Release

by J , Louise

  I don’t want to spoil the good mood, but I think it’s better to get in a quick discussion about Dane with my brother now – they’ll be meeting him tomorrow afternoon, ahead of the show they’ll all be attending. It’s a bit soon for a boyfriend and family to meet, we’ve only been together two weeks, but since they’ll see each other anyway I thought it would be nice to let them become acquainted beforehand, rather than inside the theater surrounded by strangers.

  “Tommy, you will give Dane a chance won’t you?”

  The three of us stare at him, anticipating his response. I know he’d rather I stayed single, and he’ll say what’s most appropriate with Mum here.

  “Yeah,” he says, before taking a sip of coke.

  “He’s really nice,” I say, rather pathetically.

  “Mum said that, too. Not that she even knows him.” As he turns his gaze to Mum, it’s clear he’s unimpressed with her telling him that.

  “Your sister says he is, and I trust her judgment,” she says, with full confidence in me.

  This makes me smile.

  “You trust her judgment?” A hint of pissed off snuck in there, I caught it in the hardening of his voice, but he’s managed to pull it back.

  “That’s harsh,” Katie whispers to him. Her blue gaze homes in on me apologetically.

  My eyes sting with unwelcome tears, so I look down at the dark, polished wood of our table. Do not cry, Brooklyn. I breathe in deep and return to my brother. “Anyway, I just want you to be civilized. That’s all I’m asking. I can’t exactly stay single forever.”

  “I wouldn’t mind if you were at home. We won’t know if you need us, not unless you tell us. You didn’t before. Why am I the bad guy just because I care about you?” He leans back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. Rather than angry, he looks upset. The sheen to his eyes shows I’m not the only one who’s holding in their tears.

  I want to hug him, but if I do I’ll cry. “You’re not the bad guy. I know you care and I do appreciate it. Just give Dane a chance, please?”

  “I told you I will. You said he’s got a sister he’s close to. If he’s as nice as you say he is, then he’ll understand if I don’t want to be best mates with him yet.”

  My brows draw tight, panic gripping me. “He doesn’t know. I don’t want him to.” I shake my head vigorously. “You can’t say anything. Mum, tell him.” I look to her.

  She grips my hand, reassuring me with her smile. “Calm down, my darling. Tommy’s not saying anything.” She looks at him. “You keep it zipped.”

  “Fine, she only had to say that.” He shakes his head at me, and I know I probably over-reacted.

  “I’m sorry,” I say to him, because I feel like he’s taking too much crap.

  When he smiles at me, I know we’re okay. Now I can go and hug him.

  Twenty Eight: Dane

  Saffron has arranged a party in the VIP section of a bar to celebrate the final night of Release. All of the dancers are here, as well as their friends and family. I’m with the guys, and Brooklyn’s introducing her mom to everybody she knows.

  Gerard, sitting beside me, leans forward like he literally wants to climb across the table.

  “Holy shit, is that Brooklyn’s mom?”

  “Fuck you – don’t even say it,” I warn.

  “What? She’s more like an older sister. I want an introduction.”

  “It’s bad enough that Kayla looks like she wants to kill you every time she glances your way. Don’t start more shit.”

  “You’re no fun these days,” he says.

  He’s serious – he’s actually taking an interest in my girl’s mom. Admittedly, Evelyn Scott is an attractive woman, but damn this guy.

  He chuckles in a way I’m too familiar with and gazes at me. “Do you remember those two MILFs that time we went to Miami? Do you remember that, Joe?” He snickers, relishing the memory. “I love me some older chicks, they always know what they want. Brooklyn’s mom looks like a woman who knows exactly what she wants. Dayum!”

  “Keep your voice down, man,” Joe says.

  I’m glad someone else at this table has some sense. I feel like we’re surrounded by ears. A friend of Kayla’s is about four-feet away from us, she probably wants to kill Gerard too. Worse still, Brooklyn’s brother and his girl are close by.

