by E. M. Abel
“Of course!” I heard her suck in a breath to say more, but she paused. “Will Natasha be there?”
“Um, I don’t know. I’ll have to see what her schedule is like. Why?”
“I just…maybe she should be there, too, you know? So that she can see what the process is like and be a part of it.”
My eyebrows furrowed.
Is it messed up that Sky thought of my girlfriend before I did?
“Yeah, sure. I’ll talk to her and let you know.”
“Okay, cool. Well, that’s so awesome, Dillon. I can’t wait! I love you, dude!”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone and sat there for a minute with my elbows resting on my knees. I’d spent the past two weeks with Natasha, and I was feeling more connected to her than ever. She was beautiful, smart, and thoughtful. She was the first woman I’d ever considered a serious future with, yet I’d called Sky before her. If I wasn’t careful, I could lose Natasha. Sky was my best friend, but if I wanted things to work with Natasha, she would need to start coming first.
On my way home from work, I stopped by the market to buy some ingredients for dinner. I’d sent a text to Natasha, telling her I’d be cooking for her. I’d decided that I’d tell her about the gig in person, so we could celebrate together. I bought prime rib, shrimp, asparagus, and red potatoes. Natasha probably wouldn’t touch half of it, but I didn’t care.
I loved to cook, and I hadn’t been doing much of it since I met Natasha. She was very nurturing—always cooking for me, doing my laundry, and rubbing my back after work. I was getting spoiled. I knew she’d make an excellent mother one day, too. Not that I was thinking of having kids anytime soon. There was still so much I wanted to do before having a family. But the fact that I could imagine Natasha as a mother and that the thought didn’t send me running had to be a good sign.
When I got to my apartment, I put the groceries away and took Kuma for a nice long walk. She’d been neglected lately, and I felt guilty that we hadn’t had as much time together. She didn’t seem to hold it against me though; she was always happy to have me home. There was no loyalty in the world quite like a dog’s.
When we got back to the apartment, I turned on some music and started prepping dinner as Kuma claimed her spot on the couch.
About twenty minutes later, I opened the front door to see Natasha arriving with a bottle of wine.
She smiled brightly at me. “It smells amazing in here.”
I leaned down to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, deepening it. I pulled her into my apartment and kicked the door shut behind us. Natasha smelled so good. I groaned as her free hand squeezed my ass. She had a thing for my work clothes. She was always saying how good my ass looked in my jeans and how sexy she thought it was that I built things with my hands.
Reluctantly pulling back, I pecked her one more time on the lips before taking the wine from her hand. “Relax. I’ll pour you a glass of wine.”
She flashed me her stunning smile and went to sit beside Kuma on the couch.
“Dinner will be ready soon,” I told her on the way to my kitchen.
“So, what’s the occasion?” Natasha asked as I poured some Pinot Noir for both of us.
I walked back out with a glass in each hand and gave her one. “To new relationships and new opportunities,” I said, holding up my glass.
Natasha clinked her glass against mine, and we each took a sip.
“I booked a gig at The Phoenix this weekend.”
Her jaw dropped. “The Phoenix? Like, the bar in Manhattan?”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“Oh, wow, Dillon! That’s so great! How?”
“All of Matteo’s promoting finally paid off. Someone saw my last show and got ahold of my demo. I guess they liked it enough to recommend me to the owner.”
“That’s huge. Are you nervous?”
“Not yet. Just excited. The nerves don’t come until I’m getting onstage.”
Natasha sympathetically looked up at me. “I bet. I couldn’t imagine getting on a stage alone and performing in front of that many people.”
Leaning down, I kissed her again. “Modeling isn’t much different. Walking on runways, posing for photos that the entire world will see. I’m sure it puts a lot of pressure on you.”
Natasha stared down at her wine before nodding in agreement. “Yeah, it can be hard at times, but I feel so blessed to be able to do it, you know? Not many people get opportunities like this.”
“That’s true, and as long as you love what you’re doing, it’s all worth it in the end.” I pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her curls. “Let me go check on dinner. I’ll be back.”
About fifteen minutes later, Natasha and I were sitting at my small dining room table, eating dinner. I enjoyed hearing the little moans that escaped her lips as she chewed her food.
“Mmm. I don’t usually eat red meat, but this steak is so delicious.” She licked her lips before taking another bite.
It was the most I’d seen her eat since we met, and I found it incredibly sexy.
“And these potatoes…so good. Where did you learn how to cook like this?”
“My mom taught me. I used to help her prepare dinner every night when I was a kid, and every Sunday, we’d have a big meal with family and friends. Food always gave us an excuse to spend time together.”
“Well, I really must thank your mom one day because this is amazing.”
I grinned as she closed her eyes and chewed another bite.
“So, what are you doing tomorrow?” I asked, pouring more wine into each of our glasses.
“Tomorrow? I have a class in the morning, and I think that’s it. Why?”
“Well, I have the day off, and I want to prepare for my show. I invited Sky over to help me go over the set since she’s usually pretty good at picking songs, and she suggested we all do it together.”
“Did she?” Natasha took a sip from her wine.
