The Right Kind of Wrong: A Brother's Best Friend Romance

by Fabiola Francisco

  “You’re an ass.” I slap his chest and step back, bumping into the armrest and almost landing my ass in the seat.

  All he does is wink and step in front of me as the line in the narrow hall begins to move out of the airplane, other people sneaking in, creating more space between him and me. Damn him and his sex appeal. Not only am I sober now, but I’m also filled with desire. And the only person that can scratch this itch is the man who awoke it in the first place. The man that should be so off-limits I shouldn’t even entertain the idea of pulling him into a bathroom stall and having dirty bathroom sex with him. The kind I’ve only ever thought was acceptable in books.

  By the time I’m off the plane, there’s no sight of Camden. He’s disappeared into thin air, leaving his final words lingering worse than a scotch hangover on a turbulent plane ride.

  chapter 4

  Allyson

  I walk down the busy streets of Madrid, dodging tourists left and right as I make my way back to my apartment for my lunch break. I’ve been living here for two years, and sometimes I’m still thrown off by the two-hour break I get. I was used to a short lunch break back in Richmond, mostly consisting of eating at my desk or in the break-room.

  Unfortunately, no amount of tourists have been able to make me stop thinking about Camden. Three damn weeks since I returned, and I was sure that throwing myself into work would do the trick, but human resources doesn’t exactly provide the type of distraction I was hoping for.

  I shake my head, bumping into someone, and I call out an apology over my shoulder in my best Spanish while I keep walking forward. This city is full of life. No matter the time of day or day of the year, there’s always a crowd of people making it exciting.

  I do wish the streets were a little less crowded with the heat wave that’s consuming us these past weeks. It’s like a fiery tidal wave, and I can’t wait for the weather to cool down. I’ll take a brutal winter over a burning summer any day of the week. I attribute it to being from the Wyoming mountains and having grown up with freezing cold weather. Virginia doesn’t get as cold as Everton, my hometown, but it still gets cold.

  By the time I make it up to my apartment, sweat drips down the back of my neck. One thing I definitely miss is AC. Nothing beats good old air conditioning in the summer—not even an ice-cold beer.

  I heat up leftovers from last night and jump in the shower for a quick cooldown. I rinse my body and stop mid-way, leaning forward in the shower to listen to the noise coming in from the cracked open window. Is that? No way…

  I chuckle, reminding myself I live in a city, not the country for goodness sake. Turning off the water, I grab my towel and wrap it around me as I step out, this time no shower head competing for the noise coming through my window. I squint my eyes and wait for the noise to come back.

  Is that a rooster?

  It’s cock-a-doodle-doing in the middle of a metropolitan city. Sure, Madrid isn’t New York, but some would argue it’s better than The Big Apple. I’ve never been to New York, so I always have to keep quiet when that argument arises, which also means my comparison is null and void.

  I shake my head, interrupting my inner-conversation, and step out of the bathroom. No time to figure out why a rooster is in a nearby apartment, I get dressed quickly, not caring one bit that I’ll show up to the office in a second outfit, and grab my food from the microwave.

  The pasta steams as I sit on the couch and open my iPad to call my best friends, Noel and Berkeley.

  “Heyyyy, boo!” Noel calls out immediately.

  Berkeley rubs her eyes and winks at me before she croaks, “Hey.”

  “Are you still in bed?” Noel asks, furrowing her eyebrows. “Get up! Time to work. Let’s go, let’s go.” She cheers her on with way too much energy considering it’s eight in the morning in Richmond.

  “I’m up,” Berkeley sits up. “But let me grab coffee. It’s my day off,” she grumbles as she holds her phone and makes her way to the kitchen in her apartment.

  “So, how’s the big life in Spain?” Noel asks, without waiting for Berkeley’s coffee to brew.

  I smile at my best friend. “It’s great.” My lunch break has become our chat time since the time difference makes any other time a challenge between work and sleep schedules.

  “Funny story, though…” I wait until I have both of their attention. “There’s nothing like taking a shower with the window cracked open and a rooster cock-a-doodling. And you both thought I moved to Spain for the glamour. I moved for the cocks.

