don’t know. Kent?”
Meara smiled, understanding my confusion. “He took me by surprise when he kissed me, but it wasn’t all bad. He’s actually pretty good at it.”
“I didn’t need to hear that,” I objected.
“But you’re still interested in having an unconventional relationship?” She sounded hurt, and I struggled to get over my revulsion.
I didn’t want to think about Kent with Meara. Sean was a different story. He and I were friends from way back. I could easily see myself sharing a love interest with Sean and maybe even sharing a sexual encounter with the same woman. But Kent? He was just a business partner. I didn’t want to even imagine him in the bedroom, much less share Meara with him. Turning away from her so she couldn’t see the extent of my displeasure, I went into the kitchen for a drink.