Page 74 of Bro Amazing

"Sleep with someone for inspiration?" asks Sasha, as if she's considering the idea. "I suppose I would, although I work a lot, so it'd be challenging. I'd have to make sure they don't get attached because I'm focused on my career right now and if I keep rapid-releasing and following the data, I should be able to set up my entire career to succeed. I don't have time for a relationship, so if I were going to sleep with someone for inspiration, it would have to be casual."

"That's very practical." Maybe Sasha wouldn't judge me, then. Maybe I should come right out and say it. Tell her I'm sleeping with, and sort of dating, all five of my roommates. But there's a difference between her willing to sleep with one guy for inspiration and my sleeping with five.

She shrugs. "You're just as practical, right? Focusing on your career. Why else would you move from your own apartment into a house with five random gamers?"

Nodding, I weigh my options carefully. Finally, I say, "Living here does help so I can put all of my profits toward my next book since I don't have any bills now."

"You don't have any bills? What about rent?"

"Oh, uh, actually, I don't pay rent since my roommates earn enough to cover all the bills. They buy the groceries too." I pick an invisible piece of lint from my hoodie, nervous. That was a huge piece of honesty, and I need to gauge how she reacts before I tell her anything else.

"They're paying for you to live here?" Sasha's eyebrows nearly disappear into her hairline.

"Uh, yeah, we … sort of worked out a deal."I should have kept my mouth shut.I wish I were anywhere but here right now. But I've come to realize lately that the more time I spend with my boyfriends, the more time Iwantto spend with them, and at some point I need to not keep them a secret anymore. I'm certainly not starting off by telling my parents, they're too judgmental, so it makes more sense to confide in a friend, another spicy romance author who might be more likely to understand.

"What sort of deal?"

"We're … dating," I mumble, reaching for more popcorn even though I don't want it. My nerves over this whole conversation are making me feel sick, but at least snacks will occupy my hands.

"So you met, and at some point they liked you enough to ask you to move in and let them take care of you financially," states Sasha, her shock almost tangible.

"… basically." Sasha doesn't have the exact timeline, or the specifics of how and why we met, but she has the gist.

"Which one are you sleeping with then?" She leans forward, clearly hoping for some details.

I cringe a little. It's one thing for me to think about it that way, as just sleeping with my roommates for room and board, but hearing Sasha say it out loud doesn't sit well. Besides, I'd said "dating", not "sleeping with". She made that leap all on her own.

"All of them." I shove the rest of the handful of popcorn in my mouth to avoid saying anything else, and immediately regret the decision as the popcorn turns to sawdust in my mouth. I sip at my soda, trying to swallow the mouthful of popcorn down. I very intentionally do not look at my friend on the other end of the sofa, instead training my eye back on the movie.

"All of them?" I've clearly shocked Sasha. I'm a little thrilled at having managed to shock her, even as I'm mostly mortified to even be having this conversation.

Nodding, I watch the main characters argue at a bar.

"And they're okay with that?"

"It was their idea." And while I was against it in the beginning, now I love how we all fit together. I wouldn't want to give any of them up, to have to choose one boyfriend over the others. Individually they're all fantastic, but as a team they're perfection.

"Wow."

We sit in silence for a minute. I'm still pretending to watch the movie, afraid to look over at Sasha, but eventually I have to say what I'm thinking.

"Do you think I'm the worst?" Sasha is my only close friend in Chicago, since although I see Maddie and Angela every week, we don't actually spend any other time together. And if I don't count my boyfriends. I don't want to lose her in my life. How many other people out there understand what it's like to have the drive to succeed that we have? And I can't deny that having Sasha inmy corner could open a lot of doors for me professionally. As it is, she's the only reason I ever have an opportunity to connect with other writers. Without her, I'm back at square one both socially and when it comes to networking.

"No! In fact, it's a great idea, and the fastest way to research for your books. This shows real dedication to your craft. I'm impressed." Sasha nods, and glances back to the stairs.

I whip around to check the stairs myself. Only to sag in relief. My boyfriends aren't standing there overhearing every word I say.

"Thanks." A sense of pride washes through me at Sasha's words. She's such an impressive author, and my doing something she approves of feels like confirmation that I'm on the right path for my own career.

We both turn our attention back to the screen, and the relief I feel at having gotten that elephant out of the room allows me to actually pay attention to what's happening in the movie. Now that my secret is out, the tension created by me trying to keep it in and Sasha trying to pry is out has dissolved, and I'm able to enjoy just watching a movie with my friend.

Halfway through the movie, my roommates come down carrying boxes of pizza.

"We brought sustenance," announces Lionel cheerfully.

"Pizzaandsnacks? You guys are amazing," I say. "Thank you."

"We couldn't let you two starve." Quintin places a stack of paper plates on the coffee table.

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