“And we’re just to believe her?”
“What else can we do?”
“We should always close the bloody door. Why did she come to see you?”
“Apparently at that precise moment she found the nerve to come apologize to me. I felt she was sincere though. I really think she’ll keep it to herself.”
Luc sighs. “Is this our life then? We just live in fear of being exposed?”
“I don’t know.”
“Neither do I. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Okay.”
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“No matter what, Ben, I love you. We’ll figure it out together. You and I will navigate work and the three of us will navigate life.”
I smile. “Yeah. We’ll figure it out.”
∞∞∞
After dinner, Luc nudges my arm. “Bath?”
“Would love one. You killed me last night.”
He laughs. “I killed you? You were the top.”
“That’s a lot of work.”
“I’ll take top tonight.”
“Deal.”
Once we settle into the tub, Luc gets a serious look on his face. “I have something to talk to you about.”
“Yeah?”
“After what happened today with Kate, I’m thinking of how to take our relationship with Georgie to the next level.”
My eyes widen. “Are you thinking of proposing again?”
Luc’s eyes widen. “Bloody hell, after what happened last time? No way.”
I laugh, dragging my hands through the soapy water. “What then?”
“Baby steps. I was thinking, perhaps we could discuss moving in together. We’re always here anyway. We need a bigger place. We could pool our resources and—”
“If you say buy a house in the suburbs you can get the fuck out of here.”
We both laugh as he flicks suds at me. “Not in the suburbs. A beautiful city apartment with a huge master bedroom, a bathtub big enough for three, and…” He averts his eyes for a moment before flashing them up to me. “Everything we’ve ever wanted.”
“I’m in.”
“Besides, even if either of us were thinking marriage, I’m fairly certain polygamy is illegal in California.”
I nod. “Probably.”
“This works though, yeah? Who needs marriage? We have everything we want and need.”
I lean back, sliding down a bit in the water so it covers my shoulders. Luc lifts my foot to his mouth kissing the bottom and then massaging gently. I search his eyes while he presses soft kisses along my calf.
“I think marriage would be nice.”
Luc’s eyebrow rises. “How do you suggest we make that happen? There are three of us.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I know, but I think it would be nice. I’d proudly walk around introducing you as my husband and Georgie as my wife. I don’t give a fuck what people think. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
He nods, moving his attention to my other foot. “I don’t give a fuck either.”
“No?”
“No. This is my life, and you both are my world. I’m not ashamed of us.”
“Me neither.”
“So instead of worrying that someone will catch us like Kate did, should we just out ourselves then? The holiday party is coming.”
“I don’t know. That was a fluke. We’ve always been careful not to let it show at work.”
“Not really. I show up with you, I eat lunch with you, I leave work with you. It’s not that hard for anyone to assume we’re lovers.”
“It’s almost easier to let them believe that then to bring Georgie into it. That’s what I did with Kate.”
He leans closer to me, sliding between my legs so that he can wrap his arms around me. “This is our life, Ben. All three of us. We’re not hiding forever.”
I nod, kissing his beautiful mouth. “We need to talk to Georgie.”
“Of course. I was thinking of telling my family too.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll come for holiday soon. I want to do those things together. I want us to visit with our families and shop for gifts together and invite them to our important moments. That’s what love is, yeah?”
“Yeah. I just haven’t thought about it yet. I don’t think mine will take it well.”
“We’ll work through it together, and when you’re ready, if you’re ready, we’ll do it your way.”
I nod. “But I think I can handle work. I only care what you think.”
He kisses me again. “Same, mate.”
“You know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“You’ve called me mate a million times since we met.” He nods. “But once you told me you loved me, the tone changed and now it’s one of the most amazing gifts that you give me. I can literally feel how much you love me when you say it.”
Luc smiles, searching my eyes. “On some level, I knew our connection was different than what I had with other friends. There was a comfort with you I never had before. I think that’s why it was easy to explore sexually with you and eventually fall for you. I cannot express what you mean to me.”
“You don’t have to. You show me constantly.”
“What do you say we get out of here and go snog until our girl gets home?”
“Can’t think of a better way to spend the evening.”
Chapter 46 Luc
My phone rings, surprising me when I see the name across the screen.
“Hello, Jake.”
“Luc. Can you come up and bring Ben with you?”
“Right now?”
“Yes, please.”
“Uh, sure. Right away.”
I hang up and walk down the hall to Ben’s office, tapping softly on the door.
“Hey, Luc.”
“Hey. Jake called. He wants to see both of us in his office.”
Ben’s brow creases. “Why?”
“Didn’t say. Just said for me to bring you.”
“Alright.” Ben stands. “This should be interesting.”
We walk to the lift together in silence, both of us wondering why we’re being summoned together. When we reach the top floor, we exit, and let his assistant know we’re here. She tells us to go in straight away.
