“You sound like a middle school child,” I said rudely.
“I kind of feel like one.” He grinned. “I really like her.”
“I’m glad,” I said dryly and returned my focus to the television.
I know I should have been happy for my best friend, but I wasn’t. I knew that I was being a dick about this, especially since I’d set them up in the first place.
But even that was a mistake. When I told him that he could have first dibs on my new stepsister, I didn’t know that it would be Whitney. If I knew that, I wouldn’t have introduced any of my friends to her. If I had my way, she would go on to marry someone completely different from me just so I knew that I never stood a chance, regardless of our family situation. Instead, she was dating my best friend, who was more like me than my own siblings.
When I had them sit together during Christmas dinner, it wasn’t so they could get to know each other. It was so I could sit on the opposite side of the table where I wouldn’t accidentally brush her hand when passing the gravy or graze her leg with mine. Sitting next to my dad and his future wife, I could keep my space and retain my composure.
Once Ted and Whitney were friendly, the only thing I could think of to do was to give Ted my blessing to hang out with her. If she were otherwise occupied with my friend, I thought that the ethical dilemmas of having a crush on your sister and coveting your best friend’s girl would be enough to turn me off her for good. I had yet to see that theory come to fruition.
I could always use the law of Bro Code and forbid Ted from dating my future stepsister, but he was in too deep. He really liked her, and there was nothing I could do. I cared for the guy too much to shatter his dreams of getting some.
“What do I do?” he asked, bringing me out of my daydream.
“What?” I asked, snapping to attention.
“I want to take Whitney out on a really nice date. What do you think I should do?”
“The hell if I know. I think you know her just as well as I do.”
“I’m thinking about taking her to dinner and then something else. What do girls like? Maybe like the orchestra or the ballet or something?”
“You should know what chicks like because you’re turning into one,” I retorted. “Since when do you take girls out on fancy dates? What about the days of going to a house party and letting her slob on your knob in the cab on the way home?”
Ted stared at me with a puzzled expression on his face. “We haven’t been in college for a few years now. Maybe I’d like to start dating seriously. I’m not getting any younger, and at some point, I think I’d like to settle down with someone.”
“With Whitney? You’ve been on one date.”
“And it went pretty well. I’m not saying I’m going to marry her, but I’d like to have a good shot at getting to know her better.”
“Whatever, man. You can go that route. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s served me well thus far.”
Ted frowned. “Is something wrong?”
Besides the fact that I was insanely jealous of Ted at the moment? Not a thing.
“Nope,” I said casually, taking a second slice.
“If you’re worried about my ditching you, that’s not going to happen. We can still hang out all the time.”
“Cool,” I said, hoping he’d change the subject.
“You’re not into her, are you? Because if it’s that big of a problem, then I guess I can forget about her.”
“No,” I said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “I’m just in a bad mood from work. Nothing a little pizza and hockey can’t fix.”
Ted sat down on the couch next to me and grabbed a slice. We’d talked about many things during our friendship, including girls, but never like this. We usually just compared hookups and talked about girls we liked, but I never had to give him advice about what he should do on a date with a girl he wanted a serious relationship with. It was too weird.
Ted seemed tense after our conversation about Whitney. I felt guilty if I ruined things for him. He deserved to be happy and I wasn’t about to cock block him.
“Hey, I’m sorry for being a dick,” I said to Ted. “I guess I’m just frustrated that my family is going to change and I didn’t have the chance to even think about it before it was all sprung on me. Besides, if you two get married, that means we’ll be brothers for real.”
Ted smiled. “Thanks, man. I don’t think we’ll get married, but it’s nice to have your approval.”
I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach and it wasn’t from the greasy food. I wanted to feel the same thing that Ted felt—the fear of not knowing if the girl you like will call back, the anticipation before a date, and the excitement of scoring. I wanted all of those things, but at the very least, I wanted the last of those things.
“I think I’m going to head out,” I said. “Thanks for the pizza.”
“Are you sure? We can play a game of FIFA. You can be Real Madrid.”
“No, it’s been a long day. I need to go home and unwind.”
“Okay,” he said, grabbing the remote from my hand. “I’ll let you know how my date with your future sister goes.”
“Great,” I replied, trying to tone down my sarcasm. “By the way, are you coming to the wedding?”
“I think so. Is there an open bar?”
“Of course,” I replied, in disbelief that he would ask such a silly question.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He grinned.
I slapped him on the back and left. I didn’t want to tell him, but I had some of my own plans.
On the drive home, I flipped through my contacts until I found who I was looking for. Vanessa Jackson. She was a particularly fine piece of ass who worked as a nurse in a nearby hospital. We met during nursing school and had hooked up a few times. She was always down for a good time, and I knew that whenever I called, there was a fifty percent chance that she’d come over.
The phone rang and rang, but she never answered. Vanessa liked to play games with me, so I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she called me back. I could wait all night if I needed to.