  Berkeley sputters, her sip of coffee flying everywhere as she laughs. “That shit’s funny.” She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand before rinsing her hand at the sink. God, I love that girl, but she’s a hot mess most days.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s called crowing. A rooster crows…” Noel corrects me, scrunching her eyebrows as if she were deep in thought. “I’m going to have to google that now to know for sure.”

  “I guess you really did move to Spain for the cocks,” Berkeley adds, taking a seat on her kitchen table and setting her phone down. Knowing her, it’s leaning against an empty jar she hasn’t thrown away yet.

  “Speaking of cocks…” Noel trails off, squinting her eyes at something. “Yes! It is called crowing.” Her attention is back on us. “Anyway, cocks… What I was saying. Have you found your own rooster?” I chuckle at her use of rooster for a guy.

  “I told you, there’s one somewhere in my apartment building.”

  “Did you bang a hot neighbor you didn’t tell us about?” She leans forward on her elbows, her brown eyes widening. “Wait, we are talking about a guy and not the real rooster you heard, right?” My comment dawns on her as Berkeley and I both laugh.

  “Assholes,” she mutters. “Seriously, Ally, you’ve been living there for two years, and you haven’t banged a hot guy.”

  “Who still says banged?” I roll my eyes dramatically, sure that she sees my annoyance. Bless her heart, but she’s dead-set on me meeting a hot Spaniard and falling in love with him.

  “I don’t know if I could date a guy who wears tighter jeans than me. Like, my ass wouldn’t fit in his pants.” I sigh and fall back on my couch, stuffing my mouth with pasta and keeping track of the time.

  “Who said anything about dating?” Noel waggles her eyebrows, and Berkeley calls out in agreement.

  “Besides, you said dating a guy with an expiration date wasn't what you wanted,” Berkeley speaks up. “Have some fun. It’s not like you’ve ever had a one-night-stand. You gotta have one before you turn thirty!”

  I choke on my lunch, my eyes watering. If they only knew…

  I hold up a finger and walk into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. “Sorry, it went down the wrong pipe,” I say after collecting myself.

  They both wave it off and then pry for more information. “There’s gotta be a cute guy that’s caught your eye. How about in that bar you always go to. What’s the name of it?” Berkeley’s curious eyes widen as she waits for my response.

  “Toro,” I say.

  “Doesn’t that mean bull?” Noel asks with a proud smile.

  “It does.”

  “So, there must be a bull of a man there for you.” I laugh at her corny joke.

  I love having this time to talk to my friends. They’ve been with me since I moved to Virginia, helping me settle in after my move, making sure I fit in. They even said I was heaven sent because no “Mean Girls Club” would survive with just two members. They were anything but mean girls, so I always found that amusing. They did become my best friends, from high school to college to the real world, where we had to get real jobs and apartments and adult.

  “I’ll see if I meet someone this weekend,” I lie.

  “Mmhmm… You say that every week,” Berkeley calls me on my fib.

  If they only knew that my mind has currently been caught up on another cock… I mean, man. On another man. Whose cock I should not be thinking about.

  Damn Camden for getti
ng me all tied up in knots when I’m not supposed to see him as more than a friend, maybe even an older brother. I roll my eyes at myself. Yeah, Camden is so not like an older brother.

  “Ally!” Noel’s voice brings me back to the present.

  “Yeah?” I look at their furrowed faces on the screen, my own is doe-eyed in confusion.

  “I was saying that you should just let it flow. Be open to meeting someone—no expectations—and have fun. Don’t overthink it, even if the guys there do wear super skinny jeans. Take that as a clue into what their package would be like, and if they’ll be worth a wild ride in the sack.”

  I giggle as I listen to Noel’s speech.

  “I’d high-five you if I were with you right now,” Berkeley says.

  “Hell, high-five now!” Both of their hands slam the screen, and I let out a deep, belly laugh at their ridiculousness.

  “Okay, I gotta go. Thank you for the chat, and for waking up early on your day off,” I say to Berkeley.

  “For you? I’d wake up at four A.M.”

