by Bria Marche
“Who says they won’t?”
“Me.”
“Isn’t that being a little egotistical? Do you have some indication that they’re going to be dueling over you?”
“Okay, it’s like this. I already know Erik likes me, and I think Brandon does, too. I mean, why would he ask me out to dinner on the first day I met him?”
“Maybe he wanted to make a new friend. You said he’s from Chicago. I haven’t met the guy, so I can’t form an opinion yet.”
“Right, but that’s where you come in. I want you to flirt with him so his focus will be on you. You’re gorgeous and outgoing, and you would make a perfect couple.”
“Cool… so now instead of arranged marriages, we’re starting a new trend… arranged dating? You’re nuts, Abs. If he likes me, he likes me, and vice-versa. Maybe I’ll think he sucks. I’m not doing it.”
“Fine, but you’ll be sorry as soon as you see how gorgeous he is.”
“I have a great idea. How about not worrying about it? He’s a tenant, and so is Erik. This isn’t two guys fighting to the death over a damsel in distress. Geez, you’re going off the deep end over this.”
Abby’s forehead exposed furrows of anxiety as she pondered Mel’s statement. “Maybe you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m overthinking everything.”
“That’s right, so let’s just sit here, enjoy the morning, and drink our coffee.”
***
Abby’s cell phone, buried deep in the pocket of her cargo shorts, rang out just after lunchtime. She had been relaxing on the lawn under the palmetto tree, having a beer with Erik, Adam, Mel, and Betsy. Lisa, who was only twenty, was indulging in a root beer. Lucille had a lunch date with a coworker, and Charles had gone for a walk to explore the neighborhood.
“Excuse me,” she said when she recognized the number as Brandon’s. She walked to the side yard to speak. “Hello, Brandon.”
“Hi, Abby. I just wanted to let you know I’m on my way. I’ve already checked out of the hotel, and I’ll be there in ten minutes. Is there room in the driveway for me to pull in? I have five boxes and a lot of clothes to unload.”
“Um… hang on, I’ll look.” Abby walked to the other side of the yard and peered over the side gate to see Mel and Adam’s cars squeezed tightly in the driveway. “I think you’ll be okay. Your car might hang over the sidewalk right now, but as long as you move it later, you should be fine.”
“Okay, see you in a few.”
Within ten minutes, a voice called out to Abby over the gate.
“Looks like your new tenant has arrived,” Erik said in a somber tone.
Abby got up and gave Erik a pensive look before trotting off to open the side gate for Brandon. The rest of the group remained lounging in the backyard and saw Brandon give Abby a hug as he passed through the gate.
“That’s awesome,” Erik said. He took a large swig of his beer and looked away.
Mel glanced at Erik and watched as the muscles tensed in his jaw.
“I’ll grab a few more beers. Everyone stay put.” Betsy ran off to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later as Abby was making the introductions.
“Everybody, this is Brandon Luck.”
Abby heard a small snicker from Erik’s direction.
“Brandon, you know Betsy and Adam already, and here are a few more people from the house. This is Erik, Melanie, and Lisa. There are two more tenants that I’ll introduce you to later when they get home. How about a beer? You can unload your car in a little bit.”
“Yeah, a beer sounds great. So what do all of you people do for a living?”
Melanie spoke up. “I work in a fashion design house downtown, Adam is a very talented artist who’s well known in Charleston, Betsy is our awesome chef, Erik is our highly skilled in-house tradesman, and sweet Lisa is a college student studying to be a pediatrician. The two missing people are Lucille, a professional who works in a computer processor company, and Charles, a city garbage truck driver.”
“Wow… quite a diverse crowd you’ve got here, Abby. An in-house handyman and a garbage man, that’s impressive.” Brandon shot a glance at Erik as he made the statement and chuckled.
“Yeah, do you have a problem with that?” Erik sat upright, stared directly at Brandon, and took another gulp of his beer. “You don’t need to bother unloading your car if you do. We’ll all be fine just the way things are.”