  I recognized the moment I met Tommy that he’s cautious about me being with Brooklyn. That isn’t something I have a problem with, I understand it. I’ve been there with Saffron before she got with Adam, and I probably wouldn’t be much different now if she wasn’t with him. If Tommy hears Gerard, it won’t help. I want him to know his sister’s all good with me.

  “You two, out in the hallway now,” Saff’s voice says.

  When I look at her, standing by our table, her hard focus is directed at Gerard and me.

  Shaking my head, I stare at him. “Thanks, man.”

  Now he’s acting all innocent like he hasn’t done shit.

  “I’m still waiting,” she says.

  I get up and do as requested, feeling like a boy who’s been caught misbehaving.

  Out in the hall, the three of us stand a few feet away from the restrooms, out of sight to all in the VIP section.

  Saffron looks up at me. “I know how much Brooklyn means to you, but the people who don’t know you won’t. If I heard him, anybody else could have.” She switches her gaze to Gerard. “Watch your mouth, don’t create problems for Dane. This isn’t the time or the place for your shit.” Damn, she’s fierce.

  “Okay,” Gerard says, palms raised in defeat. “I’ll be on my best behavior for tonight.”

  “You make sure of that.” Saffron turns and heads to the ladies.

  “Seriously, though, dude,” Gerard whispers, “her mom’s smokin.’ If you and Brooklyn last, at least you don’t need to worry. You know what they say about looking at the mom to know what your woman will look like as she ages. Brooklyn will always be hot. Shit,” he says, grinning.

  “You’re still gonna say somethin’ like that after what Saff just said? She heard you. I don’t want Brooklyn’s family thinking I disrespect her like that, and I don’t want them hearing you lusting over her mom. There’s something kinda gross about it. It’s a little too close to home, you feel me?”

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I was just surprised, that’s all. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

  After a while, I head out to the patio for a smoke with Gerard, Joe and Adam. We stand off to the side, separate from the other groups. I light up, and as I inhale, I glance to my left. Oh no. Brooklyn’s mom is approaching, and I know she’s going to join us. She smokes.

  “Hi boys, room for another?” she asks as she hunts for her cigarettes in her black purse.

  I don’t even have any of my own to offer her one. But guess who does? Before she locates hers, Gerard is extending his box. I’m tempted to snatch it from him. I know he won’t be able to help himself standing this close to her.

  “Mrs. Scott.” He smiles, all teeth and eyes.

  “God, that makes me sound old. Call me Evelyn.” Her lips curve wide as she takes a cigarette.

  Now he lights the thing for her. “No, no, no, Evelyn, that’s not possible. Beauty such as yours will always remain timeless.”

  Fuck no! That has got to be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard that motherfucker drop on a woman.

  Evelyn laughs and playfully slaps his shoulder. “You charmer you.”

  “I’m just stating a fact, Evelyn.”

  Where are my manners? I look at Evelyn. “This is Gerard and, of course, you met Joe and Adam when they arrived.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gerard.” She extends her hand out to shake his, looking genuinely pleased to meet him. Brooklyn obviously hasn’t expressed her disliking for my buddy to her mom.

  “The pleasures all mine, Evelyn.” Now he kisses the back of her fucking hand.

  So Gerard does a lot of bullshit, but – thankfully – he does have a couple boundaries
in place. As much as he might desire to, he’d never actually do anything with Evelyn Scott. Married women and virgins are no-go areas for him. But this still doesn’t feel right; she’s Brooklyn’s mom and he’s stripping her naked this very second. I know it for sure; I can see it in the way his gaze is roaming. The black dress she’s wearing from her clothing line is fitted, showing the well kept shape of her body. Brooklyn wasn’t exaggerating when she told me her mom looks great, and she definitely looks younger than her forty-eight years.

  “It’s nice to meet your friends, Dane,” she says to me with a smile that’s just like her daughter’s.

  She is so friendly, so sweet. And so oblivious to the pervert standing in front of her.

  This has got to be karma.

  As I go to respond, in my peripheral, I catch a white sparkle moving toward us.

  Evelyn and I both look at Brooklyn approaching in her sequin mini tube dress, another creation from her mother’s business. It’ll take a lot to stop her smiling tonight, even Gerard, as long as she doesn’t know the way his mind is working. The discreet elbow to the ribs Joe just gave him will help with that.

