Take Three

by Mia Masters

  “Are you shittin’ me?!” Bryce said, aghast. “Fuck, Los Angeles is way too expensive!”

  “Monk, you guys head out. I’ll catch up with you at Zack’s,” I said.

  “Okay. Nice meeting you guys,” said Monk, giving me a kiss.

  The guys headed out and now I just had to escort my brothers back to my place. We piled into the truck and started heading toward the apartment.

  “Hey, slow down, Bryce,” said Cody.

  “What?” he said.

  “Look at that strip club!” he said excitedly. “I heard the Los Angeles strip clubs are the craziest ones in the United States.”

  “No, guys, c’mon,” I said. “No strip clubs. You think the hotels are expensive, I hear those places shake you by your ankles just to get in.”

  “Seriously?” asked Kallen.

  “No, I’m not being serious!” I snapped. “It’s just an expression. It’s expensive. Way more expensive than Montana. Just wait until you get home to do that kind of stuff, if you must.”

  “Is prostitution legal here?” asked Josh.

  “No, Josh!” I snapped. “And don’t even think about it. That’s Nevada you’re thinking about.”

  “Oh, right, Las Vegas,” said Drake. “It’s not too far from here. A few hours’ drive away, I think. We should stop by on the way out.”

  “You guys should definitely not go to Las Vegas,” I said. “It’s not a place for you. Plus, prostitution’s not even legal in Las Vegas city limits. Only other parts of Nevada.”

  “Why’s Vegas not a place for us, though? Cause we’re a little bit country?” asked Bryce, nearly whining.

  “Because you’re a lot of bit country, Bryce,” I said. “You don’t know what things cost. You don’t know how things work. Montana is where you belong.”

  “She has a point,” conceded Cody. “This whole city is too much for me.”

  Bryce pulled over and parked.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Let’s just go in for five minutes,” said Bryce. “I just wanna see it. I’ve heard about this place. The one with the glitter on the walls outside. Come on. For just five minutes.”

  “You’re gonna pay a cover charge for five minutes?” I asked. “And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

  “There’s a Dunkin’ Donuts right there,” pointed Cody. “Just go have a coffee and we’ll be right back out.”

  “You’re all going? For five minutes?” I asked. “You guys are full of it. If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m calling an Uber and leaving you here.”

  “Five minutes, we swear,” said Bryce. “We came all this way. We have to have something to tell our friends back home.”

  As if the fact that their sister is dating three guys isn’t enough of a story for them, I think.

  “Five minutes,” I repeated. “I’m serious. If you don’t come out by then, I will go to Zack’s and ignore your calls!”

  I went into the Dunkin’ Donuts while they ran into the strip club. Boys. They only have one thing on their mind. At least they were all single, though.

  My brothers weren’t much of the committing type. Sometimes I wondered if they would ever get married or have kids. I might never have a niece or nephew.

  Then again, I was sure they had probably thought the same about me. I wasn’t much of the committing type until recently. Maybe I just needed three guys to commit to at once, instead of only one.

  I chuckled to myself at my little joke, but the reality was that this whole situation was pretty crazy. I couldn’t begrudge them a quick trip to a strip club when I had my own “harem,” as the greasy reporter had phrased it.

  I got myself a latte and waited. Five minutes went by, but I wasn’t going to be a total killjoy about it. I gave them a full ten, then I texted.

  “It’s been ten minutes,” I texted.

  No response. I knew this was going to happen. Just what I needed. But I guess I should have expected it. I’d set loose five small town guys into a big city strip club.

  Then, the worst thing happened. The same reporter who had been at the barbeque place walked into the Dunkin’ Donuts.

  “Hey, it’s you!” she said.

  “Leave me alone,” I said. “I’m just trying to have a moment of peace.”

  She snapped my picture.

  “Okay, just the one,” she said. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

  I pointed to my latte.

  “Oh, you got one,” she said. “Well, can I sit with you and chat?”

