by Caia Daniels
I pick up Merlot’s hand and squeeze gently. She looks really tired, but that isn’t what’s bothering her. We’ve known each other all our lives, and there isn’t an expression or a sigh or a smile I can’t read.
Whatever’s bothering Merlot is bigger than just her job.
“Is everything okay with the ex? He’s not still stalking you, is he?”
“No, actually. I warned him about coming over and threatened the restraining order. Haven’t heard from him in days. I think he got the point.”
“Okay, then is this work? Auditions not going well?”
Merlot shrugs.
“It’s about me. Me and Alec. Isn’t it?”
The look on Merlot’s face says it all: Pursed lips. Narrowed gaze. Her upper lip quivering, like she wants to cry, but won’t.
“I can’t talk about this yet. Not until Alec is here.”
“Okay, I get that. You can talk to me, though. It’s me.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder. “Your best friend since we were born.”
“I know, I just—” she presses her lips tightly, staring into my eyes, then shakes her head. “I don’t want to ruin dinner.” She gives me a fake smile.
“Well, Alec and I can see right through you. And there’s obviously something on your mind, so there’s going to be a big, fat elephant in the room anyway. May as well just get it off your chest.”
“Okay. Maybe when Alec gets here.”
“Deal. Now, tell me about your day.”
“Auditions sucked. Nothing looks too promising at the moment. Except another tour next summer. Envy.”
My heart falls a little. Envy was a big Broadway hit, a play Merlot loved. We went to see it together. If she got a part in that, she’d definitely consider taking it. And I really don’t want her to leave again. It feels like déjà vu. Like she’s running again.
“I audition next week. Right before Valentine’s Day.”
I sit quiet. And of course, she sees through me.
“What’s that look about?” Her eyes narrow.
“Another tour?”
“It’s not just any tour. It’s Envy.” She purses her lips at my silence. “I don’t want to leave but if that’s what I get, I kind of don’t have a choice, either. Girl’s gotta eat.”
“Yeah, but there has to be something local.”
“It’s Envy. Can’t say no if I’m offered a significant part.” She shrugs then picks up her glass and takes another drink. “I do have Addie keeping an eye out too. We’ll see. Speaking of V day.” She expertly changes the subject and sits straight. “Have you heard of that Scandal’s place in the Hamptons?”
A smile takes over, no matter how hard I try to hold it in.
“Yes.”
“I got this invitation to their Three of Hearts Ball. Addie says to get an invite, someone has to know a member or somebody like that. I don’t think I know any members, ever heard of the place?”
“I have. In fact—”
“Here are your appetizers.” The waitress stops and sets a plate of Napoleone di Verdure e Formaggi in front of us both. It’s an incredible array of breaded fried eggplant, roasted peppers and plum tomatoes, cheeses, herbs and fresh basil dressing. “Chef Alec says he’ll be out shortly. They’re plating your meals now.”
“Thank you.” I smile at the man, returning my attention to Merlot. “So, Scandal. I hear their off-season balls are epic.”
“Addie mentioned something. Apparently, the place is a front for a sex club or something?”
I laugh out loud. “Not exactly.”
Merlot’s eyes go wide. “Oh? So what do you know about it?” She digs into her appetizer, finally. I feel better just watching her eat.
“Well, Alec’s aunt owns the place.”
Merlot’s jaw pops open after she swallows. “Really. So, did he invite me?”
Just then, the waiter returns with our meals.
Pollo Ripieno–chicken breast filled with prosciutto, cheese, and spinach, sautéed with wild mushrooms and marsala wine – for both Merlot and me. Alec ordered Filetto di Maiale al Pepe – pan roasted pork tenderloin with Tuscan white beans and broccoli di rabe.
He refills our wines, leaving a bottle on the table as Alec arrives and sits across from Merlot.
“This looks amazing.” She smiles, digging into her chicken. “Oh my gods, it tastes amazing. Thanks, Alec.”
It’s good to see her happy.
“So, Alec.” Merlot starts, cutting more chicken. “Luc says your cousin owns Scandal?”
Alec nods, taking a bite of his steak and a little kale. “What about it?” He looks to Luc and grins.
“Well, I got an invite to their masquerade ball on V-day. Addie says someone has to invite you. So now that I know you’re related to the owner, can I assume you invited me?”
“Guilty.” Alec laughs. “Luc and I thought it would be fun.”
“So, what’s up with the private room?”
Alec shrugs, trying to hide his adorable risqué grin.
“Luc and I thought it would be fun.” Alec reaches up, wiping a tiny smudge of sauce off Merlot’s upper lip. “You’ve had a few rough weeks. We thought it would be good to get you out, all dressed up. And the private room—well, that’s in case you want to play around. With us…”
Merlot sighs.
“Or someone else.” He shrugs, eyes narrowed.
“So it is just about that.” Merlot lets out a breath and sits back in her chair, then sets her hands on the table.
“What do you mean?”
“A threesome. Us. That’s what this is all about. Sex.”
“No, that’s never what we’re about.” Alec leans across the table, rests his hand on hers. “We truly care for you, love. You’re our girl. Always have been. That’s why we want you to move in.”
