Her Best Friend's Brother

by T. J. Dell

  “Nah, Leprechauns aren’t real” John answered with mock seriousness.

  “What did you wish for?”

  John didn’t even stop to consider. “The Laker Girls”

  Mel whirled around irritably to face him knocking Libby backwards at the same time. The remnants of two, now melted, cappuccinos splashed across Libby’s tee shirt.

  “Mel!” Libby puled the wet and stained cotton away from her skin. “Tel me you have something in one of these boxes I can wear.”

  Giggling Mel shook her head. “You know anything I own would look positively indecent on you.” It was true.

  Libby’s much more pronounced bust line had long ago put an end to any closet sharing. “Maybe your mother?” But Libby knew that Mel had inherited her figure from Mrs.

  Marchetti and she was unsurprised to see Melanie shaking her head a little mournfuly. The coffees hadn’t been iced for several hours now, but the liquid was stil cold that combined with her embarrassment caused her breasts to tighten and increase her embarrassment.

  Ever the gentleman, Parker reached behind his back grabbed a handful of cotton and dragged his own shirt over his head. “Here you go Libby.” He tossed it across the room to her and Libby retreated to the halway bath room to change and rinse the coffee out of her shirt. Parker was tal, and his shirt fel below the hem of her shorts. Cinching the material closer to her waist, Libby tugged the elastic band out her hair and used it to knot the excess material at the smal of her back. When she returned to Mel’s room Parker was flexing his, now bare, muscles and taunting John fo r letting himself go. Libby stood for awhile in the doorway just watching her friends. Soon they would al be in New York and she would be in Talahassee.

  “Think you have enough clothes?” John laughed as he carried a heavy armload of garment bags over to a pile of suitcases. It had taken al morning, and part of the early afternoon to get her completely packed up. Libby would have been sorry for volunteering except she was remembering how much fun the four of them could have together.

  “A girl likes to look her best you know.” Mel answered sweetly and stood on her tip toes to give him a peck on the cheek

  John swept her off her feet into a big bear hug.

  “Babe you can have al the clothes you like, but you know you look your best in nothing at al” He gave her butt an exaggerated squeeze to make his point.

  “Dude! A little propriety if you please.” Parker made a big show of averting his eyes. “Let’s start taking some of this out to the truck Libby.” He handed her a smal pile of boxes, and hefted a heavy suitcase into each of his own hands. “You’re going to leave me alone with those two walking hormones for a ten hour car ride!” Are you sure you don’t want to ride back with us?

  “Sorry, I have my own packing to do. And I have plans this weekend anyway.”

  “With Brian?”

  “What!” Libby dropped the boxes she was holding a little harder than she had planned and spun to face Parker. “I’m sorry, what?” She tried to ask again more composedly.

  Parker’s eyebrows drew close together. “That’s your guy’s name right? Mel mentioned him, but she isn’t always good with names.” Libby’s heart lurched when she remembered thinking something similar about her friend during the Stephanie/Effie conversation. In the end it hadn’t realy mattered what her name was; except perhaps that she had been able to forgive her Aunt Stephanie for having the bad luck of sharing a name with Tony’s girlfriend. Al that had mattered was that Tony had a girlfriend. And okay they had only lasted one summer, but that was a lot longer than any of Libby’s boyfriends had lasted. This wasn’t saying much since Libby had never realy had a boyfriend. How pathetic, she reflected, 19 years old and never had a real boyfriend.

  “Libby? These are kind of heavy could you…” Snapping out of it, Libby stepped aside so Parker could unload his arms into the back of the moving truck. “I didn’t mean to bring you down. Mel mentioned you were seeing someone, and I just thought he might be helping you with your packing. If he isn’t coming I could stay an extra day and help you.” Libby’s eyes darted to Parker’s face. She had felt so bad about unintentionaly leading him on her senior year. He must have realized what she was thinking.

  “Calm down. I am not making a pass at you. I just thought that if you have as much luggage as Mel…”

  “J. Lo doesn’t have as much luggage as Mel” Libby quipped. “Brian is in Florida, and I am mostly packed and ready to go-- but thanks for the offer. Besides how would you get back to New York?”

