by Brooks, Tori
“What is it with you two and your phones?” Krista asked, leaning over her brother to try to look at Dev’s phone.
“Technophiles,” Dev answered, angling away from her. James snickered behind him, and Dev realized he could see the screen now. Dropping the phone under the table, Dev hunched over and logged in.
A direct message from Rhys the Red to Pugmire the Purple – him. Dev opened it.
Hi, Puggy. Busy tomorrow night?
Figures. She meets another Wizard in real life and hits on him. Although it shook Dev more than a little that George was Rhys the Red. He always assumed Rhys was male. Of course the only openly female Wizard was Terese the Teal and that was Lindsay’s sister, Becky. So in theory, he knew George had to have a male avatar. He wondered how many other ‘guys’ he knew online weren’t guys.
First things first, Lindsay was going to have a breakdown when she heard about this. The smart thing would be not to tell her, but Dev was confident she’d pry it out of him, so he’d better do the right thing.
Of course I am. I’m writing two months’ worth of code in a week. So are you.
Master of the obvious, Dev thought as he sent the message and set his phone down. He was pretty sure Lindsay would have come up with something better and he felt he was missing something. Something obvious.
“A better answer would be that you have a girlfriend,” James whispered in his ear.
“Scheiße,” Dev muttered, picking up his phone again.
James took the phone from Dev and set it back on the table. “Too late, let it play.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re safe. Lin’s going to cry me into oblivion,” Dev snapped.
“Seems to me your girlfriend doesn’t do anything but turn on the waterworks to keep you in line,” George said, not lifting her eyes from her screen.
“You’ve never met her, George, not fair,” James said, cutting off Dev’s response.
“Neither have you,” George answered.
“So, Dev, tell us about your girlfriend.” Krista leaned around her brother to get an unimpeded view of Dev.
Dev looked at Krista, then George. No good could come of this. What would Lindsay do? Bitch slap them both probably, but that wasn’t an option for him. Bryan and Kenny wouldn’t be in this position to begin with. Fine, what would Jess do? Have a threesome – also not an option. His mind raced and landed on Flynn: give a non-answer, the briefest possible answer, or in the worst case, decline to answer at all. He looked at the mascara-rimmed eyes staring at him. No answer wouldn’t shut them up, they’d just wait and ask again.
“Her name is Lindsay,” Dev said, returning his attention to his computer and refusing to meet the gaze of the two predatory women at the table. “I’m extremely fond of her.”
Silence fell across the table broken only by Dev’s fingers striking his keys. Noah chuckled to himself after a moment. Dev assumed he caught on that the description of his girlfriend was over. James followed suit, and finally Kevin joined in. He appreciated their support, remembering yet again that he never got this kind of support from Kenny or Jess.
“That’s it?” George demanded.
“Yup.”
“That’s not fair.” Krista pouted.
“Sure it is.”
George sat back and studied Dev. He glanced up at her briefly, then again when he didn’t like the look on her face. Noah was looking at Krista with a disturbed expression, which Dev also didn’t like; he liked Noah. He couldn’t see Krista with Kevin between them now that she sat back in her chair, which Dev preferred actually.
Dev’s phone beeped, breaking his concentration. A text came in from James: Don’t cave and give them any more info. Good advice. He’d have to make an effort to keep James around. Dev forced his concentration back to his program.
“There’s something wrong with you and Lindsay,” George said.
Dev sighed, she was worse than Jess at taking a hint. “Listen, I don’t know what makes you think that and, to be honest, I don’t care. Yes, I go out of my way to humor her. I have good reason to, and I’m not going to discuss it with you. I will tell you a couple of things that you will understand, that should put a stop to this once and for all. One: Lin and I were introduced by a mutual friend of yours and mine; and two: give it up, George. Chase someone you actually have a chance with. That’s not me.”
On either side of him, James and Kevin flinched.
○ ○ ○
“Well, that was amusing.” James slouched in his chair after Kevin took Krista and George home.
