Page 8 of Double Take

“Sorry, man. When she got the call and needed to leave, I forgot about it.”

“You should have told her to go with Ethan. At least for now.” Axel’s face is red, as if he’s about to blow his top. “Linda is useless. If Rylee’s husband doesn’t know where she is, Linda is stupid and chatty enough to tell him.”

I stomp over to him and grip his shoulders. “Calm down. I told her to go with Ethan. Unless I can find a better alternative.”

“Thank God.”

Sage’s head flips back and forth as she watches us. “Whoa.” Her eyes widen. “You both like this girl, don’t you? Is this the one I was sensing at Thanksgiving?”

“No.” Axel’s face freezes as a look of horror spreads across his face.

“Dude, don’t be a dumbass.” I tilt my head and arch my eyebrows. “Or is this the green light for me to pursue her?”

“Oliver….” His teeth gnash together. “We’ve already discussed this. She’s mine.”

Sage laughs and slips off the desk. “This is fantastic. I can’t believe you two have finally gotten bitten by the smitten bug.” She draws us into her arms. “I can’t wait to meet the girl that’s bringing the Dickerson twins to their knees.”

“Don’t get excited. She’s not expressed interest in either of us.”

“Yet….” She smirks. “But you just said she was yours, and I’ve never known you not to go after what you want and get it.”

His face turns three shades of red as he coughs. “Forget I said that.”

Her gaze travels from Axel to me. “Why don’t you share her?”

“How?” I frown. “Take turns dating her?” The thought of that holds no appeal to me.

“Please.” She rolls her eyes. “Convince her to be in a relationship with the two of you. Together. At the same time.” She continues speaking as if she’s talking to two little kids who are too slow to pick up on a math fact. “You like to share. That’s a known fact at the club. And it’s never made sense to me why you don’t date the same woman or why you alternated who’s in a relationship.”

“Because women don’t want to be shared.” I shrug. “At least not in our experience. Yes, there are women who enjoy multiple partners at the club, but none of them want to be in a relationship with two men.”

She braces her hands on her hips as her brow wrinkles. “Are you crazy? Just because one girl in high school, who was 17 at the time, freaked out about the idea is no indication of the desires of all women. That girl didn’t even know how to have an orgasm. Or how to balance a checkbook, for that matter. Seriously, I’m in an online group with plenty of interest and excitement at the prospect of being shared. You need to find the right woman.”

Axel glances at his watch. “And that woman is two minutes away from being late.”

“Shit.” I ball my hands into fists. “What if he found her?”

“Not on our watch. I’m calling her. I don’t care if her shift hasn’t started, and we look like demanding, overbearing assholes. We need to know if she’s okay.”

“Yes, we do.” I nod as Sage smiles and sighs with a sappy expression on her face.

Are we ready for this? Growing up, we shared everything–food, clothes, a bedroom, games, friends. We were inseparable, and only because of societal expectations have we varied from that.

Axel listens as the phone rings. When his gaze meets mine, I inhale. Yes. We’re ready.

Chapter Five

Rylee

I shift Sunny on my hip and scroll my phone. Thirty minutes ago, Katrina confirmed that she couldn’t watch my daughter today. I’ve spent every second trying to find another alternative for her. But there’s nothing. Even with cash, I can’t get into another daycare today. And what about tomorrow?

Tears sting my eyes. I need my job to keep my head above water, but I’m going to get fired if I can’t go in. I glance at the clock above the stove. Shit. I’m going to be late.

“Mommy?” Sunny glances up, and my heart sinks. She’s my angel. I can’t fail her. No matter what happens, I can’t break down and return to Mario, begging for a handout. I straighten my back. We’ll live out of the car if we must.

“Yes, baby?”

“What wrong?”

---