Page 5 of Three for Me? (Ménage and More 1)

“We’re here, ladies and gentleman. Let me get you to join the rest of the group so Shelly can tell you the rules and get you the papers you need to sign.”

They poured out of the cab in the heart of the small coastal city, and Charli made a beeline to Simon and Rafael. “Where’s Eric? Never mind, I have to tell you right away. I made a bet with that newly married couple that we’d beat them. Two hundred and fifty smackers, guys. You know what that means.”

“Charli…Charli there’s something we have to tell you too.” Rafael looked disturbed. He ran his hands through his shaggy cocoa-colored hair and looked at Simon. “You do it.”

Simon sneered at Raf, gripping Charli by the shoulders. “Babe…Chuck… This race is—”

“Charli! Welcome to Hell. They told you yet?” Eric downed a bottle of Dos Eq

uis in less than a minute. He was a teetotaler. And he hated beer. What was going on?

“Told me what? You okay, Eric?”

Rafael shook his head. “No he’s not. That’s his third beer in the last ten minutes.”

“Is everybody here? Wonderful. Welcome to The Race Erotic. Similar but in no way connected to Race Fantastique, and challenging on an entirely different level.” The short little redhead winked before continuing. “Florenz and I met on this race, so you don’t have to be a couple at the starting line. But if you’re not, I’ll warn you that you are definitely going to know each other a lot better by the finish.”

Florenz went to stand beside the guide. If Charli wasn’t frozen in shock, she would have marveled over the strange coupling of the perky, petite cheerleader and the laid-back, suave giant. Shelly raised her voice to be heard over the bustling crowd passing by. “Each couple…um…group will receive three clues, and three challenges once they solve their riddles. Since one of your teams has more than two members, two of their members will have to participate in one of the challenges and two will be left out of another, just to be fair. Okay are we all ready? Have you brought your brains and your libidos? Then let’s begin Race Erotic!”

“Holy shit, let’s get out of here. We’re on the wrong excursion. How did this happen?” Charli grabbed Eric and Rafael by their Charli’s Devils T-shirts, jerking her head to Simon to get him to follow.

Simon didn’t move, but she noticed the hesitation in his gaze. “It was Lori Ann, Connie and Aunt Kelly. They left a note for us with our guide. They paid for the whole thing, Chuck, and promised to reimburse us for the other race. The one that started a few hours ago.”

“I’ll kill them.”

“You will after you read their ridiculous note.” Eric chuckled grimly. “I told you it was a gag, guys. We should have waited for her at the bar.”

Charli held out her hand, and Simon handed her the note.

This may be your only chance. She wants all of you. If you want her, play the damn game. Have fun—C, L and K

She crumpled the note in her hand, feeling betrayed. How could they have told the guys what she had shared with them in confidence? Her face heated. What would they think of her? Knowing them it could go either way. Ribbing and teasing for the rest of her natural life, or the same awkward distance Eric and Rafael had had since Raf outed himself.

“She’s not laughing it off. Why aren’t you laughing it off, Charli?” Rafael tilted his head, his gaze alert.

“I-I’m, uh, that is…”

Eric appeared startled. “She’s stuttering.”

“Yes, she is. She only does that when she’s trying to lie. You suck at lying, Chuck. We ever told you that?” Simon had come closer, the three of them surrounding her on all sides. Oh God.

“W-we should go.”

“Quitting already? Before the game even starts? Well, my love, looks like we win the bet.” Tim’s voice grated on her already-frayed nerves.

“Bet? Did I hear someone mention a bet?” In moments the three couples had surrounded them, her new nemesis, Tim, filling everyone in on their little side bet. Everyone wanted to join in the fun.

A Goth-looking girl with a Russian accent introduced herself as Natalie. She smirked as she held a slender, pale man, obviously her junior, in a powerful grip. “I have played this game many times. I will win, hands down.”

An elderly couple from England, both of them looking more like grandparents than kinky swingers, jumped in. “Oh, I think not, dears. Bill and I have had years of practice. We can take you. We’re in.”

“Betsy.”

“Come on, luv.”

“Okay. We’re in.”

The bet had just grown to serious proportions. Shit. Simon leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “If we quit now we’ll have to pay all these people for a game we didn’t even compete in. A game we could win.”

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