“I told you, I’m late.”
Lilith rolled her eyes, then stuck her hand out for the clothes. “You won’t do it right anyway. Here, let me.”
“Thank you!” I hollered as I went back to work, moisturizing and brushing my teeth and spraying some minty shit in the back of my throat that made me cough. I combed my hair carefully and shaved so close my skin looked like a fucking peach in the middle of summer. By the time Lilith had the clothes ironed, I was polished as a diamond.
“What’s all this about?” she asked. “You still bringing your men back here tonight?”
I glanced down at myself. “What? I can’t just dress up?”
She laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Asher. Just text me when you all are on the way.”
I drove exactly the speed limit back to the house, my heart pounding as I thought over what I was going to say. I’d gotten so used to shooting my mouth off and flirting with the guys. It was funny how this one little thing was making my head spin with nerves.
“It’s cool, Asher,” I told myself. “It’s all good.”
I knocked on the door loudly, pounding as I clicked the back heels of my boots together, the hemmed bottoms of my black dress pants swaying side to side. Franklin and Rory both opened the door, and Marlene barked her hello from the living room.
“Oh my!” Franklin said, nodding approvingly. “Very handsome.”
“Come in,” Rory said. “Although I’m afraid we’re not quite so fancy.” He glanced at his flannel shirt and then Franklin’s rosy pink sweater. “Maybe we should change?”
“No,” I said quickly, stepping inside, then greeting them both with a kiss. “I just wanted to dress up because I needed to say something. I mean, because I realized something.” I scratched my head, my heart beating so fast I couldn’t make my damn lips cooperate. I hadn’t intended to just blurt everything out the second I saw them, but now they were standing there, doing that thing where they looked at me…
“Fuck,” I said. “I mean I had something to ask.”
Rory leaned back against the couch, then nodded. “Go on.”
I took in a breath, happy to be reunited with the scent of their home, and my confidence grew. “I found a woodworking class,” I said. “I’m going to sign up for it once I get enough money together. Get some real training behind what I already know. And I decided to start driving for Lyft, too.”
“That’s good,” Franklin said, his voice encouraging. “I think that’s a smart plan, Asher.”
I shook my head quickly. “That’s not exactly what I meant…” I reached, taking first Franklin’s hand, then Rory’s. “I’m trying to get my shit together,” I explained. “I will get it together. But I just want you to know…” I looked down at myself again, torn between feeling shy and feeling confident, unable to say what I was truly asking of them. “I’m going to be good enough for you,” I said finally. “Good enough...”
It wasn’t exactly right, but I couldn’t bring myself to say what I really meant.
Good enough that you could love me.
Rory extend his free hand, clasping my shoulder and sending a shudder of pleasure through my body with his approval. “Do you want to be ours, Asher. Our boy? Our boyfriend? Ours?”
My heart seized in my chest. “You want me to be yours?” I asked. “Just like I am?”
Franklin stepped forward and pulled me closer. “No other way,” he said.
Franklin took me into the kiss first, crashing his lips against mine before Rory joined us. Our hands and lips roamed together, and I tasted each of them in turn and felt the hot friction of their beards, pleasuring my cheeks.
When we pulled back, Rory’s eyes lit up behind his glasses. “I just had the most wonderful idea,” he said.
Franklin arched an eyebrow, his hand still on his husband’s side. “Oh yeah?”
“I was going to skip it,” Rory said, “but there’s a faculty cocktail hour this evening.”
I squinted my eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Just people in the college and some partners, enjoying free drinks and appetizers. It’s usually a little too fancy for my taste, but considering you’re already spruced up.” He adjusted his glasses, then smiled. “What do you say? Will you be our date?”
RORY
The faculty cocktail hours usually sounded like an absolute nightmare to me. Everyone would try to impress each other by talking about their research, and colleagues would snipe each other over old grievances no one else knew. I left the event to those who were trying to climb the ladder or roost at the top of the coop, figuring my time was better spent working anyway.
