Hidden in the Blood: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 5)

Chapter Thirty-Four: Joe, Friday

"But Rachel and I love each other," Lauren protested. "We talk about everything, and we're not afraid to get mad at each other. Believe me, we've had some fights, but we always kiss and make up, if you know what I mean."

"I think she does," Joe grumbled. "You don't need to remind her that you're lovers."

"That reminds me," Penny said. "What does this do to your arrangement, if Joanie is pulling away? Will you still allow Lauren to see Rachel, Joe?"

The question hadn't occurred to him until now. "I don't know," he admitted. He looked at Lauren, who unsurprisingly looked worried at the prospect. "I imagine that even if I forbade it, they'd find a way to be with each other in secret, and who does that benefit?"

Lauren sighed in relief.

"And anyway," Joe went on, "I'm still holding out hope that Joanie and I will be able to reconcile."

"Until then," Lauren said, to his surprise, "I have a proposal that I wanted to bring up with you, and I can't think of a better venue to do it than here."

Joe frowned and asked, "What is it?"

Lauren cleared her throat and said, "Tej approached me and asked how I'd feel about... another encounter."

Joe blinked in surprise. "You and Rachel and Tej again?"

"Um... not primarily, although that could happen too. I mean, Rachel, me, and Sunny."

"Whoa, hold on!" Penny exclaimed, raising her hands as if to stop a moving vehicle. "What is this?"

"I'm sure we've talked about our other friends before," Lauren said as Joe grappled with what she'd just suggested. "Sunny and Tej are married, but there was one time in August, when we were at Harrison Hot Springs, where I invited Tej and Rachel up to my room and we... had a little fun."

"Uh-huh," Penny said, face slack with disbelief. "You just decided, the three of you, to have sex?"

"Well, we'd been circling around it for a while," Lauren said. "It all started when Rachel and I discovered Tej wanted us to kiss her, because... I don't know if you remember that party where Al and I were drugged, but I kissed Tej while I was intoxicated, and she decided she'd liked it a lot."

"This being the party after which you and Al woke up together naked in his bed."

"Yes. So, one day we were out with our daughters at a movie theatre, they'd sat a few rows in front of us, and when Tej told us she wondered what it would be like to kiss us, well, we just went for it, and it was pretty awesome."

"Oh, is that how it started?" Joe asked. "I remember Tej calling me and asking about you, but you never told me you'd made out in a movie theatre."

"How do you feel about her taking another woman as a lover, Joe?" Penny asked.

"It was only the one time," Joe said. "I was a little shocked they'd corrupted her, if you want the truth, but I wasn't surprised they'd want to, she's gorgeous."

Penny removed her glasses and looked at him. "I see. Had thoughts of her yourself?"

"Oh, I bet he has," Lauren said.

"No comment," Joe said as he tugged at his collar. "What I'm struggling with now is that Sunny wants in on this."

"It was Tej's idea," Lauren said. "She was feeling guilty about having her cake and eating it too. She offered it as a one time hall pass. Of course, we'd have to be willing, too."

"And she just thought you'd be up for it?" Joe asked. "I know Sunny's hot for both of you, he admitted it to me last Friday at the hockey game. Personally, I don't care what Rachel wants, she's not my wife." Except he did care, a little. He still wanted her all to himself, as twisted as that sounded. He wanted her so he could keep sticking it to Al, and if Sunny had sex with her, it would just take the wind out of his grudge with Al. He went on. "I do care what you want, though. If you're uncomfortable with this, then Tej will just have to figure something else out."