Page 16 of Please and Tease (Sweet Treats 6)

I shake my head slowly.

“It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do. We care about these folks. They’re good people, and it takes time to change. Again, there’s a lot of testosterone in sports, and the MLB is no exception.”

Naomi is getting more and more angry.

“Well, I hope you took it up with your attorneys or whomever is in charge! Don’t they have a law for this? Title IX or something like that?”

Andrew and I share a look again.

“They do, but you see, that’s not the answer because we love these people. We want them to do well, and we don’t want to cause trouble. That’s not the kind of guys we are. We’re not out there as the next Gloria Steinem or Harvey Milk. We’re regular guys, and it was enough to get as far as we did.”

Naomi is still flustered and her cheeks go pink.

“So you walked away? Just like that?”

I share another look with Andrew and nod.

“We did. We started looking at other career paths, and long-haul trucking was a great option. We’re already used to being out on the road for weeks at a time. We’re excellent drivers, and when we offered ourselves as a two-man team, quite a few employers immediately bit. It was a no-brainer Naomi. We love baseball and all that it represents, but long-haul trucking is our true destiny. Plus, the trucking community is very open-minded, contrary to its reputation. People know that Andrew and I are into one another, but they don’t seem to care. We share a suite here with only one bedroom, but no one’s commented on it.”

Naomi’s eyes are still blazing.

“But still,” she says. “What happened is so unfair.”

My friend and I nod slowly.

“We love your spirit,” he says in a soothing tone. “But as you get older, Naomi, you’ll see that the world is never fair. We’re taught to speak up for ourselves in order to fight the good fight, but sometimes, that’s not the best route. Have you ever heard of the motto ‘the meek shall inherit’? We’re not meek, but we’re also not rabble-rousers. We didn’t want to get involved with lawsuits and lawyers. We want to be happy, and long-haul trucking has given that to us.”

“Not to mention the money,” I add with a wry smile. “In the Minors, we made a pittance. Barely enough to pay for food and gas. But trucking is a very lucrative industry, and we’re making five or six times as much as we used to.”

Naomi looks thoughtful, and I’m glad because it shows she’s an intelligent woman. I love the fact that she’s definitely on our side, and wants what’s best for us because again, sometimes fighting is not the best option. Sometimes, it can be better to appreciate what you have, and to count your blessings before moving onto the next thing.

“I get it,” she says slowly. “I think I’m too much of a firecracker sometimes.”

“But we appreciate it,” Andrew inserts quickly. “That kind of sassy spirit is very attractive.”

She throws us rueful smiles.

“Well, it’s definitely gotten me into more trouble than I can handle in the past,” she says. “But I’m glad things worked out for you guys. Do you miss baseball though? It must have been hard to give it up.”

Andrew and I nod.

“Yeah, definitely. It’s something that we both grew up playing, and it was such a big part of our lives for so long. But you move on because that’s how life is. We grew up and we’re pursuing different dreams now.”

Naomi smiles a bit secretively while taking another sip of her water.

“Does Dads and Daughters have a part in those dreams?”

Andrew and I throw our heads back with a laugh.

“In fact, it does. We joined Dads and Daughters because we’ve been looking for a curvy girl to be with us. Don’t get me wrong. We like being with each other, but we need a sweet woman to complete our threesome.”

Naomi nods, flushing a bit.

“And Dads and Daughters is the perfect venue to find that woman?”

Andrew and I share another look, and then I nod seriously.

“It is because there are already quite a few threesomes in the club. The Lodge is very tolerant of polyamorous relationships, and we’re grateful for that. Once we found that it’s not just an accepted lifestyle, but a lifestyle that’s embraced, we were all in.”

Naomi nods slowly.

“That’s true. There’s Sienna with Jock and Jack, and Marni with Tex and Rex. Oh, and by the way, you know that Jock and Jack are brothers right?”

I nod, eyes amused.

“Sure do.”

“Plus,” Naomi adds. “You know that Tex and Rex are her friend Jess’s dad and stepdad right? As you can tell, Jessica’s mom has been around the block.”

Andrew grins, flashing white teeth.

“And that’s why we love Dads and Daughters. There are all sorts of taboo relationships going on, but no one thinks it’s weird. Instead, everyone understands that love has many permutations, and is very accepting of these relationships.”

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