(Shan's POV - Tue. 4 November 2014)

"Come in and have a seat, Shannon," Master Aaron says, gesturing toward his desk.

Fuck! I hope he's not going to punish me himself for having eavesdropped earlier. I just couldn't resist screaming my joy when I vaguely heard his decision through the door. I was so freaking happy for Alex! This guy is just perfect and honestly, he deserved his certification without further training because he did really great from what I saw.

"Just stop stressing, Shannon!" Master Aaron chuckles. "I could definitely punish you for eavesdropping, but I'm going to let Mark deal with you this time. Next time it happens though, trust you're going to taste my paddle!" he says seriously, causing me to lower my head in shame. "Anyway, that's not what I was going to tell you about. This is actually work-related. It turns out that I need a new bartender at the Black Diamond and I was wondering if you'd accept a permanent job there?"

Holy fucking me!!! Is he serious? Of course, I would accept!!

Right now, I urge to jump around, kiss my boss's feet or whatever stupid thing that crosses my mind. I might even strip off all my clothes and run around the block stark naked!

Is this really happening? Am I going to work at the Black Diamond for real? This is the second amazing piece of news in a few minutes and I couldn't be any happier.

Wait a second, Shan! Remember the rules of your contract with Mark! You're supposed to discuss important decisions with him before you accept anything, and that's a fucking important decision!

That's right... Mark didn't like it too much last week when I took two shifts at the Diamond, especially after what happened with Master Clive, so I can only imagine that a permanent position there won't sit too well with him. However, the temptation is huge. I know I'm supposed to discuss important decisions with him, but does this really count? After all, I already have a contract at the Black Moon, so does it make a real difference if Master Aaron assigns me to another part of the nightclub?

Of course, it makes a difference, Dumbass! And you know it!

It's true that working at the kinky club is clearly more intense and requires much more professionalism. It's not so much in the number of customers you serve, because there are definitely more at the Black Moon, but in the type of customers. Subs are not a problem because I can allow myself to be playful and joke around them, but Doms... These hunks are a different story.

Serving Dominants is a bit more stressful. You can't mess up with Doms; you can't tell them to go fuck themselves. Well, you can, but you need to use the appropriate words and tone, like "Please would you mind go renting one of the private rooms, Sir? Then you can grab your cute little thin penis, push it backwards and shove it up your rectum, Sir. Be careful Sir, it might be a little painful... and I am not talking about your anus, Sir."

"It wasn't supposed to be a funny offer, Shannon!" Master Aaron snaps, sharply pulling me from my thoughts.

Way to go, Shan!!!

At least his scowl instantly dampens my giggles and I recover my seriousness.

"I would love to, Sir, but... Have you discussed this with Mark already?" I ask sheepishly.

"Not yet. I wanted your opinion first, but Mark won't be a problem. I know he didn't like it much last week, but I have the right arguments to convince him and at the end of the day, if that's the job you truly want, it's all that matters. Is this really what was making you laugh a minute ago?" he asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"Hmm... no, Sir..."

"Shannon, it's a serious offer for a serious job. You know that you can't mess up at the Black Diamond, right?"

"I'll be serious, Master Aaron! I promise I won't disappoint you!" I blurt out with sincerity.

"So you're really interested?"

"Yes, definitely! I just think I should talk to Mark first..." I insist because I don't want to get into further trouble.

"Of course, you should! Listen, I'll speak with him too. After nearly 25 years around him, I know how to handle the beast..." he chuckles, winking at me. "And if he's being difficult, we'll find a way to make him change his mind. Now, a few details. Regarding your schedule... To keep your Saturday evenings off, you'll work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, from 4pm to midnight. You'll be working in pairs with Layne on week nights, and there are two other guys, Tod and Nyles, who also work on weekends, but you'll discover this in time. I might occasionally ask you to do extra hours when it gets really busy or when there are too many deliveries, and of course, you'll be paid in accordance. How does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect, Master Aaron! Can I go and tell Mark, now?" I say as I rise to my feet.

