Before Aidan and I went up to the bathroom for him to help me clean up, Josh and I had finished making the Boston Creme Pie.. While Aidan and I had been in the bathroom, Josh had placed the pie into the oven and moved with Sally into the living room. As the dark hunk that I was currently crushing on came down the stairs, myself included, we joined them in the living room taking a seat on the couch.

Josh was in a recliner, all relaxed back looking as if he'd had a terrible day at work really.. He looked tense, but, I guess that's what happened when you were the cook of the house, maybe? Aidan sat on one end of the couch with myself in the middle and Sally beside me on the other end. She and Josh had somewhat been in the middle of a conversation of what would be for dinner; Josh explaining that after the pie finished and began its cooling stage, he would start fixing Spaghetti and meatballs for supper.. Apparently the way he cooked spaghetti and meatballs.. you needed the oven to do so.

"Spaghetti sounds wonderful," I chimed into their conversation to which Josh smiled. "It's one of my girlfriend, Nora's, favorite meals. I invited her over to eat with us. A double date, so to speak." Josh chuckled and my eyes widened a little, looking to Sally.

"Oh my.. that's like making you a fifth wheel! Do you have a boyfriend you could invite over?" I didn't know then, what I know now about Sally.. or I would have never asked such a question.. She lightly shook her head, her dark black curls of hair falling into her eyes.

"No.. I'm available without really being available, you know? I live with my two best guy friends, I don't want to mess that up right now." It sounded logical enough to me, her answer to my question. Hopefully if she is as close to Aidan and Josh as she says she is-then for my sake, maybe she won't feel like a fifth wheel. I'd never, ever want to make somebody feel that way.

"You know something funny, Sally," I began... to keep pace of a good conversation and to make Sally feel included. I didn't want her to feel like I was solely here for Aidan... I didn't even want Josh to feel that way! "I thought I heard your voice at the restaurant last night."

"Oh, really? In high school, everyone thought that I would be in classes that I wasn't. Apparently I just have one of those voices that can be mistaken for others really easily.." It sounded like a stretch to me, but the genuine look on Sally's face.. I didn't want to call her out on a 'bullocks' lie or anything. I smiled.

"It's surprising that you weren't with them.. were you here at home?" I questioned and she nodded her head, some of her hair falling back into her eyes until she moved it.

"I like to write a lot. Poetry, little rhymes to pass the time while the guys are out at work or even while they're away after work. I'd rather spend alone time honestly.. not to say I don't enjoy living with these two wonderful guys." Of course she was trying to sugar coat what she'd said but apparently Josh and Aidan both didn't mind. It's like the three of them really did understand each other much more I think than I'd ever be able to understand them.

It was becoming clearer and clearer that Aidan wasn't the only mystery here... It seemed to me that Josh was a mystery all to himself and Sally was as well. I found myself starting to think about what Josh's girlfriend Nora would be like? Is she a plain Jane like me or...?

"Did you sleep well last night, Maxie?" Aidan's soft voice interrupted my thoughts. My head had been turned towards Sally and Josh but now.. I slowly turned myself, somewhat my body included, towards Aidan.. I smiled and nodded my head at his question.

"Definitely. Some of the best sleep I've had in ages. I can't believe I slept so easily on my first night in a new city." I answered and noticed Aidan give me that pearly white smile like he had last night outside of my car.. Again it surprised me that he had such beautiful white teeth. Hell, they looked sharp as a matter of fact.

I heard Sally's voice from the other side of the couch once more, "Aidan said that you used to live in Kentucky? I've never been. Is it really as.. Hick-town USA as they portray it on TV?" Sally questioned and I couldn't help but let out quite a loud laugh.

"Everyone assumes it is. But it really depends on what part of the state you're from. I'm from Louisville which really is central or Western Kentucky.. If you get closer to the Mountains in Eastern Kentucky... it gets worse. Much worse. My accent though, it kills me. Josh here thought I was from Mississippi last night. I've been told I'm from Texas or Alabama in the past as well. " My answer was a little long, informative however.. it seemed Sally genuinely enjoyed talking with me so for that I was grateful.

"Could you give me a hand in the kitchen? I just know that buzzer is going to go off for the pie." Josh asked of Sally and soon the two of them disappeared. I guessed he needed a woman's touch with the pie and to get dinner started. The other part of me thought maybe they were trying to give me and Aidan just an inch of privacy.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Aidan asked me, the butterflies in my stomach taking off at a million miles an hour when I realized we were at least semi-alone.. sitting together on a couch. I blushed very heavily and scoot a little closer to him, laying my head upon his shoulder. I nodded a little, gazing up at him and his perfect features.

"I really am. I never thought that.. just twenty-four hours after arriving here in Boston.. I would be having a home-cooked dinner with friends. This is beyond amazing." I really was beyond appreciative to Aidan and Josh for being so kind to me; Sally as well. I never thought anyone would open up their home to me this soon.. this graciously.

"I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself. We try to be the best company that we can be. Some people can be a little put off by us at first. I'm an old soul, most are intimidated by that. Josh; he's usually very very refined. So shy sometimes that he misses opportunities to become friends with people. As for Sally well...sometimes she can be nuts. But for Josh and I, that's good company to keep. We balance each other out." Aidan explained and I gently nodded my head against his shoulder.

It sounded wonderful that the three of them were such great friends. I could only hope that one day I could be as close to Aidan and Josh and Sally as the three of them were to each other. Aidan, I felt him shift a little to allow me to actually sit in his lap, with my head curled delicately into his neck and shoulder. I breathed in his cologne and sighed comfortably. I felt his strong arms wrap around me and for the first time in my entire life with a guy-I felt safe, I felt secure. I felt like nothing and no one but Aidan could get to me like this.

"You're amazing," I whispered into his ear and he chuckled just ever so softly, it was like music to my ears.

"Let's sit here tonight.. after dinner, and learn more about each other. I think it's far too early to be calling me amazing," he teased and I pulled my head back to look into his dark brow eyes, smiling.

"There's no way that it's too early... but I'll humor you. Only because.. I like being in your arms, Mr. Aidan." I admitted, my cheeks flushing heavily. I somewhat thought that I felt Aidan's body go completely rigid and stiff once more but I believe I was mistaken because by the time my eyes opened once more... he was no longer stiff, he looked just fine, gazing into my eyes.