  “I’d rather not,” I said. “I’m just having a quiet moment alone.”

  Bryce started texting me, “Coming out now.”

  “Stay in. Stay in. Reporter outside!” I texted back.

  Behind the reporter, I saw Bryce coming out of the club, but he looked at his phone and pulled the rest of our brothers back inside.

  “You know, technically, this is my Dunkin’ Donuts,” said the reporter. “I mean, I don’t own it, but I live just around the corner, so I’m here all the time. I don’t have much of a social life.”

  “Color me surprised,” I said sarcastically.

  “Yeah, I guess I walked right into that one,” she said. “Look, I’m just trying to make a living, toots. Not all of us can be movie stars.”

  “I grew up on a ranch in Montana,” I said. “And not some big elaborate ranch. Just a small, humble one. I’m not some rich socialite that got into movies because of her dad. You know that, right? I was a stunt woman first.”

  “That’s why your story is so fascinating,” she said. “No offense, but I think the idea of you and three guys? It’s pretty wild. I’m impressed. I would totally do that too if I had that kind of money and fame.”

  “It’s not about that,” I said. “What me and the boys have is real.”

  “Okay, sure,” she said, sounding unconvinced. “Whatever floats your boat. I’m just gonna get my coffee and run on out of here.”

  “Now?” texted Bryce.

  “Not yet!” I texted back.

  The reporter seemed to take forever to get her coffee. I was so mad at my brothers now. If they hadn’t wanted to stop at a stupid strip club, we’d be back at my apartment by now and I could have avoided all of this.

  If this reporter got more pictures at the club, I didn’t know how the papers would spin it. They’d probably make it look like it was my idea to go to the strip club!

  They’d say I was now enticing my brothers to follow me into a life of debauchery. Anything to sell newspapers, I guess.

  “Seriously,” said the reporter on the way out. “I hope your movie’s going well for you. It sounds like a big break. You know I could come by, take some pictures on set if you want.”

  “Not a chance,” I said. “Besides, the studio closed the set. I couldn’t bring you in even if I wanted.”

  “Well, if you change your mind,” she said, sliding me a business card. “See you around.”

  She headed out and I slid to a table closest to the window so I could watch her leave. She got about four doors down and then went inside an apartment building.

  Man, she wasn’t kidding. She really does live here. Well, at least I’d know where to send the boys if I wanted to get my revenge.

  Just kidding, I thought, mostly.

  “Come right out and get into the truck,” I texted Bryce. “No messing around! She’s still nearby.”

  The boys came outside. I waited until they were at the truck before rushing outside and getting into the vehicle with them. Bryce peeled away and down the street within seconds.

  “What happened?” asked Cody.

  “It was that reporter from the restaurant,” I said. “This is ‘her’ Dunkin’ Donuts. She lives on this street!”

  “Oooh, sorry,” said Bryce. “Bad luck, that.”

  “Yeah, but it was totally worth it,” smiled Cody. “The girls here are completely naked.”

  “Great,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You can get tha
t in Montana!”

  “Not the same,” he assured me.

  We got back to the apartment and couldn’t find a parking space. I showed Bryce the safe street to park on. As we got out of the truck, I glanced into the back and noticed a bunch of things in the back of his truck.

  “What the hell is all that?” I said.

  “Tools and whatnot,” he said casually. “Why?”

  “You can’t leave that stuff in the back of your truck overnight!” I said. “It’ll be gone by the time you wake up in the morning. Oh, my God!”

  “Oh, well, I need those tools,” said Bryce.

  “You’re gonna have to bring them into the apartment,” I said.

  Oh, my God. I needed an aspirin. The guys brought a bunch of muddy, rusty tools, shovels, picks and whatnot into the apartment. I had to put down a towel just to keep them from running the rug.

  Eventually, I got my brothers situated in my bedroom and on the sofa, then apologized to Layla and Harlow for dumping my brothers on them. They were really good about it. Then I added insult to injury by leaving and taking an Uber to Zack’s.

