Page 63 of Three, Two, One [321]

I hold my hands up, surrendering. “Fine. I’m gonna make Blue stay naked all day until you get back.” When I look over her, she’s chewing slowly, watching us interact.

“You do that. But tonight when we come home from work, and I’m ready for bed, while you have to stay up all night editing, she sleeps in my room.”

And then he winks at her. Knowing full well he just outlined a parameter of our budding relationship.

On nights we work, she belongs to him.

And we work more nights than we don’t.

So yeah.

He wins.

“What exactly do you guys do at… work?” Blue asks.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I say quickly.

“What the fuck?” JD asks.

“What?” I ask back. “I don’t want her thinking about what we do.”

“Why?” Blue interrupts.

“Yeah,” JD says, all pissed off. “She already knows. That’s something I never understood about you, Ark. Why the fuck do you care what people think of our business?”

“It’s porn,” I say. Like, hello?

“So? Ray is the King of Porn here. And he never has a problem telling people what he does. We’re opening up our own site in a few weeks. There’s no way you’re gonna be able to rationalize it then.”

“I’m not worried about rationalizing it.”

“Bullshit. You hate the fact that we make porn. You’d rather do anything else, but you can’t because condos, and sports cars, and whatever you spend your money on, aren’t free. You’re only in this for the money.”

“And your point?” I roll my eyes in Blue’s direction, but she’s got a serious look on her face that makes me stop and reassess. “Do you want to know what he’s gonna do tonight? I mean, really? You want me to tell you how we’ve got a girl lined up to suck his dick in a crowded club right there on the dance floor?”

She ducks her head and chews on her bagel. “It’s none of my business what you guys do.”

“Jesus fuck. What’s wrong with the two of you? Don’t you have any feelings, Blue? It doesn’t bother you that JD will have another woman on her knees tonight?”

“You’re an asshole,” JD says to me.

“Why? You wanted to talk about work.”

“Because you want to hide it. We’re not doing anything wrong.”

“Last week we weren’t doing anything wrong, this week we are.”

“Why’s that?” he snarls. “This week you’re too good for porn?”

“No, asshole. Because this week we’re in a relationship.”

Relationship.

Wow. For a guy who was resistant up to the last second, once he’s in, he’s all in.

JD laughs. “We’re fucking her, Ark. We’re not marrying her.”

I slip down off the counter. “I’m gonna take a bath, if that’s OK.” They both stare at me as I walk between them and head towards the hallway. Their arguing continues after I’m gone. I can still hear them in the bedroom.