by Various
“What do you mean?” Brooks looked at Vance like he had three heads. “It’s Lolly…DuVal.” Vance responded with a blank look. “She’s a close personal friend of Darcy’s. Been running around our house for years.” When Vance only shook his head he went on. “DuVal! She’s one of Henry’s cousin’s—Henry, your center fielder.” Still nothing. “Molly and Pamela’s cousin!”
“Molly DuVal!” Vance hit his head. “I thought her name sounded familiar. Yeah, Molly DuVal with the big….” His hands gestured exactly how big. “And the wild….” He gestured again. Brooks just nodded. “Well, that explains a few things then.”
“What things?”
“Never mind. The point is you know who she is and everyone she’s related to. How do you do that?”
Brooks squinted. “I’ve lived here forever!”
“So have I, and I couldn’t come up with any of that. That’s why you are going to win the race for mayor hands down if you ever stop dicking around. You remember everybody’s name.”
“Because people are important to me. You certainly remember the people with whom you’ve done business.”
“That’s different. That’s about making money.”
“Exactly. You like money. You appreciate money. You understand money. Therefore it’s easy to remember the names and faces and personal histories of those people who help you make money. Money is important to you.”
“Of course.”
“Well, there’s the difference.”
“I’m not following.”
“Women aren’t important to you. In fact, you don’t even like them.”
Vance laughed. “I think you, of all my friends, are the most aware of just how much I like women.”
“Nope. You don’t. You don’t like women. You don’t even like talking to women. You certainly don’t appreciate women. And although none of the male species actually understands them, you don’t even bother to try.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I love women!”
“No. You enjoy the female body. Like you enjoy aged whiskey or a Cuban cigar. But the way you talk about women, the way you treat women? Dude.”
Vance tried to find words with which to argue, but nothing came to him. “So, clearly, when it comes to women, I need a tutor. But so do you.”
“What?”
“Yeah. You do.”
“Really? Because I’m the one with the date tonight.”
“Exactly. Your little Lollypop may have been all ooh-Brooks-the-golden-boy-of-Henderson this afternoon. But trust me. There’s a good chance she’s going to be calling you milquetoast by the end of the night.”
“Milk toast?”
Vance eyed him seriously. “Nice. Safe. Boring.”
Brooks' shoulders slumped a little. “Well, why the hell do you say that?”
“Because she told me she recently kicked some poor guy to the curb because he was nice, safe, and—”
“Boring,” Brooks finished.
“Let’s face it, bro. You and I have covered a lot of female territory over the years without much to show for it. And up until now that hasn’t really bothered me. But now that Duncan and Lewis are racing to the altar and the big 3-0 is breathing down our necks, I think it’s time to take a look at that. I mean, I’ve always thought I’d have kids and a family. Sort of create the environment I was denied growing up. And as Duncan so indelicately pointed out, we need to find women who will have us. And unfortunately I think our reputations have been cemented. We have become the epitome of good cop, bad cop.”
“Me being the good cop,” Brooks stated.
“Yeah. So somehow I need to become more like you.”
“Whatever. It’s gonna be a cold day in hell when I start treating women the way you do.”
“Fine. Not crazy about the good cop, bad cop analogy? Substitute safe versus sexy.”
“Really? Sexy?”
“Well,” Vance said, lifting an eyebrow, “I’m certainly not milquetoast.”
Brooks planted his ass on the training table Lolly had vacated, shaking himself all over. “Brrr! Just saying the word ‘sexy’ makes me feel ridiculous.”
“Yeah, and like I wanna be this town’s Golden Boy.” Vance broke into his best Brooks Bennett imitation. “Hey, Mrs. Devine! How’s your golf game? Really? Well, you hang in there. And give my best to Tess when you speak to her next, will you?” Vance mimicked.
“That is not how I sound.”
“That is exactly how you sound to me.”
“Well, you can’t be me and I refuse to be you.”
