by Ramona Gray
“Good afternoon, Elizabeth speaking.”
“Libby!” Charles Emerson’s southern drawl washed over me. “It’s Charles Emerson. How the fuck are you?”
I ignored my urge to laugh. Charles was a second-generation oil driller. He was a big, tough Texan with permanently stained hands, a handlebar mustache that would make Sam Elliot jealous and a big booming voice. He bred horses in his spare time, cursed like a sailor and went to church without fail every Sunday. He also had a wife he very obviously adored and four children who were all involved in the family business.
His company, Etco Drilling Ltd., was my previous firm’s biggest client. I was assigned to the Etco file in my first year. I had a feeling that my old boss - a sexist pig of a man who only hired female lawyers because he was forced to - believed that Charles with his quick temper and hard and grizzled exterior would eat me alive. Instead, we had forged an unlikely friendship over the next eight years. When I told Charles that I was thinking of leaving my firm and pursuing a partnership opportunity, he hadn’t hesitated to let me know he would follow me. I wasn’t naïve or stupid enough to think that having a multi-million-dollar drilling company as a loyal client wasn’t part of the reason that I got the partnership at Martin, Clarke and Bones.
“Hello, Charles. I’m good. How are you?” I said.
“Can’t complain. Well I could, but ain’t no one around who cares enough to listen.”
There was an outraged voice in the background and Charles gave a big booming laugh. “Now I’m in trouble with my Mags. She says hello and wants you to check your mailbox. She sent your Christmas present to your new address last week.”
I felt a rush of love for Charles’ wife Maggie. “She did? That’s so sweet. Please tell her I said thank you and ask her if she found that knitting pattern she was looking for online.”
He harrumphed irritably as his short temper got the best of him. “Jesus Christ, I ain’t no messenger boy, Elizabeth. Call her up once the holidays are over and ask her yourself. She’s been pining for a good chinwag with ya anyway.”
I laughed. “All right, I will. Now, what can I help you with?”
“Nothing work related,” Charles said. His voice softened a touch. “Just wanted to check in on ya, make sure the new job is going okay and to say Merry Christmas and shit like that.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sandra stick her head into my office. I waved her in as I shifted my cell phone to my other ear. “It’s going well.”
“Good,” he said. “Real fuckin’ glad to hear it, Libby. You have a good Christmas, okay?”
“You too. Give my love to Maggie and tell her I’ll call her in the new year.”
“Will do.”
Like always, he hung up without saying goodbye and I grinned at Sandra as I hit the end button on my cell phone. “Sorry, Sandra. That was Charles from Etco Drilling.”
“I spoke to him this morning. He called the office while you were meeting with Mario and got a little huffy when I wouldn’t interrupt you,” Sandra said.
I laughed. “That sounds like Charles.”
“I was actually just coming in to talk to you about Etco,” Sandra said.
“All right.” I walked back to my desk and sat down in my chair. I thought I did a good job of hiding my flinch, but Sandra frowned at me immediately.
“Are you hurt, Libby? This is the second time I’ve seen you wince when you sat down.”
Shit.
“Uh, no. I did a bit too much yoga this week and strained some muscles,” I lied.
Truthfully, my ass was covered in big purple bruises and it hurt like fire when I sat. Not to mention how painful my damn nipples were. Despite the pain, I didn’t feel any regret for what I’d done. In fact, I was almost late for work because I kept admiring the way my bruised ass looked in the mirror. There was a bruise in the shape of a handprint on my lower left cheek. I had stared at it for over a minute, knowing that if Seth put his hand over the bruise it would be the perfect match. That thought had made me shiver with lust and even now, I could feel fresh lust trickling through me.
“Right,” Sandra said.
Shit. A topic change was sorely needed. “So, what is your question about Etco?”
“No questions. Emmett asked me to mention to you that Seth and Theo aren’t going to be available to help you with the file until after Christmas,” Sandra said.
