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“Where’s your car?”
“Charlie has it, he’s fixing the muffler. He said it was so loud that everyone knew when I was coming and going.” Lori poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Honey, if you think the muffler is what’s keeping him up, then you’re more naive than you look.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Lori, he’s a good-looking man and is very attracted to you. So are his brothers Trevor and Dante. You can’t see that?”
“So what if they are? I don’t know them. I don’t even know anything about relationships with one man, never mind three.”
“Bullshit you don’t like them. You just made him a damn egg sandwich and coffee and ran it over to him. You gave him a ride home last night and are letting him work on your car. You were with all three of them last night. Come on!”
“He won’t let me give him any money. Last night they were together and they live together so when I drove Charlie home, Trevor and Dante were there, too.”
“He doesn’t want your money, sis. He wants your body and so do Trevor and Dante.”
“Maggie Marie Shay, I won’t have that kind of talk in my house. Your father and your son might hear you…lower your voice,” Diana added as she joined the conversation. Maggie laughed and Lori was embarrassed.
“So are you gonna go on a date with Charlie?” Diana asked her daughter.
“I don’t know, Mom. It’s not what you think.”
“You mean the ménage thing? Honey, please, that’s been going on around these parts for years. Sure, when your father and I arrived from New York we were a bit taken aback by it. But we’ve learned through observation how intense and committed those people are to one another. There are nearly just as many traditional relationships around here as there are ménages.”
“Oh God, I don’t believe you’ve accepted this thing so easily. We just arrived and I’m not sure I can digest the idea fully of its existence, never mind contemplate trying it.”
“Honey, it isn’t something to take lightly. Falling in love takes a little time and you need to be sure that Charlie, Dante, and Trevor are the ones for you.”
“I cannot believe this conversation. It’s not even normal. Three men, Mom? Come on, you can honestly sit there and condone a relationship like this for me? I don’t know if I’m ready for any kind of intimate relationship, never mind one like this,” Lori said as she leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Ready for this? You’re more than ready, Lori, you’re gonna burst!”
“Damn it, Maggie, stop it. This is serious. You know what, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Lori turned her back toward her sister.
Diana walked over to Lori and placed her hand on her shoulder to turn her around.
“Honey, I know I haven’t really been physically there for you girls for the past five years, but I’ve always hoped and prayed you’d stay safe and continue to be good girls. I know there are a lot of temptations out there. You’re young, attractive, and you should be proud that you’ve saved yourself for this long,” Diana was saying.
“Way too long,” Maggie added, laughing.
“Maggie!” Diana warned her daughter to quit it.
“I’m not going to lie, Lori. I’m actually glad you waited, and as scared as you might be and as much as your sister teases you about it, when the right time comes, you’ll know it. You’ll be so much in love that you’re going to want to give every single inch of you to that person to show them how much you love them. If he’s the right person, he’s going to love you and respect you even more for waiting. Now if it turns out that Dante, Charlie, and Trevor are the ones, then it will be even more special because you’ll have three men to love you and care for you.” Diana hugged her daughter.
Lori never felt more confused in her life.
* * * *
By lunchtime Charlie had Lori’s car all fixed and parked it by the barn.
“Hey, where have you been? We start at 7:00 a.m. remember?” his cousin Freddie teased him as he walked toward the door. Then Matt, Dante, Trevor, and Jasper came over as well.
“I had something I needed to take care of,” Charlie told them as he started putting on his tool belt.
“What are you doing driving Lori’s car? She the one who gave you a ride home last night?” Matt asked as he winked at his brother.
“Leave it alone, Matt. I told her I’d fix that loud muffler of hers, and I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to go home alone after that guy at the bar harassed her last night.”
