Two Bad Groomsmen_An MFM Menage Romance

by Sierra Sparks

  We rode the elevator back up together, but when we stepped off, she kissed me on the cheek and said she'd see me later, turning down the hall toward her room. For a few moments, I just stood there staring after her, lost in a dream world. The date had been miles beyond what I'd expected. And I'd had pretty high expectations already, even if they had been based on my horny fantasies.

  But Janine really was a woman after my own heart. Even if she did think Pearl Jam put on a better show than Soundgarden.

  Everyone had to have their faults though, right?

  Drew was laying on his bed when I walked in the door. He jumped up though and fixed me with a piercing gaze that made me want to slowly back away. Instead, I squared my shoulders and walked toward him with a tentative smile. "Hey. Were you up here the entire time?"

  Drew shook his head, his eyes never leaving me. "No. I went to lunch with Josh and Carla earlier. I just got back a few minutes ago. Now cut the crap. How'd it go?"

  My face flushed. How did I put it without making Drew feel even more anxious for his date? In the end, I decided being honest with him was my best option. "It was amazing." I was pretty sure I had a dopey look on my face, but I didn't care. I was still riding the high, not ready to let it all go just yet.

  Drew's eyes went wide for a moment, then he let out a sigh and flopped backward onto the bed. "Just what I feared!"

  "Sorry, man," I said with a light laugh as I flopped down on my own bed. I stared up at the ceiling, sighing as Janine's image appeared before my eyes. "I wish I could tell you it was shit and she's a horrible person, but she's not. She's pretty damn amazing."

  God, when had I become such a hopeless romantic?

  Deep down, I knew the answer - the moment I locked eyes on Janine. That was the defining moment, the moment when everything in my life changed. It didn't matter that I hadn't even known her name at the time. That was the moment I would remember for the rest of my life.

  The moment I met the love of my life.

  God, I really was hopeless.

  "Okay," I said, sitting straight up and shaking my head. "We need to go do something to occupy ourselves. You've got a couple hours before your date, and if I lay here for much longer, I'm going to drive myself nuts. Let's go wander around the city. Maybe we'll find something to do."

  Drew sighed. For a moment, I thought he was going to turn down my offer. Then he sat up and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just going to give myself a panic attack at this rate. Let's go."

  So that's exactly what we did. We wandered around downtown, just taking in all the sights. For the first while, we tried to keep talking, to keep our minds off Janine, but eventually, the conversation turned to her.

  "So, what's she like when it's just the two of you?" Drew asked.

  "Sweet. And kind," I added. "But she's strong willed, too. She knows what she likes and what she wants, but she isn't pushy or aggressive about it either."

  Even though we'd "argued" about bands and concerts and shit, never once did I feel like she was trying to put down my suggestions or make herself sound superior. She'd managed to stay kind and sweet, even as she told me I was an idiot for even dreaming Soundgarden could trump Pearl Jam.

  It had all been in good fun. She hadn't gotten upset or taken anything to heart. It was almost like I was bantering with Drew or Josh, rather than a girl I'd only met a couple days ago. It was so strange, because even when I'd liked girls in the past, it had never been this instantaneous. I'd never once wanted to just lay in bed and think about a girl. At least, not when I didn't have my pants down around my ankles!

  When I saw the look on Drew's face, I wanted to kick myself. I wished I could think of a way to put his mind at ease, to help him get over his nerves before his date tonight. The last thing I wanted was to win the girl just because he'd been so nervous that he'd made a complete ass out of himself.

  I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to offer him a reassuring smile. "It's gonna be great, dude. Trust me. Janine is really nice and calming when you're alone with her. She's nowhere near as cold or stiff as she'd been when we were all in a group or anything. Hell, it was almost like she had a twin with a completely different personality. Once you see what she's like when she lets herself open up, you'll get what I mean."

  Drew nodded. He still seemed to be lost in thought, staring ahead blankly. I could only imagine what he was thinking about right then, though I knew whatever it was, Janine was at the center of it.

