I don’t know how long I was there, but I felt the comfort of strong arms picking me up off the pavement, asking me if I was okay. Grayson...Harrison, hell, I couldn’t tell the difference. His arms were so strong around me, his shoulders so broad, he smelled so manly. It felt comforting and that was all I needed to know as I snuggled into this rescuer that had come to help me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came by the house to see if you wanted to hit the game with me today? You need a fun diversion, Alex. They said you were out for a run, but you’d been gone a long time.”
Oh, good, it was Harrison, he calls me Alex and I could see the crooked smile.
“I’m okay Harrison. It was just a song that caused emotion to overtake me. I am much better now, and you can just drop me off at the house. I appreciate you rescuing me from my public display of weakness.”
“It’s not weakness, you are under considerable stress. If you would like to enjoy the Bears game, we need to get a move on. You in?”
“Thank you for the invitation Harrison, but I don’t think that I would be good company. I’m in a funky mood, if you haven’t noticed.” Maybe I was trying to distance myself from him.
“Alex, you're a Bears fan aren’t you? And besides, you need to lose yourself in something besides drama!”
“Okay, okay, you’re right. I think that is a perfect diversion. I am a huge Bears fan; I can be ready in 30 minutes.”
“While you shower and change, I will let your dad know that you’re okay and you will be spending the day with me.”
I grabbed a quick shower, but this hair is full and unruly. It made me think about Coop, and I hadn’t returned his calls or texts. I would do that on the way to the game. I grabbed my jeans and favorite Bears sweatshirt and I was ready to enjoy a Grayson, drama free day.
On the way to the game I read over the many texts from Cooper, it was easier just to give him a call.
“Hey Coop, I know I have worried you, I am sorry.”
“Alex, what is going on, and don’t leave anything out!”
“Coop, I sent him packing last night. I need time to process everything; all of it is just too damn much in the last 24 hours. Well, the last 8 weeks have been a revolving door with him. I just want to step away from it for awhile. I don’t know when I will be back in Dallas, it’s just too much!”
“Alex, he loves you, you know that and I know that. You need to come home and face this, you can’t run forever!” Coop sounded almost angry, like he was fighting as hard for Grayson as Grayson was for me.
“Coop, I can’t talk about him anymore right now. I am on my way to the Bears game. It will do me some good just to think about something else for the day. I love ya and I will call you later!” Hanging up, I realized just talking to Cooper wounded me all over again. It was just too raw to think about it. If Grayson did love me, he couldn’t allow himself to say it for whatever reason.
Oddly enough, even though they were identical, I didn’t feel like I was with Grayson, the same chemistry wasn’t there. I was comfortable with Harrison as if we were old friends, without all the drama. Obviously, Harrison had heard my side of the conversation with Cooper, but he didn’t say anything for the longest time. I am sure he was full of all kinds of questions. He seemed confident that Grayson was back in Dallas, so I am certain he was overjoyed with that idea. We talked the rest of the way to the stadium about the Bears and some of our favorite games and plays from past seasons. He was as much a fan as I, although we didn’t exactly agree on coaching.
Harrison has season tickets with a really nice view, just off the 40 yard line. As we took our seats, I noticed some of the surrounding folks taking a long hard look at me; they must be friends with him. It was at that moment that I realized, do they think we are dating and does Harrison look at this as a date. It must have changed my demeanor and it seemed as though Harrison was a mind reader.
“Alex, I am glad you decided to join me. I have needed a controversial seatmate to argue with during the game for some time,” with a chuckle in his voice and a twinkle in his eyes.
“Controversial seatmate?”
“Well, we don’t see eye to eye on the coaching, and I am sure today’s game is going to be decided on coaching, so it may be controversial seating today.”
“Well, if you knew you were going to behave bratty today, you shouldn’t have brought me, so I accept your challenge and game on!”
We enjoyed the game and the folks all around us pitched in to give a great debate back and forth. The afternoon was a lot of fun and I enjoyed Harrison’s company.
“Alex, if you are up to it, I would love to grab dinner. You game?”
“Absolutely, I would love to, in fact, I am starving. You owe me dinner for losing the bet, anyway.”
“For the record, I didn’t lose the bet. The coaching cost me that bet, but you're on for dinner.”
Harrison picks up his phone and makes a few calls like he is arranging a corporate merger and then settles in for the drive to wherever we are going. It was comfortable being with him. He hadn’t pushed to find out answers about his twin and refrained from asking about all the drama. He truly just seemed interested in getting to know me.
“How do you know my dad, Harrison?”
“We met about 10 years ago. I was just starting my practice and getting my feet wet with corporate mergers. At the time, there was a group that was interested in buying your dad’s newspaper business. It was not the right buyout for your dad and even though I brought their interest to him, I was honest with him telling him what I thought. He respected me for my transparency and we have been friends ever since. We have partnered on some business dealings, been on opposite sides of some deals and even challenged each other on the golf course, but yet we still seem to have a mutual respect for each other.
