The Other Fish in the Sea (Grab Your Pole, #2)

by Jenn Cooksey

  See, here’s the thing…I’m now gonna have to learn how to actually share the guy I’m hoping is one seriously devoted individual who will put me first. Sounds tricky, doesn’t it? Yeah, speaking as a needy and sorta selfish realist, I think so too. With Pete being able to begin training and Tristan being not only his catcher, but one of his best friends, well, from what I understand, Tristan is going to be spending more time with Pete than he normally does. Neither of them knows exactly how much time that’s going to be either because they haven’t done this before. Typically they just practice with the rest of the team because once they’re in the groove and re-synched, it’s effortless, but since Pete had the surgery, neither of them knows what to expect. That’s also why they’re starting so early.

  Now this doesn’t mean Pete can’t work his arm and train without Tristan, because he totally can and he will, but being that they’re synched like they are, the coaches and physical therapists are all figuring having Tristan catch will give Pete and everyone else a better idea of how his arm really is. But again from what Tristan told me, if Pete does have pain he’s gonna do his damnedest to keep it from everyone. Yeah, he’s that stubborn. He’d rather play baseball in excruciating pain than not at all.

  That’s something else I learned. Tristan was the one who forced (yes, literally forced) Pete off the pitcher’s mound last year. Tristan knew the second Pete’s elbow went and Pete tried shutting Tristan out to keep him from knowing because he wanted to finish not just that game, but being that it was the second to last game in the championship series, Pete wanted to play the next one as well. And because it was the end of school ball, if Pete thought he could get away with it, he’d have probably played through the season of summer ball he and Tristan play together as well. The problem for Pete, however, was that he and Tristan had already been playing together for months and that funky connection between them that lies almost, but not quite dormant in the fall and winter was irrevocably locked in place by then.

  I guess when it’s like that, when that bond is locked in place, Tristan and Pete can essentially read each other’s minds on the ball field. They don’t know if that strangeness is an aberration exclusive to their tandem or if it’s like that for other synched tandems or not because barring me and I think maybe Jeff, they haven’t told anyone about how deep it really goes. In fact, Tristan made me promise to not even tell Pete that he’d told me anything about it because they’re both sort of sensitive when it comes to their freakishly peculiar bond. And I can’t really blame them, you know? Seriously, how freaking weird would it be to have someone in your head like that?

  Anyway, because of the bond Pete couldn’t shut Tristan out and so Tristan knew the moment the injury happened, exactly how much pain Pete was in, and he also immediately knew that Pete would never be able to pitch or really even play again if he didn’t have a successful surgery. And of course Pete, who threw himself headfirst into the River Denial, was able to read those negative thoughts in Tristan’s head and the two of them had themselves some kind of little row between the mound and home plate. It ended with Tristan threatening to walk off both teams entirely and never catch for Pete ever again if he didn’t take himself out of the game, which I’m guessing for Pete was like having his soul mate threaten to walk away and never come back because Pete has preferred Tristan as his battery mate ever since little league.

  I know, pretty intense, huh? So all of that was why I tried really hard to not pout or show my disappointment when Tristan brought me home after our date night movie and said he wanted to be as physically and mentally rested as he possibly could be before Saturday. He also declined swinging on the porch with me for even a little bit, which in all fairness would’ve probably turned into hours.

  Saturday evening after my parents left for Los Angeles, I began to find out why that was a good call on Tristan’s part, and I would also learn that weekend that I won’t really be alone in my frustrating endeavor to share my boyfriend with another guy.

  Tristan had come over in the morning before my mom and dad left to drop off Phineas and Ferb along with his stuff for the week and I have to say, it made me kinda lightheaded and more than a little giddy to watch Tristan put the copy of my house key my dad had made for him onto his key ring (Teehee!). I curbed my wholly inappropriate and unappreciative desire to load my dad’s car with his and my mom’s luggage and push them through the door, though, because Pete pulled up about fifteen minutes later to pick Tristan up and then the two of them went off to some undisclosed location to play some catch. I say undisclosed because they’re wanting to do this alone for a while without the added stress of having anyone they know observing even from a distance. I guess Pete’s kind of nervous about it and I can understand that. Anyhoo, I also had some leftover homework from Thursday to get out of the way before our bar-b-q with the gang, so that’s how I ended up spending my Saturday afternoon.

