Romance: Stepbrother On Top

by A. Valentine

  “It is!” Erica insisted. “Let’s go say hi!”

  “I don’t know,” Shannon said, but her protest was lost. Erica grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over to the small knot of people surrounding Brendan.

  He was talking. “My roommate was really into rowing, and he just wouldn’t stop talking about how I needed to try it. So I did, just to shut him up and…oh my God! Shannon?”

  Shannon felt herself blushing as everyone turned to look at her. “Hey,” she replied.

  Brendan opened his arms for a hug. “My God, you haven’t changed a bit!”

  She stepped into his embrace, which was familiar and completely new at the same time. “You really have.”

  He laughed. “Blame the weight room. I’m lifting four days a week now.” He stepped back and looked Shannon up and down. “What’s new with you? Tell me everything!”

  “There’s not much to tell, to be honest.” Shannon shrugged. “I’ve been helping Mom with the store, and that’s pretty much it.”

  Brendan was still holding onto her hand; a fact Shannon was intensely aware of. When he looked at her, his intense brown eyes were exactly as she’d remembered them: searching, insightful. “I know that’s not pretty much it,” he said, “But I know how you are. We’ll catch up when things aren’t so busy.”

  Shannon felt a shiver go through her body, an electric jolt that traveled all the way down to her toes. “All right,” she whispered, letting go of his hand. “That’ll be…nice.”

  The rest of the reunion passed in a whirl. People kept arriving by the carful and before too long, the park was full to overflowing.

  “This is a blast!” Erica announced. She handed Shannon a beer. “I can’t believe how many people showed up.”

  “I didn’t know we could drink in the park,” Shannon replied. “Not legally.”

  “I’m pretty sure that bonfire’s not too legal either,” Erica countered, using her bottle to point to the curls of smoke coming from a tripod of picnic tables stacked together near the river’s edge. “But it appears to be happening anyway.”

  Shannon felt her heart sink. “I think we’d better get out of here before the cops come.”

  “The cops aren’t going to come,” Erica said. “They’ve got better things to worry about than some people having fun in the park.”

  Shannon shook her head. “You don’t know. Things have really changed around here since we graduated.” The opiate epidemic hadn’t passed Claremont by; the small town had a pretty big meth problem on its hands. “The cops are a lot more uptight.”

  “What are they going to do?” Erica scoffed.

  Shannon handed her back the beer. “I’ve got to live in this town,” she replied. “I’m not going to give them any reason to hassle me.”

  “You didn’t used to be this uptight,” Erica replied. “I seem to remember you did your fair share of drinking right in this park.”

  “Yeah, when it was you and me and Brendan and Steve,” Shannon replied, referring to Erica’s former boyfriend. “Four kids in the middle of the night aren’t as noticeable as four hundred setting fires.”

  “There’s only one fire.” Erica replied.

  “Still,” Shannon replied. “We should go.”

  “You can go,” Erica answered. “I’m having a good time. I haven’t seen half of these people in like forever, and I’m not going to bail just because you’re scared.”

  Shannon looked at Erica for a long moment. Her friend was already a little glassy-eyed, and she’d finished her own beer and had started drinking the one Shannon had given back to her. “You probably shouldn’t be driving anyway.”

  “Probably not!” Erica replied blithely. She lifted her hand in the air and waved at Shannon. “Later, tater!”

  Shannon shook her head and started walking down the park’s driveway. She scanned the crowds as she went, hoping to see Brendan. He usually had a good head on his shoulders, she thought – or at least he used to. Her heart sank when she saw him standing very near the bonfire. Maybe Brendan’s physique wasn’t the only thing that changed.

  Claremont was a small town, but Shannon had some miles to go before she made it home. She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and started walking purposefully. There was no sense sticking around where she obviously didn’t belong; once Erica had abandoned her, there was really no one left for Shannon to talk with.

  In a way, this was a lot like high school. Brendan and Erica had been her two best friends – the gaming guy, the artsy girl, and the bookworm made an inseparable trio that had stuck together through thick and thin. No one else really had any interest in them or what they were doing.

  But now, there were plenty of people who were very interested in Brendan. The crowd he was captivating now was composed almost entirely of the most popular high school kids – jocks and cheerleaders as far as the eye could see. And Erica had learned to use her charms effectively too: she was already arm in arm with a guy Shannon only vaguely remembered from chemistry class.

  “I guess I’m the only one who hasn’t changed,” Shannon said. She had always been a fast walker; feeling hurt and embarrassed made her faster. She’d gone the better part of a mile when the first police cruiser passed her, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Shannon waved. There were two more cruisers behind it. The reunion was about to get really interesting. “Too bad I missed out on all the fun!”

  Chapter 2

  Shannon took a deep breath and counted to ten. “I understand that you thought we’d ordered ten copies of the Cthullu Cookbook,” she said carefully into the phone. “But we only need one. It’s a special order for a customer.” She looked around at the bright, airy New Age shop her mother had carefully built from the ground up. “It’s not something that fits with the rest of our inventory.”

