Page 36 of Love Triangle
“It’s really gonna be great. So, by the way, are we going to all live together right away? Or is that moving too fast? Because you two have land connected so it only seems natural to just have the two of you stay here, but the question is do we keep both houses or rebuild one big one? We definitely shouldn’t live in mine. It’s small, and oh boy, is it messy. Don’t worry though, I promise to keep our mutual home clean. I won’t–”
“Trig, please, stop.” I run a hand across my eyes. This man is going to give me many headaches. “Let’s not worry about that for now.”
“Okay but I hope my cat gets along with her dog. Pytha is an indoor cat and has only ever lived alone.”
“You named your cat after Pythagoras? Who was an influence on Plato, the name of Crystal’s dog?” I ask with my eyebrow raised.
“Yeah! Isn’t that cool?” He smiles. His hair is poking up every which way and his cheeks are still flushed.
“You’re both nerds.”
“Aww man,” Crystal says from the doorway, apparently having overhead that last bit of conversation. “Don’t lump me in with him.”
“No way. You’re stuck with me now, nerderino,” Trig tosses a pillow at Crystal as she pulls a cotton nightgown over her head.
“Oof.Freaking hell. I just got called a nerderino and somehow, I still love you. This is dumb.” Crystal leaps onto the bed and flops between Trig and I. “Eh, I could get used to it I guess. The two hot naked guys in my bed thing is pretty nice.”
“You deserve everything nice in the world, Crystal. You’re nothing but kind. Now, we need some rest and when we wake up, we’ll see if the world will return the kindness you’ve given to it.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Cliff
The scent on the air is taunting me, reminding me of my failure to be on time. Normally, I take my lunch at eleven a.m. exactly. I like to be punctual. Today, however, I needed to go home and shower after a particularly dirty display piece was sent to the museum. Now it’s after noon and the mornings-only café where I eat each day is closed.Damn.
I stand in front of the closed café, still able to smell the bacon sandwiches I order every day, and watch the light traffic on Main Street.
I shuffle nervously in place, propped on the cane I use these days after the accident, as I look around at the people going about their day. The weather today is unseasonably cool for summer, so there are plenty of people out and about. Mothers walk their small children in strollers. Old men sit on benches arguing about local politics. A beautiful woman with icy blonde hair hangs a sign in a shop window.
I’ve seen that woman many times before. Every night she’s in my bed, along with our other lover. Once a month she’s invisible at night, but she’s back to normal by morning.
The woman steps back, placing her hands on her wide hips, and looks up at the sign to check her work. She readjusts it just slightly and looks over it once more. With a satisfied nod, she steps away and walks inside the brick building.
Crystal’s Pies
Now Open Late
The sign sparkles in glittering rainbow letters. Pie.Hmm. Not the healthiest lunch but it’s good and I’m hungry.
My anxiety over any kind of change doesn’t want me to go in and dine there.
But you know who it is. It’s a safe place. There’s love there.
And did you see how beautiful she was?
My libido chimes in as it usually does nowadays.Why don’t you go get a taste of her pie?
A man with sandy brown hair trips over a rock and stumbles, catching himself on a bike rack outside the shop. I shake my head.Someone needs to keep that man alive.
That decides it. I cross the street and head toward the shop.
