Cassie's Bears

Chapter Three

Black, Luna - Cassie's Bears [Avid Ménage, Alternative MMMFM Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem] Chapter Three

I woke up the next day still feeling a little lost. I knew I needed to talk to Carmen. Hopefully, she would take me just a little more seriously today.

I found her in the living room, flipping through Netflix in her pajamas. The day after game day was always that way for her. For me, it was going to be a full evening doing makeup for a small, local theatre production. Hey, a job was a job, right?

I sat down next to her with a sigh, deciding to start right off the bat. "I gave my number to both of them."

"You what?" she asked, both elated and shocked at the same time. "Girl, you have surprised me. I was sure you were going to choke last night! I have to hand it to you, you did well. So, when are you seeing them again?" she asked with a friendly nudge to my shoulder.

"I am not sure I will," I mumbled, knowing I was about to hear it.

"No way are you turning them down. What’s wrong?" she asked me, turning the television off to give me her full attention.

"They said that they’ve liked the same girl before. Like we could all be dating each other at the same time. Isn't that weird?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "It doesn’t have to be. Did it feel weird?" Carmen asked.

"At first," I admitted to her, "But then it felt so fun and natural. It didn’t seem to bother them. They said they both liked me. But I don’t know if some ménage thing is for me. It sounds like something out of one of those porn books."

“It's called erotica, Hun," she told me with a scolding look. "Besides, it's not like they’re asking you to commit to a threesome or a polygamist marriage. It's just dating right now. Just fun. You might find it really easy down the road to pick out the one for you, or you may find the arrangement works. To each her own and all that."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're smart for a cheerleader?" I teased her.

"I say it to myself all the time," she joked back, causing me to laugh. Maybe she was right. It didn’t have to be a big deal if we didn’t make it one. I could just enjoy it, if they ever did ask me out again anyway. “Now, how about some rom-com before you have to go to work, girl?” she asked, passing me a bag of low-calorie popcorn she had hidden on the other side of her.

I nodded with enthusiasm and took the bag from her so I could get a pretty large bite. I was addicted to the stuff ever since I had been introduced to it and it was a perfect snack that didn’t pack the pounds back on.

I turned to face the screen as we picked the movie, Varsity Blues which was totally fitting considering I’d just gone out with two football players. I found myself repeating some of the words along with the movie and laughing at the best parts. I was disappointed when it was over and I had to rush to get ready since the theatre was across town.

* * * *

When I walked into the little theatre where I would be doing the makeup for a small local play of Death of a Salesman, I found myself amidst total chaos. The one thing I hated about taking these jobs was that no one ever knew what they were doing. No one was on time or in the right spot.

I looked around for someone who might be able to direct me to where I should be at the moment, and finally, someone approached me with a clipboard in her hand. “Are you the makeup artist?” she asked, her glasses sliding down to the end of her nose as she looked up at me.

“Yes, I am,” I told her.

“Okay, let me show you what we have.” She pulled out a bunch of pictures from the Internet of what she wanted for each character. They were kind of pixelated, but luckily I had also seen a more professional version of the play before. I knew what I was going for, for the most part. It wasn’t anything too hard. But when she showed me the makeup I had to work with, I almost cringed. It was a cheap brand that wouldn’t go very far. There was a good chance that she would have to spring for more for the next two nights the play would be showing. I would have to use all they had even if I spread it thin, and it was going to be hard to hide any blemishes and color inconsistencies that they wouldn’t want the spotlight to show to the audience already.

I sighed and went down the list, going into work mode. I could do this. If there was one thing in the world I was confident in, it was my makeup skills. It was the only thing that kept me going through every nasty comment in college about my looks or weight barring me from doing what I loved. I really hoped one day we could all live in a world that let you do what you want regardless of outward appearances.

I rushed from person to person as needed, getting everyone ready for the big show even as it came down to the wire when the seats were full and the curtain was a few minutes away. I was proud of myself as I looked over the cast members who were waiting for their cue. I had somehow managed to make this cheap crap work and to spread it across all the cast members, though I did let the stage manager know there would need to be more makeup to use. She didn’t seem too happy about it, but oh well, there was nothing I could do about it.

I was offered a front row seat for my troubles, and I sat there and decided to enjoy the play. For a small and disoriented cast, it was actually quite good. I could feel the audience being drawn to the main character and his plight as well. And as usual, the end hurt everyone, even me, despite the fact that we all knew by the name of the show what would happen. That was what a good play was all about in the end.

I clapped at the appropriate parts and went backstage to grab my things, my check, and to congratulate the actors when the stage manager approached me with a bouquet of roses. “Aren’t these typically for the cast?” I asked, confused.

She shrugged. “They came with your name on them.” She threw up her hands and walked off as I pulled out the tiny card that might give me a clue as to who sent them. There were two names I knew and had been thinking about off and on all day, Barry and Finn. I couldn’t believe it. They had somehow figured out where I was. But then I realized they probably just asked Carmen. She would have told them willingly.

I felt my phone buzz as if on cue and looked at it, pulling it out of my pocket.

Can we see you in 2 days?

I knew instantly who it was from.

I hope you liked the roses.

It was Finn’s number but it was clearly from both he and Barry. They were asking me out on a date with the two of them once again. I tried to push down the conflict that tried to come up. Of course, it was there. I was used to the dating norms, those rules society said I needed to stick to, but why would I turn these guys down when we had such a good time before?

I calmed myself as I walked out to my car, thinking of a way to reply that wasn't just a simple yes or no. They had gone out of their way to get me flowers and find where I was working. They deserved better than that.

I turned on the engine and looked back down at the text message.

There’s a carnival in town. Maybe each of you can win me a prize?

I hit send and drove back to my place, hoping what I said wasn't too incredibly cheesy. But I had seen those dates as a kid in all those romantic movies where two young people fell in love. The guy always won her a stuffed animal and then went on a ride with her. I wanted that. Cheesy was good every once in a while, right?

When I got inside and put on my pajamas, I sneaked another look to see if they had replied.

How about two bears?

I giggled to myself, trying not to wake Carmen up. She was already passed out. Beauty sleep and all.

Sounds like a plan. Pick me up at 8. Thanks for the roses.

I laid down still looking at my screen. I bit my lip in anticipation of what they might say next. I was as giddy as a school girl on her last day before summer break. I was glad Carmen had convinced me to go for it.

We will see you then. Goodnight, beautiful.

Just reading the message made me blush. I sent them something back before laying down and dreaming of their faces.

Sweet dreams.