Cosmic Trifecta

by Anna Lewis

  I sat in silence for a moment. She was right. This was the most exciting thing that had happened in my life—two attractive, rich men wanted to date me. They wanted to pamper me. There was a kind of power in that that I had not thought of. I sighed, picked up a pen that sat on the table and signed my name on the contract.

  “Alright, girl!” she said. She held up her glass of wine. “Cheers!” We clinked our glasses.

  “Cheers,” I agreed.

  “You have to take me out with you guys all of the time,” she gushed. “Promise!” It was a demand, not a question.

  “Sure thing,” I said.

  * * *

  The next morning, a sleek black town car arrived in front of our apartment building to pick me up. With me, I had the contract and a bag with my things. While I was gone, Jacki was going to sublet my room to one of the girls who worked at Antoine’s. Just in case I needed it again. The driver got out, opening the door for me, and just like that, I left my old life behind me.

  ***

  In the townhouse on Madison, I was led to my room by the butler. He silently opened the door for me, smiling. I gasped when I saw it. It was painted a soft peach color. The headboard was copper, and the soft, lush comforter was white. There was a white-painted dresser and a matching nightstand. Above the dresser, affixed to the wall, was a flat screen TV.

  “The gentlemen will be back later today,” he said. “Until then, you are to relax. At two, they have arranged for your hair and makeup to be done.”

  “Oh,” I replied, disappointed that they weren’t there to greet me. “Thank you.”

  “Let me know if you need anything, Miss Jones,” he stated, stepping out into the hallway. He shut the door behind him, and I walked to the closet. Opening it, I found that it was the size of another room. It was filled with clothes, handbags, and shoes. I walked over to them, touching the expensive fabrics.

  On a wall of shelves, I spotted a bright, cherry red Birkin bag. I gasped, reaching for it. It was my new favorite thing. Part of me wondered if this had all once been Giana’s. But I looked at one of the dresses, hanging on the racks. It still had a tag on it. It was a size six. My size. It all still smelled new, too.

  They had gone shopping for me. I didn’t know how I felt about that. There is a freedom in choosing for yourself. I browsed through my clothes, deciding on what to wear that evening. There was so much to choose from—silks, cottons, ponte, knit.

  I chose a peach satin gown that had gold chains for shoulder straps. It was flowy, Grecian-goddess style, which accentuated my curves. The peach color set off my chocolaty skin. I chose a pair of gold gladiator sandals to go with it.

  In the center of the massive closet, there was a white table with jewelry laid out across it neatly. I gazed at it, astounded. There had to be tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of necklaces and bracelets and earrings laying out before me. I chose a pair of gold hoops. I decided to go simple for the first time. Later on, I would try out the diamond choker that particularly caught my eye.

  I laid everything out on the powder-blue armchair that sat in the corner of the room. I sat down on the bed and flicked the TV on with the remote that lay on the nightstand. I sighed, glancing at the clock. It was only eleven. Was this my life now? A constant waiting game? I’d need to find something to do. For now, I was content to lay on my new, plush bed and watch television. I couldn’t recall the last time that I’d had a day off where I didn’t have to run errands.

  ***

  They both showed up at the house at the same time. I could hear them enter downstairs, so I left my room. I felt like a princess after Ariana, my new hair and makeup guru, had done her magic. She had done wonders with contouring, and had added a sheer champagne eyeshadow, a thin, almost-not-there line of eyeliner, and nude lip gloss. My hair flowed out around my shoulders in dark, soft beachy waves. She had even suggested a gold handbag to go with the ensemble.

  I stepped out onto the winding staircase.

  They both looked up at the same time. Tyler’s mouth dropped open. Jared just grinned cockily. I smiled. My heart was racing. There was something wonderful about not having to choose between them. They were both gorgeous men. They were the type of men who women were clamoring to be with (I’d browsed the gossip rags while waiting for Ariana to show up).