I could see the wheels turning in her head. Maybe this would help her realize that she had nothing to worry about when it came to my friendship with Sky.
Setting her glass back down, she smiled. “Sure, I’d love to.”
The following afternoon, I sat on my couch with my guitar and a list of songs in front of me. Natasha was in the kitchen, making lunch, and Kuma was sitting at my feet, like she always did when I played music. There was a knock at the door, and I instantly recognized it as Sky’s. She never knocked normally; there was always some weird rhythm or beat to it that made hers special.
“Come in!” I shouted.
She cautiously opened the door and stuck her head in. She was wearing a pair of sunglasses with red frames and had purple lipstick on her lips.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I asked, wondering why she was acting so weird.
“I just wanted to be sure everything was cool. I didn’t want to walk in on you guys…you know,” she whispered the last part of her sentence.
I chuckled. “You’re such a dork, Sky. I said to come in. Do you really think I’d say that if we were in the middle of having sex?”
“Oh, hi!” Natasha greeted Sky as she walked out with a plate full of sandwiches.
Sky turned around and smiled. “Hi. Oh, wow. That looks delicious.”
“Please, help yourself. I know Dillon eats a lot in the afternoon, so I made extra.”
Natasha went back into the kitchen. Sky grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite before sitting beside me on the couch.
“Damn, dude. You’ve got it made,” she mumbled around her food. “She’s hot, and she cooks you meals?”
I nodded. “Right?”
Sky put her sandwich down on the plate and picked up my list of songs. She nodded approvingly before setting it back down, and I waited to hear what she had to say.
“Have you thought about doing a new cover? You need something that’ll blow their minds and hook them from the very beginning.�
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“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe put your spin on a current song or even a classic, like Michael Jackson or something.”
“That could be a big risk though. I mean, people don’t usually like it when you fuck with the classics.”
“Yeah, I know, but think about it. If you take a more up-tempo song and break it down, make it slow, and sing parts a cappella. That could be hot.”
I nodded as I tried to think of a good song. “‘Smooth Criminal’?”
“Nah. Too predictable.”
“‘Man in the Mirror.’”
“Too heavy.”
Natasha walked in with a bowl of salad and sat down on my other side. “What are you guys talking about?”
“We’re trying to think of a Michael Jackson song that Dillon could make his own and sing at the show. Something unexpected.”
“Hmm.” Natasha set the bowl down on the table and rubbed her fingers over her lips as we all tried to think of one. “How about ‘Dirty Diana’?”
Sky and I looked at each other, recognizing the same glint of excitement.
“That would be perfect!” Sky said, standing up and typing something into her phone. “It’s sexy and edgy, and you could totally put your own spin on it!”
Natasha was smiling proudly.
I squeezed her knee before leaning over to peck her on the lips. “What would I do without you?”
A few seconds later, Sky had “Dirty Diana” playing on her phone, and the girls were singing to it as I wrote down the lyrics and tried to imagine how my own version would sound.
SKY
After spending an afternoon with Dillon and Natasha, I began to realize that my best friend was falling in love, and as much as I wanted to resist the change, I knew I had to accept it. My relationship with Dillon wouldn’t be the same, but it didn’t mean that we couldn’t still be there for each other.
Truth be told, I envied their relationship even if I didn’t want it for myself. Natasha was attentive, nurturing, organized, and seemed to have everything under control. I could never be that kind of woman. I was always forgetting shit and losing things, and I was not the domestic type at all. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cooked a meal—unless microwavable oatmeal counted.
I was happy for Dillon though. At least, I was trying really hard to be.
“How did things go at Dillon’s?” TJ asked as she stood in my bedroom doorway.
I’d been sketching ideas for the past couple of hours after I finished ordering fabrics that Frederico wanted for his new spring line. Apparently, he’d been inspired by a show he saw in Milan, and he’d said it was urgent I order samples before someone else beat him to it. He’d change his mind at least ten more times before he was done.
“Good actually. I think he’s got his set figured out.”
“I still can’t believe he’ll be singing at The Phoenix. We’ll be able to get in, right?”
“Yeah, they said he could put up to ten names on the list, so I made sure he included you.”
“Good. What are you working on?”
“A jacket. I’m going for punk rock meets Mary Poppins,” I said, laughing as I held up the sketch.
TJ raised her eyebrows. “Good luck with that.”
I made a face at her before dropping the book back onto my desk.
“Have you seen Lavish Logan lately?”
“Lavish Logan? Are you serious?”
“Hey, it’s the best L word I could come up with.”
“Lickable Logan is much better,” I said, moving to my bed and falling back onto the mattress.
“True. So, how have things been going with you two? You’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
I rolled my head toward her and smiled my widest smile, my cheeks growing warm as I thought about the past two weeks. Logan and I had had sex almost every night since our double date with Dillon and Natasha. And I was right. He’d definitely picked up some new tricks over the years.
“That good, huh?”
I nodded. “Uh-huh. Polyamory is where it’s at.”
“Pfft,” TJ scoffed. “I’d cut a bitch.”
“Yeah, but just think about it. I get to have amazing sex with no strings. If I want to go on a date with someone else tomorrow, I can. If I want to be alone or he gets on my nerves, I can send him off to his other girlfriends.”
