by E. L. Todd
He better.
I poured a cup of coffee and tried not to stare.
“Sorry last night was so uncomfortable,” Rae said with a chuckle.
“It’s okay,” Ryker said. “I understand I have to share you.”
Rae crossed her arms over her chest, awkward that I was nearby. “Well, I’ll see you later…”
“Yeah.” He cupped the back of her neck and gave her a kiss.
Rae visibly melted the second he touched her. She gripped his biceps like she didn’t want him to leave at all.
Dammit. This was serious.
He brushed his nose against hers before he opened the door. “Bye, Safari.”
He barked.
Ryker chuckled then waved to me as he walked out. “See you later, Rex.”
“Bye, shithead.” I kept drinking my coffee.
He laughed at my comment and kept walking. “See ya, lameass.”
Rae shut the door behind him then gave me the stink-eye.
“What?” I asked innocently.
“Why are you calling him shithead?”
“I was joking.” I poured a bowl of cereal. “That’s what guys do.”
“No, you weren’t joking. You really need to let this go.”
“Well, do you need to make out right in front of me?”
“It’s my apartment, Rex. Why don’t you go somewhere else?” Safari came by her side, following her everywhere she went. “You could have taken your coffee in the living room.”
“That’s not where I have breakfast.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Be a child about this.”
“I will, thank you very much.” I sat down and went to town on my Lucky Charms.
She toasted a bagel and smeared cream cheese over it before she sat across from me. “I really hope this bowling alley gets off the ground…and you can move out.”
“Me too.”
“Zeke was smart for not taking you in.”
“He just wants his privacy for all the nasty shit he does.”
“No, he just hates you, Rex.”
I finished my bowl then poured another. “He loves me.”
“When he needs a wingman, maybe.”
Safari hopped on the other chair and sat at the table like a person. He was unusually smart and well behaved. I wasn’t sure how my sister trained him so well.
She took a few bites of her bagel. “I don’t want to go to work today…”
“Can’t you use a sick day?”
“Yeah, but I try to avoid it. I just have more work to do when I get back in the lab. It’s not worth it.”
I didn’t understand all the scientific things she did, and I didn’t bother trying to understand them. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“If it has anything to do with Ryker, I’m going to scream.” She gave me the most venomous glare of all time. “I’m sick of talking about him.”
“Actually, I was going to talk about something else. But while we’re on that subject, I don’t think you truly understand what you’re dealing with. Ryker and I have both fucked the same girl at the same time in the locker room at school. He had her in the front, and I had her in the back. He’s had threesomes at least ten times. He even—”
“Rex, I don’t care about his past. It has nothing to do with me.”
“Uh, you should care a little bit. You really want to spend time with a guy like that?”
“Would you characterize yourself in the same way?”
Huh? I didn’t understand the question. “What?”
“Are you two similar? Would you say you guys are the same person?”
“Uh…I guess.”
“Well, I think you’re a great person, Rex. What you do in your private life is none of my business, and I really don’t want to know about it, but I see the other side of you. You’re loyal, selfless, compassionate, and so many other things. When you meet the right girl, I know you’ll be Prince Charming. Is it really fair to not give Ryker the same belief?”
I spun my spoon in my bowl. “I guess not…”
“Then let it go.”
“But what if you aren’t the right girl?”
“Whether I am or not, I’m enjoying our time together for now. If it doesn’t work out, oh well. Life goes on.”
“Really?” I asked. She would have a level head with it?
“Yes.” She took a few sips of her coffee. “Now, what were you going to say before we started talking about Ryker…again?”
I got distracted by Ryker and forgot. “I had a weird thing happen with Kayden.”
“A weird thing?” Both of her eyebrows rose. “What does that mean?”
I told her the whole story, from beginning to end. “I still don’t have a clue what the hell happened. Even Zeke couldn’t figure it out. When she was over here yesterday, she ignored me and pretended nothing happened. Please tell me you know something I don’t.”
She held the mug on the table, and the steam evaporated into the air. Her lips were pressed tightly together as she considered the possibilities. “I really don’t know…maybe something happened with her family and she didn’t want to tell you about it.”
“But wouldn’t she tell you?”
“Not necessarily,” she said. “We tell each other a lot of things, but our entire lives aren’t on display.”
“Well, do you think you could talk to her for me? Figure it out?”
“Yeah, I’ll bring it up,” she said. “But I have a feeling it had nothing to do with you. Your story doesn’t suggest it, unless you’re leaving something out.”
“I told you the whole thing, from beginning to end.”
“Then I’d relax. For all we know, she lost her job or something.”
“How do you get fired from a library?” It wasn’t possible. They were practically volunteers anyway.
“I’m just saying.” She finished her coffee then left it on the table. “Well, I’ve got to get ready. I’ll see you after work.”
“When are the contractors starting?” I asked as she walked away.
“Not sure. I’ll give them a call later.”
