Yes to Everything (32 page)

After many long minutes, they pulled her up more firmly between them and hugged along her sides firmly, their arms crossed over her body and their faces on either side of her head.

“Sidney, we’ll never let you regret loving us and I can guarantee we’ll never regret loving you. All our lives we’ve waited for you. To have you at last, to be able to hold you and love you when we’d begun to give up, resigned to spend our lives without the one woman we needed so bad. We will never take that for granted, baby.” Boyd kissed and stroked her so gently she wanted to cry.

Zane nuzzled her, sighing happily against her, “Do you like sports, Sidney? We’re sports fanatics.”

She nodded with a smile and said, “Not golf or baseball really. Talk about boring. I don’t give a damn if it’s the American pastime. If there isn’t contact, I’m not interested. I like blood potential. Football, basketball, hockey, and I’m not opposed to boxing if the guys are big. I hate seeing little guys beat the fuck out of each other, makes me feel like their moms are freaking out watching.” Both of them laughed and she could feel them smiling against her.

“What about traveling? Do you like to travel, baby?” Boyd asked with his lips caressing her ear.

“I never really did much travel that wasn’t running from something before Brooke hired me. I’d like to visit the monks in Tibet someday. Meditate in a temple in India. Experience the purity of a rainforest or Antarctica. As far as just, I don’t know, going to Disney World? No, I don’t really care about that kind of travel.”

That she was perfect couldn’t be clearer. Zane circled her belly button, “Do you know what we do for a living, Sidney?”

“Probably something home-based, you guys have a lot of time for fun. I used to know this girl at the club I worked at, she paid for her kids’ daycare by doing auctions or something. She tried to explain it to me but I was yawning before she got halfway through it. You’re both smart, I bet you could rock stuff like that.”

Boyd asked, “Baby, you think we do Internet auctions for like, video games and stuff?”

“She did all kinds of crazy shit. Jewelry, movies, music, even clothes sometimes.”

Zane lifted up and grinned at his friend, “Honey, do you want to know what we do?”

She shrugged, “Sure.”

“We’re stock brokers, honey. Like our dads. We’re loaded. Not even kidding.” Zane waited for her reaction.

She nodded absently, “Okay.” Stroking their faces, she asked, “How long can you stay with me? Please don’t tell me you’re leaving today or something. I…I really couldn’t handle that. I know you have lives and stuff. Please stay at least a full day.” She had her hands over theirs and was petting them gently.

Zane and Boyd looked at each other in stunned silence. Boyd glanced at Sidney, “Baby, did you hear what Zane said?”

“Uh huh, are you telling me you have to go home for business?” her eyes filled with tears and her lip trembled.

Both of them appeared above her, “Don’t you care that we’re rich?”

She gave a tearful sniff. Sidney didn’t know what they wanted her to say, that was clear in her expression, “Should I care? Honestly, if you guys make lots of money, okay. It’s not like I need it. I have this account where I deposit all my checks. It’s like a CD thing, I’m not even sure. It just sits and I don’t even know how much is in there. I keep out a hundred bucks and deposit the rest. I don’t have a checking account so I pre-pay for my cell phone in cash, the rest goes for food. Brooke and I share clothes because we’re practically the same size even though she’s taller. Jeanette is close, too. None of us are spenders.”

Zane whispered, “We’re going to spoil you rotten, Sidney. Oh my god, I’m going to go insane, I can see it already.”

Boyd added, “Starting with a fucking phone. She needs to be on our account today. And she also needs a laptop of her own with a sat card. I have a shopping list forming in my head. Baby, we’re going to lose it.”

Suddenly going still, Zane replayed what she’d said, “Sweetheart, when you say you buy food with the rest, what do you eat? I don’t think I’ve even seen you eat a regular meal.” He had a crease in his brow.

“I…I don’t eat much. I like salad and tuna, and sometimes chicken breast or lean steak. I don’t like fried foods. They hurt my stomach. I can’t eat much dairy either. I take vitamins and drink my weight in water.”

Boyd asked quietly, “Honey, how do you ration a hundred dollars a week on food and a cell phone? Did it used to be enough but you don’t have enough now?” She shrugged and his eyes widened, “Baby, are you going hungry?” She shook her head but both of them could tell she was lying.

