Chapter Twelve

Tessa Tuesday was Pete’s day, and he’d asked me to meet him that evening. I really wanted to meet one of them in person, so I agreed. I’d hoped to meet them in order, just to have something like a timeline for them, I was systematically thinking about how I was going to sleep with all of them. Before, it would have seen crazy, thinking about such things, now it felt normal and I was excited about my fantasy becoming my reality.

I went home and followed the beauty routine that Kim had shown me over the weekend. I showered got rid of all those unwanted hairs from under my armpit to down my legs, then I straightened my hair once it was dry. I decided to try something new, after all if I played my cards right, I would be losing my v-card tonight. Something that I’d never thought about how I was going to lose it, till now. Then, I put on makeup the way Kim showed me to apply it. I put on the outfit I’d bought at a consignment shop, a long sweater dress, a pair of black leggings, and black leather boots that came up to my knee and stepped back to stare into the mirror.

With my hair straight, for once, I thought I looked really nice. I smoothed the sweater dress down and thought about how perfect it was. The all black ensemble might be a little too much black, but the length of the dress meant it came just above my knees. I liked the all black look, anyway, even if it was somber. It hid all the bumps and bulges from one too many fajita nights.

I took a deep breath, checked the time on my phone, and then went to catch the bus. I was supposed to meet Pete at one of the local restaurants at seven. If I didn’t hurry, I’d miss the last bus.

He’d wanted to pick me up, but I’d insisted on meeting him somewhere besides my home. My first meetings with all of the men would take place in a public setting. I’d agreed that with Kim and Cheryl, who both insisted on the protective measure. It was sensible and I’d agreed without a protest.

I walked into the restaurant a couple of minutes after I got off the bus, and spotted Pete at a corner table. I waved as I walked over to him, and he stood up. He leaned over to kiss me on the right cheek and then sat down in the chair across from me. I sat down too, suddenly nervous as he began to speak.

“You look incredible, Tessa. Different, but really hot,” he said as he looked me over. “I love the dress.”

“Thanks, you look great too.” I wasn’t lying either. He had on a black button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of black trousers. Both had been ironed well and the shirt fitted his broad shoulders nicely. It was nice to see that not only I had made the effort tonight.

A pair of shiny black loafers adorned his feet and I could tell by the size that he had…large feet. I wondered if what they said about feet was true? I pondered it as I looked around. “So, what do you recommend? I’ve never been here.”

“I’m going to have a steak, baked potato, and macaroni and cheese, they have the best here. If you don’t want that, there’s always the ham. Their ham is incredible too.”

“Mm, that sounds good, actually.” I picked up the menu and looked at the offerings. It wasn’t the cheapest restaurant in town, but it wasn’t too expensive. I looked down the offerings for sides and found some I liked. “Let’s see, ham, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a salad sounds like heaven.”

“Then that’s what you shall have.” Pete grinned, his blue eyes shining with amusement.

“What?”

“Nothing, I’m just used to girls ordering salad and pretending that’s all they need to survive.” He laughed at the thought and continued. “It’s nice to meet a girl that isn’t afraid to eat in front of a guy.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that from me. Eating is one of my favorite things to do, it doesn’t matter whose around.”

“Good. And what are the other things?” He leaned forward, his elbows on the table, fingers clasped.

“May I take your drink order, please?” a waiter interrupted him, and it was probably for the best.

Pete sat back and waited for me to give my drink and food order before he gave his own. The waiter, a bland man with a bored tone, walked away without saying anything else, and left us to get back to our conversation.

I studied Pete while we waited for our drinks to come back. He was handsome, all three of them were, with full lips, high cheekbones, and a square jaw that my fingers itched to trace. I wanted to get my hands on those broad shoulders and the tight ass that his pants hugged perfectly.

But those were thoughts for later. For now, I needed to concentrate on the conversation. Or lack thereof.

“How’s the paper doing?” he asked and leaned back toward me. I liked how he did that, it showed interest.

“Well, they only printed up so many hundred, to save paper, you know? Well, they ended up having to print even more because thousands of students wanted the paper.” I smiled remembering the message from Jenny.

She’d been ecstatic over just how many papers had sold and eager for me to write another article. I planned to write another one this evening, for the Wednesday edition, if I had time. I wasn’t sure how the night would go, but I did know the guys had their own apartment. He could take me back to his place, if he played his cards right.

“That’s really great news.” His smile revealed those perfect, pearly white teeth, and I felt my heart skip at just how handsome he was. His eyes were captivating, his black eyelashes set them off perfectly and I loved the way he looked at me. As if he couldn’t get enough of me.

I crossed my legs and leaned toward him, my elbows on the table. “How’s football going?”

“Oh, it’s alright. It’s mainly Archie’s thing, Ron and I just go along with it for Archie’s sake. He’s the one who wants to go to the NFL. We just like the scholarship that allows us to get a college education for free.”

“I don’t blame you. Not everyone goes off to play for the NFL after all. And even if you did, there’s all these reports about concussions and the other injuries that can end a career now.” I shrugged, seeing the sense of his statement. “It’s sensible to plan for a different life.”

“I thought you’d see the sense in it. Football is a means to an end for me. Archie? He craves the limelight. Not me. I like being able to eat in a restaurant without getting mobbed by fans.”

“I couldn’t live like that,” I answered and shivered a little. At least as a reporter, a journalist, I wouldn’t be getting mobs of adoring fans like a film star would. Not that I could ever be a film star, but all the same, I didn’t want to be famous like that, but recognized as a good journalist. That was all I ever wanted, nothing more. I hated the idea of always being under a microscope, with people watching me just because I was famous.

