“Hey, Singer. Check this out.”
Matthew Singer turned around and looked at his fellow mechanic, Jason Owen. The burly redhead was holding a bouquet of flowers and smirking at him. He didn’t know how the other man expected him to react. Was he supposed to be envious?
“So someone sent you roses, man. Big deal,” Matthew mocked his co-worker before resuming his work under the hood of the Lincoln Continental.
He had promised the customer that he would try to identify the problem with the car before lunchtime. It had been brought in early that morning by the despairing client and he had been working on it ever since. He checked the time. Damn. Thirty minutes left before lunch and he still had no idea what the hell was wrong with this stupid piece of junk.
He was not arrogant or anything, but he had been touted as one of the best mechanics in the city by many of his customers. Some of them claimed that if he couldn’t deal with their car problems, then no one else would have a clue. Unfortunately, he had not been able to find anything wrong with the Lincoln for the last couple of hours. He was tempted to tell the customer to simply buy a new car instead of having it repaired because it might be cheaper in the long run. Only his ego and sense of professionalism prevented him from doing just that.
“Ah-ha. Correction. First of all, I am holding exactly fifty red roses. According to Mr. Google, that represents ‘unconditional love.’ Someone is fucking rich and generous to have bought so many roses. They must have cost a bomb. Second, these beautiful roses are not for me.” Jason had emphasized the words “unconditional love” and his tone of voice was becoming more gleeful by the second, which Matthew knew from experience would lead to nothing good. He was proven right. “Someone, let me repeat, someone, has the hots for you, Matty-baby.”
Jason guffawed and slapped his thighs as if he had told the funniest joke ever. His whole body was shaking with laughter. Matthew heaved a resigned sigh and looked up to the sky. All right, he was looking at the inside of the car’s hood, but that was just semantics. Whatever. He had become used to the other man’s odd sense of humor after working together for many years. He turned around to face the other man and leaned back against the car before crossing both arms and pasting a smirk on his face.
“Aww, Jason Owie,” Matthew began in the most sarcastic tone he could muster. “Are you jealous of little old me? Don’t worry, my itty-bitty Owie. Papa Matty is more than willing to share a stalk or two of those roses with you. I know how to share my things. I learned that back in kindergarten, you know?”
Jason harrumphed, pushed the bouquet of roses towards Matthew’s chest none-too-gently, and gave him a middle-finger salute before walking away. Matthew snickered at the other man’s juvenile behavior. He loved getting the final word in any argument and this time was no exception. Being the winner in this argument made him feel better. Besides, Jason should have known better than to get into a battle of wits against him. He had been winning most of their arguments since day one. It occurred to him that some people, especially Jason, simply never learned to cut their losses and keep their mouths shut.
“Come on, Jase. Take a joke, man,” Matthew shouted at Jason’s retreating back. “I’m only kidding.”
“Fuck you, Matt,” Jason retorted. “Fuck you.”
“State the time and place, buddy.”
Matthew laughed out loud when Jason threw him a dirty look.
“My dick is for my girl.”
“I know, but it’s so much fun teasing you.”
“Whatever. I’m going to call Linda now. It’s almost lunch time. See you later.”
“Alright, man. Later,” Matthew replied easily before leaning closer to the bouquet of roses in his hand and taking a deep sniff. Wow. The scent was amazing.
He almost didn’t notice the small envelope that was tucked in at the edge of the bouquet because it had been slipped in slightly deeper, making it almost invisible. He pulled it out and slid out the card inside before reading the content.
Matt,
These roses are beautiful. They remind me of you, of your pretty…Damn. I can’t come up with something poetic enough. You know what? Fuck it. You’re my boyfriend and I’m allowed to be as corny as I want to be. You’re so much more beautiful than the most beautiful flower. I’m the luckiest motherfucker in the whole wide world because you love me back. I love you, Matthew Singer. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Always yours,
Aiden
Matthew was blushing as he put the card back in its envelope. The message was sweet. He grabbed his phone from the front inside pocket of his jeans and sent a text message to his best friend and lover. Thanks for the roses, babe. I love you unconditionally too, but I’ve got to be honest with you: your gifts are getting to be rather excessive over the years. For the record, you’re not the luckiest motherfucker; I am.
Matthew looked at his watch again. He had another ten minutes before lunch. He tinkered with the car, and…Voila! He finally found it. This cursed vehicle had irritated him for hours now. He thought that he wouldn’t be able to make good on his earlier promise to the customer because nothing seemed faulty with the car. Now that he knew what the problem was, he could take a few extra seconds to breathe out a sigh of relief before stepping into the small office next to the big yard. He had to call the customer to inform her of the issue with the car and the probable cost of repairs. It would have been unprofessional to renege on his promise.