“Why, Sidney? Why didn’t you keep more money out?” Zane felt physical pain that she wasn’t eating.

She chewed on her lip, “It seemed weird to run out. It was always enough before and I really don’t have a huge appetite. So I’m careful. I’m only one person. I pay for my phone and use what’s left. It’s no big deal.”

Both of them realized what had happened at the same time, what she was actually telling them without admitting to a damn thing, “Sidney, is your phone based on minutes?” She nodded. “So you’ve used all your money on calling us this week, haven’t you?” Boyd felt tears behind his eyes.

“I have eaten. Jeez. Brooke is crazy about breakfast, no matter what time we get down there. She won’t let me pay and that makes me feel like a loser. After some shows there’s snack food and I’ll eat the healthy stuff. Jeanette paid for the Jack last night. She always asks me questions like this, too. I think she’s actually tracking my caloric intake or something. Crazy, huh? She does that for Brooke and the kids too. She is so smart it is scary, I’m not kidding.”

They stared at her without speaking for a long minute. “Get dressed, Sidney. Come on, baby.” Both men were up and pulling her with them. “We need to be back to meet everyone at four. Brooke has an appearance tonight. We know you’ll need to be here for that. We have time.”

Sidney dug her feet in, “I want to stay here. I haven’t seen you in days. I don’t want to go anywhere.”

They stood shoulder to shoulder in front of her. “We’re not leaving and we’ll be following you for the rest of the tour. We can do our work anywhere in the world. We will make up for dragging you out now. On that, you have our word. Right now, we’re feeding you and picking up some things. Let me see your wallet, Sidney.”

When she didn’t move, Boyd held his hand out and she rolled her eyes. Stomping to her duffle, she pulled out a little wallet and handed it to him, crossing her arms furiously. He opened it and looked at Zane, “Baby girl, when do you get paid again?” She told them in two days. “Honey, you have three dollars and change in here. Do you have access to the account where you put your money?”

Her chin went up stubbornly, “They were going to give me a card but I was afraid I’d lose it. I have to find one of their locations or I can deposit through some banks that are linked. I don’t withdraw because it’s a pain in the butt.”

Zane held her shoulders, “Sidney. Oh my god. Honey.”

Boyd went to his pants and took out his wallet. Taking out several large bills, he folded them small and tucked them in a hidden pocket of Sidney’s wallet. “You are not to deposit this money, Sidney. You keep it on you and use it if you run low. Not run out, Sidney. If you start to run low you use this money. I’m not kidding. You are never to be without money on you again.”

Zane told her, “Put your clothes on, sugar. We’re out of here in ten minutes.” He and Boyd were throwing on clothes and she stood staring at them nervously. Sitting on the edge of the bed they stared at her standing naked a few feet away, “What, baby?”

“Well, I…I’m not sure what to do because I don’t want you to think I can’t do it. I don’t want your money. I didn’t earn it and it isn’t mine. I work hard and earn enough money. I don’t need much.”

Turning to one another, Zane said, “Can you believe this? Years we’ve fought women off who made it very clear they liked our bank accounts more than us and we fall for the one woman who thinks making sure she has food is doing too much for her.”

“I have no idea how to reason with her. I say we just make her take our money and kiss her less mad at us later, what do you think?” Zane nodded and they started pulling clothes out of her bag. When they had a bra and panties on her, they paused to enjoy the view. “God, you’re hot.”

With a small smile she said, “You two are hot. I’m cute but really flexible so it all works out.” They laughed and grabbed her jeans and a t-shirt. She grabbed sneakers and socks, pulling them on and finger combing her hair. She started to grab her wallet and they took it from her, putting it back in her duffle. “But, I…”

“No baby. Trust us and let us love you. That means letting us do things for you. We’re going to get you a credit card you can use in case of emergency. Today though, you’re going to let us take care of everything.” Boyd kissed her hard and they tugged her out of the room.

As they passed Jeanette’s room, Sidney put her head to the door and heard laughing. “Thank god, no crying for the first time in days.” They smiled and left the hotel with her between them.

It was a new sensation to be with a woman in public, especially one willing to touch both of them. Sidney’s hands were on them almost nonstop, and she wasn’t self-conscious at all. At one point, someone passing was actually staring and she stuck out her tongue.

