Polyamory

Friday, September 11, 2015

“Alta Rose Jennings. Well, that’s certainly a mouthful, ain’t it?” The manager of the diner asked with a chuckle.

“My mama is a fan of big names,” Alta said. She could feel the flush creeping up her neck. She’d always hated her name. It was just another reminder of the privileges she should have been proud to have, being raised in Southern society. Her parents both came from old money. Both of them were only children who had lost their parents at a relatively early stage of life, so they had inherited everything to do with it not long after Alta was born. She had been a debutant, a pageant queen, a model student, and had done everything expected of her. That is, up until about six months ago when her father began to talk about finding her a nice man worthy of her standing. Which she wouldn’t have minded if he hadn’t wanted to pick the man.

She hadn’t said a word against it. She hadn’t said a word at all. She simply stood from the couch and left the room. The life her parents expected her to live was not the one she had envisioned for herself. They wanted her to marry a high society man from old money, settle down, and raise debs and beaus of her own, continuing the family legacy. That wasn’t Alta’s plan though. Alta wanted to find a man she loved and build a life together. She wanted to earn her place in the world, not have it handed to her on a silver platter.

So that night, she’d packed her things, emptied her bank account of what money she had saved, written a note, and left. She’d been living in her car ever since. She was nipping into motels or gyms to take a shower, washing clothes at the laundromat, and trying to find a job in any town she came to. It had been an extremely rough month. Her car had had trouble, and she caught a nasty cold that she needed to buy extra groceries for. Because of this, she was down to her last $300, and she was close to giving up and going home to beg her parents’ forgiveness if this town proved as unlucky as the last five.

“I see you haven’t listed an address, Ms. Jennings,” the diner manager said, pulling her from her thoughts. “I’ll need an address before I can hire you.” Alta felt the tears prick her eyes. She’d known there was no way her luck would change.

“I don’t have an address,” she said, holding her head high despite the shame she currently felt. “If you could hire me, I would be able to get one soon. I just need a job, and I’ll be able to start getting on my feet.” She saw sympathy in the man’s eyes, but she knew her plea hadn’t helped.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Jennings,” he said. “I wish I could help, but I just can’t. Not without an address. Federal law requires it.”

“I understand,” Alta said. Clearing her throat, she started to rise from the booth, but a large, warm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” said a sweet male voice from just behind her. “But I couldn’t help overhearing. Did you say you don’t have an address?”

Alta turned and looked up into a pair of soft brown puppy dog eyes looking at her from under thick black brows and lashes. Alta found herself lost in the pretty eyes and answered in a slight daze.

“No, I’m afraid I don’t. I live in my car right now,” she said. She suddenly snapped out of her trance and quickly added, “I promise I won’t be any trouble. I don’t know why I told you that. I’m just trying to find a place to settle.”

“I’m sure you won’t be any trouble, miss,” the man said with a soft smile that she barely noticed, still focused on his pretty eyes. “I only ask because I’d like to help. My roommates and I have an extra room we’re not using, and I’m sure Dex and Al wouldn’t mind you staying there. Even if it’s just until you can afford an apartment.”

“You’d really do that?” Alta asked, shock clear in her tone. “But you don’t even know me. I could be crazy, for all you know.”

“That look on your face tells me you’re not.” The man laughed.

“So what do you say?”

Alta couldn’t seem to speak, so she nodded instead.

“Great. My shift ends in about half an hour, so why don’t I set you up in my section and get you something to eat? Then when I’m off, you can follow me back. Sound good?”

“That sounds amazing.”

“Rob,” the man said to the diner manager. “I know it’s not something you’d do normally, but could you hold onto her application until tomorrow? Just so I can make sure Dex and the others are okay with her staying?”

“Sure, Max,” Rob said, getting up from his seat with a chuckle. “You’re such a pushover.” He then turned to Alta and said, “Well, Ms. Jennings, I wish you the best of luck with these nuts. And I hope to see you back here tomorrow.”

Alta thanked him and followed the younger man, apparently named Max, to a quiet corner of the otherwise empty diner.

He sat her down at a small booth in the corner and got her a glass of water before asking, “So what would you like to drink? We’ve got juice, Coke products, coffee, herbal tea, and hot cocoa.”

