by Marla Monroe
Why she didn’t tell the guys about it, Tammy didn’t know, but she wanted to put it all behind her. It was over, and she’d never see those men again. She shouldn’t have to worry about any of it ever again. Smiling, she dove into her meal and chatted happily with the two men she was positive she was falling in love with. She refused to let anything color her feelings for them. Not even the tiny seed of worry that continued to hibernate deep inside of her.
Chapter Thirteen
Randi burst out laughing when Tammy walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn and two glasses of wine.
“Who drinks wine with popcorn?” Randi asked, chuckling.
“We do. I want to watch a movie, and I need a glass of wine after the day I’ve had.”
“I can’t imagine being on your feet all that time. I’m on my feet for eight hours, but I get to sit down now and then,” Randi said.
“Doesn’t happen very often at the diner.”
“Are the tips getting better?” Randi asked.
“Actually, they are. I’m making fairly good money. If he’ll let me work some in the actual truck stop, I should be okay,” Tammy said.
“That’s a lot of hours, hon. Are you sure you can handle it?”
“I won’t know until I try it. Besides, I need the money to make ends meet.”
“When do you think he’ll decide to let you start?” Randi asked.
“I’m going to ask him next week. I need another week of working my extended hours, I think. It’s only been two weeks.”
“What about the guys? How are things going with them? I’m surprised they let you stay home today,” Randi said with a knowing smile.
Tammy felt heat rush to her cheeks. “They know I need my time with you. We haven’t had a movie night in over a month.”
Randi laughed. “This is going to be fun. Wine and popcorn here we come.”
They watched two movies before Randi called it a night. She had to work the next day, though Tammy was off since it was Monday. She worked Thursday through Sunday right now. Hopefully she’d get more hours soon.
Once Randi had headed to bed, Tammy cleaned up their mess, then strode into her bedroom to get ready for bed. Her phone rang with Baldwin’s ringtone. She grinned and answered it on the second ring.
“Hey, Baldwin.”
“Hi there, hon. How was your night with Randi?”
“Fun. She just went to bed. What are you guys doing up?” she asked, staring at the time on the clock. “It’s nearly midnight.”
“Thinking of you. Wanted to call and see how you were,” he said. “I’m going to put you on speaker phone so Gabriel can hear you.”
“Hey, babe,” Gabriel said.
“How was work?” Baldwin asked.
“Good. Hard, but good. I got some good tips. The better I get with serving, but better tips I get. There is a learning curve, but I’m recognizing regulars and know what they want so they don’t have to wait as long for me to fill their order,” Tammy told them.
“That’s good. So, you’re off tomorrow through Wednesday, right?” Gabriel asked.
“That’s right.”
“How about going out to eat Tuesday night? You won’t be working Wednesday morning, so we don’t have to worry about you getting back home at a specific time. How does that sound to you?” Gabriel asked.
“Sounds great. I’d like that,” she said.
“Good. Pack some clothes and you can stay the night, okay?” Gabriel said.
“Um, okay. I’ll do that.” She smiled even though the guys wouldn’t be able to see.
“Better let you go. We all need to get into bed. Talk to you soon, hon,” Baldwin said.
“Night, guys.”
“Good night, babe.” Gabriel’s husky voice pulled at her like a string tugging at her heart.
Tammy ended the call, then laid her phone on the bedside table. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was crazy for caring about two men at the same time. Dating them hadn’t been all that hard, but she was well aware of the looks they got anytime they were all together. Could she endure those for the rest of her life? Would they finally fade out over time?
The guys had said that there were two other threesome families on the mountain. She’d like to meet them but wasn’t sure when that would happen. Her boss had talked about giving her every other weekend off. Maybe when she talked to him next weekend about working some in the truck stop, she’d bring that up, as well.
She ran a tub of hot water with her favorite bath salts, then stepped in and relaxed with her head on a bath pillow against the back of the tub. It felt wonderful to soak for a while. Her feet were slowly getting used to the long hours, but the new shoes were helping. They had the support her feet and legs needed.
She thought about the guys and how they made her feel. She enjoyed spending time with them. They didn’t judge her for quitting her job and working at the truck stop. Their only complaint was that they hated for her to be on her feet so much. She knew they worried about her, but neither of them had fussed about it.
If they had, I doubt we could last very long. I know they worry, but they also know that there are lots of people there all the time so that we aren’t alone.
Tammy sighed and realized her water was getting cold. She stood and grabbed a towel to dry off, then pulled on her sleep shirt and underwear. When she climbed into bed, she felt good. Spending time with Randi had made her feel normal, and then talking with the guys before bed had settled her. She closed her eyes and drifted off almost immediately.
* * * *
Thursday morning Tammy was refilling coffee cups and delivering orders when the hair on the back of her neck lifted. She turned around to find the two scary men from the office settled into a booth in her area. What were they doing there? Fear nearly paralyzed her, and she found her hands shaking so badly she almost dropped the coffee carafe she was carrying.
“Tammy? You okay? You’re white as a ghost,” Julie, the other waitress, said.
