The Brooklyn Book Boyfriends

by Kayley Loring

  She gives me a look. “You’re kidding, right?”

  I nod once. I get it. I deserve that. “If you’ve got plans for the rest of the day and tomorrow, you need to change them.”

  She blinks. “Why?”

  “Because we’re going to take care of this.”

  She blurts out some kind of laugh. “What? The house is in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor, Michigan.”

  “I am aware of where Ann Arbor is located.”

  “Wait, so … you’re saying you want to go with me to Ann Arbor? To deal with this asshole?”

  “Yeah. I’ll book us a flight out of Laguardia. Fly into Detroit, right? What’s that, like a two-hour flight?”

  “Yes.” She looks so confused, but I am so clear on my mission.

  “Let’s go to our apartments to shower and change. A noon flight should be easy to make. Work for you?”

  “Chase. Why would you do this when you’ve barely been speaking to me the past few weeks?”

  “Because your family has a problem and I can fix it. Because I care about you. Because having boundaries and priorities and causes for concern doesn’t mean that I don’t have feelings or memories or desires or goals or needs. Because I want you to be happy. That okay with you?”

  Her lower lip quivers. Her pretty deep blue eyes are moist. She nods her head, and I walk out to check out flights on my laptop.

  I’ve got a buddy who’s a badass lawyer in Detroit, but I’ve known assholes like this guy, assholes who won’t listen to reason. They only respect one thing, and I cannot wait to be the guy who shoves that thing in his face.

  19

  Aimee

  I can’t believe I’m in Michigan with Chase McKay.

  There are weekends where I don’t even leave my apartment, but it’s only Saturday afternoon and already I’ve gotten drunk on margaritas, made out with a guy that I’m crazy about, barfed, worked, slept, showered, and flown on a plane to my hometown. I am crushing it!

  I wish we were here for a more pleasant reason, and I’m a little nervous about what it will be like when he comes face-to-face with the turd who’s being a dick to my mother, but I am so grateful and turned-on that I sort of hope I get to see Chase give that asshole what he deserves.

  My mom has described this man—Jason—as “tall and strong and not very polite.” It’s not like either of the felonies that he was convicted for were violent, but he still sounds like trouble. When I called to tell my mom that a male friend and I are coming to deal with this, she said, “Oh Aimee, you never told us you have a boyfriend! What’s he like?!” As if she didn’t have a squatter making her life hell right now. As if I could call Chase my boyfriend, or come even close to describing what he’s like in words.

  Chase spent most of the flight working on his laptop, while I slept and rehydrated. Once we land, he leans across the armrests and says, “C’mere,” before kissing me. Just like that, I’m flying again. He finally asks me about how I handled the Nora situation. When I’m done explaining and tell him that Nora and the across-the-hall guy are actually dating now, he kisses me again, eyes sparkling.

  “You’re good,” he says.

  “At what?”

  “At being a person.”

  That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

  Especially within twenty-four hours of me hurling.

  We rent a car, and I insist on driving to my parents’ house. We have to stop by there first, to pick up the key to the income property. Despite clearly being uncomfortable with a woman driving him, Chase is more relaxed and polite about it than most of the men I’ve driven around Michigan—including my dad.

  “What are your parents like?” he asks.

  “Kind. Nerdy. My mom’s an English professor and my dad’s a scientist. He mostly does research in molecular biology at the university. They were college sweethearts. Mary and Richard Gilpin.”

  “And you’re an only child?”

  “Yes. You?”

  “Yes.” He reaches over to rest his hand on my thigh. “You live in Ann Arbor your whole life?”

  “Until I moved to New York. You haven’t been before, have you?”

  “No, but I drove down to Detroit with some friends for a concert once, in high school.”

  “Which one?”

  “Chris Cornell at the Fillmore.”

  “Oh God. When he hung himself here, it was all anyone was talking about for a week. So sad.”

  “He had an incredible voice.”

  “Yeah …” I wait an appropriate and respectful amount of time before saying: “You know, when I first saw you, I thought you were the lead singer of a grunge band or something.”

  He laughs. “You wouldn’t be the first. Maybe in my next life.”

  “I never would have guessed you’re a CEO entrepreneur with a business and law degree, but it just makes you so … interesting … and hawt.”

  He looks out the passenger window, silent, and for a moment I completely regret saying that. Did I insult him? It was meant to be a huge compliment.

  He squeezes my thigh. “You want to know what I thought when I first saw you?”

  “Oh God, I don’t know. Do I? What?”

  “I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and I thought to myself: ‘Wow. So this is what love at first sight feels like.’”

  I slam on the brakes.

  Fortunately, we’re on a side street and no one is behind us.

  “Jesus.”

  He looks over at me. “You okay?”

  I shake my head. “Wow, when you talk, you really say stuff, don’t you?”

  “Sorry if I don’t talk enough.”

  “I am not complaining.”

  “You should probably drive, though.”

  “Right.” I step on the gas, just as another car turns onto the street. “We’re almost at my parents’ house. Last chance to get out and run back to the airport.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting the people who made you,” he says, smiling.

