Double Trouble

by Natasha L. Black

  “Yeah, I’m going to get a robe,” Cin said, scampering off.

  “No!” Jake called, but it was too late.

  When she returned, we all had pancakes, with Cin having more than expected. When my phone rang and I saw who is was, I groaned. Might as well get this over with.

  “Owen,” my dad’s imperious voice said as soon as I picked up. “You decided to answer my call.”

  “If you’d known the crazy-busy week I’ve had, dad,” I said.

  “Yes, yes,” he said. “Anyway, this time I called because I want to meet this new girl you’re dating.”

  Oh, shit.

  “This new girl I’m dating?” I said carefully.

  “Yes, the brunette one. Maude was at Jake’s fight and saw you kissing her. You know Maude, the one from church.”

  My stomach churned. “Maude, the Sunday school teacher,” I said weakly. “Right.”

  Thank God she hadn’t seen Cin kiss Jake too, by the sounds of it.

  “When works for you?” Dad said.

  “Uh, I’m not sure,” I began.

  Seeing Cin’s face fall, I said, “Tonight?”

  “Tonight it is, then. See you then,” Dad said, hanging up. He’d never been one for lengthy phone conversations.

  Now, Jake was looking at me like I’d lost it. “You’re taking Cin to a dinner…. With dad?”

  “Why not?” Cin said, frowning.

  “Just…” I sighed, my gaze going to Cin. “Our dad is a bit of a- “

  “Totally anal conservative,” Jake provided succinctly. “Very judgemental. He means well, he’s just very close-minded.”

  “But still,” I told Jake. “We’re his only sons, and his only family since the divorce.”

  “Maybe you have a point,” Jake said dubiously.

  “Ok,” Cin said coldly.

  I grabbed her hand. “We’re going, ok?” I shot a glare at Jake. “All of us.”

  34

  Jake

  “I don’t want to be the cause of any family drama,” Cin said, pulling her hand away.

  “Owen’s right,” I admitted. “We can’t keep hiding what this is from our dad. It would’ve come out eventually.”

  “What do you mean, eventually?” Cin said carefully.

  “Just that I can’t see myself not wanting to be with you any time soon,” I said. “Our dad will have to get used to it, conservative prick or not.”

  “It’s the same for me,” Owen said. “I really care about you and want to make it official.”

  I slung my arm around Cin’s shoulders, dipping my head to hers. “I want everyone to know that you’re our girl.”

  “Our girl,” Cin repeated, a smile sliding onto her face. “Ok.”

  “Ok?” I said, leaping up. “Ok!”

  I gazed down at Cin, an excited smile creeping onto my face. “This calls for a celebration.”

  “Oh yeah?” She stood up.

  I gave her a big smacking kiss on the lips. “Hell yeah.”

  I pulled her along to the bedroom. “The kind that’s less talking, more doing.”

  She giggled as she closed the door behind us. “I can get behind that.”

  I gave her ass a little slap. “But can I get behind you?”

  Seconds later, we were on the bed, ripping our pajamas off each other. Faced with her welcome nakedness I had to pause so I could drink it all in.

  “Stop it,” she said, snuggling under the covers. “You just saw me like thirty minutes ago.”

  “So?” I said. “Can’t I enjoy my hot girlfriend when I see her?”

  “Girlfriend,” she echoed happily, her hand going to my cheek, bringing my face all the way down to hers. “Maybe, boyfriend.”

  That word was as good as a stroke of my already brimming erection.

  Our hands were all over each other, my dick already between her legs. Inside and buried to the hilt, we both sighed. This was the cure we’d been waiting for. The one thing to make everything better.

  “Just like that,” she moaned, as I pierced her even deeper. “Just like that.”

  And so, I fucked her, fast and hard and deep – just like she wanted.

  Moans and grunts spilled, and we repositioned. My tongue lapped at her pussy, hers went to my cock. I groaned. Jesus, was she good.

