by Ellie Rowe
I need to be with people who care about me.: Asher and Liam. Since the weekend, I feel more attached to them than ever before.
Forty
Asher
I am still hungover from our night out but incredibly happy about our threesome. The night that we had out together was so awesome, I could think of nothing else. As soon as I step into the shower, I hear the doorbell ring. I stop the water and wrap myself in a towel.
When I got to the door, I looked out the peephole and there was Samantha. It was a happy surprise that she was at my door. Perhaps she would want to join me in the shower? I open the door to find her crying.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure, come on in.”
Samantha came into my house, and I shut the door behind her. I could tell that she was a mess of emotions. She certainly wasn’t herself. I put my arms around her. I could feel her wet tears on my shoulder as she begins to sob.
“It’s all right,” I say.
That only makes Samantha sob harder.
“Should I call Liam?” I ask.
“Yes,” Samantha mumbles between sobs.
“Let’s go sit on the sofa.”
Samantha reluctantly lets go of me. I take her hand and we walk to the sofa. She sits on the edge of the sofa and tries not to cry. I pick up my phone from the coffee table and call Liam. He answers on the third ring, and I tell him to get over to my house as fast as he can.
“Let me go get dressed,” I tell Samantha.
“Okay, don’t leave me for too long.”
“I won’t.”
I go to my bedroom and put on a t-shirt and jeans. Then, I go to the kitchen and pour some water into a glass and take it out to Samantha. She takes it and drinks it down in one gulp. I take the glass from her and place it on the coffee table. The doorbell rings and I go to let Liam in.
“What’s going on?” Liam asks.
“I don’t know but Sam is really upset.”
We go to the living room and when Samantha sees Liam, she starts to cry again.
We sit by Samantha on the sofa. Liam sits on her left and I sit on her right.
“What’s wrong Sam? Please tell us,” I beg.
“It’s my dad. He had a massive temper tantrum over my trip to New York.”
“What did he say?” Liam asks.
“He knows about everything that happened in New York.”
“How?” I ask.
“The paparazzi got our whole night on camera.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t pay attention usually because there are always paparazzi everywhere in New York. My publicist says it’s good for my career, so I never care that they are taking pictures of everything.”
“Oh my, what pictures did they get of us?”
“They got me spanking and kissing you guys. All sorts of pictures that just enraged my father.”
“I thought he wanted us to hit it off,” Liam says.
“He does- but apparently not me acting like a very horny call girl.”
“It wasn’t that bad, was it?” I ask.
“The pictures were pretty raunchy.”
The three of us are silent for a moment. I realize that Samantha is more upset by her father’s violent reaction to the pictures than the actual pictures themselves.
Samantha starts crying again so Liam puts his arm around her. I feel bad that I had not thought to do this myself.
“What’s really the issue here? Was your father’s outburst really bad?” I ask.
Samantha nods her head in the affirmative. I feel an anger brewing inside of me. How dare he attack Samantha that way. I feel like jumping into my truck and paying him a visit.
“It’s not so much about my father’s outburst. It’s the fact that he is threatening to ruin your reputation.”
Liam and I just look at each other. I think we are on the same page about Laurier’s threat.
“Samantha, don't worry so much about our reputations. Folks in the community know us pretty well. It might take some work to undo what your father says but it’s not impossible to come out of this all okay,” I say.
“Asher is right Samantha, on one hand we might really be fucked but on the other hand, we will get through this… together,” Liam says.
Back in the day, I would have been too angry and furious to ever be included in anything with Liam. But things are different now. I’m beginning to understand that there is more to Liam than the sum of things he has done to me. Maybe I just need to forgive and forget?
“I agree with you Liam,” I say.
“Great. Come on Samantha, you can stop crying now because everything is going to be alright,” Liam says.
Then we sandwich Samantha into a group hug. I’m starting to feel good about our threesome. Liam is an attractive and smart guy. I’m starting to see his good side. I wonder if he is changing his attitude about me.
For years we have been angry at each other but it’s about time that we get rid of that anger. New York proved to me that I could enjoy being with Liam. I have never had so much fun as I did with Liam and Samantha in New York.
We were starting to feel like a threesome. At least, that’s the way I’ve started feeling. When we were in New York, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a part of a threesome with Liam and Samantha.
What happened in New York City was a game changer for me. As a team there is no one that can beat us or tear us apart. After the group hug, I suggest we relax, and Samantha and Liam agree. I find myself in the moment and realizing that I’ve never been so happy.
Forty-One
Liam
Man, this past week has been rough- and I mean rough. First, Mr. Laurier approaching us and threatening us, then flying all the way to New York, not knowing what to expect there. Managing to bring Samantha back home- and then this shit with her father seeing us in a magazine together?
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified of what her father was going to do. I mean- I can’t really blame him to be honest. Not saying the guy isn’t a total dick- but if it were my daughter- I probably wouldn’t be too happy either.