"Sure, but take it easy with him. All things considered, perhaps we should discuss it together with him, don't you think?"

"I'm sure I can convince him, Master Aaron, no worries. Mark will certainly understand!" I reply with conviction.

"Alright, Buddy. By the way, you'd start tonight!"

"Oh, so soon?" I ask, sitting back down on my chair. "Doesn't the guy I'm going to replace have some sort of notice?"

"He would if he had resigned, but Paxton was fired, and I don't want him to do his notice," he replies dryly, though I know it's not against me. "So, are you okay to start tonight?"

"Sure!"

As I stand up and head for the door, I can't help wondering what happened with Paxton. I don't have time to dwell on this though as I nearly bump into Mark and Alex. Sadly, I'm afraid I don't do things right again as I bluntly tell him about the great news. Well, it's great news to me, but if I judge by the way his body tenses as I wrap my arms around his waist, he doesn't like it at all.

Shit! I should have followed Master Aaron's advice and take it easy by pulling Mark aside and announce his friend's offer more quietly.

"What the heck are you talking about?" he says sternly, gently pushing me back.

His eyes are flicking between the Master Dom and me, throwing daggers at the first one, but obviously not very pleased with me either.

"Shannon," Master Aaron sighs. "You'll have to review the definition of subtleness. Go get ready, I'll deal with this."

"What do you mean you're going to deal with this, Ron?" Mark grunts as he grabs a hold of my arm.

"Mark, just let him go to work!" his friend replies firmly. "Now let's go finalize Alex's membership, and then I'll tell you."

"You and I will need to talk tonight," Mark warns me with a meaningful look before he leans down and pecks my lips. "I'll pick you up after work."

"Okay... I'll see you tonight, Master," I mumble. "Congrats again, Alex! I'll see you soon!" I then whisper in my friend's ear while I hug him briefly.

Poor boy seems scared by what just happened, so I give him a bright smile and a wink, then start for the Subs' room. I wasn't supposed to work that late tonight since the Black Moon is closed, and I don't even have a proper outfit since I was only going to do tidying in the stockroom, so I hope Master Aaron has some spare clothes for me because I can't really work at the Diamond in jeans.

"Hi Shannon! I'm Layne!" a cute Asian twink greets me as I walk into the locker room.

"Master Aaron told me he was going to offer you the job to replace Pax, so I guess you've accepted?" he asks cheerfully.

"Yeah..."

"Cool! Welcome to the Black Diamond! It's quite different from the Black Moon as you know, but the boss told me you already replaced Paxton last week while I was on vacation, so I guess you know that. Anyway, let's go! We've got a huge mess to clean up in the stockroom!" he adds with a sigh.

Jeez! Seems like I have a competitor in terms of chatter and gossip! We'll definitely get on well!

"Wow... What the fuck happened here?" I ask as I walk into the stockroom and take in the mess of boxes and a couple of fallen shelves.

"Paxton happened..." Layne sighs before he shuts the door and continues through whispers: "He's been sort of a jerk over the past few months. He's been slacking at work and taking a lot of sick leaves. Master Aaron asked us to do a few extra hours yesterday afternoon to catch up on our delays in tidying up. There was no obligation, but Pax and I accepted because you know... that's just extra cash, right? Anyway, as usual Paxton slacked, letting me do all the work while he just sat on a box and played on his smartphone, and Master Aaron caught him... He summoned him to his office, but Pax told him to... fuck off..."

"No way..."

"Yes way!!" the cute Asian blows, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. "I thought Master Aaron was going to explode... I swear you don't want to see the angry Master Dom... Anyway, Paxton lost it then, kicked a shelf and had a few boxes fallen over. And I guess you can imagine what happened next, that's why you're here after all!" he chuckles.

"Damn! So that's why the guy was fired!?"