  There was nothing else I could say though. Nothing I hadn't already said, of course. He'd just have to find out everything himself. Until then, the best way I could help him was to get his mind off everything.

  Somehow, we ended up walking by a skate park, which made us both stop and watch through the chain link fence. "Remember when that was us?" I asked, staring at the youths skating around without a care in the world.

  It didn't seem like all that long ago that Josh, Drew, and I had been those guys, trying to learn new tricks just to pick up girls.

  Drew looked over at me and grinned. "Come on. Let's go see if one of them will lend us their board. I bet we've still got it."

  "Sure, why not?" I said, returning his grin. It seemed like the perfect thing to get our mind off Janine for a little while. At the very least, it'd be a way to kill ten minutes, without just wandering around staring at store fronts and letting our minds wander.

  Because, right now, letting our minds wander was not a good thing. Not even close.

  We jogged around the park until we found the entrance. It wasn't packed there, but there were a good number of people hanging out, all of them younger than us. The oldest ones there couldn't have been out of college yet. There was a group of what looked like college age guys all hanging around chatting, so we headed over there.

  Drew and I introduced ourselves and the guys welcomed us to their little circle without much ceremony. That had been one of the things I'd always liked about skating - most of the guys we'd skated with just didn't give a shit about things. They were laid back, half of them usually high, and didn't let the world bother them.

  If someone new wanted to join, everyone welcomed them because to shun them would've just been too much effort.

  After we chatted for a bit, two of the guys lent us their boards while the group circled around to watch us. Drew and I exchanged grins before dropping in. The wind whipped pasted my head as I soared, easily remembering why I'd loved doing this so much. The rush was almost too much to handle, and then it was over, my body skidding to a halt on the hard concrete.

  My skin scraped against the rough ground as I slid, and I fought back a yelp of pain. Drew's laughter quickly filled my senses, followed by a small bang and a sharp yelp of "Fuck!" as I heard him tumble somewhere out of sight.

  I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky. Off in the distance, I could hear the group we'd been talking with laughing and cheering and clapping, clearly amused by our spectacle. When my head cleared enough to sit up, I saw them all watching with grins, a handful holding up phones to show they'd been recording.

  Great, I thought to myself, now my wipe out is going to be all over YouTube. Just my luck.

  I laid back down and stared up at the sky again., sighing. Maybe it really was time to admit I wasn't a young college student anymore. Maybe it really was time to find a girl I could settle down with. If not Janine, than maybe another one. Someone I could see myself spending my life with, rather than just a single night.

  Chapter 11

  Drew

  The two of us had to hobble back to the hotel, scrapped up and bloody. It was a damn good thing we didn't run into Janine on our way back up to our room, otherwise she'd have called off our date and run screaming the other way. I doubted it would've mattered how great her date with Josh had been, she'd have taken one look at the two of us after we'd been trying to relive our teenage days and taken off, never to be heard from again.

  Thankfully, we managed to
get back upstairs unmolested. And since I was the one who still had to go on a date, I called dibs on the first shower. It was my turn to make sure I looked presentable and not like an idiot who'd just tried to ride a skateboard for the first time in years.

  Yeah, definitely wasn't my brightest idea.

  The hot water was heavenly though It washed away some of the stress and aches, along with the grime, blood, and sweat. I could've easily spent hours in there, but I knew I didn't have that much time to enjoy the relaxation. I stayed in there as long as I could though, figuring enjoying the shower would be a better way to spend my time than pacing around the hotel room as I worried about my date.

  And standing beneath the water, I didn't think or worry about anything.

  It was like the outside world had ceased to exist. In those precious moments, the rest of the world didn't exist. It was just me and this blissful experience.

  One I hoped I'd get to share with someone in the future. The moment the thought entered my mind, Janine appeared. I could easily see the two of is in the shower together, my arms wrapped around her naked body as the water poured down over us. It wasn't sexual, just the two of us, enjoying this private moment together.