***
Just when my shift was finally over, Rae and Zeke walked inside. They were talking and smiling like everything was normal. Maybe Zeke was taking this Ryker thing better than I gave him credit for. I was worried he would ignore her for a few weeks until he got over it.
“What’s up?” I hopped over the counter.
“So, we’ve got everything we need,” Zeke said. “Everything is officially underway.”
“You’ll have to close down the place for a few weeks, probably a month,” Rae said.
“What?” I blurted. “I can’t close. I won’t make any money.”
“Dude, you aren’t making any money now,” Zeke said.
“Hey.” I pointed at him. “That hurt.”
“I’m just saying,” Zeke said. “Besides, if you don’t have to pay employees or keep the lights on, all you need to worry about is the rent and insurance for the month. So, it’s not a big deal.”
“I guess it’ll be nice to sleep in…”
“And be home 24/7 so I have to see your ugly face constantly,” Rae said.
“Maybe you should get a second job,” I teased.
Zeke knew a fight was about to begin. “Anyway…they are going to start redoing the lanes, put in the bar, and repainting the walls. The weather forecast says it’s going to be sunny this week, so we’re going to take advantage of that and add a coat of paint to the outside.”
Damn, this place was going to be turned upside down.
“But it’s going to look awesome when they’re done,” Rae said. “And we’ll take that time to figure out our strategy. We should definitely make some crazy sales to get people to come in. You probably won’t break even at first, but it’ll bring more customers in later. And I have another idea. Since Ryker is the biggest news around here right now, I’m going to ask him to do some kind of bowling
challenge for charity. Every reporter and newscaster will be here to record it.”
“And boom,” Zeke said. “You’ve got yourself a hopping business.”
“Ryker would do that?”
“Of course he would,” Rae said. “And not just for me.”
I was touched, and I didn’t know how to put that into words. They didn’t get anything out of this, other than possibly losing their investments, and they still wanted to help me out. “Thanks, guys…”
“No problem.” Zeke clapped my shoulder. “We’re family, right?”
We were giving the word a whole new definition. “Yeah. We’re family.”
***
We sat in the bar and downed our beers. A plate of fries was on the table but Rae ate most of them. Zeke acted like nothing had changed and he wasn’t just about to tell her they should be together.
It was like it never happened.
“How was work?” he asked Rae.
“Good. Sometimes I get lonely being in there all by myself, but I’m also glad I don’t have to deal with people all the time.”
“I’d prefer more peace and quiet,” Zeke said. “But I don’t have that luxury.”
“Any interesting patients?”
“I had a woman come in because she said her tits were ugly.”
I stopped drinking my beer.
“What?” Rae asked, just as confused as I was.
“She said the skin on her breasts was ugly.” He shrugged. “It didn’t make any sense when she told me, and it definitely won’t make any sense when I tell you. I recommended her to a plastic surgeon because there was nothing I could do for her.”
“Were her tits ugly?” I asked.
“Eh.” Zeke shrugged. “They were alright.”
“But not ugly enough for medical intervention?” Rae asked.
“No, not really,” Zeke said. “People have ugly tits all the time. There’s really nothing you can do about that unless you involve plastic surgery.” Zeke finished his beer then moved on to the next one.
“I hope I don’t have ugly tits,” Rae said.
“You don’t,” Zeke blurted automatically. “I mean, from what I can tell.”
Rae smiled and didn’t seem offended at all. “The way they look through a shirt isn’t the same thing.”
“I’ve seen you in a bikini,” Zeke said. “Believe me, they’re good.”
I didn’t participate in their conversation because my sister’s breasts didn’t interest me.
“What kind of weird tits have you seen?” Zeke rested his elbows on the table and looked at me.
“Hmm…” I’d seen a lot of titties in my day. “The cucumber kind.”
“The cucumber kind?” Rae asked.
“You know.” Zeke demonstrated how they would appear with his hands. “The kind that sorta hang and are skinny, especially when they lean over.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Those are the worst.”
“I didn’t realize that was a thing,” Rae said. “I just assumed guys didn’t like small tits.”
“Small boobs are fine,” Zeke said. “I like them as much as big ones, as long as they are proportional.”
“Yeah, small ones are great,” I said. “Honestly, I’m an ass man—through and through.”
“That makes two of us.” Zeke clanked his beer against mine.
“I’m a sucker for a guy’s jawline. You know, the rugged and handsome kind.” Rae’s voice became more high-pitched, sounding more feminine.
It was ironic because Zeke had the exact jawline she was describing. Now that I thought about it, Zeke was always popular with the girls. They all liked him, and the fact he was a doctor made him even more of a catch. Rae was never into him? Not once?
“Like Clint Eastwood?” Zeke asked.
“Yes, exactly,” Rae said.
Zeke rubbed his chin, like he knew he fit the bill. “What else?”
“I like them tall,” Rae said. “I guess because I’m a little tall for a woman.”
“No, you’re perfect,” Zeke said automatically.
Rae was totally oblivious to the true meaning of his compliments. Now that I knew how Zeke felt, I realized just how obvious it was. The only way he could top it was if he held a sign that said, “I love you.”
