Three is a Crowd

Frank and Amanda sat on the couch comfortably for at least half an hour before Amanda felt the worst of her hangover subside. The pounding had gone down to a dull ache and she felt like she could possibly contemplate the idea of eating some honest to goodness, greasy, heart clogging food. She let out a sigh and cuddled closer into Frank without thinking, her body seeking out his body heat instinctively. He tightened his arm around her and rested his chin on top of her head for a while as they continued watching TV.

‘Is it working?’ He asked his voice low and soothing.

‘The cure? Yeah, thank you. I think I would’ve died if you hadn’t made it for me. I owe you one’ she giggled.

‘I can think of a way you can thank me’ Frank murmured in a low voice that made Amanda shiver, before he caught her chin and lifted her lips to his own smooth lips. The kiss was sweet and gentle at first, unlike the previous night were everything was hot, heavy and passionate. There was no tongue at first; the kiss wasn’t much more than a light brushing of his lips against hers. Amanda could feel the spark of desire again as she pressed her body against his, her body acting on impulse as she added more pressure to the kiss. Frank took this as an invitation to take things further, gently pushing Amanda into a lying position on the couch before quickly climbing on top of her. He reattached their lips in a flash, before he bit her bottom lip, making her gasp as she registered the mild stinging pain. He invaded her mouth with his tongue, moving one of his hands under the t-shirt she was wearing, caressing her hip with a barely there touch. His hand trailed slowly towards her breast, Amanda’s breathing becoming laboured as his touch set her skin ablaze.

They heard the sound someone clearing their throat behind them. Frank pulled away, making Amanda groan with displeasure as they turned to see Gerard watching them with an amused expression on his face. Amanda’s face burned, his gaze on her making her feel awkward as she wondered how he felt about his boyfriend feeling her up. Judging by the smirk on his face, he wasn’t too cut up about it.

‘I made coffee.’

With that, he walked back out of the room without another word. Frank sighed and removed his body off her, sitting up into a kneeling position and running a hand through his hair. Amanda looked at him pleadingly, what she was pleading for she wasn’t sure of but, she suddenly felt bereft as he stood up from the couch, grabbing Amanda’s hand to pull her up and off the couch. She stumbled slightly as she stood, the blood rushing from her head making her feel dizzy momentarily. Frank smiled his sweet smile as he dropped her hand carelessly and nodded towards the door, indicating for her to follow him as he followed Gerard.

She lagged behind him wordlessly, not wanting to make small talk that wouldn’t do anything to help the twisting nausea that was currently in her stomach. Seeing Gerard this morning made her feel nervous and insecure as she tried to comprehend what was going on. While he had said he wanted her last night, he could easily change his mind now that he had gotten what he wanted from her. Did she even have her job anymore? She couldn’t help but feel panic at the idea of being jobless. She had no significant savings, and if she lost her job she would be out on the streets within weeks. Her parents would be disappointed if she had to come crawling back to them at twenty five years of age. She should be able to take care of herself and hold down a job, and at that moment she regretted not keeping her panties on. She let her hormones take over when under the influence of alcohol and now she may have to suffer the consequences.

When they entered the kitchen Amanda’s eyes took in the large room. It was painted white, with a few pieces of art decorating the otherwise plain walls. The large dining table was made of glass which looked beautiful and fragile. The white chairs that accompanied the table fitted in with the white theme of the kitchen. It made the room overly bright and impersonal, and she wondered just how much time the two men actually spent in the room. There was nothing in the kitchen that suggested it was used often, no calendars, post-its or magnets on the fridge to make it give it a homely feel. They had lived together for years and yet she had not seen one photo of the two of them together anywhere. It was quite sad in a way; they had a house together but it seemed as though they hadn’t built a home.

Gerard turned around and smirked when they came in. He continued to lean against the counter and Amanda noticed he was wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. He continued to drink his coffee as they watched them, Frank seemingly oblivious as he walked towards Gerard and grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee. Amanda stood there awkwardly, feeling like an intruder in the unfamiliar place. She didn’t feel comfortable grabbing herself a glass of water, especially not when Gerard kept his eyes on her. She was sure her cheeks were slightly flushed under his gaze, as they always were. She was certain she would always blush when Gerard stared at her with that hot, piercing look that made her want to melt. The smirk on his face suggested he knew Amanda’s discomfort.

‘You want something to drink?’ he asked, his voice full of amusement.

‘Just water, please.’ she asked softly, all the confidence she had last night seemed to disappear.