“It’s not just about sex.” I set my fork and knife down and look at her. “I told you, it never was.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We aren’t gay, Luc and I.” Alec picks up Merlot’s hand. “We told you, we’re bi. Poly, actually.”
“What does that mean exactly? Addie’s talked about being poly, but I don’t really understand how that works.”
“It means we know love doesn’t have to be reserved for only one person. We both believe it’s perfectly healthy to love more than one person. To be in love with more than one person. Not just date but build a life together.”
Her eyes grow wide. “Wow.”
I’m so happy to see the change in Merlot’s expression.
“That’s why we asked you to move in, love. Not for threesomes. But because we both love you.” Alec traces tiny circles on her hand. “And we want more.” He looks at me, then back to Merlot. “Both of us.”
“Seriously?” Merlot’s hands begin to tremble, and Alec holds them firmly.
“Yeah, seriously.”
“So you want me to move in to have a relationship with you? With both of you?”
“Yes,” I say simply. “We’re in love with you, Merlot.
“And we both want to build a life together,” Alec says firmly. “With you.”
Her eyes go wide, and her jaw drops again. It’s adorable, really.
“How could that even work?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “But we’ll figure it out. That’s how every relationship works. We figure it out. What works for us.”
“I left you guys because I didn’t want to cause any trouble. Because I wanted you two to have the life together you deserve.”
“We know.” Alec smiles. “And we love you even more for that. When you left, our time alone allowed us to grow our own relationship, but it also made us realize we weren’t complete. Not without you.”
Merlot stares at the tablecloth, not blinking. Or speaking. Scares me a little.
“Say something.” I nudge her shoulder. “Please.”
“I just don’t understand how that could work. I mean, what will people say? What will I say�
� that I have two boyfriends?”
“Since when do you care what people think?” And it’s a serious question. It’s never been something that ever mattered before, that I know of.
“Well, I’ve never been faced with this situation before. How could I know how I’d react?”
“You’re absolutely right. It’s something we can explore, though. Together. If you’re up for it.”
“All this time, you’ve kept this from me?” She looks a little upset by this.
“By the time we figured it out, you had already committed to douchebag.” I push a strand of hair behind her ear. “You seemed happy before you left for the tour, and we thought we were respecting your decision. We just wanted you to have everything you ever wanted. You clearly didn’t find it with him.” I look at Alec, smile, then looks back at her. “We think we have what you want. And need.”
“How do you feel about us?” Alec asks. “How do you really feel?”
Merlot glances over toward me, then to Alec. “I’m in love with you.” She looks at me, then down to her hands. “Both of you.”
She returns to stare at her wine glass. Pulling her hands from Alec’s, she clenches her fingertips around the glass, lifting it, then sucks down the rest.
“I’ve loved you all my life, Luc. But I thought you were gay.” She sets her glass down and stares at the dish of chicken in front of her. Picks up her fork and shuffles it around on her plate. “Then I met Alec, and you fell in love with him. I thought you chose him, and I loved you both, so… I moved on.”
“And we want to thank you for that. For giving us time we needed to realize we weren’t complete without you.”
“I love you both, but I don’t know. Oh, wow.” She puts her fork down and runs her hands through her hair. “This is so much more complicated than I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“I came here to tell you I couldn’t move in because I was in love with both of you, and that I couldn’t live there watching you two in love with each other and not me.
“But now, knowing you’re both in love with me and want me part of your life… in theory, that sounds beautiful. But in reality—” she looks up at me, then to Alec. “How could that even work?”
I shrug. “We don’t know either, but we never will unless we give it a try.”
Merlot lets out a breath. “I need time. To think through this.”
“We understand,” Alec says. “All we ask is you think about it. And give it a try. Come stay with us. A few weeks, see what happens. See if we can make it work. Figure out how to make it work.”
“Wow. I’m just—I don’t even know what to say.” She looks up and glances between us.
“It’s okay,” Alec says. “Take some time. Come to the ball and see what life in public with two men who are completely in love with you is like. In a space with no judgement. The private room can be ditched if you’re not up for it. But if you are, if you decide you want more than just socializing, we can go to the room and do whatever you want. Nothing, or everything. You call the shots.”
“So, if I didn’t want to play around, no private room? But what if I do?”
Alec grins. “My cousin Summer has agreed to accompany us into the room, if you want. She’s a great director. We can live out any fantasy you want in there. I know we’ve had a couple nights together, but this isn’t about that anymore. This night…” he leans closer. “If you want it, will be all about you. Your fantasy. Your desires. We just need to know what they are.”
“Wow.”
I laugh. “You’ve got a lot of insightful contributions tonight.” I nudge her shoulder. “That’s like, wow one-hundred and fifty.”
This felt better now that Merlot is relaxed. Normal.
Maybe it could work?
“What do you say, babe?” I ask. “Give us a try?”
“Maybe. I need time to think—I think.”
