But this is so unfair

But this is so unfair
Richard

The sky was still a deep, dark blue, the sun not yet even a thought behind the mountains, when I woke. I was curled around Violet, our limbs a comfortable mess with Michael’s. My brother was at her back, holding her, while she slept facing me. We had lost the covers sometime in the night, but the heat from our three bodies had made a warm, safe pocket in the middle of the huge bed.

When Michael and I had arranged her late birthday dinner, we never imagined it would finish with the most incredible, fulfilling night of sex I had ever known. I found her hand in the dim light and ran my finger over the rings, now locked together into one single, perfect thing.

Violet had taken our rings. She had taken us.

She began to move, stretching with a soft sound, then a groan. “Oh my God,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. She threw a leg over my hips. “I feel like a bus hit me.” She gave a huge yawn. “No, make that two buses.”

I brushed her hair back from her face, even though I could hardly see her pale skin in the dark. “I am sorry, sweetheart. What can I do for you? A hot bath? Some medicine for the pain? I could rub your shoulders.”

“Yes,” she moaned.

“Which one?”

“All of them.” She let out a long, dramatic sigh. “But first, I really have to pee.”

She climbed right over me and slipped out of bed, disappearing into the bathroom. When she came back, she had a toothbrush in her mouth and her hair pulled into a ponytail. I got up to get my own toothbrush. Michael was alone in the bed. He rolled onto his back and made a grumpy noise in his sleep, but he did not wake.

Violet spit out the toothpaste, rinsed her mouth and her brush, and put it in the plastic cup the hotel gave us. It made me think of her first day at our house, when she had the guts to put her toothbrush in my holder. How angry I was that she had just walked into our space. I let out a quiet laugh at the memory, and Violet raised an eyebrow at me.

“What is so funny?” she asked. She put the toilet lid down and sat on it, pulling her knees up to her chest. She looked like a stunning, naked little creature sitting on a strange throne. “I was thinking about the day we met,” I told her after I rinsed my mouth.

“Hmmm,” she said, tilting her head. But I saw a darkness in her eyes, like something was on her mind.

I had meant to shave, but I put the razor down and went to her, lifting her into my arms instead. Her legs wrapped around my waist like it was the most natural thing in the world, and her arms circled my neck. “What is the matter?” I was concerned she was hurting more than she had said. I really hoped she was not having second thoughts.

“Oh, I was just… thinking.” She held on tighter, resting her head against my shoulder. “We have to check out tomorrow, right? And I still do not have an apartment. I guess I need to find another hotel for a while, just, you know, something that does not cost a fortune.”

I cleared my throat and started walking her back to the bed. “Do not worry about that, darling. We will figure it out, I am certain.” I placed her on the foot of the bed. “Why do you not wake up sleeping beauty here,” I said, pointing at my brother, who was snoring softly with his mouth open. “We have one more birthday surprise for you.”

She looked at Michael with a spark of interest. Since she was already near his feet, she reached out and drew a single finger lightly across the sole of his foot. His toes curled, but he slept on. She traced that same finger up his leg to his knee, and he jerked a little at the tickle. Violet let out a quiet giggle and moved so she was sitting on his legs. Then she leaned down and rubbed his hard cock between her small breasts.

Michael’s eyes flew open just as her tongue touched the tip of him. “Oh, Princess,” he groaned, his voice rough from sleep. “You can wake me up like this every single day.”

“Mmmhm, in your dreams,” she said lightly. “Richard told me to get you up.”

He gave her a slow, sleepy smile. “Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a fucking good morning.”

She made a pretend-disgusted face and crawled off him. “I change my mind. I do not love you.”

“No take backs!” Michael protested, rolling toward her.

She pouted at him with those perfect, kissable lips. “Richard said you had another birthday surprise for me!”

He pointed to his erection. “I do! It is right here!”

She snorted and slapped his hard stomach, hard enough to make him gasp. “I do not want it.” She rolled over and jumped off the bed, walking to the closet where her clothes were hanging neatly. “I will take that warm bath now,” she said, pulling down a clean lime-green t-shirt and a pair of snake-print leggings. “Alone!” she called over her shoulder, as if she already knew what both of us were thinking.

“You are no fun!” Michael complained from the bed.

I gave him a look that said to behave, and then I went to find the pain medicine and a glass of water. I added some ice and a squeeze of lemon before I knocked on the bathroom door. When she answered, I opened it and saw her in the tub, her small feet propped up on the edge. I handed her the glass and the pills. “Is it bad?” I asked her directly.

She put the pills in her mouth and swallowed them down. “No, not terrible. I feel a little sore and tender between my legs.” She rolled her shoulders. “Actually, my whole body aches a bit, but it is nothing major.”

