“Where do you live?” Richard asked.
Matthew ran a hand through his dark hair. “On the south side near Chesterfield Park.”
“You go pretty far to get to the Haven.”
“Yeah. It works for me. I make the time to get there.”
“I'm glad.”
Matthew ducked his head.
Richard watched him for a moment more, then looked my way. “What do you do?”
I drew in a shaky breath. They had to have heard it, but I couldn't have prevented it. I breathed deep again and did what I had when I was seven years old and went swimming for the first time at my parents’ country club. I squeezed my eyes shut and jumped in before the fear stopped me.
“I'm a developer at Knox Consulting. It's an IT consulting firm.” I shoved the food around on my plate. A solitary piece of pasta stuck to the end of the fork as I twirled the utensil around in the thick sauce. I shook the fork to free the pasta from its prison. It wouldn't budge.
“A rather prestigious firm,” Richard said.
I lifted my head. “Huh? Oh, yeah, they are. It keeps me busy.”
“Not too busy, I hope.” He smirked and took another bite. His tongue snaked out and caught a bead of sauce that lingered on his bottom lip. He winked.
I shook my head. The man never let up.
“Are you a programmer?” Matthew asked.
“Yeah. Mostly Web-based applications for corporations.”
“Cool. The Internet rocks.” He smirked. “I mean, it's how I learned a lot of stuff. I can't imagine what you all did for gay porn when you were teenagers.”
Richard about choked on his food. He downed most of his soda and laughed out loud once he could breathe.
“Well, kid, back in the Stone Age, we had to carve dirty pictures on the cave walls and hope our parents were too busy hunting and gathering to notice.”
Matthew giggled. “You really have your own business?”
Richard wiped his mouth and laid his napkin across his lap. “I do. I started it ten years ago. I own and manage a number of investments, mostly development and real estate holdings.” He looked my way. “Despite what my house looks like, my work is important to me because I want to succeed, not because I want to be rich.” He smirked. I took it to mean I hadn't royally pissed him off. “I know I'm jumping into things here, but I'd like to ask you guys about sex, if you don't mind.”
“Why the hell would we mind that?” I said.
“I should have known it's the subject you'll speak of more easily than your personal life.”
I nodded and took another bite of the pasta. Sex was less complicated.
“We don't know each other all that well,” Richard said, “and we're agreeing to meet outside the club. I want to know what you expect.” He swallowed another gulp of his soda and eyed us. The look reminded me of one chess players hid behind. A mix of repressing a reaction and reading the other player's next move. His game face. “I think it'd be best if we put our cards on the table and see what each person wants and needs from this.”
Matthew waved a hand in the air and picked up his fork. “I'll go along with whatever you two decide.” He took a bite. “This is really good.”
Richard shook his head. “No, Matthew, you won't. You don't know what sorts of things we're into. You could get hurt— emotionally or physically— if we were to do something you didn't want. And I'm not only talking sex here. I want to see more of you. I want to get to know you. I don't want to take a chance I'll do or say something to hurt you.”
Matthew cocked his head to the side. “Isn't that what dating is? Taking risks? Seeing if someone is compatible with you?”
Richard leaned back in his chair. “I don't take risks. Not in my personal life.”
“Okay. Let me think about it. Maybe you or Luke can talk first.”
Richard remained still for a moment more, his game face back in play. “I've already said what I think about you guys sleeping around. I'll add one other thing. This is a little different than anything I've been involved in before. Three guys. I think we should consider a rule about sex as a group. Two of us can play at any time, but no actual sex— and I mean penetration— unless the three of us are together in the same room. Later, we can all agree to change that if we want. For now, if it's two of us, we can rub off, exchange blowjobs, or whatever, but no fucking. It leaves something for us to do together.”
Well, hell. He sure liked his rules, and every one of them was in direct conflict with my own. I glanced at Matthew. He had a forkful of pasta paused three inches from his mouth, his large eyes staring at Richard.
It didn't seem like Matthew was going to say anything, so I spoke. “Can I ask why?”
“Trust takes time. Time we should spend together. We are three people, not two. It may not be conventional, but it's what I want to try to make work. I don't think it's reasonable to suggest we do nothing at all. I can agree to getting off without fucking. That way when I get stuck at work late when we're supposed to get together, you two don't have to go it alone. We can all get some release when we need it.”
I looked to Matthew again. A blowjob would be a great diversion.
A diversion? Since when did I need a diversion when it came to sex? Did I want to make this work enough?
“Okay,” Matthew said.
I rolled my eyes. “Sounds like a
