by Joyce Jordan
“Morning sis.”
She went to the stove and served herself some scrambled eggs, bacon and slipped two slices of bread in the toaster. She took a mug and poured herself some coffee and sipped while she waited for her toast. When it was done, she buttered it and added jelly then went to join Sam and Serenity.
“Serenity was just telling me you are thinking of going to visit her in Orlando now that she is settled in. I hope you are not thinking of driving?” Sam asked.
“Sorry, it slipped out.” Serenity apologized.
“Serenity drive from Orlando to here, what’s the difference with me driving from here to Orlando?”
“Serenity has done it a few times and so is a little used to it. Not that I like it. But you have never been behind the wheel for that length of time and you are my little sister, that’s the difference.”
“You realise I am a twenty four year old woman?”
“And your point?”
“Not so little?”
“You may be twenty four, but you are still my little sister. End of discussion. If you want to go, you will have to fly.”
“Oh really? How will you stop me?”
“Moira you don’t want to go there.”
Serenity who had been quiet all along suddenly jumped up and grabbed Moira. “You know what, we better get ready and be on our way, otherwise we will be late for our appointment.”
“God save me from big brothers with big egos,” Moira screammed as soon as they were back in her bedroom.
“Sorry, Moira. I forgot what Sam is like and let that piece of information slip out.”
“It’s okay. Eventually it would have happened, but I was hoping to tell him while I was already on the road.”
She giggled. “You know he would have been mad and would have probably come to drive you back.”
Moira laughed until her belly ached. “I guess you are right, didn’t think that far.” She sighed and looked at her friend. “You are lucky you get to do what you like. With Sam watching my every move, it will be another decade before he will even allow me to move out and get my own place, let alone drive anywhere outside of Miami.”
“Well, at least he cares about you. I have a blood brother who doesn’t give a shit about me. Heck I have no idea where he is half the time.”
Moira went to hug her friend. “Sorry, Serenity. I feel so ungrateful. I know how hard a time you have with Richard. Is he in rehab right now?”
“Yes, as of two weeks ago,” she replied wearily. “My parents are heart broken and don’t know how to help him. I don’t know how to help him. I can’t deal anymore with his lies. I don’t think he is ready yet. He keeps falling off the wagon and this back and forth doesn’t help him or my parents either. All they are doing is forking out money for rehab when Richard isn’t…” Serenity started crying and couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Shhh. Sorry. I know. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“Not your fault. But thanks for letting me cry it out. I keep thinking it will get better, but it never does. And it’s hard to see him tumbling down everytime he is out of rehab.” She sniffed and took a huge breath. “Now, let’s change topics and go for some retail therapy. It’s been too long since we shopped together. I was trying to settle in Orlando and you were trying to finish off your training so you could start with Stu.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I haven’t seen the inside of a mall for well over three months. I’m just afraid I will go overboard and buy everything in sight. If my closet was big enough, I just might.”
A little over an hour later, both girls were on their way. Sam was nowhere to be seen, so they assumed he was in his room, probably sleeping and finding other ways to torture her, Mayra thought to herself. They started by getting their hair and nails done before they took the mall by storm. Loaded with lots of packages they made their way back to their car and home. They found Sam flipping channels, already dressed for work.
He smirked when he saw them bringing in their shopping. “Did you leave anything for others?”
Typical man. “Shopping is what we women do. One day you will understand, and I sure hope you marry a shopaholic.”
The girls laughed when they saw him shiver. “Would surely serve you right,” Serenity added.
“Well, I guess I better be on my way before I am subjected to a modeling show. I’ll see you girls when you show up. Ben will let you in when you come.” And with that, Sam was out of the apartment before either of them could respond.
As Serenity threw herself on the sofa, she said to Moira, “I guess we really did torture him with our modeling shows over the years.” She giggled. “If I had known we could have prevented his escape and done some revenge on him for this morning.”
“Don’t worry about that. We will, later at the club tonight.”
“Oh! Girfriend, what do you have in mind?”
“Let’s get something to eat while I tell you,” Moira responded.
Moira cooked and delegated Serenity to cutting vegetables and making the salad. The only thing Serenity could cook well was breakfast, and she sometimes ate that for all three meals of the day. Moira wanted something substantial especially with the drinking they were planning on doing later that night, they both needed a full stomach. Falling sick wasn’t on the agenda. She made spaghetti and meatballs, and heated the garlic bread that she took from the freezer.
Chapter Eight
Conrad woke to a splitting headache the next morning. It took a moment before he remembered the events of the previous night. Dinner with Moira, followed by some amazing kisses after she had thrown some boyfriend into his face then he had met Lucas and drank himself to oblivion. He couldn’t even remember how he got home. Apparently Lucas had brought him back.
Next he heard his door opening and someone opening his blinds. “What the fuck!”
“That’s what happens when you allow a woman to mess up with your head. Here drink this,” the voice said to him and placed a tall glass into his hands. The contents were cold and Conrad didn’t even want to ask what was in it.
