Three if by Sea: MMF Bisexual Romance

by Nicole Stewart

  “Sorry you’re having to stay back,” Callum said. “You can take off if you like, I’m sure I’ll be alright.” He gestured towards the ground, where his horse was nudging at the snow with his hoof. “I don’t think this fellow is particularly interested in going anywhere.

  “I don’t mind,” Amelia said, and it was only a tiny bit untrue. As much as she would like to gallop across the meadow, it was also nice to sit there, feeling comfortable with Callum as they watched Adam. She felt more comfortable with him than she had previously, and no doubt it had something to do with him slipping into her relationship with Adam. She glanced over at him, and from the look on his face as he stared out across the meadow, she would have bet money that he was thinking something very similar.

  Chapter 23

  The next day, she decided to venture out to the village café as it was the only place in Dalwally that had internet access. Her supervisor was due a progress report, and she was beginning to think she would kill for a decent cup of coffee. The drip pot in the cottage had broken after the second week.

  The café was two streets up from the Moose and Thistle, but the walk felt long today. The temperature had dropped several degrees, and the wind had picked up again. Amelia wrapped her scarf around her face, feeling the wool chafe against the chapped tip of her nose. She shouldered her heavy messenger bag. If there was one thing she was looking forward to once she got back to Chicago, it was public transport. The constant walking was good for getting in shape, but it was getting old, fast.

  She settled into a booth with a hot, delightfully fragrant cup of coffee, and the moment her laptop connected, email notifications began to pop up. A lot of them were junk, but as she scrolled through, deleting the credit card offers and notices of sales, her cursor passed over one that immediately put her on high alert.

  It was from David. Amelia, Please Read, was the subject line, and for a moment she seriously considered sending it directly to the trash folder, along with the emails telling her she could save 40% on all sweaters and get a 0% interest rate for eighteen months. Wouldn’t it be easier to just not read it? After all, she’d finally stopped wondering what she could have done differently to make things work, whether she’d been wrong to stand her ground and insist that he should have talked to her about the move to New York. Wouldn’t reading the email just send her back down the rabbit hole?

  If she didn’t read it though, she’d always wonder what it said. In the end, that would probably be harder, and she knew it. Nervously, she clicked on the message and leaned forward.

  Amelia,

  I haven’t heard from you since you arrived in Scotland, but I know you said you wouldn’t be online much while you were there, and I also know that you needed space, and time to think about what happened between us. I’ve been settling into things here in New York, and while I don’t know if this is okay for me to say anymore, I’m going to say it anyway. I miss you. I’ve had a lot of time to think these past months, and what it really all boils down to is this…I really miss you.

  I know I did the wrong thing by not including you in the decision. I assumed that you would go wherever I did, and I see now how very wrong I was about that, and although it hurts that I might have lost you forever because of this, I am so very proud of you for sticking to your guns. I can’t help but hope that in the time we’ve been apart, you’ve missed me too, although I know you’ve been very busy with your work.

  Assuming nothing has changed for your return date, I will be in Chicago that same weekend for a work conference. Please, let me take you out to dinner. Even if your feelings have changed and there’s no longer any chance for us to work things out, at the very least let me say these things in person. Let me tell you how sorry I am. Because I truly am sorry, Amelia, very, very sorry.

  Love,

  David

  Amelia sat back in the booth, re-reading the email a second time. She tried to conjure up a memory of David in their better days, a time from earlier on in their relationship. She remembered the Christmas when he’d decorated her dorm room for her, the time she’d been so stressed about finals that he’d gone out and bought every single one of her favorite foods, even though it was more than they could have eaten in a week. She remembered lying on their bare kitchen floor in their apartment the night before the moving truck brought all of their things, a pot of rice over boiling on the stove because they’d started kissing, and kissing had somehow led to their clothes coming off…and then the rest was history. She remembered him rolling closer to her in his sleep, his mouth resting against her shoulder, arm curling tightly over her, and how safe that had made her feel.

