“It doesn’t hurt that he’s a sexy fox, either,” says Renee, and I giggle at this, feeling the heat climb to my skin.
“No, it doesn’t hurt.”
“I’ve heard nothing but good things from Jake about Ely, you know,” Renee continues. “He sounds like a stand-up guy. I think he’d be good for you after that ridiculous lawyer-man debacle last year.”
I scoff, trying not to think too hard of the jackass I’d dated for far too long.
“Don’t forget, Paul started out as a seemingly good guy, too,” I point out. “Even you liked him. It wasn’t until a year in I found out he was cheating on me with his paralegal.”
“I don’t think Ely is the cheating type. At least, it doesn’t seem like it.”
“Then it makes me wonder why he’s single.” I sigh, adding another shish kabob to the plate, almost ready to be taken to the grill. “Any wisdom on that one?”
“Oh,” Renee says suddenly, and her hands stop moving as she turns to look at me. “You don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?”
“About Ely. About his family.”
“No, I don’t know.” I feel hesitant, suddenly like I’m about to be let into a huge secret that I’m not ready to learn.
“It’s not my story to tell,” Renee says finally. “It’s not Jake’s, either, but he’s kind of an office gossip. You’d be better off asking Ely yourself.”
Before I can ask for clarification, Renee hands the now-filled plate to me and winks. “Take these to Jake, would you? Once they’re done, I think we’re ready to eat.” She’s smiling now, but behind that smile, I can see sadness still, pain over whatever it is about Ely that I don’t know.
I take the plate of kabobs back outside and hand them off to Jake, then grab the paper plates and plastic utensils to set them out on the picnic table near the grill. Ely, seeing me do this, puts his beer down and steps up to help, so close to me now that I can smell the subtle hint of soap and aftershave on his skin. I swallow, forcing myself to resist the urge to drop the plates and jump him, tofeelhim between my legs, to take him to a private room and rip his clothes off and let him fuck me until I’m dizzy and lightheaded and satisfied.
Jesus, Jami, get a grip.
I laugh aloud, drawing in a quizzical look from Ely, and my heart hammers against my chest. I can’t even be in the same vicinity of this guy without wanting more …needingmore, and he’d be an idiot not to notice.
“Food is ready!” Jake hollers from behind the grill, offering me an excellent opportunity to turn away from Ely and focus on something other than the muscles that bulge from under his button-up shirt. I take a seat at the picnic table, and Ely sits down next to me, refusing me any sort of relief from the dirty thoughts that won’t stop spinning around in my brain.
“And Jami’s cherry pie for dessert,” Renee says, carrying it out of the house with a second six-pack of beer in her free hand. Matt, Aaron, and Jake sit down at the table with us, and Renee joins us a second later. As we begin to eat, Jake bragging about the seasonings on the food while the rest of us secretly roll our eyes, Ely speaks up.
“Renee, I’ve always been curious about your relationship with Jake here,” he says. “And Matthew and Aaron, correct? All of you are … together?”
“Yep,” Renee says, and the shame she at one time might have felt is gone. She’s no longer insecure about the situation that she has going on with Matt, Aaron, and Jake, and I’m glad about it. It’s their new normal, honestly, and it makes them happy. Who is anyone else to complain about it?
“We realized when all three of us loved her that it might have to be all or nothing,” Aaron says, taking Renee’s hand across the table. He brings the back of her hand up to his lips and kisses her, and Renee giggles like a high school prom date.
“We understand that the situation might not work for everyone,” she says, glancing at Ely. “But it works very well for us. I wasn’t sure it ever would, to be completely honest with you.”
“Don’t let her innocence fool you. She keeps all three of us on our feet,” Jake adds, and Ely chuckles.
“I’m not sure I could do it,” he says. “When I’m with someone, I want to bewiththem. I want to know them inside out and never have to worry about competition with another man. I guess I’m just too insecure about sharing.” He glances at me when he says this, and I feel his eyes burning a hole in the side of my head.
“I’m like you,” I say finally and swivel my head to meet his gaze. It must be the booze talking because, generally, I’m not confident enough to talk about dating and sex with even my closest friends, let alone a man I barely know. “I’m too insecure about sharing. I feel like it would be too much work to juggle more than one significant other.” I avert my gaze from Ely to look at Renee. “But I’m in awe of you guys. You’ve come so far. And I love you all.”
“We love you, James,” Matt says, and his own eyes land on Ely. “Whatever your intentions with our friend might or not be, just keep in mind that she deserves to be treated right. If she’s not, she’s got a group of people ready to fight for her.”
“I would expect nothing less from good friends,” says Ely, and this makes me smile. He takes a bite from his burger and then focuses his attention on Matt. “You’re that firefighter, aren’t you?” he asks. “I’ve seen you around.”
“Yessir,” says Matt. “We’ve had a few calls with Denver PD.”
“Nice work at the firehouse,” says Ely. “You are all a great group of men and women.”
“Hey, ditto, man,” says Matt. “We appreciate the hard work the precinct does to keep us all safe.”