"Yep! Better not mess up with Master Aaron! Pax is only lucky that he recently signed a contract with a Dominant, or he might have gotten banned from the club too... Or maybe not... Master Aaron knows to make a difference between work and being a member of the Diamond. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm glad you're the new one! I've heard a lot about you in the Subs' room and you sound like a fun guy!" he cheers.

All I can think of right now is that I'd better not mess up with the Master Dom and since I'm already in trouble with Mark, I will just strive to avoid problems with Layne since he sounds like a little minx. Kind of like me. Goodness... Has Master Aaron realized what he's done pairing us at work?

Determined to be on my best behavior, I manage to be a reasonable adult tonight and convince Layne to start working. It seems like he cleaned up the most urgent yesterday – like broken bottles – but there's still a lot to do. Once done, we start preparing the bar for the evening, transferring what we will need from the stockroom to our workspace at the Diamond. Layne explains that the cleaning staff operates in the morning, but it's our job – and the waiters' – to reset everything as it should be in the lounge area before the club opens.

"Great job, boys!" Master Aaron praises us after he has checked up on our work. "Layne, it's already 7:15, so you can go and have your break. Shannon, I'd like to talk to you for a minute."

As I follow him along the corridors to his office, I pray that his conversation with Mark went well and that he won't tell me to return to the Black Moon.

"I'll just shut the door so that we don't get disturbed since Subs are starting to arrive," he explains as he indeed closes the door and motions for me to sit on the couch. "Right, so I spoke with Mark and you have the job."

"Thank you, Master Aaron!!" I cheer, but I can't help worrying a bit. "Was he angry?"

"Mostly at me, so don't worry. Well, you could have been more subtle in the way you told him earlier, so he was quite upset, but I think I mended the pieces. You have to learn to become a bit more... ingenious, delicate and sly, Shannon, especially when you really want something from your Dominant," he explains, wiggling his eyebrows.

I can't help laughing at that. Is the Master Dom really teaching me how to manipulate my Dom?

"Next time, make sure you bring up the subject a bit more softly. Anyway, like I said, Mark was mad at me for not telling him before, and he might be right, but I really wanted you to have the job because one, I know that's what you wanted, two, I'm always at the Diamond, which means I'll be able to keep an eye on you, three, the surveillance and security are more present at the Diamond so there's no risk for you, and four, I believe you're professional enough to handle the job. Besides, all the Doms now know that you are with Mark, and no one would want to start a fight with him..." he smirks. "These are all the arguments I used to convince him, so you can use them too if he broaches the subject tonight."

"Thank you, Master Aaron," I sigh with relief. "Are you sure he wasn't too angry at me?"

"Well, like I said, you could have been a bit more subtle, but his anger was more directed against me."

"At least he can't punish you..." I grumble bitterly, which makes him laugh even louder.

"Theoretically, no, he can't. It takes a bit more for a Dominant to be disciplined..."

"Are you serious? Can a Dom be punished?" I exclaim.

"Of course! Even if it's quite rare as I like to think that my Doms have been trained well enough to avoid mistakes, but it does happen sometimes."

"And who punishes the Master Dom if he messes up?" I ask mischievously.

"Good question, but certainly not the Subs, you little minx!" he chuckles, ruffling my hair. "Anyway, now go take your break and be ready before the club opens at 8," he then says, going to his desk to grab a box that he brings to me. "That's for you. There are several outfits for the Black Diamond in there, as well as a new pair of Dr. Martens. There's also a pizza that was just delivered, and that's on me since you were not supposed to work tonight."

"Cool! Thank you, Master Aaron!"

"You're welcome, Buddy. Now go and work well!" he adds, recovering his seriousness.

Dang! The pizza is greasy and delicious as fuck! Totally not what I would eat with Mark! During my break, I eat with Layne who tells me more about the specifics of the job. A lot of Subs have arrived in the meantime, so we get to wash up in the communal showers – which doesn't bother us at all – and by 8pm, we are ready to serve our first customers at the bar, dressed in similar white leather shorts and white Dr. Martens. I love that outfit, especially as I can proudly expose my collar.

