I've been a nervous wreck the rest of this week. The guys have been giving me grief over it, but I just shoot them the bird every time they give me shit. I just laugh along with them because I know I'm being ridiculous, but I can't help it. There's just something about India.
It's finally Friday, and I'm in the kitchen helping Jefferson make some snacks. I've just finished sprinkling cheddar cheese onto tortillas that will eventually be cajun chicken quesadillas. Jefferson just finished cooking the chicken breasts, and is slicing them into thin strips. We assemble them and smear butter on one side before putting them in a pan and smearing butter on the other side.
The doorbell rings, and my heart lurches into my throat.
"I've got it!" Austen calls from the living room.
Jefferson sees me wringing my hands in my shirt and gently removes them from the material. He straightens out my clothes and gathers me in his arms. I rest my head against his chest and take a calming breath. He places a kiss to the top of my head.
"It's going to be okay." he whispers against my hair. I squeeze him once around his middle, then lift my head.
"They're in here." I hear Austen say as he rounds the corner, India in tow.
She's just as breathtaking as the first time I saw her. She's dressed in a pair of jeans that hug her in all the right places, a simple black tank top that shows off her ample cleavage and many tats, and black biker boots. Her short blonde hair has been swept to the side, with the longer locks falling onto herr forehead. She holds out a bottle of whiskey.
"I brought something. My mom always told me to never show up to someone's house as a guest and not bring something." she says almost shyly. I take the square bottle from her and place it on the counter. Austen's eyes are darting back and forth between the two of us, a small smirk on the corner of his mouth. I make a mental note to smack the back of his head later.
"Thanks." I reply. "How about we all go into the living room and get comfortable." I glance at Jefferson, and he nods his head indicating that he will finish up the food.
I lead India into the living room and get settled on the couch. I'm at one end, while she chooses the other. Austen follows a few minutes later with a couple of beers. He opens them and passes them to us. I take a long drink to try to settle my nerves, and I notice India does the same. Could she be just as nervous as I am? She seems so confident with herself. I set my beer down on the coffee table, while she plays with the label on hers. She definitely seems nervous, and it warms my heart a little.
"So, India, my artist talks about your work all the time. What made you want to be a tattoo artist?" Austen asks, breaking the ice. Her nerves seem to completely disappear as she becomes animated.
"I've always loved art. I've been drawing since before I even knew how to write. I got lucky with my mom, and she encouraged me to do whatever it was I wanted to do. She bought me all manner of art supplies. It was a no brainer for me to move to tattooing people. I wanted to bring joy to people when they would come to me with a special story, and allow me to bring it to life on their skin."
"You do beautiful work." I tell her. "I've seen the pictures on Facebook and Twitter. It's all so beautiful. Do you have a specific style?" I learned from Austen that a lot of artists specialize in a certain style. She shakes her head.
"Not really. I love all the styles, so I set out to learn them. I want to be able to do whatever it is my clients ask me for." A blush creeps across her cheeks as she takes another sip of her beer.
Jefferson calls out for Austen to come help him. As soon as I'm alone with India, my heart races in my chest.
"You look beautiful tonight." she says. My head whips up to meet her gaze, sincerity shining in her bright blue eyes.
"Thank you. So do you." I half whisper. I've complimented a woman before, but not someone I was actually interested in, and it's completely different. "I mean, you take my breath away."
She doesn't say anything back, but she smiles brightly. She has a damn dimple in her right cheek. I smile back in return. Austen and Jefferson come back into the room carrying an assortment of food which they place on the coffee table. They leave again and come right back carrying plates and napkins. All the food is finger foods, so we don't need utensils.
"I hope you're hungry, India." Jefferson says as he hands her a plate.
"Starving actually." she answers, glancing at me. The look did not go unnoticed by my guys as they both send me a knowing smile. I clear my throat and grab a couple of slices of the quesadilla, and a couple of pinwheels. I settle back on the couch and all but cram the food in my mouth. I need to get my shit together before I embarrass myself.
"So how did you three end up in this unconventional relationship." she asks, and I smile to myself.
"I was out with a couple of friends at a bar. These two were also there." I begin, indicating to Jefferson and Austen. "They hit on me, invited me back to their place. We had an amazing night, and have been together ever since."
"You make it sound a lot simpler than it was Care." Jefferson says, looking at Austen.
"Yeah. You made us work for it. It was easier to convince you to come home with us that night, than it was convincing you to give a relationship with both of us a try. Even though we knew you loved both of us equally and wouldn't be able to choose."
"Aww. That's so sweet." India exclaims. Heat blooms across my face. "Don't be embarrassed. I think what you guys have is something special. It's obvious these two are over the moon about you. It's especially obvious you love the two of them to death." She sets her plate down and sits back, a look on her face that dares me to deny it.
"You're right. We definitely have something special. It hasn't been a long time, but I don't think I could live my life without them in it." I look at each of my guys and see the same answer in their expressions. "Okay. Let's lighten this up some. How about some music?"
Austen gets up and turns on the iPod, syncing it up with the external speaker. Hard rock blares from it. It's one of my favorite songs, and I'm pleased when I look at India and she's singing along
The rest of the evening is spent getting to know each other, listening to music, and playing dumb drinking games. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life. As the evening winds down, India grabs her keys.
"I should go. It's late and I have an early client tomorrow."
"Okay. Do you need us to call a ride for you?" I ask her. No way I'm letting her drive after all the alcohol that's been consumed tonight.
"No. I'm good. I booked an Uber through the app." she replies, slightly waving her phone. "It should be here soon."
"Alright. I'll walk you out." As I get up, I look at Austen. He sends me an exaggerated wink and I just shake my head at him.
"It was nice meeting you guys." India says as I open the door for her.
"You, too." they both reply back.
I follow India out the door and close it behind me. We make our way out the doors to the front of the building. It feels awkward standing there and not saying anything.
"You know, I started our interactions because I find you attractive." she blurts out. "Then I find out you have not one, but two boyfriends. I thought I might have had a shot with you. I almost didn't come, but I had to get to know you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the day we crashed into each other."
"Me, too." I interrupt her. I move to stand in front of her. Placing a hand on her cheek, I lean down and place a kiss to her soft lips. "Me, too." I explain to her the conversation I had with the guys the other night.
"They really are amazing guys." she says. I nod my head in agreement. "Will you kiss me, please?" she whispers.
In answer, I capture her lips with mine. Her arms immediately wind around my neck as I deepen the kiss. Her tiny tongue teases the seam of my lips and I open to allow her tongue to play with mine. We tease back and forth, each taking the lead from the other. We only break apart when the sound of an engine stops next to us. I pull back after placing one more tiny kiss to her perfect lips. Her blue eyes are shining at me.
"Can I take you out sometime?" she asks me as she approaches the back door of her Uber car.
"I would love that." Her face lights up and that damn dimple appears.
"I'll call you." she promises as she closes the door behind her. She rolls the window down and winks at me. The car pulls away, and I'm feeling giddy. I make my way back to the apartment.
Both of the guys are sitting on the couch chatting when I walk in. They immediately turn to me.
"Sooo... how was it?" Jefferson asks me. I close the door behind me and lock it. I move to dart past them.
"I'm not kissing and telling." I exclaim as I make a mad dash for the bedroom. Both of them are on their feet and giving chase in an instant.