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“When did you get here?” Janet asked, surprised. She rested the bulk of the menu on the table and performed a quick assessment of Sabrina’s attire, which was a total opposite of her own.
“Just a minute ago. You were in the zone, huh?”
“Ugh, I can’t decide what to order. It’s like, they either serve the same garbage for a year, or they suddenly change it all up and nothing sounds good.”
“You win some, you lose some.” Sabrina shrugged. She’d always been fine with consistency, just as she wasn’t one to complain when variety suddenly appeared on the scene. She was a go with the flow kind of woman. Most days. At least, when it came to her personal life. Not when it was about business. Business was all about methodology, persistence, and balls of steel. In business, it was good to know exactly what was coming your way and how so you could meet it head on.
“You say that because you’re going to get the nachos and cheese sticks again.” Janet looked at her pointedly. “Some of us need real food to get us through the day.”
“That is real food.” Sabrina wasn’t unused to this conversation. Janet always accused her of not eating enough or always eating junk. Sabrina, in turn, always reminded her that she ate well and often, but always healthily throughout the week, leaving at least one day to splurge so she didn’t go crazy.
It was a conversation they both knew well and, even though they no longer bothered finishing it in words, a simple pointed look with an arched eyebrow between them said everything.
With a put-upon sigh, Janet went back to scanning the menu selections and asked, “So, how was your day? I’m guessing something is up, for you to call me out of the blue and ask me to such a lavish dinner.” That last part was said with sarcasm, because this was the least fancy place Sabrina could think of. It suited the women, though, because neither of them were what society pegged them to be by appearance or job title. Take Janet, for example. Despite her gothic appearance, she was a paralegal with a prestigious firm downtown. While she maintained her dark persona, her office attire was always on-point and put together.
“Did you change before you came here?” Sabrina asked, taking note of the casual attire.
“Of course.”
Sabrina nodded, knowing Janet was never entirely comfortable in her work clothes. She always said it wasn’t “her.” At the end of the work day, she raced to be back in something more her style.
Sabrina didn’t have such compulsions. Food was at the top of her list tonight. There was nothing like good company and good, greasy food to ease a troubled mind.
“So…”
The waitress appeared at the side of their table, staving off the conversation that Sabrina was still trying to decide how to jump into. The women placed their orders, neither deviating from their usual fare, despite the practice of always searching the menu high and low as if to try things they knew they never would. There was nothing wrong with habit. It was comforting, actually, to know some things never changed, especially when everything else seemed to be racing forward and in directions that Sabrina couldn’t predict.
Once the waitress left, Sabrina was met with Janet’s intent and expectant gaze. No words were needed to know what she wanted: an explanation.
Folding her hands on the table in front of her, Sabrina cleared her throat, considering her words before she spoke. How did one tell their best friend that they had agreed to enter into a personal—sexual—relationship with not one, but three men?
She supposed the only answer was to jump in with both feet and see if she sank or swam.
“So…there have been some…developments.”
Janet’s left eyebrow rose. “What kind of developments?”
“Interesting ones,” Sabrina hedged.
“Explain.” Her no-nonsense delivery demanded nothing short of the truth, no filter.
Sabrina knew it was now or never, or she’d lose the guts to say anything at all. “I’m seeing three guys.”
It took a moment for Janet to mull this revelation over. “As in, you’re dating a guy but you have vision problems, resulting in seeing him in multiples?”
The way she asked the question, it was obvious that Janet fully understood what Sabrina meant but was hoping against hope that she was wrong.
“No, I mean I am dating three separate men. Although, they do look a lot alike.”
Janet breathed deeply through her nose, then she folded her hands on the tabletop, too, mirroring Sabrina. “So you have a type?”
In the interest of keeping this short and sweet and avoiding the waitress returning at an inopportune time, Sabrina laid it out for her. “They’re brothers. I’m dating three brothers.”
Janet’s eyes rounded and her mouth formed a wide O as she processed this. “I mean…okay…that was unexpected.” She chuckled to herself in disbelief. “Wow, ‘Brina. I’m…well, shocked seems pretty tame, but that’s all I’ve got. How did this happen?” She leaned in, her interest piqued.
“I don’t know.” Sabrina knew all the steps it’d taken to reach this point, but she was still in disbelief. “There was a business arrangement; they’re working at the office right now, as partners in a way, and the rest of it just sort of…happened.”
“How’s the sex?” Janet gushed, suddenly excited.