Our shift goes well, and it's much more pleasant to work in twos than alone like last week. It should always be the same unless one of us is on vacation or sick leave. There are not too many guests tonight, so we can even enjoy the show from the bar while either cleaning glasses or tidying up. By 11:45, everyone has left and the bar is clean, so we head back to the locker room to change into our regular clothes. As Layne exits the building, I stop by Master Aaron's office knowing that Mark is probably waiting for me there.

And indeed he is. His mood doesn't seem to be much better than when we parted ways earlier this afternoon, and the atmosphere looks a bit tense between the two friends. The Master Dom still praises me on how great I did today and after some quick goodbyes, I follow Mark to his car.

The ride home is heavily silent, but I think that none of us wants to start a conversation in the car, so I just relish and find comfort in his hand holding mine, his thumb softly rubbing on my skin. When we reach home, I'm starting to hate this silence and wonder if I should speak first, but I still quietly hang my coat with his in the closet, then follow him to the bathroom. His expression is unreadable as we undress and brush our teeth, but although I can't see any anger in his eyes, I can tell something is off.

"Are you angry at me?" I eventually breathe out in a barely audible voice.

Mark rinses his mouth and sighs as he turns off the tap.

"No, I'm not, Babe," he says, cupping my face and bending over to seal his lips to mine.

What starts off as a sweet kiss soon grows in intensity, passion mingling with lust as his hands run all over my body. Our tongues whirl in perfect harmony, our manhood swelling simultaneously. I can feel myself leak precum as his hands roughly knead my buttocks and I can no longer contain my moans.

"I need to fuck that tight hole of yours, Babe..." he pants heavily against my lips.

"I'll prep very quickly, Master..."

With a deep grunt rumbling from his chest, he parts away from me and heads out of the bathroom. I'm almost lightheaded from this kiss, but I quickly gather my thoughts together and within ten minutes, I have proceeded with my enema and showered. My cock hasn't deflated the slightest bit meanwhile and it only grows harder when I find him sitting on the edge of the bed, a bottle of lube in his hand.

"Come here, Babe. I want you to ride me tonight."

Although I don't really like the sad undertone in his voice, I can't deny that the idea arouses me, so I immediately go to straddle his thighs and let him stretch my hole with his fingers and lube while we kiss. I can almost taste his desperation in my mouth, and I hate it. I need to understand what's wrong.

"I'm sorry if I disappointed you, Master..." I say, tightening my hold around his neck while he keeps fingering my ass.

"It's okay, Babe. Aaron told me how things happened and even though you could have broken the news more judiciously, I don't resent you. I love you, Shan."

"But you're not happy with my decision either..." I sigh, though it's more due to the frustration when he retrieves his fingers from my hole.

"You know how I don't like the idea of you working at the Black Diamond... because I don't like the idea of you being there without me watching over you, but if this is what you want, then I'll deal with it..."

"What are you scared of? The Diamond is even safer than the Black Moon! Nothing can happen there with all the security..."

"I know. I know you'll be safe, Babe, so don't worry."

"Then what is it about if safety is not the issue?"

Mark sighs and his hands begin a slow journey from my knees up my thighs, across my hips until they reach my backside and firmly grab my buttocks.

"The issue is this cute little ass. There are too many hungry Dominants on week nights who'd gladly land their hands on these perfect ass cheeks..."

"But I have my collar and I'm sure all the Doms know that these ass cheeks are yours... exactly like this tight hole..." I whisper sensually as I slightly kneel up and shift to impale myself on his erection.

"Ugh fuck..." he grunts as my cavern slowly swallows his entire member.

"So there's no problem..." I breathe out once he's fully buried inside of me and while I adjust to his thickness.

"Except if you suddenly feel attracted to one of them and decide to lea..."

"Stop it!" I interrupt him, and for once, it's my small hands cupping his face. "You don't have to be jealous..."

"I'm not jealous. I'm possessive. There's a difference."

