I laughed. It was comfortable being around the three of them. There was no undercurrent of hostility or anxiety the way there was when Patrick was around. I found myself almost as relaxed as I was with Meara, which said something.
We chatted as we drove through the city, not about anything important, just like old friends. I learned that Gavin had been traveling the world until very recently. He wasn’t sure he wanted to put down roots anywhere but needed a break from the global nomad lifestyle. Cory I knew better than the other two, but even he had a few surprises.
“I tried for a while to qualify for the Boston Marathon,” he said conversationally. “You have to get a time of under three hours at one of several different races throughout the country. I ran three, but never got my time where I needed it.”
“You ran three marathons?” I gasped.
“Not all at once,” he said.
“Respect,” Gavin replied with a thump of the chest.
“Seriously,” I agreed. “What’s your biggest sports accomplishment?” I asked our driver.
“Getting onto the college team,” Donovan said. “Baseball was big for me, but I never wanted to do it full-time. I was after the scholarship; that’s what made me work so hard.”
“What about you?” Cory asked me.
I had to think about that for a moment. “When I was young, I was on the swim team. I placed second overall in the state in freestyle one year.”
“That’s good,” Cory cheered.
“Not like playing college baseball or running three marathons,” I demurred.
We pulled up to another expensive apartment building, this one on the north side of the city. It was halfway to Milford, another ritzy suburb, but still inside the city limits. Donovan drove up a narrow ramp into a parking garage. He navigated to his own spot, pulling in and pressing the button to turn the car off.
We all climbed out, feeling like we were one step closer to a resolution. Without Patrick and his negative energy, the only thing connecting us was the excitement of what was to come. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew it was going to be good. All the men were doting on me. Cory and Gavin came right up on either side, ushering me through the parking garage as if I was queen of the world.
Donovan led the way up to his apartment. It was on the sixth floor, not quite a penthouse but close. There was a sweeping view of the cityscape that drew the rest of us to the edge of the living room. I could just imagine waking up there one morning, having a cup of coffee and watching the sunrise.
Behind us, Donovan busied himself with drinks. By the time I turned around, he had four glasses of whiskey poured. Handing them out to each of us, he went around the circle and clinked glasses.
I glanced over at Cory and Gavin. We were all excited to hear what was next, but none of us knew what to say. There were so many questions unanswered, so many possibilities to be imagined. I inhaled deeply, tilting the whiskey back into my mouth.
As soon as we had each taken a sip, Donovan put his glass down. “I’m okay with dating you, even if you’re dating them too.”
I gasped, feeling that one errant puzzle piece lock into place. Now it was down to Cory and Gavin. Would they be equally as accommodating? I was one step closer to getting everything I wanted, even before I knew what that was. Did I really think I could have three men at the same time? Was that even in the cards? I took another sip of whiskey, eager to hear the next revelation in what had just become the most sensational day of my life.