two?”
Jason shrugged. “I got a call on the drive home from work. Gel’s worried about you, so he called Margot. She told me you’d headed out here and that maybe I could sort of corner you and make you talk to me.” He glanced at Gregory. “That gets me extra points, doesn’t it? The friend asking me here, I mean.” He smirked, and Haley—for a moment—felt like slapping him. She couldn’t believe this man of hers who was generally passionate but mature kept acting like a little kid. Did something specific in Gregory bring that out in him? Did it just rise from the threat he presented in relation to her? Haley didn’t know, but she didn’t want to see this side of Jason for much longer.
Gregory—evidently trying to be the bigger man—ignored the last comment and the look on Jason’s face. “So we both surprised you,” he said to Haley.
Haley harrumphed and looked away. “Ya’ think?” she mumbled.
“I know why I am here,” Jason continued, “and I’m pretty sure I know why Gregory’s here, but that doesn’t explain—Haley, look at me—why you are here.”
“Why are you here?” Gregory asked, and Haley raised her gaze for just a moment. “Did you already find another man?”
Haley shook her head. How could he even think that? “It’s going to sound stupid,” she said. “Neither of you will believe it.”
“Try us,” Jason said.
Haley battled with her choices. “I needed some time alone,” she finally said, and then sat on the arm of the couch next to Jason. Gregory glared at her nearness, but Haley ignored it.
“There are more people here than at your house,” Gregory told her.
“I know, but while here I can go out there.” She waved a hand toward the French doors leading to the back of the house and, beyond that, the bayou. She enjoyed nature, looked to it to soothe her in difficult times. New Orleans was a beautiful city, but short of the rambling acres of City Park, it could be hard to find someplace to go where you didn’t hear trains or cars or throngs of people. Especially in her neighborhood.
“So you’re not here with anyone?” Gregory asked.
“No,” Haley said. “I came with Cyn and Todd, but I’m not with them.”
“And you’re not here to find anyone?” Jason put a hand on her thigh.
Haley looked down at him. She swallowed. She shook her head slightly.
“Good. So all that’s left is for us”—Jason waggled his finger back and forth between himself and Gregory—“to convince you which of us you belong with.”
Almost instantly, Haley felt herself deflate. How could she explain it to them? “That’s just the thing,” she said. “I don’t want either of you.” She paused, then whispered, “I want both.” As incompatible as you are . She knew she’d already told them that, but felt like she had to say it again. Maybe repeating it would help them understand.
Gregory’s sputtered and leaned forward in his chair. The action seemed almost comical to Haley, but she didn’t laugh.
“What do you mean ‘both’?” he asked.
“I liked what I had. I want it back. Both of you have so much to offer, have different things to give me.” She shrugged. “You didn’t let me explain that the other night. You just stormed off.”
“No way,” Jason said, sneering at Gregory. Haley thought for a moment that maybe she was better off without either of them; they acted so immature at times.
“Then after dinner, we’ll work out some sort of schedule for the weekend and—” Gregory started.
“No,” Haley said, cutting him off. She even held up a hand. She watched Gregory’s eyebrows go up. She certainly was crossing a lot of lines for a sub tonight, but she would have to do that to get what she wanted. “No schedules.” She felt less certain now. How would they take what would come next? “I’ve done some thinking this week, and I realized I just don’t want to date two men separately. I want both of you…together…”
Jason
Jason shrugged. “I got a call on the drive home from work. Gel’s worried about you, so he called Margot. She told me you’d headed out here and that maybe I could sort of corner you and make you talk to me.” He glanced at Gregory. “That gets me extra points, doesn’t it? The friend asking me here, I mean.” He smirked, and Haley—for a moment—felt like slapping him. She couldn’t believe this man of hers who was generally passionate but mature kept acting like a little kid. Did something specific in Gregory bring that out in him? Did it just rise from the threat he presented in relation to her? Haley didn’t know, but she didn’t want to see this side of Jason for much longer.
Gregory—evidently trying to be the bigger man—ignored the last comment and the look on Jason’s face. “So we both surprised you,” he said to Haley.
Haley harrumphed and looked away. “Ya’ think?” she mumbled.
“I know why I am here,” Jason continued, “and I’m pretty sure I know why Gregory’s here, but that doesn’t explain—Haley, look at me—why you are here.”
“Why are you here?” Gregory asked, and Haley raised her gaze for just a moment. “Did you already find another man?”
Haley shook her head. How could he even think that? “It’s going to sound stupid,” she said. “Neither of you will believe it.”
“Try us,” Jason said.
Haley battled with her choices. “I needed some time alone,” she finally said, and then sat on the arm of the couch next to Jason. Gregory glared at her nearness, but Haley ignored it.
“There are more people here than at your house,” Gregory told her.
“I know, but while here I can go out there.” She waved a hand toward the French doors leading to the back of the house and, beyond that, the bayou. She enjoyed nature, looked to it to soothe her in difficult times. New Orleans was a beautiful city, but short of the rambling acres of City Park, it could be hard to find someplace to go where you didn’t hear trains or cars or throngs of people. Especially in her neighborhood.
“So you’re not here with anyone?” Gregory asked.
“No,” Haley said. “I came with Cyn and Todd, but I’m not with them.”
“And you’re not here to find anyone?” Jason put a hand on her thigh.
Haley looked down at him. She swallowed. She shook her head slightly.
“Good. So all that’s left is for us”—Jason waggled his finger back and forth between himself and Gregory—“to convince you which of us you belong with.”
Almost instantly, Haley felt herself deflate. How could she explain it to them? “That’s just the thing,” she said. “I don’t want either of you.” She paused, then whispered, “I want both.” As incompatible as you are . She knew she’d already told them that, but felt like she had to say it again. Maybe repeating it would help them understand.
Gregory’s sputtered and leaned forward in his chair. The action seemed almost comical to Haley, but she didn’t laugh.
“What do you mean ‘both’?” he asked.
“I liked what I had. I want it back. Both of you have so much to offer, have different things to give me.” She shrugged. “You didn’t let me explain that the other night. You just stormed off.”
“No way,” Jason said, sneering at Gregory. Haley thought for a moment that maybe she was better off without either of them; they acted so immature at times.
“Then after dinner, we’ll work out some sort of schedule for the weekend and—” Gregory started.
“No,” Haley said, cutting him off. She even held up a hand. She watched Gregory’s eyebrows go up. She certainly was crossing a lot of lines for a sub tonight, but she would have to do that to get what she wanted. “No schedules.” She felt less certain now. How would they take what would come next? “I’ve done some thinking this week, and I realized I just don’t want to date two men separately. I want both of you…together…”
Jason
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