by MJ Masucci
She was there for two weeks, and anything could have happened. The text had said that he was coming into the city on Tuesday. He would make sure to ask them both to dinner. He wanted to size this man up and see if he was competition. The plan was becoming harder to manage with all these men around Ava. But he was up for the challenge. He knew that once he got her in his grasp, she would fall in love with him. That was his goal, and he was going to do anything he needed to make it happen.
On Tuesday, Ava waited patiently for David to get to her apartment. She had offered to pick him up at the airport with a rental, but he said he would take a cab. She tried to work on the New York Times crossword puzzle, but it was futile. She couldn’t think of one answer, and she became frustrated. She tossed the magazine on the table and dozed off, waking up to the ringing of the phone for the lobby. She answered it and was told that David was at the front desk, she waited at her open apartment door for him.
When he emerged from the elevator, he had a big smile on his face. He hugged her so hard. She invited him in, and he left his suitcase in the entry way while she gave him the grand tour.
“I only have one bedroom, but it’s yours while you are here. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“I don’t want to put you out. You sleep in your bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.” He sat down on the chaise. “Actually, it seems pretty comfortable to me. I think I’ll be fine here.”
She argued with him, but he insisted. Then she asked him what he wanted to do.
“We can do anything.”
He joked by repeating, “Anything?” He raised his eyebrows twice.
She smacked his arm, pretty sure that he was kidding. He had made the same types of jokes when they were at her father’s house. She thought that when she spoke of a relationship between the two of them being incestuous, that he agreed. Sometimes she couldn’t be sure.
He sat on the couch and picked up the New York Times magazine and paged through it until he got to the crossword puzzle. She had left the pencil on the table, and he picked it up and started filling in a few of the boxes.
“Why is it that everyone always wants to do my crossword puzzle?”
“Do you want me to buy my own magazine? I thought you said I could do anything.”
“Fine, but don’t finish it. I want to do some of it.”
He tossed the magazine back on the table and stretched.
“Do you want to take a nap? You seem tired.”
“I’ll take one if you take one with me?”
“David, is there something you want to say?”
She watched as he worked his jaw searching for the right words.
“How can I say this without sounding like a jerk?”
Her stomach started to do flip flops. Was he going to say he had a crush on her? She hoped not.
“I really like you, but I know you have this thing about us being related if our parents got married. You don’t know if that is going to happen and why waste our attraction because it might happen?”
“So you are saying you want to have sex with me? Is that why you wanted to visit?”
“Not the only reason. I like spending time with you. You’re fun to hang out with, and I was going crazy sitting around the pool house waiting for my job to start. All my friends are married except for two, and they still live with their parents. So it wasn’t the only reason. Why don’t we start with you showing me your tattoo? I know you said it’s in a private place.”
“I’m not sure sleeping together is the answer. I can show you my tattoo, but there is a reason for it. You might not be so anxious to have sex after I explain.”
She undid the top of her shorts, revealing a white thong. She watched as David’s blue eyes widened.
“Calm down.” She slowly peeled back the cloth until it was just below her bikini line.
“Come closer; it’s hard to see.”
She moved closer, and he stared at it. He reached out to touch it with his thumb, but she moved away.
“I said I would show it to you, not for you to touch.”
“Sorry. I see initials in it. What are those?”
She moved her panties back over the tattoo and fastened her shorts. Then she sat down next to him and told him the entire story about Xander. She showed him the horrible email that he had sent. He was shocked that someone could be so cruel.
“No matter what he has done, I still love him. I can’t stop.”
David took her in his arms. “You’re wrong; I still want to sleep with you.”
“You’re so exasperating!” But she was glad she could laugh.
It was a good thing that they decided not to have sex because later that night Ava received a call from her father. He had asked Felice to marry him. While she was on the phone with him, David’s cell rang, and he heard the news.
The first thing she said when he got off was, “Eww, I would have had sex with my stepbrother. Thank God we dodged that bullet.”
“I could kick myself for letting you talk me out of it,” he said.
“You’re a jerk.”
“I know. So, sis, where would you like to go tonight?”
She rattled off a bunch of places, from restaurants to bars. They decided to go to her more recent haunt down the street. They had drink specials on Tuesdays, and they could get some decent bar food. They changed and took a cab.
The place was half full, and they were able to get a table in the corner where they could talk without being bumped by others. Ava stuck to seltzer and lime. She was going to stay away from alcohol as long as she could. David ordered one of the craft beers on tap. When the waitress came with their drinks, they placed their food order.
Ava was deep in conversation with David when she heard her name. She turned to see Tim coming towards them with a beer in his hand. What was he doing here? She had once told him that this was a college bar, but really it wasn’t. A lot of people came here after work.
Tim invited himself to sit down and pulled a chair from one of the nearby tables. Ava was annoyed that he would horn in on their conversation. He started questioning David, practically interrogating him. She introduced them and said that David was her stepbrother.
