Page 68 of Inked Beasts

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On the way to the mall, Ava and I catch up with Ember, talking about movies we’ve seen, shows we’ve watched, and how our jobs and Ember’s studies are going.

I’m still in my wedding-planner position at Belle Epoque. Despite my resignation email to Clare, she hadn’t hired a replacement for me. “January is a pretty slow month for weddings,” she said, “and besides, I had a feeling you might be back.”

I’m continuing to help out the rest of the team while wedding season gears back up. I’ve got a lot of new potential clients contacting me, though, thanks to Kai.

It took all of his persuasive powers, given my dislike of the spotlight, but he convinced me in the end that we should go public about our relationship. First, there was a message that all three men posted on their social media accounts simultaneously, announcing that they were each, and all, in a committed relationship with me. And then, thanks to a friend of Gage’s who works for a local tv station, we did a brief interview for a segment that aired on a weekend show.

I was afraid it would bring out the haters, and we did get some negative feedback, especially from people who wanted to lecture us about the immorality of our behavior. But mostly, to my surprise, the response has been muted or positive—and, to my immense relief, the groupies have gone silent.

The people who haven’t been silent are the ones who are also in poly relationships. Quite a few of them want me to plan commitment ceremonies for them, and instead of being concerned about my private life interfering with my professional life, Clare is pleased that my new niche is drawing in more clients and visitors. Several of the couples who’ve contacted me have also made favorable comments.

I’m relieved that the outcome has been largely beneficial. Kai, of course, now teases me whenever there’s a decision to be made, saying that I should trust his judgment because obviously it’s impeccable. I tease him back, but the truth is that his instincts about me have always been pretty solid.

“Have the guys heard anything more about their new show?” Ava asks.

“Things are moving along. Nothing’s final yet, but it’s close.” And no, it’s not theTattooed Bachelor. After one extremely heated call that I only heard about after the fact, Kai, Gage, and Thorn severed ties with Art Gilchrist, to put it mildly.

I was afraid that this was a missed opportunity for them, because even though they weren’t interested in dating other women, the reality show would have been a huge boost to their careers. However, another development person reached out to them shortly after, this time for a tattoo competition series, in which Kai and Gage will serve as judges. No dating whatsoever, nothing about their personal lives, and no filming at their shop, unless they want cameras there for publicity purposes.

Their time commitment will only be about six weeks to film an entire season, and they should get a lot of exposure from it, so my fingers are crossed.

Thorn wouldn’t be involved with the show, but he’s perfectly okay with that. All he needs to do is post a new cooking video to get plenty of exposure, and the increasing business at Belle Epoque is keeping him busier than ever.

Overall, everything is going wonderfully … with one exception. The one cloud in our bright blue sky is how Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez have reacted to the news of our relationship. There have been no recriminations, no anger, but no words of acceptance or understanding, either.

I know the tension there is not entirely their fault; part of me feels guilty, like my inner twelve-year-old is just waiting for the backlash.

I need to put on my big girl panties and talk to them about it. My birthday is coming up, which is why I’ve asked Ava and Ember to go dress shopping with me, and the least I can do is start acting like the adult I surely am.

THORN

“Okay, Mama?” I ask.

She pats my arm. “Sí, Tomás.” The two of us have been cooking in her kitchen all afternoon, the first time we’ve actually collaborated on a big meal, and it’s gone pretty well.

Leaning down, I kiss her cheek. “I love you, Mama.”

I get a look back, the kind that saysYou can’t sweet talk me. But I’m going to keep right on using every skill at my disposal to win my mother over, so she can then do the same with my father.

My parents are very accepting people, in most ways. But they have their traditional side, and the news that Kai, Gage, and I are all in a relationship with Lexy has been a big adjustment for them.

We guys sat them down for a talk before we made our public announcement—without Lexy there, because we wanted to protect her if there was any immediate fallout. She let us do it that way, which showed me how worried she was about their reaction.

Because they love us and they’re awesome parents, they’ve tried to understand, but it’s fair to say they’re not entirely comfortable with the situation, which means that Lexy is no longer entirely comfortable around them. And that makes the three of us hurt for her.

If Kai could bulldoze his way to a solution, he would, but he understands that won’t work. Gage hasn’t said much, but his quiet demonstrations of respect for both Lexy and my parents at our family dinners are probably doing more good than any words.

As for me, I try to keep everything as easygoing as possible, on the theory that time will accomplish what nothing else can.

Kai comes in from the living room and grabs a stack of napkins for the table that’s been set up for all the snacks. I glance at the clock on the wall. “She’ll be here soon.”

“Everything is ready,” my mother says, calm instead of excited, and I wish I could borrow some of my brother’s steamroller qualities and force her into the right emotional state. Instead, I look over the results of all our work with a critical eye, making sure everything is as it should be.

“She just pulled up,” Gage calls from the living room.

“Showtime,” I mutter, and take off my apron.

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