"Crimson put a couple of limitations on it, but there's now a job opening. Has to pass a background check to prove he's good with kids. That's for Luke, isn't it?"
"Cy thinks he's an asset around here. I'm just not sure about hiring a guy I'm dating. So, Cy said he'd hire him, but…" And I gestured to the room next door. "So I told him not to mention it."
"They'll be fine," Ash assured me. "Pretty sure we can all separate which hats we're wearing, and it's not like you haven't already been paying him for the things he does. This just means his check comes from the BOD instead of you."
I chuckled at that. "Ok, good point."
Ash just smiled at me, clearly changing the subject. "So, um, this is kinda nice, right? Those two together, us like old times?"
"Yeah..." I could tell he was going somewhere with that, but I wasn't sure where.
"Are you into Cy at all?"
I set down my comb and reached for the makeup removing wipes. "Ash, that sounds like a trap."
"Swear it's not," he assured me. "You know I'm still in love with that man. We both know that he and Luke sizzle when they're around each other. Just figured that since you have good taste, you've thought about jumping on his dick at least once."
"Ok." I closed one eye and focused on getting the eyeliner all the way off. "I certainly wouldn't kick him out of my bed. He grew up nice, and I was always a little jealous that you ended up with the best men."
"So, what are we all doing? I mean, something's changed. Things with Cy and me are starting to level out. Luke's exploring. Then there's you, and I have no clue where you stand with us because, well, you're you."
"I'm limiting my expectations." Then I moved to the other eye, keeping my hands busy so this wouldn't get weird.
"Vi, I'm being serious. What if we could make a foursome work? You and I are the stable ones here. Luke's clearly your boyfriend, even if you two haven't had the big talk about it - and your boyfriend is making out with another man right now. Pretty much the only hiccup in this plan is you and Cy."
"There's a plan?" I asked, tossing the wipe in the trash bin and turning to look at him. "When did this happen?"
"Um, after the Luke kissing incidents. I told Cy that the answer is for us all to just be together. I figured Luke would say no, go back to his roots and swear it couldn't happen, but it's kinda happening."
I stood up and headed to the bathroom. "Luke and I talked about something similar," I said before I was out of sight.
Ash didn't respond. He was probably waiting for me to come back, but I used the moment to hang up the towel, get out of my wet bikini, and hang up his bathing suit. Did I want to do this? The answer was a resounding yes, yet there was that little voice in the back of my mind warning me that if it didn't work, I'd lose everything.
I'd been comfortable with us how we were. All of us. Luke was good in bed. A little vanilla, but good. Ash was my best friend. Cy was my rock, there to back me up when I needed it. So long as our expectations were managed, then there was no chance that we'd implode like Ash and Cy had as kids. Then again, we weren't kids anymore.
I stepped back into my bedroom and climbed onto the bed beside Ash. "What if this goes bad?" I asked him. "Would I lose you?"
"Never," he promised. "We've fucked before. We have no secrets. I just think it would be nice to not have to fake it when you fall into bed with some guy I hate. I love you, Violet. As much as I do Cy."
"I know," I assured him.
He laughed, but his focus was on picking at the comforter. "I don't think you do. When we left, I didn't want to be your boyfriend because I didn't want to be anyone's lover. It took me a long time to get over Cy. Well, to at least accept that he wasn't mine anymore. I'm not sure I ever got over him. And then there was you. By that time, I'd pushed you just far enough that we found something amazing. This place where we fit together without needing to worry about it, and I like that."
"Me too," I agreed.
"I also saw you checking out other guys. We were young and wild. We had the world in our hands, and we didn't want to miss the chances, so it made sense. I got to throw models in my bed and so did you. Or celebrities, or that knockout from the rope line. Whoever we wanted always wanted us back, and it was amazing. That I could tell you about it, often while enjoying our afterglow? Yeah. That doesn't mean I didn't also want more."
"I'm not sure there is more," I told him.
"One little piece. I want to be your lover, not just your best friend." He sighed. "I want you to tell someone I'm your boyfriend. Every time you say I'm your best friend, people look at me, assume I'm gay, and write me off as no threat. Everyone but Luke."
I giggled at that. "Is that why you like him, or why you hate him?"
"Both," he admitted. "And that amazing ass of his doesn't hurt either. But that's the only thing I'd change between us. And you seem to have an agreement with Luke. So, what if you and Cy went there? What if you were in the middle of those two right now?"
"Ash..."
"No, just think about it," he insisted.