“Oh really?” I tried to sound casual.
“Yes. We have a high-maintenance client in Georgia and,” Sandra paused and rolled her eyes, “they’ve had another self-proclaimed crisis and insisted that Seth and Theo fly out this afternoon.”
Dismay rippled through me and Sandra gave me an odd look. “Libby? Are you okay? Is there a problem with the Etco file?”
“No, everything’s fine.” I made myself smile cheerfully at her. “When are they back. Do you know?”
“I booked their return flight for late Monday morning. The client wanted me to book them to come back on Wednesday. Can you believe it? Tuesday is Christmas for heaven’s sake!” Sandra rolled her eyes again. “I know Jeff and Mario have been urging Emmett to drop them as clients and I think this might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Anyway, they’re coming back Monday morning, but Jeff already told them not to come into the office and to start their Christmas holidays with their families.”
“Well, I’m sure it will be fine for the Etco file,” I said.
“Good,” Sandra said. “Are you leaving tomorrow or Saturday?”
I gave her a blank look and she frowned at me. “Aren’t you driving home this weekend for Christmas?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m staying here. It’s such a long drive, you know?”
“I guess,” Sandra said slowly. “What are you doing for Christmas?”
“Oh, I, uh, I’m, um…”
“You’re not spending Christmas alone?” Sandra asked in horror.
“I am,” I admitted.
“You can come to my house,” Sandra said. “We’re eating dinner at two.”
“No, thank you,” I said. “I’m not intruding on your family dinner and besides, I’m looking forward to having Christmas by myself this year.”
It wasn’t entirely true, but I couldn’t tell a woman I barely knew that I was looking forward to not spending Christmas with my overbearing and disapproving mother.
“Libby, no one should spend Christmas alone,” Sandra said.
I shrugged. “Honestly, I need to be alone this year, Sandra.”
Sandra gave me a searching look before sighing. “Okay, well if you change your mind, it’s an open invitation. I’ll email you my address. Come over at any time.”
“Thanks, Sandra. That’s very nice of you and I appreciate it,” I said.
“Well, I mean it,” she replied.
“I know,” I said and then to mollify her, I said, “I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Okay,” she said. “Are you coming in Monday morning?”
“I was going to,” I replied.
“Don’t bother,” she said. “No one is coming in. It’s going to be dead in here and most of our clients are used to us having limited staff during the holiday break. I know the other partners told you not to come in. Take their advice and stay home and sleep in.”
I laughed. “All right. I won’t come in on Monday.”
“Good,” Sandra said with a satisfied smile.
* * *
Monday afternoon, I stepped out the shower and wrapped the towel around my wet body. I wiped the steam from the mirror and stared at my reflection before running a comb through my hair. There was a small pink box on the bathroom vanity and I flipped the lid off, staring at the butt plug sitting inside of it.
I’d purchased it Thursday night, walking into the adult store with a vague sense of embarrassment. I’d never been in a store like that before and I’d walked the entire store staring at the inventory with equal amounts of curiosity and shock. I’d purchased a butt plug
and lube, a small part of me wondering what the store employee was thinking as she placed it in the pink box. Once I was home, I’d inserted the plug and worn it the entire evening as I ate my dinner of cold cereal, and used my laptop to watch a couple of shows on Hulu.
Now, I sighed and put the lid back on the box. I’d already worn it for a few hours this morning. I’d worn it for a few hours each day on the weekend as well. Although why I bothered, I didn’t know. I hadn’t heard a single word from Seth or Theo since I’d left their bed Thursday morning.
As I’d been doing all weekend, I tried to console myself. They were working, we weren’t dating – hell, we weren’t even friends – so why would they contact me? It didn’t hurt my feelings that they hadn’t texted me even once. Why would they?
Why are you still wearing that damn plug? Inner me whispered.
“Once the holidays are over, I’m sure we’ll pick up where we left off. I still haven’t had sex with both of them at once.” I said to my reflection.