But regardless- my main goal is to protect Samantha. She is all that matters, and I will do whatever I have to do in order to make sure she is happy and safe. I won’t let her father do anything to hurt her, that’s for sure.
And honestly? After hearing some stories from her about her childhood with her father- I’m not sure I even want her going anywhere near him again.
But of course- this isn’t the only thing I’ve been thinking about since we landed back in Houston. One of the main things that’s been on my mind has been Asher.
It’s weird, but since we flew to New York as a team to bring Samantha back home- things have been surprisingly civil between us. Maybe even more than just civil. Things are good.
We’ve been getting along like we’ve been best friends for years now. Almost like all the bad blood between us never happened. I’m not sure how to feel about it.
Anyways, after a few very long hours- Asher and I have managed to calm Samantha down and put her to sleep. It took a while, but I’m proud that the two of us were able to do it.
See, when I received the text from Asher to come over- I had no idea what I was about to walk into. But to see Samantha breaking down like that? It was horrible. I didn’t know what to do, or how to help her.
It took a while for me to even understand what she was trying to tell us, but when I could- I was horrified. The girl was just done, sick and tired of her life. And I don’t fucking blame her.
“You wanna slip outside to share a cigarette?” Asher whispers.
“Sure,” I nod.
The two of us quietly get up and slip out of the bedroom and into the living room. He grabs a pack of cigarettes from his desk drawer, and we step out onto the front porch.
He lights one for me, and then one for himself, and the two of us sit in silence for a whil
e- just puffing away.
“This sucks,” he finally says.
“Agreed.”
“I’ve never been in a situation even remotely like this. Like, I honestly have no clue what to do.”
“I’m in the same boat as you man,” I sigh. “I wish there were more I could do- but I really don’t think there is anything.”
“All we can do is just be there for her. Stay by her side. What she needs right now is to not be alone. She needs support. And that’s what you and I mean to her. She feels safe with us- and we need to make sure that she continues to feel like that.”
“You’re absolutely right. She needs us now more than ever.”
We sit in silence for another few minutes, until Asher breaks it once again.
“I’m sorry,” he blurts out.
I turn to look at him, unsure of how to respond. He’s staring at me, eyes wide and honest.
“I’m sorry too,” I nod at him.
And I really mean it.
“I’ve been so nasty to you over these years. And for what? I’ve realized this past month or so that there really was no reason for us to hate each other as much as we did. I mean, do you even remember how that started?” he asks.
“I actually do. Well, sort of. I remember accusing you of stealing one of my prized cattle. And you swore up and down that you didn’t do it for so long. But then one day she was found roaming on your fields. And then from there on, I just hated you. But I do agree- things got way out of hand. We were really childish.”
“Ah, yes. I remember that very clearly now. But I still swear to you that I stole nothing from you. But I can see that that whole misunderstanding was the one thing that caused everything else to happen.”
I peek at him, to see if I can tell by his face if he’s lying. But all I see there is honesty and openness. He has no reason to lie to me right now.
“Well, I’m sorry for everything that happened after that. I truly am ashamed of my actions.”
“I am too. But here’s the thing- I forgive you, Liam.”
“I forgive you too, Asher,” I say, shooting him a smile.
We stare at each other for a few long moments, just enjoying the good energy flowing between us. This feels like real progress, and I really, really like that.
“I’ve been wondering something,” I admit.
“What’s that?”
“Do you think maybe you and I were attracted to each other from the very start, and we just didn’t know it? And maybe that’s why we were so passionate in hating each other?”
He stares at me but doesn’t answer. Instead, he stands up, and offers me his hand. I take it, joining him. We gaze at each other, and the next thing I know- our lips are pressing softly together.
We share a sweet, but passionate kiss out on the porch, before heading inside and going straight to bed. And I know as I lay my head down- that I will remember that moment for a very long time.
Forty-Two
Samantha
I’ve discovered today that Asher also happens to be an amazing cook. As if he wasn’t hubby material already, the man continues to amaze. I just wish I was in a mood to actually enjoy it.
The veggie laden omelet with a side of homemade grits and bacon sits beneath me. Its mouth-watering aroma does nothing for me at the moment. My mind is anywhere but here.
What the fuck was I going to do? Dad was hellbent on dictating my life, to the point that not only was he willing to coerce two men into marrying me, but then forbid those same men when they stepped out of line with me. No, not out of concern for my safety, but because the optics hurt the family image or some shit.
It’s my goddamn life. If I want to spend it sandwiched between two sexy as hell men, then it’s my god given right to do so.
But, how much of what he said was actually true. Now, while I don’t give two shits about my public image, the guys very well might.
I was a lingerie model, so some risqué behavior was to be expected, but these were two ranchers. Men of the land who grew goods that families all around the world could enjoy.
