by Lana Hartley
I’m volunteering to play the role in making sure that someone—or something—isn’t out to get us.
“We’ve already established the fact that someone’s out to get us.” King stares at me.
“Enter...me,” I proclaim proudly.
Krista sighs beside us, and we halt our playful bickering.
“I really want to make sure we get to the bottom of this derailment and sabotage against you.” I cradle her petite hands in mine, cupping them against my chest.
“Oh, come on.” King laughs then points at Krista. “Krista, are you really going to believe that load of crap?”
Krista just chuckles, taking it all in stride. “Don’t fight over me, guys. I care about you all the same. In fact, there are so many amazing qualities from all three of you that I can’t imagine being without all of you. It would definitely feel like something was missing.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Simon raises an invisible glass.
“I could use a real drink.” King rubs his tired eyes.
“I just don’t want to see you sad,” I tell Krista, biting out my bottom lip.
“I’ll be okay as long as you three have my back.” She smiles warmly.
“Absolutely and always.” I wink at her.
I know it sounds fucking crazy—because it is—but I really think I’m beginning to fall for Krista. She’s so smart, sweet, and durable.
When I say durable, I don’t exactly mean that she’s a set of decent storage bins or something. No, that’s not how I’m describing her at all.
What I mean is, she’s tough and resilient. Even through all this stress, she picks up the pieces and dusts off her shoulders...always willing and ready to press forward and try again.
I admire and respect her—a perfect balance to make me see stars and get the lovestruck feeling.
“I just want to do anything I can to make sure you’re successful,” I confess to Krista.
“Stop kissing ass,” Simon scoffs, and I glare at him.
“Come on, guys. Your fighting doesn’t help.” Krista breathes out a sigh in frustration.
“We’re sorry,” King states apologetically and then shoots a look of fire at me and Simon.
Krista stands up and places her palms on the desk. “I have an idea. Why don’t we go back to my place?”
“Yeah...?” I grin, her words suddenly piquing my interest.
Krista rolls her eyes. “Not like that. I can make you guys a home-cooked meal or something.”
“Wow.” King glances between me and Simon. “That sounds awesome.”
“Yeah,” I admit and agree. “What a special gesture.”
“I love to cook, and it would make me feel better to focus on something else for a while.”
Simon nods and stands up. “I agree. A distraction would be great right now, even if it’s just for a little while.”
“Not to mention, we do still have a lot to celebrate,” Krista adds, always one to cast a positive light on a less-than-favorable situation. “We’re still making huge strides with the research, and that’s something to be proud of...for all of us.”
I lean over to give her a high five. “Darling, I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“I don’t even remember the last time I got a home-cooked meal.” King chuckles.
“Me neither,” I say with a nod. “It’s nice to get taken care of every now and then.”
“Well, I’m happy to do it.” Krista beams at the encouraging reaction from us guys.
When we arrive at Krista’s house about fifteen minutes later, I marvel at how quaint and cozy it is. She has warm, soft colors on the walls, and the decorations remind me of the farm life.
“It’s nice that you’re bringing some of your roots back to the big city with you.” I glance around and smile.
“Yeah, it really feels like home here.” Krista sighs with contentment and then walks into the kitchen, ready to get to work on our meal.
“So what’s on the menu?” King pulls out the barstool and takes a seat.
“Do you guys like spaghetti and meatballs?” Krista asks eagerly. “I have a fabulous recipe passed down from previous generations.”
“Sounds amazing to me,” I admit and place my arm around her waist. “Do you need any help?”
“No.” Krista shakes her head adamantly. “Believe me, you guys have done more than enough. It’s time for me to put my special skills to work and serve you for a change.”
“You wear many hats.” King laughs. “You’re a multitasking, multitalented female.”
“Thanks.” Krista laughs. “You guys know how to make a girl blush.”
“So tell us,” I say and prop my elbows up on the counter. “What’s the funniest story you can tell us about life on the farm?”
Krista grabs the hamburger meat and begins forming it into balls.
“Well,” she says, grinning as her mind begins to wander. “Let’s see here...oh yes! I have the perfect story for you all.”
“I’d love to hear it.” Simon comes up behind me and pulls up a chair.
“This one actually involves my dad,” Krista says with nostalgia. “We were outside by the pastures. It had rained the day before. It was spring, and all the flowers were blooming. The soil was really wet from all the rain, and well...” Krista bites her lip and grins.
“What happened?” King asks with eager interest.
“I sort of...slipped and fell face first into a pile of cow manure.”
I slapped my hand on top of the counter and roared with laughter. “You did what?”
“Yep.” Krista nods humbly. “Guilty as charged. I’m a damn klutz.”
“Wow.” King shakes his head and chuckles.
“It took me years to recover from that one. Everyone laughed at me for a while.”
“I’ll bet the cleanup was hard as...shit.” I laugh at my own pun, and everyone else does, too.
“Oh, Dylan, my perfect jokester.” Krista gives me a fond glance, which makes my insides twist with desire.