Are you sure about that? They haven’t contacted you once since they left. Yeah, you’re not dating them, but wouldn’t it be at least polite of them to send you one text?
Fuck, inner me just didn’t know when to shut the hell up.
Maybe they’re tired of you. You told them what Wayne said to you – maybe they realized they don’t want to be those men with the fat girlfriend either. Maybe they –
Shut up! I snarled at my inner self. Just shut up! We’re not dating and I don’t care if they don’t call or text me. I want one thing from them and that’s it, so shut the fuck up for once!
Mercifully, my inner self lapsed into silence. I rubbed at my forehead before leaving the bathroom and walking to my bedroom. I dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt, not bothering with a bra or underwear, and stared at my pathetic air mattress for a moment.
I was lying to myself and didn’t want to admit it. I missed Theo and Seth. More than I should have if I was only using them for sex. I sighed and stared out the window at the falling snow. The last four days had passed agonizingly slow and I was already going a little stir crazy. I missed my stuff, I missed my friends and there was a part of me that wanted to jump in my car and drive home. If I left now, I could be home before midnight. Mom would be happy to have me home. Then, at least, I wouldn’t spend the next week roaming a nearly empty apartment, eating cold cereal and wishing I was doing something inappropriate like fucking my funny, sweet and stupidly hot coworkers.
I could tell myself repeatedly that it wasn’t over and that we would simply pick up where we left off when the craziness of the holidays was over, but not hearing from them had rattled me badly. Thinking they would text or call just to say hello was ridiculous so why was I hurt that they hadn’t?
I needed to stop thinking about them, needed to stop wondering if they would –
My cell phone rang and I snatched it up from the floor next to the air mattress. It was my mother. For the first time in forever, I was eager to talk to her. It would take my mind off Theo and Seth and maybe I would let her talk me into driving home. I hit the answer button as I walked to the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom!” I said cheerfully. “How are you?”
There was a pause and then my mother said suspiciously, “Libby? Why are you so happy?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?” I asked.
She snorted. “Maybe because you’ve left your mother all alone at Christmas? Do you even feel bad at all, Elizabeth?”
Guilt flooded through me immediately. “Mom, of course I do. I was even thinking that maybe I would - ”
“I don’t think you do, Libby.” My mother steamrolled right over me. “I think you’re doing this as some kind of punishment, because I was honest about my disappointment over the way you treated Wayne.”
“The way I treated Wayne?” I could hear the irritation in my voice and I tried to rein it in. It was Christmas and I didn’t want to fight with my mother, no matter how difficult our relationship was. “Mom, Wayne cheated on me.”
“Oh for God’s sake, Elizabeth,” my mother retorted, “when are you going to let that go?”
My jaw dropped. “Let that go? You’re kidding me, right?”
“Libby, honey, I think you need to give Wayne another chance. You refuse to lose the weight and because of that, he’s as good as you’re going to get. Men are visual creatures, they don’t want a fat girl.”
My stomach clenched and I said, “Do you hear yourself, Mom? You just called your own kid fat. Does that seem like something a mother would do?”
“If she’s a mother who has her child’s best interest at heart, then yes.”
Anger flooded through me and I welcomed it. Embraced it and let it flourish. “No, Mom. That’s isn’t true and I won’t let you keep treating me this way.”
My doorbell rang and I stalked to the front door and yanked it open without even bothering to look at who it was.
“Treating you what way?” My mother said with that tone of fake hurt that made my skin crawl. “I love you, Libby and I only want what’s best for you.”
I barely heard her. I was staring wide-eyed at Theo and Seth standing on my doorstep. Without saying anything, I stepped aside so they could brush past me. “Mom, I have to go.”
“Of course you do,” my mother snapped. “You always have to go.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said and ended the call as Seth closed the door.
The three of us stood silently in the front hall before I stuttered, “W-what are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” Seth countered. “We thought you would be driving home to your family for Christmas.”