“Yes, but we can gain a better understanding of where we’re lacking and improve in those areas. I need to figure out how to lighten up and get women to wave at me when I walk through town like they do to you.”
“And I need to learn how to make their eyes go dark and misty like Lolly’s did when she told you, that you had very, very good hands. What the hell was going on in here, you goddamn son of a bitch?”
“Brooks, buddy. That crap is so easy.”
“Not for me.”
“Which is why, if you go along with my plan, I will reveal to you the secret of my success. Which I learned at the age of fifteen, by the way. It’s certainly not rocket science.”
“What plan?”
“We help Lolly with her research and she helps us with ours.”
“I don’t follow.”
“She’s the tutor.”
“No. She’s my date.”
“Tonight she’s your date. Tomorrow she’s our tutor.”
“Our tutor, how?”
“Man, I don’t know. But what I do know is that she was willing to talk about what she didn’t want. So maybe she’d be willing to talk about what she does want. It certainly can’t hurt to ask. Who else are we gonna get?”
Brooks shrugged. “I don’t know. And I see your point, I really do. But I’m hoping this date isn’t going to be a one and done.”
“Well then….” Vance spread his arms wide. “What could be better than learning about what women want from the woman you actually want?”
“Huh?”
“Trust me. There’s no downside here. Let’s just talk to her tonight and see if she’d be willing to help us.”
“I don’t know.”
“All right. How ’bout this? I give you one piece of bad cop advice to use on your date tonight. If it works out well for you, and it will, you go along with me on this.”
Brooks looked skeptical. “What’s the advice?”
“Do we have a deal? Because this is good stuff and frankly, right now, in this town, you are my stiffest competition. I don’t want to be giving you pointers and getting nothing in return.”
“Jesus, will you just tell me already?”
“Okay.” Vance took a breath before speaking in a conspiratorial tone. “Tonight, when you take the Lollypop home, the moment you hit that top step of her momma’s porch you shove that lean body of hers right up against the wall and kiss her like you mean it.”
Vance let that sink in before he added, “You can thank me in the morning.”
Chapter Three
A half hour before Lewis Kampmueller and Darcy Bennett’s engagement party officially started, Brooks’ attendance was required for family photos. All the Kampmueller and Bennett family members were assembled, which amounted to a whopping total of eleven people. Two sets of grandparents, two sets of parents, the happy couple, and one odd man out.
It wasn’t every day that your sister married your best friend of twenty years…and thank God for that. Brooks was genuinely thrilled for Darcy, and he supposed he was happy for Lewis—if that’s who the man wanted for now and evermore, who was he to try to shake some sense into him? But Brooks himself was in mourning. Because having one of your best friends fall in love with your sister meant a nuclear blast detonated inside your social sphere and, although some aspects might remain untouched, nothing would ever really be the same again. Ever.
And from the
looks of things, Duncan James was getting ready to drop a second bomb any day now. Yes, the ‘band of brothers’ were moving on and now it seemed that even the lowest among them wanted to get in on the act. What the hell had gotten under Vance’s skin? Brooks didn’t have a clue. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Vance just may be onto something, and that Lolly was the cure.
Still, Vance being…well, Vance made Brooks want to run all this by somebody else.
“Darcy, I need your opinion on something before I head over to pick up Lolly.”
Darcy blinked repeatedly. “My opinion?”
“Yeah. Seeing as you’re, you know, a grown woman and all, I was hoping you could help me out with something.” Looking around the room full of overeager family members, he took her arm and shuffled her out of the house and into the garage, right by the beer refrigerator.
“Brooks, are you okay?” Darcy asked. “You’ve never wanted my opinion on anything. Holy crap! You haven’t done anything stupid, have you? You know, like taken a bribe or stolen police evidence from the precinct?”
Brooks rolled his eyes. “Of course not. I haven’t done anything stupid…yet. So that’s why I’m asking. And I’m not getting into any details, so just give me your gut reaction and we’ll never speak of this again.”