  “Love you,” I tell them, waving at them until I realize that’s not necessary.

  We laugh as we end our call. I jump up from the couch, wash my plate, and put on my shoes so I can head back to work. Whenever I can, I stop at a café near the office to have a coffee and pastry. Thank goodness for all this walking, or I’d be rolling with all the puffed pastry and whipped cream I eat on a daily basis.

  Thinking about what Noel and Berkeley said, I wonder if they’re right. I am looking forward to the weekend, but more so I can veg out on my couch, read, and have a few beers. My friend supply here is limited, but I’ve never been one to have a huge group of friends. I’ve always believed a small, loyal, and loving group of friends is better than a huge amount of people you can’t really count on. That’s what acquaintances are for.

  The only downfall to free time is that I continue to replay my night with Camden. I wish we had a choice to erase certain memories. Better yet, I wish I could go back in time and redo the past. Because I may have never considered Camden Steele to have a place in my love life, but now all I can see is him as the main character when it comes to the hero in my own story.

  And that is so wrong. So not going to happen. Easton aside, Camden isn’t the guy that would ever really settle down. I’ve always imagined him as George Clooney, the forever bachelor (ignoring the fact that George settled down eventually). He has fun in his life, travels for work, gets what he wants with no real attachment holding him back. I mean, I get it to a certain extent, but that’s not what I want.

  One day, I’d like to have a relationship that will lead to a home together, marriage, and maybe kids. I hope one day to have a permanent travel partner and coffee date. Every time I see couples around the city, traveling together, a sense of longing washes over me. I’ve never had a serious enough relationship where we were at the point of moving in together, but a girl can hope that a guy will come around one day and sweep her off her feet.

  I sigh and walk into the café, taking my coffee to-go today and skipping the pastry. I have a feeling I’m going to be hitting the junk food aisle after work. I’d much rather savor what I eat than stuff my face in a rush because I’m running out of time.

  The rest of the day drags with a few messages from my mom and one from Easton with a picture of his view in Mykonos. Greece has always been a honeymoon destination I would love to have. Seeing his pictures makes it even more romantic. Luckily, my brother and Faith were able to take a long honeymoon since Faith works at the school and has summers off and my brother was able to weasel himself a four-week holiday. I’d do the same. It’s a shame to fly to Europe for anything less than three weeks.

  I hope one day I’ll find a love like that. Until then, I’ll be open to possibilities like Berkeley and Noel suggested.

  chapter 5

  Allyson

  I never thought the weekend would get here. While working in Spain is totally different than the US—it doesn’t feel like the in and out hustle and bustle we’re used to back home—I am definitely ready for a break. This week was never-ending, not to mention I had to deal with two co-workers and personal differences. Being in human resources, I’m the lucky chick who’s designated as, usually, the office counselor, especially when it comes to starting an international office and merging two different cultures in one space.

  Working in logistics in itself isn’t exactly exciting, but dealing with people’s personal challenges keeps me on my toes.

  But, I’m finally home, lying on my couch with a bag of chips resting on my chest. Easy access for the lazy lover. Ha! Lazy lover. That sounds wrong. Like a person needs the other within reach because they’re too lazy to put some effort into it. Not the kind of lover I’d want. I’d want…

  Ugh! Now I’m thinking about Camden again and his non-lazy ways.

  Shaking out of my thoughts, I take a deep breath and shove two salty chips into my mouth, crunching away as I compete to listen to the television. Reruns of an old American crime show I had never seen before moving here plays in the background. Since living here, I’ve discovered so many older shows I hadn’t heard of. Spaniards seem to love all things drama, murders, and drugs it seems. Thankfully, I don’t have a weak stomach, and my mind’s a little twisted, too, or I’d hate the entertainment options here.

  I hear the buzz of my apartment intercom and sit up, catching the bag of chips before it spills on the floor, and look around my apartment in confusion. I’m sure as hell not expecting anyone, which means it could be a mistake or some mass-murderer checking to see if there’s a vulnerable person in their apartment.

  Okay, maybe I should quit it on the crime shows.

  I stand wearily and make my way to the speaker by my door, thankful they can’t come in unless someone buzzes them.