  Her mouth, in all its wet glory, sucked me to the edge. My finger traced her bottom, squeezing one ass cheek than the other, while I lapped at her engorged clit.

  When I slapped her ass, she came in an ear-splitting shriek. Although she didn’t let up her sucking one bit. With both hands and mouth moving in a licking sucking frenzy she sucked me until I was the one groaning, spilling far down her throat.

  Then, we held each other, me rocking her softly.

  I never wanted it to end.

  35

  Cin

  I never wanted to get out of bed, but there was no avoiding it, unfortunately. There was a dinner to get to, and a good impression to make. Plus, I was pretty sure I’d dozed off at some point, and it had been hours since Jake and I had initially clambered into bed.

  “Where you going?” Jake asked, clearly disappointed, as I crawled out of bed.

  “To pick out an outfit,” I said.

  A glance at the clock found that, sure enough, it was now four PM. So, I’d better get looking if I wanted to find anything halfway decent.

  “I can help,” Jake said.

  “Me too,” Owen said, coming into the room. “Now that you sleeping beauties are awake.”

  Opening my closet, I found an alarming profusion of clothes, many that I hadn’t worn in years. That was the thing about working all the time; you got into the routine of just wearing the same things day in, day out.

  “What about this?” Jake said, taking out the shortest dress I owned.

  “Hilarious,” I said, glaring at him.

  “Can you at least try it on?” he pleaded.

  “Not if we want to get out of here in the next hour,” Owen pointed out wisely.

  “I can wear it tonight,” I said, the words sending a twinge to my pussy. I nearly laughed at myself and how sex-crazed I’d become with these two.

  After a few more outfit swaps, and even trying on a few promising dresses, I finally settled on ones. A nice navy color, with a boat neck and a length to my knees, it was perfect.

  The twins got ready fast enough, and then we were off, Owen driving us there. The drive was quiet, as we all seemed apprehensive. Although Jake’s arm around my shoulders was reassuring. What we had was enough to withstand even parental disapproval, right?

  Stopped in the parking lot of The Keg, Owen paused before opening his door.

  “Don’t worry about tonight,” he said, turning to me with a tender look in his eye. “Just know that Jake and I care about you a lot.”

  “A hell of a lot,” Jake agreed, squeezing my side.

  And with that, Owen got out, opened the door for me, and we set off to the restaurant.

  Inside, their father was an older, thinner, and more tired-looking version of the twins. He was also early, sitting at a booth already. His gaze registered surprise when it stopped on Jake.

  “Jake,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you here with Owen and his girlfriend.”

  “Decided to tag along,” Jake said with a smile.

  When we all sat down, his dad’s gaze plastered on me. “So, this is the mystery woman.”

  “Hyacinth,” I said, holding out a hand, “But everyone calls me Cin.” He shook my hand firmly, then released it, sitting back.

  “So Cin, tell me about yourself.”

  “Dad,” Owen said with a frown. “I thought this was supposed to be a nice dinner, not the inquisition.”

  “It’s fine,” I told him. “I’m a nurse. I met the guys when they came into the ER, and I patched Jake up.”

  “Ah,” their father said, and I could see my answer pleased him.

  When the waitress came, we made our orders quickly since Jake was star
ving.

  “So why did you come along anyway?” their dad asked Jake. “Afraid I’d bully the poor girl?”

  “Actually,” Jake said, my breath dying in my throat as he slid his arm around me. “The ‘poor girl’ is my girlfriend too.”

  Great. This was it.

  Their dad’s bushy brows raised and stay raised. Once they fell, he started laughing.

  “You two. I should’ve known. You two always were the jokers.”

  Owen took my hand. “We’re not joking. We’ve both fallen for Cin, Dad.”

  Now the look on their dad’s face looked downright dangerous. “You’ve both fallen for her – and she’s ok with that? She’s not going to choose?”

  Under the laser beam of his glare, I felt all my confidence evaporating.

  But somehow, I found my voice. “We all want to be together and care about each other a lot.”

