Page 29 of The Layover

“Ooh, does that mean you have a story to tell? Wait, if you’re sad, it must not have been good D. Do you need a different dose?” She was half playful, half concerned.

And suddenly I didn’t want to talk about sex. I didn’t want to share the details, or even the vagaries, of the last two days. I always wanted to talk about sex. I loved to make sex jokes and tease my friends about having sex and brag about the good sex and complain about not getting enough sex, but tonight… “I don’t know. I’m just off.”

“So you said. What’s up?” Like that, her light tone was replaced with pure sympathy.

I worked my jaw a few times. Whatever I said, Daria would listen, but I couldn’t find the words. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s this stuff with Curtis.” Great. Bringing up my ex would make me feel more grounded. Not.

“You’re going to own this project,” Daria said. “You’re going to make this thing shine and stomp his dick into the ground with the gorgeous pair of new heels you’ve already picked out to spend your bonus on.”

I had to smile at her confidence in me, and the fantastic visual. “Yeah, I am.”

“You can talk. I’ll listen. I’ve got all night.”

“I know.” I stopped in front of my hotel. “But I should get some sleep.” What a shitty brush-off. It was the best I had, though.

“Okay.” Daria sounded resigned. “I’m here if you change your mind. Call me, no matter the time.”

“Thanks.” I wouldn’t be calling her though. I’d sleep off the rest of my jet lag, I’d relegate the last day or two to memories, and in the morning I’d be myself again. Cool, collected Carly who didn’t let men distract her and who loved her traveling lifestyle and perfect single life.

10

Raul

It was disappointing to find Carly gone in the morning, but not a surprise. It was probably also for the best, given everything.

Still, last night lingered in my thoughts. The fun was something I’d remember for a long time.

Diego wandered out from the bathroom, his hair damp, a towel around his waist. God, he was sexy. I was so fucking lucky to have him, and when the towel fell away, that point was driven home.

He pulled on his boxers. He’d scowled when I gave him this pair, with rubber ducks on it, but he wore them without question. “I’ve been thinking…” Despite his casual tone, I already knew what was underneath.

The thought had crossed my mind too, but I’d dismissed the idea. “It would be nice to have a third in our relationship again.”

I wouldn’t try to deny that. We discussed it on a regular basis, and we were both on the same page. When we’d married Eloise’s mother almost a decade ago, Diego and I were both happy with the commitment. With all three of us being together, with not caring who Eloise’s biological father was, and with the entire arrangement.

Isabella, Eloise’s mother, had decided she didn’t like it, but Diego and I were still right there, feeling like finding the right woman would make our relationship… more whole.

“What if that person turned out to be Carly?” Diego asked. “Not that we know her well enough right now, but there’s something there. Do you feel it?”

“Nope.” I was already set with my answer, and my reasons. Top of the list, “She’s American. She lives in the States. She has an entire life there.”

Diego frowned. “But she gets along so well with Eloise.”

“So does everyone. Ellie is a princess that wraps the world around her finger.” Which we’d both encouraged, either intentionally or otherwise.

Diego finished dressing. “You’re still thinking about it, or you wouldn’t know what I was talking about.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. It just means I liked fucking Carly as much as you did,” I’d already showered and gotten ready for the day. We had a meeting at the cafe downstairs in about fifteen minutes.

With a shake of his head, Diego reached for the doorknob. “You’re such an asshole sometimes.”

And so was he, when the situation required it. I wasn’t being unreasonable about this, though. I stopped him from opening the door with a hand on his. “I don’t want to be the bad guy on this.” I softened my tone. “But you know as well as I do all the reasons that it’s a bad idea to even entertain this thought. After what happened with Isabella…”

She’d decided the idea of having two husbands and a child was far more fun to imagine than to live, and she walked away to pursue her career.

“I know.” Diego sighed.

Carly had a reputation for being the best at her job, and so far she’d proven that to be true, in addition to being a lot of fun to spend time with. But that didn’t mean she should have a permanent place in our lives, and considering it felt like a straight line to disappointment when things didn’t work out. And I refused to consider what it would do to Eloise.

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