“Almost as amusing as seeing you slouch,” Dev answered. “It just looks wrong.”
“You’re one to talk.” Noah laughed and tipped back his bottle of beer. Dev wasn’t sure where it came from, but he was glad Noah didn’t break out the alcohol until George left. He could barely handle her sober, he didn’t want to see her with reduced inhibitions.
“Hey! My job requires good posture,” Dev protested.
“Your job requires you to sway in time.” Noah shook his head.
“My other job.”
Noah looked confused.
“Dev was a model first,” James told him.
“What’s your excuse?” Dev asked.
“The Madisons. Old family, tradition, money, snobbery.” James shrugged. “Take your pick.”
“You seem well adjusted.”
“I’m the black sheep of the family.”
“How so?”
“College was expected. Cambridge and New Haven are the only two acceptable options –”
“New Haven?” Noah asked.
“Yale,” Dev answered. “Although I suspect his family meant Harvard when they said Cambridge.”
“They should have specified,” James defended his actions with a grin.
“Yes, they should have.” Dev nodded.
“Oh, that’s good,” Noah agreed. “Going to get disowned?”
“Yes and no.” James shrugged again. “I have a trust, so it wouldn’t do much good. Also there’s money on both sides and my mother’s sister never married. She thinks it’s a lark. My father threw a fit and threatened to disinherit me if I didn’t graduate from one of the traditional schools. Aunt Marion said she’d name me sole heir if I wanted to call his bluff. Dad even said he’d accept a master’s or doctorate, and Mom said she’d try to talk him into accepting Cambridge in England, Notre Dame, or Stanford.”
“They sound desperate. Only child?” Noah asked.
“Middle son, actually. I think a child not conforming makes them look bad at the country club. My sisters swear I’m making Mom feel like a failure, and my brothers look at me like I’m a poor relation. Made Thanksgiving and Christmas hell.”
“No offense, James, but your family makes me feel better about mine,” Dev said.
“My family is as normal as it comes,” Noah said. “Well, my sister is a new age hippie, but she’s seventeen and I assume she’ll grow out of it. What’s the deal with yours?”
Dev hesitated. Airing personal grievances would get him more than a few chastising words from Kenny. And another reminder to grow up from Flynn, probably via Kenny. He shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
Noah didn’t push, he just nodded and toasted Dev with his bottle. “Good answer in your position, I suppose. Stick to it when George is around. I should warn you, she’s tenacious.”
Dev slouched farther back in the comfortable, overstuffed chair. Physically the position felt both foreign and oddly comforting, like the chair was holding him close when no one else would. Lindsay would, Dev suspected as the idea trickled through his mind. If he’d learned anything from her and Jess, and the last two nights were any indication, so would Krista and George. How was he going to survive the rest of the week? The rest of the semester?
“Noah, can’t you just ask her out? You like her, right?” Dev asked.
“I do, but I think I’ve been overshadowed.” Noah held Dev’s eyes for a moment.
“I don’t
want her. More than that, I’d like to avoid her at any price,” Dev assured him.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s what George wants that matters and you know it,” Noah said, taking another drink.
“Lay off Dev. He doesn’t know as much as you think.” James lazily waved his hand at Noah, as if brushing off his concerns. “The problem is: when we first worked on the project we did our programming individually, meeting only once a week for a couple of hours to work out how the pieces would fit together.
“At the beginning, when we were determining a meeting schedule, Dev mentioned his girlfriend and pre-scheduled time for her that he wouldn’t change. I thought that was a stroke of genius on his part at the time. He let the girls know right up front that he wasn’t available and he was devoted to Lindsay.”
“Didn’t work,” Dev grumbled.
“It wasn’t intentional, was it?” James asked. “You really were just saying you had another commitment you had to schedule around.”
“Yeah,” Dev admitted.
“I didn’t get that until we all sat down together. Your girlfriend didn’t come up in our weekly meetings. We didn’t have time for idle chat, now we do.”
