Four Play

by Stephanie Brother

  “I had to get a part in Whitman.”

  I’m touched that he not only came over immediately today but that he drove off the island to get supplies.

  “You think you can fix it?”

  “Oh yeah, no problem. This shouldn’t take long.”

  I’m so relieved. Business can proceed as usual tomorrow, and I can catch up on lost time.

  I inventory a few supplies while Matt does his thing. In no time at all, he’s packing up his tools, throwing away packaging, and calling me over. “It’s fixed.” He opens the door to illustrate, and I can feel the heat flowing out.

  “Thank you so much! You’ve saved me.” Filled with gratitude, I throw my arms around him in a hug. As soon as my body presses against his, though, I step back, feeling foolish.

  He grins down at me. “I just changed a fuse. No big deal.”

  “I really appreciate it, though.”

  Leaning against the wall, Matt brushes his hair out of his face. “It was good seeing you yesterday. You should come over to the house again sometime.”

  “Oh.”

  “Jake makes great barbecue. You should have dinner with us.”

  “That’s okay.” He probably thinks I’m lonely, eating alone while my mom is away.

  “It was nice having you there yesterday.” My insides melt. Because Matt says so little, when he does speak, his words have more impact.

  He’s looking at me in a way that makes me feel special and cared for. If he got this subtle charm from his dad, I can see why my mom fell for Mr. Harding.

  “Oh. Okay.” I’m touched by his invitation, but he probably doesn’t know that his house feels like a minefield to me. I don’t want to be alone with Adam, and I’m not quite ready to face the twins.

  “Call me if you have any more problems with the oven, or anything else. Do you have my cell?”

  “No.” I hand him my phone so he can add it.

  “How about my brothers’ numbers?”

  I shake my head. “No, none. Just your work number.”

  “I’m adding everyone’s, just in case you need us.”

  13

  Shaken up

  On Thursday evening, Clay picks me up in a dark blue sports car. The interior is spotless and smells like a vanilla air freshener.

  He’s wearing his loafers with jeans and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I chose a sundress and thin sweater because the weather is still unseasonably warm.

  Our drive into Whitman is smooth until five miles out, when we run into a construction backup.

  “Goddammit!” Clay slams the dashboard with his palm, making me jump.

  “Are we going to be late for a reservation?”

  “No, the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, but we’re probably going to have a long wait for a table.” He pulls into the left lane and tries to get ahead of a few cars before both lanes are forced to merge. “Assholes,” he mutters, when he has a hard time getting back over to the right.

  “I don’t mind waiting,” I say.

  “I do. Why are they always working on the damn roads? If they did it right the first time, they wouldn’t have to keep doing them every year.”

  The traffic clears mercifully quickly and we continue the rest of the way without talking. I’m not comfortable with the silence, but I’m tired of being the one to ask him questions.

  Despite Clay’s concerns, there’s no wait at the restaurant. It is busy, but we get a table right away.

  When the waiter comes around, Clay starts to order a beer like he did on our first date, but then he changes his mind. “You know what? I’ll have a scotch and soda.” After the waiter leaves, he adds to me, “The jerks in the construction zone really got me worked up.”

  “I noticed. Everything okay with you?”

  “Yeah. Why?” He gives me a quizzical look, then scans the room. “Nice place.”

  I murmur agreement and wait to see if he initiates any conversation. He does – he tells me all about his exciting week dealing in off-season vacation rentals.

  It doesn’t take long for me to realize that I should’ve trusted my instincts after our first date. I’m certain now that things aren’t going anywhere with Clay and me, but at least he got my mind off the Harding brothers for a little while.

  Maybe I need to start going out with Lacy. Maybe if she and I came to bars here in Whitman we could find a bigger selection of eligible men.

  Clay and I place our orders and I make the best of the evening. He’s nice to look at, and I learn a few things about woodworking that will come in handy probably never.