  Their dad didn’t even look my way, as if I hadn’t even spoken. Instead, his incredulous glare went from Owen to Jake, back to Owen again. “You two can’t be serious.”

  When no response came, he continued, “You have to be out of your minds to think that this could work – two men with one woman? Its’ sick, it’s not right and…”

  “You done now?” Jake said.

  Under the table, I could feel his hand tightened on mine.

  His dad spluttered out laughter. “Am I done? When my sons can’t even have a real proper relationship, and so are playing make-believe with the ridiculous idea of…”

  Jake and Owen rose simultaneously.

  “We’ve heard enough,” Jake said, tugging me upright.

  My limbs felt leaden, so it was a good thing that he pulled me along after him as he stalked away. Not fast enough, though, to avoid hearing their dad’s parting remarks, “You’re fooling yourselves if you think it’ll ever work.”

  36

  Owen

  The car ride home was beyond awkward. I should have known better than to subject Cin to our dad. He’d done exactly as I had expected him too and now Cin was paying the price. I don’t know what in the hell had ever made me think that he would accept us and actually be happy for us. What a prick. “Growing up, he alienated a good number of friends,” I told in Cin in what I hoped was a light voice. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Yeah,” Jake agreed. “He’s an asshole.”

  But Cin’s face, by the looks of it, was worrying about it – was worrying about it a lot. I couldn’t handle the way she looked right then.

  “Seriously,” I told her. “This doesn’t change anything.”

  But if that were the case, then why was she so silent back there?

  Jake made a few attempts at conversation, but Cin wasn’t having it. All she said was, “I think it’s time for me to go home.”

  I drove her home without arguing. That encounter with Dad sure had rattled me. To think what he’d said to Cin, it had made me actually want to punch him in the jaw. Who was he to judge us and our relationship, when his own had ended in an epically vicious divorce?

  Once we pulled up to Cin’s building, she opened her car door immediately.

  “No goodbye kiss?” Jake said.

  Face a tense mask, Cin leaned in, delivering one closed-lipped peck to Jake then leaning over to do the same to me. And then, before I could think of anything else to convince her to stay, she’d left.

  I couldn’t get driving after that. Part of me, stupid enough, actually thought she might double back. I thought she might come back and talk about this how we needed to.

  But all we did was sit there, until finally Jake asked, “We going?”

  I drove the car all the way back to our place in silence. Clearly Jake wasn’t in a talking mood right now either, and I could hardly blame him. What was there really to say? “Shitty that our Dad’s a total asshole and might’ve ruined things with the first girl either of us have cared for in a long-ass time?” No. That wasn’t the case, anyway. I wouldn’t let it be.

  That night, I retreated to my room with a bag of Reese’s Pieces and my camera. Stuffing my face made me feel a bit better, although taking pictures didn’t do much, other than reveal how badly I needed to clean up my room. Instead, I collapsed into bed and fell into an unsatisfying sleep.

  After at least four hours of annoying tossing and turning, I decided more food was in order. Inside the kitchen, I laughed. In the dark, standing in front of the fridge, staring into its lighted contents like the cure for cancer might be the food there, was Jake.

  “You too?” I asked him.

  He grabbed a block of cheese and nodded, letting the fridge door fall shut. “Already tried calling her a couple times.” He undid the cheese wrapper and ripped off a bite with his teeth. “I’m freaking out.”

  “Me too,” I paused, not sure whether to reveal my confession, whether Jake would just laugh at me. “Right now, I just want her here. Just to hold her. Be around her.”

  “Yeah,” Jake said, and right when I thought he was going to make a quip, he said, “Me too.”

  We went over to the couch, Jake eating his block of cheese, passing it for me to take a bite too every so often.

  “Part of me wants to go there right now,” Jake admitted. “Middle of the night be damned.”

  I shook my head. “After the dinner she had with Dad, Cin definitely needs her space. What would we say when we went there anyway?”

  “I don’t know,” Jake said. “We like you a lot and want to be with you no matter what anyone says?”