“No we don’t.” Dev looked at James in amazement.
“Okay, we’re under the gun, but we’re all sitting together at the table, working and we don’t have to talk about the project all the time. We have the opportunity for other conversations now. Also, while I appreciate you hosting, there is nothing around to show your level of commitment to Lindsay. A single picture would have gone a long way.”
Dev grinned. “You wouldn’t say that if you’d seen her.”
“Do not tell me you’ve got a homely girlfriend.” Noah gaped.
Shaking his head, Dev considered what to say, how much to say. How much did he trust Noah?
“Her mom’s a psychologist and Lin’s messing with her mind. She’s doing this goth thing right now to freak her mom. It’s a cry that she’s mourning her lost childhood or something like that. Needless to say, she isn’t photographing well.”
“So? There are some seriously gorgeous goths hoofing it around campus,” Noah said. “You had to have noticed Amber in Calculus 215. She’d photograph well.”
“I noticed. In some ways I wish Lin put some effort into it, she’d totally compete with Amber. As it is, she kind of looks like she’s celebrating Halloween all the time. Actually, that’s not true. On Halloween she was totally hot. Mostly she reminds me of bad horror movies. It’s her project though, I’m leaving her to it.”
“Supportive boyfriend, sweeping the girlfriend under the rug,” Noah said. Dev stared at a scuff on his leather shoes, uncomfortable with the concise description of his relationship with Lindsay.
“That is the problem right there,” James said, drawing Dev’s attention. “Before, no one saw Dev’s relationship. I, for one, assumed it was normal, healthy, and strong, given his outward show of dedication. It’s different now. There’s no physical evidence of Lindsay’s hold on you and only a few teary-eyed texts to demonstrate she’s still part of your life at all. Her neediness, and your persistence in reassuring her, implies your relationship isn’t healthy and strong. It’s in trouble. From the girls’ point of view, Lindsay is a minor barrier to overcome. You’re not single, Dev, but you’re alone and attainable in their eyes.”
Dev stared at James in amazement. He wasn’t much older, still a freshman himself, but he was Bryan and Kenny and Jess all rolled into one.
“How do you know so much about girls?” Dev asked, still in awe that James could apparently read George’s mind.
“Sisters, cousins, girlfriends.” James smiled. “Off the record, Dev?”
He nodded.
“First serious girlfriend?”
Dev nodded again and returned his attention to examining his shoes. “First girlfriend period, actually. In the band, I was – am – the weak link. Kenny says I’m chronically shy. I hate girls hanging on me, following me, hovering around me. It affects me on stage and in almost everything I do.”
“Hate to point out the obvious but you’re a rock star, it comes with the title.” Noah frowned.
“And a model. That was the whole campaign, if I remember right,” James said.
“Yeah, well, doesn’t mean I liked it. Lindsay’s different. She’s a girl, sure, but she – honestly? I could have dropped her in at a place at the table tonight and she could have held her own. She knows computers, worships tech, and doesn’t give a damn about the side of me the rest of her gender can’t see past.”
James nodded in understanding. “That’s why you’ll humor her and pander to her. It’s a bit more than just being your first girlfriend. You’ve met a lot of women and she’s the only one you’re comfortable enough with to be yourself. Interesting.”
“I’m glad you found a new puzzle,” Dev said. “Now how do I get rid of George and Krista?”
“Thinking,” James said, lapsing into silence.
“Back to how do you know so much about women, James. I have a sister, cousins, and ex-girlfriends; I didn’t read into this what you did.” Noah leaned forward in his chair, eyes locked on the undisputed leader of their group.
“My girlfriends may have been different. I went to a prep school that was near a regular high school, so everyone went to the same places to blow off steam. Girls from my prep school were selective, although I still dated some. They weren’t impressed with family money because they had it too. Girls from the public school though,” James exhaled sharply and shook his head. “It was a dangerous game. Any guy with the logo on their blazer was a prize. They were very accommodating too. It was nice, but exhausting. I didn’t have a steady girlfriend, so I was attainable in their eyes, much like Dev. My experience doesn’t compare to what you’re probably going through.” James pointed casually to Dev, and he acknowledged it uncomfortably.