  She listened for a moment. “Yes, it’s clear that orders are non-returnable. But these are books we didn’t order.” The store cat, Horace, jumped up on the counter and tried to bump his smoky gray head against Shannon’s face. “Stop it,” she whispered. “I’m not in the mood right now.”

  “No, I wasn’t talking to you,” Shannon said to the vendor. “So we’ve agreed that I’m going to be returning these nine copies to you, and that you’ll refund our money.”

  A musical chime sounded, signaling that someone was coming in through the front door. Shannon glanced up from her notepad, eyes widening when she saw Brendan standing there. “No, I’m afraid a credit won’t help us. We’ve looked through your entire catalog twice, and I can’t find any titles that will work for our customers.” She paused. “We need an actual refund.”

  Brendan walked over to the tarot card display and carefully studied the offerings. Shannon smiled, remembering the spirited arguments they’d had about the relative merits of tarot cards versus Magic the Gathering, which he had been passionate about before leaving for college.

  Then the vendor said something that made the smile slip from her face. “A restocking fee? Are you serious? It was your mistake in the first place.”

  She listened to the reply. “Well, we’re a small business too. And I’m not willing to pay a restocking fee for books I never ordered in the first place. I’m sending the books back, and I expect to see a prompt, full refund.” Without waiting for a reply, Shannon hung up the phone.

  “Wow!” Brendan said. “You’ve gotten fierce while I was away.”

  Shannon laughed. “You’ve got to watch these guys, or they’ll walk all over you.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you believe he wanted to charge a $6 restocking fee for a $12 book? I don’t think so.”

  Brendan peered into the box. “The Cthullu Cookbook.” He looked up at Shannon and grinned. “How many recipes call for octopus tentacles?”

  “All of them, I imagine,” Shannon said. “I haven’t even looked at it, to be honest with you.”

  “You’re not using it to make my ‘Welcome home!’ dinner?” Brendan made puppy dog eyes at her. “I am crushed. Truly and compl
etely crushed.”

  “How long are you home for?” Shannon asked, hating herself for the eager tone that crept into her voice. “And how did you manage to escape getting locked up last night?”

  “Being 22 has its advantages,” Brendan said. “Even though I’d been drinking, there was nothing they could charge me with, since I didn’t have a bottle in my hand when they arrived.” He tapped the side of his forehead. “Those fraternity parties will teach you a thing or two, if you pay attention.”

  “You? In a fraternity?”

  Brendan laughed. “No. Sigma Tau asked me to pledge, but I’d already gotten into rowing pretty hardcore at that point, and it was definitely a situation of one or other.” He shrugged. “I go to some parties, they let me hang out, but I’m not a brother.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Shannon said. She tilted her head and smiled, well aware of the flirtatious tones that crept into her voice. “How long do we get to enjoy the pleasure of your company?”

  “I’m home for the summer,” Brendan said. “The internship I was trying for fell through, so I came back here. I’m going to work for Stevens’ Insurance over the summer. It’s not exactly what I need for school, but the money won’t hurt.”

  “Wow. You in a suit and tie everyday?” She shook her head. “How times have changed. I remember your Mom fighting to get you to wear anything besides a Warcraft t-shirt for your senior picture.”

  “Hey,” he protested. “We were supposed to show off our true selves. That’s who I was at that time.”

  “And who are you now, Brendan?” The energy in the shop changed with her question. Suddenly she was very aware of Brendan’s presence; the way he occupied space, the way he smelled, the way he moved. His gaze was focused on hers, intently; it almost felt like a caress.

  “I was hoping you’d want to find out,” he replied. “Can I take you out of here for a little bit? We could go grab some lunch.”

  “I’d like that,” Shannon said. “Let me just let Mom know I’m going out.” She stepped to the back room entranceway. “Hey, Mom?” she called. “Brendan stopped by and we’re going to grab some lunch.”

  Chloe bustled up from the back room, carrying a stack of titles in her hands. “That’s fine, dear,” she said, and then looked at Brendan. Her eyes got very wide at his changed appearance. “Wow!” she blurted out. “What are they feeding you at that fancy school of yours?”

  Brendan laughed. “Mostly pop tarts.”

  “You’re a liar,” Chloe laughed. “I’ve been on the pop tart diet for years, and it hasn’t done a thing for me.”

  “You can’t expect to improve on perfection,” Brendan countered.

  “Flatterer.” Chloe waved her hands, shooing them out of the store, but Shannon could tell she was pleased.

  “Well, you made Mom’s day,” she said to Brendan. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to her in a while.”

  “Alan doesn’t sweet talk her?”

  Shannon blinked. “I can’t believe you remember Alan.” Her mother had dated Alan for a few months during Shannon’s senior year. She shook her head. “He’s not around any more.”

  “What happened?”

  “His wife decided she didn’t want a divorce after all,” Shannon shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure she knew she wanted one in the first place.”

  “Men are assholes,” Brendan said. “Your Mom deserves better than that.” He looked at Shannon out of the corner of his eye as they progressed down the sidewalk. “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Shannon said.

  “Anyone sweet talking you these days?”

  Shannon laughed. “Not hardly.”

  Brendan smiled. “I find that hard to believe.”

