by Melody Lewis
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THREE
CAN
PLAY
Part of the MMF Series
Melody Lewis
Copyright © 2013 Steam Books Erotica & Romance
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
“Bye, Ms. Richards.”
“Bye, Shirley,” I returned the curly-haired teenager’s greeting with a smile. “And don’t forget to memorize that list of words I gave you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Take care.”
I watched her leave the faculty room before sitting back in my chair and heaving a sigh, grateful that another day of work had gone by.
In the past two years, I had learned why my mother had not exactly approved of my being a teacher, the stress from dealing with teenage students and all the hard work driving me crazy sometimes. I had discovered its rewards, though, which were enough to make me stick to my chosen career. One of those rewards was simply helping my students discover their passion, even if it’s something as simple as a hobby, like just then with Shirley discovering her passion for Scrabble.
At the memory of watching Shirley play her first game just an hour ago, her brows furrowing as she tried to come up with the best words from her still limited vocabulary and her eyes lighting up each time she placed her tiles on the board, I smiled. I, too, had been like that the first time I had played Scrabble, which was in a dusty attic with my childhood friends, Todd and AJ on one chilly autumn afternoon many years ago. It was one of my fondest childhood memories and the reason why I had helped create the school’s board game club, which I now served as the adviser for.
As I remembered Todd and AJ, my smile grew even wider, though it quickly disappeared when I remembered that I was supposed to meet them after work. Panicking, I glanced at the clock, breathing a sigh of relief when I found out that it was still early. It was only a little past four and we were supposed to meet at six, which meant I had plenty of time to spare.
Even so, I began to fix my table and pack up my things, knowing I had a tendency to run late. Besides, I was a little excited. While Todd and I still saw each other regularly, eating out every Sunday, I had not seen AJ in a long while. During our last year in high school, his parents had gotten divorced and so he left New Jersey after graduation, moving to Seattle with his mother. We kept in touch through chat and occasional phone calls and so I at least knew that he went to a film school there, studying screenwriting just as he had dreamed of.
Actually, it was also my dream and Todd’s to become writers, which was why the three of us became such good friends, but then I had chosen to become a teacher, thinking that I could simply write during my free time and Todd had seemingly given up on writing, already having become a successful stockbroker like his father.
Today would be the first time I was meeting AJ in seven years.
Today would be the first time the three of us would be together again.
At that thought, some of my excitement suddenly turned into nervousness and for a moment, I sat still with my elbows propped on my desk, staring out the window. The last time we had met, the three of us were simply friends, and yet shortly after AJ had left, as Todd and I spent time alone together, I realized I liked him more than that. He seemed to like me, too, and yet he never said it out loud, as if he was afraid of something.
I couldn’t blame him. I was afraid that things would change between us, too. What’s more, I was afraid that if Todd ever made it official, I would lose AJ’s friendship and I didn’t want that. As naïve as it sounded, I wanted the friendship the three of us shared to be the same forever.
But what if AJ asked me later how I felt for Todd? Would I be able to lie to him and tell him I didn’t like Todd, that he was nothing more than a friend? Worse, what if AJ told me he wanted me? That thought had also crossed my mind a few times since, like Todd, he still didn’t have a girlfriend. What if I had to choose between the two of them?
I shook my head at that. God forbid that nightmare would ever come true. I liked Todd, but AJ was my friend. I didn’t want to lose either of them.
No, I told myself, shaking my head again. I could never choose from either of them. It simply wouldn’t be right.
I gathered my things, refusing to dwell on the abominable thought a second longer. Instead, I told myself that I was thinking too much, that AJ would never ask me such things, that he would be the same serious yet kind guy I had always known, and that the three of us would simply have a wonderful meal together while reminiscing old times.
Yes, everything was going to be alright.
* * *
Everything was not alright, I realized as I arrived at the café where I was supposed to meet Todd and AJ, panting. Along the way, I had run into a woman who was about to give birth and since there was no one with her, I accompanied her to the nearest hospital. It seemed like a good decision at the time, and the woman even told me she would name her daughter ‘Cassandra’ after me in gratefulness. Unfortunately, as usual, time passed by quickly without me knowing, and now I was late. Sixteen minutes late to be exact, I saw as I glanced at my watch.
Not wanting to waste another second, I entered the café and looked around, but to my surprise, neither Todd nor AJ was there. Worriedly, I took out my phone. No messages.
Now, something was really off.
I tried to call Todd and when he didn’t answer, I sent him a message. While waiting for a reply, I asked a waitress if she had seen them, but she shook her head. Apparently, neither Todd nor AJ had set foot in the café, which meant that they had left – though why they would leave without me, I had no clue – or that they were both running late, which was also strange, since Todd was the most punctual person I knew.
I glanced at my phone again. Still no reply from Todd.
