Diane (The Town of Pearl 6)

Diane stared at her sister, and Sage squealed. “Yes! Welcome to the club. How do you feel?” Sage asked.

“What club?” Diane asked.

“The de-virginized ménage style, club,” Sage stated.

“Oh, God,” Diane said and chuckled.

“I’m part of that club, too, and very proud,” Melissa said, pretending to have an attitude.

“Well then, sister, I’m part of the club now, too,” Diane added with gusto. Melissa and Sage smiled wide then both hugged her.

“I’m so happy for you. Mark, Lucas, and Drake are wonderful men. Willie, Hank, and Paul completely checked them out and talked to them. I couldn’t be happier for you,” Melissa said as she pulled back. Sage chuckled at Diane’s shocked expression.

“Paul, Willie, and Hank talked to them? About me? When?”

“Okay, slow down. I could tell months ago that you were interested in them. I knew that you were never intimate with anyone around here, so I asked my men what they knew about the guys. Being that they care about you and feel responsible for your well-being, they started to ask some questions. They found out pretty quickly from Wyatt, Marco, and Quaid that Mark was interested in you. That was when Sage was going through all that crazy stuff last year.”

“Oh, don’t remind me. So it’s true, Mark moved himself and his brothers out here because of Diane?” Sage asked.

“How do you know about this? Why does everyone think Mark moved here because of me?”

“Diane, he did. He even told Paul.”

“No way.” Diane couldn’t believe it.

“Honey, Mark, Drake, and Lucas have been spreading the word for months now that you belong to them. I heard through the grapevine that Mark and Drake were pretty pissed off about seeing you with some guys around town,” Sage said.

“How could they do that yet never try to engage in deeper conversation with me or simply ask me out on a date? I don’t understand. It makes me wonder.”

“About what, Diane?” Sage asked.

Diane thought about it a moment. Her heart was heavy.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Melissa asked.

Diane began to explain about this morning at their house and the way mark and Drake were arguing and about the woman Drake brought up.

“An ex-lover? Hell, I’m sure those men have many ex-lovers, just like my men did before me,” Sage stated.

“I admit that thinking about them with another woman upsets me, but all three of them weren’t with this Brenda woman, only Mark. Apparently she’s missing and she’s an agent.”

“Oh crap. That doesn’t sound good. Maybe he’s just concerned for that reason and they’re friends still?” Melissa suggested.

“It was weird, but I felt like there was more going on. Maybe it was Mark’s involvement in the investigation, maybe not knowing what he does and whether it’s dangerous or not, or simply it’s me feeling that lack of self-confidence that’s always held me back.”

“Not anymore, Diane. You did that fashion show. You’re headed to New York,” Melissa stated.

“Oh God, what did they say about you going to New York to shake your goodies for a magazine?” Sage asked.

“I’m not shaking my goodies. I’m trying on some things and they’re going to test me out to see if I photograph well. They probably won’t like me, and I probably won’t like doing it.”

“And if you love it, what are you going to do when they offer you a contract?” Sage asked.

“Shit, I didn’t think about that. What are you going to do?” Melissa asked.

Diane pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know. I really care for Drake, Lucas, and Mark, but this is all so new, and well, to be honest, I’m afraid that I’m falling in love with them.”

Melissa took Diane’s hand. “Honey, that’s nothing to be afraid of or upset about.”