I shrugged. “I’m not. If you thought I was gone, why did you stop by?”
“We stopped at the office after our flight landed,” Theo said. “We overheard Sandra telling Allison that you would be alone at Christmas. Why aren’t you going home?”
“It’s a long story but let’s just say that it’s preferable to spending Christmas with my mother,” I said.
There was another moment of awkward silence and I shifted from foot to foot before saying, “Well, thanks for stopping by. Merry Christmas.”
Seth scowled at me. “You’re not spending Christmas alone, Libby. You’re spending it with us.”
I blinked at him. “I’m not spending Christmas with yours or Theo’s family. I don’t even know them and how would you even explain who I was? Oh hey, fam, this is my pathetic boss who doesn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas.”
“Theo’s parents are in Europe for Christmas and mine are in Montana at my grandparents,” Seth replied. “It’s just the two of us for Christmas this year.”
I ignored the excitement brewing in my belly. “Oh, well, I appreciate the offer but I’m looking forward to my alone time.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “Eating cold cereal and sleeping on an air mattress?”
“I don’t need your pity invite to spend Christmas with you!” I suddenly hissed at them.
“It’s not a pity invite,” Theo replied.
“Yeah, right,” I muttered.
Seth gave me a thoughtful look. “We’re sorry we didn’t call you while we were in Georgia, Libby. We didn’t mean to upset you.”
I was surprised by his intuitiveness to my emotional reaction. I chewed at my bottom lip before saying, “Why would you? I didn’t expect you to call me and I’m not upset that you didn’t.”
Seth glanced at Theo. “Do you think she’s lying to us because she wants a spanking or because she thinks we want to hear that she isn’t upset.”
I backed away, my hands dropping to cover my ass automatically. “I’m not lying.”
Seth grinned and stepped toward me before hauling me into his embrace. He nuzzled my neck and pressed a kiss against my cheek. “You are lying and you should be upset with us. We were dicks not to text or call but we were busy with an absolute bastard of a client and,” he paused and glanced at Theo.
“We weren’
t sure if you wanted us to contact you,” Theo finished. “All we have is your work cell phone number and…”
He trailed off and I found myself feeling grateful for their discretion. Work phones were the property of the office and any texts could be monitored. I didn’t want anyone at work knowing what I was doing with them and they were trying to respect that.
“I’m sorry. I’m being a total bitch and I had no right to be upset that I didn’t hear from you. I just missed you both,” I admitted.
“We’re glad you’re upset,” Seth said and winced when Theo punched him in the arm. “That didn’t come out right. What I mean is that we’re glad you missed us because holy fuck, did we miss you.”
He squeezed my ass and I smiled at him even though a pang of disappointment went through me. It was fine that they had missed me because of the sex. I didn’t want more from them.
Seth stepped away and Theo took his place. He cupped my breast and circled my hardening nipple with his thumb. “Pack a bag and come spend Christmas with us, Libby. Please.”
“I – okay,” I whispered.
“Good,” Theo said. He pressed a kiss against my mouth. “Come on, love. I’ll help you pack.”
* * *
“What’s this?” I stared at the wrapped package that Seth placed in my lap. It was later that evening. After arriving at their home, I’d helped Seth cook dinner and the three of us had enjoyed the meal with a couple glasses of wine. I thought we’d go to the bedroom and have sex but instead, they’d led me into the living room. The lights in the tree gleamed as Theo turned on the TV. Explaining it was a Christmas Eve tradition, we had watched two movies – Elf and A Christmas Story – both men laughing like little kids and quoting lines as we watched.
“It’s a gift for you,” Seth said.
“I didn’t get you guys anything,” I replied.
“You weren’t supposed to,” Theo said. “Open it, love.”
I ripped off the packaging and opened the lid of the box. Nestled in pink tissue paper was a heart-shaped jewelled anal plug. I stared at it for a moment before bursting into giggles.