“Fair enough.” Alec picks up her hand and kisses it. “Just let us know. I’d like time to plan our fun in the private room, then if you decide you don’t want to while we’re there, or if anything at all changes, we’ll scrap the whole thing and call it a night. Deal?”
Merlot nods. “Okay.”
A new buzz swirls in the air.
She loves me. Us. She’s in love with me, just as I’ve been in love with her all my life.
Valentine’s Day is going to be epic.
7
Merlot
The next week point five has dragged by so damn slow, it’s about to drive me insane. No call backs except one.
Envy. The musical of my dreams.
Which means, however, that I could be leaving again just when Alec and Luc announce they’re both in love with me and want to build a life together. Just when I’m so close to having everything I’ve ever wanted…
My predicament raises the stakes for tonight that much higher. Admittedly, I’m still reeling over it all, even now, just hours before the ball as I wait for my friend and stylist to arrive.
My doorbell rings, and Addie knocks a hundred times.
Thank the gods.
“Excited much?” I open the door for my friend. “Damn, you’re more anxious about this than I am.”
“That’s because I’ve done some more snooping. I know who invited you, and—
“I already know. You need to help me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can I get dressed before I explain?” I had just climbed out of the tub and am still donned in a fluffy towel wrapped tightly around my chest.
“Oh, yeah.” Addie grins.
Addison is a baddie with her dark hair, purple streaks and bright, blue eyes.
“So, what are you and Kearney doing tonight?”
“Eh, you know. Dinner. Alcohol. The usual.”
Addie follows me back to my room and sits on my bed while I slip on my super sexy undergarments, then rifle through my closet, trying to choose what to wear to the ball.
“Okay, so who is it?” I grin wide, curious to see if she figured it out while I grab the two gown choices from the closet that I borrowed from the name brand rent a dress place.
“Luc and Alec. Apparently, Alec’s aunt owns the place. The invite is from Alec. And there’s more.”
Smirking and shaking my head at her expert spy intel, I spin around on my toes to face her. “Okay, Miss know-it-all. What do you know?”
“Alec isn’t gay at all. Neither is Luc. They’re bi, and apparently, they work at Scandal.”
“Wait. What?” My arms drop to my sides.
Addie stands up and pulls the gowns from my hands as I start to drop them to the floor.
That’s definitely not the story I got from them.
“Yeah, in the summer. They help women live out their ménage fantasies. So no, they’re not gay, they’re bi. That’s great news for you.”
My ass falls to the bed, my gaze to the floor.
Fuck. My. Life.
“What’s wrong?”
“This can’t be just about me then.”
“What?” Addie lays the gowns on my bed and sits beside me. “Of course it is.”
“No, it can’t be. This is their thing. It isn’t about me at all.”
“Stop, you’re overthinking this. Maybe, you’re the reason they worked there in the first place?”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. You came way before Scandal. Then you left. They missed you, so they sought out female attention in other ways. It’s actually kind of healthy. Especially if you’re poly.”
“About that. Why do you think I’m poly?”
“Why do you think you’re not?” She nudges my shoulder.
“Fuck.”
“Dude. It’s nothing to be bummed about. It’s something to celebrate.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is every girl’s dream. Loved, adored by multiple men. Hell, it’s my dream.” She giggles. “Though I swing both ways, so I definitely know
what Luc and Alec see in you and each other.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. My head feels fuzzy. That can’t be good. Or can it?
“Just relax.” Addison rubs my neck then pushes my hair off my shoulder. “Don’t start freaking out yet. You said you love them both, yes?”
“Yeah. And they told me they loved me, too. They said they want to build a life together. With me. Poly, like you.”
Addie smiles so wide, then leans in and pulls me into a hug. “Oh my gods, that’s beautiful. I’m so happy for you guys.”
“I don’t know what to think. I mean, how will that even work? I say, ‘Hey, these are my boyfriends and they are each other’s boyfriends, and…’” I face palm myself. “Gods, it sounds crazy.”
“Do you love them?”
“Yes. With all my heart. But…”
Addie shakes her head and sets her hands on my shoulders. “Do. You. Love them?”
“Yes.”
“Then you, my friend, just became the luckiest bitch in New York City.”
8
Merlot
The entrance at Scandal appears abandoned. Almost like nobody is here.
Am I early?
I pull out my phone as I get out of the cab. 9:15 pm.
Late. Fashionably, in my opinion, as I chose a deep red, satin gown to wear. A long, straight A-line with a split that runs up to my thigh, and 5-inch black stiletto heels. My hair is half up, and I’m holding a black diamond-studded masque.
I look fucking amazing, as far as I’m concerned. My stomach, however, isn’t in the best shape.
Butterflies flutter desperately as I walk up the lit path to the entry of Scandal. I notice an entrance to an underground parking garage, which explains the lack of cars outside. I suppose keeping license plates away from prying eyes is a virtue here. The building looks like more like a million-dollar mansion than a nightclub.
As I reach for the mahogany door’s handle, a man opens it for me from inside.
Dude seriously looks like a sexy CIA agent with one of those ear pieces and a walkie on his belt. Huge chest, which makes me start to drool.
I’m already glad I came.