  A little too late, I realize that while I’ve been sipping on a sweet tea, I’ve lost track of how many drinks Clay has ordered. Shit. It’s not my job to babysit him, but he is my ride.

  He eats all of his pizza and I cross my fingers that it will soak up the alcohol, but when we get up to leave he’s a bit unsteady.

  He leans on me, in fact, and drapes an arm over my shoulder that comes uncomfortably close to my chest.

  “Let me have your keys, Clay.”

  He digs them out of his pocket, but says, “No, no one drives my car but me.” His speech is slurred, verifying my suspicion that he’s over the limit.

  “You can’t drive. You’ve had too much to drink.”

  “That’s rid- that’s crazy.”

  He’s steering us toward his car, but I dig my heels in. “I’m not riding with you, Clay.”

  “C’mon, Maddy. You owe me a kiss from our last date.” He wraps his arms around me clumsily and brings his face close to mine, his breath reeking of alcohol and garlic.

  When I try to pull away he grabs my shoulder with one hand and squeezes my breast with his other. “I’ve bought you two dinners now, Maddy. You owe me.”

  “Let go!” I twist and kick him in the shin. I must land a good one because he bends over, and at the same time, drops his keys.

  I don’t have much sympathy for him at this point, but I don’t want him to kill himself or someone else on the road, so I grab his keys and run back into the restaurant. I go into the restroom in case he follows me, and send a text to Lacy.

  When there’s no response and no indication she’s gotten my message, I call her. It goes to voicemail after two rings.

  I could ask someone in the bar for help, but I’m not sure what they’d do. It’s kind of far for a Lyft back to the island, and while I’m not going to ride with Clay, I also don’t want to leave him on his own. With none of my options seeming good, I hit Matt’s number before I can stop myself.

  He answers on the second ring. “Maddy, what’s up?”

  “Hi. I’m really sorry to be calling you, but I need your help.”

  “The oven’s out again?”

  “No, nothing like that. I’m out on a date in Whitman, and I’m stranded.”

  I expect lots of questions, but this is Matt I’m talking to. His voice turns hard. “Where are you?”

  I tell him, and he simply says, “We’ll be right there,” before disconnecting.

  We’ll. Matt said “we.” I’m not at all surprised when less than fifteen minutes later, the two trucks that I’ve been seeing so much of lately pull into the parking lot.

  This time, I feel relief instead of irritation at seeing them.

  Adam’s out first, striding over to me with something close to rage radiating off of him. His anger doesn’t scare me, though. I can tell that it’s not directed at me. “What’s going on?”

  I give him an abbreviated version of the night’s events. “He’s at the bar now. The bartender gave him a drink that he thinks is alcohol, so he’d sit there and wait. I have his keys.”

  Adam takes them from me, searching my face. “Are you okay?”

  When I nod, he says, “Go with Matt and Jake. Josh and I will make sure the asshole gets home safely.”

  I watch him walk away and see his tense shoulders relax slightly. Josh gives me a half smile and a squeeze on the shoulder before following his brot
her into the restaurant.

  “C’mon, Maddy. Let’s go.” Jake puts a light touch on my other shoulder and gestures for me to follow Matt to the truck. He walks behind me, putting me between himself and Matt, and I feel myself relax for the first time this evening.

  I don’t need to worry about Clay anymore, and I have a safe ride home.

  “This is the second time you’re rescuing me this week,” I tell Matt as he holds the passenger door open for me. His expression is grim but he gives me a small smile.

  Jake drives and Matt sits behind us in the extended cab. Aside from music playing low, things are silent for about five miles. I can’t help but think about what might have happened if I hadn’t realized Clay was drunk. If he’d been okay to drive, what would he have done – or tried to do – when he dropped me off at home?

  His nasty words replay in my mind. He thought I owed him something for the dates? I offered to pay for our first dinner. I’d never done anything to lead him on; in fact, I knew I wouldn’t be seeing him again after tonight. I shudder a little, thinking of what could have happened.