  Jeff, Kate, Melissa and Brandon were already at my house and we were all engaged in a game of Monopoly when my boyfriend and Pete got “home” (again I say, teehee!) with Tristan looking completely grubby and grimy.

  “Well, if it isn’t Charlie Brown and Pig-Pen,” my sister said after collecting her inordinate sum of money from Jeff who’d landed on her hoteled monopoly of Boardwalk and Park Place. I’m totally trying to not crack up because Tristan is so completely dirty that her name of the day for him is entirely accurate, plus the disgruntled look on Jeff’s face is hysterical. After mortgaging all his properties and paying Jill the rent he owed her, he’s down to seventeen bucks.

  “Oh Jesus, you’re fuckin’ filthy! What the hell have you been doin’, swimmin’ in the goddamned dirt?” Brandon asked, pretty much echoing my thoughts.

  “Yeah, something like that,” Tristan answered with a laugh and then turned to give me a nice, but salty and slightly dusty hello kiss. “Hi, Baby.”

  “I hope you guys plan on at least rinsing off before we get in the Jacuzzi,” Kate commented, wrinkling her nose which made every guy present laugh for some only known to guys reason.

  “Yeah, as hot as I find you all dirty like this, you should go first because the upholstery won’t have to be cleaned if I sit down,” Pete told Tristan and gingerly sat down on the arm of the couch. He’s pretty dirty too, not nearly as bad as Pig-Pen, but still, he could benefit from some running water.

  “I knew I loved you for a reason,” Tristan replied and started to make his way to his(!) room. I really need to get some control over my girly giggling about this…

  “Yeah, I’m selfless, but you should know I won’t take it kindly if you don’t leave me any hot water.”

  Turning around in mock hurt, Tristan asked Pete, “Are you implying that I’m a water hog?”

  “No. I’m flat out calling you a water hog.”

  With a distinctly wicked tone, Tristan started chuckling and before he turned around, he blew Pete a kiss. Then turning his back again, he responded by calling over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner, “Only when I’m not alone…you’re more than welcome to join me if you care to find out why that is.”

  “Okay, now that didn’t sound like a joke,” Melissa said while making a face.

  “Yeah, he sounded a little too fuckin’ serious with that one,” Brandon agreed.

  Jeff and Pete were cracking up.

  “He was completely serious except it totally wasn’t directed at Pete,” Kate told them, giggling with the two laughers.

  Then it clicked and all my probable future girly giggling was stopped in its tracks.

  He meant it as a blatant invitation to me.

  You know that saying hind sight is 20/20? Well, there are things that would come to pass that will forever ingrain that adage in my mind. For example, I probably should have jumped up and freaking sprinted to accept the invitation to join him, but…I didn’t.

  We finished up our game rather quickly, Pete hopped in the shower right after Tristan reappeared about five minutes after his admitted
ly enticing offer to me, and then we all sat in my hot tub while Jeff grilled our scrumptious dinner. Since my tattoo is still healing I couldn’t completely submerge, which also means I couldn’t really nestle myself in any kind of watery embrace with Tristan and unfortunately for me, he was whole heartedly content luxuriating his entire body up to his chin in the bubbling hot water. So, I had to content myself with sitting on the edge with my legs dangling on either side of him and with a sweatshirt on so I wouldn’t get cold in the chilly January evening air. I didn’t complain though, Tristan held onto my legs like a pair of suspenders and he gave both my calves and feet a pretty decent massage.

  Afterwards, we all toweled off and adjourned to watch some movies in the family room. Pete had cleared staying the weekend at my house with his parents and the foldout was all made up for him, so Tristan, Pete and I lounged on that while Jeff and Kate took over the love seat, and Brandon and Melissa made do with cuddling in the recliner. Jillian settled for stretching out on the floor in front of the TV and using the discarded sofa cushions like a mattress. We weren’t even halfway through the first movie before both Tristan and Pete were fast asleep. It was barely eight o’clock.

