by Lia Davis
“Sounds good to me,” Ian said.
They piled into cars and headed off to eat. After each guy had picked out his lunch and had it cooked, they grabbed a table in the quieter back area and sat to enjoy their meals.
After a few moments, Rob said, “Can I ask you guys a question?”
Ian looked up from his food. “Me and Derek?”
“Yeah.” Rob shifted in his seat, and Ian’s eyebrow rose. Rob, embarrassed? He hadn’t thought it possible. “How does this whole threesome thing work? Like what if one of you is busy? Does that mean the other guy can’t go out with Haley? Do you have to all be together every time?”
Derek shrugged. “We’re pretty easy-going about it. One thing we discovered early is if jealousy and possessiveness enter the picture, things can get ugly real fast. So we see Haley separately and together.”
Rob nodded slowly. “But how do you go about taking her on dates? Do you make it look like one of you is with her, and the other is a friend who’s hanging out with you?”
“No,” Ian replied. “But in the beginning, we were pretty discrete, and though we’re more open now, we’d never glom all over her in public. Some people do in more liberal places. I’ve heard in Europe you can be more touchy-feely. It would be nice here, but we don’t want to make Haley uncomfortable. She’s never done this before.”
“Really?” Sebastian asked. “How did you convince her? This whole thing fascinates me.”
Ian glanced at Derek. “We didn’t really convince her. First, we just got to know her and let her become familiar with us. She knew the type of relationship we were seeking from the beginning. Honesty is important for something like this.”
“Then she said she’d be okay with everything? Mon dieu.” Sebastian shook his head, seemingly amazed.
“As we got closer, it became apparent, but we also check in with her a lot.” Ian paused. “Sarah obviously knows about us, but did you tell Alaina?”
Rob nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t want the two of them to meet and have Alaina wondering what the deal was. That’s okay, right?”
“Definitely,” Derek answered. “We don’t want Haley to feel self-conscious at any team functions, so the more people who know and accept her, the better.”
“Alaina would never do or say anything. That’s not her style,” Rob told them with a shake of his head.
Sebastian burst out laughing. “Only around you.” He regarded Ian and Derek. “Remind me to tell you what Alaina said when they met?”
“And I’ll tell you about how our boy here stole Sarah from right underneath another guy’s nose,” Rob said.
Sebastian scoffed. “He didn’t deserve her.”
“That’s what you told her, at least.” Rob folded his arms over his chest, one eyebrow raised.
“We’ll have story hour on the plane tomorrow,” Ian suggested. “Might help the flight go a little faster. And there’s the added bonus of not having to hear Sebastian swearing in French the whole way while you guys take his money in poker. Man, I don’t even know why you still play.”
“Because he sucks at video games even worse, and I’m not sure he can read,” Rob answered in a deadpan voice.
“Hey, I speak, read, and write in multiple languages,” Sebastian said. “You only know two—English and swearing.”
“Have you guys ever considered taking this act on the road?” Derek asked.
“Jordan would force us to bring him.”
They all mock-shuddered. “Never mind then.” Derek leaned forward. “Is it just me, or are those chicks staring at us?”
Rob’s gaze darted toward the table of women in question. “Looks like it.”
“You guys get noticed way more than we did in Colorado,” Derek said.
Nodding, Rob said, “People in Buffalo are passionate about their hockey.”
“And football,” Sebastian added.
They finished lunch and went their separate ways. Ian and Derek had plans to go shopping for a Valentine’s Day gift for Haley. The holiday was approaching quickly, and they wanted to get her something pretty.
As the two of them wandered aimlessly around the jewelry store, Ian became more and more frustrated. Nothing looked right.
“Maybe we should try somewhere else,” he suggested.
Derek shook his head. “Both Rob and Ben recommended this place. We’re just not looking hard enough. Maybe we can get someone to help us.”
As if on cue, a salesperson appeared. Ian raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
His friend didn’t seem alarmed by how the man materialized. “Can you help us?” Derek asked. “We need something for Valentine’s Day for a very special lady. We want something romantic.”
If the salesman was surprised by Derek’s use of “us”, he didn’t show it. Nicely played. “Tell me a little bit about this person. I’ll be able to steer you in an appropriate direction if I have some idea what they like. Favorite color? Favorite type of jewelry?”
Derek grimaced. “Uh, we’re not sure of either of those things. Ian?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
“Okay, let’s start at the beginning. Is the person you’re looking for a man or a woman?”
“Woman.”
“What does she do for a living?” The salesperson had removed a notebook from the inside pocket of his jacket and begun taking notes.
“She’s a naturalist.” The man looked up with a blank expression, and Ian hurried to explain. “She owns a business making and selling organic, personal care products.”
He nodded and kept writing. “What type of jewelry does she wear?”
Ian shrugged. “She’s pretty simple. Nothing too outrageous or showy.”
“No statement pieces then.”
Derek piped up. “Statement pieces?”
The salesperson pointed to a chunky necklace in the case next to him. “That’s a statement piece. It makes a statement. Know what I mean?”
