Page 67 of Their Wicked Ways
“That could be a friends thing,” he said thoughtfully. “What feels different?”
“Just the way they look at me. Or how some of their smiles seem extra familiar. And they paid for my dinner.” I scrubbed one hand through my hair, not caring about messing up the carefully styled strands. My shift was over. It didn’t matter what I looked like. “I’m probably seeing things because I have no idea how normal relationships work, but it feels like they were flirting with me.”
“It’s possible they were, even if you decided to be friends. Some people are just like that. Do they flirt with the other guys? What about Quinn? They’ve known him forever.”
I shook my head. “Not even a little.”
“That kills that theory.” Nick tapped his lips thoughtfully. “How were they at your appointment?”
“Amazing. I was really nervous, and they kept me distracted. Wes held my hands, and Ez talked me through the whole thing. They even texted me a few times last night to make sure I was okay and checked in with me before work today too.”
“That doesn’t really sound like a friend thing, but it’s notnota friend thing.” Nick made a face. “It’s a good thing they’re not air traffic controllers with all the mixed signals they’re tossing at you. These boys are confusing as heck.”
“That they are.”
“What about the last time you hooked up with them? Did you guys talk about it after?”
“Sort of. They didn’t say it was a mistake or anything, but the vibe was off. I thought they regretted it or that it wasn’t as good for them as I thought it was, but then on Monday they were all smiles and silly jokes, and I have no idea what any of it means.”
“That is a conundrum.” He shot me another sympathetic look. “Do you want them to flirt with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I think the big question is, do you want this to be flirting? If you don’t, then you can just ignore it and wait until they either say something or you settle into whatever your new friendship looks like.”
“And if I want it to be flirting?” I asked, my mouth going dry.
“Then you need to decide if you want to wait things out and see if they make a move or say something. Or you do it first.” He plucked one of the cherries out of the cup and put the fruit in his mouth, tearing it off the stem.
“How am I supposed to talk to them about this?” I leaned against the bar tiredly. “And what if I’m wrong? What if this really is just them being friendly, and I mess things up because I’m stupid enough to think they’d want anything to do with me?”
“Hey now, no being mean to yourself,” Nick said seriously. “This is a confusing situation. I’m guessing the idea of a triad or being a third wasn’t even on your radar until them.”
“Not at all.” I huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t even know what a threesome was until I was seventeen, and that’s only because I discovered porn.”
“You didn’t watch porn until you were seventeen?” Nick blinked at me. “I guess that’s not a bad thing. I was watching it waaaaay too young. But back to your thing. This is a totally new situation for you. Of course it’s confusing and messing with your head. That doesn’t mean you’re stupid.”
“Are you going to tell me to be kind to myself?” I smirked.
“Yup. And you’re gonna listen because I’m your official, unofficial boss. Remember?” He shot me a stern look.
“Yes, sir.”
He grinned and picked up another cherry. “I gotta get everyone to start calling me sir.” Using his teeth, he tore the fruit from the stem and chewed. “What do you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“With them. If you had your choice, what would they be to you? Friends? Hookup buddies? Boyfriends?”
“Boyfriends is off the table.” I dropped my gaze to the bar. “But maybe hookup buddies.”
“Why is boyfriends off the table? You said you thought you went on a date with them. Dates are kinda the opposite of a hookup buddy.”
“They only do this for fun. It’s a way for them to play out their fantasies.” I grabbed a rag from under the bar and wiped the area around me, just for something to do. “They’ve been together since they were in high school. There’s no way two men as deeply in love with each other as they are would want more than just a plaything.”
“Nope.” He wagged his finger at me. “Rephrase that. You’re not a plaything, and I’m sure they don’t think of you that way.”
“A casual third?” I tried.