  As I stepped out of the shower, banishing the fantasy to the back of my mind, I made a silent vow. When I finally settled down and got my own place, I was going to make sure it had the best shower money can buy. Forget having a fancy car or a mancave or any of that bullshit. Just give me my sweet oasis and I'd be perfectly content.

  I spent more time than usual doing my hair after I dressed, too. It wasn't something I'd ever put much thought into, but I wanted every detail to be perfect tonight. Which is why I opted to wear a pair of black slacks, even though the restaurant wasn't all that fancy. But long pants covered the bandages so my stupid mistake wasn't as obvious.

  Finally, when I stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom, my hands were practically shaking with nerves. "Well, how do I look?" I asked.

  Zack sat up and looking at me, his brow knit together. Then, he moved off the bed and started circling me, looking me up and down. I shifted under his gaze, regretting giving him the same treatment earlier. It was a wonder he hadn't smacked me when I'd done it, since I was having to fight back the urge to throttle him.

  "You look pretty damn good," he said, finally. He straightened up in front of me and grinned, then gave me a thumbs up.

  I returned his grin, suddenly glad I had such a great friend. Most guys wouldn't have helped their friend get ready for a date with a girl they were also into. But Zack didn't care if I was the one who ended up with her. Just like, while I'd be disappointed, I'd be happy for him if she chose him over me.

  I took a deep breath, then squared my shoulders. "I can do this."

  "Yes, you can!" Zack put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed supportively.

  But despite my words and his, my heart kept trying to leap from my chest as I walked down the hallway toward the elevator. I'd pressed the button and was shifting from foot to foot as I waited for it. Then, I heard a door slam closed from the opposite end of the hallway. My heart froze as I stared at the figure heading this way.

  Janine.

  She looked up and locked eyes with me, jumping slightly, then smiling. "Oh, hey," she said in an almost singsong voice. "Perfect timing, I guess."

  I nodded, stupidly, then managed to stutter out a lame "Uh, yeah...."

  Janine looked at me with an odd expression, but was kind enough not to comment on my lack of response. And thankfully, the doors to the elevator opened just then and we were able to step inside. Not that being locked in a six foot box with her made my anxiety any better in the least.

  The two of us were quiet, with me mentally kicking myself the entire way to the lobby. Once we were down there, Janine looked over at me and smiled, making my stomach do back flips. If things kept up like this, I was liable to be sick before we even got to the restaurant. Not that it was Janine's fault or anything, she hadn't done anything other than be friendly.

  I was just a freaking mess.

  "So, where are we going for dinner?" Janine asked as we stepped out of the hotel, into the sea of people walking down the sidewalk.

  "Mama Italia's," I said, letting my mouth work on autopilot. "It's two or three blocks that way. Is it okay if we walk?"

  Janine nodded. "That's fine with me."

  I reached out to take her hand, then froze. Would that be too forward?

  She must've noticed my hesitation though. She smiled at me, then took my hand herself. Which just made me feel even more like a fool. Weren't girls supposed to like guys who took the initiative? Or was Janine the kind of girl who liked to be the one taking charge?

  God, I wished I could just get my head on straight. Then, maybe, I could salvage this date before she decided it was a good idea to abandon ship halfway through.

  Janine chatted, or at least she tried to, as we walked to the restaurant. The conversation was mostly her talking about the wedding and Josh and Carla, all safe topics, except I could barely do more than nod and say "uh huh" as I listened. I probably seemed like the most inconsiderate jerk ever, but I really was listening to everything she said. I just could think of anything to say in response, since my brain had apparently decided to take a one way trip back to San Diego.

  To her credit, we managed to get to the restaurant and get seated without her bailing on me. I was actually kind of surprised, since if I'd been on a date with myself, there's no way in Hell I'd have gone through with it after the walk here. I'd have come up with some lame excuse, like the bride's dress just spontaneously combusted, to hightail it back to the hotel.

