Page 35 of My Ex-Fiance's Best Men
“A reverse harem, shall we call it?” August chuckles.
“You’re usually the serious and brooding one,” I give him a playful scowl. “Why are you being so casual about this?”
He offers a nonchalant shrug. “Because none of us actually give a damn. Polyamory isn’t as taboo as it used to be. Not in this city. Besides, we haven’t confirmed or denied anything. The public can spin their wheels all they want, but they don’t matter. We matter.”
“Okay, I guess I like the sound of that,” I concede with a slight nod. “My mother, on the other hand, won’t be as open-minded.”
“And why do you care?” Dominic asks the key question.
“Because she’s still my mother.”
Dominic sits up so he can look me in the eye. “Do you need her approval to be happy, Phoebe?”
“No.”
“And if she tells you to end this, with us, will you?”
That’s a tough question. I know the immediate answer is no, but what about the part of me that has been conditioned into being a people pleaser, into abandoning myself to make others happy? I’ve done that most of my life. Will I be able to get past it?
“What Dominic is trying to say,” August intervenes as soon as he notices me wavering, “is that no matter what your mother might think about us, thinking is all she can do. Have an opinion. That’s it. It has no bearing on your life or your happiness.”
“And if you want to keep this going, if you want to see where it leads, you have that right, no matter what happens tonight,” Theo adds.
“And if she asks me if we’re an item?”
Dominic laughs. “If Helen wants to know if we’re an item, that answer is pretty much up to you. You can tell her we are an item. Or you can tell her we’re just friends. Whatever gives you peace of mind. The last thing we want is to cause more strife for you.”
I exhale sharply, trying to figure out how I want to present our situation to my mother. My first instinct is to run screaming for the hills. Maybe jump on another plane to Hawaii—exceptthis time I wouldn’t come back. I’d turn my apartment into an Airbnb and live out the rest of my days far away from this city.
That’s not feasible, though. I love New York City. It’s in my blood. It’s my home.
I just hate that I have to share it with the people who make me feel so miserable in my own skin.
Picking up on my thoughts, August reaches a hand around my waist and pulls me into his arms. “Whatever happens tonight, Phoebe, we’ve got you,” he says. “Whatever this becomes between us, you’re in full control of it. Don’t forget that.”
“But it’s damn obvious it’s not just sex that’s happening here,” Theo replies with a light laugh.
“It isn’t just sex,” I sigh. My chest feels heavy. Anxiety likes to wrap itself around my throat sometimes, threatening to suffocate me. “I know that. It’s just… until we know where this will lead, until things start to, I guess, make sense again, can we just take it easy with labels and what the rest of the world is privy to? My mother included.”
“Of course,” Dominic replies. “That being said, rest assured, we’ll be on our best behavior tonight. If Helen thinks we’re an item, she might as well get to know us at our best.”
I scowl at him. “You sure do love pulling my leg over this, don’t you?”
“Oh, absolutely,” he responds with a wink.
“She can be a difficult woman,” I warn them. “I’m sorry if I’m being persistent about this, but you don’t know her like I do. One wrong move, one innocent word, and you could become hernumber one enemy. Helen Astor-Baldwin is ruthless to anyone she considers a foe.”
The men exchange curious glances, then look at me.
“Do you think she’s got enough power to even try to take us down?” August asks.
The certainty behind his words gives me a much-needed boost of reassurance. He’s right. Even if the crap hits the fan tonight, what can my mother really do?
Dominic, August, and Theo run one of the fastest growing fintech companies in the country. Other, much bigger sharks have tried to take a bite out of them and have miserably failed.
10
PHOEBE