“Hey, down, boy.” Brandon smirked. “Just calling it as I see it.”
“So what do you do, hotshot?”
The air was thick with tension. Abby offered Brandon a seat on the bench, trying to keep him and Erik from having eye contact.
“To answer your question… what’s your name again?”
“It’s Erik.”
“Right… well, Erik, I’m a defense attorney from Chicago. I was just offered the position as a partner in a well-known law firm here in Charleston. Of course I couldn’t pass up such a great, high-paying position as partner at my age. I’ll admit Chicago winters are brutal, too. This will be an exciting change for me. I’m looking forward to learning more about Charleston and the beautiful people I’ve met here.”
Abby quickly looked away before Brandon locked eyes with her. She knew full well who he was talking about, and she also knew that he was trying to push Erik’s buttons.
“If you’re done with your beer, Brandon, we can get your stuff upstairs so you can move your car.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I think I’ve temporarily worn out my welcome.”
“Why do you need to help him move in, Abby?” Erik asked.
“Erik, please… I just need to unlock the bedroom door and give him his keys. I’ll be back out in a few minutes.”
“So what do you guys think of Mr. Hotshot?” Erik asked as they watched Abby and Brandon walk away together toward the side gate.
“At first glance, I think he’s kind of arrogant,” Melanie said. “Not the sort of guy I’d be interested in, even though he’s hot.”
“He is hot,” Lisa agreed, “but yeah, I can tell he’s full of himself.”
“Did I go too far?” Erik asked, shaking his head and angry with himself for putting Abby in the middle of the testosterone takedown.
“Sort of, dude. You need to dial it back a little,” Adam said.
“Sorry, guys, my bad. I’ll be cordial to Mr. Luck from now on. What a stupid name, right? I’ll get some more beverages. Betsy, do you care if I bring out a bag of chips, too?”
“Not at all, go ahead.”
***
“Guess I didn’t make a very good impression with the stud outside, did I?” Brandon said. “What’s his problem anyway?”
“Erik doesn’t have a problem. You tell me. Is this some kind of male dominance thing?”
“Got me… anyway, how about dinner tonight?”
“Sure, around the table with everyone else. That’s one of my house rules here. First night is always at home with the newest person meeting all the other tenants. It’s a good way to introduce yourself in a more civil manner and meet the people who aren’t home from work yet.”
“Then how about one night next week?” He showed her his pleading puppy dog eyes.
“Okay, I’ll think about it… maybe Wednesday.”
Chapter Seventeen
Erik promised to keep his distance from Brandon for Abby’s sake. The two men rarely crossed paths anyway except at dinner, and they sat at opposite ends of the table. The work in the backyard was nearly complete, and only a few plants needed to be added. The pergola was finished, and other than adding miscellaneous garden art—courtesy of Adam’s talent—there wasn’t much left to do.
“Abby, do you want to tag along to the garden center? I think we need to fill in a few spots with large plants and, of course, something that will grow fast and climb the pergola. What do you think of American wisteria? It’s less invasive than Chinese wisteria and grows quickly. It can cover the pergola within a year. Do you want to take a look?”
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“I love wisteria. You mean the lavender kind, right?”
“Yeah, it’s really pretty and has a sweet fragrance. I’ll get the van. It’s a block down the street. Maybe I’ll even get lucky enough to have you join me for lunch.”
“It depends.”
“Really, on what?” He grinned at her with his arms folded across his muscular chest.
“On how good you are at finding some gorgeous wisteria. I’ll be ready in a second. Just honk when you’re out front.”
Abby oohed and aahed at the colorful flowers and shrubs once they arrived at the garden center. She found several sets of wind chimes whose melodies sounded beautiful in the breeze. She pictured the chimes hanging from the new pergola.
“Erik, if I bought a few of these, would you hang them on the pergola for me?”
He lightly brushed the hair from her eyes. The wind was strong today. “Of course I would, but hand them over, they’re my treat.”