I was glad that Ted was coming to my father’s wedding because it was always nice to have a friend around in those types of situations. Old people’s weddings were always boring because the guests had different goals. Most of them would be married and wouldn’t want to stay late and drink all night like people my age would. This meant that the open bar would be excellent, but there would be few single ladies to entertain.
But Ted would probably be too preoccupied with Whitney to bullshit with me. I wasn’t about to be possessive of him, but he was my friend first. If Whitney was all over him all night, I would be annoyed. If I had to sit through the whole day with a fake smile on my face, then I at least wanted to get shitfaced with my friend.
Really, I just wished the circumstances could be different. If my dad were marrying any other woman in the world, I probably would have asked Whitney to come as my date. My dad would be pleased and I knew I would have a good time. I didn’t want to share her with anyone.
I had just gotten home and stepped out of the shower when my phone rang. Apparently, Vanessa had decided that she wanted to hang out after all. But, with Whitney on my mind, I felt too distracted to even enjoy fooling around with another girl. I put my phone on silent and crawled into bed. Maybe I’d call her back the next night, but for now, I wanted to be alone. If I couldn’t have Whitney, I didn’t want anybody else.
Chapter Eight
Whitney
“Whitney, have you spoken with the florist yet?” my mom called to me across the house.
“Yes, Mom,” I called back. “They’ve already delivered the flowers to the church. Everything is under control.”
“Have you had your hair and makeup done yet?”
“No,” I sighed, digging through a stack of papers to find her marriage license. “I’ve been too busy.”
I walked out of my childhood be
droom in a long flannel shirt that barely covered my butt. For a small wedding, my mom had really gone all out, and it was my unofficial job to make sure everything was taken care of so she didn’t have to worry.
“Sit down, Whitney,” my mom ordered, pointing to a chair. “Let them do your hair and makeup so you can get dressed and go to the ceremony.”
I obeyed her command and slouched down in a chair while two experts curled and pinned my hair and made my face look flawless. In any other circumstance, I would have enjoyed myself, getting all dolled up with my mom and her friends and drinking mimosas, but I was dreading going to the ceremony.
The rest of the day would be spent talking to, standing near, and taking pictures with the family, which now included Chad. Since talking to Ted about Chad, I wasn’t as angry as I was before. It didn’t matter that he’d rejected me because I couldn’t be with him anyway. Now, it was just awkward. We talked when it was necessary but did our best to avoid each other whenever possible.
The only thing that made the day any better was that Ted was coming. Chad’s father had invited him, but we decided that he could come as my date.
Things had been going really well with Ted. After our first lunch outing, he took me to a fancy restaurant for dinner and then we went to a ballet performance. The performance was fine, but I really enjoyed dressing up and walking around with my arm in his. He was an absolute gentleman with me, and I felt like he really respected me as a person.
The weekend after the ballet, we went to a hockey game, which in our opinion, was much more exciting than the ballet. We each had a beer and shared a tray of nachos, and it was one of the best nights out that I have had in a long time. Afterward, we went to his place and cuddled on the couch and just talked about everything, from TV, to work, to our families.
Between dates, we talked on the phone just about every other day. When we were busy, it was just a quick checkin to ask how the other’s day was or to discuss something we read in the news. Sometimes, after a long conversation, I would find Maria outside my door, waiting for me to spill everything that was discussed. She teased me endlessly for having a boyfriend, and I laughed as I denied how serious I thought things were getting.
The only thing we hadn’t done yet was have sex. I really wanted to, but there was something that felt so good about taking it slow. One night, when we were making out and things were getting hot and heavy, I told Ted that I didn’t want to have sex right away. I thought he was going to be annoyed with me, but he was completely okay with that. I didn’t know a lot of guys who would want to stick around after being turned down like that. I guess he just liked to spend time with me and was willing to put in the work.
I think that staying celibate was just as hard for me as it was for him. When we kissed, I pressed my body against his as closely as possible. When we rolled around on his couch, I ran my hands along his body, starting with his short, soft hair and ending at his groin. I felt him over his jeans, always having to force my hands away from him.
At night when I got home, I took a cool shower, trying to keep my mind off what I imagined his naked body to look like. I tried to think about anyone else, which often led me to think about Chad, which was so much worse. It felt so unfair that there were two incredibly delectable men in my life and I wasn’t having sex with either of them. I hoped that would change soon, though. Well, with Ted, anyway. Chad was, unfortunately, forever off limits.
When I got to the church, I saw Chad almost immediately. I realized that at that moment, there would be no more avoiding him. I would have to be around him all day. When I went to work, he would be there too. He’d also be anywhere my mom and new stepfather were. He was unavoidable.
If I wanted to move on from him, I needed closure. My stomach ready to explode from nerves, I marched right up to him and rested my hand on his shoulder.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked softly.
“If it’s about the rings, they’re in my pocket. You’re not the first one to ask.”
“No, about …” My voice trailed off into a whisper. “Us.”
