What happens when you find your One True Pair + 1?
Recent college grad Lexie Cambridge is *notoriously* indecisive. Gifted with a luxurious two-week cruise with her crush, she enlists her down-to-earth best friend for help determining when and how t...
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"The cruise line must be paying Samentha a fortune," Vic wheezed, breathless with laughter, "all just to keep us engaged." We were en route to our stateroom. Our continued antics drew curious looks from other passengers; however, the corridor was mostly empty. Besides, our situation was simply too hilarious to keep quiet.
"And-and we forgot to ask the most, the most important question," Lexie managed through fits of giggles. "Will we win the prize money?"
"D'ah! We had a psychic at our disposal, and we blew it!" Vic heaved a jovial sigh.
"We don't need That's So Samentha to see our future." I chuckled. "Devon Star Bentley does not play to lose, especially considering how much my family needs that money. Plus, Vic needs . . ." I trailed off before I put my foot in my mouth. It wasn't my place to reveal someone else's personal struggles.
"Vic needs what?" Lexie chirped. Her dancing eyes moved from me to Vic, who studied the floor with a frown. Silence nosed into the exchange, and Lexie sobered as she laid a caring hand on their shoulder. "Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?"
"It's fine. I need a place," Vic mumbled. "My, uh . . . I got kicked out. Sort of. It's complicated."
"Oh my god! Are you serious?" Lexie grabbed their shirt and stopped them in their tracks. Roses blossomed on Vic's high cheeks. Their dark eyes never left the carpet, preoccupied with the kaleidoscope of colors and patterns. "Are your parents upset because of—? You know."
"Look, don't speculate, alright," Vic groaned. "This isn't really about my family. The whole world wants to dictate what being nonbinary means for me. People either want me to be more androgynous or less androgynous, or they want me to use they/them pronouns but pick a gender or to try on gender non-conformity but take it off when its inconvenient.
"I'm so—I'm sick of it from everyone. The one thing that will put me in a strong enough position to take full control of my life is winning that prize. I'll finally be able to be myself," Vic went on, "and that's why I'm willing to work with Shane, why I'm willing to play this game with you two. Never mind our weird history and even weirder potential future after this. How hard can it be to fake it 'til we make this money?"
"Speaking of faking it." I hiked a thumb at a Three's Company staff member rounding the corner with a clipboard in hand. "Incoming bonus points for PDA. Quick, let's stage a kiss."
"Say what now?" Vic choked out.
Laughing, I clarified, "Actually, I was talking to Lex, but. . ." Vic smiled and flipped me off. I caught Lexie's svelte body in my arms and pivoted. Suddenly, she was crushed between me and Vic, whose eyes widened and softened. My friend's back was against the wall. I raised a brow at the 'disarmed but intrigued' face. "We're supposed to be a threesome, right?"
Half-hidden by one of the eight-foot-tall decorative palms positioned at regular intervals along the corridor, we had time to change our minds. The blue uniformed staff member for whom this ballsy interlude was playing out was still a good pace away and hadn't seen us yet. Yet, Lexie nodded emphatic consent because yes. Yes, we both wanted this. Right now. And Vic didn't protest.
