Cosmic Trifecta

by Anna Lewis

  I glanced around the room. I saw that two men in business suits had just been seated in my section. The maître d’ gave me a pointed look as he walked back to his podium by the door. That was the signal that these were two high-priority customers. I sighed, letting the Ladies Who Lunch pick out their desserts, then picking each dessert off of the cart and placing it in front of them to much excitement.

  I then wheeled the cart back to its position in sight of the dining room, and returned to my section. I walked over to the two men. They were dressed in expensive suits. Each was glancing over the menus, which were in black folders. One of the men looked up. He had piercing green eyes, dark hair, and chiseled features. It was enough to take my breath away. The other man looked up. His grey eyes and brown hair seemed muted against his friend’s striking features, however, his pouty, bee-stung lips were red, luscious. I bit my lip. They were gorgeous on their own. Together, they were devastating.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” I said, suddenly nervous, but keeping my voice modulated in a way that I knew from experience was sexy. “I’m Tiana. I’ll be your server today.”

  “Lovely,” the first man replied with a confident smile and a look that took in all of me. I had the distinct feeling that I was being undressed in his mind.

  “Can I help you with anything?” I asked archly.

  “Possibly,” the other man said. He was grinning, as well.

  “Drinks?” I asked, my voice catching in my throat. They were gorgeous. I took their drink orders, walking back to the kitchen. As I entered, Jacki grabbed my arm.

  “Ouch!” I complained. “What are you, The Claw?”

  “Omigod!” she gasped. “Do you know who they are?”

  “No…”

  “They’re Jared Meisner and Tyler Hancock,” she whispered excitedly. “They’re two of the richest men in the country.”

  “How do you even know these things?” I asked her.

  “I read Page Six,” she replied.

  “Page Six,” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Give me a break.”

  “No, fo’real,” Jacki insisted. “They are like, eying you like a prime cut of steak. You need to watch yourself.” I sighed heavily, shook my head and walked past the kitchen to the bar in order to fill their drink orders.

  “Check yourself before you wreck yourself!” Jacki yelled after me, code for “Google that.”

  I returned with their drinks a few minutes later. When I returned, they were having an intense, whispered conversation. Tyler looked up at me, said something to Jared, and they both silenced. My heart was pounding in my chest. I wobbled, almost setting over the black tray, which carried their drinks.

  “Watch out there,” Jared said smoothly. Tyler grinned up at me. While I’d been waiting at the bar, I’d checked both of them out on my Smartphone. It was a bad idea. Now, I was super nervous. I laughed it off. I placed it down on the table.

  “Here’s your martini, sir,” I said, setting Jared’s drink in front of him. “And your scotch. Macallan 25, as requested.”

  “Thank you,” Tyler said. Jared didn’t say anything. He took a sip of his drink.

  “Certainly,” I smiled. “Are you ready to order?”

  “So, Tiana, do you have a boyfriend?” Jared asked.

  “Uh, excuse me?” I snapped. Tyler laughed. I raised my eyebrow and skewered him with a look.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean it to be offensive,” Jared said smoothly. “It’s just…curiosity. And Tyler and I have a bet going on.”

  “What kind of a bet?” I asked sharply. Just because they had money didn’t mean that they got to be rude. He smiled at me—it was jaw-dropping how good-looking he was. Like a painting at the Met.

  “It’s a gentlemen’s bet,” he replied vaguely. I glared at them.

  “No,” I replied. “I don’t.”

  “By choice?” he pressed. Really, this was too much.

  “Yeah, it is, actually,” I said.

  “Don’t need a man or don’t want a man?”

  “I’m doing just fine all on my own.”

  “Lovely,” he replied. “I’ll have your salad, tossed.”

  “Excuse me?” I snapped, really angry this time. His grin widened.

  “The Caesar salad, Ma’am. Tossed,” he said smoothly, and as though he’d not made any innuendo. I sighed and nodded.

  “I’ll have the Rueben,” Tyler added, drawing my attention away from Jared. I nodded, taking their menus away from them. Clearly, boys never grow up, I thought to myself as I walked back to the kitchen.