“I’m okay. Think I’m a little tired is all.” She grabbed up two menus and forced her hands to quit shaking by gripping them tight enough her hands finally settled down.
She walked over to their table and placed the menus in front of them. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Coffee and water. What are you doing working here, darling?” one of the men asked.
“Changed jobs. I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Tammy hurried away and poured their drinks before carting them back to their table. “Do you need a minute to look over the menu?”
“Naw, we know what we want,” the other man said, looking her up and down as if she were on the menu.
Tammy got out her pen and order pad. She looked up and waited for them to order. The one with the large gauges in his ears spoke up.
“What about you? You on the menu, babe? I could use some of what you could dish up.”
“I’m not available. What do you want to eat?” she asked.
The other guy, who had tattoos up the side of his neck, leaned back in the booth. “Two eggs, fried, hash browns and bacon,” he said.
She hated that she had to wear a name tag. Now they knew her name. What were they even doing there? She was sure they didn’t live around there. They had to be from Billings.
“What about you?” she asked.
“Pancakes with bacon. Make sure you bring the syrup with them,” he said.
Tammy hurried away to place their order. She was toying with asking Julie to take their food out for her when a large group of truckers walked in and settled in the other woman’s section. Her heart dropped. She couldn’t ask her to do it now. She would be busy with the truckers.
As soon as their orders were ready, Tammy added syrup to her tray and carried it along with the coffee carafe to their table. She served their meals, then topped off their coffee.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked.
“Just your number, babe. Might want to call you sometime,” the one wi
th the holes in his ears said with a toothy smile.
“Sorry. I don’t give out my number to anyone.”
She started to walk away, but he snapped his hand out and grabbed her wrist. “You’re seeing those two bastards from the mountain. You putting out for them, you can give us your number,” he snapped out.
“Let me go. I’m not giving you my number.”
“Let her go, Plug. We know where she lives. We can always pay a visit to her sometime when we’re in town again,” the one with the tattoos said.
“I don’t want to have anything to do with you, so don’t bother coming by,” she said and jerked her hand loose from the one called Plug’s hand.
“We’ll be seeing you whether you want us to or not,” the other man said.
Tammy tore off their ticket and slapped it onto the table before walking away. She was shaking all over, and her insides felt as if they were in the agitate cycle of a washing machine. Nausea had her covering her mouth in fear that she’d throw up.
“Tammy, you really don’t look too good. Maybe you should sit down for a while. Looks like your side is about to clear out anyway. I can watch your tables for a few minutes,” Julie said.
“Thanks. I think I will. I’ve given everyone their ticket. I really appreciate it.” She hurried to the back to sit down with a glass of ice water in hopes she could calm her rattled nerves.
Four o’clock couldn’t have come sooner. She sighed and clocked out right at four, then walked over to the office to see if the manager was in. She knocked on the door and turned the knob once she heard his rough, “Come in.”
“Hey, Tammy. How are you doing?” he asked in a cheerful voice.
“Good, really. I wanted to see if you’d thought any more about letting me pull some shifts in the truck stop side.”
“You’re doing fine with the diner, so I don’t see any reason we can’t cross-train you for the other side. It will make giving you a weekend off here and there a little trickier, but if you want the extra hours, we can do that. You’ll be on a separate account then, so you’ll have a different badge for clocking,” he said.
“I really appreciate it. When can I start training?” she asked.
Her boss pulled out the schedule and looked over it for a few seconds. “I’m going to have you come in next Tuesday and Wednesday to train and mark you as off Saturday and Sunday from the diner to. Then we’ll have you on the schedule as working Monday and Tuesday in the truck stop and Thursday through Sunday in the diner. Sound good to you?” he asked. “That gives you Wednesday off. Twice a month I’ll rotate you so that you have Saturday and Sunday or Friday and Saturday off.”
“I really appreciate it. I’ll be here Tuesday. What time?” she asked.
“Same hours. I may need to move you to night shift after you’re trained, but we’ll see,” he said.
Tammy didn’t really want to work nights, but she had to do whatever was necessary to pay her bills. Working nights might be her only choice.
When Tammy got home Sunday afternoon, she quickly showered and got ready for her date with the guys. They’d said they were having a cookout with several of the other families on the mountain. She couldn’t wait to meet them.
She’d just finished putting on her shoes when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find Baldwin with a huge smile on his face.
“Ready, hon?” he asked.
“Ready. I’m excited. I really want to meet your friends.”
“They’re anxious to meet you, too.”
Baldwin helped her up into the truck, then closed the door to hurry around the front to climb into the cab and start the truck.
“Missed you today,” she said a little shyly.
“Missed you, too, hon. Sorry we couldn’t see you last Tuesday. We had that meeting in Billings.”
“That’s okay. I understand. You guys are having to work around my job schedule,” she said.
“Anything to spend time with you, Tammy,” he said.
They pulled up in the driveway, and Tammy climbed out of the truck before Baldwin had a chance to walk around to help her. She was anxious to meet the others. Plus, she was a little nervous.
