by Lex Martin
We all stand around for a while, and I try to keep my back to them to avoid feeling like a jealous lunatic, but after a while, I can’t resist. Brady has Dani curled up into his side like he’s trying to keep her warm. My first reaction is to rip his head off his body. They’re joking around, talking quietly, and the next thing I know, she’s stepping away laughing.
“If I fall, it’s your fault,” she tells him. Dani tucks her sweatshirt into her jeans, re-ties her ponytail, does a handstand and starts walking around upside down. After a minute, she flips onto her feet, and we all clap. She laughs, and the light in her eyes threatens to kick me on my ass.
“What else can you do?” Jenna asks.
Dani shrugs. “Almost any gymnastics move, really. I can still flip and do all the mat routines. It’s the bar that always did me in. I have a hard time finding my balance up there. I guess I get scared easily.” Her eyes catch mine before they dart away.
“That was amazing, hot stuff,” Brady tells her, pulling her into a hug. She rolls her eyes and hugs him back. Her phone buzzes, and she pulls it out of her back pocket.
“That’s Travis. Can we stop by his place on our way back?” she asks Brady as she stares at the screen.
“Sure. He still owes me from that poker game.”
“I can’t believe you hustled him.” She shoves him playfully, and he laughs. They’re clearly close, but he hasn’t kissed her, so I’m not sure they’re official. Something about that gives me a glimmer of hope, which is stupid because I shouldn’t be trying to put the moves on my sister’s roommate.
Ryan bumps me with his elbow. “She’s a sweetheart.” He says it under his breath so I’m the only one who hears. When I don’t say anything, he murmurs, “They just started going out a few weeks ago. I don’t think they’re serious.” I nod like I don’t care, but he won’t drop it. “Jenna says she’s super loyal and has become a good friend to your sister.”
That right there is what I need to remember. That I shouldn’t mess with my sister’s friend. Clem’s been through enough bullshit. The last thing she needs is for me to break her roommate’s heart.
As Ryan moves up to strap into his climbing gear, my eyes drift back to Dani. She’s standing a few feet away, and when she points another glance in my direction, gravity shifts beneath my feet.
“You okay, man?” Gavin asks. He stands there studying me, and I mask whatever emotion just threatened to choke me.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Thinking about all the shit I need to do before school is out on Wednesday for Thanksgiving.”
He nods, and his eyes drift toward my sister who is staring at him with a lovesick grin plastered on her face. It’s weird to see her with a boyfriend.
Even though she and Daren dated most of their senior year of high school, I never saw them get mushy. I never knew if they felt weird around me or if that’s how they were. Seeing her with Gavin, though, I can tell he’s different somehow. Just… more.
“Do you mind that I’m stealing Clementine for Thanksgiving?” he asks quietly as we watch Jenna scale the wall.
“Not at all. I’m going skiing in Maine, so I’m glad she’ll be with you.” It’s kind of a relief that he’s looking out for her. Someone needs to. My parents sure as hell don’t.
I’m still pissed at my dad. I had just talked Clem into meeting with him for coffee when he texts about a “European acquisitions SNAFU” he has to “untangle.” I could fucking punch him in the nutsack for bailing on her. But when I broke the news to Clem this morning, she didn’t sound surprised.
I turn to face Gavin. “So… meeting the family?” I’m not surprised he’s taking this step, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the whole thing. I don’t want my sister to have to deal with anymore disappointment.
Gavin takes a deep breath, the weight of what I’m really asking evident in the sudden tension in his face. “I love her. I want her to meet the people who are the most important to me.”
I cough, uneasy for some reason. I lean toward him. “That’s nice and all, but if you break her heart, I’ll beat your ass.”
He laughs and nods like he’s on board with my plan. “No worries, man. She’s it for me.”
Part of me, the suspicious part, wants to run a background and credit check on the guy, but that sounds too much like my mother, a thought that chills me. The other part of me, the sane part, knows he worships my sister.
He’d fucking better.
Dani’s voice catches my attention as she talks to that guy Brady.
“I don’t know.” She looks up at him shyly. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”
Brady nods. “Travis says you can put it on your list, whatever that is.” He tosses his arm around her, and my gut hurts.
She covers her face. “He told you about that?”
Now I’m curious.
“It’s art, Dani. Relax. But you don’t have to be naked if you don’t want.”
That really fucking gets my attention.
Jenna is rappelling down the wall and yells, “Who’s getting naked?”
Dani pushes Brady’s arm off her shoulder and yells back, “No one. No one is getting naked.” She realizes we’re all staring, and she sighs. “Travis wants me to model for some nudes he has to do for class, but we’re talking Playboy nudity, not Hustler nudity.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Hustler nudity,” Ryan says under his breath, making me bristle.
“I bet you’d look beautiful, Dani.” Jenna wiggles out of her climbing gear and beelines it to her roommate. “Brady, are you doing nudes too, handsome?” Jenna looks over to Ryan and winks. He laughs like he doesn’t care. I don’t get those two. They never seem jealous. Must be nice.
Brady grins back, and that sick feeling in my stomach returns. “Travis wants to contrast my tattoos with Dani’s bare skin. She has that one tat I did on her back, but she’d still make a great canvas.”
I get several things from this conversation.
One, he inked Dani’s tattoo. I saw it the other day when she ran out to do the laundry and was wearing an off-the-shoulder shirt. I think it’s some kind of star.
Two, I’m guessing to contrast Brady’s tats with her skin, they’re going to have to be close or touching. Naked. Judging from his expression, he’d like this.
