killing him that you said he was just a friend. He falls fast and hard, honey. He said the L word long before I was at that point.
“I know, I know. It’s not fair to expect you to be as comfortable about this arrangement as we are. At some point, Cole will remember that it’s been months since he and I started talking about this.” Tara walked to Dalton and kissed his cheek. “Give him a little time. Well, maybe more than a little. We’re all going to have to be open and honest, at least now you know why you’re pissed at each other. Wait until he cools off and then talk to him.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Dalton looked around the room and sighed. “I’ll do the dishes, then I have some homework. I probably won’t be back until late.” His sigh was laced with regret and confusion. “I think I’ll sleep in the other bedroom tonight. That would be easier on everyone.”
Tara patted his shoulder. “I have a feeling we’re all going to spend some time in the guest room before we get all the bumps smoothed out of this relationship.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Dalton’s mouth. “You’re probably right.”
* * * *
Dalton knocked on the apartment door. I hope Zach’s home. I’d really like to talk to someone about today, and Zach’s usually good to listen. He waited for several long minutes, then turned to leave. He punched the elevator button and waited for the car to return. Thinking of what to do next, he blindly walked into the elevator when the doors opened—and he collided with Zach.
“Hey. Dalton?”
“Zach!” He paused for a second to get his thoughts together. “I came over to see you.”
Zach studied him for several minutes with one eyebrow cocked, then nodded and motioned Dalton ahead of him. Without a word, he let Dalton inside his apartment and poured them each a pop. He brought the foaming glasses to the living room and handed one to Dalton and then sat down on the opposite end of the couch, tucking his feet under him.
“This is about the big guy you were with today, isn’t it?”
“Damn it, Zach. Am I really that easy to read?”
Zach shot him a sympathetic smile. “Only to me. So, did you finally find your gay side and now you need to get the low down on playing for the other team?”
Dalton chuckled and took a drink before answering. “You’re sort of right. It’s more complicated than that, though.”
“It’s more complicated than my best friend, who has never dated anyone other than the hottest women, to have fallen for a guy?”
“Yeah, well. It’s not just Cole. I mean it was him first. But now Tara is involved. And today I hurt Cole’s feelings when I introduced him as my friend. I may have really screwed up, but Tara’s says—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Holy crap, when you have a relationship problem, it’s crash and burn, isn’t it?”
Dalton took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. “It really is complicated this time.”
“Okay, well one thing at a time, then. Cole is the hot Paul Bunyan type who was with you today?”
“Yes.”
“And he’s more than just friends, or even friends with benefits.”
Dalton nodded. “Yes, I have serious feelings for him. I get all tied in knots when I’m around him, and God help me when he touches me.”
“Okay, hot to trot for the muscle dude. Got it. So who is this second person, Tara?”
“Tara’s our other roommate.”
Zach sat for several minutes, beginning to talk and then stopping. Finally he threw up his hands in surrender. “I give up. I got no more smart remarks. Tell me about it.”
Dalton braced himself, not sure if even Zach would approve. “Well the short version is we are all in a relationship. All three of us.”
Zach looked thoughtful. “All three of you? Like always all three, or sometimes two, or—”
Zach inhaled deeply and then met Dalton’s gaze. “Sorry, I was doing what I hate for straight people to do, go right to the sex and want details of what tab goes in
“I know, I know. It’s not fair to expect you to be as comfortable about this arrangement as we are. At some point, Cole will remember that it’s been months since he and I started talking about this.” Tara walked to Dalton and kissed his cheek. “Give him a little time. Well, maybe more than a little. We’re all going to have to be open and honest, at least now you know why you’re pissed at each other. Wait until he cools off and then talk to him.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Dalton looked around the room and sighed. “I’ll do the dishes, then I have some homework. I probably won’t be back until late.” His sigh was laced with regret and confusion. “I think I’ll sleep in the other bedroom tonight. That would be easier on everyone.”
Tara patted his shoulder. “I have a feeling we’re all going to spend some time in the guest room before we get all the bumps smoothed out of this relationship.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Dalton’s mouth. “You’re probably right.”
* * * *
Dalton knocked on the apartment door. I hope Zach’s home. I’d really like to talk to someone about today, and Zach’s usually good to listen. He waited for several long minutes, then turned to leave. He punched the elevator button and waited for the car to return. Thinking of what to do next, he blindly walked into the elevator when the doors opened—and he collided with Zach.
“Hey. Dalton?”
“Zach!” He paused for a second to get his thoughts together. “I came over to see you.”
Zach studied him for several minutes with one eyebrow cocked, then nodded and motioned Dalton ahead of him. Without a word, he let Dalton inside his apartment and poured them each a pop. He brought the foaming glasses to the living room and handed one to Dalton and then sat down on the opposite end of the couch, tucking his feet under him.
“This is about the big guy you were with today, isn’t it?”
“Damn it, Zach. Am I really that easy to read?”
Zach shot him a sympathetic smile. “Only to me. So, did you finally find your gay side and now you need to get the low down on playing for the other team?”
Dalton chuckled and took a drink before answering. “You’re sort of right. It’s more complicated than that, though.”
“It’s more complicated than my best friend, who has never dated anyone other than the hottest women, to have fallen for a guy?”
“Yeah, well. It’s not just Cole. I mean it was him first. But now Tara is involved. And today I hurt Cole’s feelings when I introduced him as my friend. I may have really screwed up, but Tara’s says—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Holy crap, when you have a relationship problem, it’s crash and burn, isn’t it?”
Dalton took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. “It really is complicated this time.”
“Okay, well one thing at a time, then. Cole is the hot Paul Bunyan type who was with you today?”
“Yes.”
“And he’s more than just friends, or even friends with benefits.”
Dalton nodded. “Yes, I have serious feelings for him. I get all tied in knots when I’m around him, and God help me when he touches me.”
“Okay, hot to trot for the muscle dude. Got it. So who is this second person, Tara?”
“Tara’s our other roommate.”
Zach sat for several minutes, beginning to talk and then stopping. Finally he threw up his hands in surrender. “I give up. I got no more smart remarks. Tell me about it.”
Dalton braced himself, not sure if even Zach would approve. “Well the short version is we are all in a relationship. All three of us.”
Zach looked thoughtful. “All three of you? Like always all three, or sometimes two, or—”
Zach inhaled deeply and then met Dalton’s gaze. “Sorry, I was doing what I hate for straight people to do, go right to the sex and want details of what tab goes in
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