She shook her head. “Yeah, but you could also get emotionally attached.”
“That won’t happen.”
She pursed her lips and crossed her arms.
“What?”
“I can see where casual relationships can have their advantages, but this is more than a fuck-buddy thing. You used to have serious feelings for this guy. Do you really think you can turn off your emotions? And what about the other women he’s with? Have you met them? Will you meet them? I mean, they’ll probably want him back at some point, don’t you think?”
“It’s not a big deal, TJ. The way I see it, it’s like having friends. I’m friends with you and Dillon. It’s not like I can love only one of you. I go to you for all my girl stuff, but I go to Dillon when I need sound advice.”
“Yeah, but you don’t fuck us. And I’m going to pretend like you didn’t say that sound-advice part.”
“You know what I mean. Dillon is so…”
“Serious? Practical? Quiet?”
“Reliable and strong. Yes, he’s quiet, too, which makes him a great listener. Unlike some people.”
“Hey!” TJ picked up my pillow and hit me in the head with it.
“Damn it, Tameka Joyce! You’re going to give me a concussion!”
The bitch was violent.
“Stop being a baby.”
I stuck my tongue out at her, and she charged the bed, jumped on top of me, and started bouncing.
“Okay! Okay! Mercy!”
She laughed and rolled over, lying beside me. “So, what are you doing tonight? Do you have another date with Logan?”
“No, he’s busy tonight, but he’s taking me out tomorrow.”
“Busy with who?” she asked, her brown eyes narrowing.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s busy with work. It’s not like he’s some crazy sex maniac or something.”
Is he? Oh my God, maybe he is.
“So, he doesn’t tell you when he’s with one of his other girlfriends or whatever? I thought he wanted total honesty and transparency.”
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe he will tell me, or maybe he just wants to spare me the details. We haven’t really talked about all that yet.”
“Don’t you think you should?”
“Yeah, we probably should. Now, thanks to you, I’ll be wondering where he is all night.”
TJ held up her hands. “Hey, I thought you were cool with it. I only want to make sure you think it through; that’s all.”
“Yeah, well…thinking too much ruins things.”
“Have you thought about dating other guys? Isn’t that supposed to be a perk to all this polyamory stuff?”
I shrugged and stared up at my ceiling. TJ was right.
Why haven’t I considered dating other people?
“I guess I’ve been spending so much time with Logan that I haven’t really considered it.”
“I bet you’d spend less time worrying about where he is.”
I sat up and gave TJ a devious smile. “You’re right. Let’s go out.”
A couple of hours later, TJ and I were on the dance floor in Three-Sixty, one of our favorite clubs. It felt good to be out, having fun, instead of sitting in my room, worrying about Logan.
“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran started to play on the speakers, and TJ turned to smile at me. We always blast this song on her stereo and dance around our apartment while we cleaned. We sang the lyrics together as we moved to the beat. TJ’s eyes were fixed on someone behind me, and she lifted her chin, signaling me to look. I turned around just in time to see two hot guys moving in. When they st
arted to dance behind us, TJ and I smirked at each other, knowing what the other was thinking.
Hell yeah.
I couldn’t see the guy I was dancing with very well since his crotch was glued to my ass, but I didn’t mind at all. The man could dance. Our hips stayed in sync the entire time. The guy behind TJ, however, was definitely hot. He had smooth brown skin and wore an all-black Yankees cap low on his head. I couldn’t see his eyes very well, but he had a sensual set of lips, and he seemed to be enjoying TJ’s moves.
When the next song started, I turned around to check out the man I’d been dancing with.
Wow.
He wasn’t wearing a hat, and I was thankful because he had the prettiest hazel eyes. He had a head full of long dreadlocks, and when he flashed his pearly-white teeth, I nearly melted.
Leaning in so that I could hear him, he said, “Let me buy you a drink.”
I turned around to get TJ’s attention. When she looked at me, I pointed to the bar, so she’d know where I was going. She nodded and kept dancing.
I was covered in sweat and happy for the break. Unlike TJ, I didn’t have the stamina to dance all night.
“What do you want?” the man asked me once we reached the bar.
“A water and a martini would be great.”
He lifted his hand for the bartender, ordering my drinks and a beer for himself. Once he was finished, he turned to face me, resting his elbow on the bar top. “What’s your name?”
“Sky. What’s yours?”
“Nice to meet you, Sky. I’m Rajae.”
He held his hand out to shake mine, and I was surprised by his manners. It was something I wasn’t used to. I grinned and shook his hand. The bartender placed our drinks down, and Rajae slid mine toward me. I took a swig of water before lifting my martini. Dillon would be proud of my moderation.
“Thanks for the drink.”
He lifted his glass, and we each took sips.
It was a little after one a.m. when TJ and I got home. Although I’d tried to go slow on the drinks, I’d still had a few too many martinis, and TJ had quite a few rum and Cokes. We were both giggling and drunk as we kicked off our heels and plopped down on our couch.
“That was so much fun!” TJ shouted, falling back onto the cushions. “Damn, that man could move his hips. And did you see those lips?”
