“So, Blair and Noah have taught me that communication is absolutely key in any relationship, but especially polyamorous ones.” Both men nodded, and Aspen took a sip of wine before continuing. “I thought I’d just start us off by saying that, Charlie, I am very attracted to you and would love to have sex with you and Noah. All joking from earlier aside, I could also see myself going on dates with you and potentially falling for you.”
Charlie nodded very seriously, and Noah remained silent, cutting a cucumber for the salad.
“If either of those interests you, I have test results and a spiel on parts and preferences I have given at least twice now, and I think I’m getting better at it each time.”
Noah cracked a smile, and Charlie nodded, but slower this time. “I followed all of that, except the last bit. Parts and preferences?”
“Yeah, like the fact that today I call my parts my tits, dick, and holes and then what my preferences are for how you interact with them, which is eagerly, roughly, and hopefully soon.”
Charlie’s brows disappeared behind his shaggy bangs, and Noah buried his face in his shoulder to try to stifle his laughter.
Aspen felt their face heat up. “Uhm…sorry, I guess that was pretty much the whole spiel, but to be fair, I usually give it while completely naked, so I’m counting this as me getting better at it!”
Charlie put down the meat tenderizer he’d been holding. He stared down at the scuffed laminate countertops, his brows furrowed so hard together they almost met in the middle of his forehead.
Several long moments passed, and Aspen was just beginning to wonder if they might have messed up when Noah put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Gordy Simple?”
When Charlie looked at him, his entire face seemed to soften around the edges. “Gordy Simple? I think you’re both really hot, kind, and caring, and I would love to sleep with and date you both.”
Wow, that was pretty fucking simple. Had he needed the extra-long, anxiety-inducing pause to make sure he was positive about that?
Noah studied him, searching his eyes before a furrow formed in his brow as well. “It feels like there’s a but.”
Charlie shook his head slowly. “No, not a but, more like…an and. I want to explore and figure things out with both of you,andI’m aware that I’m coming in near the end of your trial period, so that might make things complicated. If that is okay with both of you, then it’s okay with me, but…”
Charlie snorted, and some of the tense energy that had begun buzzing around the room dissipated. “Alright, I guess there was a but. It’s okay with me if we don’t really know what we’re doing, and we don’t know where this is going,butI don’t want to mess up the end of your trial.”
Aspen looked at the place where Noah’s hand was clinging to Charlie’s shirt sleeve. “I feel like that’s how we all feel, right?” they asked. “I think we’ve taken turns saying it to each other today, that none of us want to get in the way of each other as pairs, but…what about if we just start off as a triad? I’m happy to hang out, go on dates, or have sex in pairs, but if our biggest concern is not stopping the potential of any two of us together, why not just avoid that, at least at the beginning?”
Noah reached for Aspen’s hand, and they accepted it, linking their fingers together as easily as they took their next breath. “I think that sounds good to me. That’s pretty much what we didwith Rachel, and I think it went well.” Noah ran his other hand down Charlie’s arm until it landed on top of Charlie’s closed fist, still holding the mallet. “What do you think, Char?”
Charlie flipped his hand over, linking their fingers together, and Aspen couldn’t help but think of that first night sitting on Noah’s countertop. They didn’t feel confident enough in their connection with Charlie to sit on his island, so instead they leaned across it to reach for Charlie’s free hand. He easily enveloped Aspen’s smaller hand in his as he looked between the two of them.
“I’d say that sounds great to me. I do have a bit more to add to the parts and preferences conversation, but that can wait until after dinner.”
“Same,” Noah said, and all the tension bled out of his shoulders. “And I’m sure there’s more to discuss around boundaries, expectations, and all that. We didn’t really date Rachel so much as just hang out with her as a friend and sexual partner. It sounds like things might be different this time around?”
Charlie kept Noah’s hand in his and looped his arm up and over Noah’s shoulders, pulling him tightly against his side. “Slow and steady, and Gordy Simple, peanut. If we do that?—”
“I know,” Noah said, his smile wider and his shoulders looser than they’d been since he got back from his trip home for Christmas. “If we do that, nothing can go wrong.”
Chapter 11
Noah
Reciprosexual. Asexual. Aromantic. Aroace.
The words played on a loop in Noah’s mind throughout the fundraiser, like a song he couldn’t get out of his head. He’d always known his sexuality was a bit different than everyone around him. He could never play the celebrity Kill Marry Screw game because he didn’t feel attracted to strangers he didn’t know. Even when the game was played with friends, it was difficult. They were just friends to him until something clued his head—or his body, or maybe both—into the fact they were interested in him.
He’d known a few aroace folks in his life, but he’d never thought to question if he was on the asexual spectrum. Of course, as of late, he’d begun questioning romance and romantic love a lot…
He would have to deal with that later, though. Perhaps his queer friendly therapist could help, after they finished debriefing from his visit home, which…might take a while.
Noah did his best to put the entire thing out of his mind as they sat down to eat at Charlie’s tiny kitchen table. Aspen was practically in Charlie’s lap, but that was probably at least a littleon purpose. Noah’s table would much more comfortably fit them all, but that would require Charlie to come into the city.
Another knot of worry bobbed in Noah’s throat and he struggled to swallow his next bite of potato. Logistically, how were they going to do this? Aspen didn’t have a car, and Charlie preferred not to go into the city. Noah wouldn’t mind giving them both rides, but then they’d always be beholden to his schedule. He truly believed Charlie and Aspen could have something real and intense between them, especially if their charged looks and increasingly possessive touches were anything to go by.
When they finished dinner, Charlie asked if they wanted dessert. Aspen stood up from the table, proudly announced they were the dessert, grabbed both Charlie and Noah’s hands, and began pulling them towards the stairs.