“Okay, yeah. I don’t think something like that would suit her. I think I’ve only seen her wear a necklace a couple of times, and it was simple, not all these shiny things.”
After making a few more notes, the salesperson nodded. “Earrings, perhaps? Diamond earrings are always welcome.”
Ian wrinkled his nose. “Too ordinary.”
“Charm bracelets are very popular now,” the man told them. “And the variety of charms is much larger than it used to be.”
“Not fancy enough,” Derek said. He looked at Ian. “Do you agree?”
Ian nodded.
“Let’s take a different tack. Do you know when her birthday is?”
“September,” Ian said, relieved he knew something that simple about the woman he was falling in love with.
“The birthstone for September is sapphire. We have some lovely sapphire pieces. Would you like to have a look?”
“Please.”
The salesperson pointed out the case, and Ian and Derek hurried over. After a brief consultation between him and Derek, Ian asked, “How about this ring?”
“Great choice.”
Like you’d say anything else.
“Thanks. We think something on the delicate side would be good for her.”
“This is a genuine sapphire ring, two carat round with a very good cut grade and lovely medium-dark color. The medium color variations of the sapphire stone show better than the darker, in my opinion.” The salesperson handed it to Derek, who took it and peered down like the thing would come to life.
Ian smiled to himself. “I think this is an excellent choice. Derek?”
“It’s perfect. We’ll take it.” He pulled out his wallet and gave the man a credit card. They never worried about splitting things; each knew the other would make things square.
With that task completed, Ian and Derek parted for the day, and Ian began to plan.
Chapter Four
Ian hadn’t been in Buffalo long enough to know all the good places to take someone, and though he’d asked arou
nd, none of the restaurants suggested seemed right.
“Maybe we should stay home,” Derek argued.
“Wouldn’t that be lame?”
“Depends on what we do, I guess.”
“Okay, then what do you suggest we do?” Ian drummed his fingers on the table. They were waiting for lunch to arrive, and if it didn’t soon, he feared he might start eating the condiments laid out in a basket on the end of the table.
“I dunno.”
“Lot of help you are.” Behind Derek’s head, Ian spied an advertisement for the Valentine’s Day special at the restaurant. He now understood what the phrase “lightbulb went on over his head” meant. “I have an idea.”
“Hit me with it.”
“Don’t tempt me, dude. You got your stick up today.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Derek waved a hand. “Get on with it.”
“What if we used one of those delivery services and got a totally fancy dinner for the three of us? We could do it at my apartment. Yours is still a mess of boxes. Not real romantic.”
Derek rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. And then what?”
“To be honest, I don’t think Haley is expecting much because of our particular situation. A nice meal and maybe a movie or something would be fine, I think.”
Derek considered Ian’s words, his expression thoughtful. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes. I think Haley hasn’t considered the three of us going out and how we might be received on Valentine’s Day. On other occasions, I don’t think people really give us a second glance, but on Valentine’s Day, you don’t usually bring a spare guy, you know?”
“True.” Derek took a sip of his water. “How do you think we should broach the subject with her?”
“Tell her about our plans soon, in case she’s worried about anything. I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable. If we can take away her fears now, all the better.” Ian thought for a moment. Would they be able to do that? He and Derek had a lot riding on her decision about their relationship. “Let’s call her after we finish.”
“Works for me.”
***
Haley had her hands full mixing one of her most popular products—a peppermint sugar scrub— when the phone rang. The caller ID showed Ian’s number. Taking a chance, she poked the phone twice, once to answer and once to engage the speakerphone. Hopefully she’d be able to clean the goop off after they hung up.
“Hey, baby. Derek’s here with me.”
“Hi,” Derek called from a distance.
“What’s up?”
“We wanted to talk to you about Valentine’s Day.”
Huh. Surprising. “Okay...”
She’d figured being part of a threesome precluded them from celebrating the holiday. How would they go about it without making it clear they were all together? And if they did that, what reaction would they get?
“Derek and I wanted to invite you here for dinner. And by here, I mean my place,” Ian said. “We were thinking you might be more comfortable with that arrangement than going out.”
“Sure, sounds like fun.” How exactly would this work? Did one do anything different when celebrating Valentine’s Day with two men? Buy two cards and call it a day?
“We’ll do everything. All you have to do is show up and look pretty.”
Haley chuckled. “No promises.”
“Don’t give us that. We know better,” he admonished her. “How about we hit up Ironworks tomorrow night to see that Tragically Hip tribute band you like so much?”
“You’d chance that again? Last time we were there, you said your ears rang for days.”
“For you, I’ll risk it.”
***
They met up at Ironworks the next night, and despite the dark of the room, Haley laughed when she noticed Ian’s earplugs. “Good idea, but can you hear through them?”
“Very well, actually. I’m just hoping they back off the sound a little.” He took her arm. “Derek muscled his way to a place at the bar. I think people recognized him and were afraid of not letting a Storm player do what he wanted. After all, hockey players are fighting Neanderthals, right?”