“I would love a cup of coffee,” Alta said, sitting up straighter and looking at him with wide excited eyes. It had been quite a while since she’d had a cup of coffee, not wanting to waste money on things she didn’t absolutely need.

“All right,” Max said, a twinkle in his pretty brown eyes. “I’ll be right back then. Take a look at the menu while I’m gone.” He handed her a menu from his apron pocket and turned to the kitchen. She perused the options, seeing a few that looked somewhat familiar, but her eyes fell on something that when Max came back, it had her cocking her head and pointing at the menu.

“What’s a pastrami burger?” she asked.

“A cheeseburger with pastrami and the house sauce on it.” Max laughed. “Would you like one?” Alta nodded enthusiastically. Max chuckled, shaking his head and smiling as he jotted down her order. “All right, what on the side? We’ve got tots, fries, and English chips.”

“Fries sound good,” Alta said, her mouth watering at the thought.

“All right. I’ll get that in for you.” He walked off again. When he came back nearly twenty minutes later, he not only had her food on a tray but also another meal for himself and two massive cups.

“What are those?” she asked, pointing at the cups which had soft serve ice cream piled nearly two inches over the rim of the cup.

“Shakes.” He laughed. “Here.” He handed her one, a red spoon sticking straight out of it, and watched as she took a bite and smiled. “Good?” he asked.

Alta nodded and did a little happy dance in her seat before picking up the burger in front of her and taking a bite. The moan that came out of her was almost indecent, and she noticed Max shift slightly in his seat. A small smile crept across her face as she continued to eat. She glanced up at him from under her hair. Now that she had calmed down and filled the hole in her belly, she could take a good look at her rescuer.

Max was tall, that she had already surmised. He stood at around six two with curly black hair that would fall to his chin if let out of the tail at the top of his head. A few stray pieces around his face gave him a cool guy vibe. Although it was slightly round, his face didn’t look fat. How could it when the body below it looked like it might be carved out of marble through the well fitted T-shirt he wore? No, his jawline was sharp, but his cheeks had a sweet roundness that dimpled slightly when he smiled, revealing slightly larger front teeth which only enhanced his sweetness. His larger-than-average but not bulbous nose held a scattering of freckles dancing across his beautiful golden-olive skin; it sat nicely beneath the large, brown puppy-dog eyes that had first captivated her.

To sum it up, he looked like a treat. Just as sweet and yummy as the shake he’d brought her.

Max remained oblivious to her staring, busy squirting an orangey pink sauce onto his plate. When he finally looked up, he held it out to her and asked, “Want some?”

“What is it?” Alta asked, apprehensive of the strange sauce. She could smell it. It had a somewhat sweet aroma, but with a slight tang to it and something else that felt almost heavy in her sinuses.

“Fry sauce,” he said with a grin. Picking up one of his fries, he dipped it into the pink concoction and held it out to her. “Here, try.”

Alta took it from his fingers and brought it to her lips for a tentative bite before giving a start and looking at him with wide green eyes.

“It’s good!” she squeaked.

Max laughed outright, a high almost maniacal sound that contrasted with his smooth low tenor. He passed her the bottle of fry sauce, and she poured a liberal amount of it onto her plate.

“Where you from, cutie?” Max chuckled as she danced in her seat again while munching away at her fries. She was adorable, slight with a smaller chest and soft curves. Thick chestnut brown waves framed her sweet face. She had big expressive green eyes and a perfect petite nose. Her lips were heart-shaped, and her cheekbones were high, making her look like a pixie when coupled with her slim build and her flawless cream-colored skin. Her smile lit up a room, and her Southern drawl was like fresh caramel to the ear, smooth and sweet. Max couldn’t help but think she might be exactly what he was looking for.

“Macon, Georgia,” she drawled, pulling him out of his thoughts with a start so that he nearly choked on a french fry.

“Macon…what on earth are you doing up here?” He coughed and thumped his chest a few times. “Are you doing okay with the altitude?”

“It is a long story that I really would rather not tell more than once or at all if I don’t have to.” Alta sighed. “I’ll tell y’all if I’m allowed to stay, but otherwise, I would rather not talk about it. As for the altitude, I had a slight bit of a problem with it the first couple of days, but I’ve been here about a week, and things seem to be getting better. I’m still a little short of breath, but otherwise, I’m doin’ just fine.”