  “Have you been out with him a lot?” Jake asks as he adjusts the heat in the truck. I thought it was just me, but maybe there is a chill in the air tonight.

  “This was just our second date. And our last.”

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “No. I kicked him before he could do much.”

  Jake turns to look at me and I’m treated to a grin that reminds me very much of time spent together long ago.

  When we get back on the island, Jake continues straight toward the beachfront road rather than taking the turn toward Mom’s house.

  “Where are you going?” I ask.

  “I’ll take you home if you want, but I’d like you to come to our house for a while. I know you don’t need to, but we can tell you’re shaken up. Just hang out and relax awhile.”

  If he’d insisted on taking me to their house, I’d have put my foot down, but since he worded it so nicely, I agree. I wouldn’t admit it to them, but it will be nice not to be alone.

  14

  Delaying the inevitable

  I’ve gotten used to living on my own, or more specifically with roommates who weren’t exactly my best friends, so it’s a strange experience to have someone want to take care of me.

  Matt insists that I sit down on the couch the minute we walk into their house, and he brings a soft throw blanket out for me and helps me arrange pillows to get more comfortable.

  “I’m not sick or injured,” I protest.

  “Just relax.” His tone is of mock irritation, and it makes me laugh.

  Jake comes in with a cup of hot tea for me. “Are you hungry? Do you want some toast?”

  “No, thanks. I’m fine. This really isn’t necessary, guys.”

  Jake sits down at the other end of the big couch and picks up the remote. “You’ve had a rough night, Maddy.”

  “It could’ve been so much worse. Thanks again for coming to get me.”

  “Anytime. Anytime at all,” Matt says, and I feel a warm glow inside that doesn’t come from the tea.

  We sit and watch TV in silence. I sip my drink and am grateful that they don’t ask more questions about my evening. I’m guessing that Jake isn’t crazy about the fact that I was out on a date, but he doesn’t say anything or even give me any lingering looks. He doesn’t seem angry at me either, though of course, he has absolutely no reason to be.

  When Adam comes in, he looks nearly as angry as he was at the restaurant.

  “Why were you out with that asshole, Maddy?”

  “I didn’t know he was an asshole until tonight.”

  “Leave her alone, Adam.” Jake stands, ready to challenge his brother.

  “With some guys, it’s hard to tell they’re assholes. Others,” I say, giving Adam a significant look, “make it much more obvious.”

  Josh, coming in behind Adam, laughs out loud.

  Adam narrows his eyes at me before he starts to laugh, and soon we all join in.

  “Was he hard to deal with?” Jake asks.

  Adam tosses his keys on the counter. “No, just annoying as fuck.”

  “He tried to give us trouble at the restaurant, but once he was in the truck he fell asleep,” Josh says.

  “He curled up on the backseat like a baby,” Adam says.

  “Or a dog,” Josh adds.

  “That comparison is an insult to dogs,” I say.

  Adam smirks. “Ooh, she’s in full-on Mad Dog mode tonight.”

  “She wasn’t until you got here,” Matt says, his attention on the TV.

  “Nice to know I have an effect on her.” The sexy grin Adam gives me should be illegal.

  He heads toward the kitchen and I sit up, yawning. “Thank you all again for tonight. I’m going to head home now.”

  “Stay for the rest of this and then I’ll drive you home,” Jake says, nodding his head toward the TV.

  I've been enjoying the movie and it should be almost over, so I settle back in under the blanket. Besides, the couch is so comfy.

  The next thing I know, the room is quiet and dark, and Josh and Jake are in front of me, their voices low.

  “C’mon upstairs to the guest room, Maddy. You fell asleep.”

  “Huh? No, I can’t stay.” I’m groggy but the thought of spending the night here rouses me considerably.

  “Why not?”

  “I need to go to the bakery really early.”

  “We start early, too. We’ll give you a ride home before the sun’s up.”

