Just as I’m draining the noodles and about to toss them with the sauce, I hear the front door open and close. I also hear the sliding glass door to the backyard open.
“Hey, my gorgeous darling, your bestie is here,” Nicky exclaims as he sets down a case of beer and a bottle of wine. He hates that I drink from a box most of the time. He says I’m classier than that. Now, Nicky looks more like a leaner lumberjack than a RuPaul aficionado, but he can walk in heels better than I can any day. His problem is, most guys that he’s attracted to are straighter than a pencil and the ones that want him are looking for a daddy, which he is definitely not. Shit, his love life is infinitely more interesting than mine. He comes around the kitchen island and gives me one of his bear hugs that I love so much.
“I see your new ride. Looks good, Jane. Definitely one to keep you safe. Now, where are the two guys who you said got you out of your rust bucket?”
“Right behind you,” Jon grunts out, sounding like Mr. Grumpy. Why, I don’t know, but I hop away from Nicky and turn toward Jon. Juan is right behind him with a look on his face I can’t quite place.
“Hey, guys, this is my bestie Nicky. Nicky, this is Jon and that’s Juan. They’re the ones who helped me today.”
Nicky being Nicky, exclaimed, “Oh boy, you are both a tall drink of water that this thirsty man could just drink for days and days. Please tell me that one of you dances on the line of sexuality.”
I don’t think I have ever seen two men blush at the exact same time.
Juan looks kind of shocked but replies, “No, sorry, we’re both straight as an arrow. We’ve got no problem with it, it’s just not for us.” He looks right at me and adds, “We like to share but only with that special woman between us.”
Holy fucking shit. Did he really just say that?Not able to form a sentence, I turn back into the kitchen and start putting the pasta in with the sauce. Just as I just have everything together, I can feel someone walk up behind me. I immediately can tell it’s Juan.
Juan
After I dropped the mini bomb of the fact that we share, I watched a confused expression cross Jane’s face, and she scurried back to the stove. We both turn to go to her, when her friend, who just shocked the shit out of us by revealing he was gay, puts his hand up to stop us.
“I can tell you’re both interested in my Jane. She needs somegoodsex, but she isn’t built for one-night action.”
Both Jon and I shake our heads, and he holds his hand up again.
“She needs real honesty and love in her life, whether that’s as friends or more is between you. But she has some walls up and doesn’t believe she’s anyone a man will notice. Her mom is a piece of work and the only man she can count on now besides yours truly is her brother. Her dad loves her to death, but he’s locked up for life. If you’re interested, know I won’t stop you, but you hurt her and you will have to deal with me.”
I nod at him and let Jon talk to him as I need to go to her. I stand right behind her, close enough to touch, but I don’t. I lean into her and quietly speak into her ear.
“What was that look on your face when I mentioned we share? Darlin’ is that not something you’ve heard of? Not something you’re interested in?” Fuck, she’s cute when she’s flustered, her cheeks getting pink and she’s not able to make eye contact.
“What? No, I mean, why would you ask me if I’m interested in that? I know I’m not what you’d want. You both are great looking and in shape. I know I’m not anything to look at. Yes I’ve heard of it and I see nothing wrong with it. Who someone loves should only be between them as long as they’re consenting adults.”
She really doesn’t get how fucking amazing she is. Nicky is right, we’ve got our work cut out for us.
“Darlin’, I’ll let this drop for now. I can tell you don’t see it and dinner’s ready, but we will be revisiting this subject again and the fact about just how wrong you are.” I grab the salad and bread and head to the table in the corner of the room. I let Jon and Nicky know it’s dinnertime. Sitting down, I look over to Jane and she’s still stirring the pasta, looking deep in thought. Nicky sees this and gets her attention.
“Woman! Bring the food before we starve to death!”
“Hold your damn horses, Nicky. You know no one around me will ever starve. Pour me some damn wine and I’ll serve everyone. Be nice or I’ll eat your portion of dessert and you know I would do that in front of you too.”
“Woman, you know you’re all talk and would never deprive me of that sugar high.”
Hearing them banter back and forth, you can tell they are close. This means I need to get to know Nicky too, since he’ll be around a lot I’m sure. Once we convince Jane to give us a chance.
Jon
Dinner was definitely entertaining and gave me an even better idea of just how good and genuine a person Jane is. As much as I was fighting it, Juan and even Rory were right. She’s certainly someone I want to know more about. It doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful and has a body with real curves that any real man would love to put his hands on. Her friend, Nicky, is right though, she has some definite walls up and she is completely oblivious when someone is interested in her. Juan was doin’ some decent flirting and it all went over her head. Though that bodes well if any other man besides us tries to get in with her.
Since it’s Saturday, we head over to the clubhouse to have a couple of beers with the brothers that are there. We may not be like other clubs in that we alternate the nights we have church with one week being Friday nights and one being Saturday, so all the brothers who have jobs that might conflict can make it at least a couple times a month. Pa started doing that and I plan to continue it. It lets those brothers with kids be good fathers and make their kid’s events and such. We are a brotherhood and within that family. Blood or not, it means everything. We aren’t one-percenters and most of the time, we obey the law. But there are times that we live in that gray area to protect those we care about. One of those times ended up with Rory in prison. He took the blame when we were all there that night. He didn’t have to do it, but he did it to protect the family as a whole.
We pull into the clubhouse parking lot, park, and get off our bikes. Juan stops before heading into the clubhouse and looks like he’s got something on his mind.
“I told Jane about us bein’ interested in her. She didn’t believe me or couldn’t understand why we would be. She really doesn’t see herself as anything a man would want. She commented that you and I could have any woman we wanted so why would we want someone like her. Bro, she has no idea the kind of pull she has.”
“Well, we’ve got time to convince her before Rory gets out. I think she’s the kind of woman that if she agrees to go out with us, she won’t do anything till we’re all around or till she stops working for Pa. She’s got some ethics that I think are pretty immovable. Let’s just go in and have some beers with the brothers and relax. We know where she is and who she’s with so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Chuckling, I say, “Yeah, you’re right about that. Nicky wouldn’t do anything with her, but fuck, he would protect her from anything, even us if needed.”