“What can I say? I aim to please.” I give her a charming grin.
Later, while we’re all sitting at the table with full bellies and happy hearts, I lean back and rub my stomach.
“You’re an incredible cook,” I tell her. “You should be a chef, along with being a researcher.”
That makes Krista laugh. “One thing at a time.”
“Can we come over every night for dinner?” Simon teases. “Seriously, the only noodles I get are cup noodles.”
“Yeah, I concur with that statement,” I say and raise my glass of merlot. “It’s usually frozen dinners for me.”
“You guys are so pitiful,” Krista teases us in a playful and lovable way.
“You don’t have to tell me.” I laugh, then clap my hands together, making a loud smacking sound that sends King jumping in the air.
“Holy fuck!” he yells. “What the hell, dude?”
“Sorry for breaking that ambience.” I laugh. “Let’s play some games, shall we?”
“I think that’s a great idea.” Krista giggles.
With our full stomachs, we wobble to the living room.
“Anyone up for charades?” I ask with a raised brow.
“I actually love that game,” King admits.
“Not again,” Simon groans.
“I’ll play!” Krista puts in her two cents.
“Sorry, Simon.” I give him a mock look of apology. “Three against one, little buddy.”
I gather that I should be on Krista’s team because I came up with the game, to which the other two guys grudgingly agree.
We begin playing, and I realize how much I care not only for Krista but for Simon and King as well. They’ve been my best friends since college, and I can’t imagine them not being in my life.
Later on, after we’ve had our fill of wine, games, food, and fun, we all jump into Krista’s enormous bed, naked and cozy and piling up on top of one another.
“I wa
nt to spoon Krista first!” King yells, calling dibs as we all wail in disappointment.
I get to be on the other side of her, so at least I can be thankful for that as I drift off to sleep, listening to the peaceful lull of her breath and the hypnotic way her chest rises and falls with each satisfied sigh.
* * *
The next morning, when we get to the research room, I find myself reminiscing about last night and how we all cuddled together and fell asleep. It had felt so right at the time—so perfect like we should’ve been doing it all along.
Even on the next day, I’m still reeling from the enormous amount of fun I’m having with all of them.
Despite the unconventional arrangement we have between the four of us, it does have its perks. Hey, at least we won’t ever have to worry about being lonely.
Half of Manhattan is single, and here I am with three people I care about.
“It sure was a memorable night yesterday, wasn’t it?” I smile at Krista as we prepare to set up and arrange our workstation for the day.
“It really was.” Krista’s face is glowing, and she radiates love and light, which is something that I admire most about her fiery, amazing spirit.
Everything seems normal here in the research facility in the light of a fresh new day, so I can at least rest with the assurance that nothing else happened overnight. But I can’t help wondering if King’s theory about the sabotage is true.
We just need to be prepared for whatever might happen, under any circumstances. I’m ready for battle. Fuck yeah, bring it on, and I’m up for the challenge—always.
I walk over to the door to turn on the overhead lamps, and some of the other male faculty members just happen to walk past.
“Well, don’t you all look positively ravishing,” Professor Limmons states and cranes his neck to peer in at Krista.
“Things are looking up.” I smile politely, wishing this creep will just move along.
We aren’t some damn animals in the zoo to gawk at.
I don’t mind the teasing from my other guy friends like King and Simon, but everyone else needs to fuck off and mind their own damn business.
I walk back to Krista, who’s giggling in spite of the teasing I’m having to endure.
“What?” I chuckle back because her laughter’s infectious.
“Oh, nothing.” She shakes her head and continues to giggle.
Perhaps those faculty members are right. We are inspired, but are we in love, too? Now I have to laugh that one off, but I’m open to options.
Chapter 28
Krista
Everything’s going smoothly since the tire-slashing incident, and frankly I’m pretty relieved about that fact.
The guys are super helpful, and I know I wouldn’t be making all this progress without their help.
They’re always there for me, and they add a few touches of brilliance to the factors at hand—a quality that I’m desperately struggling to achieve on my own accord.
In my opinion, the progress is significant so far, and I’m loving every minute of the climb.
Think about it: we all have expert qualities and talents that we bring to the table that hash out a perfect goal in the end.
The four of us really are a perfect balance, and we blend to make the cleaner coal research absolutely perfect from start to finish.
Walking to the research room, I notice a bounce to my step, and I’m actually fucking humming.
Yes! Humming.
Am I really that happy now? Things seem to be going so well that my subconscious is just following right along, giving me hope and prosperity for the future ahead.
I get to the entrance door of the research room, ready to go in when I stop dead in my tracks.
There’s a man in there, looking around.
I don’t recognize this man.
I gulp and glance back down the hallway from the same direction I first came and toward the right in the opposite direction.
The hallways are empty, and I get a prickly feeling on the back of my neck, like something’s not right. It’s ominous and unsettling, so I stand there and observe the man with a weary and watchful eye for a few seconds.