Tim didn’t remember her mentioning that her father had remarried. She better not be lying to me, I already have so many lies that I caught her in. He chattered on dominating the conversation. Ava got quiet hoping that Tim would take the hint and leave but he just kept talking. They had finished their dinner and asked the waitress for the check. Ava explained that David was tired from his flight and wanted to get back early. She shot David a glance to make sure he didn’t ruin her cover.
She went to pull money out her of her purse to pay the check, but Tim was quicker and handed the waitress a fifty dollar bill from a wad of money he took from his pocket. If he thinks all his money is going to impress me, he is wrong. She was annoyed that he would think that. She decided to speak up.
“Tim, you don’t have to pay for everything. It was my treat, and I wanted to pay for it. Where are you getting all this money from?”
She saw Tim’s cheeks turn crimson.
“Is it so bad if I treat my friends? I have been working on some computer projects on the side and recently got paid for one of them.”
She was troubled by his admission since he had never mentioned any side jobs except when he pulled out money. She didn’t believe him just as much as she disbelieved the story about the man in the park.
She rose from her chair, and David shook Tim’s hand to say goodbye. They walked separate ways and David commented on what a strange guy Tim was. She told him that Tim had been there for her when she needed someone. While she wasn’t quite ready to write him off as a friend, she agreed he was getting weird.
It was getting late, and David was dozing off while they watched TV. She nudged him, and he woke up. She asked if he wanted to go to sleep and went to the closet to get a blanket. He got up and changed in the bathroom and when he came out Ava had prepared t
he couch for him to sleep.
“You can still sleep in my bed if you want?”
Hopefully, he asked, “Will you be in it?”
“No, I will be on the couch, jerk.”
He laughed and shook his head. “The couch is fine.”
She went to her bedroom and left the door open. The cats followed her and jumped up on the bed to snuggle up at the foot of it.
Later that night, she had the same nightmare about Xander. This time, he was in the coffin with blood all over his face. His suit was smeared with dirt and grass. She began screaming until she woke to David shaking her.
“Is there something about me that makes you have nightmares?”
“David, I am so sorry. I don’t know why I have them again.”
“You have had them before these two?”
“Yes, but not this one. This is new, and I don’t know why I’m having it.”
“Can I go back to bed? Will you be alright?”
“Yes, I’m sorry I woke you.”
He went back to the living room. She lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling in the dark. She wasn’t sure when she fell back to sleep, but she felt groggy the next morning. Her door was closed, and when she got up, David had already straightened up the couch. She found him sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee. She joined him and asked what he wanted to do for the day. He rattled off several things, and she made a list. They could probably do a few things around the city each day.
They got dressed, and she checked the schedule for the Circle Line. He wanted to see Ellis Island and that was where they headed for most of the day. After that, she took him to the Empire State Building and then they went for dinner at a small Italian restaurant near her apartment.
The rest of the week was spent taking in the sights of Manhattan, including visits to Central Park where they boated around the lake, The Museum of Natural History and the Planetarium and Freedom Tower. The entire week Tim watched his phone to track where they were. He wanted to make sure that he knew where she was at all times.
On Saturday, David begged her to take him to Ember. He had seen a write up on the club in the New York Times the week before and wanted to go. She was hesitant since the last time she went she made a complete ass out of herself. She didn’t tell him that because she was embarrassed. He kept working on her, and she finally gave into his request. She wanted him to meet some of her cousins since he would soon be one of the family.
She called Dani and Sam to see if they wanted to meet her there. Dani told her she was already going with a couple of Roger’s friends. She blushed as she thought about Jimmy. Dani must have read her mind because she said that Jimmy would not be one of the friends. Sam had plans with Robert. It was their anniversary of when they started dating.
At 10:00 PM they took a cab to the club. Ava gave her name at the door, and she was let in and led to the VIP Lounge. Dani and Roger were already there with two other dark haired men. Roger introduced them as his brother, Simon, and a friend named Declan. They were both good looking guys and Dani whispered that they were both gay so she should keep her hands to herself.
Ava introduced David as her soon to be stepbrother. Dani raised her eyebrows when she told her that, and she explained that her father had just gotten engaged to his mother, Felice. She told Dani he was visiting Manhattan for the week.
Dani pulled her up and said she had to go to the bathroom, and Ava should come with her. She excused herself leaving David with the other men. In the bathroom, Dani gave her the third degree. She told her that she had met him when she went to visit her father. He was staying in the pool house, and she wanted to also. So they compromised and shared the house. She had fun with him, and when he asked to stay with her when he visited, she agreed.
“So nothing happened between you two?”
“No, why would you think that?”
“I saw the way that guy looked at you. He has a thing for you.”
“You are ridiculous. I told him that would never happen because now that we are going to be related it would be incestuous.”