  After we ordered, I excused myself to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. Then, I stared at myself in the mirror and took deep breaths. Come on, Drew. You can do this. You've gone out with plenty over girls and none of them ever turned your brain to mush. Just pretend Janine is one of those other girls. Or, better yet, pretend she’s Zack or Josh.

  That would work, I decided, heading back out to the table with my shoulders squared and my head held high. Forget imagining her in her underwear, because there was no way in Hell that was going to work. I just needed to pretend she was another one of the guys. Just another guy.

  Our drinks were waiting when I got back, and Janine was typing something on her phone. I wouldn't have been surprised if she was telling Carla how lame of a date I was. But like a true trooper, she stuffed her phone back into her small purse the moment I sat down, smiling warmly at me.

  "Feeling better?" she asked with a slight smirk.

  I nodded, ignoring the flush that rose to my cheeks. Apparently she had noticed my anxiety earlier. She'd just been polite and hadn't commented on it until now. "Sorry about that," I said with a soft smile, taking my seat.

  Janine shrugged. "Happens to the best of us."

  Damn, Zack hadn't been kidding when he'd said she was a completely different person his date. She was a lot more friendly and open than she had been over the last couple days. What had changed?

  "So," I said, ready to be an active participant in the date. "Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do for fun, other than planning weddings?"

  "Planning weddings is only fun if you're a masochist," she replied with a smirk. "But other than that, I'm pretty simple. I like to read. Binge watch stuff on Netflix. That sorta stuff."

  I nodded. That wasn't too far off from what I'd been assuming. She definitely wasn't a party girl like most of the girls I'd gone out with. Which just made me that much more intrigued to find out more about her. "What do you like to read?"

  "Oh, everything, basically. I love mysteries. Sometimes romance. Sci-fi and fantasy are always good, too."

  "Sci-fi?" I repeated, perking up. Sci-Fi was my one true love. Not just books though. Books, movies, TV, whatever. I'd grown up watching Star Trek with my father and it had captivated me. Ever since then, I couldn't get enough of it. Zack and Josh had always teased me about it growi
ng up, but it was my one geeky weakness.

  Janine nodded, her eyes lighting up a bit. I couldn't tell if it was because I'd zeroed in on Sci-Fi or if she was just excited I was actually talking to her now. "Oh yeah. Mostly older stuff though. Stranger in a Strange Land, Dune, Brave New World. Stuff like that."

  "Have you read 2001?" I asked, suddenly extremely interested in conversation. The anxiety seemed to be melting away now. "It's one of my favorites, both in book and film."

  Janine nodded. "Oh yeah. I've read it a few times. It's not my absolute favorite, but I still love it."

  Conversation flowed freely after that. We compared our favorite sci-fi books to their movie counterparts. Both of us agreed that 2001 was an amazing book and movie, though we differed on our opinion of The Martian. I liked it better as a movie, whereas she thought it made a better book.

  It was like I'd unlocked some kind of secret code inside myself. My guard dropped, my anxiety fading away. I was actually able to talk to her and debate Sci-Fi without worrying about screwing things up or making a fool out of myself. She was just another friend. And even though I'd only known her a short while, I was able to talk to her as if I'd known her just as long as I had Zack and Josh.

  "Can I get you two some dessert?" the waiter asked after clearing away our dinner dishes.

  Janine and I looked over at each other and both said "The cookie ala mode."

  The waiter blinked at us for a moment, then nodded. "I'll have it right out for you," he said, before practically running away from the table as if we'd been possessed by demons or something.

  Janine and I both watched him go, and when he was out of eyesight, looked at each other again and burst out laughing. It hadn't been rehearsed at all, but apparently we'd both been on the same wavelength. It just went to further prove that Janine was the perfect woman and I'd been right to fall completely head over heels for her.

  And we'd both been right to order the cookie for dessert. It was fucking delicious and we devoured the entire thing. If I'd just been out with the guys, I'd have probably licked the plate clean. But even though I was a lot more comfortable around Janine, I wasn't quite willing to push things that far.