  I can’t think of a good reason to protest. The guys have been great tonight. Hanging out with them this evening felt like being with family, and it doesn’t make sense to put up a fuss, so I follow them upstairs.

  When I’m settled in to the guest bed, I listen to the quiet of the large house. The window is open a few inches, and all I can hear is the rhythmic crashing of waves on the beach. It’s incredibly soothing.

  I hadn’t felt lonely at mom’s house, or at least I didn’t think I was lonely. But tonight I’ve felt a sense of comfort that I haven’t experienced since before I moved to the city.

  It’s odd to think that I’d been wanting to avoid the brothers, when now I feel safe and content knowing they’re all nearby. They were all wonderful tonight. Even awful Adam was a knight in shining armor when I needed him.

  There was no awkwardness with the twins, either, who it seems are giving me time to think. They probably realize that they took me by surprise, and they’re giving me space, which is what I need.

  I know I’m delaying the inevitable and that very soon I’ll need to explain to them that we can’t have the kind of relationship they want. For some reason, lying under the same roof as them tonight, that thought makes me sad

  They’re good men, but they can’t be mine.

  15

  Just say the word

  If I hadn’t set my phone alarm, I might have slept ‘til noon. The guest bed is surprisingly comfortable, and combined with the sounds of the ocean, I had the best night of sleep.

  The house is full of sounds now: a shower from across the hall, doors opening and closing, and cooking noises from below.

  Smoothing my hair and clothing the best I can, I make my way downstairs to find Jake in the kitchen. He looks freshly showered and is wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, but his feet are bare.

  “How did you sleep?” he asks, as he adds vegetables into a pan on the stove.

  “Really good.”

  He gives me a warm smile that is a pretty great way to start my day.

  Before long, all of the brothers are downstairs, each of them looking fresh, well-groomed and wide awake.

  Feeling awkward standing there in my crumpled, slept-in clothes and makeup-smudged face, I joke, “I look like I’m doing a walk of shame without having had any of the fun the night before.”

  “The fun could’ve been arranged, Mads,” Adam says without missing a beat. “You want that kind of fu
n, you just say the word.”

  I feel my cheeks heat and risk a quick glance at Jake and Josh to see if they’re bothered by Adam’s flirting, but they’re both smiling.

  The brothers work together in what seems a well-rehearsed ritual of pouring coffee and juice, setting the table, and making toast. I offer to help but am told to have a seat. While I watch the men moving in tandem, I’m reminded of my early morning fantasy of the four of them working together to pleasure me.

  Adam told me to just say the word, and God help me, I’m a little bit tempted. I’ll tell Lonnie to hang a “closed” sign on the bakery door, and these four gorgeous men can bring me pleasure all day long. I know that’s not what Adam was offering. I’m sure he was speaking for himself, and not all of his brothers, but a girl can dream.

  Jake delivers a helping of a breakfast scramble to each of our plates – eggs mixed with red peppers, broccoli, and cheese – and even though I didn’t think I’d have much of an appetite this early in the morning, I dig in immediately.

  “Jake, this is delicious!” Why is everything so good here?

  “This is nothing compared to his barbecue,” Josh says. “Why don’t you come back for dinner tonight?”

  “Oh… thank you, but you all have done so much for me already.”

  “We’d really like you to come,” Jake says.

  “It’s good to see a new face around here,” Matt adds.

  I take another bite of the delicious food and shrug. “Okay, you’ve talked me into it. What time?”

  “Does seven work for you?” Jake asks.

  “Sure.”

  Adam lifts his coffee mug for a drink. “Good. If you’re here with us you won’t be out dating losers.”

  Ten minutes later, I’m back in one of the pickups, with Josh driving now and Jake sitting behind us. Being alone with the twins, this would be a good time to talk with them about the almost-kiss and about their declaration, but the ride to Mom’s house is short, and I don’t want to begin what could be a lengthy conversation when I need to get ready for work.