“I’ll let Roscoe out when I get home,” Sheila says, “and if I don’t see your car in the morning, I’ll take care of him.”
I start to tell her that won’t be necessary, but the truth is that I haven’t made my mind up about tonight. I know I told the men that I wouldn’t sleep with them again, but I have to agree with Sheila about there being a strong potential for regret. “Thanks,” I say instead.
“That’s my girl,” Sheila says, grinning. Then she waves me away. “Go enjoy your party. You’ve seen enough of me today.”
Laughing, I give my neighbor an affectionate pat on the shoulder before I do as I’m told.
Brendan appears as soon as I step away from Sheila. “Hey, how are you?” he says, his eyes smiling down at me. “You look stunning.” He wraps an arm around me and ducks his head close to mine. “How is it that you look better and better every time I see you?”
“I was wondering the same thing about you and your brothers when I spotted you earlier.”
“We have a table. Can you come sit with us for a while?”
“Sure.”
He leads me past dancing couples and across the room. The dance floor is typically covered over by tables this time of year, because it’s mostly used by vacationers during the summer, but tonight it’s open and busy.
When he pulls me close to navigate through a tight area, his hand on my waist erases any lingering doubts. My body wants him — and his brothers — and my mind is running out of reasons to resist them.
“There sure are a lot of people here to celebrate you tonight,” he says.
“People support each other on the island. That’s one of the things I like about living here,” I say. “But yeah, I was surprised about the size of the turnout myself.”
When we reach the table, Corbin and Jonathan stand to greet me, and Corbin pulls out a chair. “You look beautiful tonight, Christine,” he says.
“Thank you. Thanks for coming to my party,” I tell all of them.
“Of course. Thanks for inviting us,” Jonathan says. “Are you having a good time?”
“It’s been fun seeing everyone, and this drink has me feeling pretty good.” When I lift my glass, they raise theirs to meet it.
“Cheers to forty!” Corbin says. The other two men cheer, their eyes locked on mine, and we all take a drink.
“Where’s Jay?” I ask. “Someone told me he’s here.”
The three of them exchange glances before Corbin says, “He’s outside, getting some air.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. Just lost in his thoughts tonight.”
I know the feeling. If today hadn’t been so busy, I’d be lost in my thoughts too, but I haven’t had much time to pause and reflect on things. I consider going out to check on him, but since I just arrived at the table, I decide I’ll do it in a few minutes.
“Thanks again for taking me out on the water today,” I tell the brothers. “It was such a great way to spend the day.”
“Anytime,” Brendan says.
“In fact,” Jonathan adds, “tomorrow, we’re planning to visit the nature center you told me about. Want to spend the day with us again?”
Absentmindedly, I trail my finger around the rim of my glass. “I’m not sure about tomorrow, but I would like to spend the night with you, if the invitation still stands.”
Jonathan’s grin widens. “I know this party is in your honor, but how soon can you leave?” he jokes. His eyes tell me that he’s already thinking about things we’ll do together later.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Brendan says. “Would you be more comfortable if we come to your place, or we can go to a hotel?”
That’s a good question. My desire for these men caused me to temporarily forget about the fact that they’re sharing a house with my ex, and even though they don’t seem bothered by it, I don’t want to rub our fun in Jay’s face, or god forbid, have him overhear us.
I should really talk with Jay before I proceed with these plans. Not to get his permission, of course, but to make sure my involvement with the Hayes brothers isn’t going to damage their friendship.