  I check the rearview mirror, disappointed that there’s a car behind me, because I desperately want to stop and make out with Chase again before seeing my mom and dad.

  My parents still live in the house I grew up in, in the Old West Side. It’s a lovely treelined street. All historic houses with front porches and polite, friendly neighbors.

  It’s not until I’m knocking on the front door that it occurs to me—my parents might be a little surprised by the kind of guy Chase is, or the way he looks, anyway. I immediately feel guilty for even having the thought, and protective of him. I take his hand and squeeze it.

  We can hear my mom yelling for my dad, from just behind the door. She’s jumping up and down and reaching out to hug me even before she’s completely opened the door.

  “My baby! This is such a wonderful surprise!”

  “Hi Mom.”

  “We both woke up feeling so crappy and now you’re here and we’re so happy. Oh look at that! I just rhymed!”

  “My mom’s a regular Dr. Seuss. Mom, this is my friend from New York, Chase McKay.”

  Chase steps out from behind me. “Hello.”

  “Ooohh!” My mother clutches her chest and giggles and blushes. “Oh my! Hellooo.”

  Oh God.

  “Well, aren’t you nice-looking.”

  Oh no.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Professor Gilpin.” Chase shakes hands with my mother. He’s wearing his jacket, so his tattoos aren’t visible, but his genius is. Calling my mother “Professor Gilpin” even off-campus is the way to her heart. So is looking like the lead singer of a grunge band, apparently.

  “Oh please, call me Mary.” She looks at me. “He has such beautiful hair! So nice-looking! And you’re a lawyer?!”

  Chase is trying so hard not to laugh.

  “He’s the CEO of a legal tech—you know what—we’ll talk about this later.”

  I widen my eyes at her. Calm down.

  “Who’s ni
ce-looking?!”

  “Richard! Aimee’s here, and she’s brought her friend Chase!”

  “They’re here already?!” My dad shuffles to the door. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad in a hurry in his life. “Aww, there’s my girl.”

  “Come in! Come inside!” My mom waves us in.

  “Actually, we just came to get the key from you and then we’re going to take care of, you know. The thing. We’ll see you afterwards.”

  “Gimme a hug.” My dad comes onto the porch to hug me. I can feel it when he looks over at Chase. “Well, now.” He lets go of me. “I see you brought us a beefcake New York rock star to kick some butt.”

  “Dad!” I turn to Chase. “I’m horrified.”

  “It’s good to meet you, Professor Gilpin. I’m happy to kick some butt for a good cause, but I’m hardly a rock star.”

  “Well, I’ve been wanting to kick that guy’s butt, but Mary here won’t let me.”

  “Oh. Pssh!” My mom hands me the key for the house. “I feel so badly about this. I don’t want you to get hurt, Chase. I mean, I don’t think Jason has a gun or anything, he’s just a bit of a dick, as Aimee would say. Aimee—you stay in the car.”

  “Aimee will definitely be staying away from the house when Jason is there, and I don’t intend to use physical force unless it’s necessary. Otherwise my business and law degrees were a waste of time. But I have a feeling it might be necessary with that guy.”

  I can literally see the wheels turning in my mom’s head and cartoon hearts flying around as she’s picturing what our kids will look like.

  “True dat,” my dad says.

  “Dad. Don’t say ‘true dat.’ Ever.”

  “Sorry, honey. Word.”

  “We have to go.”

  “Mary, you should call a locksmith to go to the house and meet us there as soon as possible. We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come join us, okay?”

  My mother clasps her hands together in front of her chest and nods.

  “Please don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” Chase takes my hand and leads me down the porch steps.

  “You call us if you need anything!”

  I turn back to my dad. “Will do!”

  My mom mouths to me: “He’s so handsome!”

  “I know!” I mouth back.

  “I’m going to grow my hair long!” my dad stage whispers, loud enough for Chase to hear.

  Chase has me pull over to park across the street and half a block down from the house in question. There’s a shiny truck parked in the driveway, so it looks like Jason is there now.

  “Aww, man! I wanna watch!”

  “You can watch from here. I don’t want you in the street in case this guy drives off really fast. And I don’t want him to see a car pull up in the driveway. Where’s your phone?”

  I pull it out of my pocket.

  “I’m texting you the contact info for my buddy Lars. He’s an attorney here in Detroit. If shit goes down, you call him and tell him you’re my girlfriend. He knows we’re here. Hang tight.”

  I grab his arm. “Say that again.”

  He laughs, as he looks at his phone. “I told him you’re my girlfriend. You know. Made it easier to ask him for a favor.”

  I smash my lips against his cheek. “I love you!” I blurt out. And then I cover my mouth, because shit what did I just say?

  “I love you too,” Chase says, like we’ve been saying it to each other forever.

  In some way, I guess we have.

  “Oh my God, please be careful.”

  “It’ll be fine. Trust me. But leave the engine running, just in case.”

  He gets out of the car, removes his jacket and leaves it in the passenger seat. I guess he figures he looks more badass when his ink is showing and he is absolutely right. He strides toward the house, looking like a beefcake rock star who’s about to kick some butt. I watch until he has reached the front door and uses the key to go inside. He leaves the front door open.