  “You look lovely,” Tyler said. He stood, his hands in his pockets. Jared crossed his arms and stood contrapposto.

  “Stunning,” Jared agreed.

  “Thank you,” I replied, finishing my descent. It was just like a moment from a rom com. I stood up straight, enjoying the sensation of being desired. It was definitely something that a girl could get used to. They were both dressed in suits. Tyler in gray, Jared in black. They seemed to both have signature colors.

  “You two don’t look so bad, yourselves,” I replied nervously. They both grinned. Jared held out his arm to me.

  “Shall we?” he asked. I took his arm as Tyler went for the door.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “We’re going to celebrate, of course,” Jared replied.

  “We have reservations,” Tyler supplied.

  “Are you going to tell me where?” I asked, not able to contain my eagerness.

  “It’s a surprise,” Jared replied smoothly. I could tell that they were both excited. There was a black town car idling by the curb outside of the house. The driver opened the door, and I got in. Jared got in beside me, and Tyler opened the door for himself on the other side. When he slid in, he took my hand in his and pressed it. I looked down at my hand in his. His skin was pale, pinkish, tucked in my darker one. His skin was smooth, warm. I looked into his gray eyes, so close to mine. My eyes strayed to his lips, which were smiling, baring his perfectly straight teeth.

  As the car drove off, I could smell their cologne, mingling around me—Jared’s was spicy, exotic. Tyler’s smelled clean. We all sat in silence. The car drove only a few blocks from the house. We pulled up at a restaurant. It was one of the fancier ones—like Antoine’s. This one, House Blanche, was famous for its monied clientele and its impossible reservations. It was run by a chef who had his own cooking show. It was rumored that he had named it after his favorite character on The Golden Girls. The driver opened the door, and Jared got out, holding out his hand for me. I took it, and he helped me out of the car. Tyler walked around the other side of the car and joined us. We walked inside.

  “Party for Meisner,” Jared instructed the maître d’, a blonde woman in a gray sheath dress. She smiled at him, recognizing him.

  “Welcome to House Blanche,” she said, picking up some menus for us. “Your reservation is ready for you.”

  “Thank you,” Jared replied. She led us to the main floor, and then up a black wrought-iron staircase that was in the middle of the dining room. The place was decorated with electric blue house lights and clear glass dividers. There was a modern waterfall made of cement that dominated a corner. The wrought-iron staircase led to a second floor, which overlooked the main floor. We walked past empty tables. It was only four o’clock, so the dinner crowd had yet to arrive. Only a few tables on the main floor were occupied, and those by men in business suits.

  The maître d’ led us past all of those tables, to a black-painted staircase in the back, which led out onto a rooftop terrace. The terrace had greenery around its edges, and some lemon trees scattered around the tables. Strung across the space were round, white fairy lights. It was beautiful. From the rooftop, we could see all of New York, spread out around us.

  “This is lovely,” I gasped breathlessly.

  “Glad you think so,” Jared replied. He pulled out my seat for me. He glanced at the maître d’. “Please send out the champagne that we requested.” She nodded, placing the menus down in front of us.

  “Very well, sir,” she replied and then disappeared.

  “So, Miss Jones,” Jared began. “Tell us about yourself.”

  “You can call me Tiana,” I replied. “For star
ters.”

  “Very well, Tiana,” he answered with a heart-stopping grin. “Tell us.”

  “Not much about me,” I said, trying to come up with the highlights of my so far uninteresting life. Well, in my opinion. “My parents live in Jersey. I grew up in New York, though. Um. After high school, began waitressing…” Beside these two financial powerhouses, I felt a little bit overwhelmed.

  “Where?” Tyler asked. I shook my head and waved my hand.

  “Ah, some greasy spoon diner on Fifth,” I said. “It was horrible.”

  “When did you begin working at Antoine’s?” Tyler asked.

  “Yesterday,” I answered with a laugh.

  “And then we stole you away,” Jared said with a self-satisfied grin.

