“Yeah, I know. That’s the idea. It’s already working too. We’re starting to get more calls. If it continues, I should be able to hire someone else in the spring.”
The wheels in her head were practically squeaking loud enough for all of us to hear. “Is that who you wanted to bring tonight?”
I suddenly felt too hot and tugged at my shirt. I knew Bri would’ve figured it out within minutes of hearing about Alex, but it still made me uncomfortable.
I cleared my throat and said, “Yeah. His name is Alex.”
“Wait, so you really weren’t kidding?” Trinity asked Bri. “Vaughn is bi?”
I stared at her dumbly. “I’m right here, and yeah, I am.”
Trinity’s green eyes sparkled, as she looked me over once more, obviously imagining me with a hot man. A slow smile spread over her face, and she shifted from one foot to the other. “That’s… awesome.”
I inwardly sighed. What was it about seeing two men together that got some women all worked up?
“Don’t get any ideas,” I said flatly. “Just because I’m into men and women doesn’t mean I like them at the same time.”
“Vaughn,” Bri snapped, but I didn’t bother addressing her. She didn’t know what it was like to be constantly misjudged. People heard the term “bi” and just assumed it meant I was happy to fall into bed with whoever was willing, but that wasn’t how it worked. Sure, I’d tried threesomes in my exploratory years, but I just wasn’t wired that way. I liked sharing my bed with one person and one person only. And right now, I wanted that to be Alex. There had hardly been a passing glance that didn’t end in a kiss all day yesterday, and we’d had more than one hot make-out session on the couch, each of them ending with Roxy working her way between us, jealous for attention. Alex was definitely starting to tear those walls down around me, at least physically anyway. Emotionally, well… we were getting there.
“Well, is he cute?” Trinity asked, breaking through my thoughts.
I shook my head, trying to get back into the present. I finally decided Trinity could come up with all the fantasies she liked about me being with other men, just as long as she didn’t expect an invitation to join us.
“He’s gorgeous,” I admitted.
She smiled. “I bet he is.”
I sighed. “I’m serious. It’s not happening,” I added as sharply as I could.
Trinity’s smile faded. “So you’re dating then?”
I turned away, not sure how to answer that. I wanted to say yes and claim Alex as my boyfriend, but he just wasn’t in a place where we could put a label on it yet. Only a few more weeks until Roxy was all healed, and then this could all be over.
“He’s just here to help out,” I said answered lamely.
Bri didn’t seem to like that answer, probably because she assumed I was using Alex as an excuse not to get to know Trinity. With nearly eight years of being a nurse in the mental health wing of the hospital, my sister knew a thing or two about reading people. Add in the fact that we spent nearly every day together growing up and had been each other’s best friend since before I could walk, and yeah, it meant she didn’t miss a thing when it came to matters of my heart.
Just as I expected, Bri cocked her head to the side. “If that’s true and he’s only here to help out, then why are you blushing?”
“I’m not.”
“You totally are.” She crossed the kitchen and stood next to me, gripping my chin in her hand to turn me in her direction. “And you’re smiling. Like truly smiling.” She let go of me and gave me a once-over. “I haven’t seenthatsmile since Naomi Johnson gave you your first blow job. Now I really am curious.”
I tried to tell her with my eyes that I’d tell her more later, but my damn sister was too worked up to let this go.
“You like him.”
There was no point in denying it, especially when the woman she’d been trying so hard to set me up with was standing right there. May as well kill two birds with one stone.
“Yeah, I do,” I said. “He’s… interesting. And smart. And kind and so damn sexy it makes my eyes hurt to look at him.”
Trinity giggled while Bri laughed. “Wow. Is he good in bed?” Trinity asked.
I whipped my head up, which only made Bri laugh harder. “Oh, no. Vaughn’s not like that. He’s a ‘three or four dates before the first kiss’ kind of guy, unless he’s had a bit too much alcohol. Then all bets are off.”
“Bri!” I snapped.
“What? We’re all adults here.”