“Still, I know what it’s like to have girls only interested in what you represent. The relationship is shallow and has the expiration date practically printed on her forehead. It’s a crap-shoot, finding the one girl in the crowd you can genuinely listen to and trust. And identifying her before you make the mistake of brushing her off like the rest.”
“Thanks, James,” Dev said. He needed someone to understand, someone on his side.
“Yeah. Glad you two are bonding, never had that problem so I can’t relate,” Noah said. “How does that help with George?”
Dev looked to James again at Noah’s reminder of the bigger problem.
James paused, Dev wondered if he was thinking or if it was for effect. He had a habit of interlacing his fingers with just the index finger on either hand extended, and tapping those fingers when thinking.
“Can you ask Lindsay for a picture from before the experiment? Or maybe have her put some effort into it and do a nice one? Sexy would be better,” James asked.
Dev shook his head. “She’d clue in why in a nanosecond and I’d never get her calmed down. It’s not worth it.”
“So she’s insecure?” Noah asked.
“On this subject. She’d take on anyone presenting competition in Seattle, but I’m out of reach.”
“Pointing out she’s apparently too young to fly out for spring break would be a bad idea,” James said, but Dev didn’t need to be told that.
“Telling George and Krista anything seems like a bad idea,” Dev pointed out.
James shook his head. “No, we can let things slip, we just have to make it look natural and be careful about exactly what we say.” He sat back and stared at the ceiling.
“She spends a lot of time with my little sister now that I’m gone. Taking her to movies and the mall and whatever girls do,” Dev said. “I suspect they coordinated their disappointment about me not coming home for the week. That was disturbing.”
James smiled. “Not ideal, but it’ll do for now. She has the support of your friends and family, George and Krista don’t.”
“Friend and family,” Dev
corrected. “Kenny and Jess fight with her. Only Bryan gets along with her.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Noah said with a laugh.
“Don’t stress about it, Dev,” James assured him. “We’ve got your back. And a little information, used correctly, can go a long way.”
Chapter Three
“It’s been two weeks and he still hasn’t had time to even look at the new lyrics I sent? What the hell is up with that?” Kenny demanded.
“He’s in college, Kenny, give him a break,” Bryan said, but he sounded tired.
Jess lay on the floor, bouncing a tennis ball against the wall and paused at the sound of Bryan’s tone. He never took that tone with Dev, but Jess was hearing it more and more now that the kid was gone. He doubted Brenda heard it or else Bryan would be spending more time here. Jess crossed his legs as he remembered what Brenda was like when pissed off.
He was never getting married, Jess decided. Maybe. Cassie wouldn’t behave that way, Teri raised her better than that. She was too soft, too refined, too . . . something. He couldn’t trust anyone else though. It never failed to amaze Jess how Dev was such a pain in the ass, but his older sister was very nearly perfect. Not completely. Jess wasn’t delusional, Cassie had her little flaws. Calling her best friend Tiffany a sister – that was a flaw. They were nowhere near enough alike to be sisters. Although, as far as Jess was concerned, even Cassie’s flaws were almost perfect. If he could have Cass, he’d deal with Tiff.
He couldn’t have Cassie. Jess pushed her from his mind, like he did a hundred times previously that day, and resumed bouncing the ball against the wall. Kenny’s pacing behind him continued and Jess picked up the drama in progress.
“. . . take the time to at least look since it’s his job!”
Didn’t sound like he’d missed much. Jess bounced the ball again but had to reach to catch it this time.
“It’s not time sensitive, Kenny, calm down,” Bryan said, the weariness creeping into his voice again. Kenny wasn’t going to take that much longer, Jess suspected.
“Don’t try to handle me, Bryan. I’m not Dev,” Kenny snapped.