by Sam Crescent
“But a dick that you love, and you always have my back.”
Yes, he did. For all of Ace’s faults, he was loyal, determined, and an amazing friend. He just wasn’t the brightest man around, but that was fine.
“I’m going to go and get ready. Figure out what color you want your bedroom. We’re painting this weekend,” Brett said.
“You sound like a wife, Brett.”
“Whatever.”
Chapter Two
“It’s too nice to eat indoors. I hope you guys don’t mind. I love being outside, especially now that it’s so warm. I miss it,” Meredith said.
There were lights hanging around the back porch, even the steps which led to the lawn. Her garden was also beautiful, flowers, roses, all in different stages of bloom looking stunning. Ace hadn’t even realized the changes to her garden, but it worked.
The table had several Chinese cartons on the top. He loved Chinese food so much. Of course, he was used to cooking it himself. Part of being a personal trainer, for him, was also telling his clients how best to eat, and what alternatives to take. Chinese food, at least takeout anyway, wasn’t a good idea. One night, however, wouldn’t hurt.
“You know, I was worried that you guys would want, like, quinoa or something like that. I don’t do that, I’m afraid. I think it tastes so bland,” she said. “I love Chinese food, and it has been way too long since I ordered all my favorites.”
“I make a mean quinoa salad. You just got to know what flavors to add to it. That’s only if you want to know, though,” Ace said.
“Thanks, sweetie. Some people were born to eat healthily. I don’t think I’m one of those people, I’m afraid.” She shrugged.
He didn’t have a problem with that, not at all. In fact, he rather liked not having to constantly be a good boy when it came to his diet, but that was for another day.
His mouth watered at the scents coming from the food.
Beers were in a bucket with ice, and he saw plates with chopsticks on the side.
It looked … different.
“Please, have a seat.”
She touched his arm before heading back inside. He didn’t know what she was doing, but he caught Brett checking out her ass.
“Not interested, huh?”
“Did I say that?”
“Pretty much.”
“You just don’t listen to me.”
“I listen to everything,” Ace said. He raised a brow as Brett stole a dumpling. “What if they’re for her?”
Brett closed his eyes. “You know, you really need to try these. They’re fucking amazing. I mean, seriously, right now I can’t even think.”
“Started without me. Are they good?” Meredith asked, coming to stand in front of them. She held a bottle of wine. “I forget to get something for me to drink. Dig in, boys. I didn’t order all of this for myself.” She took a seat at the table, and Ace took the seat closest to her.
Using his chopsticks, he began to serve himself up a generous portion. He wasn’t dieting for anything, and he’d be able to work off any calories he got in the gym. He closed his eyes and moaned as the flavors exploded on his tongue.
“How long has it been since you ate Chinese food?” Meredith asked.
Opening his eyes, he saw her smiling and glanced over at Brett to see him smirking. “What is it? Do I have something on me?”
“No. You were moaning as if you were having an orgasm. I know the place I order from is damn good but not as good as chocolate.”
He chuckled. “I think it has to have been three or four years since we indulged.”
“He won’t even allow us to order anything unless it’s vegan,” Brett said.
“Ah, so you two do take your job seriously.”
“Our job is kind of boring,” Brett said.
“It can be. The same old routine, but we have different clients.”
Meredith wrinkled her nose. “I went to a gym once when I was, like, twenty-one and doing the whole New Year’s resolution thing. It lasted for, like, one day. I hated it. I got all sweaty. My thighs hurt, my legs hurt, everywhere hurt, and I decided it wasn’t worth it. Now, I speed walk, which is fun. It helps to clear my head, you know. Also, we live one life, and I think we should live it any way we want, you know.”
“You’re an artist,” Ace said.
“Did you search me?” Meredith asked.
“I did, and it turns out you’re sought after. You’ve filled two gallery shows, and your work has even gone up for auction to help raise money. You’re rich.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t call myself rich. I’m doing well, but I have to be careful.”
He saw the nerves shining in her eyes.
“Why do you have to be careful?” Brett asked.
“Wow, invasive much?” Ace asked.
She chuckled. “Nah, it’s all fine and great, you know, when one is actually working. But when that creativity seems to stop or there’s a wedge between you and that need to do your job, it can be quite frustrating.”
That explained the article he’d read about her being a two-trick pony. There had been several news items that said she’d gone into hiding, or was at a retreat or something. Instead, she was here, his trusty little neighbor.
“You’re having a few problems?”
“Pretty much. I can’t seem to focus on a project. I’ve been completely dedicated to my work for so long now. I’ve not had a break, apart from this past year when I’ve been forced to, because at the moment I suck. At least my manager or agent likes to think so, well, not the suck part. If not, then I’ve got to start looking for a career change. Enough about me, though. How are you finding the neighborhood? Any of the desperate wives asking for you to come and fix their plumbing or something?”
Ace laughed. “It’s not that bad.”
“Seriously, on the day we moved in I saw them all. They were not looking at me, and they were, like, drooling. It was so bad I was sure there was a puddle on the ground.”
