Annie didn’t even bother to knock when she got to Manda’s office door the next morning. She heard her friend hang up the phone as she pushed right in, dropping into the chair in front of Manda’s desk. “My life is a mess.”
“And good morning to you.” Manda saluted Annie with the coffee mug before taking a sip and setting it down next to her keyboard.
“Dave knows Jasper.”
There. She said it. All last night she’d thought it. The truth hovered on her tongue while Jasper drew her bath last night. While he took care of dinner and then the dishes. Even after hours of mindless television, when he tucked her into bed and wrapped his arms around her.
She’d wanted to spill every detail about Dave and her unexpected attraction and stabbing pain she felt when she thought that Jasper might wish he’d made other relationship choices. Twice she started to say something, but the words had refused to come out. She’d sat there sputtering, trying to cover up her confusion with fake coughs.
Manda frowned at Annie. “What?”
“They used to live together.”
“Wait, back up.” Manda shook her head. She was not someone who got confused easily, but she looked completely stumped. “You’re saying your new crush and your hot boyfriend are friends.”
That wasn’t even close to what she was saying.
Annie glanced over and noticed the door stood open a few inches. Rather than get up, she leaned in and lowered her voice. “More than that.”
“Whoa.” Despite the spiky black heels, Manda made it out of her chair and around the desk in less than two seconds to shut the door. Her eyes practically gleamed when she sat back down again. “Talk.”
This wasn’t her story to tell, but Annie knew she was going to spew every last syllable. She had to talk through the facts with someone. Maybe that would help her make sense out of what happened.
“They had a thing.” Just saying the words made an image pop into her head.
One night months ago, they’d talked about the things they’d done with other people. Jasper was not the type who got jealous. In fact, he insisted on hearing every detail, including the ones about her college fling with a fifty-year-old professor and all the places they had sex around campus.
Then he told her about Matthew, who she now knew was Dave. They’d known each other since college and had been roommates. They’d gotten each other off with their hands and mouths. One night it had gone further. One snowy night, when the DC roads and highways had been shut down for days.
That’s the night that played in her head. She made up the details without any trouble. The thought of Jasper dropping to his knees in front of Dave in one of his expensive suits…a new wave of heat hit her. She felt it burn in her cheeks. And not from embarrassment. No, the idea of them together excited her.
“A thing thing?” Manda sounded both stunned and a little excited herself.
“I’ll pretend I know what that means—yes.”
Manda leaned back in her chair, letting it rock back and forth a few times as she studied Annie. “Damn, Jasper just got hotter. I didn’t think that was possible.”
They’d talked about this before. The tattoos and that fancy degree. The mix of the fuck-you attitude and would-rescue-a-kitten charm. He was sweet and self-assured and on fire in bed.
But none of that information was relevant right now. “Could you focus and help me here?”
“What’s the problem? It’s simple.” Manda ticked off her points on her fingers. “You love Jasper. You both love sex. Jasper and this Dave dude had a thing, which I would like photos of, by the way. And you want a thing with Dave but don’t want to lose Jasper.”
It sounded even worse spelled out like that. Annie sank down in her chair and counted all the ways she’d screwed up this situation. “Do you know the definition of the word ‘simple’? This is the perfect opportunity for you.” Manda folded her hands in front of her, looking far too satisfied.
Annie almost hated to ask. “For…?”
“A threesome.”
The word clunked around in Annie’s head. Yeah, no way. She stood up. “Okay, we’re done here.”
“Sit.” Manda used her best high school teacher voice. “I’m serious.”
When it came to sex and relationships, Manda was open and giving. She thought the idea of one-person-forever was outdated and people should do what felt good and right for them. Screw society’s traditional roles and rules.
It all sounded good in theory, but Annie’s history kept tugging at her. For all her frustration with her parents’ choices, Annie wanted to believe in the one. She just feared that finding that person meant the death of her sex drive, which was why she was so afraid of Jasper filling that role. She was not ready to trade passion for love just yet.
“I don’t want to cheat on Jasper.”
“It’s not cheating if he’s an active participant.” When Annie didn’t say anything, Manda sighed and kept talking. “You know how this works, right? You all agree. You all enjoy. That’s the understanding, the one you come to through honest communication.”