His smile faded into a frown. He looked around to make sure no one was in earshot before coming closer to me. I could smell his cologne and it was heavenly.
“Listen, I know things have been really weird between us for the past few months and we haven’t talked about it. After today, we’re going to be in each other’s lives for quite some time, so it’s best we just settle it now and get it out of the way.”
“Fine,” he said. “What do you want to talk about?”
I ground my teeth. I hadn’t really thought of the specifics. I assumed that pointing out the awkwardness would be enough.
“I’m just going to point out the obvious,” I said. “We had sex and then shortly after, found out that our parents are getting married. Now, I’m dating your best friend. Also, a lot of people probably know that we had sex, which makes the whole thing a lot weirder. It was just a fluke that everything happened how it did. But, I think you’re cool and I want to be able to be friends.”
He bit his lip. “Yeah, I think we could be friends.”
I heaved a sigh of relief. “It feels so good to hear you say that,” I beamed, pulling him into a hug.
Chad reluctantly rested his hands on my upper back, his body feeling stiff, not at all how he was at the Christmas party. Although, I suppose that was what I wanted.
Things would be okay. Chad could mingle with all of the young, single women at the reception and I could sit with Ted, holding hands and stealing kisses all night. We would both be fine.
The ceremony itself went off without a hitch. As my mom stood with her new husband, I couldn’t help but be sucked into the happiness of the whole event. I would never consider myself to be the romantic type, but seeing so much love between two people made me feel like I was missing out on someone. My work came first, but I was warming up to the idea of spending my life with a long-term partner.
Chad must have been feeling it too, because when I looked over at him during the ceremony, he had a wide smile on his face. Seeing him so happy, standing there in his tux, made me imagine him at the altar, getting married himself. I felt a weird pang of jealousy for the woman who would one day become his wife. He was just so beautiful.
The reception was exquisite, but that’s to be expected when two doctors in their late fifties throw a party and invite their closest friends. The bar was fully stocked, and each new course of the meal was better than the last. A jazz quartet played old standards as couples got up to dance. For a surprise wedding, it was really lovely and romantic.
“This is probably the fanciest Valentine’s Day date I’ve ever been on,” Ted said, sipping from his champagne flute. “And the best part is, I’m not paying for any of it.”
I laughed and kissed him on the cheek. The night was going really well for me, too. I was really falling for Ted, and my mom liked him too. I must have been getting carried away with all of the romance of the evening, because I was thinking that this would be the night that Ted and I go all the way.
After dinner, Ted twirled me around the dance floor and we swayed slowly together, our bodies close. Our cheeks touched as we spoke in each other’s ears in low voices.
“I don’t know if I’ve told you this,” he said, “but you look absolutely incredible.”
“You’ve told me a few times.” I giggled. “How much have you had to drink?”
“The champagne is so good, though,” he replied.
“I know. I think I’m reaching my yearly quota of the stuff.”
“This has been a perfect night,” he said, kissing me on the forehead. “I’m really glad we met.”
I smiled. “Me too. But the night’s not over yet. I think we can make it even better.”
“How?” he asked, turning to look me straight in the eyes. I think he had an idea.
Just as we were about to kiss, Chad interrupted us. His tie was loose and I could smell alcohol on his breath. He had a wild gr
in on his face like he was up to something.
“Can I cut in?” he asked Ted. “I haven’t danced with my new sister yet.”
Ted raised his eyebrows and backed away. “I’m going to get a slice of cake,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.”
I rolled my eyes at Chad. “There wasn’t anyone else for you to dance with?”
“You were the one who made the guest list. You could have done me a favor and invited some friends. Maybe even a few hot cousins.”
“They’re your cousins, too, now.” I laughed. “Are you having a good time, despite the lack of eligible women?”
“Now I am,” he said, swaying back and forth to the slow music. “Is Ted being a proper gentleman?”
“Actually, he is.” I beamed.
“That’s only because he hasn’t gotten you undressed. He’ll turn into an animal when that happens.”
“What makes you so sure?” I asked dryly. I had a feeling he was trying to embarrass me.
“You have no idea how hot you are, do you?” he asked, giving me a quizzical look. I got goosebumps.
“What?” I stuttered.
“Ted’s no different from any other guy. He’ll take one look at you the first time you have sex and he’ll lose his mind.”
“Is that what happened to you?” I asked. “Because you’re being ridiculous right now.”
The song came to a close as the band prepared to pack up and leave, but we stayed out on the dance floor for a few moments, my hand in his.
His bright blue eyes peered into mine as if he had something he wanted to say, but he couldn’t get it out.
“What?” I asked, dropping my hands to my sides.
He shook his head, his face as serious as I’d ever seen it. “Nothing.”
I opened my mouth, trying to persuade him to say whatever was on his mind, but Ted came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said into my ear.
Forbidden Prescription 3: MFM Ménage Stepbrother Medical Romance (Forbidden Medicine) Page 5