Guest
1862 Words
“Diana!”
It was Phil who’d rushed me in the terminal, nearly knocking me off my heels. “Look at you, little mama. You’re dressed to kill,” he teased, hands smoothing over my sides, a wide smile on his face.
I gave him a kiss on the cheek and he pulled me into another hug. Smiling, I noticed the man standing just to the side, hands in jogger pockets, black shirt hugging his chest.
Theodore Blackwell.
He gave me a slight nod and, the girl I’d been seated with stumbled past him. Audrey was her name and I’d already decided I genuinely liked her after our little discussion on the flight. Theo didn’t even look in her direction and, vacantly, I realized what that meant.
He’d sent another driver for her.
He didn’t even plan to introduce himself.
“Audrey!” I called, waving to her.
Turning, she smiled at me, even if she looked a little confused that I’d summon her. Walking over, clutching her bag to her chest, I tugged at Phil’s arm, gesturing broadly at him. “This is Phillip Blackwell,” I offered. “Phillip, this is Audrey. Your husband’s newest intern.”
“Oh.” Phil offered her a sweet smile and I watched the girl’s knees quake, face quickly turning red. He was even more handsome than the last time I’d seen him, his dimples deep, blonde hair cut just a bit shorter but still giving him that boyish look. And from the way his gray sweats were hugging him, he’d been working out, clearly. “Theo,” he called over his shoulder. “Did you know that your intern was on the same flight?” he asked, clueless.
The girl had seen Theo now and looked like she might pass out.
“Hm,” he quirked a brow, looking the girl over. “What a coincidence.”
“Coincidence my ass,” I muttered, glaring at him.
He just offered a sweet smile, offering his hand to the girl. “Audrey Williams, right?”
She was just staring at the hand, probably lost in the man’s green eyes. It should be a sin to be so magnetizing to women and have no interest in them.
I promptly nudged her and she took his hand, “Um, wow! Nice to meet you, sir!” Her voice was three pitches too high, panicked.
He let out a light chuckle. “Very. I sent a driver to pick you up.”
“We’ll walk her to the driver,” I suggested, offering him a sharp smile now. It’s the least he could do, having uprooted the girl in such a short amount of time.
Theo shrugged, unabashed. “Did you get the glass of champagne?” he asked, looking me over carefully. His eyes roved over my body but they stopped at my belly. His goal was to plant his seed in me and I could see the gleam in his eyes. It would make a lesser woman shiver.
“Yes, thank you,” I said, frowning at him.
His eyes shifted upward and he realized my expression was sour. “No good?”
“I don’t need grand gestures,” I assured him.
He just huffed, pursing his own lips.
Phil looked between us and said, “Oh-kay, well, let’s get a move on, shall we?”
. . .
“Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.”
Drunk.
I was lying across the couch, my head resting on Phil’s lap, my feet resting in Theo’s. Phil was giving me a scalp massage and Theo was working my feet and I didn’t know why I was crying as I hugged Phil’s arm. “It was so stupid. I laughed. Who laughs in that kind of situation?”
“Well, maybe you knew it wasn’t meant to be,” Phil offered.
Theo’s thumb pressed into the ball of my foot and I shifted, letting out a soft sound.
It hurt but the relief was immediate.
“I was going to reject him,” I sighed. “You know I don’t believe in marriage.”
“You’re too beautiful and successful not to eventually marry,” Phil insisted.
“Who? Who could compete with my career?” I whined.
“You could marry us,” Phil chuckled, kissing my forehead.
“You two are perfect for each other. I’m jealous.”
Calves.
Vacantly, I realized that Theo’s hands had slipped upward, to massage my calves now.
Shifting, I pressed my knees together, glancing nervously up at Phil.
He wore a smirk, eyes peeled on his significant other.
Hands at my knees now.
My thighs.
I swallowed, glancing back at Phil who didn’t look upset.
He should be upset about what was happening.
“Theo,” said, kicking at him, but his grip on my knees tightened, forcing my legs apart. “Wait,” I breathed, trying to reach downward, to stop him as he pushed his hips forward, between my legs—but Phil caught my arms and when Theo thrust forward, nails biting into my skin, my body—
“Diana.”