  But there was so much else, too. There were all the fights when he wouldn't listen to her point of view, all the times where he’d pointed out how much more money he contributed to the relationship, the way the sex had become a mechanical, loveless act. And the big finale—his total lack of concern about her feelings regarding the New York move. Of course, he’d apologized for that in the email. But did that really mean anything?

  Maybe she should let him take her out to dinner, if only for closure. Surely that was worth a few hours of her time, to hear him apologize in person, and to gauge her own reaction. The time away had given her some clarity, had helped her see that she didn’t need him in order to be happy. But what if he was sincere? The doubts she’d had about throwing away a four-year relationship all came rushing back.

  She hit the reply button, and stared at the blank text box for a long moment. She had no idea what to say back. Gee, David, that sounds lovely, but I’ve been fucking these two blokes while I’ve been in Scotland and I just don’t see it working out for us anymore? Or perhaps you’ve got a lot of nerve, insisting I follow you to New York and then telling me months later how sorry you are. Or maybe even a simple no.

  She looked at the screen and sipped her coffee, and finally shook her head. Fuck it, she thought. You’re going to wonder if you don’t go, just like you would have wondered if you didn’t open the email. She started typing before she could change her mind.

  David,

  I’m glad to hear you’re settling in well in New York. You know that I want you to be happy, and if this new job and new place are doing all of that for you, then I’m glad, even though it pulled us apart. It also means a lot that you apologized for not taking my feelings into consideration.

  Things have been good here in Scotland, and although I’m sad to be leaving, none of my travel plans have changed. I’d be happy to meet you for dinner in Chicago that weekend, just let me know details when you have a chance. It will be a few days before I'm able to check my email again.

  I’m sure you know that I can’t promise anything will change between us. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I want, and while your decision to move might have been the catalyst, there were a lot of things about our relationship that weren’t good. We can talk about all of this when we see each other, but just know that I can’t make any promises as to how this will all shake out.

  See you soon,

  Amelia

  She paused for a moment, wondering if she should sign off with “love” as he had. In the end she left it as it was, and clicked send.

  Amelia felt better the moment the email was sent, and the decision made. She scrolled down to the next email, a response to her resume from an economics research firm in Chicago, and tried to put all thoughts of David and their dinner out of her head. That was easier said than done though.

  She scheduled interviews with four companies in Chicago for the week after her return, and one Skype interview with a company in New York (they were a great company and would look great on her resume, she told herself), and sent out the data lists to her supervisor at the university. Her mind kept wandering back to the email, though, and the dinner she’d agreed to. She wasn’t entirely sure what it would accomplish, other than possible closure. After the weeks spent with Adam, and now Adam and Callum together, she wasn’t sure she could go back to t
he kind of bland predictable relationship that David represented. Once, she’d thought that was what she wanted. Now she was certain that it wasn’t.

  What would it be like, she wondered, to be in a long-term relationship with Adam and Callum? It was now obvious that a relationship with Adam would include Callum. Up to a few days ago she’d never have even considered being part of a three way relationship. It dawned on her that If Adam asked her to be in a normal relationship with him, she’d miss Callum. It had felt natural for the three of them to all be together, Callum completed them.

  As she was packing up her bag, her phone buzzed and she frowned at the unfamiliar number.

  Meet me at the pub tonight?

  It took her a moment, and then she remembered giving Callum her number when she’d been in Edinburgh.

  Callum?

  Don’t have my number in your phone. Gosh, and after last night, too. ;)

  My phone has pretty much been a paperweight for the last couple of months. Dinner at the pub sounds fantastic.

  She reread the last text message, and wondered if she sounded a little short. She’d never really gotten the hang of flirting over text. She stared at it for a moment longer, wondering if she should type something else. Amelia finally hit send, and tossed the phone it into her bag. She’d see him in a few hours, anyway.