Sidney in bed was exquisite. Sidney in public was fascinating. She sometimes skipped without realizing it. She ran little circles around them and kissed them constantly. If she even glanced at something, they tried to buy it for her and she’d tell them they were silly and keep going. They got her the best phone they could find and added her to their account. She held it like she was afraid to break it and they went back in and bought her a spare.

They ate lunch at a gorgeous little Italian place where she had tuna steak over salad for the first time and pronounced herself in heaven. She really didn’t eat much but Zane and Boyd figured she probably ate often with her energy levels.

A small bodega provided several healthy snack foods she could keep with her all the time that wouldn’t go bad.

A little boutique that sold designer outfits drew the men inside and they wouldn’t leave until she’d picked clothes, shoes, and accessories for them to take her out in. She almost passed out when it was rung up and she saw the cost. Boyd held her up with a smile as Zane cheerfully had the saleswoman add a clutch purse and a watch he loved in the glass display case.

When they tugged her into a jewelry store and picked out a delicate three-band ring with tiny emeralds inset, she started crying. “You can’t do stuff like this. I’m not sure what to buy you. What to do for you. I’ll never be able to pay you back. I don’t know what to do. I don’t deserve all this. I don’t. I haven’t done anything to deserve all this.”

They guided her to a park bench and sat her on Zane’s lap, her legs stretched over Boyd’s. Taking her hands, Boyd said, “Baby, you are not to ever talk about paying us back or owing us anything. I’ve never been more relaxed, or as happy as I am right now, out in public with the beautiful woman who loves us both. Who isn’t afraid to hug us and kiss us, who touches us, without looking over her shoulder. You’re perfect and you’re giving us so much just being the woman you are. You deserve so much more and it will take us years to bog you down with all the crap we plan to give you. Money is just money. We have plenty of it and we’ll make more. Money is nothing compared to you, Sidney. Let us do things for you, little things to show you how happy you make us. How much we love you.”

Zane was hugging her close and added, “You are the most precious human being I’ve ever met, Sidney. We love you and want to do things to make you happy, to make you smile. You deserve so many happy memories and lots of reasons to smile. We’re going to travel with you, buy you things, and love you hard. Baby, you’re going to have to toughen up. Get used to being happy. It’s our goal to make sure you’re happy every day for the rest of our lives. That’s just a promise ring, Sidney. We’ll have something made special for you, an original design no one else in the world has. It’ll be unique, just like you.”

She hugged them both hard, “You don’t have to buy me anything ever and I’ll be so happy. I’ll have plenty of reasons to smile.” A woman was passing with her friend and their mouths were hanging open. “Bitches, keep moving. Don’t make me get up.” They got a shocked look on their faces and Sidney bared her sharp little white teeth. That got them moving.

Turning back to Boyd and Zane, she said, “Do you like to dance?” They both nodded with huge grins. She’d just almost fought two women like a crazed spider monkey and wanted to know if they liked to dance. She would never, ever bore them.

They stood and Zane put Sidney on Boyd’s back. “Honey, I can’t believe how light you are.” When they passed a children’s playground, they put her down and she went nuts. Jumping from one thing to another, they watched her climb the huge iron dome and stand at the top with a smile.

“First picture. She is fucking amazing.” Zane was laughing watching her bounce from one bar to the other. The kids at the park were in awe of her. They started a game of chase and she evaded them all, climbing away and doing little flips. A little girl could do cartwheels and Sidney taught her to do a round-off to the surprise of her watching mother. She raced boys across the monkey bars, spun kids on the merry-go-round, and pushed others in swings. When she was leaving the kids were yelling after her and she waved.

Zane said, “You’re great with kids, Sidney.”

“I was always pretty good with the younger kids in the foster homes. Life sucks as a kid, you know? You don’t have power over anything. Sometimes they just need to laugh. Need to not worry or care about anything. I’m an in-the-moment kind of person. I’d suck with them all the time. If I ever had kids they’d be wild little natives who wouldn’t wear clothes. Poor things would probably get kicked out of school all the time. I did. If I was supposed to be in English, I was usually in the gym. Playing everything and anything with a class I wasn’t actually part of. It’s amazing I can read. I was that bad.”