Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Margot

“ O kay if we go to The Lilac Café?” Liam asked in a text the next day.

I knew weekends would be hard for him with the bar, though he said he was finally in a place where he could hire a new manager. “Nice! I’ve been meaning to go there!”

Happy emoji? Do these guys like emojis? We’d been texting and had a video call last night, but I still felt like I didn’t really know them.

Mandy was thrilled that we had a date. “This isn’t Hopeton,” I told her. “How will people even react at a restaurant?”

“The woman who poured beer on her ex’s head cares about people in a restaurant?” She’d asked over text.

Fair point.

And to be honest, it wasn’t the idea of two men that was holding me back. It was the fear of a relationship. I thought I was going to marry someone who was already married. How could I not have known?

Chad’s wife reached out to me on Instagram to see if I could join her in a lawsuit. I didn’t know. It felt like going backwards, though I certainly sympathized with her.

I had my first Zoom call with the promotion leadership for a team out of Kentucky today. While I didn’t start full-time for the league yet, they’d sent me a check to work with this specific team now, as they were posting some borderline inappropriate posts about their competition. The thing is it was working for them. Attendance was increasing, as were their followers.

There had to be a way for them to channel that energy into more appropriate posts, ones that didn’t make fun of other team players with video clips.

Then I had a call with the theater association for the Midwest. They were happy with my work, and wanted to move into TikTok.

“Let’s go!” I said to myself in the mirror. Today felt like a lot, including the date, but it also felt like the start of a new life for me.

I had to smile when both men tried to hold the doors open for me and pull out my chair at the restaurant.

“Thank you guys,” I said when they both pulled out my chair. “I’m not used to even one guy doing this, let alone two.”

“You've been dating the wrong men,” Liam said.

“Clearly.” I agreed. My stomach was aflutter with nervousness, but they kept me laughing the entire evening. It went so quickly.

This date was so easy, I thought later, as we walked along the nearby park. I couldn’t help but think about what would come next. Would they expect me to invite them up? Did dating two men at once mean they’d expect twice as much sex?

Earlier in the day, I’d tried to ask Mandy.

“Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with,” she said, speaking low from her office at the stadium. “Just like dating one guy at a time. You’ll know what’s right for you.”

The thought of sleeping with one of these two hot guys, let alone both, made me both excited and nervous at the same time .

“Room for dessert?” Donovan asked as we walked out of the restaurant. He was holding my hand but pointed to a nearby ice cream place with his other hand. I nearly groaned, as I was so full from the delicious salad and rolls I’d just had, but at the same time, I wanted to try that place.

Also, I didn't want the evening to end.

“I just don't want the evening to end,” Liam said. “We definitely don't expect you to bring us up to your place, in case you were worried about that. Sharing a woman is new for us. I hope you'll give us time and space to get used to sharing. We both want to get to know you.”

I was so relieved at what he said, though I think Liam said that more for my benefit than for himself and Donovan.

At the ice cream store, despite the dizzying array of flavors, I got my usual mint chocolate chip.

“Where’s the hot fudge or whipped cream?” Donovan asked. When I smiled, he told the young man working there to add those to my ice cream.

Clearly, I was going to need to invest in some elastic waist clothes if I was going to keep dating these two.

Tonight's kisses at the door went on for a little longer than our first kisses. It felt fantastic when one of them was behind me, so I was between them.

When Liam was behind me, his arms around my waist, and I was kissing Donovan, I could easily see this working well if we were naked, too.

I could feel my cheeks heating when one of my neighbors walked by when we were still kissing, but didn’t feel shame or embarrassment. Everything about being with these two felt right for me.

They invited me to Sunday brunch, as Liam’s bar schedule that weekend would be busy. Donovan was going to help the Cruisers with some base coaching, as one of their coaches was out with illness .

My heart was still racing when I leaned against my condo door after the date. I could definitely get used to this. I couldn’t wait until Sunday.

The next morning, I had an emergency call from the baseball league. I was asked to go out to Kentucky right away, for a bonus, to work with the team posting inappropriate things. It meant I would have to reschedule my date with the boys, as I’d have to drive early on Sunday. I felt ridiculously disappointed despite only having had one date with them so far.

“It's okay,” Liam said, when I talked to him. I’d texted both, but Donovan was coaching that morning. Liam Facetimed me. “We totally understand. We were both baseball guys, and as it is, I think Donovan is going to have to go out of town, too.”

I felt relieved, but also a bit worried. “You guys said you never could keep a relationship going when you were on the team.” I didn’t mean to blurt that out, to force him into a relationship talk when we’d just started dating, but whatever was happening here felt important.

“Donovan and I lost touch before. I don’t want that to happen again.”

“Well,” he said, “Maybe that was our mistake, giving up too easily. Or maybe we needed this shared arrangement. Of course, I didn't have the right person to want to make me want to try before, either.”

It was amazing how I blushed and wondered if he could see it through Facetime. Normally, I wanted to text everybody, but I enjoyed seeing his morning scruff and hearing his low, raspy voice.

I told him which team I was helping, knowing he wouldn’t spread it around.

Laughing, he agreed they needed me. “Oh, those guys have gone rogue on social media. I think it's working for their tickets, though. I'd heard their rap about drinking beer at the stadium on TikTok before somebody took it down. ”

“Yes, that was definitely colorful. I think it inspired them to hire me early,” I said.

I had gotten the files on that today, and listened to it, and while it was brilliant, it wasn’t great pr for the team.

“I bet you already have ideas,” Liam said.

“I do,” I said. “I'd love to talk them over with you after I meet with the people. Do you think Donovan will be busy all weekend?”

“I think he is,” Liam said, “but why don't you go ahead and text him? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.

“I'll do that,” I said, blowing him a kiss as we said goodbye.

When I hung up, I held my forehead in my hand. What was I doing? This was never the way I did things. Chad and I dated for months before we slept together, which probably would have been a sign for me. He kept pushing it, and I was putting it off.

Donovan was in my memories as a sweet, funny guy, and that hadn’t changed. I remember meeting him at a coffee shop where we were both studying. He helped me when I spilled all over my notes. He jumped up and saved my laptop. Athlete reflexes. I wonder if he still had those reflexes, and how else they would be useful. And Liam looked at least as athletic as Donovan.

I forced my mind to stop the slippery slope towards fantasies. I wasn't sure what was going to happen with these two guys.

Maybe I could go to Hopeton or meet with Mandy and see how other poly groups worked. I knew there was another group in my building, but I mean, you can't really knock on the door and say, hey, how does sex work with three people? How does it work with dating? How did you all get together or are two of you married? No, I would have to find a nice way to ask Mandy about it.

I texted Donovan and wished him luck with the team and told him I had to travel and would miss our date.

He said he was sorry to miss it, but also had to work all weekend now. He said we could reschedule as soon as I got back .

Maybe I'll even cook for you guys. I texted. I used to love to cook. Chad was never fond of my cooking. There was always something he didn't like in it, or something not done to his specifications. Again, I should have had another sign.

If anything, offering to cook for these guys helped me see that I was definitely getting over Chad.