  Chapter 24

  Amelia heard the sound of a car engine growling up the driveway. She quickly pulled her burgundy wool sweater over her head and hurried out to the front door. To her surprise it was Callum. She felt her heart skip a little as she watched him walk up the gravelly drive. She recalled the night before, and then this morning, his hands sliding over her body as his hips pressed up against her.

  She shook her head and opened the door. “This is a surprise,” she said, leaning forward as he bounded up the stairs and reached out to hug her.

  “Well, I knew that you went to the café today to work, and I didn’t think you should have to make the long walk twice. So, I thought I’d come and rescue you.”

  “That’s very sweet of you,” Amelia said. “You really didn’t have to.”

  “I know. But I’d rather you save your energy for other things.” Callum winked at her. “Can’t have you falling off to sleep every evening.”

  She felt her face flush a little, the memory of him in bed with her that morning flashing through her mind again. “No,” she said, her voice dropping a little. “I can definitely think of better things to do than sleep.”

  She turned around to grab her boots from beside the chair, and she realized he was standing right next to her. He reached out and touched her hip, and she stood up slowly, turning slightly to face him. He reached out and pushed the hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear, and she breathed in, her bottom lip sliding between her teeth.

  “Amelia,” he murmured softly, and he leaned forward, his hand resting along her jaw as he tilted her chin up and bent to kiss her.

  There was nothing she wanted to do in that moment more than let him. His tongue traced along the edge of her lower lip, and she gasped a little when he sucked it gently into his mouth, his hand curving around her face as the kiss deepened.

  The kiss went on for several wonderful seconds, and when he finally pulled back, his eyes fixed on hers. She was more than a little breathless.

  “You don’t know how happy I am that I can do that,” he said softly, his hand still touching her face. Amelia let herself lean into the caress for a moment, relishing the touch of his long, smooth fingers against her skin.

  “Ready to go get some dinner?” He smiled at her, and Amelia nodded. She grabbed her scarf and purse, and they headed out to the car.

  Adam looked up and waved to them from behind the bar. It was such a change from a few weeks ago, Amelia thought, when he’d been so jealous and upset when Callum had approached her. Could this really be the new normal?

  Adam delivered their beers, and he leaned down for a kiss from Amelia. She tilted her head up, brushing her lips over his, and when he pulled away, she saw him give a quick, heated glance to Callum. The elderly regulars in the pub would have had a heart attack if he’d kissed Callum, and Amelia could tell from Callum’s relaxed expression that he knew that, and wasn’t upset. But the look Adam gave him conveyed as much desire as any kiss could.

  “There’s a lamb stew on the menu tonight again,” Adam said. “If the two of you were thinking of having dinner that is.”

  “Lamb stew sounds fantastic,” Amelia said.

  “Agreed.” Callum took a sip of his beer and smiled at Adam. “Still on for Edinburgh next weekend?”

  “That’s the plan.” Adam glanced across the room at one of the other patrons, who was holding up his empty beer glass. “I’ll be back in a bit, yeah?”

  “The two of you are off to Edinburgh next weekend?” Amelia asked.

  Callum nodded. “I meant to tell you over dinner, I wanted to ask if you wanted to come along.”

  “My feelings weren’t hurt, if that’s what you were worried about,” Amelia assured him. “The two of you have every right to go off on your own for the weekend.”

  “I know,” Callum said, taking another long draught of his beer. “It’d be better with you along, though.”

  “Really?” Amelia raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t want some time alone?”

  Callum shrugged. “You’d think. But I don’t know, Amelia. It feels different with you around, better. Adam and I tried a long time ago to be something together, and we never could quite figure it out. And then I moved away. I don’t know how to explain it, exactly, but it’s like you provide something that's missing.” He glanced at her, and then away, towards Adam. “Sorry, that was a bit more than I should have said.”

  Amelia looked at him for a long moment. Hadn’t she been thinking something very similar earlier? The three of them fit together in some inexplicable way. But that didn’t change the fact that she was due to go back to Chicago very soon, or that staying here with them was not a practical option. Also, they hadn’t flat out said they wanted her to stay. They’d all avoided that topic, up until now at any rate.