“That tasted like shit.”
“Well, you will be thanking me for that shit in a short while.”
Conrad finally opened his eyes and glanced at his friend Lucas who was grinning from ear to ear like a fool. “Care to share the joy?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Look outside. The weather seems to be cooperating so we should be on our way and it will be smooth sailing for us.”
Conrad glared at him. “You still want to go out?”
“Well yes, and you promised, so no backing out now. It’s just going to be the two of us. And since you were out last night you can finish the story about the beautiful Moira. After all she led you to drink and I had to clean up after you and drag your sorry ass home.”
“Are you saying I threw up?” Conrad asked surprised. That was so juvenile. “And please wipe that grin off your face. It’s sickening,” he added.
Lucas being Lucas, grinned even wider, if that were possible. “No my friend. But you were about to start a bar fight, you were really just itching for it. You are lucky we were in a private area otherwise I think you may have found some videos on YouTube this morning.”
“Thanks for bringing me home, but I think I need to bail out on you because I wouldn’t be good company anyway,” Conrad said as he got up and walked to the kitchen to make some coffee.
Lucas watched Conrad make coffee and pull two mugs from the upper shelf. He sat at the kitchen island and played with his phone, smiling as he watched the images he was looking at.
Conrad brought him a mug, which he placed in front of Lucas. “You know that grin on your face is starting to really annoy me. Seems like you have something else to say, so why don’t you just say it.”
“You know I love you like a brother?” he asked.
“Lucas, just spit it out. You are starting to act like a woman.”
“Well, I was hoping I wouldn’t have
to resort to this, but if you bail out on me, then I will have to publish your pictures from last night online. Here see for yourself,” he grinned even wider as he pushed his cellphone towards Conard.
Conrad froze. “You said there were no pictures.” He picked up the offending mobile and flicked through the pictures.
“On my phone yes, online no,” he replied with his grin.
“So now you are blackmailing me?”
Laughing, “Come on, I wouldn’t say something that strong. Just some strong encouragement from one brother to another,” he responded.
Conrad placed his empty mug in the sink. “You are so full of shit. Give me thirty to shower and get ready.” He turned and walked towards his bedroom. “And so you know, I will return the favor one of these days,” Conrad shouted as he got to the door.
“Duly warned. I will be on my best behaviour going forward,” Lucas shouted back and went to refill his mug with more coffee.
An hour later they had arrived at the marina and were making their way to Lucas’ yatch, the ‘Evangeline’, named after his mother. “I can’t believe I allowed you to blackmail me,” Conrad said for the hundreth time since they had left his apartment.
“We are here aren’t we? Now let’s just have a good day. We are lucky to have such weather at this time of the year. Probably won’t last the whole day either.”
As soon as they were on board the captain and his crew took over and they were sailing in no time. After an hour they anchored and Conrad and Lucas checked their equipment before they jumped into the ocean for some deep sea diving. As they came back up onboard Conrad was glad he had come after all. Not that he was ready to admit to Lucas, but this was what he needed. Some guy time with his best friend, doing something normal would surely help getting Moira out of his mind. As soon as he was out of his suit, he grabbed a beer and went to join Lucas who was already sitting at the table where the chef was bringing them lunch.
“Feel better?” Lucas asked.
“Are you asking as my friend, or my therapist?”
“Friend. But we may as well get into the therapy session. Time to spill your guts and let Dr. Corinthos help you out.”
“Can I at least eat in peace?”
“Sure, we have all day after all.” Lucas smiled with glee.
Conrad shook his head and thought about the good days, when he had met Lucas, and wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t become friends. They had met in college when they realized they were being played by the same girl then turned the tables on the girl. When she found out that they knew, she had thought they would fight over her, but sadly they didn’t and thus their friendship had been born. And became as close as brothers as anyone can be without the blood relationship. They had studied hard, partied harder and slept with anyone with a pussy. They worked hard to avoid relationships and were always careful with whoever they slept with.
“She told me she was already in a long term relationship with some older guy,” he started.
“If he is an older guy, he probably has money. Anyone we know? What’s his name?”
“I doubt that. Someone called Freddie Rabbit. She calls him Mr. Rabbit.”
“What kind of a name is that?” Lucas asked laughing.
“Don’t know man,” Conrad responded as he grabbed another beer bottle from the cooler box. “I asked the same thing. And something didn’t ring right when she said his name.”
“You should trust your instincts. Did you ask Phil to do a background check on this dude?” Lucas asked seeing the frown on his friend’s face.
“No, I was royally pissed last night. Not once, have I ever had a woman say no to me. I actually have a hard time trying to fight off some women and she wouldn’t give me the time of day. It took my chasing her to the café before she would even agree to do dinner with me. Am I losing my touch or something?”
“So that’s why you were asking about how long it takes to discuss food. I’m assuming this was tied to her,” he said with a laugh.
