The Final Lesson Plan (5 page)

So based on the texts, I'm certain they got along swimmingly. Char would've loved to have been at that table egging them on. I'm glad they left. It's frustrating as Hell looking at two men you want immensely and can't have, because a contract needs drafted prior to any physical activity. That was taking the fun out of the whole thing.

I decided to make some Belgium waffles for Briggs; I figured he might need his stamina to keep up with me today. Just as I was unplugging the waffle iron and the waffles were warming on low in the oven, the long-awaited knock sounded. Thank the Lord! I probably shouldn't say that; the Lord would not like what I had planned for Briggs today, being "technically" married to someone else and all. I'll just thank my lucky stars instead.

As I opened the door, I was surprised to find Briggs and Leo both standing there. Leo was holding my fish in a fishbowl, while Briggs was struggling one-handedly with Gatsby, my St. Bernard. Dumbfounded, I stood there speechless. I'd been fighting with Marcus for the past month to get my dog and fish back. When Char and I had gone to get my stuff, my dog and fish were conveniently not there. Marcus claimed that he was using them as collateral or a "deposit" until I paid him back for the Keurig and ping-pong table. He figured that since Char was going to be with me when I got my stuff that it was quite probable that she'd put me up to some despicable act or acts. Marcus took the fish and dog to Lauren's before I got there. I was pissed when I discovered them gone, which was why I so willingly agreed to "heat up" the driveway. Oh man, that was epic.

Finally, I tried to find my words, "How did you...when…?" I couldn't believe they'd gotten them back for me. "Thank you. Oh my God, thank you." I was hugging Gatsby as if my life depended upon it; I'd missed that great big lug so much. As he was slobbering all over my face, clothes, and body, I noticed Briggs' hand. "Briggs, what happened to your hand?" I screeched, staring at the bandages.

"Let's just say your ex wasn't too fond of us breaking into his house while he was home and stealing his pets," Briggs replied.

"Holy Smokers, you broke into my house?" I asked, looking at them in utter disbelief. "How'd you get in? Marcus has a gun. He could've killed you!" I was starting to panic, worrying about how Marcus may retaliate.

"Leo, jimmied the lock…like a common criminal…still won't tell me why he knows how to do that," Briggs said, looking at Leo skeptically. "Anyway, Marcus was bare-assed in the kitchen…with that skank," he said, dropping his eyes from mine, focusing on Gatsby instead.

"Yeah, he grabbed a knife from the butcher block, but Briggs laughed at him and knocked it out of his hand, but he ended up cutting his own hand in the process, dumbass," Leo explained, shaking his head, eyeing Briggs' hand.

"So Leo restrained him, while I got the dog and that fish," Briggs continued. "That bitch kept screaming some shit about her phone being in the car and not being able to find that douchebag's pants to get his phone." Briggs was laughing, and playing with Gatsby, and then, finally said, "They couldn't call the cops; we were out before they knew it."

"Oh my God, you guys are my heroes; you saved my babies," I squealed, snuggling Gatsby closer to me.

Briggs looked pretty proud of himself, and then added, "Right before we left, I punched Marcus in the face with my other hand, which I know…I know…it was a 'dick move' since Leo was holding him back, but I just couldn't help myself."

"Marcus came running out, once he found his underwear, threatening to press breaking and entering and assault charges, but we just left." Leo put the fish down and pulled a small container of food out of his pocket, dropping two small flakes into the bowl. "There ya go Atticus."

"Oh yeah, why'd you name your fish 'abacus.' It's kinda a silly name for a fish." Briggs said.

"It's 'Atticus,' not 'abacus,' you ass," Leo said, rolling his eyes at Briggs.

"Well, that ain't much better," Briggs countered.

Interrupting and standing between them, I said, "Briggs, it's 'Atticus Fish,' named after the dad in
To Kill a Mockingbird,"
I clarified.

"Never read it," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Have you ever read anything?" Leo provoked.

"I read the four million dollar contract ESPN gave me," Briggs responded, puffing out his chest like a proud peacock.

"No you didn't; you hired someone to do that for you," Leo said. Turning to me and looking frustrated, he said, "Janelle, the guy doesn't know who 'Atticus Finch' is; he probably doesn't even know why you named your dog 'Gatsby' either."

"The fuck I don't, after Leonardo Di Caprio in that new movie that just came out," he said. "But, that dog looks a lot older than…"

Cutting him off before Leo could gain any more ammunition to shoot at him, I kissed Briggs and said, "Briggs, thank you so much for getting Gatsby and Atticus, and risking your life for me." He wrapped his arms around me, and I kissed him again. Reluctantly, I pulled away a millisecond before I heard Leo's annoyed sigh. "But what I don't understand is, how did you two team up and go do this? Based on the texts I was getting, things weren't going too smoothly," I asked.

Basically, the more beer they consumed at the bar while drafting the contract, the more "guy-like" they became. They were arguing incessantly, and then Leo said that all the fighting wasn't getting them anywhere. Apparently, Briggs said that he was just pissed off at everything and wanted to "fuck with someone." Leo remembered how hurt and lonely I'd been without Gatsby and Atticus and casually stated that they could go "fuck with Marcus" and get my pets back. Briggs was on the plan in a second.

