Learning all those secrets and exploring those hidden pockets was part of falling for someone. Two someones. But my dad would never understand, and I’d raced into this thing with them without thinking it through. I didn’t even know if it was more than a lark with them, so I couldn’t risk everything with my father on something that may only be real in my head.
It hurt, but keeping it casual between us was the only prudent course.
“What are you taking in school?” I picked up my latte. My tangled love life needed to be tabled for a bit, in my own head most of all.
“French and Theology, double major.”
I nearly choked on my raspberry extra whip. Well, that tidbit certainly gave additional meaning to the cross. I was probably tainting h
er just by sitting in her presence. Surely the stuff I’d done for the past couple of weeks wouldn’t be viewed kindly.
“Wow,” I managed. “Must be an intense courseload.”
“Yeah. So men are last on the list. Not like I’ve met any worth changing my mind for, anyway.” Jenna curled her pale-peach nails around the lip of the counter. “So what’s the verdict on tonight?” Her big eyes turned pleading. “Don’t leave me alone with Pregzilla, please.”
I had to laugh. “Carly’s not that bad.”
“When she’s not seven months along, she’s great. But this is not her finest hour.” Jenna pressed her palms together as if she was praying, and it took everything I possessed not to check for imminent lightning over my head. “C’mon, say yes.”
The clatter of the ladder made me want to groan. Oh, crap.
“Say yes to what?” JC appeared beside Jenna and wrapped one of his grimy hands around her wrist, somehow managing to avoid her winter-white sweater. “Lookie, lookie, it’s Sister Jen,” he teased.
Despite knowing that JC was just a flirt, prone to turn on the charm with a senior citizen as often as he would with a girl he was interested in, my stomach twisted. Seeing him touch anyone who wasn’t me made my hackles rise.
Or Emerson. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing him touch him either.
“Wise ass.” She brushed him off with a shove. “Don’t you have something to hammer?”
“Nope, me and the guys are knocking off for the day. Didn’t you see the new area? It’s almost done.” He set down his ladder and mopped his face with the hem of his T-shirt.
Normally, I would’ve figured he was just drying off. Now I couldn’t help wondering if he was showing off his washboard abs to Jenna.
Who was I kidding? Of course he was.
“Oh, really? That’s awesome. I think it’s great the gym is expanding to serve more customers. Not everyone can be a buff fighter like your guy, Lil.” She grinned at me and I caught JC’s sharpened glance.
Did he mind that Jenna insisted on assuming something was going on with me and Emerson? Or maybe he minded not being part of the assumption. It was hard to imagine even someone as out there as JC being completely okay with people knowing he was part of an ongoing threesome. I mean, I’d attempted to get used to the idea myself when I asked both guys out to the club last weekend. Truthfully, I’d kind of hoped everyone would just assume we were friends, because it wasn’t like I intended to make out with them in full view of other people. I’d certainly never known anyone in a threesome relationship.
So? Blaze your own frigging trail for once, wuss.
Oh, yay, the heckler in my head was back again. I’d missed her calling me a chickenshit and a wuss at every opportunity. Not.
“So what were you ladies talking about when I walked up?” JC slid over Jenna’s comment as if it hadn’t even been voiced.
“Nothing—” I began.
“We’re going clubbing tonight at Purgatory. Me and the pregster and our guys and Lil.” She raised her eyebrows expectantly at me. “Isn’t that right, Lily?”
“Wait, Lil doesn’t have a date?” The heated look he gave me as he braced his sweaty, dusty forearms on my counter told me he remembered quite well that I’d asked him and Emerson to go with me. I hadn’t mentioned it again, so he was taking this opportunity to torment me. As usual.
“That can’t be right.” His arms flexed against the counter, and I clenched my thighs together in spite of the cleaning I’d have to do to get the glass spotless again. He was so ridiculously sexy, strutting around with his damp T-shirts and muscles bulging day in and day out.
Maybe since the new area of the gym was almost done, I wouldn’t have to see him every day. Perhaps then I could start creating the distance I desperately knew we needed. It was the only way we’d ever have a chance at sorting this out with clear heads.
Even if the idea of not seeing his cocky grin every day made my throat ache.
Neither of us had responded to JC’s question, but he wasn’t done yet. “She’s not even going with her guy?” I didn’t miss how his voice dipped on those particular words.