by Angel Lawson
“Oh god.” She covered her face with a pillow. I lifted it up.
“I want this day to be about you. About love. About family. Not about the closed-minded simpletons down in Oceanside.”
“How, Heaven? Where? It’s too late to book anything. All the deposits and payments are in.” She choked back a sob. “We should just head to the courthouse but they’d probably just follow us there.”
“That’s not what you want.”
“Apparently it’s not about what I want, anyway.”
I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. I knew what it was like to be judged, to be criticized and ostracized. I didn’t want that for Amber and Ginger. I wanted them to have happiness and love—like they’d given me so many times before.
That desire planted a seed of an idea, one that I was determined to see to fruition.
44
Oliver
It felt like old times, driving fast as hell down the highway toward Oceanside, boys in the car. We were only missing one person, but he’d opted out and I didn’t know how I felt about that yet.
“So what’s your plan?” Anderson asked Jackson. He’d told us to get in the car and drive.
“You know where the warehouse is?” he asked me. I nodded. “Go there. Hopefully we’ll find Paul and teach him the lesson we should have a long time ago.”
None of us had seen Justin in years, but he and Heaven made their peace years before. He packed up while we were in college, unable to live in the oppressive town any longer, and moved to a city more receptive to his lifestyle.
“Allendale’s changed so much,” Jackson said, his voice carrying in the wind. “I guess we forgot the rest of the area is still stuck in the past.”
None of us wanted to see Amber or Ginger hurt and we certainly didn’t need old wounds exposed. Not while things were finally back on track.
When we pulled down the street that led to the warehouse, Oliver slowed. There was a small crowd assembled out front, and a man with dark brown skin and wavy hair stood on the loading dock speaking to the group that included several photographers and journalists.
“We did not realize the wedding in question was for two women, and the instant we did we made a fast decision not continue business with the couple in question.”
“Is that him?” I asked Oliver. He’d seen Paul the day before with Heaven.
“Yep.”
“Oceanside isn’t trying to be like Allendale, who has to bend to the whims of movie studios and celebrities. We don’t want their money or their way of life. We’ve always been a close community. Moral. Ethical. And we’re not changing.”
“God, he’s repulsive,” Anderson said, leaning against the Jeep. The audience clapped and cheered at his statements and he continued to answer questions from the press.
“Are you going over there?” I asked.
“I think we should.” He leveled his gaze at me. “You okay with that? Taking a public position?”
I nodded. “Hell yeah I am.”
Paul noticed us before we got across the parking lot, his eyes trailing us with slight recognition. Emily stood next to him and nodded at Oliver. She recognized him from the day before. His smug expression faltered slightly, but he smiled down at the crowd and said, “Looks like we’ve got some heathens in our midst.”
“Heathens,” I muttered. “It really is like being back around Heaven’s dad.”
“Is there something I can do for you?” Paul called.
“Yep,” Oliver said, pushing through the crowd. He wanted the press to get a good shot of him. “We just came by to get the deposit back for my friend’s wedding tomorrow—which will no longer be held in Oceanside. Not because she’s not welcome. The beach is public property, you can’t run her off, but because like Paul said, you don’t want outside money. You don’t want tourists or visitors or people supporting your shops. That’s fine. Come back to Allendale where the small-minded people don’t venture.”
“You’re one of those boys Heaven Reeves hung around with, back in the day, aren’t you?” Paul said. A sly smile twisted on his lips. He glanced to the back of the crowd where Anderson and I stood. “And you’re the Olympian—one the members of her little harem.”
“Did you say harem?” a photographer asked. Murmurs rolled through the crowd.
Anderson’s fists clenched and I felt my heart race, anger welling up inside. Oliver seemed to have it under control though, he easily jumped up on the dock and stood in front of Paul.
“Let me tell you something; you can stay down here in your closed-minded, bigoted town, wallowing away in poverty and religious self-righteousness. My friends and I have faced your specific brand of hatred before and each and every time we win because our lives and relationships are built on love and respect, not hatred and pettiness.”
“I know who you are,” Paul said. “Do you really think your clients will support you once they find out you share her with four other men? What do you think the Olympic committee will say? Or the major league soccer association. Yeah, I know about Hayden Pierce, too.”
The crowd shifted and a figure emerged, jumping up on the platform behind Paul. Spencer.
Fucking asshole.
“Oh, I see how it is,” Oliver said, eyeing Spencer. “You’re happy to have an attempted rapist and harasser in town rather than people in a committed relationship. Sure, that makes sense.”
Paul crossed his arms over his chest, puffing it out. He wasn’t small, but he looked ridiculous next to Oliver.
“Let me explain something to you, Paul. We’re not afraid of you. We never have been, but the one thing that’s unacceptable is hurting our friends. So, you have two options. One, you give me the money, or two…” Oliver nudged him aside and whispered in his ear, away from the crowd. Even I couldn’t hear him. I didn’t miss Paul’s eyes widening as he spoke. Oliver straightened and said with a smile, “Your choice.”
