The Assistant

Herstory

The rest of the morning and afternoon flew by smoothly, and before the group knew it, the sun began to dip, and the stars began to shine alongside the moon. Old friends-and new were able to speak casually while joking around. They swam in the balmy, crystal-clear ocean, and the warm breeze greeted their flesh with a hug. It was the most fun Valencia and Roman had in a long time. Both of them lived their lives day by day, but they never took the time to enjoy it.

Both were stuck on auto-pilot for so long that they had forgotten what it felt like to have fun with a group of friends. They had forgotten what it was like to enjoy other's company and laugh like no one was listening. They were happy, relaxed, and felt young again for the first time in a long time. The problems they had left behind were nothing more than a long-lost memory, even if it were to last for only a few more hours.

Nevertheless, it was hard for Valencia to miss the looks and glances Cassius would give Roman-and how Roman would try to pretend it didn't affect him. It made her wonder what their relationship had been like and why Roman refused to acknowledge what was so blatantly obvious. Curiously enough, the idea that they had been together-or still could be, didn't bother her at all. If anything, it intrigued her a little more than she cared to admit.

Valencia wasn't blind. Cassius was equally gorgeous to Roman, which became even more evident when he stripped down to his swimming shorts early in the day. His tanned skin glistened under the sun, and she could see that his tattoos covered most of his body. The one on his back was that of Santa Maria, and the one on his chest was of the Grim Reaper. When Valencia asked about them, Cassius told her it was so the Virgin Mary protected his back while he faced death head-on.

It was a bit poetic, and his reasoning stirred something in her-and between her legs. Valencia felt a bit guilty, and her cheeks slightly reddened as she wondered what Roman would think about the naughty images she was having for his best friend-and former lover. Cassius had more tattoos on his legs, and she wondered how far up they went and where they stopped. Or did they all connect? Valencia shook her head, feeling guilty again. This wasn't right. There's no way in hell she should be having feelings for these two men-but she couldn't fucking help it.

Because it was never just Cassius that she kept imagining; no, whenever Valencia envisioned Cassius, she would picture Roman with them, too. The three of them, together, limbs intertwined between the three. Hands caressing each other's bodies, lips being shared, and moans ringing throughout the air. Valencia had to fight the urge to groan as the concept filled her mind.

There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Roman, or was it love if she also had feelings for another man? Valencia had heard of polyamory, but it was something she never thought was right for her. Before Roman, Valencia considered herself a jealous person, and the thought of sharing her significant other with another would have sent her running. It was the reason her last relationship failed. Her previous boyfriend cheated on her-several times, and it hurt her. Valencia's sex life wasn't exactly vanilla, per se, but she knew she was straight, and up until today, the concept of monogamy was the only kind she craved.

Her head spun as her life and feelings no longer made any kind of sense anymore. Valencia wondered what her best friend-ex-best friend, Samantha, would think about the entire situation. She let out a heavy breath as the thought of her friend no longer being in her life transcended her love life. Despite the way things ended between the two ended, Valencia missed her. They had been like sisters for so long that being in Cabo without her felt awry.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Roman whispered as he took a seat next to Valencia on the beach.

"Mm. Are you sure you want to know?" She smiled, still gazing at the disappearing horizon.