Finally, the suspense builds up so much that curiosity consumes me. I take a careful step inside the room and clear my throat.
The man guiltily spins around in shock, but he quickly redeems himself with a flash of a smile in my direction.
“Hello.” He gives a timid wave.
“Can I…help you with something?” I ask guardedly.
The strange man with a bald head and a black trench coat merely shrugs with nonchalance. “I’m just looking around.”
“Are you looking for anything in particular?” I ask with confusion as the man’s confidence blossoms again.
“What’s this room for, exactly?” He glances at me.
I sigh with relief, gladly noting that this is a question I can answer without issue. I take a few steps closer to him as my trepidation meter lowers.
“Well,” I say as I pat the desk in the front of the room. “This is a research facility.”
The man furrows his brow. “What sorts of research do you do in this room?”
“All kinds of things, really,” I state proudly. “My colleagues and I are working toward a very specific goal right now.”
“What might that be?” The man quizzes me further. I’m not alarmed yet. Perhaps he’s interested in studying at this university and is just gathering information to come to an informed decision later.
“My team’s currently paving the way for a world where the coal mines can use cleaner resources for the outputs they produce. Not only will it be cleaner for the environment, it will also be safer for the miners working inside, and there will be less likelihood of accidents.”
When I talk about my research, without even realizing it, my heart begins to race with pride, and I want to conquer the world.
I imagine a life where I can have my medals and trophies for all my accomplishments—along with the guys—splashed all over my walls.
“It sounds like there are a lot of benefits to it.” The guy flashes me a smile, and I notice that his top teeth are yellow.
I recoil a little, almost too visibly, and the man frowns. I quickly try to recover from my mental misstep.
“Yeah, it’s really great.” I nod with bubbly enthusiasm. “I’ve been working really hard at the tasks at hand. It’s not an easy job, but I can’t wait to see the results if we’re successful.”
The man gives me a wild grin. “You sound really proud of your work and excited for the finished product.”
“I am.” I nod with a polite smile. “I have a specific reason I chose to dive into this field,’ I admitted, not really understanding why I feel the need to sprout out my life story and purpose to this stranger.
“What might that be?” His eyes light up with intrigue.
“I’ve lost several family members in the coal mines due to how unsafe they are to operate,” I admit with regret.
“I’m sure that makes you feel even more determined,” the man offers.
“It does,” I say and give him a wan look.
He seems really interested in my field of study, and I just give him the benefit of the doubt and keep my friendly face moving.
After all, like I said, he might be interested because he wants to participate in his own research career. Who am I to judge?
After a few minutes of talking, the guys walk into the room, cheerily greeting me and then stopping when they notice I’m not alone.
King casts a suspicious glance at the man and then eyes me with concern.
“Hey, guys.” I wave with a bright smile.
“Hi…” Simon files in directly behind King and looks confused. “Who’s your friend?”
“Oh…” I spin around and point to the man. “We aren’t…he’s just…” I trail off when the man interrupts me.
“I was just leaving.” He chuckles nervously and quickly scampers
from the room at the sight of the three guys joining me.
“Well, that was fucking weird,” I say and shake my head, feeling a little perplexed.
“Who was that guy?” Dylan asks and points his thumb back out the door where the man has already hurried away.
“I’m not sure, exactly,” I say. “I didn’t catch his name.”
“What was he doing here?” King asks.
I shrug and pull out my books. “He was just asking me questions about the research.”
The guys exchange a glance that makes me sweat as a nervousness forms in my belly. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, of course not,” Simon reassures me and pats my hand. “Why don’t we get started on our work?”
“Great idea,” Dylan agrees. “We don’t want to find ourselves falling behind when we’ve worked so hard to get ahead of the game.”
The guys and I dive right in, burrowing our heads into the work as we gather and begin to apply the formulas we’re so diligently trying to apply and match up to our experiments.
“I think we’ll be ready by this weekend,” King states nobly.
I glance up at him. “Really? You mean for experimentation?”
“That’s right.” He nods proudly. “We’re almost there, sweetheart.”
The guys grin at me, and my eyes fill with tears. I’ve come so far from the small-town farm girl with huge, unstoppable dreams.
“I have a big lawn,” King reminds us. “I can volunteer to conduct the experiments at my house.”
We all agree to that plan, stating that it seems the most feasible and will work the best for us right now.
We continue working laboriously through the morning hours and well into the afternoon.
That’s when I notice that King has been working on his laptop nearly the entire time. He’s not relaxing, and it’s not healthy. I don’t want any of the guys to get burned out just because of my goals.
Walking up to him, I gently place my hand on his shoulder. He’s so focused on his work that he startles a little at my touch.
Smiling up at me with a fond gaze, he greets me. “Hi.”
“Hi.” I smile back. “You need to take a little break.”
King protests, “I’m fine, really.”
“No.” I close his laptop screen. “Stop for a little while. You don’t want to stress yourself out.”