Ace enjoyed her straight talking. She didn’t hold back. Her hands were expressive, she smiled, she was just full of life. He’d not been with a woman like her for so long. He couldn’t think of the last time he’d known a woman who was just so confident, happy, outgoing. She was filled with this energy that just sparkled from the inside out.
He found her completely charming, and he didn’t want to leave. No woman had ever affected him like this in such a short amount of time.
****
Three glasses of wine later and Meredith felt buzzed. Brett and Ace were incredible company, and so much fun. She loved the way they were with each other, their friendship shining through. They often teased each other, and she liked that.
Their love for each other came through.
She’d never been close to many people, often preferring her own company or that of her sketchbook. People often had opinions, judgments, and she found listening to them always affected her craft. Being a bit of a loner helped her a lot.
Brett and Ace though, they were nice. They didn’t seem to care that she loved having twinkling lights all around, or that her garden wasn’t color-coordinated. She hated it when she went to places and they had to have all white rose bushes or pinks.
A splash of color was the way to go as far as she was concerned. She loved to see everything. Life was too short to have greys, dullness, and order. She wanted everything to be alive, to feel part of it all.
She couldn’t live inside a closed box. Many nights as a child she would sleep in a treehouse outside in the back yard rather than stay cramped in bed. Even now, she had times when she’d sleep outside.
Camping was something she enjoyed, and considering she usually avoided strenuous activity, camping was something she found refreshing and completely rocked her world.
“So, are you two, like, together-together?” she asked.
Ace laughed, and Brett chuckled. “That’s not the first time we’ve been asked that,” Brett said.
“It
’s not?”
“No. We’re best friends. Not lovers,” Ace said. “What about you, sweetheart? You got a man you’re pining for?”
“Nope. No man in my life. Hasn’t been for some time, actually.” She hadn’t been in a relationship for about three years. Her career had always come first. She’d been on dates and shared some one-night stands, but nothing that had screamed long-term, not for a long, long time. She leaned back in her seat. “I doubt I’ll meet anyone here.”
“Why not?” Brett asked.
“I don’t know. This is a family neighborhood. Besides, I really need to be relaxing.”
“If you’re not seeing a guy, who is that dude that has been visiting you?” Ace asked.
“Ah, you mean my manager, Will. He comes around once a week to see how I’m doing. I think I’m totally stressing him out.”
“Would you like us to see some of the work you’ve been doing?” Brett asked.
“Nah, I don’t like sharing my stuff. When I work, until it’s complete, I kind of have to … leave it.”
“But Will?” Ace asked.
“He’s different. He’s been with me since the beginning. He was the first guy I actually painted. At his desk, yep. He was so surprised by what I drew that it kind of made him want to help me.”
“What did you draw?” Brett asked.
“The corporate world. The fact that he had a picture of his family but in their faces I drew numbers and charts. It kind of worked him up. It’s what I love about drawing, painting, just anything really. You can see something every single day, and then all it takes is another person’s viewpoint of that exact same thing and it’s, like, bam, totally different. They wake up. I helped to wake up Will to what he was missing, and in doing so, he helped me.” Will was twenty years older than she was, a friend to her, a father, a guide, and just a best friend she’d never had.
He didn’t have expectations of her.
When he came to visit to check on her work, she knew he was worried that she’d lost that flair he enjoyed and that others loved. She’d find it again. It wasn’t lost, not at all. She felt that urge, that passion. It was still there bubbling beneath the surface. She just had to find the metaphorical glass or ice that was keeping her inspiration locked down.
She glanced down at the time to see it was a little after ten, and she was shocked. “Oh my, time has, like, totally flown by. Can you believe how fast it has gone?” she asked.
“Shit, we’ve got an early shift,” Brett said.
“I’m so sorry to have kept you guys. I mean, this was fun.”
“Honey, this was the best evening we’ve had since moving in. Seriously, we have to do this again sometime. How about I be the one to cook you dinner?” This came from Ace.
“An invitation to dinner? I’m intrigued. Is this going to be your way of turning me on to quinoa?”
“I’ve got a few recipes up my sleeve that I think you’ll love.”
She turned to Brett, the bigger of the two with more ink. She loved getting ink herself and was working on a design for her back, but seeing as she wanted it to be permanent, it had to be perfect. She didn’t rush anything like that.
“What do you think? Think I should risk it?”
“He’s a damn good cook.”
“Okay, I’m sold.”
“Really?” Brett asked.
“You look like the kind of guy that doesn’t give compliments easily,” she said. She liked Brett. He was serious, and yet there was an edge to him that she couldn’t quite read. Ace was fun. He was boisterous, loving, passionate. They were both suited for each other as friends.
“He doesn’t,” Ace said. “Always complaining about something.”
“Okay, okay, let’s get out of here. She doesn’t need to hear our life history,” Brett said.
She walked them through her house and said her goodbyes, sad to see them go even though it was only next door.
Closing her own, she leaned against it and smiled. Both men were amazing, and that was the most fun she had experienced all year.
