Page 62 of Perfect Three

“You don’t have to go on, Lucy, unless you need to.”

“I’m fine.”She smiled over the table at him and took up her story.“Someone from Home Care would come in for four hours once a fortnight so I could get out and do anything essential.In the last two years, someone would also come in a few times a week and wash her for me.”

Lucy gave a deep sigh.“Anyway, when she died, I found it so hard to leave the house.It felt wrong.”She cocked her head, looking at him, trying to put things into words.“It’s hard to explain.It was as if my life had been put on hold.All those years of not being able to go out became the norm.I could have very easily turned into a recluse, but I knew I had to force myself out.So I took up temping again and gradually got used to being with people.The last six months have been good.Guess I’m back to normal.I feel great and enjoy company.”

“I’m so sorry you had to bear such responsibility, Lucy, but I understand completely that it was something you had to do.”Jack’s fingers rubbed her hand.

It surprised her to feel a tear running down her cheek.Reaching up, she caught it with a finger and looked at it.She had never cried when she cared for her mother.She’d known that if she started, she’d never have been able to stop, so instead she’d bottled it away.Really, she hadn’t grieved properly, afraid that it would open floodgates.This solitary tear was a dangerous sign.

Somehow, she had to change the subject before her grief for her mother and the grief for herself overwhelmed her.One day she knew she’d have to let it all out so she could move on completely, but she wasn’t ready.Certainly, it wasn’t going to happen in the middle of a restaurant.

She took a deep breath and looked around the room.While she did, she pushed her grief back down where it could hide.“I’m happy we came out tonight.”

“I’m so glad, Lucy.We loved meeting you that Saturday.There was something about you that interested us, drew us both to you.”

“I still don’t really understand it.I mean, I understand you and Sebastian being together.I think I understand that by being open and inviting a third person into the relationship it lessens the chance of either of you cheating.What I find a little confusing is you’ve said sometimes it’s a woman you’re both attracted to and other times it’s a man.”

Jack shrugged.“I really can’t explain it, Lucy.”He looked thoughtful.“You know when someone attracts you, you can’t really explain why, but there’s something about them that interests you.”

Lucy nodded.

“Well, sometimes it’s been a guy, other times a woman.It’s not as if either of us goes out searching for a particular sex, or for someone to join us.It’s just something that happens.Like when we met you.I think I saw you before you noticed me,” he theorized.“Seb had gone to talk to Walt about something, and I was idly looking around the room and spied you.There was something different about you.Even though you were with people, you looked as if you were apart from them.You had this look on your face, this tiny secretive smile.It made me wonder what you were thinking about.Then you looked over at me, and I thought to myself, ‘now that’s a person I’d like to learn more about’.It wasn’t that you were a woman.It wouldn’t have mattered if you were a man.You just interested me.When Seb came back, I pointed you out to him.His first words were, ‘wow, that’s one attractive woman’ and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Listening to Jack, Lucy understood what he meant.She recalled times when she’d seen someone who had attracted her interest for some reason or other.It hadn’t been about their gender, rather it had been something about them that stood out.“I think I get it.”

“What were you thinking about, can you remember?”

“If I recall correctly, I was thinking how I flitted in and out of people’s lives when I temped.Never really got to know them.The old ships in the night analogy.I even imagined all these little boats passing by.”

“That makes sense.You had this look on your face.Like I said, that’s what really drew my attention to you.”

They had finished their meal and lingered over coffee.Jack ordered a second cup for both of them.

“Was it like that when you met Sebastian?How did you meet?”

“I was running my company and Seb came in to talk about getting a website designed.As soon as I saw him, I noticed how striking he was.To me, he had some sort of magnetism.It was the way he held himself.I found myself wanting to know about him.I even dreamt about him.It was funny because each time he came into the office, I tried hard not to come on to him, to stay professional.I had no idea he was bisexual.I just assumed he was straight.

“Anyway, he asked me to join him for coffee when we’d gotten the website up and running.He told me about his plans for the night club, how he wanted to open the restaurant.Somewhere along the line, he let it slip he was interested in both men and women.Can’t remember how it came out, but it did.”

Jack looked earnestly over at Lucy.“I tell you I got a bloody erection when he let that little snippet drop!”

Lucy couldn’t hold back her laugh.

“Somehow the conversation turned to partners.I told him I’d had relationships with both sexes as well.Then he told me he liked to be in control sexually and had found a lot of his partners didn’t like his domineering ways.My heart almost leapt out of my chest!Then he casually asked me if I’d be interested in going out on a date.”

As Lucy watched, a grin came over Jack’s mouth, and his whole face lit up as he remembered.“He took me to dinner.I can remember sitting opposite him and watching his mouth.I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I think he has the sexiest mouth.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed, believe me!”

“Anyway, we finished eating and we were wandering along the street heading back to our cars.I’d met him there because I’d gone down to Penrith to see a client.It was late, pretty dark.He’d insisted on walking back to my car first and there was no one around when we reached it.”He gave a laugh as he shook his head.“I tell you, I have no idea who made the first move, but all at once we were all over each other.”His fingers ran across his lips as if recalling kisses from Sebastian.

“I love that man, Lucy.He means the world to me.We’ve grown closer and closer with each passing year.He’s so special.He’s deep.There’s a hidden strength inside him.Sometimes he seems aloof, but he isn’t.He’s so open and talkative about sex.He loves talking dirty, getting me excited, yet he’s actually a private person in other things.He can be as quiet as a mouse.He doesn’t suffer fools, but when he likes you there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you.”

“I like him, Jack.He’s so different to you.To me, you’re open, funny, and honest.Sebastian is something else, but I don’t know how to explain it.There’s a majesty about him.”

“Yes!Exactly.I really hope you get to know him like I do, Lucy.I’m sure you’ll love him like I do.”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

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