Paul shifted uneasily on his feet before he glancing at Emily. With a scowl, he said, “Give him the money back. We don’t want it anyway.”
Emily’s jaw dropped and she blinked a few times, but walked into the office. A few moments later, she came back with an envelope. Oliver took it and immediately started for the car. The crowd, upset there wasn’t more drama, started yelling. Shouting out, “perverts!” and “heathens!” as we walked across the parking lot.
“Mr. Anderson!” a voice shouted as we neared the Jeep. We all turned and found a reporter and photographer a few feet away. “Do you have any comments about the allegations made today? That you’re part of a sex cult?”
Oliver snorted. I watched carefully, knowing Anderson needed to be careful. The Olympic committee was no joke.
“Yeah, I have a few comments.” Anderson towered over the man. “I’ve been in love with the same woman since I was thirteen years old. I’m a lucky bastard that she has room in her heart for me and supports me as I pursue my dream of representing the United States in the Olympic games.” He looked back at the crowd, now dispersing. “The real story is the bigots in Oceanside and the stand they’re willing to take for hate and evil. If you’re looking for a story about me, come see me in Tokyo.”
The man looked a little flustered but nodded and said, “Good luck, son,” and walked off.
“What did you say to Paul on the platform?” I asked Oliver when we were back in the car.
“I told him that if he came after Heaven or Amber again, personally or online, we’d use our celebrity connections to expose their bigotry to the world, file a lawsuit, and drag them through the courts.”
“That was all it took?” Anderson asked, looking back at the warehouse as we drove away.
“Along with a few other well-placed threats of bodily harm.” He smiled. “Turns out Paul’s a little bit of a wimp, and we already know Spencer is worthless.”
I laughed, unsurprised. Bullies usually are. “What are we going to do about the wedding? Even though the beach is public, I don’t think coming
back is a good idea.”
“No,” Oliver said, catching my eye in the rearview mirror. “But I have an idea and if Heaven will help us, I think we may be able to pull it off.”
45
Heaven
It took the whole night and the following day to get everything situated. Oliver used the money he got back from Emily and Paul for a company in Allendale that was happy to get involved at the last minute. How Oliver got the money hadn’t been revealed, but I was doing my best to stay away from the news. I just hoped no one came to arrest him.
“What do you think?” I said Friday evening. The wedding was the following night. We’d made sure all the guests were notified of the change of venue.
“I think my step-mother had this backyard landscaped for parties. It’s like she knew one day we’d have a last minute, taboo, lesbian wedding and would need a space to hold it,” Oliver declared.
“Thank you for offering to do this,” I said, slipping my arm around his waist and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Amber is my friend, too. It’s the least I can do.”
Jackson called him over to help with the sound system as Lea walked over, cheeks smudged with dust from working hard all day.
When I told her what had happened, she’d immediately come to the rescue to help me organize. We called in help from the people we knew from the industry that allowed us the opportunity to go through their storage units for the things we needed. Decorations, sounds system, podium. Even an arch for the bride and groom to stand under. We no longer had the beach but we did have a late spring garden and a lush, grassy lawn.
Brushing freshly dyed hot pink strands of hair behind her ears, Lea said, “I’ll be back in the morning with the flowers.”
“Thank you so much.” I reached out and pulled her tiny body into a hug. “There’s zero chance I could’ve done this without you. You’ve got a much better eye for decorations than I do.”
“Eh,” she shrugged. “It’s a beautiful location. Better than the beach, in my opinion. Less windy, no sand, quieter.”
“No bigots threatening to picket…”
“True. How’s Amber?”
“Amber is a fighter, like, I know she wants to go down to Oceanside and take a stand, but it will also only make her miserable. I suspect they want us to go down there, stir the pot and get more attention for being back-assed.” I thought of my father and his church. They would have loved an opportunity like this to grandstand.
“I saw they put some old pictures of you on the post. You okay?”
“I learned a long time ago I’d have to live with those decisions. I just don’t feel like Amber should have to have my past tarnish her future.” I looked around the backyard, feeling confident we made the right decision.
Lea took my hand and squeezed. “She’s going to love it.”
“I hope so. I just want her to be happy,” I looked over my shoulder at the three boys working diligently to make everything perfect for our friend, “like I am.”
The pre-wedding dinner, thank god, ran smoothly. After too much dessert and too many drinks, I gave Ginger the key to my apartment. She wanted to follow tradition, staying away from Amber for the night. I was happy to give her some space and just settle in at Oliver’s.
Back at his house, buzzed on drinks and the relief of pulling off a last-minute venue change, I kicked off my shoes and changed out of my dress. I pulled on an oversized Allendale baseball shirt and walked downstairs, where I could hear the boys on the patio. As much as we needed time to reconnect as a group, they were life-long friends and needed time to be together. It was sweet how much they loved one another. Sexy. Their commitment to one another was the foundation of our relationship.
It was why we worked then and why we may have a shot at the future.