  “I am beginning to think missing out on this road trip

  “I am beginning to think missing out on this road trip would be worth the price of flying commercial.” Parker grinned. Parker had a nice grin. Actualy, Libby mused as she folowed him back up the stairs, Parker had a nice everything. Tal and slim, he escaped appearing awkward and lanky with confident graceful movements. He had the kind of muscle tone you might get from swimming or running. He could have been a dancer she thought. Some male balet dancers were straight right? Who was that guy from Dirty Dancing? Libby was pretty sure he had been a real dancer. Yes Parker was certainly nice to look at. It was a crying shame that she couldn’t convince her heart to beat even a little faster when he walked in the room, or persuade her skin to tingle whenever she heard his voice. If it weren’t for those little details Parker would have been a perfect candidate for mister right.

  Parker paused, grimacing, outside Mel’s closed bedroom door. Libby was pretty sure they had left it open.

  He knocked. “You guys stil in there?” No answer. “We should realy finish loading the truck if we are stil planning on leaving tonight.” There was a heavy thud. Worried, Libby rushed towards the door, but Parker puled her back making a shushing motion placing a finger on his lips.

  Sure enough Libby began to hear heavy breaths and soft moans. “Eww.” She took an involuntary step backwards yanking her hand off of the door knob as if it she had been burned. “They wouldn’t…” She blushed.

  Parker pounded on the door with the palm of his hand a few times. “Dude! Come on!”

  “Get lost Park” John finaly answered through the closed door.

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  “Parker, my friend, if I have to explain that to you then you are beyond my help. Now get lost-- you are embarrassing my girlfriend.”

  “Come on Libby. We might as wel go find some lunch.” Parker was shaking his head as he led her back downstairs. Libby was speechless.

  In the kitchen Libby puled out al the ingredients for griled cheese sandwiches and Parker manned the frying pan. “Should we make something for John and Mel?” Parker wrinkled his face. “No way. Although I bet they’re working up quite an appetite. They can make their own when they’ve… finished.” Libby found herself blushing again.

  “Parker, do think we, I mean John seemed to think we…” She wasn’t actualy sure how to ask her question.

  “Wel we almost before and maybe now…”

  Parker laughed. Loud, knee slapping, slightly obnoxious laughter.

  “I didn’t think it was that funny!” Libby was so mortified she barely remembered what just plain embarrassed felt like. “Al I meant was… oh never mind it was dumb.”

  “I’m sorry Libby. I shouldn’t have laughed, but you looked so nervous and we didn’t realy almost anything.” He slid a plate, with her griled cheese on it, over the counter to her and took a big easy bite out of his.

  “Last summer!”

  “Sweet heart if that’s almost than—wel than I guess that explains your scarlet cheeks upstairs.” He was laughing again.

  “Oh for Pete’s sake!” Libby huffed. “I don’t know why I bother.”

  Parker seemed to register the genuine distress on Libby’s face. He walked around the kitchen island and spun her around to face him bracing his arms on the counter on either side of her. “It would be awesome Libby… for me. You are beautiful, and sexy, and I have totaly thought about it. But it woul
d just be sex. And you aren’t a ‘just sex’ kinda girl. Do you realy want to trash two years of friendship for an hour of fun?”

  “An hour?” This brought more chuckling from Parker, and he dropped a light kiss on her nose.

  “Damn I like you Libby! I wouldn’t risk your friendship—even for three hours!” He whispered that last part into her ear before shoving off from the counter and returning to his lunch.

  “I am surrounded by men determined to save me from myself… lucky me.”

  “Is this about Brian? You two not getting along?” Parker was eating his lunch again.

  “No, Brian is fine… but we aren’t realy together.

  Just forget it okay?” Libby stuffed her mouth ful of griled cheese to force herself to stop rambling.

  Chapter Eight

  Outside Tony was pacing around the driveway. He had been so happy to be home a moment ago. But then he had walked in and seen Libby wearing what was obviously Parker’s shirt since Parker himself wasn’t wearing one, and what Libby was wearing must have been five sizes too big.

  Tony wasn’t realy a violent guy, but it took al his self control not to rush in and pummel the guy when he had leaned in to kiss her. As soon as he had regained his motor functions Tony had quietly backtracked to the front door.