  Finally, though, the boys relaxed me after I told them about the adventure. It was so much better with my boys. So relaxing! I hoped that we could stay together for a very long time, no matter what life threw our way.

  Chapter Thirty

  Zack

  I had just finished shooting what was probably my last scene in the movie. Walking back to the trailer, I felt my phone vibrate. It was my agent.

  “Hey, Jerry,” I greeted him.

  “Bad news, kid,” he said. “Are you sitting down?”

  “Let me get inside my trailer, one sec,” I said, rushing in. “What’s going on? What happened?”

  “The studio is shaky on you for this TV show now,” he said grimly.

  “What? Why?” I asked.

  “They got wind of your… dating situation,” he said. “Why’d you have to go so public with it?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” I objected. “I didn’t break any laws.”

  “They want a family-friendly face for this, Zack,” he said. “You’re engaged in a very public four-way? People don’t know what to think. It scares away advertisers, or they think it will.”

  “Jesus Christ, Jerry!” I snapped. “I’m starring in an erotic thriller right now! Did they think I was family friend after that?”

  “That’s not the same and you know it,” he said. “TV is different, and this is different. You flaunted it in front of people! They don’t understand. You need to distance yourself from this broad immediately or you’ll lose the TV show. You might lose future jobs, too.”

  “You gotta make them understand, Jerry,” I said.

  “How? I don’t even understand it, buddy,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t. What do I tell people?”

  “I’m in love with this girl,” I said. “I’m just sharing her with two of my friends.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t get that,” he said. “I don’t see how I can put a positive spin on that. It’s weird to people. It’s weird to me, no offense. I mean, honestly, I don’t care what you do. But the decision-makers look at demographics for this stuff.”

  “I can’t believe this,” I said. “I love this girl! I can’t throw her under the bus for a TV show I haven’t even landed. This is discrimination!”

  “You know that’s not gonna fly with these people,” dismissed Jerry. “And these are some of the most easily offended human beings on the planet. Look, think about it. Is the girl that worth it? It’s her or your career, maybe. Just sayin’.”

  “Well, thanks for calling, I guess,” I said, frustrated. “Keep me apprised of any further developments.”

  “You might wanna turn on the TV,” said Jerry, uneasily. “I know you’ve been on the set all day.”

  “Okay, I will, bye,” I said.

  I turned on the TV and there it was—a montage of pictures and video of us all in the restaurant. It made it look like Blythe was at dinner with a dozen men, even though it wasn’t a dozen and five of the men were her brothers.

  It didn’t matter, though. It was all about what the media wanted people to think. They made fans jump to their contrived narratives and all we could do is fight back and hope our own narrative garnished them more ratings. If it didn’t, the general public would never see it.

  I was sick. I thought about calling Dad, but I didn’t want to bother him with this. That wasn’t what a man did. A man solved his own problems and made his own decisions.

  I had to come up with a solution on my own or talk to Monk and Christian. They were in this with me. Perhaps they could lend a hand. They had connections and friends, too.

  I found Monk sitting at a table in his trailer. He was watching another news program that was also covering us at the barbecue place.

  “What’s up, Man?” he greeted. “Did you see this?”

  “Yeah and I’m fucked!” I said.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “My agent just called,” I explained. “He says if I don’t give up Blythe, my career is dead. The studio’s nervous about me now because I’m not family friendly. Can you believe that shit?”

  “Yeah,” said Monk. “I got a call from my agent, too. Basically, it was the same speech.”

  “What are you going to do?” I asked immediately.

  “I’m going to ignore it,” he said. “I’m not going to change a damned thing. Why should I?”

  “Monk. We could lose everything! I can’t maintain this lifestyle without the income from these gigs! How long would you last if you stop getting work?” I asked.

  “I’ll get more work,” he insisted. “I’ll just downsize. I have enough money to support myself if I live modestly. I’d have to get rid of the beach house, but so what? It’s only a material possession.”