Barefoot, I stepped out on the back patio, getting an eyeful of my men. I still called them boys but that was nothing but habit. They were men, in size, strength, and emotion. That fact gave me a little thrill, one that slowly inched up my spine. I watched them for a minute, relaxed and lounging on the comfortable furniture. They shared inside jokes, laughing off the stress of the day. They were sexy in their disheveled clothing; ties tossed aside, shirts casually unbuttoned and rolled at the sleeves. Jackson’s blue button-down made his eyes bright even in the shaded room, and Anderson sat with his legs sprawled in front of him, hands supporting the back of his neck. Oliver looked more at ease than I’d seen him in months, the corners of his eyes crinkled with laugh lines. My stomach twisted at the sight of them, their camaraderie and closeness.
Things had shifted for us in the last twenty-four hours. Hayden’s absence was noted, painful, but some of that subsided when I looked at how Anderson had easily joined back in the group.
He must have sensed my gaze, because his focus shifted across the patio.
“Hey,” he said, and suddenly all of their eyes were on me, taking in my bare legs and the shirt that claimed them all.
“Hi.” I walked across the stone floor, feeling Jackson’s gaze sweep over my bare legs. “I think I’m headed to bed.”
“Good idea, it’s been a long day.” Oliver was the closest and he laid a hand on the back of my thigh. “Tomorrow will be just as long.”
He tugged me down on his lap and I succumbed, stretching my legs across the space where Jackson took them in his hands. I relaxed and said, “Amber’s mom is going full mother-of-the-bride with hair, makeup, nails…the whole process.”
“At least you get a day off the makeup, right? Lea’s coming to help?”
“She is, although I’m probably going to do Amber’s anyway.”
Oliver’s hand was on my hip, the baseball shirt bunched up. I felt his fingertips on my skin and Jackson rubbed my feet. I sighed, leaning back into Oliver, fitting perfectly into his chest. From the wicker armchair across from us, Anderson observed quietly.
Jackson’s eyes flicked to his friend, a little smile on his lips. He leaned forward, bending my leg and kissing the cap of my knee. He made his way to my mouth, kissing me slowly while Oliver held me in his arms, stroking my legs with his fingertips. Jackson’s lips tasted like chocolate icing, tinged with bourbon, and I licked his tongue seductively, intentionally, to catch Anderson’s attention. Something we most certainly had.
“Good night, babe,” Jackson said, not pushing it further. This was about giving Anderson a taste of what to expect. He stood and let his fingers drift across my leg, fist bumping both his friends on the way out.
Oliver placed his own goodnight kisses down my neck, including sucking slow along my collarbone.
“You want eggs or pancakes in the morning?” he asked.
“Eggs. Pancakes will make me bloated and I’ll never fit in that dress.”
“Not true, but whatever you want.”
I snuggled into his chest and he ran a hand up and down my back, exposing my panties to Anderson, who I noticed shifted uneasily in his seat. Nerves? Arousal? I wasn’t sure. His jaw was locked tight and his eyes carried a cool glint. Oliver lifted me off his lap, placing me on the seat next to him, making sure his hands touched as many parts of my body in the process. Staking his claim, no doubt, even while sharing.
“Love you,” he whispered, just for me to hear. I said it back just as quietly.
And then Anderson and I were alone, sitting across from one another. My body hummed from the gentle touches of the other men, my heart raced out of fear for what Anderson would do or say.
His green eyes blazed in the shadowy patio, only lit by torches near the door. The smooth skin of his chest peeked out of his unbuttoned shirt. I’d missed him terribly—physically and emotionally—and the few feet separating us felt like miles.
“Was that—” I started, wanting to know if he was okay with the actions between me, Oliver and Jackson.
“That was fine,” he replied gruffly.
“It was?” I straightened up; his eyes fell to my legs.
He didn’t move, prolongin
g the odd tension ebbing between us, but I hated the distance and stood, taking the four steps to his chair.
“I don’t want to rush you into anything,” I said.
“You won’t.”
“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” His long fingers reached for my hips, pulling me between his legs. From my vantage point, standing above him, I could see just how aroused he really was. Anderson tugged on my shirt, nudging me to sit in his lap. I climbed on top, straddling his hips. Oh yeah, he was definitely aroused.
He pushed his fingers into my hair and said, “I’m back, Heaven, don’t worry about rushing me or making me feel uncomfortable. Don’t worry about me leaving or blowing up. I’ve had a long time to think about how I want to live my life and one thing is for certain, what I want most of all is you.”
“And the guys?”
He laughed. “They’re a given.”
He brought my face to his and we kissed, long and slow, both of us too exhausted to bring too much fervor into it. I felt the love in his touch, in the way his mouth worshipped mine.
“You know,” he said, pulling away, “it’s not like I hadn’t thought of it before.”
My breath caught. “You have?”
He nodded.
“Anything in…” a massive yawn over took me, but I spit out the final word, “particular?”
He shook his head and laughed. “I’m about to tell you my biggest fantasy and you’re about to fall asleep!”
“No!” I cried, laughing with him. “Tell me, tell me your biggest fantasy!”
“Not a chance.” He pushed his arms beneath me, lifting me with a mock groan.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, legs dangling over his arm.