  “At least Pete isn’t snoring,” Kate commented with a chuckle.

  I lifted my head to look at Pete lying on his back, the picture of utterly peaceful repose and then I couldn’t help but ask, “Pete snores?”

  “Yeah, like a lawnmower if he’s been drinking, it’s beyond obnoxious…I bet the girl he made-out with on New Year’s had to leave the room when he passed out!” Kate answered and started laughing.

  “Wait! Go back…Pete made-out with someone on New Year’s?! I didn’t see him do that…who was it? And why didn’t you tell me before?!” Melissa asked, fairly bursting with curiosity.

  Admittedly, I am too though. Pete was hysterically unpredictable and fairly affectionate that night so I know it’s totally possible, but I didn’t see him with any one specific girl either. In fact, I’ve never seen Pete even look at a girl with anything that could be considered as him being interested in anything other than friendship. I know he says he’s not gay, buuut… It just makes you wonder, you know?

  “I forgot about it and I have no idea who it was. I didn’t wanna ask him after all that stuff in the desert,” Kate replied with a small shrug.

  “So how do you know he made-out with anyone?” I asked before Melissa could get the same question out of her mouth. I know she was going to ask the same thing, though, because when I did, she nodded enthusiastically and pointed at me.

  “How else do you explain the hickey he had on his chest? I mean he put a shirt on right away when he came downstairs in the morning, but I saw it clear as day before he did. It was right here, right below his collarbone,” Kate explained and touched the spot on her own chest, showing us exactly where the evidence of Pete’s wild night was. “It wasn’t there when we were all in the Jacuzzi that night and you can still just barely see it if you close enough,” she said with raised eyebrows, like the three of us were Charlie’s Angels discussing the clues to a mystery case we’re working on.

  Melissa got up and peered closely at Pete’s steadily rising and falling chest. “Well I’ll be damned…” she murmured and then returned to Brandon’s lap.

  “Aw shit… Well, it’s early, but it’s definitely started,” Jeff said with a little laugh, seeing his two slumbering friends as he and Jill walked back into the room carrying four big bowls of popcorn.

  He had laughed but I could tell there was something unhappy running under Jeff’s naturally jovial and good-natured composure. I’m not sure how I could tell exactly, but I think it was the tenor his laugh had…I haven’t heard it before.

  “What’s started?” I asked while trying to push myself more upright, which was really hard to do because I was being used as Tristan’s cuddle pillow and you remember, he’s kinda heavy, so being that his sleeping body is like dead weight on me, it’s pretty hard to move.

  Jeff grimaced and rolled his eyes. “The time of year that I get cheated on.”

  What?

  Kate started giggling and then seeing my confusion, she expanded on his answer. “He’s jealous of what happens between Tristan and Pete.”

  “I am not jealous…I have no problem sharing Trist with Camie, do I?”

  “No, but that’s different. She’s his girlfriend and even though it’s a new thing for him, you’ve been sharing him with girls for a long time.” Ugh, don’t remind me…for the love of all that is holy, twelve years old! “Besides, it’s not about actually sharing him…it bugs the crap out of you that your best friend has something with another guy that he doesn’t have with you.”

  “I fuckin’ hate it when you point out shit like that, Katy, it makes me sound, I dunno, insecure or something.”

  “No, it doesn’t, dude, I get why you feel like that…but I’m kinda on the other side of it,” Brandon piped up out of the blue.

  “How do you mean?” Jeff asked and sat down on the foot of the bed, genuinely interested to hear a guy’s perspective.

  “Well, Derek and I were really fuckin’ tight all the way through elementary school up until the middle of freshman year, but when I got involved in the band, he felt out of place or somethin’ because I had this thing with music and the guys that he just didn’t get, you know? We talked about it a year or so ago and got our friendship straightened out, but it was fuckin’ hard in the beginning. I felt like I had to choose between my goddamned best friend and doin’ somethin’ I’m passionate about, and he felt all fuckin’ weird reacting to it like a jealous lover. So I totally get what you’re talkin’ about, you just gotta make sure you don’t make him feel guilty because it could fuck up your friendship,” Brandon replied, once more showing us that he actually does have a compassionate side buried beneath his crass exterior.