He retrieved a bottle form the fridge and handed it to her silently as his fingers touched hers briefly. She took the bottle from him, and let out a silent gasp of shock as he suddenly grabbed her waist and claimed her lips. He released her as quickly as he had grabbed her and went back to drinking his coffee. Amanda was left wondering if she was imagining things. It was the conflicted look on Frank’s face that told her it was real. While Frank and Amanda stood awkwardly in the kitchen, Gerard was finishing his coffee showing no signs that he was feeling the tension which felt suffocating to Amanda.

‘So, I suppose we should talk about last night?’ Gerard spoke calmly as Amanda was finishing her water. With shaking hands she put the bottle down on the breakfast bar, trying to compose herself. Frank put his coffee down and let out a barely audible sigh.

‘Gerard I don’t think it’s gonna work’ Frank said, standing up taller as though gearing himself up for the confrontation ahead.

‘Why not?’’ Gerard questioned, his voice void of emotion.

‘C’mon Gerard¸ even you must realise that there’s a reason people don’t do these relationships. Someone always gets hurt. Jealousy has a way of getting to people and just because you think you’re immune to it doesn’t mean that I’m not. You haven’t even considered whether Amanda is capable of handling the situation.’

‘Hey!’ Amanda interjected ‘I can handle myself, I’m not a child.’

‘I didn’t mean any disrespect’ Frank spoke soothingly ‘I just mean that you’ve probably never had an open relationship before, and those are tough to handle even for people who claim not to be the jealous type. Having this type of relationship is going to involve the other person consistently spending time with another person. I don’t know if I can do it, and to be honest I don’t know if I want to share Gerard with you.’

Amanda flinched at his last sentence, feeling the bite of jealousy in his voice. Of course Frank wouldn’t want to share Gerard with someone on a permanent basis. Whatever about him occasionally sleeping with someone else, this would involve Gerard and her spending time together she assumed. It would also involve Gerard and Frank spending time together without her and the idea alone filled her with jealousy. How could she handle the reality of knowing Gerard was hers, but never really hers?

‘Frank-’ Gerard spoke in an authoritative voice that Amanda recognised from work.

‘No Gerard, God damn it I’m not just going to let this happen. Do you really think I can stand back and watch you have a relationship with someone else? Someone who is bound to get fucking trampled on by you? I know you well enough to know how this will turn out. You like someone who will bend to your every fucking whim and you found someone naïve enough to do it. I’ll get pushed to the sidelines whenever I don’t agree with something and you’ll rub it in my face. Don’t say it won’t happen because we both fucking know that it will.’

Amanda looked down at the floor while Frank made his passionate speech, and she felt a pang for Frank. If she had been in Frank’s position she wouldn’t let someone into her relationship. She realised in that moment that she would have to be the one to do the right thing, even if it cost her. She couldn’t live with the guilt of hurting someone as good as Frank, no matter how much she wanted Gerard. He wouldn’t really be hers anyway, she would be on the sidelines too whenever he wanted Frank.

‘You know what Frank, you’re right’ Amanda spoke as Gerard opened his mouth to respond to Frank ‘I can’t handle it. I’m a jealous person and I’ve never like sharing the things I want. If I can’t have something all to myself than I don’t want it at all.’

Gerard’s smirk, which had fallen while Frank spoke, was set firmly back in place. Amanda realised he enjoyed the fact that there were two people in front of him who coveted him. As much as she hated feeling like a pawn in a game, she realised she still wanted him with every fibre of her being.

‘I think I should go.’ She walked out of the kitchen and went to retrieve her clothes. Finding them in the living room she dressed quickly, part of her secretly hoping Gerard would come after her and tell her that he wanted her, and only her.

She put her shoes on and waited a moment, taking a deep breath before grabbing her bag . As she was about to leave the room, Gerard came in. He leaned against the door frame and looked at her lazily for a moment, while Amanda took in his newly dressed body. Even in casual jeans and baggy t-shirt he still looked amazing.

‘I’ll give you a ride’ He eventually spoke, gesturing for her to follow him as she followed meekly behind.

The walk to the car was quiet, Amanda not knowing what to say. The silence continued as Gerard drove her to her apartment, the music on the stereo being the only sound in the car. She bit her lip, hating how insecure she felt whenever she was with Gerard. She was always afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. When they pulled up to her apartment block, he parked his car and turned the engine off. Amanda waited for him to say something, anything that might make her feel something other than the burning shame and insecurity.

‘Don’t worry about your job. I won’t let what happen interfere with our professional relationship.’ He spoke after a minute of silence.

‘Thanks.’ She replied, not knowing what else to say. There wasn’t anything else she could say.

She waited a few seconds, waiting to see if he had anything else to add. When he didn’t she opened the car door and walked away, forcing herself not to look back as she felt her heart break.

Notes

Hi all, I had intended update sooner but I havent been able to. Thanks to all the readers, subscribers and especially the commentors :) As always, I hope you enjoyed. Til next time :)