  “That you certainly did.” I looked up. A waiter had arrived with a bottle of champagne. He placed it ceremoniously in an ice bucket beside the table. He popped the cork with a flourish and began filling our glasses. He whisked away, without ever saying a word. Part of me was sad—only yesterday, I had also been that invisible.

  “A toast,” Jared declared, holding his glass up. Tyler and I held ours up as well, the thin crystal champagne flutes full of the honey-toned liquid that foamed and bubbled richly.

  “To Tiana,” Tyler said.

  “To us,” I declared.

  “To us,” they agreed in unison. We all drank. As we did, I recalled the night before, and my thoughts while drinking the cheap wine with Jacki. It was true—I was drinking finer things this evening.

  “So, what are we eating this evening?” Jared asked, placing his wine down and picking up his menu. Tyler and I opened our own. I glanced down the menu. There were no prices, but having done the training for Antoine’s, I knew how things were placed. Problem was, I’d never eaten most of the things on the menu. I mean, who eats a ham hock with chicken hearts in a stew? And the salads—well, I wasn’t a salad-type girl.

  “Do they have any hamburgers?” I asked, pretending that I was joking. I was panicking a little. What if I didn’t like what I ordered. They both laughed.

  “The chicken marsala is good,” Tyler offered. I sighed, and he glanced over at me. He half-smiled. “It’s chicken and mushrooms in a wine sauce. Served with pasta.” He grinned at me.

  “That does sound good,” I agreed. He nodded. He had noticed my discomfort, I realized. Tyler was sweet, like honey. There was no doubt about it. Jared was vinegar—but the nice kind. You know, the red wine vinegar that’s super expensive, and you don’t know how to use. But it looks nice on your shelf anyway.

  The waiter came for our orders. We talked about our lives. They were in the middle of some business acquisition. I was quickly learning how to follow their talk.

  “So, when you take over the company, what do you do with it?” I asked, frowning.

  “We make it over,” Jared replied. “We make it more profitable.”

  “And then what?”

  “We sell it to the highest bidder,” he said.

  “Why not keep it?”

  “We wouldn’t make near as much money,” he explained. “And then we wouldn’t have the funds to buy the next project.”

  “And then we wouldn’t be the best-looking and richest bachelors in the country,” Tyler said, rolling his eyes and taking another sip of his wine. “You know they approached Jared for The Bachelor?”

  “Really?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

  “Really,” Jared confirmed, shaking his head. “They have no idea how particular my interests in women are.”

  “Oh, what if you tell them…” I suggested. “Hi ABC, I’m interested, but there’s one catch…”

  “You’re going to have TWO Bachelors!” Jared crowed. We all laughed. Jared got up to use the bathroom. I looked over at Tyler.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.”

  “Do you like the marsala?” he asked.

  “I do,” I replied. “Thanks for suggesting it.”

  “No problem,” he replied. He reached over, taking my hand again. He cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re here, Tiana.” I smiled at him as he looked up and into my eyes.

  “Me too.”

  “Really? I mean, I know this probably seems weird,” he said.

  “No. I’m happy,” I replied. “I like you.” He smiled at me. Jared returned.

  “Are we finished?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Sure,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, Tyler nodded.

  With that, they whisked me out of the restaurant. We drove back to the townhouse. Jared led me through the house. When he saw me frowning in confusion, he laughed.

  “Oh, no. We’re not seducing you. Not yet, at least,” he assured me.

  “Is that so?” I asked archly.

  “It is. We want you to make a well-informed decision before doing anything,” he replied. We were walking quickly through the house, out the back door, and into the bricked patio. It was silent here, a place set off from the noise and bustle of the city. Above us, the night was beginning to set in. Lights were strung from the tree to the house. They had been turned on. Tyler walked over to a wooden table, where a record player sat. He had one hand casually in his pocket as he placed the arm on, turned it on.