We both walk in and Jake looks up. “Please sit.” We take the seats in front of his desk. “I’ll get right to it. Something has recently come to my attention that I want to discuss with the both of you.” My eyes shift to Ben, but he stares straight ahead, looking paralyzed. “We’ve recently acquired a small regional agency in the East Coast that will allow us to expand our reach greatly. As you know, it’s been a long term goal to open more offices across the US.” I nod, not sure where this is going. “After reviewing what our staffing needs will be and discussing plans with the board, I’ve decided to take on managing that area.” My eyes widen. “Which brings me to why the two of you are here.” Jake leans back in his chair. “I’m ready to take a lesser role in the future of this company. I want to spend more time with my wife and moving back East will allow me to do that. With my departure, there will be an opening. I’d like to offer you, Luc and Ben, the opportunity to run this office, along with the two other California locations, as President and Vice President of Sales and Expansions, respectively.”
My mouth falls open. “I’m gobsmacked.”
Jake grins. “I’ll assume that’s a good reaction.”
“Very good.” I turn to Ben. “Did you hear him?”
Ben nods slowly. “Straight to Vice President?”
Jake nods. “The two of you have an undeniable chemistry that shows through your work. The team here respects you. Your reputation in the company is flawless. I felt that the two of you together would bring the right energy and focus to growing this region. If you accept, HR will schedule meetings to review your new compensation and bonus structure.”
Ben looks at me at the same time I look at him. I know what he’s
thinking. I can see it in his eyes. I nod, then switch my attention back to Jake.
“Uh, Jake, I’m positive we would both be honored to accept the promotions, but we have something to tell you first.”
Jake tilts his head. “Okay.”
“Something personal.” I glance at Ben, who looks mortified, but makes no attempt to stop me. I decide to check in anyway. I can’t unsay the words once they’re out. “Ben? You’re good with this?”
He nods. “Yeah. Go on.”
“Right then, well, Jake, um, as you know, Ben and I are very close. Very close.”
“What are you saying, Luc?”
I’ll just say it. “Ben and I are in a relationship.”
Jakes nods, studying my face for a moment. “I don’t see how your personal relationships affect your job. Obviously, you’ve both been discreet.”
“There’s more.” Jake’s eyebrow rises. “We have a girlfriend.”
Jake’s eyes shift between Ben and I for a minute. “I’m fucking confused, guys. Are you gay or what?”
“Not exactly.” My brow crinkles as I realize I never spent time deciding how to verbalize what we have. “I suppose the easiest explanation is Ben and I were good friends, then we met a woman we both liked, and we decided to date her, and eventually it morphed into what it is today which is a relationship between the three of us. We were thinking of bringing her to the holiday party and making our unconventional lifestyle public. I don’t know how or if this new knowledge affects your offer to us.”
Jake nods, staring down at his desk, before looking up. “I guess I don’t understand how what you do at home matters. It’s definitely unconventional and people will have questions and there will likely be whispers, but if the two of you are comfortable with that and willing to deal with it, that’s your choice. This is your office now. It doesn’t, nor has it, affected the exceptional quality of work you both consistently produce. Frankly, Luc, I don’t care who you fuck at night.”
Ben looks at me as his shoulders drop. I offer a slight smile, reaching for his hand. He gives it to me and I squeeze gently. “I’m ready, Ben. Are you?”
Ben smiles, glancing at Jake. “I’m ready.”
“Well then, gentleman, welcome to the Executive Suite.”
After we leave Jake’s office, we jump on the lift. Ben presses me against the wall, kissing me fully as his hands run up and down my back. We hear the ding and quickly separate, straightening our suits as people step on. Once we’re back on our floor, we practically run to my office. Ben closes the door.
“Oh my god, Luc. We did it. We told him and he didn’t care. Do you think other people won’t care?”
I shrug. “Some will. Some won’t. Who gives a fuck? We run this now. This office is ours. So is San Fran and San Diego. Do you know what this means for us?”
“We can buy a big city apartment.”
“And a diamond ring.”
Ben grins. “A ring? Are we proposing?”
I study his face as a new idea comes to me. “When the time is right, perhaps there’s some symbol of commitment we can give her.”
“Yeah. What did you do with the one you bought before?”
I chuckle. “Used my three day return policy.” I grab his hand, pulling him into me. “Want to call her and tell her the news?”
“Definitely.”
I pull my phone from my pocket and call. She answers quickly.
“Hey, English.”
“Love, Ben is with me. We have news.”
“Oh? What?”
I nod. “You tell her, mate.”
“Jake just called us up to his office and offered us promotions. President and Vice President of Sales and Expansion for California.”
“Oh my god!” She squeals. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you both. You took the promotion, Luc?”
I laugh softly. “I did. I’m ready to grow up and…” My eyes meet Ben’s. “I’m ready for lots of things. We told Jake about our relationship.”
“You did?” Her voice softens. “Oh my god. How did he take it?”
“Good. Very well actually once he understood. He said it didn’t affect his decision in the slightest.”
“How did it feel?”
“Terrifying at first. Poor Ben looked as if he’d seen a ghost.”
“I felt sick. Not because I’m ashamed. I’m not. It’s just the first time we told someone. I hope it always goes that well.”
“It won’t,” she says. “When I told Sophie, my bestie, she tried to understand, but she couldn’t. She assumes it will end when we get tired of it or one of us wants something more conventional. She just doesn’t get it.”