For whatever reason, maybe the fact that she was standing in a garage wearing a white cocktail dress moments before her guests were to arrive, she took him seriously. “Fine. Shoot!”
“First, you aren’t my sister. You’re just some run-of-the-mill female born and raised in Henderson. Who would you rather go out with, me or Vance?”
Darcy eyed her brother, her brilliant calculating mind at work. “Let me assure you that Lolly is very much looking forward to being your date tonight.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“But isn’t that what you really want to know?”
“Well, yeah. Of course. But no, not really. Forget Lolly. Well, don’t forget Lolly but say, in general, girls like Lolly. Are they more interested in going out with me or Vance?”
“Depends on the girl.”
Brooks slammed his hand on the refrigerator. “Damn it, Darcy. It’s the first time I’m coming to you for advice, and you are giving me the run around.”
“I’m not,” Darcy pleaded, biting back a laugh. “I swear I’m not. It’s just that even though you and Vance have a lot in common, and you both rate high in the looks department, you are very different. You are more of a Robert Redford all-around great guy, which a lot of women are drawn to. Vance is more of a dark-haired, sexy, Bradley Cooper type that women know they should run away from as fast as they can but for some inexplicable reason are drawn to like a black hole.”
“Fucking A,” Brooks said under his breath as he rubbed his face. “You do know that Robert Redford is about a hundred years old, right?”
“But my point is—”
“I get your point. Fine. Okay. One more question.” Brooks took a breath. “Say you’re on your first date and it’s gone well. The guy walks you up to your front door and sort of manhandles you.”
“Manhandles? How?”
“Throws you up against a wall and kisses the shit out of you. Are you thinking that’s hot and can’t wait to see him again? Or are you calling 911?”
A dreamy smile came over his sister’s face.
“Fucking A,” Brooks muttered and stomped around her, heading for the door.
***
Lewis and Darcy’s engagement party was staged in the Bennetts’ backyard. A beautiful stone patio surrounded the family’s in-ground pool where lush floral arrangements of hydrangea and roses floated. Beyond the patio, guests filed in and out of a large tent festooned with balls of hydrangea trailing blue and silver streamers. Food stations offering seafood, meats, and cheeses had been set up inside the tent, along with tall, silver-clothed cocktail tables where guests stood enjoying their fare. The Tiki torches lining the perimeter of the lawn added to the festive atmosphere, and by ten o’clock the place was rocking. Bartenders had trouble keeping up with demand. And even though Mr. Bennett’s heartfelt toast to his daughter and future son-in-law had been delivered, no one considered heading home.
Lolly stepped out of the French doors and stood on the large landing atop the stacked-stone steps leading down to the party below. She glanced around for her date and spied him standing with Vance Evans and Duncan James in a tight circle, laughing, knocking each other in the arm, and pointing animated accusations at one another. They hailed Lewis over, and Lolly watched as the intended groom joined the fray, his back slapped and pounded in happy camaraderie. Even if she’d been unaware that the four of them were the best of friends, the buoyant expression on Brooks’ face would have given it away.
But she was very aware of how close they were, because since fifth grade Lolly had spent as much time inside this house as her own. And at first, she wasn't sure which of the high school seniors running in and out was Darcy’s brother, since Lewis and Vance were always at Brooks’ side.
And then came Duncan James, the Chris Pine-handsome and impeccably dressed lawyer from Raleigh. Lolly didn’t know him as well because he’d grown up in Richmond, Virginia. Brooks and Vance had met Duncan at N.C. State where they were all Phi Delts. Lolly thought they probably recruited him to fill the gap they must have felt when Lewis headed north to MIT.
And though Duncan was not from Henderson, he had the town all abuzz this past New Year’s Eve when he’d done the one thing no other man in all of North Carolina had been able to do. Duncan James had swept into town under false pretenses and not only gave a speeding ticket to Henderson’s most notorious speed demon but captured her heart as well.
