I certainly don’t mind, but it’s making me extra tired. When I should be getting up to go for my morning run, I’m still in bed, lazing in someone’s embrace. By the time I drag my butt out of bed, it’s time to get myself dressed and start breakfast.
I sail right past the cases of meat and approach the butcher. Sebastian is particular about his prime rib—he wants the better cut, so I order it special.
The butcher smiles when he sees me. “There you are. I thought you were coming in yesterday.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy this week; I lost all track of time.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” There’s condescension in his tone—like he wants to appease silly little ol’ me, but what could a housewife possibly be busy doing? He’s not the first boob I’ve encountered and he won’t be the last.
I paste on a fake smile and he goes to the back to retrieve my prime rib.
“Moira?”
I don’t have the most common name in the world, so I turn my head when I hear it. It’s Claire Randall from my weekly barre class. I don’t consider her a friend, but we do see each other once a week. “Hey, Claire.”
“I didn’t see you at class this week. Hope everything’s okay,” she says.
Obviously I can’t tell her I’m a little tender between the legs due to the two men who fuck me every night, so I offer up a pleasant smile and say, “Yep, everything is fine. Sebastian’s been keeping me busy.”
“If I had a husband that looked like him, I’d let him keep me busy, too,” she says, winking at me.
“I’m a lucky woman,” I agree, vaguely.
Now her smile shrinks and she moves closer. “Did you hear about Ashley and Griffin? Well, he and Sebastian are close, I’m sure you have.”
Memories of Griff kissing my breasts last night while Sebastian went down on me flash through my mind. A pang of arousal stirs within me, but I ignore it. “Yes, I did hear about that.” I’m not sure what she knows or what’s actually being said, so I don’t offer anything further. If no one knows she cheated, I’m certainly not going to say so and bring Griff further embarrassment. At the same time though, I don’t want people thinking he’s the bad guy for filing for divorce from the faithless hussy.
“To be honest, I never liked her,” Claire tells me. “She had no class. May have married into money, but the way she behaves, working at that bar.”
Given the distaste on her face, I remind her, “Yes, my husband owns that club.”
“Oh, of course, I know. But he owns it. It’s an investment. Ashley only hung around to get attention from lowlife men. Everyone saw that. Everyone talked about it,” she adds, raising her eyebrows like this should matter. “I’m glad Griffin finally came to his senses. He can do much better than her.”
I’m not at all comfortable with this conversation, but the butcher is taking his time in the back so I can’t even get away.
“You know, we should set him up with Laura from class,” she tells me.
“I really don’t think he’s looking to date just yet.”
“Oh, but Laura’s so pretty.”
I blink at her, but finally I just nod my agreement. Of course Laura is pretty, but Griff isn’t interested. I can’t tell her that, though. She’s a bit of a busybody, clearly, and I haven’t actually talked to Sebastian about public perception of our arrangement. It hasn’t come up yet, but if people are finding out about Griff’s divorce, it’s bound to now.
We’ll have to discuss it over at dinner. Does he want to keep it secret? Does he care if people know? I know I’ll get judged hard if any of the more conservative ladies learn that I’m letting two men have sex with me—sometimes at the same time!—but I’m not that worried about it. If I spent my whole life worrying over what people thought of me, I’d never do anything.
I don’t want Sebastian to look bad, though. We understand it was entirely his decision, that he has no reason to be embarrassed—he’s the one in control of this situation, after all. Griff and I follow Sebastian’s lead—but the rich and the bored live for scandal, and our arrangement would surely fit the bill.
It will hurt me if people are mean to Griff or Sebastian about it. Jealous, tiny-hearted men who don’t understand having Sebastian’s loyalty, having the capacity to love another man the way Sebastian loves Griff, who could never fathom being secure enough to let Griff have me, too. They’ll say horrible, wrong things about Sebastian not being able to satisfy his harlot wife, about Griff settling for his best friend’s leftovers. Bitter, jaded women whose husbands are “gone” or busy all the time will crucify me if they find out I don’t just get one sexy, desirable, wealthy man… I get two of them.
Meanwhile, Claire just had to go on a spa weekend to recover from her husband’s latest mistress having a pregnancy scare—and the old bastard still won’t dump her.
I get it. I’m lucky. It’s no reason to be vicious, but they will anyway. Jealousy is an ugly monster.
Probably best to keep this quiet.
Not sure how well that will work out long-term, though. I don’t want Griff to feel shortchanged, and he might if our relationship is so obviously in the backseat.
We’re all going to have to have a discussion about this arrangement. We’ve spent this first week just enjoying it, living in our little bubble where no one had to know and we didn’t have to worry about any practical complications, but I have a feeling that bubble is about to pop.