  Shannon kicked at a stone on the sidewalk. “You shouldn’t. You knew me all through high school. I’m still the same girl.”

  “The Shannon I knew in high school wouldn’t have read someone the riot act when they were trying to screw her over,” Brendan replied. “She would have just let it happen.”

  “That’s business,” Shannon shrugged. “It’s different. The store doesn’t make a whole lot of money as it is. I can’t just let us get stuck paying for over a hundred dollars’ worth of books we don’t need.”

  “And the Shannon I knew in high school desperately wanted to be part of whatever the cool kids were doing,” Brendan continued. “But I saw you high tail it out of there way before the cops showed up.”

  “You saw me leave?” Shannon asked, strangely pleased.

  “You were the one person I was hoping to see,” Brendan said. “All those people there didn’t have five minutes for me when we were in school. But you and me?” The pause lasted half a dozen heartbeats; no more. “We were buds.”

  Shannon smiled. “We’re still buds.”

  “Good.” Brendan pushed open the door at Mickey’s Hot Dogs. “And you still love chili dogs?”

  “You know it,” Shannon said. “Although I’m not sure they still love me.”

  “I don’t think they ever loved us,” Brendan said.

  “Well, hello, stranger!” Tawni was working behind the counter at Mickey’s. She’d been two years behind Brendan and Shannon in school; Shannon had never really paid much attention to her until now. But it was kind of hard to ignore how the petite blonde’s big blue eyes traveled over Brendan’s muscled form. “You home for a visit?”

  “For the summer,” Brendan said, seemingly oblivious to Tawni’s obvious attention.

  “Well, that will sure be nice to have you around.” Tawni shifted her posture, putting her hand on her hip and pushing her chest forward. The top of her uniform wasn’t particularly low-cut, but that didn’t really matter much, given her ample bosom. “We’ll have to hang out sometime.”

  “Sure,” Brendan said. “I guess.”

  The door opened behind them, and another pair of customers came in, switching Tawni back into business mode. “So what can I get you?” she asked.

  “I’ll have four chili dogs and a side of fries,” Brendan said. “And a Coke.” He turned to Shannon. “What would you like?”

  “She usually has two dogs and fries,” Tawni said, helpfully. She spoke to Shannon as if she were four years old. “Is that what you want today, sweetheart?”

  Shannon could feel her face getting red. “Sure, that’ll be great,” she managed. “And a Coke.”

  “Not diet?” Tawni asked. Her tone was syrupy-sweet, but the look in her eyes was not.

  “No, not diet,” Shannon said. “Thank you.” She turned on her heel and walked over to a table near the window.

  “You all right?” Brendan asked, as he joined her.

  “Yeah,” Shannon replied, forcing her irritation down. “I’m fine.”

  “So tell me everything then,” Brendan said. He leaned forward, elbows propped on the table. “I want to know what you’ve been doing.”

  Shannon shrugged. “There’s really not much to tell. You’re the one who’s having all the adventures.” She ate a french fry. “You actually doing any schoolwork up there at college, or is it one non-stop workout?”

  Brendan laughed. “I have never read so much in my life. I’m reading more than you ever did,” he said.

  “Now that I find hard to believe,” Shannon said with a smile. “It’s one thing to see you giving up your games for the rowing, but Brendan Benson actually hitting the books?”

  “I’ve got to,” he said, suddenly serious. “My scholarship requires I hold a 3.5.” He shook his head. “That free ride’s not exactly free.”

  “Are you having a hard time with it?”

  “Tough enough.” Brendan’s eyes flashed up to meet Shannon’s. “I thought about calling you a few times for help.”

  “Why didn’t you? You know I would have.”

  Brendan shrugged. “I didn’t know what was going on with you. Maybe you were dating somebody.”

  “Even if I was, which I’m not,” Shannon replied, “I’d sti
ll always talk to you.” She took a bite of her chili dog, hoping against hope that none of the sauce would spill onto her shirt. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Things at school, man.” Brendan shook his head. “You see all kinds of crazy shit. I never really knew how people were until I got away from here. And that made me think I really didn’t have that great an understanding of how things were here, either.”

  Shannon cocked her head. “Like what?”

  “Like Erica.”

  “What about Erica?”

  “You know how she was a big shit in the art department here,” Brendan said.

  Shannon nodded.

  “Well, when she got herself out there, it turns out that maybe her work isn’t all that amazing after all.” Brendan shook his head. “Her advisor told her to think about the arts education major rather than pursuing her fine arts degree. That’s why she dropped out.”

  “Erica dropped out of school?” Shannon was astonished. She thought her best friend told her everything.

  “Yeah,” Brendan said. “She’s working at a coffee shop in Albany.” He dropped his voice. “And she dances at a strip club.”

  Shannon’s mouth fell open so hard she felt her jaw snap. “And how do you know that?”

  It was Brendan’s turn to blush. “Some of the guys were going…”

  “And you had to tag along,” Shannon laughed. She took a sip from her soda. “You poor thing. Expecting some wild, sexy woman and there’s Erica shaking her money maker in your face.”

  “She’s pretty wild,” Brendan said. “She had a snake. And do you know she’s got a tattoo?”

  “Do I even want to know?”