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ABOUT AN HOUR later, as we drove into Cricket for the night, I knew I had to finally quit Sweetie Pies, which made me sad. Leaving Cricket also made me sad, and I wasn’t ready to give up my apartment, at least not yet.
“This is going to be so hard,” I told them as we passed Sweetie Pies, and I caught Lexi talking to some customers.
“Maybe it would be easier on you if you called the owner and quit that way,” Luke suggested, while Rascal pulled up to the curb in front of my apartment. “Or did it in the morning on our way out of town. Might be the better choice.”
I knew that wasn’t an option for me.
“I need to do this in person,” I told him. “I’m not giving her much notice, and I won’t be working this weekend like I normally do, so quitting over the phone seems, well, cold. Especially since Lexi is like a big sister to me. I love her, and I loved working for her. She’s the absolute best.”
“I bet she is, but even more reason for a phone call quit. You’ve had a lot coming at you in the last couple of days; quitting your job might be harder than you think,” Josh added.
I turned to look at Rascal as he turned off the engine, then he gazed over at me. “Whatever you decide to do, we’re here for you, Connie. Do you want us to come in with you? Would that help?”
He knew I needed time to adjust, which thankfully, the guys seemed to understand. Thus, the reason for one more night in my apartment. I knew it would ground me and give me the strength I needed to move forward.
I was going through so many changes so fast that I couldn’t keep them all straight in my head. I needed my whiteboard to see everything written down in order, and I needed to drive my own car over to the ranch. I couldn’t be stuck on the ranch without my car.
We decided to move to the ranch tomorrow, and I wanted to be mentally ready to do that. That damn list on my whiteboard was a priority. I would take the board, along with some clothes, a few pairs of shoes, all the usual stuff, like undies and toiletries. Plus, I just wanted some down time away from the guys. Especially since I knew that once we all moved to the ranch, there would be more changes, and I didn’t know if I was ready for three men in my bed at one time… which was bound to happen sooner rather than later.
The thought made my stomach clench, and my throat wanted to squeeze shut.
I knew I could get away from the ranch if I wanted to and take a night off to knit with my knitting buddies, which helped calm me with this move. With that in mind, keeping my apartment only made sense, but my days as a waitress were officially over. Besides, I would probably need a retreat or a refuge every now and then, and my apartment would serve me well. No way was I ready to give it up. Not yet anyway.
“Thanks, but this is something I have to do on my own. In person. It’s important.”
We all exited the car.
“Okay, then,” Luke said, giving me a hug. I loved how strong his arms felt around me. Like he could shelter me from just about anything. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Good luck in there.”
Sweetie Pies was only a couple doors down.
“Thanks, but it’s going to be fine,” I told him, feeling self-confident and sassy.
“Until tomorrow,” Josh said, also giving me a hug. He smelled so damn good, like spice and mint all at the same time.
“Tomorrow,” I said as we separated.
I’d had sex with each of them, independently. I hadn’t even had time to think about that. Not really. And now that our relationship was taking a decided turn, I wondered if we should talk about this plural relationship. Come up with some terms, some ideas of how it might work. I couldn’t possibly share a bed with all three of them every night. Would they be okay with that? Would they be okay with me wanting my own room?
My head was spinning on our relationship when it should’ve been focused on what I was going to say to Lexi. This was so not a good way to handle quitting my job... one I truly loved.
Now wasn’t the time to focus on anything but quitting.
I knew we needed to talk about how our relationship would go, especially considering we would be in a band together. We needed to get it all out on the table. Hell, we probably needed a relationship whiteboard to list all the rules. This could get very complicated.
Damn, but my life was crazy right now.
“Tell you what,” Rascal said, without touching me. “We’ll hang around out here, while you do your thing in Sweetie Pies. If everything goes well, you can text me, and we’ll leave, but if you need us for anything, we’ll be here.”
The more Rascal spoke the more comforted I felt that they were willing to wait for me. I didn’t think I would need their comfort tonight, but that could change if Lexi pressed me for reasons.
“Thanks,” I told him. “I think everything will be fine, but I’ll contact you either way. But just in case, why don’t you wait in my apartment. I have plenty of wine and beer. Plus, I’ll pick up a few things from Sweetie Pies, and that way we can just stay in tonight… if that’s okay with you?”
They nodded and chimed in with a resounding yes. I tossed Rascal my keys and walked away, hoping my announcement to Lexi would go well.
As soon as I walked inside and saw Lexi, I burst out crying.
“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” she asked as she approached me, her arms stretched out, wanting to comfort me like any big sister would.