****
“I’m really impressed with these test results, Max. You’ve lost over forty pounds since we started this new, healthier lifestyle,” Brett said, smiling at one of his favorite clients.
Max had come to him last year when he discovered he was a type two diabetic. It had woken him up to the damage he was doing to his body through lack of exercise and simply eating all the wrong kinds of food. After they sat down together with a nutritionist, they’d come to an agreement where they could control his diabetes with medication, diet, and exercise.
“This is all because of you, Brett. Honestly, I know you’ve been busy with moving house and everything. I really appreciate you not missing a single appointment.”
“I’ll do anything to help. I’m sure you know that.” Max was one of his few clients that was doing this for health reasons. Some were there to stay on target, and others just wanted to look sexier, but Max was a family man. He’d been honest. He wanted to do this for his wife and kids, so they could have him around as long as possible.
Brett liked Max, and even when he wasn’t feeling one hundred percent, he never missed an appointment.
Shaking Max’s hand, he saw him out. Ace was at the front desk signing some paperwork.
“Good appointment?” Ace asked.
“The best. He’s doing well.”
“Good. I know you care about that one.”
“He’s determined, Ace. You know what that’s like. Sometimes you need someone to give you a pat on the shoulder, you know. It’ll be okay. I’m here.”
“I get that. So, I’m thinking, you, me, our sexy little neighbor. I’m heading out now. Got no more clients. My shift ended ten minutes ago. Signed on a new client, and now I’m out. I’ll grab a few things from the grocery store. Will you promise to have your sexy butt at our place around six?”
“Yeah, you got it.”
“Awesome. Enjoy.”
He didn’t linger to watch his friend. Heading back into the gym, he spent the next couple of hours of his shift trying not to think of his sexy little neighbor. It was next to impossible though. Since their dinner at her place, he’d found himself thinking about her more and more. It had only been a couple of days, but still, his thoughts were dominated by her.
No woman that he could recall had ever made him feel this way, this fucking wired, and so hungry for more. The time had been getting on the last time they had dinner, but he’d not wanted to leave, not even for a second.
“There is a little secret I think I should tell you,” the cute blonde said. “These houses are kind of special in their own way. Now don’t laugh, because I didn’t believe it either, but you see, the last several couples actually, well, it is believed that the houses help people to fall in love.”
He couldn’t remember the previous owner’s name, but her words had stuck with him. Ace had burst out laughing, and Brett had simply found it sweet that she thought the houses were responsible for love.
Now, however, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a smidgen of truth to all of that. He wasn’t in love with Meredith; that would be completely crazy. He barely knew her, but his thoughts about her in the past few days had been nonstop. Even Ace, his best friend, never chased after a woman, and yet here he was, wanting her, desperate for her, ready for her.
Ace didn’t cook for women. No matter how much it would impress them, he never went to that extra effort unless there was a guarantee of getting laid. With Meredith that wasn’t the case.
By the time his shift ended, Brett was still no wiser as to what the hell was going on, nor did he want to try to figure it out. Clocking out of the gym, he made his way toward his car, climbed in, and headed home. He didn’t make any pitstops anywhere. When he arrived home, he heard the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen.
Entering the room, he saw Ace in the kitchen tossing some vegetables into the air and catching them.
“Hey, it�
��s my BFF. He’s home,” Ace said, winking at him.
Meredith was drinking from her glass, and she smiled toward him. “Hey, I had a bottle of wine left over and I thought why not.”
“I’ve got you some beer,” Ace said.
Brett caught the beer that Ace tossed toward him.
“So, how was work?” Meredith asked.
“It was good. Is he showing off?”
“His very impressive cooking skills. He certainly is. I’m even a little impressed.”
“Just a little?”
“I lie. A hell of a lot impressed,” she said with a giggle.
He loved that sound.
“How was your day?”
“I did some changes to my art studio. I’m working on little doodles and patterns on the wall. It’s not canvas, so I feel a little more freedom to express myself.” She smiled at him.
The worry seemed to have faded away.
“So, I have to ask,” she said. “The one day I went to the gym, I came home and slept for, like, twelve hours straight. How do you two handle it?”
“We’re big, strapping young men. We can take on anything,” Ace said, flexing his muscles.
“That is cute.”
“We’ve been at this a long time,” Brett said. “It’s our work, so we pretty much have to be able to do anything that our clients throw at us.”
“Is the experience different with a personal trainer as opposed to going solo and just winging it?”
“I couldn’t tell you. I’m a guide. I make sure people don’t push their boundaries or their limits.”
“What if someone likes to have their limits pushed? To experience that bite of pain?” she asked.
He stared at her lips, wondering what they would be like around his cock. “Everyone has a point where they need to be brought back from the edge, Meredith. I’ll throw you in a free session if you want? Show you what you’ve been missing.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Chapter Three
“You were both flirting, and I made the perfect quinoa salad. The entire time she was glancing toward you,” Ace said.
He glanced over at his friend. Brett was putting some pictures up on the walls, giving their home a more personal touch. They’d been living together now for well over ten years, and in all that time, he’d not wanted to leave, not once. He enjoyed living with Brett.