I thought about taking a seat, but decided to use the ladies room first to freshen up, since I was certain my hair was a mess after what I’d been through. On my way there, however, I caught a glimpse of what I was sure was Todd’s car in the parking lot, and so I decided to go over and check if he was still in it.
I shouldn’t have.
A few feet from the car, I stopped, the blood draining from my face. Todd was in it alright, but what surprised me was that he was with AJ.
He was kissing AJ.
Quickly, I turned around and ran.
“Cassie, wait!” I heard Todd call after me, but I paid no attention, running away from the parking lot as fast as I could.
I didn’t know where I was headed or what I was going to do next, but I knew one thing for sure:
Things between Todd, AJ and me would never be the same again.
* * *
For the next few days, I ignored Todd’s countless calls and messages as well as AJ’s lone call. It was not that I didn’t want to speak with them. Rather, it was because I wasn’t sure what to say to them, not sure of how I felt myself.
At first, I simply felt numb, then I went to trying not to think about the whole incident because it made my mind confused and my heart feel heavy. As the days passed, though, I came to realize that I was not getting any less confused doing nothing and that I could not shy away from reality forever, nor did I want to, and so one evening, I sat down on the balcony of my apartment with a cup of hot cocoa and sorted out my feelings.
How exactly did I feel about seeing Todd and AJ kissing?
As I replayed the scene in my mind, I tried to name the emotions that coursed through me. To my surprise, I didn’t feel any disgust at watching my two best friends kiss. Instead, once the shock had faded, all that was left was pain, anger and sadness, but from what? Was it because I realized Todd didn’t really like me, after all, as much as I liked him?
If that was so… then why didn’t I feel jealous? I did feel jealous, I finally decided, but not in a romantic sense.
Rather, I was jealous because the two of them shared something I did not.
Yes, seeing the two of them together made me feel as if they no longer needed me, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that was also the reason why I was hurt, why I felt angry, why I felt lonely.
I had been left out.
The thought brought tears to my eyes, making me feel lonelier than I had ever been in my life. As lonely as I was, however, I could not bring myself to hate them. I still did not want to lose either of them.
I did not have to, I told myself. If I talked to them, then we could still stay friends. It seemed as if they were still both willing to continue being friends with me, after all. True, it would feel uncomfortable at first, painful even, but the pain would be less than losing them both at once, losing nearly nineteen years of friendship. Besides, if I’d chosen to date Todd, I would have wanted AJ to continue being my friend, to support me, and so I felt like I had should support them, too.
With my mind made up, I sent both Todd and AJ a message, asking to meet them so the three of us could talk. After a few seconds, they both replied and we all agreed to meet at my apartment at seven the next evening.
To my surprise, Todd arrived early, just a little past six. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t exactly happy to see him, though I forced a grin, mumbled a greeting and politely ushered him inside my apartment. As soon as he sat on the couch, I excused myself, saying I was just going to finish up some work but in truth just not wanting to endure the awkward atmosphere. However, Todd quickly grabbed my hand.
“Wait,” he pleaded. “I came early because I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to tell you some things before AJ arrived.”
Unable to resist the look in his eyes, I sat across him, though I did not meet his gaze.
“I’m listening.”
“I like you, Cassie,” he confessed. “Or maybe it’s more accurate to say I’ve always been in love with you.”
In the past, I would have rejoiced to hear such a confession, but now, I wasn’t sure what to make of it and so I kept silent.
“I never told you before because of the two things,” he went on. “On one hand, I was afraid you’d say no, which I thought was likely since I’ve always felt that you and AJ always had a closer bond. Even when he was away, the two of you kept in touch so much that it seemed you weren’t apart at all.”
I wanted to tell Todd that he and I had a close bond, as well, but didn’t say so, letting him continue.
“On the other hand, I was afraid you’d say yes and that AJ and I would never get along again. Worse, AJ might distance himself from you because of that and I knew you wouldn’t be able to bear that. Every time I thought about asking you out, it felt so right and yet so wrong at the same time, and so I never did.”
I nodded, understanding. So he and I had the same fears, after all.
“I knew, though, that things could not just stay the way they were,” Todd continued. “So when AJ returned, I was going to ask him about how he felt about you and if he wasn’t interested in going out with you, I would ask his permission to do so. It’s strange, I know, but somehow, I’ve always felt like you belonged to both of us.”
I said nothing, having felt the same. In the beginning, I had thought nothing about hanging out with two male friends, but as time went by, I realized how unusual and yet how special the bond the three of us shared was. I was simply happy that Todd and AJ were by my side and I didn’t care what other people thought.
I was understanding, but I also couldn’t help but be a little impatient, too. “So, how does this lead to… you know…”
“When AJ and I met, he said he wanted to tell me something, too, and I let him go first. It was then I learned that he had always liked me. He said that he realized how he felt about me when the two of us were apart and that he wanted to be with me. He also said he knew you could get hurt, knowing how you hated being left out, but that he couldn’t keep his feelings to himself any longer.”
