Harriet turned off the recorder, and then sighed. 

“Thanks for that,” she said. “I know it’s a pain in the ass, but we have a lot of moving parts here, and the less friction between them, the better.”

“We figured we were due for a chat soon anyway,” Greg said. 

“Strictly off the record, what are you really using the guns for?” Harriet asked. 

“More or less what we said on the record,” Greg replied. “Best you don’t know the full details, just in case, but we don’t plan to passively wait for the bad guys to come to us. If we get some leads, I plan to do some hunting. That’s what you hired me for, right?”

“It would be a waste to have a world-class assassin on our payroll and keep him locked up in a security booth,” Harriet said. 

“I don’t know about ‘world-class’, but I reckon I do alright,” Greg said. “Just need a solid direction to go in.”

“Still haven’t sat down with Loretta to watch the video yet, I take it?”

“Not as of yet, no,” Greg said. He grimaced and shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “Things, uh, aren’t really conducive for she and I to spend much time all by our lonesomes yet.”

“I realize that you two are going through a rough patch, but we can’t afford to let relationship problems pose a threat to security,” Harriet pointed out. 

“I know. And I don’t plan to wait forever. It’s just…”

Archie patted Greg on the hand, a look of concern on his face. Greg took a deep, steadying breath and continued. 

“I’ve never been so mixed up,” Greg said helplessly. “I don’t know which way is up anymore, and honestly, that scares me. I’m not cut out for this.”

“You’re doing fine, sweetie,” Archie said. “No one’s asking you to resolve a lifetime of feelings in the span of a week.”

Harriet poured another round of shots. Greg downed his in an instant and signaled for a refill, two fingers tapping the desk. She obliged. It was the least she could do. This mess was partly her fault to begin with, not that she planned to tell either of her guests that. 

“Have you spoken with Loretta since the party?” she asked. 

“A little, mostly in passing,” Greg replied. “I honestly don’t know what would happen if we sat down and had a come to Jesus meeting.”

“Worried that you won’t be able to keep your hands to yourself?” 

“Something like that,” he said. 

“You know I don’t mind sharing,” Archie said. 

“I dunno. I ain’t never tried being poly before.”

“You’d never tried being with a man before, and that’s working out alright,” Archie said. 

“That it is,” Greg said, a faint ghost of a smile crossing his lips. 

“You two really care about each other,” Harriet observed. 

“Does that come as a shock?” Archie asked. 

“Maybe a little. No offense, Archie, but you never exactly struck me as the loving type,” Harriet said. 

“That one caught me by surprise too,” Archie said, blushing ever so slightly. “I’ve always treated relationships like disposable entertainment, you know? Can’t get hurt if you don’t get attached, and I’ve had too much pain in my life to want to open myself up to more.”

“I know the feeling,” Harriet said. “Hence my history from the second time loop onward.”

“So you can imagine that it came as a shock when I realized that I really care about Greg. I mean, really, actually care,” Archie said. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised,” Harriet said. “He did the same thing to Loretta, and believe you me, she was a tough nut to crack.”

“Y’all realize I’m sitting right here,” Greg said. 

“We wouldn’t be talking about you if you weren’t,” Archie said. 

“You know, this strikes me as an opportunity,” Harriet said. “Since I’ve already got you here, we might be able to work something out.”

“How do you figure?” Greg asked. 

“Well, Loretta and I are both poly. And now that I know Archie is too, there’s an easy way forward where everyone gets what they want,” she said. 

“I think I’m picking up what you’re putting down,” Archie said. “It’s better for all of us if Greg and Loretta reconcile, but for obvious reasons, we don’t want them to forget about us. But if they’re already with someone else, they’ll be less inclined to go exclusive. We act as counterweights.”

“Exactly!” Harriet exclaimed, snapping her fingers for emphasis. “The equation is balanced.”

“Still right here,” Greg said, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, this sort of horse trading works best if the horses know what’s up,” Archie said. 

“I ain’t exactly a horse, hun,” Greg replied. 

“Really? You could have fooled me,” Archie said with a sly grin. “I’ve been walking funny all week.”

“I could have lived my whole life without knowing that,” Harriet muttered. 

“Don’t act like you weren’t curious,” Archie said. 

“Fish and bicycles and all that. The important thing is, we can help each other out. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Archie said. “There’s just one little problem.”

“We need to get the horses in the same pasture,” Harriet said. “Might be easier said than done.”

“Not if Greg cooks steak again,” Archie said. “Care to join us for dinner?”