“You’re biting your lip, hon. Don’t be nervous. They’re going to love you, just like we do.”
Tammy nearly gasped at what he said and wondered how to respond to that. Finally, she didn’t say anything. Surely, he said that out of habit and not because he really meant it. As much as she wanted them to love her, she wasn’t ready to return the words.
“Come on, hon. Let’s go inside.”
Almost as soon as she stepped into the house, she was lost in a sea of people. Baldwin held on to her hand, but she felt adrift as people came up and introduced themselves.
“I’m Caro,” one woman said. “I’m with Phillip and Jasper. They’re the two guys over there talking to Gabriel.” She pointed toward the three men standing next to the fireplace drinking beer.
“It’s nice to meet you. How long have you three been together?” Tammy asked.
“We’ve been married about two months, but we dated for a while before we got married,” she said.
Another woman walked up and held out her hand. “I’m Selena. I’m married to Caleb and Austin. They’re out back braving the cold to keep a check on the burgers.”
“Is it hard to live with two men?” Tammy asked.
Both women burst out laughing, but Caro spoke up first.
“No, but it’s never quiet at our house. They’re always doing stuff for me and wanting to touch me. I love it, but sometimes I’d like a little alone time, you know?”
“I have to fuss to get them to let me cook or clean up the kitchen after a meal. They spoil me something fierce. Caro and I try to get together at least once a week just to get away from them,” Selena said.
“That sounds like a good idea. I guess I hadn’t thought about getting overwhelmed living with two men. Just dating two is a little daunting,” Tammy said.
“Tell me about it. You’ll have to go to the spa with us one day. We go once a month to Billings for a spa day,” Caro said.
“I’d really like that, but it would depend on my work schedule,” she admitted.
“We can work around it. No problem,” Selena said.
“How about next week. When are you off?”
“Wednesday is my only day off next week.”
“Tell you what, we’ll need to make an appointment, so let me give you my number and you can call me to get the time,” Caro said.
“I hate to mess up your routine,” Tammy said.
“It’s no problem. We can go anytime.” Caro held out her hand for Tammy’s phone.
She programmed her number into Tammy’s phone, then passed it to Selena. Tammy checked her phone, then sent a text to both women with a smile.
“Now you have my phone number, as well. I really appreciate it,” she said.
“You’ll have a ball. We love spa day,” Caro said.
“Food’s ready, guys,” Phillip said.
She started across the room, following the other two women, but Gabriel intercepted her to pull her into a hug.
“How was work, baby?” he asked.
“Long.”
“How about a massage later?”
She smiled. “I could go for that.”
“Count on it, babe.”
“Come on, you two. Let’s eat,” Baldwin said.
Tammy thought about the two men from the diner and shivered. She needed to tell them about her interaction with the two. She didn’t want to ruin the day, though, and vowed to tell them about it later. She knew they would get upset and she couldn’t blame them, because she was upset about it, too.
Later, she’d tell them later.
Chapter Fourteen
Once everyone had left from the barbeque, Tammy insisted on helping them put things away. The others had gone a long way to cleaning up after themselves, but there were still things to be done. She wasn’t about to let th
em do all the work while she sat around waiting on them.
“You don’t have to do this, babe. We’ve got it,” Gabriel said.
“I know, but I want to. It will go a lot faster if I help you. Besides, you promised me a massage later. The sooner we get things put to rights, the sooner I get my massage,” she said with a wink.
“Ahh, I see why you want to hurry,” Baldwin chuckled, a huge grin brightening his face.
“Hey, I worked hard today. I need it,” she said.
“Want to hit the hot tub for an hour?” Gabriel asked.
“No thanks. Maybe another night. I’ll fall asleep in it if I get in it tonight,” she admitted.
“Then let’s hurry up and get you to bed, where if you fall asleep while we give you that massage, you don’t have to walk.” Baldwin started loading the dishwasher.
Thirty minutes later they were undressing her as she stood letting them. With each item of clothing they removed, they kissed that area. Gabriel had her lie back on the bed while he pulled down her panties. When he exposed her pussy, he kissed her belly button, then her pelvis, then the spot just above her pussy before he dropped the panties on the floor with her other clothing. Normally she folded her clothes and set them on the chair, but the guys didn’t worry with that. Instead, they urged her to move farther up the bed. Baldwin disappeared for a minute, then returned with a bottle of lotion. He poured some into Gabriel’s hand, then some into his own hand. They began massaging her feet and legs. The lotion was warm, so she guessed that he’d warmed it under hot water while he’d been in the bathroom.
She couldn’t help but groan as they massaged her. In only a matter of minutes, her legs felt a hundred percent better. Once they reached the junction of her thighs, they had her turn over and began massaging up her arms, across her shoulders, and down her back. When they kneaded her ass cheeks, she groaned again. It felt so good and so bad all at the same time. Her pussy was wet and empty feeling after all the stimulation they’d given her.
“Feel good, baby girl?” Gabriel asked close to her ear.
“Real good.”
“Are you almost asleep?” Baldwin asked.