Lolly’s gaze drifted over to Annabelle Devine, a.k.a. The Keeper of the Debutantes, with her flowing red curls and scrumptious dress in her signature color of white. While Lolly’s designer brain pictured that dress strapless and dyed red, she watched Annabelle carry on a boisterous conversation with her two older sisters, Grace and Tess. Their parents, Jody and Harry Devine—who were best friends with Lewis’ parents—stood next to them looking as proud as if this engagement party celebrated one of their own children.
Annabelle—only a year older than Lolly—had made her mark on Henderson while she was still in high school. When her oldest sister Tess made her debut, Annabelle thoroughly embraced the pomp, circumstance and old school ideals and single-handedly brought an archaic social function back into vogue with a flourish. Each class of debutantes since enjoyed the benefits of Annabelle’s historical research, knowledge of etiquette, and the many blue-blooded contacts she’d made in Raleigh. Because of Annabelle Devine, Henderson—previously known for next to nothing—was now known for its kick-ass debutante parties and the outstanding grace and charm of its debs.
All of this made Annabelle perfectly suited for her present career as a Field Representative for her sorority. All across the Mid-Atlantic, from one university campus to the next, Annabelle Devine offered guidance, put out fires, and handled the scandals of impetuous young women. In Lolly's opinion, Annabelle Devine had it all going on.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lolly noticed the tulle skirt of Darcy’s cocktail dress and turned with a quick grin for her childhood friend. “What did Annabelle have to say about this dress? I bet she was tickled.”
“Ah, Annabelle,” Darcy sighed. “She loved it, of course. I’ve been channeling my inner Annabelle ever since Lewis finally noticed me in that designer gown New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, my elevated fashion sense has my Visa bills skyrocketing.”
Lolly laughed. “Good thing Lewis is rich.”
“So true,” Darcy said, laughing along with her. “But what about you! You never wear your hair down. And your dress is fabulous. Perfectly elegant, yet whimsically playful with those red polka dots. Please do not tell me that you designed it.”
“I did,” Lolly admitted.
Darcy whimpered, looking Lolly up and down. “I can’t imagine be
ing able to design fabulous clothes.”
“And I can’t imagine being able to design commercially successful video games, so you have me there.” They stood side by side, their gazes wandering the party. “I have to hand it to you,” Lolly said. “College in Boston and now New York? You are living your big city dream, Darcy Bennett, and I can’t wait to follow in your footsteps as soon as they hand me my master’s in eleven more months.”
“If you can design a dress like this, then New York City is the place to be,” Darcy assured her.
“That’s what I keep tellin’ my momma.”
“So, is my brother showing you a good time?” Darcy asked.
“Mmm,” Lolly said while sipping her drink. “I imagine I have you to thank for setting this up?”
“Not me. Mom says Brooks saw your name on the guest list, and the next thing she knew he told her you’d be here…with him.”
“Hmm.”
“Yes. Hmm.”
Lolly glanced at Darcy and found herself under scrutiny. “What?”
“Well? Are you interested in my brother? You can tell me the truth. Brooks is always going to be my brother. You, on the other hand, I definitely want to keep as a friend. So, whatever happens, I’m on your side.”
“I’m interested. Of course I’m interested. I mean, who wouldn’t be interested? He’s Brooks Bennett for goodness’ sake. Local sports star and superhero. Savior of dogs and old folks.”
“Whoop-de-do,” Darcy said, circling her finger in the air.
“Stop!” Lolly laughed. “He’s gorgeous and a great guy, even if he was a pain in your neck growing up. Look, I’m wearing the bracelet he gave us when we graduated from high school, remember?” She held up her arm, showing off her Pandora charm collection. “I will never get over that he gave me a gift too.”
“He always was nicer to you,” Darcy grumbled, fingering through Lolly’s charms.
“He really was,” Lolly agreed, laughing. “Remember that night he found us hitchhiking back from the lake?”
“Yes,” Darcy said, completely irritated. “And although it was your idea, I was the one who got in all the trouble. He didn’t tell your mom, but he certainly let my parents know how stupid we were. I was grounded for two weeks.”