"Be possessive all you want but it's really no use. I love you. I've never loved anyone like I love you and I won't ever stop. And it's not only because of all the things you've done for me, but also because... you make me happy..."

"Then I'll keep making you happy so that this little asshole remains mine..." he groans.

Keeping my body pressed against his and his manhood deep inside of me, he stands up and my legs naturally wind around his waist. The next second, my back is pinned against the wall and his hips start rocking back and forth, his rod pounding into my ass faster and faster.

"You're mine, Babe, only mine... I love you so much, I swear I do..." he keeps saying.

Weirdly enough, the note of desperation has faded away from his tone, replaced by other emotions that I can't really decipher. Is it anger? Fear? It actually almost sounds like an apology, but I can't explain why.

A bit later that night, once I have snuggled against his firm body, all this turmoil of emotions he seems to have gone through resurfaces in my head as I am about to drift to sleep.

Mark's confession on his possessiveness is not that surprising. Of course, we both had a great time playing with Master Eric a few weeks ago, and it was amazing to have two Doms to myself. However, I know that he didn't enjoy it as much as the day Ed spent with us. Now that I think about it, Mark has only mentioned his fear for Doms to try and get into my pants, not Subs. So, what is it? Does he have a problem with alpha males? It sounds silly, but then again, it makes sense. He never complains about how close I'm getting to Alex. And he did push me to kiss Liam a month ago when we had sex on the couch.

Somehow, I find it funny because I realize that I am also more comfortable around other Subs getting involved into our relationship than other Doms. Oh, I wouldn't be against another threesome with a sexy hunk, but I'd much rather share my Dom with other Subs... I don't know if it's because jealousy is a foreign emotion to me or because I entirely trust Mark's love for me, but I'm not scared of sharing him with someone else. Does this mean he doesn't trust my love for him, though? I don't think so. I think our minds just work differently.

And of course, that's when Alex decides to invite himself inside my thoughts...

I've seen how Mark has grown fonder of him over the past few days. I have witnessed the pride in his eyes this afternoon when he brought Aaron into the playroom, the amazement when he trained Alex just before that, and the tenderness and fondness whenever he lays his eyes on him. The same tenderness and fondness that display in his expression when he looks at me.

And that's when it hits me. Mark is slowly falling for Alex. He is trying to hide it, but it's too late. I have seen it! And that explains the last emotion I couldn't pinpoint earlier in his voice while he was taking possession of my ass. I know why it almost sounded like an apology. Mark is trying to suppress his emotions, but they're here, and it's scaring him.

Should I feel hurt about this revelation?

Not at all. It doesn't weaken my trust in his love for me the slightest bit, and I am being sincerely honest to myself. I'm actually delighted by this realization. Why is that? Because it soothes my own guilt for falling for Alex too. I have no reasons to deny it anymore and somehow, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. And even better, I realize that it doesn't lessen my love for Mark either.

It's weird and I can't explain it yet because my mind is getting dizzy with sleep, but I understand that one wouldn't stop the other. My feelings for Mark and Alex might be different, I might love each of them for different reasons, but the intensity would be the same and I think I need both in my life. And it's the same for Mark. I'm certain that he is falling for Alex for different reasons that he fell for me, so maybe he needs both of us? I know how he loves my chirpiness and enthusiasm, but I'm sure he'd love Alex's quietness and tameness just as much.

This means that Alex wouldn't be some sort of third wheel if he were to join us in our relationship – because yeah, I can't fathom an occasional threesome with him anymore, it would have to be something permanent! I'm sure we could work something out, but I need sleep to start thinking coherently. Good God!! This perfectly fits the plans I have been scheming over the past few days!!

The only big question that remains as I drift to sleep is: will Alex see things the same way Mark and I do? Will he be able to love Mark in a way, and me in another?

