“And if they don’t?”
“They won’t have the energy to say otherwise,” Lief reassures me.
We get to the restaurant and get a VIP table in the back, away from the main part of the restaurant. I sit between Lief and Hunter. Lief talks to Chase softly, making sure he stays close. Even though the Italian mafia has been tamed, I’m sure Lief is still ready for any attack that may come.
After a moment, he stands. Two older adults walk in. The woman looks impossibly elegant, like an aristocrat or something as she glides next to her husband. Her long silvery gray hair is done up in braids and despite the minimal makeup, I can oddly picture her at some famous museum correcting people about the history of each piece.
The man has a receding hairline, but the hair he does have is stark white, slicked back. His tweed jacket and slacks remind me of a professor and when he pulls out his black-rimmed glasses the look is complete.
“Mother, father,” Lief greets, then strokes down my neck. “this is our girlfriend.”
I stand up, worried I’ve already started wrong. Lief’s mother looks me over slowly, taking me in then nods once before sitting. “A girlfriend finally.”
His father sits as well and I follow Lief’s guidance to do the same. His father smiles gently. “You are the first girlfriend we’ve met.”
Lief takes my hand under the table and I smile softly. “I’m surprised. He must have had women chasing after him all his life.”
His father makes a pleased grunt, then we all order wine. I glance at Hunter and see the corner of his mouth lift before he reaches down, tugs my dress over my knee and places his hand against my skin.
“I noticed you said ‘our’ and not ‘my’.” Lief’s mother says after she takes a sip.
“She is also with Hunter and Chase.” Lief doesn’t hesitate or flinch when he says it.
His father laughs. “Too much of a woman for one man. It’s good you can state what you want and then grab it.”
I blink at them stupidly and nearly spill my wine. My own mother was so against this but Lief’s parents are fine?
“Take a breath,” Lief whispers in my ear. “You’re not being tested and we’re all right here for you.”
“How rude, we never introduced ourselves,” His mother says. “I’m Josefine and this is my husband, Roger.”
“It’s nice to formally meet you,” I say.
“Of course, we’ve heard all about you, Chase and Hunter.” Roger points as he names the other two men at the table. “Is everything going well with the business?”
Hunter nods. “Very well. Chase is finally taking over.”
“But I don’t consider myself the leader,” Chase hedges. “Lief, Hunter, and I make decisions together.”
“Don’t forget to add in a woman’s touch. We naturally notice more than men, especially in large crowds or where people are concerned.” Josefine adjusts her shawl. “I’m starving, aren’t you?”
Just like that we have a normal meal. It’s shocking how easy it is with them. The wine flows, I notice that Lief’s parents eat at least as much as he does, and they don’t ask any awkward follow-up questions to me being shared by these three older men. Once we finish eating, Roger invites the men out for a smoke in celebration.
Lief squeezes my hand, but Hunter stays behind. I’m not surprised. Josefine leans forward across the table. “Threeoldermen? I’m curious how they won a young thing like you over.”
Hunter chuckles. “We have our charm, but Valerie would eat a normal frat boy alive.”
I shoot him a look. He shrugs. “It’s one of your best qualities. You know what you want and you don’t settle for less. If you’re not getting what you’re comfortable with, you talk about, expect a change, and reinforce the boundary.”
“An excellent quality!” Josefine agrees. “I know that older men can be a thrill as well. A gate to a better life so to speak. Considering the three men you’ve claimed, I wanted to make sure money wasn’t a motivator.”
“No. We just ... we fit together perfectly. I love them each for who they are and who they’re becoming. I’m more than capable of providing for myself.”
“Brag a little,” Hunter says as he nudges me.
Josefine raises an eyebrow. There’s something about her that’s warm where Lief isn’t, but I can’t help wondering if it’s because she works with people and knows how to come off and what to say.
“I’m getting my doctorate degree soon and have a stable job. A lot of people my age are focused on getting settled down with their partners, partying, or a million other things, but my goal has always been making sure I’m independent.”