  Brooklyn stops at my side, I slip my arm around her waist, and she cuddles into me.

  “So what do you do, Gerard?” Evelyn asks, turning to face him again.

  In this moment, I realize something – by the look in her eyes, the change to her body language, and the simple fact that she didn’t speak to Joe or Adam in that seductive tone when she asked them the same question – Evelyn is a flirt! Mother fuck.

  I watch as the words pass back and forth between the two of them; it’s like watching a tennis match. I’m somewhere between amused and appalled; they’re equally flirting and equally lapping it up. I’ll never allow myself to think this again, because it feels wrong, but if Evelyn ever got her hands on Gerard, she’d eat him alive. And he would love it. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

  Adam snickers and turns away, sucking on the tip of his cigarette. Joe standing straight in front of me mouths, silently, “What the fuck?” I shake my head and look at Brooklyn, and the only thing she is, is amused. This is unbelievable.

  After a while, the others go back inside. “What’s the deal with your mom?” I ask Brooklyn.

  She giggles. “She’s a proper flirt, especially when she’s had a drink. She picked up on Gerard’s attention and played along. It’s harmless on her part, but she gets a lot of male interest. Sometimes she amuses herself with it, if it’s someone younger.”

  “Shit, I wasn’t expecting that.”

  She laughs again and cuddles into me. I tuck her into my jacket with me, to keep her warm. “I find it funny, but Tommy hates it, he gets embarrassed. Dad finds it funny, too. He’s proud of his hot wife.”

  “You’re like your mom in more ways than one.”

  “How so?”

  “You’re a flirt also.” Under my hold, I feel her go tense.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Oh, you are.”

  She loosens her arms around my waist slightly and, somehow, this conversation has wiped that smile off of her face. “I’m not a flirt. When do I flirt?” she questions, some might say demands.

  I should leave it, given her reaction, but it’s unnecessary for her to get defensive over something like this. “Tuesday, in Whole Foods, with that guy. When you were debating salmon and tuna steak and their omega three content, is one example.”

  “No, I wasn’t. I was correcting his incorrect information. That’s not flirting.”

  Now this is fucking weird. It’s not even a big deal, my tone alone suggests this, but she’s acting like I’m accusing her of a crime she hasn’t committed. She’s not on her period – I know that for certain – so I don’t really get what her problem is.

  “Brooklyn,” I say, with a little extra firmness in my voice, “don’t get upset, it’s not a big deal.”

  Her brows draw tight. “It’s not?”

  “No. Not to me it isn’t, anyway. You don’t even realize you do it.”

  “I don’t?” Her brows shoot up along with her pitch. I was actually aiming to put her at ease saying that. Instead she looks more confused and worried.

  “No. Like I said, it’s not a big deal.”

  She nods slowly. “Okay.”

  “Don’t agree and then stay upset.”

  “I just …” she shrugs her shoulders, “I don’t know.”

  “Do you think I was bothered?”

  “Some men don’t like that,” she mumbles.

  “Like what?”

  “Their girlfriend flirting with other men – not that I do, but you obviously think so.”

  “It’s not the same as coming onto someone. You don’t do that, and no, I wouldn’t like it if you did. Your mom is married. It was entertaining watching her with Gerard, but I could see she wasn’t coming onto him. He’d have known that, too.

  “You had a debate about salmon versus tuna steak and, yeah, you did flirt a little, but I also found that entertaining. In fact, it was quite impressive that flirting could form part of a discussion about omega three. It’s really not a problem. I’m proud of my hot girl, too.”

  Finally, she relaxes and the tension in her body goes. “Okay. Sorry,” she says, as she tightens her hold again and buries her face against the side of my neck.

  My mouth to her ear, I speak gently. “We should go inside, it’s cold.” I reposition her at my side.

  “Okay,” she says, combing her fingers through her hair, which has a center part and is laced with curls tonight.

  We head back inside.