  Why hadn’t he known that Parker and Libby were stil together? Libby hadn’t mentioned it, but then barring one late night inebriated phone cal (which stil haunted his dreams three months later) they had pretty much avoided al things romantic. It wasn’t as if he thought she sat home alone every weekend, but there was a pretty big difference between knowing she was dating, and having to witness it in his kitchen! Where the crap was he going to eat his breakfast cereal from now on? He sure as hel wasn’t ever going to be able to sit at the kitchen counter again.

  Okay, he had to get a handle on this. Tony concentrated on taking deep breaths. Libby hadn’t spoken to him for five months after that party. After the night he had basicaly chased her into Parker’s arms. He was so stupid! She had been right there and he had pushed her away. He had actualy reminded her that Parker had been her date. Told her that of course Parker wanted to be more than friends. Stupid! No. He wasn’t going to think about that. He was just going to remember that, during those long quiet months, he had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t make any more dumb mistakes where she was concerned. And if that meant being just friends then that was what he would do, because he wasn’t prepared to lose her again. Maybe he should just drive around town for awhile. How long until Mel was leaving for New York?

  Surely Parker would be leaving then too. When he came back he could take his friend Libby out to dinner, and maybe a movie, and maybe an ice-cream after that. Just as he had made up his mind, and was heading for his car he heard the front door open.

  “Tony!” Turning he saw Libby running towards him. “You’re early.” She said as she slipped her arms around him for a too-brief hug. “You weren’t leaving, were you?” Libby glanced between him and his car.

  Yes, he thought, I am leaving so I don’t put your dumb shirtless boyfriend through a wal. What he said was.

  “Oh, no. I was just making sure I locked it.”

  “Wel come on. Mel is your sister; it is only fair that you help us carry some of her crap down to the truck.” Libby towed tony into the house.

  Awkwardly, Tony joined everyone in the kitchen where John and his sister were finishing lunch. “So… Did Mel make you guys do al the packing?”

  “No”

  “Yes”

  “Yes”

  “Yes”

  Everyone spoke at once.

  Tony smiled a little, but he couldn’t keep from glaring at Parker. Finaly catching on Parker cleared his throat. “Oh Libby is just borrowing my shirt until hers dries.” Tony raised his eyebrows. “Because she spiled coffee…” Parker trailed off—his usual confidence shaken.

  “Wel I’m sure you’l want it back before you guys get on the road.” Tony turned to Libby. “You can help yourself to anything in my bedroom. You know where that is.” Libby looked a little confused but she headed off down the hal anyway. When she returned she had traded one oversized shirt for another and Tony barely restrained himself from pounding on his chest caveman style.

  A couple hours later the truck was finaly loaded, and they were saying their goodbyes.

  “I don’t think Mel’s brother is my biggest fan.” Parker smirked a little as he wrapped Libby in a one arm hug. The other arm was holding a barrel sized container of popcorn. Parker had proclaimed that he needed sustenance to deal with the upcoming road trip.

  “Don’t let it bother you. He is sometimes a bit overprotective of me.” Libby puled a face. “Like most big brothers.”

  “Right, but he isn’t your big brother is he?” Humor danced across Parker’s face.

  “Tel him that.” Libby murmured into Parker’s shoulder.

  “I think he can work it out on his own.” Parker put a friendly hand on Libby’s cheek. “You okay? You’ve been a little off al day.”

  “End of the summer blues I guess. Remind Mel to text me when you get there.”

  “You got it.” Parker kissed her cheek and then climbed into the truck. “See ya. Have a good semester.” The truck puled away, and her friends left.

  Shaking her head Libby started back to the house.

  She had to snap out of this. It wasn’t like they had excluded her from their little New York club on purpose.

  And she loved Talahassee. Mel was right. Libby needed to go out more. And that would be on the first order of business when she returned to school next week.

  Tony watched Libby through the window. He had already made arrangements to meet John and Mel in the city for dinner at the end of the week. Having accepted a ful time position at the Examiner, Tony would be in New Jersey. He would be able to see a lot more of Mel than Libby would, so he had left them alone to say goodbye.