Annie couldn’t believe those arrangements worked smoothly in real life. Emotions would get in the way. Guilt and mistrust. Then there was the three-person dynamic. One poor sap always got left out, and she sure as hell didn’t want that to be her.
Still, she didn’t hate the idea. Being in bed with both of them. Sitting on the couch with both of them, teasing in that fun relationship kind of way. She could almost see it. But…
“I could mess everything up with Jasper.”
“You’ve been hesitant to marry him. Something keeps holding you back. Maybe this is it. Maybe both of you need something else. Someone else to join you.”
Annie hated when Manda pulled out the logic and smacked her with it. Plus, there was another thing she was worried about. “Or maybe Jasper will figure out he messed up when he let Dave go.”
“Ah, so that’s it. You’re worried you’re not really the one.”
Annie was starting to hate this conversation. It mentally threw her back into that therapist’s chair from a few years ago, dissecting every choice she ever made.
She felt a buzzing in her pocket and slipped her phone out. His name was splashed across the screen. She hit Ignore.
“That was Dave.” There was no need to hide it. She figured she’d gone this far and might as well share everything with Manda.
“Has he been calling?”
“Yes, and I’ve been ignoring him, which is a terrible way to treat a client, I know.” That probably explained why she’d been all but burying him in a deluge of listings. She’d sent him information on nearly every condo and house for sale within five miles of his target buying areas.
“You haven’t scared him off, so you’re fine.” Manda stared Annie down. “But back to my point.”
“Which was?”
“If you’re holding back on Jasper—even on Dave—because you’re worried you’re Jasper’s second choice, then you have a bigger issue. There’s no way you guys can survive with that doubt hanging over your relationship.” She shrugged. “Besides, it’s ridiculous because you’re amazing and everyone, including Jasper, knows that. You’re the only one who doesn’t seem to realize it.”
Annie was about to say something when she heard the knock.
Aaron poked his head in. He wore a fierce scowl as his gaze traveled from Manda to land on Annie. “Ladies.”
“Boss.” Manda gave a curt nod.
Aaron and Manda stared at each other for a few slow seconds. Tension choked the room. Even the clock on the edge of Manda’s desk seemed to stop ticking. Then Aaron slipped back into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
Even for those two, the run-in was weird, super-charged. Clearly something had happened.
“What was that about?” Annie asked Manda as soon as they were alone again.
“Nothing.”
Worst. Liar. Ever. “Not nothing.”
“I went to a club last night.” Manda cleared her throat. “The private kind. Guess who was there?”
That was a thing for Manda. She liked to go and watch. She also had an unspoken thing for the boss.
Annie hesitated. “What was Aaron doing there?”
“Having a drink, but…”
“Oh, my God. Continue.”
“It’s invitation only and I got one in the mail. Totally anonymous.” Manda shook her head. “That’s not the point.”
Annie wasn’t so sure. The mysterious invitation? Luring her there? She half wondered if Aaron had finally woken up to the attraction between them.
“Aaron saw me. He got furious and tried to drag me out. It was a big, dramatic thing. We both got kicked out. Literally escorted to the door.”
A laugh bubbled up inside Annie. She put a hand over her mouth to trap it inside, but that didn’t work. It took her another few seconds to get her body and mind back under control. “That’s incredible.”
“He drove me home in silence.” Manda fidgeted in her chair. “Things are super tense between us now.”
More like claustrophobic. “Gee, I wonder why?”
“But back to you.” The seat creaked as Manda leaned forward again. “Jasper, you, and Dave. Think about it. If nothing else, bringing it up will show you if you’re really Jasper’s second choice. And you get to test out this attraction to Dave at the same time.”
“How exactly do I bring up this conversation? Hey, honey, I met your old boyfriend and think it would be fun if you two double-teamed me. He’ll have a stroke.” The words settled in her head and a new image hit her. Back to Jasper…but this time they weren’t alone. “Hell, I might have one.”
“Or, he’ll agree.”
Annie closed her eyes for a second before opening them again. “Shit, this is confusing.”
“If it sounds great to you, be open to it,” Manda said. “Think about what you want and what you want for your relationship.”
She sounded so rational. Annie felt anything but. “Easy for you to say.”