“Alex, I know that you and your dad are not close and your relationship with Gretchen is strained, but they both love you very much and just want to see you happy. When the opportunity crept up for PMC, you seemed to be the perfect match for what they wanted in a candidate. I simply let Phillip know what I thought. That was the extent of my involvement. To be totally honest, I was sad not to see you at the coffee house any longer, but I knew that you would move on from there regardless.”
Minutes later, we pulled in to the private parking garage for the Legacy at Millennium Park and I quickly gave Harrison a questioning look?
“Alex, I am not looking to get in your pants. I have a penthouse here with a breathtaking view of the harbor and I have a chef that will prepare meals on the fly, that’s all. I thought it might be an evening for you to enjoy without all the fuss of going out. But it’s your call if you don’t feel comfortable?”
“I am not up to going out right now, this is a great idea and I’m looking forward to a simple night, just to relax and forget about the rest of the world for a change!” As we made our way up to the penthouse level, Harrison was right. Upon opening the door, the view was magnificent and breathtaking. The penthouse alone was exquisite and of modern sophistication with charcoal grey marble floors, large artwork pieces and elegant furnishings. Decorated with a very metro-sexual appeal, neither feminine nor masculine. It was difficult for me to tell if a gal-pal had decorated it or not. As we walked in, the aroma of the meal the chef prepared smelled fantastic. They spoke French to each other and the chef greeted me with a nod. He had set a table for us al fresco and there was music playing softly in the background.
At first, it would appear as a start to a romantic evening, but just a few minutes after we walked in, Harrison immediately opened some doors on a wall to reveal a large screen television, quieting the music and turning on the post-game show on the sports channel. Aha, sports, just my language.
Harrison opened the glass doors, bringing the indoors out and we sat down to a table for 2 on the patio with a beautiful view on one side and the post game coming at us on the other, just perfect! On my plate was a small note card th
at read...
I don’t like debts, so I am paying it forward, whenever you are in town, you can be my controversial seatmate anytime. Please enjoy the season tickets...HPB
How awesome is that? He gave me his pair of season tickets. I couldn’t be happier! I love the Bears, or did he know that already?
“Harrison, that is a thoughtful gift and I am very appreciative. I love the Bears, but I can’t take your season tickets. You may need them for a girlfriend or business guest?”
“Alex, currently there is no girlfriend and I have access to a corporate box anytime I want. You won our bet and I pay my debts, plus it would mean that I could see you again!” He said with a glimmer in his eye and a slight crook to his smile. He had the same masculine looks as Grayson, but now that I have had time to study him and interact with him, his personality is completely different. He is charming, but in a fun-boyish way. His hair and facial features are exact to that of Grayson, square, dimpled chin, firm, a deep angular jaw line, pointed nose and those sapphire blue eyes. But when Harrison smiles, his smile is not full throttle like Grayson, rather a crooked, slight upturn to the right side of his lips. His lips are redder than Grayson’s. With time, I am sure that I will be able to tell many more differences. He also wears his watch on his right wrist, opposite of Grayson.
“I would love to catch another game with you. I don’t plan on losing, but I will have to get creative in case I have to pay back my debt!” We both chuckled as we enjoyed our dinner. The chef prepared grilled fish with seasoned potatoes, which was delicious or I was famished, one or the other. I can’t even remember when the last time it was that I ate, but all of a sudden, hunger had come over me.
“Alex, have you made any plans for work here in Chicago?”
“Drew has made arrangements for me to continue with PMC and work remotely with Jennifer Riley, an assistant working the clinical side in my territory. We were doing that while I was undergoing rehabilitation/physical therapy and it worked quite well, so they have converted it to a beta program. I don’t know how long we will continue, PMC has been overwhelmingly patient while I have been recovering.”
“Are you finished with Physical Therapy or will you need to continue here?”
“Yes, I am going to continue working with a therapy/personal trainer to get my strength built back up. I still have slight weakness in my right leg and foot, which causes me to continue to stumble if I’m not careful. Cooper says that I watch my toes grow...when I run.” as we both began to chuckle.
“Not to get into your personal space, but the reason I ask is that I have full access to the gym and private lap pool in this building, and there are excellent personal trainers if you would like contact information. If you are going to stay for any length of time and want your own space, I have another condo leased in the building for corporate guests. You are free to use it. I will give your information to Vinnie, so that he will be aware that you may want to use it. It comes with full housekeeping services and full chef services. You would be close to your old stomping grounds...just give it some thought."
“Stomping grounds?” I knew what he meant, but I had to ask him, just to tease him.
“Yes, you know I am talking about the coffee shop!”
“Of course, but this time, I won’t be making your coffee!”
“No, you can enjoy a cup with me and maybe this time, you will actually pay attention to me!”
Oh, so there is interest after all in what I pay attention to, aha, Mr. Brooks, I got your message loud and clear!
