Amara tilts her head. “What kind of challenges?”
I lean in close and cover my mouth as I say it into her ear. “You know. Sex.”
“Ohhh.” She nods in understanding. “Yeah, I was wondering how you all would figure that out when it came up. Well, good. I’m glad you found a path forward.”
If only she knew.
As the night goes on, guests drink more and start dancing in my living room. Both Shathar and Khesan have had a few beverages themselves while they work, and when I come join them in the kitchen, they both say, “Fiona!”
Shathar wraps an arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head. “Are you having fun?”
“A blast. Do you guys want a break so you can go enjoy the party?”
Khesan snorts. “I don’t know anyone, so I am happy to continue serving.”
Shathar nods in agreement. “It’s good to feel useful.”
They’re both so sweet, and there’s eggnog and rum flowing in my veins, so I hug Shathar first, then Khesan.
“Thanks, guys,” I tell them, surprised to find my eyes getting wet. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Khesan leans down, takes my chin in his clawed fingers, and tilts my face up toward him. When we kiss, it feels amazing. I just want to keep kissing forever, and then do some other things, too.
Amara, Roth’kar, and Marguerite decide right then to join us in the kitchen. Amara whistles, and when Khesan and I pull away from each other, Marguerite is grinning at me. She must have had a lot to drink already.
“Roth’kar has news,” Amara says, hopping from one foot to the other. “Do you wanna tell them?”
He clears his throat, crossing both his pairs of arms. “We are working on bringing my friend Zono to Earth,” he says. “It is complicated, but Amara is helping me.”
“Oh, wow.” I vaguely remember the name. “Where’s he going to live?”
“We’re figuring that out now,” says Amara. “I thought that maybe, after your trial marriage is over, you might be able to host him for a while in your mom’s old apartment downstairs.”
After the trial marriage is over. I cringe at the thought. Indeed, after the trial marriage is over, I won’t need the basement anymore.
“All right,” I say hesitantly. “I could host him. Let’s follow up in a few weeks, okay? When you know more about his situation.”
Amara nods, and Roth’kar grins. “Thank you, Fiona.”
Unfortunately, since I’ve been drinking, all I can think about after that is how much time Khesan, Shathar, and I have left. It puts me in a rather sour mood for the rest of the night.
We collect the voting sheets, then tally them up until we have a winner. Surprisingly, it’s Roth’kar, who truly does have the worst sweater of all time.
“Made it myself,” Amara says proudly, and everybody laughs.
Then, at last, it’s time to wrap it up. People start clearing out of the house, and I’m relieved to have the place to ourselves again. I’m pretty tipsy, and I think my husbands are, too. All I want is my warm bed and a few good hours of sleep.
“I’m gonna hit the hay,” I tell them as we finish cleaning up. “Let’s save the rest for tomorrow.”
Shathar and Khesan both agree, as tired as we all are. But I also don’t want to say goodnight to them yet. We all worked so well together, and I’m not ready for it to end.
“Do you, um…” I wring my hands. “Do you guys want to, uh, sleep with me? In my room?”
Both of them raise their brows in surprise.
“You want me in your bed?” asks Khesan. “Him, too?”
“I mean, you don’t have to?—”
