“It’s nice out here.”
“Yeah, it takes a little getting used to. It’s kinda like the Cape but no ocean right outside your door. It’s nice to get away up here. But please, step into my office.” She motions toward the picnic table. We all take a seat under the shade of a seven-hundred-year-old tree, Brook across from the two of us. It’s hot out, but not so hot I can’t handle it.
“So,” Brook folds her hands on the table all formal and shit, then smiles. “Thank you both for joining me today. I know you’re very busy. It means a lot to me that you came all this way.”
“It is easier for the three of us to talk face to face,” I say.
“It is. That’s why I asked you to come.”
Vaughn feels bad. I can tell by the way he reaches out and squeezes Brook’s trembling hands. “Go ahead.”
She takes a breath and then smiles again. “I have a proposal for the two of you. It can best be summed up by the lyrics to “Baby, Baby” by the incomparable, God-fearing Amy Grant.”
“I don’t know that song,” I say.
“He’s lying,” Vaughn says. “I know he knows that song. My mom loves that song and he’s sung that song with her more than once.”
The smile that touches her lips is more genuine now. “Well, I think the next best thing are my own words. I was thinking about all the conversations we’ve had and how we’ve talked so much about the different ways, well, we want Shaw to fuck us. And that was great. Swell even. Shaw, you’re a good lay,” she says.
“I’ll add that to my resume.”
“You should. Vaughn, You’re not too shabby either.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t think it’s really helpful to talk too much about before we met because everything's different now. Things were really different last week. So, considering how I feelnow, here’s what I propose. The three of us, if you’ll have me that is. I’d like there to be a three of us, together. I’d like to give that a real try.”
“Is that all?” I ask.
I know she wants to punch me, but she’s letting it slide. For now. She nods instead. “Yup, Shaw.” Her eyes narrow. “We all knowyouhave issues.” Her expression softens before she turns to Vaughn. “And Vaughny, I mean, we talked.”
“Yeah,” he says, like he knows he’s been caught.
“I was afraid to tell either of you what I really needed because I’m still dealing with some Josh-related hang-ups. I wish those weren’t an issue, but they are. But, that doesn’t change the fact that what I really want, beyond you two giving it to me in both holes, is love and support. I want people to be there for me. A lot of this has been so hard because my sister has her own family now. She’s there for me like always, but seeing her so happy, it made me realize how badly I want that for myself. When I told her about you guys, she also made me realize that if I wasn’t afraid to give it a chance, I might be able to be really happy with you two. And then I thought about it some more and IknewI could be happy with you two.”
“Excuse us.” I stand and tap Vaughn’s shoulder then nod to the car.
He rolls his eyes. “We’ll be right back.”
We walk through the grass to my car and I glance back at Brook as she tries to turn her attention to that dog named Dirt while we sidebar.
“What do you think?” I ask Vaughn.
“I think you’re being immature as fuck right now, that’s what I think.”
“Man, whatever.”
“Do you want to go?” he asks me. “I know why we’re here. I still feel how I feel about her, but give me some time and I can get over that if you’re not into it.”
“No. I mean. I’m into. Shit, look at her. How could I not be into it? She makes you smile and she isn’t emotionally stunted like me. Fuck, like Corrine was. Real talk, she’s exactly what we both want and need. Plus we already know what we’re getting into here. We got the same baggage.”
“Okay, let’s go tell her that.”
“Wait. Let’s make it look like we have more deliberating to do. She expects us to haggle a bit. Whatever you do in the courtroom.”
“Man, if you don’t come the hell on” Vaughn nudges me back toward the table.
“We’re interested in your proposal,” I say when we sit back down. “But I think you should know, I have commitment and abandonment issues that I’m thinking about seeing a therapist for.”
