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I caught the minibus back to the hotel with all the other players who were straight-laced enough not to party on a game night. Or the ones with wives and families who just wanted to go to bed and call them.
I stopped at the convenience store across the street and picked up a six-pack. Not enough to have a hangover, but definitely enough to help me forget the aching parts of my body. I moved quickly through the lobby and into the elevator, mashing the button for our floor. Pulling out my phone, I sent a message to Nova.
Me: Missed you at the game.
Nova: We watched you on the TV. You guys played great.
I also texted Dev in the group chat I had with him and River.
Me: Are you being nice?
There were the three bouncing dots of a reply incoming for a moment, and I wondered if he was writing me a novel. In the end it was only a sentence, but man, it was a twist I didn’t see coming.
Devan: Nova and I had sex.
Air hissed out of my lungs, and I stared at the phone screen, trying to figure out how I felt about that. The doors opened and closed to my floor while I stood there stunned by the revelation, and I cursed softly.
Me: Well, I guess that counts as being nice.
I didn’t really know what to say to that. I hadn’t thought they’d get there so fast. They hadn’t even spent much time together. If I was being honest with myself, I’d thought I would be the one to make love to her first. She felt the most comfortable with me—or at least I’d thought so. Obviously, I’d been wrong. They must have bonded more than I’d realized while he was packing her up to move from Tucson.
Devan: You okay?
Well, yeah, I’d better be, considering this was meant to be my idea. If I got jealous because they’d fucked, my polyamory solution was going to go down the shitter real quick.
Me: I’m fine. You were good to her? Do I have to give you a Powerpoint presentation on how to fuck a woman like she means something and not like she’s a toy?
That was probably a little snarky, but whatever. I pressed the button to go back up to my floor and sucked in some deep, centering breaths through my nose. This wasn’t the Middle Ages. It was the twenty-first century, and a woman was worth more than the sum total of men who’d been in her vagina and when. Having sex with Nova was a bonus, but it wasn’t the reason I wanted to be with her.
Being a professional athlete came with many boons. The pay was good, the prestige was otherworldly, and the amount of women you could have sex with was limited only by your imagination and stamina. So no, what I wanted with Nova wasn’t about sex. It was about so much more.
But I was a big enough man to admit that I was jealous as fuck. My message alert sounded again.
Devan: The day I ask you for advice on how to pleasure a woman will be a cold day in Hell, Engman.
I huffed a laugh, because I could imagine his face as he’d texted that. River would probably still be sitting through press questions, and I wondered what would happen when he heard what Nova and Dev had done. I had to get my own shit together because I wanted this to work, but more than that, I wanted the guys to be happy. This was the first real test.
Me: Well, just remember, you’re not trying to stuff the Thanksgiving turkey. Tell Nova I miss her.
He sent me a picture of Nova in his bed, looking over her naked shoulder at him, a soft, contented smile on her face. Her hair was mussed and her lips were swollen—she looked so damn happy. Screw my jealousy. This was what I wanted for all of us.
I closed the group text with the guys and opened my text thread with Nova.
Me: You look so fucking beautiful. I can’t wait to see you in five days. Literally counting down the hours.
Nova: You’re not mad?
Me: Fuck no. As long as you are happy, I’m happy. Though if Dev is a two-pump chump, I’m more than happy to kick him in the dick for you.
Nova: I’ll keep that in mind haha.
I finally made it into my room, pushing through the door and flopping down onto the bed. I didn’t even bother waiting until the door was completely closed before pulling off my tie and taking off my jacket and heavily starched shirt. I draped it all over the back of a chair, knowing I’d have to wear it again the night after next.
I placed the beer on the nightstand and cracked one open, leaning against the headboard on the too firm bed. I didn’t really want to talk to her about Devan; what was between them was just that—between them. So instead, I texted her about Huey, about the game, about the chocolates she was going to make me. I texted her even though she was in bed with Devan and he probably had her naked body pressed against his.
I was still texting her when River walked in, and I quickly flicked to the other group chat. There was a little note that saidSeen by everyone.So he knew. But his face was way more impassive than I thought it would be.
I looked up at him expectantly as he threw his bag at the end of the bed and grabbed a beer.