“No way, you’ve done enough.”
“With you, it’s never enough. Come on. Put those in a basket, and let’s find the wisteria.” He laughed when she punched his arm.
They talked to a garden specialist who directed them to the shrubs and climbing plants.
“Here they are. What do you think?” Erik led Abby to an arbor loaded with wisteria hanging down like clusters of grapes.
“Oh my gosh, they’re beautiful. How many can we plant?”
“Let’s get three for each side of the pergola. I’m pretty sure they’ll fill in quickly.”
Erik paid for the plants and loaded everything into the van. They left to find someplace to eat.
“The garden center was fun,” Abby said as Erik drove through town looking for a place to have lunch. “It made me feel like we’re a couple shopping together.” She looked at him with an enormous smile before she realized what she’d just said.
“We could be. All you have to do is say the word.” Erik’s serious tone told her he felt a lot more than just friendship toward her.
“Oh… sorry, I wasn’t trying to imply anything. I guess it was the excitement over the wisteria. Let’s eat here. This place looks interesting.”
Erik pulled into the parking lot of a small diner. “Are you sure? This place looks like a dive.”
“Exactly. What fun, right?”
They sat in a booth and asked for iced tea as they browsed the menus. Each ordered a turkey club with a side of fries.
Erik reached across the table and took Abby’s hand. “You aren’t going to make life easy for me, are you?”
“What does that mean?” she asked, beginning to squirm on the cracked vinyl seat.
“We could have something special together. I can feel it in my heart. You’re holding out on me, and believe me when I say Brandon is going to keep pushing. He can afford to live anywhere, so why would he put up with a houseful of people when he doesn’t need to? It’s all about winning you over, and we both know it. I don’t have a good feeling about him. Are you actually interested in Brandon?”
“Going out to dinner with him now and then doesn’t hurt.” She paused while the hostess set their food down and topped off their glasses with iced tea.
“What do you see in him? You know he isn’t genuine. It’s the game he’s interested in. So you are going out with him again?”
“Whatever…so you’re saying I don’t have enough good qualities of my own to have somebody want to go out with me without an agenda? Gee, thanks. What is it with men? Why does everything revolve around them? Anyway, it’s complicated. I don’t know if I’m ready to be in a relationship with anyone right now.”
“I’m sorry, and I should shut up, but you sound like someone who’s had a bad experience. Is that what’s wrong?”
“Let’s just say I have trust issues. I’m living in the moment. That’s the best I can do. Maybe someday, I’ll tell you a little more about myself, but today isn’t that day.”
“I don’t mean to be a downer. I just want you to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll never lie to you, and you can trust me with your life. That, Abby, you can take to the bank.”
What irony, she thought as she bit into her sandwich. “Thank you, Erik. That’s a nice thing to say. I really appreciate you, but I need time to think.”
***
Abby set the five-gallon pots in place along the pergola while Erik cut through the soil with a posthole digger, dumping the dirt into a wheelbarrow.
“What’s going on out here?” The familiar voice was just five feet away. Brandon stood outside in his thousand-dollar suit, guzzling a beer as he watched, clearly amused. “Abby, don’t you think manual labor should be left to the help? I mean, he’s getting room and board to do the work, isn’t he?”
“Hi, Brandon. Actually, I’m having fun. I like gardening. You should try it sometime.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. What would clients think if they saw me with dirt under my nails?”
“They might think you’re a real man instead of a coddled city boy,” Erik snarled in Brandon’s direction.
“Right… that’s a good comment coming from the handyman who has to barter services for his room because he can’t afford to pay rent.”
Before Abby even realized what happened, a blur whizzed by her, and Erik was on top of Brandon, punching him in the face.
“Erik, stop! What are you doing? Somebody help me, please!” she yelled toward the house.