  “I’d love to go to Edinburgh,” she said. “It’ll be a nice mini vacation, I could use a few days away from all the work. It’s starting to get a bit mind-numbing now, really. Too many hours in front of spreadsheets and so few in front of people.” She took another swallow of her beer. “Is there some specific reason for going, or just a weekend away?”

  “Looking for apartments for Adam,” Callum said. “It’s getting down to that time.”

  “I suppose it is.” Amelia realized that she’d somehow thought in the back of her mind that Adam would just be moving in with Callum on a permanent basis when he went to Edinburgh. She’d pictured the two of them cozily shacking up together. The idea of Adam living alone in a city studio made her feel slightly sad. But then again, he was used to his own company. The years he'd spent on the farm had made sure of that much. Besides, she was sure Callum wouldn’t let him stew for too long.

  She realized that she would be back in Chicago by the time Adam was settling into his new life in Edinburgh. She’d be sitting down to dinner with David, hearing him apologize for the things that had gone wrong in their relationship. She’d be looking for a little city studio of her own, trying to find a job, get established. She’d be living a different life in another country, and all the while she’d be thinking about Callum and Adam. Having dinner together, drinking and laughing in the pub, along with everything else they'd be doing together. She’d be alone in bed, or lying next to someone she barely knew, and Adam and Callum would be forgetting that once there’d been a third person in their bed.

  “Hey, there,” Callum said, and she looked up, her train of thought broken. “You went somewhere else there for a minute.”

  “I guess I did,” she said, curling her mouth up in a smile she didn’t entirely feel. “Sorry.”

  “Are you alright?”

  “Ye
ah, of course.” She reached for her beer. “I’m fine. Just a bit hungry, that’s all.”

  “Well, then it’s lucky that that handsome man there is bringing our food.” Callum winked at her, and Amelia saw Adam approaching the table, balancing two giant bowls of stew and a basket of bread. “Here you are. Can’t promise the bread is all that good, but stick it in the stew and it'll taste fine.”

  “It’s a good thing you’re not in charge of the marketing for this place,” Amelia observed. She took a deep breath. “It smells delicious, though.”

  “The seven people who bother coming out are all already here,” Adam noted. “No need for marketing. And they already know most of the food is borderline at best.”

  Callum snorted, and Amelia broke into laughter. Adam stared at them for a long moment, his hands on his hips, and then he was chuckling as well, shaking his head at them. “Meet me back at mine tonight?”

  Amelia felt a flush run over her skin at the thought. “Och, aye,” she heard Callum say, his voice low, and she glanced at him. Callum rarely spoke in the Scottish vernacular, his speech polished by years of being in the city. She could see from the expression on his face that he was already picturing Adam naked, already thinking about the things he’d like to be doing to him.

  “I think that sounds like a lovely idea,” she said softly, and she felt the heat of Callum’s gaze shift to her.

  “See you then,” Adam said, bending to drop a kiss on her lips. It was brief, but firm, possessive, even. He walked past Callum, and Amelia saw him quickly grip Callum’s forearm, his fingers sliding down to his wrist before letting go as he walked away.

  Callum’s lips pressed together. “Another reason I’m glad he’s coming to Edinburgh,” he said softly.

  Amelia looked at him. “Because of the people here? What they’d think?”

  Callum nodded. “In Edinburgh, he could kiss me in public and no one would think anything of it.” He shrugged. “I mean, anywhere you go there’s going to be people stuck in another century, yeah? That’s just a thing that happens, unfortunately. But there, it wouldn’t be so common. Here, if he held my hand it’d be all over the town within the hour. Nothing bad would happen, these aren’t the sort of people to get out their pitchforks, but no one would ever treat him quite the same again. It’d always be hushed whispers and sideways glances and “his poor dear parents, what a good thing it is they never knew…” he trailed off.