***

On Thursday morning, I get a text from Alex asking if Liam and I would like to join him for lunch like we did last week. Unfortunately – or maybe fortunately in the end – it turns out that Liam is in business meetings all day, so I meet Alex at Bang Bang on my own. Mark has been so busy training his new chef and attending appointments regarding the opening of his new brasserie that this lunch will be a nice distraction as I'm getting lonely at home. More importantly, it should allow me to put my plan into action.

I almost startle when I see Alex hop off the bus, but my eyes sure open widely and there might be a bit of drool at the corner of my lips. Alex is wearing his worn-out anorak and black jeans as usual, but what strikes me is the new haircut. He only had the bangs cut shorter, but the way he messed his dark blond hair completely changes his angel features, making him look even cuter!

Once sat at a small table in a quiet corner of the restaurant, we start lunching on the sandwiches we ordered while chitchatting about random topics. Alex tells me about the new chef Mark hired, a certain Richard who seems to be very nice, and of course, it quickly derives to his eagerness to go to the club on Saturday for the first time as an official member. Yet, there's something off in his voice, as if he was upset or perhaps willing to broach a subject he's not comfortable with.

"How about you? How is it going with your new job at the Black Diamond?" he asks warily before taking the last bite of his sandwich.

"It's great, I love it!" I reply cheerfully. "It's not as busy as the Black Moon, especially on week nights, but the atmosphere is obviously more... interesting. And of course, the relationship with the customers is different, especially with the Dominants, but I truly enjoy it."

"Mark didn't seem too happy about it on Tuesday... Hope you didn't get in trouble..." he says shyly.

"I think I was a bit too blunt in the way I told him when I knew he wouldn't really approve, so yeah... He was a bit upset..."

"You mean... He doesn't approve that you work at the Black Diamond? Why is that?"

Now, it's time to verify some of my assumptions and test Alex on his own feelings... It's not very nice of me to try and make him jealous, but I need to see how he's going to react to what I say.

"Ugh... Mark is a bit overprotective and he's also getting more and more possessive. He's afraid another Dominant might seduce me, which is completely ridiculous!"

"There'd be more risks at the Black Moon though, where people don't know what your collar is for, whereas at the Black Diamond, everyone knows its significance, so they wouldn't normally try."

"Precisely! That's what Master Aaron told him, and so did I. Anyway, we talked it out and we're all good now," I reply with a wink.

Alex smiles but I can tell it doesn't reach his eyes. I hate the sudden sadness in his expression and I wish I could kiss it away, but somehow, if this is what I think it is, it's going to comfort me in my assumptions. Since the sun has decided to shine over Chicago today, I suggest we go for a walk despite the low temperatures, and we end up in a park nearby where we wander until we find a bench in an isolated area.

"It must be nice to have someone who cares so much for you..." Alex sighs as we take a seat.

"It is," I confirm.

As I say so, everything becomes clear in my head. I think I've found out what is upsetting my friend. And I can definitely use this as a stepping stone for my plans.

"Mark cares a lot for you too, you know..." I add innocently, making sure to observe his reaction.

"Not as much as he cares for you..." he comments a bit bitterly.

His eyes open widely when he realizes what he just said. I think this is more evidence that Alex has grown attached to Mark, even if he is trying to deny it. I don't give him time to say more though and continue along.

"I think you're wrong," I argue seriously. "Mark cares for you as much as he cares for me," I add with a warm voice.

"Impossible..."

"Completely possible!"

"What do you mean?"

"Am I not clear enough, Alex? What I'm saying is that Mark likes you a lot!" I insist, hoping he will get the true meaning of my words.

And I think he does, but his reaction is not the one I expected.

"Oh my God... Shan... I'm so sorry!!!" he mumbles, tears forming in his eyes. "I swear my intention has never been to steal him from you!! I'm not sure what makes you think he likes me, but you're probably wrong... Oh, crap... I'm so sorry... I really hope you're wrong... I promise I'll back off if..."

"Alex, shhh!!!" I exclaim, quickly peering around but I'm glad to see we're all alone in the area. "I know it was never your intention to steal Mark from me," I chuckle in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. "I'm just saying that Mark really likes you more than you'd think, and certainly more than he's aware of."