  “Maybe,” I said. I leaned back into the couch, wracking my brain. Just telling her how we felt wouldn’t be enough, I sensed. We needed to convince her, convince her that this was going to work.

  Not to mention that I wanted to make it up to her too, provide her with the nice dinner she should’ve had. I stayed leaned back like that for a few minutes before I sat back up again.

  “I know what we have to do,” I told Jake.

  37

  Cin

  I paused the movie. Seeing the jubilant faces of the cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding was something like being stabbed in the gut.

  “I’ll never have that,” I whispered under my breath.

  And it was true. The Jake and Owen’s dad’s reaction hadn’t been shocking at all. In fact, it was exactly what I’d been secretly fearing from the start. People weren’t going to accept our unconventional pairing. We’d always be outsiders; always have to deal with other people’s judgement. Just how far was I willing to go with this?

  All the way, I realized with a shaky swallow. Although that didn’t mean it was the right choice. I had to think bout the twins too – did I want them to have to suffer a life of being judged and ridiculed just because they like me?

  A knock at my door roused me. I crept over there, unwilling to just open the door wide when I was in my penguin PJs and unwashed hair. But it was Penelope, thank God.

  “Hey,” she said once I’d opened the door. “Just wanted to check up on you after you missed work.”

  Work, I’d almost forgot. After the crazy kidnapping and now this latest screw-up with the twins’ dad, work had been the last thing on my mind.

  “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” I said in a strained voice. “Just haven’t been feeling the greatest.”

  Which wasn’t actually a lie, although Penelope’s Bambi eyes remained as concerned as ever.

  “Is it the guys?”

  I sighed. What was I supposed to say to that? Of course it was. The kidnapping, the failed dad dinner, it was all about the guys.

  We went over to the couches and sat down, although I bobbed up soon after to make us some tea. “How’s work?” I asked, to change the subject.

  When Penelope paused, I knew I’d asked the wrong question.

  “It’s fine,” she finally said.

  “Is Viola pissed that I missed a day?” I asked.

  “Not pissed, exactly, just…”

  I turned around to find Penelope’s face guilty. />
  “What is it?” I asked her.

  “Just that people have been talking,” she said reluctantly.

  “Saying what?”

  My gaze lifted to meet mine. “It was Viola. She told everyone about your ‘two boyfriends’ and now the gossip’s all around. I even heard that front desk girl – Patricia – talking about it. I tried defending you, but you know how seriously people take what I say.”

  Tea kettle in hand now, I froze. The rumor had spread to my work too?

  “It’s totally unprofessional of Viola,” Penelope was blabbing on. “And none of anyone’s business.”

  I didn’t hear the rest. Instead, I carefully set down the kettle and leaned against the kitchen counter. Now my work too? What more could go wrong?

  Bracing myself against the counter, I got the tea kettle and carried it over to Penelope with two tea cups. I sat down and poured the tea. I carefully steered the conversation to other topics. And then, when the tea was done and my energy almost entirely gone, I rose.

  “I’m tired, actually. Would you mind if we went for coffee or something tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” Penelope jumped up, and I realized she’d been lingering because she’d felt sorry for me. Great. “Let’s say Dunkin’ Donuts?”

  “Sounds great,” I told her, giving her a light hug.

  Only once she was gone did I release the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. Then, my body sunk into the couch and I closed my eyes, willing sleep to come.

  Instead, what I got a few minutes later, was the sound of more knocking on my door. I groaned. Had Penelope forgotten something?

  Instead, opening the door, I found myself face to face with Owen and Jake.

  38

  Owen

  Don’t think, just talk, I told myself.

  Luckily, Jake was on it. Sweeping into Cin’s apartment, he declared, “Get dressed. We’re taking you out.”

  Cin blinked at him, stunned.

  “Were you sleeping?” I asked.

  “Trying to,” she said.

  It was only six PM, but then again, Cin had had a rough few days.

  “We just want to take you to dinner,” I finally said. “To sort things out, let you know where we stand and find out where you do.”