He had bought this car repair business from the previous owner slightly less than two years before, after scrimping and saving like crazy to make the down payment. He had been more fortunate than most first-time business owners, though. His lovers, Aiden Eastwood and Edward Langston, had been very supportive. Moreover, they all got to live in Aiden’s penthouse, so he didn’t have to worry about paying rent every month. The utility and grocery bills were shared equally among the three of them so he didn’t end up being totally destitute, homeless, and starving. Most of his earnings could be invested in his business.
He had always been a very independent person. Even after he had been awarded a full scholarship at the university to study for his business management degree, he had continued to work his ass off as a part-time mechanic to pay rent, utility bills, and food while studying hard to pass his classes. He was determined to acquire a degree, something to fall back on in case his business plan fell through. When both Aiden and Edward offered him money to help the business, he had adamantly refused their assistance. He was going to be successful on his own terms even if it ended up killing him.
His business management degree had turned out to be very useful now that he owned this car repair business. Most importantly, he wasn’t stuck inside an office, wearing a stuffy dress shirt and tie, and doing a boring nine-to-five job for the rest of his life. He had always enjoyed working with cars. There was something very soothing about the whole process. Owning this car repair business was a dream come true. He could only hope that it would manage to stay afloat. He frankly couldn’t see himself getting involved in another occupation or working for someone else now that he had had a taste of the freedom of setting up his own hours by owning a business.
After contacting the car owner and agreeing on the price for the repairs that needed to be done, he hung up and eyed the clock on the wall. He had about forty-five minutes before he needed to get back to work. He decided that now would be a good time to grab some lunch before things began to pick up later in the afternoon. He whistled merrily and grabbed his sandwiches off his office desk before heading towards the small pantry at the back of the building. He wanted to heat up his food and drink some coffee. He would need the caffeine to stay awake for the remainder of the day.
* * * *
Aiden rubbed his forehead and sighed, partly in annoyance but mostly in anger. This was turning out to be an endless day of consecutive problems. It was true what people said about bad luck: it never came alone and always when you least expected it. It had been one lousy event after the other. First, the finance department had somehow messed up the estimated cost of the upcoming project. It was not by a huge margin and there was still enough time to fix the mistake and get everything back on track, but he was irritated by their incompetence. Then, to worsen what was already a horrible day, the suppliers were demanding cost increases on several items, which consequently would lower their own profit. He had to deal with that problem as soon as possible.
He closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair. He had to shoulder part of the blame though. After all, he oversaw the finance department. He should have been more meticulous when checking through the documents submitted by his subordinates.
His phone beeped right at that moment, signaling an incoming text message. He grabbed his phone and hoped that it was not someone else informing him of an additional problem. He had enough issues to deal with for now. He grinned widely when he noted the sender’s name. He read the text message and quickly typed out his reply.
You’re welcome, love. I cannot believe that you know what those 50 roses represent. Nothing is ever excessive when I am buying you a gift, babe. Also, don’t fight me for the position of the luckiest motherfucker. It is definitely mine. But if you want to fight in bed, you’re on. We only managed seven rounds last weekend. Shall we go for an even number? Maybe an eight or a ten?
Aiden was about to put his phone away when it had beeped again. He opened the text message and chuckled to himself.
Jason was nosy enough to ask Mr. Google. Hence, now I know the meaning of fifty red roses. You’re great in bed, but I am not sure your dick can get it up eight or ten times in a row.
Aiden felt a sudden rush of energy and typed like an over-excited puppy. You’re on, babe. Ed and I’ll make you beg. We will wreck you good. I hope you’re ready.
Aiden then put his smart phone away and went out to grab some lunch. He needed a break from the myriad of problems in his father’s company. He’d been promoted to Chief Financial Officer at the end of the previous fiscal year and he deserved it even though he was only thirty-five years old. He had worked his ass off for the company since he started ten years ago, right after he earned his PhD.
He had started out as a lowly finance clerk, clawing his way up by proposing excellent ideas one after the other. Most of his ideas helped the company to save millions of dollars annually. In fact, the company profit more than tripled after the first five years of implementing his ideas. He had a good feeling that the financial statement of this quarter would show a marked increase in profit. He just hoped that the mistake in the estimated cost for the current project wouldn’t have a huge negative impact.
As he walked towards the diner less than one block away, he reminisced about his younger years. He had been best friends with Matthew since they were three years old when they were enrolled in the same preschool. He remembered that Matthew used to be short and chubby, but his lover had grown up to be six feet tall with a nicely muscled body. He especially loved Matthew’s toned arms.