“No, but if he gets famous, my face will be the famous face. People will mistake me for him.” He frowned as if it was a truth he didn’t want to admit. “It’s one of the reasons we all have different hair, so people can tell us apart. But even then, they don’t really pay that much attention and mix us up anyway.”

His hair was long, as if he’d had it cut once a few months ago and had left it alone since then. It was down around his collar and it suited him.

“I guess I never really thought about that. I guess you’re used to it, but it would be strange to know someone else was walking around with my face.”

“You don’t really think about it much when you’re an identical multiple,” Pete said, as if he’d said the same thing a thousand times before. “People think it’s funny, or cute, or sweet, so fucking sweet, to give us the same presents, to expect us all to dress the same or like the same things. That’s not true at all. We’re identical, but we’re all different too. We’re our own person.”

“It must get irritating,” I answered with sympathy. I had never thought about that either. It must be hard not to be an individual. That might be another aspect to add into my articles. How multiples were never treated as individuals. “Do you think it’s the same for non-identical twins?”

“Fraternal twins? Probably. From what I’ve been told it is. Even if they look nothing alike people want them to dress the same still. I’ve met a lot of multiples over the years, twins, other triplets, even quadruplets. People still treat them the same, or they expect one to be the good twin and one to be the bad.”

“What?” This was new to me and I wasn’t sure I understood.

“Oh, once we reach a certain age, especially with twins it seems, people expect one to be smart, one stupid, one good, one bad, and so many other things. People get upset when you don’t live up to those expectations, too. So upset, it’s insane.” He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

“That’s fascinating. I’ve never met multiples before, not even in school. We didn’t even have fraternal twins.” I thought about it for a minute and then went on. “I guess you’re right. I did kind of expect you and your brothers to all be the same, but I have no experience of multiples, so could only go by what I’ve read or seen on TV and in films.”

“Yeah, Hollywood has done us no favors.” He smiled to ease the tension of the moment and waved his hand. “Anyway, tell me about you.”

“What about me?” I asked, more interested in him than me. I knew all about me. Plus, I was used to being the one to ask questions.

“Well, what do you plan to do when you finish your degree?” He leaned back as the waiter brought us both iced tea and then left without a word. “Cheerful guy, huh?”

“He’s probably having a bad day, or maybe he’s got a toothache. He wouldn’t have a job here if he looked like that every day.” I smiled at him, sure that was the case.

“You’re probably right. So, after school?”

“I’ll probably struggle to find a job, end up teaching here, or at another school, and daydreaming about what could have been.”

“Oh, I doubt that. You’re going to go far. I have a feeling about that.” He nodded certainly.

I couldn’t help but smile back at him. “That’s nice of you, but I don’t know. This whole episode might tank my career before it even begins.”

“Somehow, I doubt that.”

“It’s not exactly rocket science,” I rebutted, wondering if I’d made a bad decision, for the millionth time.

“Maybe not, but it’s still generating interest, you’re writing good articles, because yes, I did buy the paper and read it, and you’re being brave. Not a lot of people are brave anymore, you know?”

“Aren’t they?” I felt my left eyebrow lift as I questioned him.

“No, not at all. People would rather allow someone else to direct their every decision, that way they can blame someone else if it all goes wrong.”

“Ah, yes, I think you’re right on that.” I nodded this time and he was the one that smiled. It was such a lovely smile.

“Anyway, tell me, where would you like to go? Do you want to be one of those international journalists that travels all the time reporting the news all over the world? Or do you want to work for a publication like the National Geographic and travel for certain stories? Or stay here at home and work for one of the local papers?” He’d thought about it obviously.

“I don’t know. Maybe a little of all of it? I’d like to travel while I’m young, see the world, cover the stories the world has to tell us. That the people of the world have to tell us. I’d really like to settle in England after a while, work for one of the papers there, just to have that experience you know?” I knew I’d taken on a far-off dreamy look but didn’t care.

“Have that foreign but still speaks English experience? I get that. But tell me, do you think there’s still secrets to be discovered?” He leaned closer, his eyes alight with delight.

“Either that or rediscover. We’ve forgotten so many things we used to know, after all.”

“Like what?” he asked, sitting back, curious now.

“Hm, did you know women used to apply arsenic to their faces to make their skin pale?”

“No, why on earth would they want that? Women all want to be tanned now.”

“Because, if you had tanned skin it meant you had to stay outside a lot, that you were a common laborer. Being pale meant you were a lady of leisure and rich.” I was surprised he didn’t know that one, it wasn’t common knowledge, but it wasn’t exactly a secret either. Of course, he was male too. Maybe that’s why.

“Okay. What else?” He was interested, at least.

“Um, let me think.” I dug around in my brain trying to find something to tell him. My brain was empty though because the way he was looking at me just made my brain melt. “Well, once upon a time tulips were worth more than gold, and salt was used as currency during the Roman empire.”

“Salt?” He frowned, but in a good way. “And tulips?”

“Oh yes, tulips. People loved them.”

“I see. What else?”

“Stop making me think, it’s making my brain hurt.” I laughed and thankfully the waiter brought my salad and the small serving of shrimp he’d ordered as a starter. I poured fresh ranch dressing on my salad and started to eat. It was a good excuse to not talk.

I wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

The rest of the evening went well, and I laughed so much I thought I’d cry as we exchanged stories about our childhoods. He had the best stories, amusing tales about the things he’d get up to with his brothers.

It was the end of the evening, when he walked me to the bus stop that things really heated up. Just as the bus pulled up, he looked down at me, gave me a look that made my knees weak, and before I knew it his lips were on mine.

I swear my knees buckled but he held me close to his chest and kept me on my feet before he let me go. “See you soon, Tessa. Take care.”

“You too,” I whispered as he walked away. Luckily, I remembered to get on the bus before it left.