  “Yeah, that’s it exactly and I try to not get all pissy about it, but speaking as the jealous lover, it fuckin’ blows and gum just doesn’t help,” Jeff said with half a nod and a sarcastic grin, making us all laugh.

  “Babe, this thing between them has been happening every year for the last what, four or five years? And you know neither of them really has any control over it…and I don’t think you have to worry about making him feel guilty either, you know? I mean you never have in the past so why would this year be any different?” Kate asked with reassurance heavy in her tone.

  “Yeah, I get what you’re sayin’, but every year I go through all this jacked-up bullshit fear that I’m losin’ the closest thing I have to a brother, you know? Sometimes I just wish there was a way to know he’s not gonna replace me for sure—OH! Hey, you guys, wanna have some fun with him?” Jeff asked, waggling his brows with a sudden devilish light in his eyes.

  “What kind of fun?” Jillian asked while sitting up, apparently recognizing wicked intent when she hears it.

  “Well, he’s totally out, right?” Jeff asked no one in particular and leaned over to very carefully lift one of Tristan’s eyelids as a test to make sure Tristan was indeed completely dead to the world. “And he knows there’s a penalty for crashin’ early, so…”

  By the way, I have never seen Tristan this comatose before. I’d be freaking out and thinking he really was dead if I couldn’t see and feel him breathing.

  “What do you wanna do? Strip his trunks off him and put ‘em in the fuckin’ freezer?” Brandon asked with a chuckle.

  I’m not sure if I should prevent the Sharpie mustache and Tristan’s impending evening swim or not. He does know there’s a good likelihood that retribution will be made for falling asleep early whether it’s just because he’s tired or if it’s due to substance abuse.

  Jeff started laughing and said, “No dude, but that would be fuckin’ hysterical. Although we’d have to do it to Pete too, and well, Trist would literally fuckin’ kill us all when the pictures show up on the net.”

  “We wouldn’t have to take pictures,” Melissa giggled.

  Tris
tan can thank me later because I will totally put my foot down if they try to strip Pete and him naked while they’re sleeping in the same bed. As funny as the two of them and the rest of us think the “Gay Pete” stuff is, Jeff is right. Tristan would be livid if the joke went too far.

  “Yeah right, this comin’ from Playboy’s November centerfold,” Jeff taunted with raised eyebrows.

  As soon as the words were out of Jeff’s mouth, I immediately looked at Brandon. This is the first time his and Melissa’s little photography session has been brought up with him present, and just because Melissa knows this is just how Jeff is and she’s cool with it, doesn’t mean Brandon will be. Honestly, I wasn’t sure Brandon’s reaction would be even close to a pleasant one and I was sorta concerned about a fight breaking out in my family room. However, Brandon’s inconsistent personality once again presented us with yet another facet of him I haven’t seen before.

  He looked at Jeff with those icy gray eyes of his and then with a distinctly superior tone and a mocking grin aimed at Jeff, Brandon asked, “Jealous?”

  Jeff looked at him and smiled, but something about how he did made me think he’d been testing Brandon by teasing Melissa that way, and that in Jeff’s mind, Brandon had passed.

  “Little bit, but getting back to our previous topic of whether to strip my best friend and Pete naked and whether that would be wise, are you forgetting the devil and her ambition to be published in the National Enquirer?” Jeff asked with a chuckle, referring to my sister who only shrugged her shoulders while nodding in agreement.

  “Oh yeah…so what are you thinking?” Melissa asked with some disappointment, and I just barely noticed the tension leave her body as she released it ever so slowly. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know how her boyfriend would react to others knowing she’d allowed him to take nude photos of her.

  “I’m thinking we should play a little game of twenty questions,” he answered. Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head in exasperation when Jeff looked to all of us for our acceptance.