“How does that make you feel, love? She’s your best friend.”
“Don’t care. We’re still friends and in time she’ll understand. So will my family and my coworkers, and if they don’t, I don’t give a fuck. It’s my life and I’m happy. Beyond happy. I hope you two feel the same.”
I nod, glancing at Ben. “It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it.”
“On that note,” Ben says. “I think we need to celebrate. Champagne and shenanigans tonight?”
I nod. “And cake. Lots and lots of cake.”
∞∞∞
One month later
Standing in front of the full length mirror, I study my reflection. Tonight’s the night we unveil our relationship publicly. We’ve all decided to just let it flow naturally, introducing Georgie as our girlfriend and waiting for the questioning looks. We’ve decided to just be real and show ourselves. I exhale slowly, straightening my bow tie. Just one more thing before we go.
I walk out to the living room where Ben and Georgie wait for me. They are such beautiful people. Ben, dressed in the same style tux I’m in and Georgie in the most gorgeous red formal gown- they look like models in an advertisement but they’re mine. What the world doesn’t know, is their internal beauty is magnified a million times to their exterior appearance. As I approach, they stop chatting and turn to face me.
Georgie grins. “There he is. Worth the wait, English. You look hot.”
I chuckle, bowing slightly. “Thank you. I’d say the three of us are the best looking people in town tonight.”
“Every night,” Ben says. “Should we go?”
“Uh, not yet. I have something I want to say to both of you.” Georgie tilts her head, blessing me with her stunning smile. Ben studies me with a curious expression. I clear my throat. “Right. Well, a few months ago, if you recall, I fucked everything up by trying to normalize our love for each other. I was in complete denial of my feelings, and it took quite a bit of sorting to get me right again, but it worked out and here we are.”
Ben smiles as I take his hand. “Ben, thank you for your patience and for showing me that love can be so much more than I previously understood. Thank you for opening your heart to me and trusting me with it, even when I stumbled. You are one half of my perfect world, and I love you. Deeply.”
“Thank you.”
I turn and take Georgie’s hand in my other hand. “Georgie, where do we begin? All of this happened because of your bravery and adventurous streak. It happened because you saw more than either Ben or I could see. You waded into a sea of emotion you weren’t expecting and trusted us not to let you drown. You gave us tough love when we needed it, but mostly, you gave us soft love. Love that opened me and Ben to places we didn’t know our hearts could go. You’ve provided a vision of a future I couldn’t have dreamt. You are the other half of my perfect world, and I love you.” I smile. “Madly.”
“Oh, Luc. You beautiful man.”
I exhale slowly as nerves rattle through me. “I’m not quite finished. I proposed once knowing in my heart my intentions were wrong and misguided.” I drop to my knee in front of a surprised Georgie and a shocked Ben. “But tonight, my intentions are pure and whole and thought out, and I know in my heart I am doing the right thing this time. I don’t know how it works, but I know I wa
nt to spend the rest of my life with the two of you.” Reaching in my pocket, I pull out a diamond ring for Georgie and platinum band for Ben. “Will the two of you accept my proposal and spend your lives with me?”
Georgie’s mouth falls open and when I look at Ben, his eyes are filled with tears, but neither speaks. They look at each other and then at me. Georgie walks out of the room to her bedroom leaving me floored. She’s still not ready. Ben turns and walks to the kitchen. I sit back on the floor, completely gobsmacked I misjudged it again.
Ben returns first, wiping his eyes and glancing at Georgie who comes in from the bedroom. “Do you want to go first?” she asks Ben.
He nods. “I didn’t see this coming. I hoped for it, but…” He opens his hand to reveal a diamond ring and platinum band. “After we discussed it in your office, I went shopping planning to propose to the two of you on New Year’s Eve.” He sits on the floor with me, gripping Georgie’s wrist to join us. She kneels down, blinking back tears. “Georgie, it took me a while to understand how you felt about me, but once I did, I realized I’ve never been so loved.” His glance shifts to me. “And you, Luc, have redefined what love can be. The three of us have created something I didn’t know could be real, and I never want it to end. So will you both marry me or however we figure out how to spend the rest of our lives together?”
We both look at Georgie, who smiles as she sheepishly unclenches her hand, revealing two black tungsten wedding bands. “Yeah, so, um…” Her words catch as she cries. “I’m so happy right now. I want to do domestic shit with you boys. Whatever that looks like.” She laughs. “Except moving to the suburbs. I’m not doing that.”
I take her hand, as my own tears cloud my eyes. “Are you asking us to marry you?”
She nods. “I want this forever. I want you both forever. I want my cake.”
I smile. “Well, isn’t this something? The three of us are on the same page.” I look at the diamond in my hand and then the one in Ben’s hand. “I think they’ll both fit her finger, mate. Shall we try?”
He nods. “You first.”
I take Georgie’s hand and slide the emerald cut diamond solitaire on her hand, then give her hand to Ben. He slides the ring he choose on, a brilliant round cut diamond. She looks at her hand, adjusting the rings so they are both fit.
The Thing About Us: A MMF Bisexual Romance Page 28