I wasn’t expecting to be offered this option. I never planned to stay at Duke’s long term, but I’m currently looking forward to spending tonight with my new “roommates” so much that the thought of moving out of his house is very unappealing.
“That would be good,” I say. “I’m just at a temporary place.”
“With the men who moved your stuff out?”
I nod.
“Mmm. Are you sure you want to leave them?” She waggles a brow, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s just a temporary situation,” I say, and the truth of that hits me hard. My time with the four men is temporary, as is everything in life, when you come right down to it. All the more reason to make the most of good experiences.
At some point, all we have left are memories and regrets, and I hope to have a lot of one, and very few of the other.
35
Garrett
Autumn is surprised when she sees the celebration we planned for her at Duke’s house. It’s not much, just a couple of bottles of champagne, balloons, and flowers, but she acts like we threw an elaborate party. We should have taken the flowers to the bar and given them to her there, but I might have had to explain that to our coworkers, who probably already suspected I had something going on with her, even back when we were just friends.
“Thank you so much for doing this for me,” Autumn says as Trevor pours champagne into small glasses and hands them out to each of us.
“To Autumn!” Adrian is the first to raise his glass. “To an amazing musical talent that the world finally gets to hear.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to play tonight if it wasn’t for all of you,” she says, looking around at each of us. “You saved me, and I really appreciate it. I’m so lucky to have you on my side.”
“We’re the lucky ones. You came home with us.” Duke has Autumn fixed in his gaze, and I know exactly what’s on his mind, because I’ve been thinking about the same thing all day.
Autumn takes a long drink from her glass. After she swallows, she inhales a deep breath. “About that,” she says. “If you’re referring to what we did together last night, what we’ve been doing together …” She pauses and looks at me, Trevor, and Adrian. “I’d like to do more.”
“More?” Trevor asks.
“Even though I haven’t known most of you for very long, and Garrett, we’ve only been friends and coworkers —” She looks at me here. “You’ve already been with me through a couple of extreme highs and lows these past couple of days. It feels like I’ve known all of you for much longer.”
“Same,” Adrian says before taking a sip from his glass.
“I’ve always wanted my first time to be special and memorable, and even though I know the five of us have no future together, I want my first time to be with all of you. Tonight.”
When none of us speak, she says, “It’s just sex, just for tonight. I know this is all temporary, whatever this is that we’ve been doing, and I don’t want to have any regrets. If you want to …”
When she starts to sound uncertain, as if she might have made a mistake bringing this up, I rush to reassure her. “Of course. If that’s what you want.”
Autumn nods shyly, and I want to wrap my arms around her and never let her go.
“Are you sure?” Trevor asks. “Because there’s absolutely no pressure.”
“I know that, and that’s part of what makes me sure. You’ve gone at my pace, and I appreciate that, but tonight has been a very special night for me, and being with all of you would make it even better.”
“How would this work?” I ask, unable to turn off the analytical side of my brain, even though I’m surprised any brain above my belt is still functioning at all. “There are four of us, and only one of us can be your first.”
“That’s a good question,” she says, swirling the bubbly liquid in her glass. “I don’t want to have to choose.”
“I’ve got you,” Duke says just before he disappears from the room. He returns a moment later with a red bandana, which he folds into a long, narrow strip. “If you’re comfortable with it, you can wear this blindfold, and then you won’t know which of us goes first.”
There’s only a short pause before Autumn says, “Okay.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Trevor says, knocking back the rest of his drink and taking Autumn’s from her hand before hoisting her over his shoulder like she’s a bag of laundry. She squeals with laughter and kicks her legs, but he has a good hold on her. “Oh, did you not mean right now?” he asks in an innocent tone.
“My room,” Duke says, lifting his chin to gesture down the hall.