  I envied his Zen-like attitude. I felt as if I was about to blow a gasket.

  “Aw, fuck! I can’t believe this is happening,” I ranted. “Why me? Why now?”

  “Look, there’s an upshot to this you’re not seeing,” insisted Monk.

  “What?” I said. “What could possibly be good about this?”

  “Other actors who are in polyamorous relationships— their careers took a hit at first, but now they’ve bounced back bigger than ever,” said Monk. “Look at Mallory and the Haywood boys, as the most recent example. And there have been others, too.”

  “That won’t necessarily happen to us,” I insisted. “What if it doesn’t?”

  “It will,” insisted Monk.

  “I was already working steadily,” I insisted. “This’ll be a big drop for me. I don’t know…”

  “Trust me, Zack,” said Monk. “What’s more important to you? Blythe or some TV show you weren’t sure about doing in the first place? You’ll get other offers, you’re good!”

  “Easy for you to say,” I said. “I’m not as good as you, Monk. I don’t have the focus, the dedication.”

  “Anyone can have it, if they want it,” he said. “You just need to work at it more. Look at the other side, you might get a break. You could take the time to become more focused on your craft. Maybe that’s all that’s holding you back.”

  “That’s fucking Zen, bro,” I laughed, despite myself. “But shit in a shit storm, what are we going to do? It’s just a matter of time before Blythe sees the TV and hears about it. She’s going to be crushed.”

  “We’ll work it out,” said Monk. “I promise.”

  There was a knock on the door and Christian barged in.

  “Zack, what are you doing here?” he said immediately. “Oh, never mind. I’m fucked, man. I’m fucked!”

  “What happened? Wait, did you see the TV reports?” I asked.

  Christian looked up at the TV.

  “Ah, fuck! No wonder,” he snapped. “That bitch reporter. She’s fucked us, man!”

  “Calm down, what happened?” asked Monk.

  “My agent called,” he
began. “Tells me all my future projects are on hold. The studio is now shaky about me all of a sudden. I was this close to signing a deal and now they’re shaky? My agent tells me, dump Blythe and my problems will be solved. If I stay with her, I’m finished in this town.”

  “That’s basically what my agent said,” I revealed.

  “You can get more work,” insisted Monk. “This will blow over.”

  “I’m in a different situation than you are,” insisted Christian. “My career’s not that established. This movie was going to make me. I’ve been living in the shadow of my brother my whole life!”

  “See that?” I pointed out. “And you were worried about him. He has to be able to help you out of this, right?”

  “I can’t rely on him to do that,” he said. “My family’s not like Blythe and her brothers. He’s already called me three times demanding to know what the hell I’m doing with my life.”

  “What did you say?” asked Monk.

  “I told him the truth,” he said. “I said I was in love with Blythe and I didn’t care if I had to share her. But he doesn’t get that. He’s from a different generation. No one’s going to get this. We’re going to be crucified the Hollywood way.”

  “Yeah, in the press,” I said, watching the news report. “Look at how they’re spinning this. They’re not even acknowledging that those are all of Blythe’s brothers sitting with us.”

  “You’re a talented guy,” insisted Monk. “You can weather this. This shit will blow over in a few weeks. Something else will happen and—”

  “And what? In the meantime, we’re all out of work!” he ranted. “I can’t sustain myself. The lifestyle I’m accustomed to? I’d have to go back to my mother’s house! Do you know how that will look? I’d be a total failure!”

  “Christian, you’re not a failure,” insisted Monk. “You got this movie because you’re talented. This is just a setback. You can’t let it destroy you. I’ve been through this shit before. The entertainment news is bullshit, and everyone knows it. You just have to weather the storm.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” he said. “I love Blythe.”

  “Then you have to stay, man,” said Monk. “We’ll help you. We’ll help each other get through this. This is where the rubber meets the road, my friend. You have to decide, but I want you to know that I’m here for both of you. Seriously.”