Page 5 of Second Chance for the Single Mom

Lucas: Haha, I can’t tell if you’re serious or not. But if you are, you’re welcome to come over and see what happens. I’ll send you my address. We’re making margaritas.

“Ah hah!” Sara said when I showed her the text. “He’s totally into it!”

“That’s not what he said,” I argued.

“He said he’s into it withoutsayinghe’s into it. What do you think it means tocome over and see what happens?”

“Do guys even like that kind of threesome?” I asked. “I’ve always thought they only want to do it with two women. None of them want to be in bed with another man.”

Sara leaned forward and tapped my phone. “Clearly, they do.”

It had all been a big joke up until this point, but as I re-read the text message five straight times, the reality began sinking in. I had always thought of threesomes as something that people did in college. Single moms didn’t have that kind of fun.

“I have Bran…” I said weakly.

“Who I’ll watch for you,” Sara insisted. “His bedtime is soon, anyway. Stop making excuses. You’re always complaining about life being boring since you had Bran. This is your chance to do something exciting!”

“I’ve never met this other guy,” I said. “What if he’s ugly? Or what if I hate him?”

“Then you can leave,” Sara said patiently. “You can get a feel for their vibe,thendecide what to do. Lucas did phrase it so that you couldsee what happens. That’s not a firm commitment.”

God, it was tempting. The idea of hooking up with Lucas had already turned me on, remembering all the steamy fun we had when we were young. Adding another guy? Being shared bytwo menat the same time? It gave me the best kind of goosebumps.

“You really don’t mind watching Bran?”

“Of course not. He’ll be sleeping the whole time. Besides, I’m expecting plenty of reciprocal babysitting favors when these guys eventually pop out.” She rested her hand on her belly.

I gulped down the last of the wine, and my last notes of inhibition finally disappeared.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

3

Lucas

“Are you going to do it?” my buddy Shay asked with a small smile.

I skimmed the texts with Haley, my ex. She had bluntly asked if this was a hook-up, then said she would love to get a drink at my place. But by that time, Shay had come over.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“I can leave,” Shay insisted, crossing one leg over the other on the couch across from me. “The last thing I want to do is get in the way of somebody having sex.”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “If I kick you out, won’t I seem too eager?”

“Immaterial,” Shay replied in a tone that reminded me he was an attorney. “This is just a hook-up. You’re not trying to win her over long-term. Right?”

“Right,” I said after only a moment of hesitation. Shay narrowed his eyes, but didn’t call me on it.

I glanced at the photo on my phone. Haley hadn’t updated her Facebook profile in five years, but she had a profile on the Real Estate Agency website where she worked. She looked as beautiful as ever, although the photo only showed her from the chest up.

I was certain she would have settled down by now. Women like her didn’t stay single for very long. But based on the feelers I had put out through old high school friends, she wasn’t married.

Something twisted in my chest. Desire, and regret, and shame. I had a lot of fond memories with Haley, but they were tainted by the way I had fucked things up. I was so young and immature back then.

But if I had another chance…

Sighing, I texted her back to see if she was free tomorrow. But she wasn’t.

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