Dani laughed. “Since when has that stopped a guy?”
“I don’t want to discuss this anymore. We are just friends with a lot in common.”
“Okay, Ava, if that is what helps you sleep at night.”
Ava gave her a dirty look, and they exited the bathroom. The rest of the night was spent in the VIP lounge and dancing. Ava stuck to her vow not to indulge in alcohol though the others did. David had several rum and cokes and was very tipsy by the time they left the club. She practically had to carry him on her back to her apartment when they exited the cab.
“I hope you aren’t going to throw up on my couch,” she said.
“I will have you know that I have not thrown up from alcohol in my life.”
“Good, then I can expect a clean couch come tomorrow.”
She helped him to the couch, and he stretched out on it still wearing his clothes and shoes. She pulled off his shoes and covered him with a blanket since he had fallen asleep. She wasn’t going down the road to try to help him get undressed. If what Dani had said was true then it might lead to trouble. She had been through that with Xander and look where it got her.
She went to her room and closed the door to get undressed and ready for bed. She put on the threadbare t-shirt that was Xander’s and slipped under the covers. Two hours later she heard something drop on the floor and cursing. She got up to see what happened to David.
He was sprawled out on the hallway floor holding his shin. He had tripped over the small table she kept there and knocked off several books that were stacked.
“What are you doing?”
“I have to pee and forgot where the light switch was.”
She had to giggle. “Are you okay?”
“It’s not funny,” he said as he stared at her.
She completely forgot that the shirt she was wearing was practically see through, and he was getting a perfect view of her firm breasts. When she finally did realize she crossed her arms to hide them but not before her face bloomed bright red.
“I’m going back to bed if you don’t need help.” She turned and went back to her room closing the door behind her. She looked in the mirror, and she was able to view her breasts through the thin fabric. He must have gotten a real eyeful.
The next morning she woke before David. He had removed his clothes, and they were draped over the couch. The blanket was pulled up to his chin, and he was softly snoring. She tiptoed into the kitchen and quietly fed the cats. Then she made a cup of coffee for herself, picked up the New York Times from outside her door and went back to her room to work on the puzzle in her chair by the window.
She started the crossword puzzle while drinking her coffee. Two hours later she got a knock on her door and told David to come in. He opened it and was dressed in his boxers and nothing else.
“Whatcha doing?”
She held up the crossword puzzle for him to see. He sat on the corner of her bed closest to her and tried to smooth the hair out of his eyes. He seemed to want to say something to her but wasn’t sure how to get it out.
“Ava?”
She put the magazine down and looked at him.
“I’m sorry for last night.”
“For what?”
“You know…for staring at you.”
“It’s fine. I should have worn something less revealing.”
She went back to filling in one of the clues. He reached over, put his hand under her chin and tipped her face up to look at him.
“I like you. I wish we weren’t going to be related because I would ask to date you. I think that Xander is a fool to do what he did to you. You know you need to get out there and start living. Soon, you’ll be done with the bar exam and starting your career as an attorney. You can’t stay home each weekend.”
“I know. I’ve told myself that for the past four years. I just need some time, but I promise that I’ll get out there soon.”
&n
bsp; Today was the last day they were going to be together. David was leaving to go back home to Georgia tomorrow, and she would be alone on her last week of suspension from her uncle’s firm. She had no idea where she was going to be assigned when she got back. She was sure that Victoria wasn’t going to take her back and that was just fine. Let some other sucker deal with her.
She took David to lunch at the Hard Rock Café and after, they roamed around Times Square until it started to get cool. When they arrived home, he plopped down on her couch while she fed the boys.
“We never did do any studying this week. I guess I will have to figure out a schedule when I get back home.”
“You’re a bad influence on me. I wanted to study, but you kept asking me to do stuff around the city.”
“Yeah, but I had a great week. Thank you for taking me all over. I saw a lot of things that I’ve wanted to see for awhile. Plus, thanks for letting me stay here. It would have cost me a fortune to find a hotel. I’d like to take you to dinner tonight as a thank you.”
She turned him down saying that she was going to cook for him. They had been eating out so much she must have gained the four pounds back that she lost when she went to visit down south. Instead, she made spaghetti and garlic bread. He had a glass of wine from a bottle he had purchased, but she stuck to water.
After dinner, she watched him pack his clothes. His flight was at 11:00 AM the next day, and she started to feel sad that he was leaving. He kept her sane these past three weeks when she thought she would lose it.
They sat on the couch watching TV, and she leaned against him with her back against his chest. She felt comfortable with him as if he was a friend from many years back. He liked having her next to him because he loved the lavender scent of her hair. Just before they went to bed he started to kiss the top of her head, then her ear and finally her cheek. His passion got the best of him, and he leaned to kiss her lips, she pulled away.
“No, David. We can’t and you know why.”
“Tell me you don’t feel anything for me.”