Evidently, they could get along when they had a common goal or enemy. After they picked up Taco Bell and brought Gatsby and Atticus back to Briggs' apartment, they played Xbox and figured out the contract as civilly as possible. Leo added that he'd beaten Briggs in Madden four times before Briggs threw the controller at the TV and challenged him to a real football game in the grass out back. Leo declined; Briggs called him a "pussy." And that was it. Leo met up with Briggs this morning to help bring over the fish and dog and to show Briggs the contract he'd typed up, making sure that Briggs wouldn't freak his shit with the rules and expectations.

"Leo! What time did you go to bed? Don't you have to work today?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him, nestling my head into his chest. He smelled de-fucking-licious. I wanted to lick him from the "nave to the chops." Really? Again, I'm quoting Shakespeare? What. The. Fuck? I guess my students brought out the teacher in me.

"I do. Didn't sleep. Had a lot on my mind. I'm gonna go in to the office here in a bit, though," Leo replied, kissing my forehead and holding me tighter. "I'm going to get my work done quickly today and crash early tonight. I've got a big date with a gorgeous, intelligent woman tomorrow."

"Mmmmm...and I can't wait," I said, breathing in his scent again, knowing that Briggs wouldn't let us stay wrapped around each other too much longer.

Almost on cue, but missing the mark that I figured he'd hit, Briggs said, "Mmmmm...did you make these?"

I'd forgotten all about the waffles. Apparently, Briggs liked them; he already had one in his mouth as he was buttering another on a plate. It was rather cute watching him butter a waffle one-handed, while his hand was bandaged up, knowing that the injury was from chivalry.

"Oh yeah, Leo, stay and eat before work, okay?" I didn't have to ask him twice; he was right next to Briggs putting powdered sugar and syrup on his waffle, while also eating a cold one. There was something extremely sexy and animalistic about a hungry man, which in turn made me hungry for something completely different, but very animalistic.

"Janelle, how do you like your pancakes?" Leo inquired, putting a whole waffle on the plate for me.

"I got this," Briggs said, taking the plate from Leo.

"The Hell you do. Just keep eating barbarian," Leo argued, tugging the plate back from him.

Briggs used enough force, winning the tugging match with the plate, but the waffle flew off and onto the floor. "Nice job asshole," Briggs said to Leo. Getting a new waffle, he said, "She likes warm syrup and powdered sugar, no butter, right Babe?"

"That's right," I said, shocked that he remembered what I said about waffles versus pancakes that night we went to I-hop. Waffles are spectacular with powdered sugar and syrup; pancakes must have whipped cream and syrup. Otherwise, they're not even worth it.

"Oh…and boys, make sure you clean up the kitchen when you're done," I said, walking to the island to get my breakfast. "I'm gonna eat my waffle and read over this contract that you two made up."

Briggs and Leo sat together pretty amicably scarfing down their breakfast and reading the newspaper. Not surprisingly, they didn't argue over the newspaper. Leo read the front page and business section; Briggs was glued to the sports page. Would it be so wrong if we just all three lived here like this? Why couldn't we figure out a way for both of them to be with me forever? I certainly couldn't see myself giving up either one of them. Briggs lit up a room; everything was more enjoyable and light when he was around. He was fun, but warm and protective. His chiseled, sculpted beauty could keep me hanging on for eternity. I loved watching how his muscles strained to break free from his tight-fitting t-shirts. It was a battle that everyone won. His bedroom antics were paramount now that I'd tutored the Hell out of him. A couple of times.

However, Leo was warm and secure too; his body was perfection. His muscles were defined and hard, protective, a place to call home. Leo was reserved in nature, but the bedroom opened him up to adventures that I'd only ever read about in the books that I'd kept in my nightstand for those nights that Marcus couldn't (or wouldn't) perform. I wouldn't have survived my marriage for as long as I did without the fictitious Sinners, or Gideon and Kellan to keep me going at night. There was just something about Leo that screamed, "sanctuary." Leo was a safe haven from the ills of life, the woes of everything wrong with the world. When I was with Leo, nothing seemed out of whack or problematic.

I took a bite of my waffle, dripping syrup down my chin. I quickly looked over toward Leo and Briggs; they were both engrossed in their newspaper sections, completely oblivious to me and my Mrs. Butterworth-covered face, or to the fact that they were co-existing quite cohesively. Smiling, I wiped my chin, wishing I could persuade them both that one month to choose the rest of my life wouldn't be enough, couldn't be enough. I needed to find a way to get to Labor Day with the two men who would be "working" me all summer long if I could help it.

Glancing down, I laughed at the title of the contract, knowing that Briggs wouldn't have come up with the title. Intelligence and wit were sexy; Leo was sexy. Of course, Briggs was the one staying today to entertain me, but Leo was the one on my mind. Women were ridiculous. We always want what we can't have. I'm surprised Eve took as long as she did to get her hands and mouth on that red juicy apple. Knowing that I was forbidden to feast on its deliciousness would have had me salivating for it from the very second I saw that tree.

Refocusing, I started to read the contract, noticing the post-it notes throughout the document. Leo was remarkable. He'd posted little notes of his thoughts throughout the entire contract. He was so damn adorable. The things I wanted to do to him right now…