Erik and Brandon, equally matched, rolled through the yard, throwing wild punches that occasionally connected. Charles and Adam ran outside to see what the commotion was. Betsy took up the rear with the garden hose in hand. She twisted the brass nozzle to the strongest stream and let both men have it with ice-cold water. “You want to fight like dogs, you’re going to get hosed down like dogs,” she yelled.
They sputtered and swore at each other as Abby squeezed her body between them, trying to separate the two. “Knock it off, for Pete’s sake. What in the world is wrong with you, Erik?”
“Now I’m to blame? That jerk has been taunting me for the last week, and I haven’t said a word. Do you have any idea how hard it is not to kick his teeth in, Abby?”
“Yeah, come on, Neanderthal. Show me what you’ve got.” Brandon brushed the back of his hand across his bloody nose.
“Stop it, both of you!”
“You’re paying for this suit, asshole, and I’m filing battery charges against you. Did you forget I’m an attorney?”
“That’s pretty hard to forget since you remind us of it daily, you jerk. You know what it means when people have to constantly build up their own ego, don’t you?”
Betsy whispered into Adam’s ear, “What does it mean?”
“It’s a sign of insecurity. He probably has a small package.” Adam grinned at Betsy’s wide-eyed expression.
“Both of you go your separate ways, please. I don’t want to talk to either of you right now.” Abby sat on the bench with her face in her hands and cried.
Betsy scooted in next to her after Brandon marched into the house, and Erik grabbed the posthole digger, pounding it into the dirt. Betsy put her arm around Abby’s shoulder and held her close.
“Betsy, this means one of them is going to have to move out. I can’t afford to have trouble between them. The neighbors probably heard the commotion. I don’t even have permits to run a boardinghouse. Somebody has to go before I end up paying fines.”
***
Silence filled the air at dinnertime. Abby spoke up since nobody else was talking. She had already told Melanie, Lisa, and Lucille what happened between Brandon and Erik so the women wouldn’t be surprised to hear what she was going to say. “One of you has to go. I’m trying to run a peaceful household and give the image of serenity and friendship between all my tenants, and for some reason, you two can’t seem to get over yourselves. I thought everyone living here would behave like adults, but I was wrong. It’s between the two of yo
u to decide, and I’ll be expecting an answer at breakfast.”
“You don’t have to wait that long. I’m leaving tonight,” Erik said, storming out of the dining room.
“Cool… that takes care of our problems. Melanie, would you please pass the pork chops?” Brandon said.
Abby got up and prepared two plates of food. “Betsy, please bring a bottle of wine to my room and two glasses. My hands are kind of full.” Abby walked out of the dining room, carrying a plate in each hand.
“Humph… that didn’t go the way I thought it would.” Brandon smirked as he sawed through his pork chop.
“Yeah, if you didn’t act like such an ass, none of this would be happening right now,” Melanie said, scowling at him.
“What do you know? You weren’t even here.”
“Best friends confide in each other, Brandon. Do you know what a best friend is?”
***
Erik heard footsteps pass by his room. He listened to each step as Abby took the stairs to her room above him. Great. Now I made her lose her appetite. He heard another set of footsteps pass by, going to the third floor, and then two sets coming back down. A knock sounded on his door. The other footsteps got fainter as the sound faded down the hallway.
“Erik, may I come in?”
“I’m not in the mood for company, Abby, and I have to pack.”
“I’m coming in anyway so please don’t be naked.” She opened the door and peeked her head in. “Damn it, I could only hope.”
He laughed. “Come in,” he said with a sigh as he plopped down on the edge of his bed.
“I have a better idea. Come with me.” She took his hand and led him to the third floor.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going to enjoy dinner privately, without any drama or Brandon’s smart mouth. I know he does everything he can to insult you, and frankly, I’m tired of listening to him. You and I are going to have some alone time where it’s quiet and peaceful.”
“I’ve never been in your room. Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. You aren’t the boogeyman.” She opened the door to her enormous bedroom, the room that used to be Charlotte’s master suite. Two plates and a bottle of red wine were sitting on the large table overlooking White Point Garden and the Ashley River.