"You have to be wrong, Shannon..."

Jeez!! What a stubborn mule! Do I need to make things clearer?

"Nope, I'm not. I've seen how he is around you, how he looks at you with the same affection as when he looks at me. He wants to protect you like he protects me. I think he's falling for you too, Alex..."

There. That's said. Now let's hope it yields to some results!

"I'm so sorry, Shannon... I never meant to interfere in your relationship... I don't want to cause problems..." he says, his voice breaking down.

"Who said it was a problem? What if I wanted you to interfere!?" I grouse and my tone seems to finally strike home.

"What?" he exclaims, pulling a bit further away from me on the bench. "If you want to break up with him, you should just tell him, Shannon! You just can't use me!" he almost shouts.

Dang! He doesn't understand! Or perhaps I was wrong all along and Alex doesn't like us the way I thought he did. Or maybe he just loves Mark and not me. In this case, I have made a huge mistake.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I must have had the wrong impression... This is not what I meant..." I sigh.

The sadness that fills me is crushing my heart right now. I really wanted this to happen and now that my hopes for a three-way relationship are fading away, I realize that my love for Alex might have been even deeper than I imagined.

"What impression? What are you talking about?" he asks, but I just sigh more in answer, trying to hold back the tears in my eyes. "Shannon, please tell me... I'd like to understand and help if I can. Is there something wrong between you and Mark?"

And I thought he was rather perceptive... but he just doesn't get it! Or perhaps he does but needs me to be clearer.

"There's no problem between us and we love each other..."

"Come on, Shan! Tell me what's wrong then!" he insists as more tears begin to blur my sight. "I swear we're not leaving until you've told me!" he threatens, and I could almost smile at his attempt of authority.

"There's nothing wrong, Alex. I just misunderstood... things..."

"But what things!?" he insists, now clearly annoyed.

Okay... Time to open up, I guess... Either I was completely wrong and that means huge troubles ahead because I doubt Alex will be able to behave naturally around Mark in the future. Or I was right and I'll have to act cunningly with Alex to make things work.

"Okay... I'll tell you..." I say softly, shifting to completely face him. "I was hoping that... you'd... I was hoping that you'd like us too and that maybe you'd join our relationship," I finally blurt out.

Please God help me make this happen!!!

Alex pulls back at once and gets up to pace in front of the bench. Poor guy is obviously struggling with his thoughts and feelings now, and I can only pray that it's going to go the right way. Meanwhile, I let him sort this out on his own, but I'm getting scared by the distorted expression on his face. When he gets back to sit down beside me, he is fuming.

"So, this is what I thought and that's not fair, Shannon!!" he accuses, jerking a threatening finger at me.

"What's not fair?" I ask, bewildered by the wrath in his voice.

"That!!!" he exclaims, waving his hand in front of me. "What you've just said!! I've... I've been struggling with my emotions since I met you, working to keep them at bay, and you've just ruined all my efforts!!"

"What are you talking about?" I squeal, cowering on my seat.

"Oh, I'll tell you since the cat is out now! Ever since that evening Mark took my defense and tended to my injuries at the restaurant, I've felt attracted to him! Ever since that same evening when you took my hand to lead me to his car, I've felt attracted to you!"

"Aww Alex..." I try to interrupt him, but he just puts two fingers on my lips.

"Now you let me finish!" he screams. "Over the past two weeks, I have been fighting all these emotions, pushing them at the back of my head because I thought it wouldn't be fair to interfere into your relationship. I had no right to do this! I had no right to have feelings for you and Mark! It was completely insane to fall for two men who were already in a couple!

"I mean... How crazy could it be!? I never thought it could be possible to have such intense feelings for two persons at the same time, so I've been trying to fight these emotions and take some distance, but the truth is that my feelings have only been growing all this time. I've been denying these emotions, persuading myself that you and Mark only acted out of pure friendship, and it was working well, Shannon! I was starting to imagine myself with another man, but you... you just had to mess with my mind and ruin all my resolve!"

