“What?” Micah dropped the butter in the frying pan and turned on the stove.
“I like cheese in my eggs.” I pulled out a block of cheese and started slicing off a piece.
“Shit, man, next you’ll be telling me you got grits too.” Micah chuckled and shook his head.
“Check the cupboard.” I pointed across the kitchen.
“Oh man, this is going to be a feast. Fuck yeah.” Micah walked over the cupboard and grabbed the grits off the top shelf. “You have flour—should we make biscuits?”
“I’m not making them from scratch, but I did pick some up at the store.” I nodded and opened the freezer. “They’re not bad.”
“You just said fuck this diet shit. I love it.” Micah grinned and turned the knob to preheat the oven. “I haven’t seen this many carbs in your house since Beth lived at home.”
“Yeah, it’s time for a change. I was getting tired of grilled chicken and vegetables every night, anyway.” I shrugged and walked over to check the coffee. “I’ll get back on the wagon eventually.”
“I should probably think about it too. I live on fucking cheeseburgers.” Micah nodded and started dropping bacon in the pan. “But today, fuck it—we’re just going have a breakfast that would make our grandmothers proud.”
Micah flipped the bacon and I laid out the biscuits on a pan. Once the oven was preheated, I put them in and set a timer. I poured two cups of coffee and handed one to him. The bacon finished cooking and Micah poured the scrambled eggs directly into the bacon grease—just like I would have done. The grits weren’t going to take much, but I put a pot of water on the stove to boil while he kept the spatula dancing around the pan. It wasn’t long until we had a breakfast feast covering the dining room table. I thought I was going to have to go wake Wendy up, but before I had a chance, I heard her footsteps on the stairs. She walked into the kitchen wearing my shirt from the previous night and yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she did.
“I could have slept for a few more hours, but someone decided to tempt me out of bed with bacon.” She looked around the kitchen. “And coffee—boy, do I need some coffee.”
“Yeah, we were hungry.” I chuckled and motioned to the table. “You’re just in time to eat, though.”
“Here’s some coffee.” Micah poured her a cup. “Do you want anything in it?”
“At this point—no.” She took the coffee and sipped it, but her nose wrinkled. “Okay, maybe some milk or something.”
We didn’t say much once we got to the table. Our appetites were the only thing we could focus on. We devoured the food, going back for a second plate—and then a third. I couldn’t remember the last time I was that hungry, and I wasn’t alone. Wendy put away two plates without even blinking and then made a bacon biscuit that she dipped in grits with every bite. I refilled our coffee once they got low and then finished off my last plate of food. I was going to pay for that meal, but it was worth it. My stomach was already protesting and my abdominal muscles were tight.
“I think I ate all three meals in one sitting.” Micah put his hands on his stomach and leaned back with a smile.
“I stopped eating breakfast once I got to college because I was always too busy, but damn—this is just like the stuff you used to make when I stayed over.” Wendy grinned and nodded. “I forgot how good eggs are when they are loaded down with cheese.”
“That’s the only way to eat them.” I chuckled and shrugged. “The bacon grease helps too.”
“Yes, it does.” Micah lifted his coffee cup and took a sip. “Now I’m ready for one hell of a nap.”
“I don’t think I can go back to sleep now that I’ve had coffee.” Wendy took a quick gulp.
“Fuck, that stuff barely opens my eyes.” Micah shook his head back and forth. “Too many shifts at the fire station, I guess.”
“I guess we should talk about how this is going to work, since we’re all here.” I looked at the two of them. “We just kind of jumped straight into things.”
“I came to talk. You guys are the ones that decided to seduce me.” Wendy smirked and put down her coffee cup. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“It’s a little early to talk about living arrangements, but are we going to set any ground rules? Is it always going to be the three of us together, or will you want time with each of us individually at some point?” I lifted my coffee and took a sip.
“I don’t know if there are any rules to this kind of thing—I just went with what felt right.” Wendy shrugged. “Isn’t that good enough? I mean, are either of you going to be jealous if I’m spending time with one of you and not the other?”
“It wouldn’t bother me.” Micah shook his head back and forth. “I’m sure there will be times when all three of us can’t be together, so that shouldn’t mean we’re just sitting at home alone if an opportunity presents itself. I do want that second date, you know.”
“I have no problem with it. Whatever comes natural sounds good to me.” I shook my head in agreement with Micah. “We just have to be careful when Beth is visiting. I don’t want to hide it from her entirely, but we have to make sure the timing is right.”
“Yeah, I thought about that. I don’t really even know where to start with her. I’m not sure if it would be better coming from me or you.” Wendy looked towards me.
“I’m definitely out of that discussion.” Micah put both hands up.
“We should probably tell her together—just the two of us first. We can talk about the special arrangement we have down the road, once she gets over the initial shock.” I exhaled sharply and shook my head. “And what a shock that’s going to be.”