Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
After I used the facilities and brushed my teeth, I snuck back into bed the same way. This time, they both stirred. Noah rolled toward me and draped an arm over my chest, and Hudson slid his hand around my waist.
“This feels so good,” I whispered. “Can we just stay in bed all day?”
“Sure, but there are presents in the other room,” Noah mumbled.
I’d almost forgotten about that. I climbed over him and exclaimed, “Get up! I’ll go make some coffee. Hurry!”
He chuckled and did as I asked. Then he circled the bed and lightly swatted Hudson’s ass as he said, “You heard the boss. Time to get up, handsome.”
Hudson muttered, “I’m up,” into his pillow, but made no move to actually get out of bed.
“Coffee and presents in five minutes,” I announced. “Noah, I’m assigning you to Hudson-wrangling duty.”
Noah tried to coax our boyfriend with, “Come on. You can do it, baby. Coffee, presents, and blow jobs await.”
The last thing I saw before I left the room was Hudson sitting up and mumbling, “Did you say blow jobs?” That made me grin.
One or both of my guys had been busy and wonderfully thoughtful the night before. They’d assembled kindling and wood in the fireplace, so I was able to get the fire going with a single match. My next stop was the kitchen. There was a note on the oven with instructions to preheat it to three-fifty, because there was a French toast casserole waiting in the fridge. The coffee pot was all set up too, so I just had to push a button to start brewing.
By the time Noah and Hudson joined me after visiting the bathroom and cleaning up a bit, I had three mugs of coffee doctored up, just how everyone liked them. We took them into the living room, and Hudson glanced at his phone and said, “My brother Harper messaged me last night to wish us a Merry Christmas. He and his husband Phoenix are currently in London while Harper’s shooting a film. What time is it there?”
“Eight hours later than here,” Noah said.
While Hudson sent a reply, I asked him, “Did you tell them about the three of us?”
“Yeah, yesterday. Apparently they’re in the thought-we-were-already-a-throuple camp. They’re keeping it to themselves, of course, since the rest of my family’s heads will probably explode once they find out. But it’s nice that at least my brother and brother-in-law were able to take this news in stride.”
Noah took a look at his phone and said, “I have a message, too. My parents replied to the text I sent them last night. I told them about you after I wished them a Merry Christmas, and here’s what they wrote: ‘Happy Christmas Noah, from your mother and father. Exciting news about your relationship. Would love to meet them when we return from Zermatt.’ The ‘from your mother and father’ part is funny. Like, thanks Mom, I never would have figured out who it was from.”
I asked, “Where’s Zermatt?”
“Switzerland.”
“Are they there for work?” His mother was a journalist for an international art magazine, and her husband was her photographer. The job had sent them—and occasionally Noah, when he was younger—all around the world, and even in their sixties, it seemed they hadn’t slowed down much.
Noah shrugged. “They’re currently visiting some old friends, but right before that they toured a new art installation in Bern, so I guess it’s a little of both.”
“And that’s really all they had to say about the fact that you’re in a relationship with two men?” Hudson seemed surprised.
“Even if they were thrown off by it, they’d never admit it,” Noah said. “They’re all about seeming very hip and cutting edge. Accepting their gay, polyamorous son reflects well on them with their particular social circle.”
Hudson thought about that, and then he asked me, “Have you told your dad yet?”
“No, but only because he and my stepmom are on a Caribbean cruise over the holidays, and cell coverage and wi-fi are spotty at best. We mailed each other Christmas gifts in mid-December before they left, and I’ll talk to him when they return in January. That’ll be the best time to share this news.”
Hudson asked, “How do you think he’ll take it?”
“Probably about like he did when I told him I was gay. He might struggle with it at first, but he’ll eventually come around…or maybe he just won’t get it, and that’s okay, too.” I quickly added, “I don’t mean to sound flippant about it. I love my dad, but whether he’s supportive or whether he thinks I’ve lost my mind, it doesn’t change anything. I’m all in with the three of us.”
Noah kissed my forehead and said, “Same here.”
“Me, too,” Hudson told us. “Now, who’s ready for presents? I want you to open mine first.” He retrieved a flat, beautifully wrapped box from under the tree and handed it to me as he explained, “That’s for both of you.”