We spent the rest of the evening exchanging funny barbs back and forth and I could tell that he really is a guy’s guy, sports, pool tables, beer kegs...almost a frat style aura about him. Personality wise, he is quite different and less uptight than Grayson. Their dress code is the same, same jeans, same shirts, and familiar shoes even. Outwardly, they are identical but that is where it stops.
“Why did you not go the ARMY route like your Dad?” I wanted to know what made them take different paths.
“It really wasn’t for me. I believe in cowboys and Indians, so I get it. But at the time, I was more interested in liberal arts. I also had a vision problem, which kept me from shooting straight.” We both fell in laughter.
“And here I put my life in your hands only to find out your blind?” Still laughing!
“No, I have since had that corrected, but it was a great excuse for not joining. It just wasn’t me. That is where Grayson and I differ. You may have figured out by now that on the outside, we are identical. Even our parents couldn’t tell us apart. However, on the inside we are completely unrelated.” He was staring at me at this point, his gaze almost contrite.
“Harrison, I am not looking for comparisons between you two in a romantic way. Likewise, I don’t want to be the object in your competition. But I do want to get to know you and I am interested in what makes Harrison tick. You are Grayson’s brother, his family. I love Grayson, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean that we may make it as a couple. That is why I came here to get away, have some time to think and finish my recovery. As you heard my call with Cooper, I sent Grayson home, he has things he must deal with and I have to deal with what I can from my end. If being a friend to me is too close for comfort, I can appreciate keeping a distance.”
Thinking out his next play, “Alex, I need a beer bud. You know the one where I yell, hey bro, bring me another beer while we watch the game. Nothing more, nothing complicated. If you can hang out, I can too. I travel often, so it will be hit and miss whether I am here or not. Which is why I think that I haven't managed to score the best love of my life?”
“Has the best one gotten away?”
“Well, there was someone very special to me years ago, but she couldn’t handle my global travel and that made for constant friction between us. Sometimes, a clingy relationship is overrated.”
“I am certainly not one to give advice. The closest person to me is Coop and he is like the brother I never had, we have been friends all of our life.”
“Never lovers?”
Coughing, choking on my wine, thinking that he knew...“Oh, gosh no. Cooper is gay!” And we both shared a laugh. I seriously thought he must have known that.
“I used to see him come into the coffee shop, but I thought he was flirting with you. I couldn’t tell how far your relationship was. Then at the hospital, the way he cared for you, I thought he might be in love with you. But you weren’t with him, you were with Grayson. Alexandra, just so you know, it is obvious to everyone that you are in love with Grayson.”
“Yes, I love him, but I am not ready to talk about that. I hope you understand. And being here with you doesn’t mean I am looking for a replacement.”
“Yes ma’am, now I have been told...loud and clear!” I could see that there was an edge to him. Was it because I expressed my love for Grayson or did he have a secret agenda to compete with Grayson and get in the middle of what was going down between us? I decided to go for the golden question, “Harrison, have you and Grayson always competed for the same girl?” Coughing, you would’ve thought I hit him in the head with a brick. He stood up so quickly I wasn’t expecting it. Walking over to the edge of the patio, he turned to me and I could see the pain in his eyes. “I loved Olivia first, but she had a salacious sexual desire, twisted by some accounts. She wanted the settled home-life that a surgeon could give her. We had dated for some time, when she met Grayson while he was in town. I never thought he would steal her away from me! It rocked my world when she abruptly left town and moved to be with him. It ruined my relationship with him.”
I had to know if he was seeing her again, I had to know his involvement with her. Taking a gamble, “Harrison, were you the father of her baby?”
“How did you know about the pregnancy? No, I didn’t even know she was pregnant until she called me after the miscarriage, but I believe that she told Grayson she wasn’t pregnant. She realized she would never have him again. I haven’t seen her since their engageme
nt party a year ago. Once she started seeing Grayson, I stopped any interaction with her or him for that matter. She had an insatiable sexual appetite and her cheating on him didn’t come as a surprise while he was in the Army. She couldn’t handle being alone. Alex, I am not comfortable talking about Olivia. I am sorry, but you and I both have suffered at the hands of her. You can obviously see my distaste for her. She has hurt many people along the way, she is a relationship piranha.”
So, she really was pregnant, but she miscarried. I wonder if she told Grayson that. Was he the father?
“I agree. Actually, I think that I should be making my way home. I am just going to call a cab and get on home. I have a big day tomorrow arranging for the courier to pick up all my things in Dallas.”
“Alex, I have a spare car in the garage, it is my corporate car, and you are free to use it. When we get downstairs, I will introduce you to Vinnie if he is in, he will get you keys and you can come and go as you please.”
As we made our way downstairs, I could see the role that Harrison was taking with me, more of the big-brother role. He wasn’t trying to make moves on me; he was respecting my relationship with Grayson. He knew that I had been hurt by the Olivia and Grayson debacle. From his own experience, he knew the pain that I would have to sort through. I appreciate him making the offer of the car and the apartment for loan, it was a generous offer and one that made sense for me to take.
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