  * * *

  I had been taking care of a particularly picky elderly duo who seemed to be allergic to everything. I didn’t know how they were still living. If you don’t eat shellfish, gluten, dairy, or soy, what’s left? I was just getting ready to head back to collect the check from Jared and Tyler’s table when Jacki walked up to me. She handed me their book.

  “They said they had to leave, so I took care of it for you,” she explained to me.

  “Thanks,” I said, feeling strangely disappointed. I opened it. I don’t know what I was expecting. Inside was their receipt. It had a 30% tip and Tyler’s signature neatly scrawled across the line. I felt even more disappointed. As I walked off, I wondered what it was that I had been expecting with the anticipation of a present inside of the book.

  ***

  The next day, I walked into work. In their brand-new pair of stilettos, my feet were screaming in pain. I almost missed The Broadway Café, where I could wear sneakers…almost. When I entered, the Maitre d’ stopped me. He handed me an envelope. It was made of silver paper.

  “A gentleman left this for you,” he said, pretending to be nonchalant.

  “Oh, thanks.” I took it, frowning as I opened it. Inside, on a thick, creamy card, there was a slanted, elegant handwriting. As I read it, my skin flushed hot.

  “What’s it say?” the maître d’ asked. I waved him off as I walked quickly back and into the breakroom.

  “Jacki,” I said. She turned as she shut her locker.

  “’Sup?” Her eyebrows were raised. Saying nothing, I handed her the card. Her mouth fell open as she read it. She read it again, this time, out loud.

  “We hope that you remember us from yesterday. We could hardly stop thinking of you. We would like it if you would meet with us today at 3:30 PM,” Jacki read excitedly. “Do come. Warmest Regards, Jared Meisner and Tyler Hancock.”

  “Do you think they’re trying to hire me as an escort?” I asked, wondering if I felt at all angry. Jacki’s eyes were wide.

  “Dude! Does it matter?” she yelled. “You have to go.”

  “Why?”

  “When else are you going to get an invite like this?” she gushed.

  “Um, next time they come in?” I replied sarcastically.

  “No. This never happens,” she said. “I’ve worked here for over a year. This has never happened.”

  “Maybe no one told you,” I said. She shrugged as if it could be a possibility.

  “I mean, I doubt anyone would hide something like this.” She bit her lip. “If I were you…” She let her voice trail off. I sighed. I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t go. Jacki would always remind me.

  “Can you cover my shift?” I asked her.

  “Absolutely!” She threw her arms around me, and then raced off to tell the rest of the staff what had happened. I picked the card and its envelope up off of the couch where Jacki had dropped it. My pulse was racing. I could feel their eyes on me. We could hardly stop thinking of you. I liked that.

  * * *

  The address that was listed on the card was only a few blocks away from Antoine’s. Despite my aching feet, I walked. The streets at this hour were still busy. New York is known as the city which never sleeps for a reason. The sun was warm on my skin, and if I were anywhere else, it would likely smell like a spring day. The air in New York is car exhaust and dirt. Always. Although, I would never live anywhere else. Because New York is where things ha
ppen. Look at me in that moment: I was dressed in a sleek white sheath dress and black heels, my black hair styled in beachy waves that fell over my shoulders. I was still borrowing Jacki’s pearls, and I wore bright red lipstick. I fit in here.

  I stood, looking up at the building that read: 500. The address on Madison Avenue that was on the card. It was made of grey bricks, and the shutters and door were painted black. Ivy wound its way up the side of the building. I walked up to the door, pressing the buzzer at its side. The door opened and I found myself face-to-face with an older gentleman. He was dressed in a gray cardigan with a white oxford shirt and a pair of black slacks.

  “Can I help you?” he asked me. His face was lined, and his hair was pure white.

  “Um. I’m here for a meeting,” I said.

  “Miss Jones?”

