there.”
“No doubt there.” He tossed the sausage into the eggs.
“In your office, you guys were sort of talking like it could go either way. Matt in or out.” She watched her phone and tapped it.
“And?” he asked.
She looked up at him. “You can’t let him go. Tony doesn’t want to, whether he admits it or not. You guys all love one another. I guess that’s part of the appeal of a ménage relationship. People get different things from different people. More support or a challenge, when they need it.”
“That’s a good way to look at it. You need to think about it too, though. Do you want to get involved with a group where one member will drop out for a week or a month? If there were weather or equipment issues, he could be stranded somewhere for months. Safe, but waiting for repair parts or a break in the conditions.” He shrugged.
“I’d be worried,” she said.
“We’d all be worried. Is it worth it? Could you live with that unpredictability in a relationship? That’s what you have to ask yourself.” He watched as she took a self-pic and tapped on her phone some more.
“Don’t we all have to?” she asked.
“Very true. If Tony or I couldn’t live with it, we’d have left by now. Or kicked Matt out.” He waved the spatula around for emphasis.
“Which guy would take you with him?” She leaned on the counter.
“That’s complicated.” Ross grinned.
“It all is. But so far it’s pretty great.” She blushed.
“Good. I think I hear those two coming just in time.” He dumped a huge pan of eggs with sausage onto a plate, then cracked more eggs into the skillet. “Go eat.”
“Darn, I was too busy playing with the app. I’ll set the table.” She put the eggs out as Tony and Matt came in.
“I’ll get the plates.” Tony kissed her.
Matt followed right behind with a lip-lock of his own. “I’ll bring over the coffee.”
“Lots of helpers,” she said.
Ross got the same affection from both men and caught Gretchen watching. She liked the men together. It didn’t weird her out or make her feel left out. Ross had worried it might. The right woman had finally come along, and he wasn’t going to let the other two scare her off or screw it up.
“We could just have leftover cupcakes,” Matt said.
Ross sighed. “No treats for breakfast. Good protein there. If you want carbs, go bake up some biscuits. I pulled out some of our frozen dough supply yesterday.”
“I think I will.” Matt pinched Ross’s ass.
Tony set the table and looked at Gretchen’s app with a smile. “The one great thing about Matt is his baking skills.”
“You can’t grow up with a mom and four older sisters with your dad always gone and not learn how to cook. I had to protect the women and sit through tea parties. At least I learned to do it all. I’m very self-sufficient.” Matt rolled out the dough.
“Must be fun for you to have two men around then,” she said.
Matt smiled. “It is but with you in the mix it’s better. Balanced.”
“Glad I can help. Too many men breeds competition sometimes. My dad and his buddies were all salesmen trying to outdo one another.” She shook her head.
“We share well and can work together most of the time.” Tony kissed her.
Ross leaned in close to Matt and whispered in his ear “Be yourself but don’t fuck this up.”
Matt tensed for a second and nodded. Ross knew Gretchen had no idea that Matt had been married before. Or that commitment spooked him. What worked for their group could expand to include Gretchen but coming out with all of their skeletons at once could scare her off.
* * * *
A couple of weeks of interesting dates and nonstop work later, Gretchen finally got her ride along with Tony! Dressed in comfortable clothes plus hair neatly pulled back, she knew she was just going to observe but couldn’t wait. Matt had stuck around too, so everyone was happy and enjoying the summer fun.
She’d been spending some nights at the guys’
“No doubt there.” He tossed the sausage into the eggs.
“In your office, you guys were sort of talking like it could go either way. Matt in or out.” She watched her phone and tapped it.
“And?” he asked.
She looked up at him. “You can’t let him go. Tony doesn’t want to, whether he admits it or not. You guys all love one another. I guess that’s part of the appeal of a ménage relationship. People get different things from different people. More support or a challenge, when they need it.”
“That’s a good way to look at it. You need to think about it too, though. Do you want to get involved with a group where one member will drop out for a week or a month? If there were weather or equipment issues, he could be stranded somewhere for months. Safe, but waiting for repair parts or a break in the conditions.” He shrugged.
“I’d be worried,” she said.
“We’d all be worried. Is it worth it? Could you live with that unpredictability in a relationship? That’s what you have to ask yourself.” He watched as she took a self-pic and tapped on her phone some more.
“Don’t we all have to?” she asked.
“Very true. If Tony or I couldn’t live with it, we’d have left by now. Or kicked Matt out.” He waved the spatula around for emphasis.
“Which guy would take you with him?” She leaned on the counter.
“That’s complicated.” Ross grinned.
“It all is. But so far it’s pretty great.” She blushed.
“Good. I think I hear those two coming just in time.” He dumped a huge pan of eggs with sausage onto a plate, then cracked more eggs into the skillet. “Go eat.”
“Darn, I was too busy playing with the app. I’ll set the table.” She put the eggs out as Tony and Matt came in.
“I’ll get the plates.” Tony kissed her.
Matt followed right behind with a lip-lock of his own. “I’ll bring over the coffee.”
“Lots of helpers,” she said.
Ross got the same affection from both men and caught Gretchen watching. She liked the men together. It didn’t weird her out or make her feel left out. Ross had worried it might. The right woman had finally come along, and he wasn’t going to let the other two scare her off or screw it up.
“We could just have leftover cupcakes,” Matt said.
Ross sighed. “No treats for breakfast. Good protein there. If you want carbs, go bake up some biscuits. I pulled out some of our frozen dough supply yesterday.”
“I think I will.” Matt pinched Ross’s ass.
Tony set the table and looked at Gretchen’s app with a smile. “The one great thing about Matt is his baking skills.”
“You can’t grow up with a mom and four older sisters with your dad always gone and not learn how to cook. I had to protect the women and sit through tea parties. At least I learned to do it all. I’m very self-sufficient.” Matt rolled out the dough.
“Must be fun for you to have two men around then,” she said.
Matt smiled. “It is but with you in the mix it’s better. Balanced.”
“Glad I can help. Too many men breeds competition sometimes. My dad and his buddies were all salesmen trying to outdo one another.” She shook her head.
“We share well and can work together most of the time.” Tony kissed her.
Ross leaned in close to Matt and whispered in his ear “Be yourself but don’t fuck this up.”
Matt tensed for a second and nodded. Ross knew Gretchen had no idea that Matt had been married before. Or that commitment spooked him. What worked for their group could expand to include Gretchen but coming out with all of their skeletons at once could scare her off.
* * * *
A couple of weeks of interesting dates and nonstop work later, Gretchen finally got her ride along with Tony! Dressed in comfortable clothes plus hair neatly pulled back, she knew she was just going to observe but couldn’t wait. Matt had stuck around too, so everyone was happy and enjoying the summer fun.
She’d been spending some nights at the guys’
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