“Beau and I aren’t going anywhere. We both want this with you. There’s no one else, so why not take us? Have us both.”
“You really want to consider this full-time?”
“Baby, I already do,” Scott said.
“And I do. this is serious to us. You don’t have to pick because Scott and I, we like sharing.”
“And what about in a few months, or years?” Connie asked. “Not everything lasts forever.”
“Not everything but there are a lot of things, baby,” Scott said. “You didn’t stop thinking about having this bar because it might not work, did you? You’ve worked your ass off for the past five years, and look at it now. You’re thriving. It’s a damn good bar. Don’t underestimate us. We’re all good together, don’t you feel it?”
She nibbled on her lip. “I’m scared.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of. I promise.” Scott tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “We’re all here for you. We’ve got nothing to hide.”
Beau didn’t want to point out how the town already knew and they were hiding it from her.
“At least think about it. You can do that, right?”
“Sure,” she said. “I think before we have any dinner, we need to clean up.”
They all chuckled and the tension in the air moved.
Connie was the first to pad out of the room. Beau watched her. “What are we going to do about everyone else?”
“We’re just going to have to be careful,” Scott said. “She wants us. You can see that. We’re not going to fuck it up. I promise.”
He hoped his friend was right.
****
A couple of weeks later, Connie felt sick. She didn’t have anything in the house to help ease her stomach, and with Beau and Scott working, she didn’t want to ask for their help. They were always so busy and if she distracted them, it meant she wouldn’t get to see them much at night, and she loved their shared nights.
They went to her place, Scott’s, or Beau’s.
Beau’s place was even smaller than hers, so they always opted for Scott’s. They hadn’t gone to Scott’s or Beau’s in a few weeks though. Her men always came to her bar, and they ended up in her bed. She didn’t mind because her bed was big enough to accommodate all three of them.
She wondered if anyone had noticed their cars staying at her place all night. Either way, she couldn’t dwell on it.
She loved being snuggled between the two men. After what felt like a lifetime, she finally got to wake up between the two. Beau hadn’t been called away for an emergency, and being near him, it was a dream come true.
After parking outside of the pharmacy, she went inside and started to look for something to help with stomach issues. She looked on the shelves and didn’t see anything. After going to the front of the desk, she stood waiting. As she did, one of the women behind the counter said she’d just be a moment.
“That’s her. That’s the slut everyone is talking about. She’s not satisfied with one man, she’s screwing Beau and Scott.”
Connie tensed up. At first, she truly believed she’d imagined it.
Glancing behind her, she saw two women. Neither of them smiled at her. She didn’t recognize them and finally, the woman stepped up to the counter.
“Sorry about the wait. How can I help you?”
“She needs something to test for STDs,” one whispered.
Heat filled her cheeks.
“Er, I was wondering if there was anything you could help to ease sickness.”
This was mortifying. Someone knew. She didn’t know how it happened, but they were talking about her, Beau, and Scott.
“Wow, is she that stupid she doesn’t even realize she needs a pregnancy test?” This time it was said loud enough for the woman advising her to hear.
The woman now looked uncomfortable and Connie wanted the world to open up and swallow her whole.
“You know what? I don’t need anything. Excuse me.”
She turned to leave but stopped as she heard one of them call her a whore.
“What did you call me?” she asked, rounding on the woman.
One of them shrank away, but the other squared her shoulders. “You’re over here. No one likes a whore near their husbands and you think…”
She held her hand up. “I don’t have a clue what you think you know about me, but your dead fucking wrong. Don’t threaten me again, and don’t call me that. Next time, I won’t allow you to say it again. I know how to deal with bitches, and it’s not whispering about them behind their backs.”
After turning on her heel, she walked right out of the pharmacy, climbed into her car, and drove home.
She put a closed for the night sign on her bar, went to her fridge in her apartment, grabbed a large tub of ice cream, sat on the sofa, and ate.
The sickness finally abated but the pain in her heart, that didn’t seem to want to disappear. Tears flooded her eyes.
Any hope of making this work with Scott and Beau evaporated right before her. Her bar would suffer. Men would be mean. They would listen to the gossip and assume the worst and she didn’t want to get into a situation with men.
All the hope and happiness of the last couple of days disappeared.
She was alone.
All alone.
A sad, lonely loser.
Hours ticked by. She finished off one tub of ice cream and sat staring into space.
Her cell phone started to ring. Picking it up, she saw Beau was calling.
Suddenly, something hit her window.
After climbing to her feet, she answered the call and opened the curtain. Beau and Scott were down on the ground. It looked like Scott had thrown stones. He stopped when he caught sight of her and