  “Yes,” I replied, surprised that they had found out my name. He stepped aside, ushering me in to the building. Inside, it was silent. The floors were dark cherry hardwood, and the walls were painted a muted gray color. The furniture was elegant and large, all of it made of wood, painted black. The curtains were all drawn. He led me to the staircase, which curved as it lunged upward to the upper floors.

  He led me all of the way up. By the top, I was really struggling, my feet aching in those heels. He waited for me at the top of the stairs, gesturing toward the end of the hallway. I followed him past the closed doors. There were sconces on the walls here, emitting a honey-toned light. He opened the door at the very end and peered in.

  “Miss Jones is here, sirs,” he said.

  “Let her in,” Tyler’s voice replied from within the room. The butler stood aside, holding the door open for me.

  “Thank you,” I said. He nodded. When I entered the room, which was filled with natural light, he closed the door silently behind me. I looked about me. There were large windows on three sides of the room, overlooking a brick patio. There were lush plants surrounding the patio, which had a large tree at its center.

  The room itself was painted white, and it had cherry wood furniture that matched the wood of the floors. There were armchairs that were upholstered in navy blue brocade. Tyler sat in one, a white ceramic mug in his hand. He wore a gray suit with a white oxford shirt. The top buttons were undone, and his hair was artfully mussed. Jared leaned back against a cherry wood desk, his arms crossed over his chest. He was dressed in a black cashmere sweater and gray slacks. The black sweater brought out his brutally piercing eyes. His dark hair was cut too short to style, but it seemed damp, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower.

  “Miss Jones,” Jared said, nodding.

  “Have a seat,” Tyler chimed in.

  “Thank you,” I replied, taking a seat on one of the navy blue armchairs. I sat with my back straight, and my legs crossed at the ankles and tucked beneath my chair, my knees pressed together, just like I’d seen in The Princess Diaries. What I wouldn’t have given for a Julie Andrews of my own at that moment. I folded my hands in my lap.

  “How are you?” Tyler asked me as he placed his mug on a coaster on top of the coffee table that sat between us.

  “I’m fine,” I began.

  “I imagine you wonder why we’ve invited you here today,” Jared cut in.

  “I do,” I agreed.

  “Well. First and foremost, Miss Jones, we must ask that you sign a Nondisclosure Agreement before we go any further,” Jared said.

  “Why?”

  “Tyler and I have reputations to protect, and you are, as yet,” he said, raising his eyebrows, “a stranger.”

  “Stranger danger?” I snapped sassily and cocked an eyebrow. He grinned and handed me a paper. I took it from him and read it over. It didn’t say much. Only that I shouldn’t talk about anything.

  “I want to be able to talk to my roommate,” I said.

  “Fair enough. It goes no further,” Jared replied. He took the NDA from me, writing in a clause for it. I took it and signed it.

  “Thank you, Miss Jones,” Jared said. “We appreciate it.”

  “Sure thing,” I replied. “Now, why am I here?” They both looked at each other. Jared raised his eyebrows, and Tyler nodded at him. They both looked at me.

  “We have a proposition for you, Miss Jones,” Jared started.

  “Oh, I’m not an escort,” I cut in.

  “No. Of course not,” Tyler agreed. I tilted my head to the side, confused.

  “You see, Miss Jones, Tyler and I are business partners,” Jared said. “We share in profits, assets…you name it. We like sharing.”

  “Don’t put it that way,” Tyler said, placing a hand on his forehead. He seemed embarrassed. Jared laughed.

  “A few years ago, we found out that we like to share our women, as well.” He paused, gauging my reaction. I sat there in stunned silence for a moment. I laughed.

  “What?” I asked, trying to process.

  “You wouldn’t be a prostitute,” he explained. I frowned. “No. It’s more…dating. You’d be dating both of us.”

  “Both of you?”

  “Yes. In exchange, you get to live here, you get to wear nice clothes, and go on nice vacations,” he said. “We’d pay for everything. You’d have the best of everything.”

  “What’s the catch?” I asked. He looked at me wide-eyed.

  “Both of us. You date both of us,” he explained slowly.