That was just like AJ, I thought. He was always true to himself, which was one of the things I liked about him.
Todd went on. “I was shocked, of course. When he asked me if I thought I could feel the same way about him, I said I didn’t know. I didn’t want to reject him outright since I didn’t want our friendship to be ruined just like that, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be with him the way I wanted to be with you. Before I could say any more, he said ‘Let’s find out’ then he leaned over and kissed me. I wasn’t able to fight him.”
“But you were kissing him back,” I pointed out, knowing what I had seen.
“You’re right,” he admitted to my surprise. “I never really tried to fight. At first, I was just stunned that I couldn’t react but the next thing I knew, I was kissing him back.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Even now, I’m still confused as to why I did that. All I know is that for some reason, I didn’t hate it.”
“So… is there a chance you feel the same way about him?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I know I’m in love with you, but at the same time…” He shook his head. “I really don’t know, Cassie.”
I watched him, unable to help but feel sorry for the turmoil he was in. I suddenly felt like comforting him and so I scooted over to his side and wrapped my arms around him, though as soon as I did, I had another idea.
“Let’s find out,” I told him, repeating the words AJ had used.
“What?” Todd looked at me, even more confused.
“If by kissing AJ, you were able to find out you could like him, maybe by kissing me, you’ll be able to find out who you really want to be with,” I said. “I know I might not like what you find out, but I want you and AJ to be happy more than anything. If both of you are, then maybe I can be happy, too.”
For a moment, he just looked at me. Then, he cupped my face and kissed me, gently at first, but quickly escalating to one that was rough, passionate, hungry, his tongue quickly parting my lips so that it could mingle with mine. I didn’t mind, kissing him back with equal force as I clung to him, clasping my hands at the back of his neck.
Over and over, we kissed; lips, tongue and teeth clashing like waves crashing down on the sand, as if we were making up for all the times we wanted to kiss each other but didn’t. I couldn’t get enough of him, my heart racing, my mind feeling like mush and my body feverish, only stopping when I needed to catch my breath.
As I did, I looked into his eyes, and at the unmistakable desire I saw there, I felt the warmth in my body turn into heat, my own desire for him stirring. I realized for the first time how much I wanted him and I lay down on the couch, pulling him on top of me in invitation.
His immediate compliance told me he wanted me as much as I wanted him and his kiss confirmed it. This time, as we kissed, I worked to unbutton his dress shirt while his hands made their way beneath my red tee, the contact making me gasp. Then, he detached his lips from mine so that he could remove the piece of clothing entirely, pulling it above my head, before working to unfasten my bra.
I managed to undo the last button of his shirt at the same time as my bra came off. Now both half naked, we wrapped our arms around each other as our lips met once more, fingers tracing every dip and bulge of muscle or flesh, caressing every patch of skin they could reach. If before I thought I had a fever, now, I felt like I was burning, melting, and when he released my lips so he could kiss one of my breasts, I let out a moan, the pleasure growing within me.
He
licked my nipple, turning it into a pebbly bud, before taking my whole breast into his mouth, his hand cupping my other breast and skillfully kneading it. Then he switched, not stopping until both of my breasts were ripe and heavy and another part of me was aching for his attention.
Through the fog of pleasure in my mind, I wondered how many women he had caused to writhe beneath him just as I was at that moment, I thought for sure, with his handsome looks, his intelligence and his charisma, he must have had many women throwing themselves at his feet. I didn’t really care, though, somehow knowing that he would never belong to any woman as much as he belonged to me.
He reached for the waistband of the jogging pants I wore, pulling it down along with my underwear with my help. As soon as they reached my ankles, I kicked them off, and I was about to remove his pants, as well, when suddenly, I looked up and realized that we were not alone.
AJ was standing there, just a foot away, watching us.
How long had he been there? I wondered, freezing, thinking I must have left the door unlocked in my surprise at Todd’s earlier arrival. Noticing my reaction, Todd turned his head, and he, too, froze.
For a long moment, a heavy silence shrouded the room, all of us just staring, barely breathing.
Then AJ turned to go.
“Wait!” I called out to him impulsively. “You don’t have to go.”
I didn’t know why I suddenly said those words. All I knew was that at that moment, I realized that up until I noticed AJ was there, I was happy, and I didn’t want to ruin that happiness I had found with the knowledge that I had hurt a childhood friend I treasured as much as Todd.
In order for me to be happy, I knew they both had to be happy.
I wanted to make both of them happy.
“AJ, you don’t have to go,” I repeated.
Todd looked at me, puzzled, but I paid him no heed at that moment, my attention on AJ. As he slowly turned around, I felt my chest swell with relief, and when he looked at me, I reached out my hand to him, inviting him to join us.