Relief!

This is what I feel when Alex finally shuts up because it means I was right! That cute little thing does love us! Yet, I can't help a wave of sadness briefly washing over me because I can only imagine how hard it must have been for him to bury his feelings deep inside of him. However, this is not the time to flinch. There is still a lot to sort out and as much I expected to win over Alex rather easily, I know Mark will be a whole different story.

"I'm sorry I threw this in your face like this, Alex," I apologize sheepishly, grabbing his ever-cold hands between mine. "I have been struggling with my feelings too over the past two weeks... I didn't know it was possible to love two persons, but I can tell my heart is beating for you as fast as it does for Mark. It's even more complicated when you think I had never been in a relationship before, but I just can't control what I'm feeling now. And what I feel is love for two men... I really love you, Alex..."

"Oh my gosh... You're confusing me, Shan... I don't know what to think anymore," he sighs, but there's a little glint of mischief sparkling in his eyes. "I'm not sure I could handle having a threesome with you and Mark, and then being left on the side..."

Holy crap! This little minx has to be doing this on purpose! I'm sure he's smarter than that!

"Who's talking about a one-time thing, Alex? I'm talking about something permanent! I want you to become a part of us. A whole part of our relationship!" I clarify.

A small smile draws on his lips for a brief moment, almost like a sign of victory, before he starts brooding again.

"Thing is we're not the only ones to decide. Have you discussed it with Mark? Does he even know about your feelings for me? And how can you be so sure he loves me too? And even if he does and accepts me, how is this going to work? How could such a relationship work? How..."

"Shhh, it's okay, Alex... I don't have answers to all these questions, but what I can tell you is that I feel it deep down. I know Mark has strong feelings for you. And I'm sure we can work the rest out. Mark is amazing and he can definitely handle two Submissives. He'll certainly dictate his own rules and we'll just have to either compromise or comply with them. I mean... it can't be much different than a normal couple..."

"When you put it like this... It's true that it'd be his duty to define how the relationship will work..." he mumbles. "For us, it would be easy..."

"See? The only difficult part will be to convince him," I say thoughtfully. "But we'll make it happen! We'll convince him!"

"We!?"

"Of course, we! We'll do this together, Alex! That's if you really want it too..." I trail off, letting him ponder on this for a few seconds.

"I do want it to happen..." he whines. "Now that you've raised the idea, how could I back off and refuse? I realize that I have wanted that since the first Sunday we spent together at your place, but I'm scared, Shan. What if it backfires at us? What if Mark turns us down? What if the relationship doesn't work? It's going to ruin everything and I don't want to mess up what we already have... And I certainly don't want to ruin your couple."

"What if we manage to talk some sense into him? What if a three-way relationship is what suits us? What if we could make this work forever? What if it only increased the bond between you and me? What if it also strengthened my relationship with Mark and his with you?" I argue.

"I know but... what if he doesn't want to?"

"He will! Now what about you? Is this something you really want?" I ask, closing the distance between us, and as I lean forward, I very briefly attach my lips to his. "Because I really want it..."

"Of course, I do want it too..." he replies, brushing his fingers to his lips dreamily.

"Shit!! It's getting late!" I exclaim as I check my phone.

"Crap! But we need to discuss more!!" he squeaks as I drag him across the park to reach for the bus stops.

"Don't worry, Alex, I think I have a plan!" I reply in a smug tone, speeding up along the alleys.

In the end, it's a bit difficult to reassure Alex because he's afraid Mark will be able to read through him this afternoon at work. However, things won't be any easier for me as I'll have to behave cautiously around him tonight. The good thing is that Mark will be working again tomorrow, so Alex and I agree to meet in the morning to do some shopping and have lunch, and then I'll tell him about what I have come up with. Meanwhile, we promise each other to try our best and keep a low profile.

If my plan comes together, by Saturday, Alex should be the third and final act of our play!

Published on 24 May 2016