  Also he had reached his Parker tolerance level at least 45

  minutes ago. And he was pretty sure Libby wouldn’t appreciate it if he decked her boyfriend. Maybe he would get lucky and Parker would choke on a piece of popcorn.

  The rest of the evening was more fun. Tony took Libby to a movie. The movie was bad, but it didn’t matter because it was so bad it was funny. After the movie they got a pizza—half Hawaian for Libby, and half pepperoni and sausage for Tony. They talked as they ate. Libby told Tony how she had falen in love with St. George’s Island, and about the sea shel colection she and Suzy had started.

  Tony talked about being a ful time at the paper, and how he had his own cubicle… wel his own desk with a shelf anyway. Tony was a little disappointed in being assigned to the sports section, but he was working on a few human interest pieces that one of the editors had said were ‘not bad’. Libby complained mournfuly about needing to take sophomore accounting, and about how her friend Brian wouldn’t even be available for tutoring this year because he was doing a year abroad with his girlfriend.

  “Maybe he can tutor you over the phone.” Tony teased.

  “Right—he’s going to Australia. It’s a 14 hour time difference! And I am so not paying that phone bil.”

  “14 hours! Wow. I mean I knew it was far but geez. Stil though it’s probably pretty cool, you should tel him to check out the toilets—I hear they flush backwards.” Libby laughed. “I think that’s an old wives tale, but I wil get him to find out for you. If I were going to do a year abroad, you know if I hit the lottery, I think I would rather see Europe. Maybe Rome. Or Paris—the French are al about pastries!”

  They kept talking until the Pizza was cold. There was no use in leaving two slices though, so with exaggerated self sacrifice they each lifted a slice from the tray. “Fruit does not belong on a pizza.” Tony declared as he picked an errant piece of pineapple off his slice and offered it to her disdainfuly. Libby’s hands were ful with her own slice of pizza, and she reacted without thinking. Leaning in she nibbled the fruit out of Tony
’s hand.

  Desire, white hot, shot through Tony’s nervous system. Her soft wet lips closed over the tips of his fingers.

  Her tongue flickered against pad of his thumb and her teeth scraped lightly against his skin. It only lasted half a second, but Tony was rooted speechlessly to his seat. Libby realized belatedly the intimacy of her actions, and she snapped back to side of the table and began eating with great focus. The tension was stil thick between them when the waitress brought their check. Libby reached for her purse, but Tony waved her off with a flick of his hand.

  “You forget Lib. I’m gainfuly employed these days.” Tony’s grin went a long way to ease Libby’s nerves. “Not very gainfuly, but I am happy to spring for dinner. Especialy since the movie was my choice and it was basicaly a waste of two hours of your life.”

  “You paid for the movie too, so Skee Bal is on me.” Libby puled a few bils from her purse and skipped over to the coin machine in the smal arcade area. Tony over to the coin machine in the smal arcade area. Tony was glad to have a few minutes sitting alone while he waited for the waitress to return with his change. He needed the time to compose himself before he joined Libby in the arcade or else he was going to be embarrassed. 4 times 6

  is 24, 4 times 7 is 28, 4 times 8 is 32….

  By the end of the evening Libby had thoroughly and humiliatingly trounced Tony’s Skee Bal score and between them they had earned enough tickets for a bag of sour patch candies, a beaded bracelet, and a plastic sheriff’s badge.

  Tony proudly pinned the badge to his shirt pocket as they walked down Main Street to where they had parked their cars behind the bakery. “Hey where’s your bracelet?” He asked around a mouthful of the gummy candies.

  Libby puled it out of her pocket, and waved it at him. “Right here.”

  Tony took the child’s bracelet from her and snapped it free of the cardboard packaging. He was very solemn as he slid the bracelet over Libby’s hand. Before he could dissuade himself he placed a soft open mouthed kiss to the inside of her wrist, imagining he could feel her pulse jump. Dropping their hands between them he wordlessly laced their fingers together and continued down Main Street as though the two of them walked hand-in-hand on a regular basis. Had he ever noticed how slim her wrists were before? Of course not. He had never noticed any woman’s wrists before, because only Libby had the power to reduce him to a depraved-sex-obsessed-neanderthal.