“That’s fair. A shrill whistle from the diner door cut Max short. He and Alta turned to see a tall, about six-foot man with a lanky but muscular build and long auburn hair that fell in waves to his shoulders. His gray-green eyes seemed to pierce through the soul and stared down his sharp nose like a hawk. The short beard on his face emphasized a strong jaw and framed a pretty, full, bowed mouth that looked like it would be wonderful to kiss. His broad shoulders were clad in a tight blue T-shirt that showed the rippling muscle beneath, and his jeans molded to his fantastic ass and muscular thighs. “Hey, Jack,” Max said, breaking Alta out of her trance.

“Hey, kid,” Jack said with a wink, his smooth voice like silk against the ears. Max blushed and cleared his throat as Jack came to stand by their booth. “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh,” Max started, looking from Jack to Alta. “Jack, this is Alta Jennings. Alta, this is one of my roommates. Jackson Boyd. He works here too, and so does our other roommate, Alexander Johnson.” The sound of the bell above the door snapped his head in its direction. “Speak of the devil.”

A shorter man had walked in. Standing at about five nine with short sandy blond hair and soft blue eyes. His expression was curious when it fell on her, and he crossed his arms over his powerful chest. Broad and well-muscled, he had the build of a prizefighter, his pecs and biceps bulging even under his loose shirt and hoodie.

“Alta, this is Alexander Johnson. Al, meet Alta Jennings. She’s just moved up here from Macon, Georgia, and doesn’t have a place to stay. I was going to bring her home and see if everyone was okay with her staying in the spare bedroom. At least until she can get on her feet. If she can get an address, Rob said he’d hire her.”

“I don’t see a problem with that,” Alex said, a sweet smile curling his thin lips, and scrunching his nose. Despite his build, he had a kind and unimposing presence and an even kinder face. Though it was more rectangular and extremely masculine, it was still sweet, with twinkly blue eyes that crinkled when he smiled, like his nose and features that almost made him seem fatherly, made even more so by a deep resonant voice and large calloused hands.

“Al’s second oldest,” Max explained. “He’s about three months younger than Dex, and the two of them own the house. It belonged to Dex’s grandma, and when she moved down to Provo, she sold it to them for cheap.”

“By cheap, he means she literally sold it to us for a thousand dollars.” Alex chuckled. “I believe her exact words were ‘I don’t have enough children to need this much space, my grandbabies don’t come see me enough, and Dexter is the only one who doesn’t own a home yet.’ Personally, I think it was just an excuse to get a change of scenery. Rosaline’s a beautiful town, but I don’t think she’d ever left the valley.” He shrugged and looked at Alta with another soft smile. “Like I said, sweetie, I don’t have a problem with you moving in. I’ll call Dex to make sure he’s cool with it, and if he says yes, there’s really nobody that will dispute.” With that, he pulled out his phone and stepped to the side.

The other three chatted quietly while Alex made his call. Dexter Hanes worked as an attorney for Hanes and Sons legal firm and was usually busy, but he always answered when any of his housemates called, especially Alex. As usual, he picked up on the first ring with a “What broke?”

“Do you really think I’d call you if something broke? I’d be more likely to wake Charlie up.” Alex laughed.

“There’s a first time for everything.” Alex could hear him stretching on the other side of the phone before he asked, “What’s up, Al?”

“Maxy has picked up a stray,” Alex said. Dex could hear the amused smirk in his voice and groaned.

“We already have five dogs, two cats, three rabbits, and a hedgehog.” Alex laughed at Dex’s assumption. Max had a soft spot for both stray animals and people alike. “Why are you laughing? you know I can’t tell him no when he does that pout!” Dex groaned again. “What is it this time?”

“A girl,” Alex said simply. “With chestnut brown hair, pretty green eyes, and a Georgia Peach accent.” When his only response was a confused huh, Alex laughed and elaborated. “The new applicant at the diner is a cute little number from Georgia named Alta Jennings. She’s homeless, and Rob said she would have the job if she had an address. Well, being the kind soul that he is, Max offered her a place to stay until she can get on her feet, at least if we said yes.”

“She give off a druggy vibe?”

