Trouble Travels in Threes (Trouble, Tennessee 3)

“Let me guess. You immediately passed the news on to Harley and anyone else ready to bend an ear?”

“Did you say date?” Markie dramatically pinched his nose and held his pinky high in the air. “Really, darlin’. If what Mac is sayin’ holds some truth, if I were you? I’d go shower again. You smell like a gigolo who has already had a few dates with the gents who wear the stuff that clears out sinuses.”

Draegan sniffed a few times, glanced at his obviously amused brothers, and kept searching for something to wear. “I’m fine, Markie.”

“He ain’t lying to you, bud,” Harley said. “I can smell you from over here.”

“Don’t you three have somewhere you need to be?”

“Right now?” Harley asked.

“Yes. Now.” Draegan selected a long-sleeve white shirt and a pair of faded denim jeans.

“Not really,” Mac said, leaning against the wall.

“Me either,” Harley added, taking a seat on his dresser and helping himself to a scent test through Draegan’s lineup of cologne bottles.

“No. No. No.” Markie hurried to Draegan’s side, grabbed his faded jeans, and tossed them in the closet. He thumbed through his clothes and a few seconds later, yanked free a pair of black jeans. “Oh yum. Too bad you wear thirty-fours. I’d love to sport these around. Never mind. Here.” He thrust the clothes forward. “Wear this. White shirt. Black jeans. Ummhmm, doll. You’ll make ordinary sex look like a thrashing fuck.”

“Really, Markie?”

“My thoughts, too.” Mac laughed.

“All right then. How about sex scootin’ to the boogie?” Markie said. “Makes a nice pump and grind suggestion. Don’t cha think?”

Draegan wished they’d leave. “Guys, for the record, I’m not sixteen years old and preparing for my first car date.”

“You’re goin’ dancing?” Harley asked, apparently just catching the sex-boogie mention.

“Why? Something wrong with taking a lady out on the town for the first date?”

The collective vote of “no” resounded in the room.

Draegan entered the bathroom and grabbed a towel from the shelf. Sticking his head in the bedroom once again, he said, “Unless you’re here for a show, I suggest ya’ll make your way back downstairs.”

Markie fell to the bed on his right side, propped his fist at the base of his head and fluttered his eyelashes. “No worries, sugar. I love a steamy shower scene. Gets the pipes all ready for the night ahead, if ya know what I mean.”

“Somebody babysit Markie so I can have a stress-free evening.” He reached behind the shower curtain and turned on the water.

Mac laughed. “If you’re taking another shower based on what Harley and Markie said? A stress-free evening probably isn’t in your near future.”

Draegan stalled inside the bathroom door. “Do I need another one or not?”

“Yes, sugar!” Markie exclaimed excitedly, fanning his face and crossing one leg over the other as he made himself comfortable on Draegan’s bed.

“Knock it off, Markie,” Mac said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him to his feet. “Give the guy a break. His dream woman finally said yes to a date. The least we can do is let the man have some privacy before his big night.”

Markie clucked and rolled his eyes. “All right. All right.” He stopped short of following Mac and Harley down the hallway. “Wait a minute….” He slowly turned. “Who exactly is the lucky lady?”

Draegan’s heart skipped a beat before he even said her name. “Serena.” He was so far sunk, it wasn’t even funny.

Shifting his shoulders, Markie marched back inside Draegan’s room. “In that case, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

Draegan peered around the wall and stared at his brothers. “You guys owe me a few favors and I’m calling every last one of ‘em in. Now.”

Harley and Mac looked at one another and shrugged. Then, they pursued Markie.

“Wait right there, fellas,” Markie said, pushing his arms forward with his palms outward. “I’m needed here.”