His other lover, Edward Langston, was three inches taller than Matthew. He also had about fifty pounds of muscle more than Matthew. Edward and he had also met when they were three years old. All three of them were enrolled in the same preschool. While Matthew and he had become best friends on the first day, Edward and he, for some obscure reason, became mortal enemies. In fact, by the end of their first day in preschool, Matthew and he ended up punching Edward, but Edward was no pushover and punched them back just as hard. The preschool teachers had to pull them off one another when she discovered that the three of them were literally strangling one another. It had been Aiden and Matthew against Edward from that day onward.
Things had changed about six years ago. He had been hanging out with Matthew as usual and meeting up with their mutual friends when Edward started joining them out of the blue. Initially, the three of them had tried to keep their interactions to a minimum because they would usually end up arguing with one another or having to be separated because they were about to settle their differences with a fistfight. It was ridiculous. They were mature adults who should have known better. However, they were so familiar with one another that they knew exactly which buttons to press for the maximum reaction.
Matthew and he somehow began to talk to Edward in a civil manner one evening when they were hanging out. The same thing happened a few times afterwards, and unexpectedly, they would start having dinner together, just the three of them. The awkwardness had gradually disappeared. They were soon chattering away as if they’d been best friends for years instead of being mortal enemies.
He had been more astounded when he suddenly realized one day that his feelings for both Matthew and Edward ran deeper than a simple friendship. Somewhere along the way, he had unconsciously fallen in love with them both. When he finally found the courage to confess, Matthew and Edward admitted that they, too, were in love with him and each other. That day was Valentine’s Day five years ago. Both of his lovers had moved into his penthouse slightly more than a month later.
He had been so lost in thought that he almost missed the entrance to the diner. He chided himself and retraced his steps. He quickly found an empty table in a corner and sat down gratefully. He was starving, so he was relieved that the place was not as crowded as it usually was. He had just finished ordering his lunch when his phone beeped, signaling another text. It was Edward. He grinned like an idiot as he read the message.
Hey, babe. Thanks for the chocolates. A tad excessive though. I can’t finish six pounds of chocolates all by myself. I’ve shared them with Seth, my temporary personal assistant. I hope that is okay with you. By the way, let me make one thing clear: I am the luckiest motherfucker because you love me.
Aiden snorted to himself and responded swiftly. You’re welcome, love. Funny that you also used the word “excessive.” Matt had already said the same thing to me. Anyway, the chocolates are yours. Share them with whoever you like; it is fine. I had told Matt not to argue with me about being the luckiest motherfucker, and I am going to tell you the same thing. If you want to fight me for that position in bed though, I am more than willing and ready to take you on.
Aiden put his phone away and began to eat as soon as his food was delivered. Most of his “high class” friends would be appalled to know that he was eating at a diner but he had enjoyed the food. Moreover, he was honestly much more comfortable eating here than inside most of the expensive restaurants. Screw those snobbish bastards. He had been labeled cheap and stingy because his friends and acquaintances claimed that, with his inheritance, trust fund, and seven-figure annual salary, he could have eaten at better restaurants. He didn’t care for those high-end places; simple as that. He would only eat there on special occasions or when he had to meet with important clients. Otherwise, he was more than content to enjoy the ordinary diner food.
As he ate, his mind slowly drifted to pleasurable thoughts about his lovers. He couldn’t wait to go home. They’d made plans for this special evening. He hoped they’d be able to have one round of mind-blowing sex before dinner. Buoyed by the thought, his mood improved by the second and he was able to enjoy the meal even more. Now he simply had to resolve the issues at work and everything would be all right with the world once again.
* * * *
Edward snickered when he read the text message from Aiden. He put away the folder for the previous client before he hit Reply.
Is that a challenge, babe? I hope you can keep up with Matt and me. I hate old, limp dicks.
He then placed his smart phone down on the desk. It was lunch time, but there were a couple of people waiting for him in the waiting area. Since he was not hungry yet, he figured that he might as well get them all over with. He was about to call for the next client when he noticed the New Message icon on the phone screen.
Bitch. First of all, I am no more than two months older than you and slightly more than five months older than Matt. Secondly, I hope your ass is still feeling sore from that pounding I had given it last weekend. Five times. My dick is not limp, jerk.
Edward was chortling in glee as he tried to type out a proper respond to his annoyed lover. He loved both Aiden and Matt equally, but the former was so easy to rile up. It was honestly his favorite pastime. He had a feeling that the aggressive back and forth banter was like a form of sexual foreplay for the two of them.
Yeah? Shall we prove it tonight?
Aiden typed, You’re on, love.
Edward shook his head in amusement while he tried his best to suppress his arousal. Sexting at work was a very bad idea. He didn’t want to meet his next client with a hard-on. That would be most unprofessional. Moreover, he might find it difficult to concentrate on his client when he was aroused. He adjusted himself and picked up the phone to inform Seth to send in the next patient. It was time to get busy once more.