Conrad told him how she had made him pay for dessert for the whole company for Friday’s lunch and he rolled over laughing. Conrad couldn’t help laughing too. He shook his head thinking of how he had stood there as she had made the outragious claim and gotten away with it.
“I think now I have to meet her,” he said as he laughed. “How much was dessert?”
Lucas almost chocked as he sprayed the table with the beer he had just drank when he head Conrad say, “$5,087.01 and if I add our dinner it’s over $5,500. That’s how much Moira has cost me so far.”
“Well, shit! Not that you cannot afford it, but shit. That girl has some balls. She takes blackmail to a whole new level.”
“I know. The two of you could be brother and sister,” he agreed and grinned at Lucas. “Could teach you a few lessions if I might add.”
“Set up an introduction,” he grinned back. The yatch was now just sailing along the coast and they could see a lot more boats and yatchs making their way to sea. “I didn’t know that people ate dessert everyday?” Lucas said with a frown. “Even I own hotels, but not all my guests always order dessert.
“Not usually, but since she joined the company that caters for my company I hear more and more employees are having desserts. My dad has deliveries from her twice a week. Of what I have tasted so far, she knows her stuff.”
“This gets better and better. You think I can poach her?”
“Not now. She told me she was where she wanted to be right now. She took a couple years after school to study under some famous chefs here in Miami, even did a couple months stint in Vegas and LA.”
“Fair enough. How about I sample some of her stuff and make an offer and if she refuses, just keep it open ended. I am now very curious to meet her.”
Conrad looked at Lucas and realized he was serious. Sighing he agreed because he knew his friend would find a way to meet her regardless.“Alright. You can come for lunch one day next week, just not Monday. Not a good day for me.”
They docked back sometime late afternoon. Lucas dropped Conrad before he proceeded to his place.
Conrad took a shower to wash away the salt from the day out at sea. He sat down and flipped channels until he found a game to watch. As engrossing as it was, his mind still kept wondering to Moira. The day with Lucas had helped some, but now that he was alone, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He hadn’t planned on going out tonight. And had actually declined Lucas’ offer to join him later. But now with none of the sport channels holding his attention, staying home wasn’t looking like such a good idea after all.
He tried to think of a time his mind had wondered and been engrossed with a woman. He came up empty handed. Why now, he kept asking himself. What did Moira have that none of the other women didn’t have?
Chapter Nine
As the cab dropped off Moira and Serenity they found there was already a long line outside the club. As they walked to the front of the line they heard some people on line grumble. Ben saw them and opened the door for them.
“Wow! Remind me to tell Sam never to quit his job. This may be enough reason for me to come back to Miami. Free entrance into the club and royal treatment too. Can’t get better that this.”
“Except free drinks. And unfortunately Sam refused to pay our tab for that.”
“Yeah, but I am sure we can get a few guys to buy a few drinks here and there,” Serenity replied as they checked their coats before aiming for the bar. The club was already pumping, the music loud and shaking the floor.
“I need a couple of shots before I go on the dance floor,” Moira said as they found a couple of empty stools.
Serenity screamed like a little girl when they heard a voice behind them say, “My favorite girls finally made it.” They both turned to find Jeff Myers grinning and opening his arms wide for them. Serenity jumped into his arms and Moira rolled her eyes.
“My favorite almost boyfriend,” she replied. “Moira told me you would meet us here. How are
you doing?”
“You know me. I am a survivor, although I am not so sure how long I am going to survive with the murderous eyes I have been getting lately from my boss,” he replied.
“Why would your boss want to murder you? Unless… did you came onto his wife or girlfriend?” Serenity asked.
Jeff looked at Moira and found her squirming in her seat. “Moira you want to tell your friend here what’s going on?”
“She knows. Besides nothing is going on. And I don’t need that shit today. We came here to have some fun. So you are either in or out.”
“Fair enough. We can talk about that some other time. I’ll buy you your first round,” he said and called the bartender.
Moira did three back to back shots then made her way with Serenity to the dance floor. It wasn’t packed yet, so they found space easily and were soon dancing. A couple of guys soon found permanent spots next to them. Feeling thirsty Moira made her way back to the bar for a glass of water. The guy dancing with her followed and introduced himself, but Moira didn’t catch his name. Didn’t matter because she didn’t expect to be going home with him. Besides he wouldn’t even make it through the front door with Sam. Moira wondered how she had even managed to have and keep boyfriends before. It seemed Sam wanted to keep her a virgin, in his mind he probably thought she still was.
“So you want to come home with me?” her dance partner asked. Moira looked him up and down and saw the arousal that his tight pants could not hide. If she were another girl she might have been flattered by it. But seriously, after one dance, and not even a drink, he already wanted her in his bad?
“No, she is not coming home with you. Bugger off,” brother Sam to the rescue said as she was about to tell the guy off herself.
“She is with me. Who are you?” her dance partner asked.
“Someone you don’t want to mess with,” Sam replied and moved into his personal space.