  “It sounds like you want to hire a prostitute,” I replied.

  “No. We want something more monogamous,” he said. “We want something that’s real. I know that it’s unconventional, but just wait for a moment. Leave your inhibitions at the door.” I was silent.

  “Do you need time to think about it?” Tyler asked gently.

  “Why me?” I really wanted to know. I mean, who was I, after all? I was…a waitress. And these were two of the richest men in New York City.

  “You’re beautiful. You have sass. You can handle both of us,” Jared replied. “That’s a tall order.”

  “I don’t like your puns. They suck,” I deadpanned.

  “Doubtless.” He grinned at me, which almost made my heart stop. My heart was about near to a coronary. I needed time to assess. Everything was jumbled and I couldn’t think clearly.

  “What about my job?” I wanted to know.

  “What about it?” Jared asked.

  “Will I need to quit?”

  “You won’t need it anymore. We’ll take care of you,” he said easily, waving a hand as if to whisk the issue away.

  “But for how long? I mean, what if this arrangement doesn’t work out?”

  “We’ll take care of you, even if it doesn’t work out,” he replied. “We have a contract.” He picked up a crisp, white manila envelope. “Take tonight to read it and think about it.” He placed it in my hands, which were shaking a little.

  “Excellent,” Jared said. “It was lovely speaking with you, Miss Jones.” He winked at me and then walked out of the room. I sat there, overwhelmed. I looked over at Tyler. He smiled at me.

  “How many times have you done this before?” I asked.

  “Only once,” he replied. “It didn’t work out.” I studied him. He seemed genuinely sad.

  “Why not?”

  “We met Giana in Paris. She was…incandescent. It was her idea,” he explained. “We brought her back here and the three of us got along so well. It was exhilarating, sharing her. She seemed to love us both. But I guess we weren’t giving her what she needed. But then, she never told us that she was suffering from a mental illness. She hid it so well.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “She killed herself,” he said. I said nothing. “We thought, at first that it was our fault. We learned soon after that there was nothing that we could have done. Her brain was a time bomb waiting to go off.”

  “So, you decided to do this again?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he replied. “Giana was years ago. We knew that one day we would meet someone else.”

  “So, the two of you ha
ve been out hunting ladies to be your next girlfriend?”

  “We weren’t actively looking, per se,” he replied. “We just had the agreement that if we ever met someone, then we’d ask. We met you yesterday. We both liked you immediately.” I nodded. We sat in silence for a moment, looking at each other. He cleared his throat.

  “Let me call you a car,” he offered.

  “Yes, please,” I said. He smiled and made a quick call on his phone. He then walked me out of the town house, following behind me. At the door, he opened it, turning to me with a smile.

  “It’s been lovely to meet you,” he said. I found myself smiling back at him.

  “You, too,” I replied.

  ***

  Jacki and I were sitting at our kitchen table, splitting a bottle of wine. The contract sat on the table in between us. I had just finished detailing everything for her. She was silent, which was rare for Jacki.

  “They want you to be their girlfriend?” The look on Jacki’s face was a mixture of shock and glee. I wondered if I should send her to Jared and Tyler. She would be on board, without having to take the night to think about a thing. That contract would have been signed before Jared even left the room.

  “Yeah,” I said, taking a sip of my merlot. This was clearly a night made for drinking. I glanced at the glass that I held in my hand. The wine was cheap—two-buck chuck from the liquor store at the corner. Tomorrow night, I could be drinking something expensive and French, if I so chose.

  “Dude,” Jacki said, shaking her head in disbelief. “This is incredible. Like Cinderella-story incredible. You wouldn’t have to work.”

  “I’m proud of supporting myself,” I replied.

  “I’m sure they could set you up with something that sucks way less than waitressing,” she pointed out. I nodded. I hadn’t thought of that. “This is your chance to do something. People like us don’t get that too often. I mean, they want to date you. They said nothing about sex, or marriage, or even kids. I doubt that they’ve even thought that far. All you have to do is hang out and live the life as far as I can see. What do you have to lose?”