“Hardly. Sometimes fame has its perks, though, right?”
Derek waved them over and indicated the one bar stool he’d managed to commandeer. Haley dropped into it and removed her coat, setting her small purse on the polished wood of the bar.
Derek said, “I decided to order for all of us when the bartender came over. Otherwise we might be thirsty for hours. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, definitely not,” Haley answered. “What did you get me?”
His mouth twitched. “A Cosmopolitan, of course. No bar vodka for my baby, either. I got you Grey Goose.”
“You know the way to my heart,” she told him. He remembered my food allergies. Not many men did.
“I’m not sure it’s a good thing that the way to your heart is through your liver,” Derek answered.
The bartender dropped off their drinks, and Derek held his up. “To us.”
At first, Haley hesitated, but after looking around the room and noting no one paid them any attention, she raised her glass. Anyone who heard them might think they were toasting a friendship or something else innocuous she supposed.
I am paranoid. No one here cares. Probably very few people even notice us when we’re out.
They settled back to listen to the music. Haley loved this band. They played tribute songs to one of her favorite acts, a Canadian rock group called The Tragically Hip. The guys, as usual, keep their physical contact with her to a minimum. She felt silly but still couldn’t wrap her head around doing things that would make their relationship obvious.
The band took a break, and Haley regarded her two men. “I have to tell you how much fun I always have with you guys. All the places you take me; the things we do.”
“We just want you to be happy,” Ian said.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you both, but I’m not complaining.”
“And we plan to do even more,” Derek said. “Wait’ll the summer comes. The guys have been telling us about all kinds of fun things to do.”
“This area is gorgeous in the summertime,” she told them. “There are festivals every weekend, plus the waterfront, Niagara Falls...tons of ways to entertain yourself.”
“How about you in a bikini with us rubbing sunscreen all over you?” Derek’s eyebrows waggled.
Haley bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Um, sure.”
They continued to enjoy the music, and when the band finished their second set, they gathered up their coats and began to follow the crowd to the door.
Once outside, Ian turned to her. “We have a question. Or maybe you could call it a request.”
Her eyes narrowed. Where was he going with this? She tightened her scarf to keep out the cold. “Go ahead.”
“Will you come to watch us play tomorrow night? The owner has a box, and girlfriends and spouses sit in there. Rob said Alaina could go if you didn’t want to be alone.”
“I’ve never met Alaina, either,” she pointed out. Sweat broke out on the back of her neck, a feat considering the temperature.
“We know, but at least then you won’t be walking in there without a friendly face.” Derek bit his lip. “We should’ve introduced you to some of the ladies before, and we’re sorry about that, but we’d really like for you to come. If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to go. We won’t pressure you.”
“I’ll go.” Oh man, shit’s gettin’ real.
“Are you sure?” Ian asked, a frown marring his face.
“Yes. If you could get me Alaina’s phone number so I can text her before the game, I’d appreciate it.”
Ian nodded, letting out a breath. Haley still couldn’t believe she had this kind of power over two grown men. It boggled the mind.
“Of course. I’ll ask Rob tomorrow,” he answered.
They each quickly kissed Haley on the cheek and then waited while
she got into the car and drove away. With a sigh, she made a wish this wouldn’t turn into a disaster.
***
The next day, Hayley’s phone buzzed. She didn’t recognize the number, but she checked her text messages and then smiled.
Hi, Haley. It’s Alaina. I wanted to make plans for tonight. How about dinner before the game? That way we can be introduced and have a chance to talk.
Haley immediately typed a response.
That would be so great! I figured we wouldn’t meet until the box, but this will be so much better.
She set her phone down. Ian had mentioned how nice he’d found Alaina and was proving to be correct.
How about 716? As long as we go early enough we should be able to get a table. Can you meet at 4:30?
Relief flooded Haley. The thought of walking into the luxury box cold scared her, and now she wouldn’t have to.
Perfect, see you later!
Haley dressed in warm clothing and drove downtown, parking in the ramp next to the Barn. 716, a restaurant the owners of the Storm had opened, lay about a half block away. Alaina had said she’d be wearing a red coat with a cream-colored scarf and a jersey with Rob’s name and number.
As soon as Haley walked in, Alaina waved. Someone must’ve told her what she looked like. Either that, or she recognized the terrified expression she no doubt wore.
“Hi, Haley. You are Haley, right?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you,” Haley said.
Alaina didn’t look like a kindergarten teacher to Haley. She’d always pictured teachers of that ilk to be clad in a denim jumper, turtleneck, and sensible shoes. By contrast, Alaina wore a Storm jersey and skinny jeans with black, high-heeled boots. Her ears were adorned with good-sized diamond studs, presumably a gift from Rob.
The hostess showed them to a table, and after ordering, Alaina took off her coat.
“How many of those do you have?” Haley asked, indicating her jersey.
“Just the one. Luckily, Rob doesn’t feel the need to cover me head to toe with merchandise bearing his name.”