  “Oh my God oh my God oh my God,” I mutter to myself.

  My hands are trembling as I text my parents to let them know that we are here.

  I text Roxy, to let her know that we just said “I love you” to each other.

  Roxy immediately replies with dancing lady, raising hands, heart and party popper emojis.

  My mom replies with heart, bride and groom and baby emojis. I really don’t know if she has her priorities straight right now. But it still makes me happy.

  Whatever this is between Chase McKay and me, no matter how frustrating it has been for me to get to this point—it works for me. In the way that breakfast for dinner works for me. I am so ready to eat a big stack of pancakes with this man tonight.

  I don’t even know how long I’ve been sitting here daydreaming with a dumb smile on my face, but all of a sudden, I see a man speed-walking out the door of the house my mother owns. He’s carrying a toolbox and an overflowing duffel bag, and he is quickly followed by Chase, who is holding a bunch of power tools and looks enraged. I roll down the passenger window a crack so I can hear them.

  The man tosses his stuff into the back of his truck and gets into the driver’s seat, slamming the door shut. Chase dumps the power tools in the back of the truck and points at him: “The rest of your shit will be returned to your parents—who care about you even though you’re a fucking asshole!” He goes around to the driver’s side and bangs on the window. “If I hear you so much as drove past this house or did anything in any way to damage this property or upset the Gilpins again, I will hunt you down and beat your ass and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Do. You. Understand?!” He pounds on the roof of the truck. “Get out of here!”

  The guy flips him off as he backs out of the driveway, tires squealing. Chase flips him the bird right back, all the way down to the end of the driveway, for as long as it takes the guy to drive down the block. My heart is racing.

  I wait until the truck has turned onto a cross street before slowly driving up to the driveway. Chase is waiting in the doorway for me. He is trying to catch his breath, but he nods and waves for me to join him. I look around to see if any neighbors are watching. If they are, they’re doing it from inside their homes. I run inside the house to join him, throwing my arms around him.

  “That was amazing!”

  “That guy really was a dick, but he was also a dumbass.”

  “Did you have to fight him? Are you okay?!”

  “I just went after him so fast and shoved him around, he didn’t really have time to react. He was definitely stoned. This place reeks of pot.”

  I kiss him all over his face. “I can’t believe you did this for my mom. Thank you thank you thank you.”

  “You should call them and tell them to come over so they can be here when the locksmith gets here. Let’s start tidying up and airing this place out. He really did a shit job with the remodel.” He is so angry; you’d think it was his mom’s problem.

  I love him.

  I love everything about Chase McKay.

  It stinks in here and there’s so much to do, but I love him. I really love him.

  Ten minutes later, my parents show up at the same time as the locksmith. Chase tries to clean up as much of the mess that Jason has left as possible, but my mom and dad insist that he stop so they can take us to dinner. Chase and I exchange a furtive look that tells me everything I need to know.

  “We really have to get back to New York, you guys. We just launched this new thing for his business and it’s important that we’re around in case anything goes wrong. Chase just really wanted to take care of this as soon as possible.”

  “Oh, Chase.” My mother hugs him. “How can we ever thank you?”

  “This hug is enough,” he answers. Then he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to her. “These are the names and numbers of my friend—the lawyer in Detroit—and a good contractor that my friend has used. He said he’s affordable and trustworthy. If Jason or this
contractor give you any trouble, you call my friend. He will help you.”

  My father has never approved of any boy or man that I’ve brought home to meet him in the past, but I can tell by the way he shakes Chase’s hand that he not only approves of him, but he has a bit of a man crush.

  “Well done, young man.”

  “Have a good night, sir.”

  When we’re in the rental car, I turn on the engine and rub my lips together.

  “You don’t actually want to get back to New York right away, right?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Do you, um … Do you want to get some dinner or see some live music?”

  “I want to go to the nearest hotel and get you naked immediately.”

  “Thank God.”

  For the second time today, tires squeal as a vehicle is backing out of that driveway.

  20

  Chase

  By the time the heavy hotel room door is half-closed, I’ve got Aimee half-naked and backed up against a wall. She somehow manages to pull my shirt off while I’m removing her bra. Pressing myself against her, skin-to-skin, I don’t even care about teasing or pacing or technique. I need to touch this woman and be inside of her more than I need to breathe. Not doing this has been slowly killing me, when all I want to do is live for her.

  “I am so in love with you.” The words come without me even realizing I’m saying them out loud.

  She makes a sound that may or may not be a word. Something like “nuh!” but I know what she means. I know what she means to me and that’s all that matters now.

  I kiss her so hard, squeeze her hips even harder. I’d worry about bruising her, but she’s coming at me with just as much force and urgency. An unspoken frantic plea for more. For everything. Every torturous aching second, all of the energy that we’ve spent holding back for weeks is compounded now in this resurgence.

  I slide down to kiss her breasts, twirl my tongue around her hardened nipples, bite the swelled-up flesh and I make my way down, down, onto my knees and into my favorite place in the world. She calls out my name, over and over, a prayer and a tribute. Her hand fists my hair while my tongue slips in and out. Her trembling thighs want to press together, I know, because there’s so much pressure in her clit.