  Old-time music began to play softly. Jared pulled me into his arms, one hand on my hip, the other holding my right arm out. He spun me around the patio expertly. His lips were against my cheekbone, his breath hot against my skin and his five o’clock shadow rough on my cheek. His body was close to mine—he pressed up against me. I could feel the muscles of his chest, toned and washboard hard through the fabric of his suit. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating.

  “Are you having a good time, my dear?” he asked. I pulled away from him to look him in the eyes.

  “The best,” I replied.

  “No regrets?”

  “Not one,” I said confidently. He grinned.

  “May I cut in with drinks?” Tyler asked.

  “Absolutely, my friend!” Jared said, pulling away from me. They were trying to keep it light—they didn’t want me to feel forced into anything. I appreciated that. They could have had everything—they knew it. They could have just taken. Instead, they were leaving it up to me. They were letting me decide whether or not I wanted to stay.

  Tyler handed us glasses of wine. It was a soft rose-color, and tasted sweet. We stood around, talking of nothing, yet everything. After the wine, Tyler danced with me, his face tucked in beside mine. He twirled me around. The wine had gone straight to my head. I laughed. The music stopped. I looked over at Jared, standing beside the record player. He smiled, walking over and taking me by the hand.

  “And now, my lady,” he said, “We must bid you adieu.” He leaned over and kissed my hand ceremoniously. Tyler kissed me on the cheek.

  “Goodnight, Tiana,” he said softly. They led me into the house, and then we parted at the stairs. It was difficult to leave them. I wanted to stay up all night with them. I walked up the stairs, alone. When I got to my bedroom, I looked at the woman in the full-length mirror in the closet.

  Gone was the tired, harried, and grease-stained waitress. A smooth-skinned goddess stood before me. She grinned. She was content. But more than that, she was falling for two men at the same time. Okay, maybe not love, yet. But crushing something fierce. I shook out my long, dark mane of hair and sighed happily.

  ***

  The next morning, I woke up late. I stretched luxuriously, excited to find out what surprises the day had in store for me. I got out of bed, pulling a blue silk kimono with a butterfly print on over my white silk shorty pajamas and matching cami. I slid on a pair of slippers and walked down the stairs.

  I followed my nose to the kitchen, which was at the back of the house. When I entered, Albert, the butler turned around. He was cooking something at the stove.

  “Good Morning, Miss Tiana,” he said.

  “Morning Albert,” I replied cheerfully. “Where are the guys?”

/>   “Misters Meisner and Handcock will return later,” he said. “They left you a note on the table.” Disappointment flooded through me. I walked over to the blonde wooden table and picked up the piece of paper that sat on it.

  Morning, Lady.

  We are taking care of some business this morning. We want you to spend the day pampering.

  See you in a bit.

  J&T

  I smiled. Pampering sounded good. I slid into one of the white-painted chairs that was around the table. Albert turned to me.

  “Would you care for some breakfast, Miss Tiana?” he asked me.

  “Yes, please,” I replied with a grin. He was wearing a black and grey striped apron. He walked over to the table, setting it with military precision. He walked back to the stove, bringing with him a plate full of eggs, toast, and bacon.

  “Coffee?” he asked me.

  “Yes, thank you,” I replied. He quickly returned with the carafe and poured me a large mugful. “This is wonderful.”

  “Ah, you’re welcome,” he said.

  “Would you like to sit with me?” I asked him. He smiled, nodded once, and sat. We sat in silence for a moment.

  “How long have you been working for them?” I asked him.

  “Seven years,” he replied.

  “That long?” I asked, spreading some Nutella across my toast.

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “Very much,” he said. He was always so proper. “They’re very kind employers. Not often that you find that in service jobs.”

  “Oh, I hear you,” I said, taking a bite of Nutella-topped toast. “I worked at this diner on Fifth for the longest time.”

  “Did you?”

  “I did. It always seemed that people were never happy,” I said. “What do you think their secret is?” He smiled.

  “I think that they know what they want,” he replied. “I think that they take care of the people that they are in charge of.”