“No.” Alex glanced over at Alta, who was laughing at something Jack had said. “She’s clean. Looks well put together. I’d guess she’s been finding ways to shower. Kinda thin, but what do you expect from a homeless person? A little sidenote, Jack seems to like her. They’ve been chatting the whole time we’ve been on the phone, and you know he doesn’t like new people. He barely speaks to customers.”

It was true. While Jackson Boyd was a good guy, he didn’t take well to strangers and usually hung back in a corner whenever someone new came along until he was used to their presence.

“Jack is talking to her?” Dex asked, astonished. Alex grunted his answer, and Dex puffed out a breath of air and said, “All right then. I guess we’re letting a hen into the cock house. Have Maxy bring her home. I’ll have to get a bed for that room, but she can leave her stuff in there, and one of us can sleep on the couch or something. We’ll figure it out.”

“You got it, boss.” Alex laughed.

“Oh, fuck you,” Dex snapped.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” There was a low rumbling sound from the other end, but before Dex could answer, Alex said goodbye and hung up. Then he made his way back to the table where the others were still chatting animatedly.

“I must say,” Alta drawled, “this is quite possibly the best conversation I’ve had in years. You boys certainly do know how to tickle a girl’s funny bone.”

“Years?” Alex asked. “Honey, you can’t be more than eighteen. How can you not have had a good conversation in years?”

“I’ll have you know that I am twenty-three years old, thank you very much.” Alta chuckled. “However, I haven’t had a conversation that hasn’t involved something to do with frills and lace, who I’m going to marry, and all that nonsense in I can’t remember how long. And before that, it was all about what dress I would wear to my coming out party, how the china should be placed on the table at high tea, or what I was going to say for the interview portion during the most recent pageant.” She shuddered at the memory, turned her attention back to Alex, and asked, “So what did Dexter say?”

“Good news, Ms. Alta.” Alex chuckled. “You’ve got yourself an address.” They watched as tears pricked at Alta’s eyes. She covered her mouth and nose with one hand, the other balled in a fist on her leg.

“I’ll go tell Rob,” Jack said, then hurried over to where the diner manager was rolling napkins. “Rob?” The older man looked up at him curiously but said nothing. “She’s got an address.”

“I figured you guys wouldn’t leave her out in the cold.” Rob chuckled. “All right. She’s got the job. Let her know I expect her here tomorrow morning with you. You’re gonna train her.”

Jack gave a two-fingered salute and hurried back over to the others, where he found Max holding Alta while she openly sobbed from relief. It was getting cold out, and in the northwestern states, that meant below freezing temperatures at night. She had not been looking forward to attempting to keep warm.

“You’ve got the job, little Aly-cat,” Jack said with a smile as he crouched down in front of her. “Your first day is tomorrow. You’ll come in with me, and I’ll be your trainer. Sound good?” Alta sniffed and nodded, then cleared her throat and looked around at the three of them with a watery smile.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “I can never repay the kindness you’ve shown me today.”

“No need,” Alex said. “It’s the right thing to do. Plus, who wouldn’t want a pretty little thing like you around the house?” The others, including Alta, laughed. He picked up Alta’s dainty hand in both of his and continued, “Now why don’t you head home with Max? Leave the keys to your car with me, and I’ll drive it home after my shift since I rode with Jackie.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t—” Alta protested, but was cut off when Alex shook his head.

His thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand, his deep soothing voice calming her sudden nerves. “You look tired, sweetie. You’ve obviously been through a lot and deserve to be taken care of for a bit. Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you. Okay?” Alta nodded. A fresh wave of tears pricked her eyes, and a new lump formed in her throat. “When everyone gets home tonight, we’ll sit down, and you can tell us a bit about yourself and get to know all of us a bit too. I don’t know if Max told you, but there’s seven of us total, and I’ll warn you now that most of us are bi. Actually, that’s a lie. We’re all bi. I’m telling you this because we’re all extremely comfortable with each other, and it can make some people uncomfortable.”

Alta was taken aback by this news but nodded, receiving gentle smiles in return.

Jack stood from his crouch and held a hand out to Alta, pulling her to her feet and into a brief hug. Once Jack let her go, the four of them headed out to the cars. The men took all her bags out of the cute little sports car and load them into the back of a small pickup.