  I approach and stand beside Tommy, who’s leaning forward with his forearms braced on the bar, waiting to be served. I position myself the same way, so I won’t have to compete too much with the music and voices filling the place. From here I can see Brooklyn over the other side, talking to Ella, Saffron, Su and Owen. At a table, close but far enough, Evelyn and Katie are sitting with Leona and Kayla.

  Tommy looks at me, frowning in question.

  “You’ve met my sister, right?”

  He glances over at Saffron. “Yeah.”

  “She annoys me sometimes,” I say, smiling because she does, “getting all up in my business, trying to take care of me and shit. Is Brooklyn like that with you?”

  Tommy appears confused, but that’s okay. His mouth starts to turn up at the corners. “She used to be. Still is sometimes. She liked to play the matchmaker, always wanting to pick my girlfriends.” He laughs to himself, bowing his head and burying his fingers in his hair in a way I imagine is probably subconscious, a little like the way Joe is always finger combing his hair back from his eyes. “I forgot about that,” he says, thoughtfully. “She likes Katie, so now she bugs me to make sure I’m treating her right.”

  The bartender approaches and Tommy makes his order, offering me a drink at the same time. I accept, and while we’re being served, I look across and catch Brooklyn gazing over at us. Unlike the first night I saw her watching me from across a bar, she doesn’t look away. Instead, she smiles. I do, too, and I’m aware of Evelyn watching Tommy and me also.

  The bartender turns away, I bring my focus back to the guy standing beside me.

  “I know you feel protective of Brooklyn, I can see that. I was an asshole with Saffron when we were younger, before she got with Adam. I was way over protective. She totally fucking hated me at one point.” She really did, I barely let the girl breathe.

  “Bit extreme,” Tommy says.

  “I was extreme.” I felt justified, but it wasn’t right. “It’s all good now, but I’d still do anything to protect her. I don’t expect you to believe me, you don’t know me, but I feel that way about Brooklyn – I’d do anything to protect her. Figured I’d tell you that, even though it probably won’t give you peace of mind. You’ve only got my word for it.”

  “It’s nothing personal, bruv. It’s just that she’s so far.”

  “I understand.”

  “I was about to come out
of the toilets when your sister had a go at you and your mate.”

  Fucking great!

  “It’s quite funny seeing two strapping lads being reduced to little boys by a pint-sized woman.” He laughs. “It’s obvious you both let her, which tells me more about you than what you just said. People say things they don’t mean all the time, and if you want me on your side you’ll say anything. So hearing your sister talk about what you feel for Brooklyn, and then listening to you telling your mate you don’t disrespect Brooklyn, reassures me more than anything you might say to me.” He shudders. “But we won’t talk about him fancying my mum. You’re right about it being gross. Nah, let’s leave it at that.”

  As the drinks are set out on the bar, and before I can respond to a reaction that went beyond what I expected, Brooklyn appears between us. She drapes one arm over my shoulders and the other over Tommy’s.

  “What you two talking about?” she asks, lowering her head to rest it sideways against my shoulder, hugging into me, and looking at her brother.

  “Annoying little sisters who interrupt men when they’re talking,” he says, teasing.

  “I’m not the annoying one. Nor am I the little one, lil’ bro.”

  “Even from this side of the pond you’re still annoying, you don’t know how not to be.” His playful gaze moves from Brooklyn to me. “Has she made you watch The Rocky Horror–”

  Brooklyn moves fast, one hand going over Tommy’s mouth, the other behind his head. “Shhh, shut up.”

  He pulls back, grasping her wrist and freeing his mouth. “Don’t let her do it to you, mate.”

  “Shut up, shit head.”

  He chuckles at her, still fighting off his sister’s attempts to silence him. “Blokes in suspenders and all this proper weird singing.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Brooklyn says, looking at me and giving up the fight, “it’s not weird. The term here is garters, not suspenders – get your facts straight,” she tells him.

  “It’s only a matter of time, bruv. Just don’t watch it with her and Lee, they take on the roles and sing along.”

  Brooklyn shakes her head as she tries to suppress her smile. “Don’t listen to him, I’m not gonna make you watch it.”