“Okay.” I set the glass on the edge of the tub. “You just relax. I will get Michael moving. Then we will show you your other surprise.”

She made a happy sound and closed her eyes. I hoped she would not fall asleep in the water. As it turned out, I did not need to get Michael up. He had gone to use the other bathroom. I could hear the shower running, and I guessed he was taking care of his morning problem by himself. When he came out a few minutes later, wearing just a towel, his long hair was combed back neatly and his face was smooth.

“What is the plan?” he asked me.

“The birthday surprise,” I said, rubbing my hands on my legs, feeling the nerves.

Michael did not look worried at all. He was grinning widely as he turned to get dressed. I picked up the phone and made a few calls to make sure everything was set for the surprise.

Violet came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, looking much more at ease. Her long hair was piled up in a messy bun. The v-neck of her shirt showed off the necklace, and the matching ring shone on her finger. “Okay!” she said, her voice bright. “I am ready! Where is my belated birthday surprise?”

“We have to go for a short drive,” I said, picking up my car keys.

Michael picked up his truck keys, too. “It is my turn to drive.”

“My car is more comfortable,” I argued, logically.

“But my truck has a bench seat,” Michael pointed out. “If Violet sits in the middle, we both get to be next to her.”

Violet tilted her head and smiled. “He has a point. I vote for Michael’s truck today.”

I sighed, giving in. “Fine… but only because it is your birthday.”

The three of us walked, linked together, to the elevator and then through the lobby of the Grand Hotel. It was still early, so the place was quiet, except for a few people leaving. No one looked at us, and no one cared that one woman was with two men. And that was just how I liked it. Live and let live.

We all climbed into Michael’s ridiculous, over-powered truck. I still did not get why he loved the thing, but it made him happy. The middle console folded away, and Violet settled into the spot between us. I buckled her seatbelt for her, like she was a little kid, and for once, she let me do it without a word. Maybe she could tell I was anxious and that I needed to do these small things. I needed to look after her, no matter how capable she was.

We did not talk much as we drove down the mountain, the sun behind us. By the time we reached Rutberg, the morning was busy. There were people driving to work, school buses on their routes, and long lines at the coffee shop. Michael drove carefully through the traffic until he reached the old highway that went to the west side.

In the clear morning light, the old marble district seemed a little worn out. There were buildings with boarded-up windows and overgrown lawns that needed serious work. Old apartments with tired porches and chipped paint stood next to the monument shops that still carved headstones from local marble.

Just before the bridge, we turned onto the side road that led to the waterfall and the old mill.

She sat up straight, finally realizing where we were headed. “Oooh, you are taking me to the waterfall? What a wonderful birthday surprise! You are recreating our first date! You two are so romantic!”

I exchanged a look with Michael over her head, and he smirked back at me. We parked next to the stone ruins of the original mill, hoping she would not see the small changes to the big brick factory. It looked almost the same from the outside, but the windows and doors were new, and a black metal fire escape had been added to the second floor to meet the rules.

Victoria, our secretary, had done a great job. A white blanket was already spread on the grass near the waterfall, wet with morning dew. Red rose petals were scattered across it, and a fresh bouquet of red, white, and pink flowers sat in the middle. Next to the flowers was a square white box with a big red bow.

Violet saw the box and let out a little shriek. She wanted to run for it, but Michael caught her by the waist and held her back. “Slow down, Princess, let us enjoy this.”

She made a frustrated noise but walked with us. The wet grass quickly soaked into my shoes. Violet solved the problem by taking off her sandals and going barefoot. We reached the blanket, and she sat down without a fuss. Michael and I sat on either side of her, so we formed a triangle around the flowers and the box.

Violet was practically shaking with excitement. “Well?”

I picked up the box and set it in front of her. “Be careful,” I told her. “It is very… delicate!”

Her eyes got wide, and her fingers went to the ribbon, undoing the bow with great care. As the red satin fell away, she started to lift the lid.

That was when the box moved just a little, making her gasp. She pulled the lid all the way off and was met with a tiny, sad-sounding, “Meeeeow!”

“Oh! Ohhh!” Violet breathed, reaching into the box to pull out a small, fluffy calico kitten. It was a mix of black, grey, orange, and white patches. It looked around with big blue eyes, scared, and cried again. Violet held the little thing to her chest. It dug its tiny, sharp claws into her bright green shirt. “She is so sweet and small and…”

But when she looked up at us, her eyes were bright with anger. “But this is so unfair!” she said, clearly upset. “I do not have a home! How can I keep a kitten in a hotel room?”