My eyes opened and, vacantly, I realized I was in a large truck.
Theo’s truck.
He’d only drive trucks with reinforced steel frames after the accident. Phil told me his hands still trembled if he was put in a situation where he had to drive a car.
“Diana.” Phil. Leaning into his side, hugging his arm, I’d fallen asleep against him. He patted my knee, offering me a smile, and I straightened, fussing at my hair. “We’re home.”
A dream.
Thank God, it was just a messed up dream.
When I went to get out, Theo was already there, hand outstretched to help.
I ignored the gesture, hopping down by myself, careful to land on my toes. Theo rolled his eyes at the display but I ignored him, straightening my dress. “You’re going to have to learn to depend on me if we’re going to do this, D.”
D. Not Di, not Diana—just D. I couldn’t remember when that started.
Theodore and I had always had a strange relationship. Possessive of Phillip, I’d come to the conclusion that he’d never really cared for me because I was too close to his counterpart. When Phil told me that it was Theo who had suggested the triangle parenting, I’d been shocked. “I haven’t even signed the contract yet,” I reminded Theo, challenging.
Theo shut the truck door after me, quirking a brow. “If you’re here, you’ll sign.”
That smirk made me narrow my eyes.
Where Phillip was nothing but smiles and good intentions, there was always something darker about Theo. Cocky, arrogant—he often reminded me of the men I’d make a point of putting in their place on trial when they stepped out of line.
“We can get to the specifics tomorrow,” Phil said, sidling up to me, giving Theo a dirty look. Theo’s green eyes moved to Phil and they softened, shoulders lifting in a shrug. “The guest bedroom is all set for you,” Phil said, tugging me toward the house. “You need to take those heels off. They make your legs look beautiful but I know they’re not comfortable.”
I leaned into Phil’s side, giving him a tight hug and he kissed my cheek as we ducked into the house. “I missed you,” I mumbled.
He told me to kick off the heels and I giggled, holding his arm as I reached down to pull them off. Theo was just behind us and I handed my heels to him, offering him a cheeky smile. He took them without complaint, looking more amused than anything else. Phil just chuckled.
And then we were moving again, across the house, down into a basement. It was . . . well, it was almost like an entire guest house just below, actually. The whole house seemed large, modern, and clutter free—the two men were clearly minimalists. Barren as it was, it gave off an extremely clean and efficient vibe, and the bed down here was huge, the white sheets expensive looking. There were large sliding doors made of windows leading out to a pool with a waterfall and jacuzzi. “Damn,” I muttered, glancing over to find a full bathroom down here too. “This looks more like a luxury Airbnb,” I admitted, running my hand across the bed sheets.
“It’s all yours,” Phil smiled.
I pursed my lips. “Your husband told me to pack light.”
“Oh, right,” Phil said, tugging at my hand. I followed after him to a white door which he opened and found myself standing in a large walk in closet. It had a few outfits in it, some designer heels, and glancing back at Phil, eyes wide, he just shrugged. “Theo likes to be . . . thorough.”
Thorough.
“Are you two courting me?” I wondered, letting out a shocked giggle.
“In a way,” Phil admitted. “In the contract—”
“I’ve read the contract,” I nodded.
“There’s been . . . a revisal.” Phil’s smile was tight.
“What revisal?” Nobody mentioned a revisal.
“Phillip.” It was Theo, standing at the door of the closet. “We should head up. Let her rest.” His green eyes were intense as he looked Phil over and I could almost feel the shiver that ran through my best friend. I got the gist they’d be doing anything but resting.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Phil mumbled, pulling me into a tight hug. “We’ll talk about all of that tomorrow when you’re fresh. The bathroom is completely stocked. I put a new toothbrush on the sink for you, okay?”
I nodded, giving Theo a wary look.
His eyes were averted now, shoulders more tense.
A revisal.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I followed them out of the closet, watching as they headed upstairs. Phil gave another small wave as he went, Theo just tipped his chin. All of these years and they hadn’t changed much, at least not personality-wise. Taking a quick seat on the bed, flexing my aching feet, I knew that whatever the revisal was, I probably wouldn’t like it.
- Writer