  “Si?” I speak into the system.

  I hear whispering on the other side along with a giggle, but no one answers. Probably some punk kids trying to prank people.

  As I’m walking away, it sounds again. “Si,” I repeat, wondering who is downstairs and more irritated this time when I don’t get an immediate response.

  “Oh, someone is pissy,” I hear a familiar voice say on a chuckle.

  My eyes pop open, and my mouth drops. I press the button and speak into the system, “Is that you?” I can’t believe it. I buzz open the door to the building as a huge smile fills my face.

  Opening the door, I wait right outside of it to see if my imagination is playing tricks on me. When the elevator opens with a ding, I crane my head in the hallway to see Easton and Faith walking down the hall.

  I swallow back tears and rush to them, hugging my brother and then my sister-in-law. “What are you doing here? Oh, my goodness! This is the best surprise ever,” I’m talking a mile a minute, tears welling in my eyes. The last thing I expected was for them to come to Spain.

  Easton chuckles, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as I lead them toward my apartment.

  “We wanted to surprise you, which I guess we did. Faith thought you were on to us because I posted an airport picture on Instagram, but I guess you didn’t realize it.”

  “No, I didn’t catch on at all. How long are you here?”

  “Just four days, then we had back to Everton,” Faith says with a smile.

  “Oh, my God. I can’t get over it. You’re really here!” I jump up and down, holding their hands. “My apartment’s a mess. It’s been a long week. I’m apologizing now,” I rush them in, closing the door behind me.

  “This is really nice.” Faith looks around. “It’s so airy.”

  I nod. “Yeah, I got lucky. After seeing other apartments my co-workers have, I hit the jackpot with this place.” My apartment has big windows in the living room that allow natural light to come in. The kitchen also has a window, and I’ve got a covered balcony where I can sit and slide open the windows to create a more open space when the weather is nice.

  “You guys are staying here, right?�
� I look between them.

  “We actually booked a hotel nearby.” Easton smiles. “It’s within walking distance.”

  “No way! You have to stay here. I’ve got a sofa bed I can stay on, and you can sleep in my room.”

  “No, we don’t want to put you out,” Faith shakes her head.

  “You’re not, honestly. Half the nights, I end up asleep on the couch anyway.” I look at my comfy sofa. “Unless you want to… You know, keep the honeymoon going,” I joke.

  Easton scrunches up his face, and Faith lets out a deep laugh. “That’s so wrong,” my brother shakes his head.

  I join Faith in laughing loud until I snort, which makes me laugh even more. “I’m kidding. You’re more than welcome to stay here, but if you do want privacy, I understand as well.”

  “We’ll stay at the hotel, but we plan on having you show us around. We made sure to come on a weekend, so you’d be free.”

  “Yes! I can’t wait to show you all my favorite places. Let me take a shower, and we can go to a bar near here that I love. Good, cheap beer, believe it or not, and tapas. It’s paradise.” I rush into my room, grab my clothes, and take a quick shower.

  I can’t believe that they’re here. So many different plans run through my mind as I wipe the steam off the bathroom mirror and brush my hair. Thank goodness I washed and straightened it this morning. Grabbing my makeup from the small organizer I have on the sink, I add the minimal makeup necessary, a bit of concealer under my eyes, a brush of mascara, and my magenta lipstick. I’m a simple gal, but there’s nothing I love more than bright lipsticks.

  I step out of the shower and see Easton and Faith out in the balcony.

  “It’s nice, right?” I ask them.

  “Definitely. You’ve got a great view,” Faith says, and my brother nods in agreement.

  “I’m proud of you, sis,” he pulls me in for a hug, the familiarity and comfort making my throat clog up with emotions.

  Despite being four years apart and a man, my brother has always been there for me. While other people may wish to have a sibling the same gender as them, I wouldn’t trade Easton for a sister. Never. Besides, Faith is my sister-in-law, and while I hadn’t seen her in years, I always loved her and had a great relationship with her. That had proven to still be the case after seeing her again a year and a half ago when we spent Easter with my brother and Faith’s family in Everton.