Wholesomeness was an aesthetic that could make or break their businesses. People imagine hard workers in overalls when they think of ranches, not two dude-bros grinding up against some floozy in a New York club.
“What’s wrong?” Asher’s husky morning voice asks me.
The question pulls me from my thoughts, and my eyes off breakfast.
“Nothing. It’s fine,” I say, as I try to pretend that it is.
“Bullshit,” Liam responds across the table from me.
I sigh, knowing the men aren’t dumb and after last night I don’t think anyone would be fine the next morning.
“I just don’t know what to do. I know what matters to me and honestly anything my dad says falls comfortably into the ‘does not matter’ side of things.”
“Agreed,” Liam responds.
“Agreed,” Asher practically growls and places a hand on my shoulder.
The gesture is comforting and having so much of their support through all of this doesn’t go unnoticed. Sure, in the beginning it was all fun and sex games, but the last few days really changed things.
Still, I want them to know they’re not trapped. They can dip at any time.
“But what about you guys? You guys were just as exposed in those photos as I was. I wouldn’t blame you if you guys called it quits.”
They gave each other a long hard look. Both men’s faces hardened into a glare.
“Never,” they say, almost in unison.
Liam continues.
“I don’t think either of us know where all of this is going to go, but I know it’s not away from you.”
My stomach does a flip while my cheeks start to burn. These men...
I try to think of things coming up; any pitfalls that could be awaiting us. Something that we’d be expected to publicly attend that would put us in harm's way. One comes to mind.
“The annual rancher’s fair is coming up isn’t it?” I ask.
Asher is the first to respond.
“Down in Houston, yeah.”
“What’re you thinking?” asks Liam.
I shrug my shoulders.
“I’m thinking we go as a threesome and try to find a way to embarrass the hell out of my dad.”
Both men are stunned and visibly trying to understand what I was implying.
“What do you think we could even do there?” asks Asher.
“Yeah, especially at the fair. Everyone’s going to be on their best behavior,” adds Liam.
“Because I know my dad. He’s a scum fuck that anyone who’s met him would want to see with egg on his face.”
“So, what are you suggesting?” Liam asks.
“I’m suggesting that we go, make a bit of a scene and chances are with the company there, it’ll embarrass him even more than us.”
The men’s eyes drift down to the table as they begin to fidget. They’re uncomfortable with my idea. It hurts more than it should. Were they ashamed of themselves and the position they’ve found themselves in?
Nah, my men have their issues, mostly with each other, but they weren’t that weak. They were both the type of man that cared more for the fruits of their labor more than the perception of how it was cultivated.
They both were proud and strong and those characteristics fueled their life long rivalry. I just need to remind them of it.
“I don’t know about you two, but I don't give two shits about the opinions of anyone at that fair. Hell, I don’t care about the national media’s opinion of me. If the two of you and your fragile egos can’t take the strain, I’ll go by my damn self,” I say, crossing my arms in protest.
Both men look at me with storms in their eyes. God, men were way too easy to manipulate.
“How far are you wanting to go?” Asher asks in a low, stern voice.
My mind begins to play highlights of a decadent day out. Instead of being a modest farmer’s daughter, I’d be the l
oud and proud vixen I truly was.
The idea of the guys being wrapped around my finger as we strut through the rustic get together. The shrieks of the women with their tightly clutched pearls as my men practically overflow with their lust for me. Being felt up was going to be given. I wonder what the limit of public indecency in Texas even is. Whatever it was, I was going to dance along it as if it were my personal stripper pole.
My smile feels more than a little devious.
“Pretty fucking far.”
Forty-Three
Asher
It’s the day of the fair and I can’t say I’m excited in the least. The whole thing is a big deal and supposed to be a celebration of the local ranch’s successes. Really, it’s just an excuse for all of us to rub shoulders and network. Well, that and for the dick measuring contest that inevitably broke out.
The whole state of Texas is involved and as is our nature we like being the biggest and the best. Unfortunately, there could only be one king of the hill.
More often than not the three top dogs were myself, Liam, and Sam’s old man. The latter usually trails us though. Whether that was due to mine and Liam’s rivalry or maybe the old man was just too stuck in the old ways to quite meet the modern demands.
But for the rest of the attendants, things were more underhanded. People trying to get into the good graces of those outpacing them, trying to draw out their new techniques or personal formulas for their success. People trying to do everything in their power to succeed.
I can’t really blame them either. Most ranchers don’t share in our excess. They more often than not barely scrape by year after year.
That isn’t to say it’s an entirely unpleasant day out. A lot of us just took advantage of the day and brought good food and better booze. It’d become a bit of a party if you wanted it to be, but others I suppose just didn’t have the luxury.
Regardless, if you didn’t come at all you were screwing yourself. It doesn’t matter how good you are, or how smart that you think that you are, there is always someone or something you have to know or learn. Progress in any industry comes hard and fast, and when you’re at the top of the food chain like me and Liam are, it comes even faster.