“So, how’s it going with Ryker?” Zeke asked the question hesitantly, like he was only asking to act normal.
“Good,” she said. “He stayed over the other night. He’s not a big fan of Safari.”
“Well, he better start,” Zeke said. “That’s Safari’s home.”
“I don’t think the problem is with him, just the fact that he covers the entire bed when we sleep.” Rae chuckled before she took another drink.
“That’s Safari’s bed,” Rex said. “Where else is he gonna sleep?”
“I doubt Ryker will be staying over anymore,” Rae said. “A big dog and a big man just don’t mix together.”
I’d come to the realization I needed to drop my prejudice against Ryker. My sister had already made up her mind about him, so I should just accept it. If she got hurt, she couldn’t say I didn’t warn her. Sometimes I forgot that she was an intelligent adult. She was the one taking care of me at that very moment. She was paying all my bills and even giving me an allowance. A woman like that could clearly take care of herself.
“Seeing anyone?” Rae asked.
“Not seriously,” Zeke said. “I hooked up with this girl last night.”
He left out the fact that I was there, with my own chick.
“How’d that go?” Rae asked.
“The sex was good. But I won’t call her again.”
She was definitely a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of girl, not one you brought home to your parents.
“Why not?” Rae asked.
Zeke shrugged. “I’m not that interested.”
Zeke didn’t have relationships very often. He played the field most of the time, just the way I did. Personally, I’d never had a girlfriend—ever. I loved my freedom way too much.
“You must have your pick of the crop,” Rae said. “A handsome doctor…”
Zeke shrugged.
“Just make sure you only settle for someone who’s amazing,” Rae said. “Because you’re amazing.”
His eyes softened.
“Did you ever talk to Kayden?” I asked.
“No,” Rae said. “I haven’t had a chance.”
“What do you mean?” I snapped. “Just call her.”
“I can’t corner her like that. It’s rude.” Rae was a lot more sensitive to people than I was.
“Well, I need to know.”
“I’ll ask her to lunch tomorrow,” Rae said. “And I’ll tell you what I find out. But I’m sure it had nothing to do with you.”
I really hope so.
Rae could tell I was still concerned. “You’re worrying over nothing, Rex.”
“I think so too,” Zeke said. “If she had a problem with you, she wouldn’t have come over on Sunday.”
I guess that was true.
***
Now that I wasn’t working, I was bored out of my mind. I didn’t like going to work and spraying the inside of smelly shoes with Febreze and Lysol, but sitting at home all day was somehow worse.
I watched everything on daytime television, played a few games, called up a regular to screw, and then I went back to watching TV. Safari kept me company but he just laid on me the entire time.
Rae came in the apartment shortly after five.
“I never thought I’d be so happy to see you.” I actually pulled her in for a hug. “Let’s do something. Anything. How about we hit the courts and play some ball?”
“Someone needs to get some friends…”
“I do have friends but they’re all at work.”
“Well, I’m going to Ryker’s for dinner.”
It was a testament to how bored I was when I spoke again. “Can I tag along?”
“To dinner with us?” she asked incredulously.
“Uh, no.”
“Please,” I said. “I’m so bored I’m losing my mind.”
“Find something to do.”
“Dude, I’ve done everything. I watched TV, played video games—”
“Cleaned the house?” She looked around at the dirty dishes in the sink, the spaghetti stain on the tile, and the bag of popcorn sitting out on the counter.
“Well…that’s a last resort.”
“I’m not blowing off my date if you won’t even clean up after yourself.”
“Okay, okay.” I was really desperate. “I’ll clean the whole house if you let me come along.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at me in a whole new way. “Damn, you’re really, really bored.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
“I guess I can cancel on him. It shouldn’t be a big deal.”
I grinned from ear-to-ear.
“Besides, it’ll just make him want me more.” Her eyes were full of confidence, and her lips rested in the form of a light smile. “What do you want to do?”
“Let’s go to the arcade.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Awesome.” My sister annoyed me like crazy, but she always came through for me.
She grabbed her phone and called Ryker. “Hey, I was wondering if we could reschedule. Can we go out tomorrow night?”
Ryker’s voice could be heard through the phone. “Why? Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine. Rex is just bored from not working, and he wants me to spend time with him.”
Ryker didn’t hold back his disappointment. “Why am I the one who has to suffer for him being a loser?”
“I can hear you, jackass,” I said loudly.
“Good,” Ryker snapped. “I was hoping you could.”
Rae rolled her eyes. “Tomorrow?”
Ryker sighed into the phone. “Why don’t you just bring him with you?”
“Because that wouldn’t be fun for either of us.”
“I don’t care,” he said. “I just want to see you.”
I couldn’t keep my surprise back at that comment. Who knew Ryker was affectionate.
“Tomorrow,” she pressed.
“I’ll make a compromise with you,” Ryker said. “You can go out with him, but you sleep here with me.”