And three, I definitely want to beat his ass.
Just as I’m thinking I should talk to her, get her attention away from this guy, someone yells my name.
“Jax! Oh my God!” A curvy blonde bounds toward me and throws her arms around my neck like she hasn’t seen me in years. I turn my head just in time so that she ends up kissing my cheek instead of my mouth.
As she starts to pull away a little, I’m well aware that my friends are watching this with interest. Except Dani, who has her back to me. But Brady is watching.
“Hi, doll,” I say uneasily. That’s right. Doll. Because I can’t remember her name.
“It’s been too long, Jax. What, since spring break, right?” The girl’s arms are still wrapped around my neck.
“Yeah, I guess.” She’s pretty in a been-there-done-that sort of way.
A brunette calls out to the blonde, “Jasmine! There you are…” A smile creeps on this other girl’s face. “Wow. Jax.”
Shit. This can’t be good.
But it gets worse when the second girl strolls over and places her lips on mine despite the fact that her friend Jasmine is wrapped around my body.
Then it dawns on me. Cancun.
Last spring, the soccer team and a few BC soccer groupies headed down for a tropical getaway. Jasmine and Judi. They annoyed the fuck out of me by saying “J-squared” all night like they were some elusive mathematical equation.
“Jax, you naughty boy, you got away without giving us your number,” one quips.
Yeah, just the way I like it.
I’m about to blow them off when I catch Brady and Dani out of the corner of my eye. He has his arms around her an
d is whispering in her ear. She nods slowly, glances at me, and burrows herself back into him before he kisses the top of her head.
Jealousy eats through me like a worm. So what do I do? Embrace my inner asshole.
Reaching around so one chick is tucked under each of my arms, I gear up to put on a show. “My apologies, girls. Nick told me he had your numbers. What are you doing over Thanksgiving? The guys and I are going skiing. Wanna come?”
Jasmine purrs into my ear, “Yes, I want to come.”
Someone snorts behind us, and when I look up, I see Clementine shooting daggers at the girls before she sticks her finger in her throat to pretend like she’s puking.
I laugh, but it lacks enthusiasm.
After we exchange numbers and the J-squared duo leaves, my sister grabs my arm. “What is wrong with you? You’re going to catch something from those girls. Did someone drop you on your head as an infant?”
“You can’t blame a guy when that falls into his lap.”
Clem shakes her head at me. “Why can’t you date a nice girl? Perhaps someone who doesn’t announce wanting a three-way like she’s ringing a dinner bell?”
That’s easy. My eyes connect with Dani, who’s strapping into her gear and getting ready to climb. “Nice girls have the good sense to stay away from me.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- Dani -
This afternoon did not go as planned. Jax wasn’t supposed to come climbing.
“You okay?” Brady’s gruff voice has an unexpected softness I’d never expect from a guy like him.
“Yeah. This whole thing is stupid.” I toss my bag on my bed.
“Why don’t you tell him?”
I close the door behind him, not wanting my roommates to hear this conversation.
Yes, I told Brady my whole sob story last weekend over a bottle of tequila. I’m not sure what sucks more, that Jax doesn’t remember we hooked up or that Brady is so great about my stupid feelings for Jax.
Damn it. I wish I hadn’t read Clementine’s book. I didn’t want to know that he built his sister a tree house when they were twelve. Jax had been trying to cheer her up because their parents were leaving for a month-long vacation—without them. I didn’t want to know about his childhood, that he stayed up with her all night when she had a hundred and three degree fever or that he gave his sister his lunch whenever she forgot hers.
Brady clears his throat, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Tell him. Get this over and see how he feels.”
I sigh. “That makes sense on one level. Except I can’t handle the humiliation of telling him what happened, especially after all this time. Besides, he left me at the club that night and headed straight into the arms of another woman. A ridiculously gorgeous woman.” I drop my head into my hands as I sit on the edge of my bed. “And honestly, the thought that Clem might look at me the way she looked at those girls today makes me ill.”
The bed shifts as he sits next to me, and I blather on. “Plus, she had this horrible experience with her best friend in high school who slept with her boyfriend, and everyone lied to her about it. She hates liars. And that’s me. I’m a liar.”
“This isn’t the same thing, Dani. She’ll understand.”
“Maybe. But what’s the point if Jax is banging girls two at a time?”
Brady’s lips form a straight line. I take one look at him and groan. “I suck. I’m sorry. I’m going to shut up now. Let’s talk about break. What are you and your family doing?”
That seems to relax him a little. “We’re headed to New York to visit my aunt. Your flight takes off on Wednesday evening, right?”
I nod, realizing I should get my act together if I have any intention of going home in a few days.
“How’s your mom doing?” he asks.
“Okay, but she sounds tired. And she never got the camera on her laptop fixed, so we can’t Skype. I really miss her, and I’m worried she’s not getting enough rest.” I shake my head. “I’m sure I’m making it worse in my head because I can’t see her. She’s probably fine, living it up on homemade cookies and crockpot dishes.”
When Brady leaves, I hunker down and try to get some homework done, but I keep replaying the afternoon in my head. The whole thing is on an endless loop. Busty girls in Jax’s face. How he’s probably had sex with both of them. At the same time. And obviously plans to do it again.
Ugh. #ShootMeNow
Once I finally stop thinking about Jax, I still end up tossing and turning, worrying about an art project that won’t affect my G.P.A. and wondering why I’m not more concerned about my marketing class, which does affect my G.P.A.
I get up around one in the morning, grateful that Jenna is staying with Ryan, and flip on my bedside lamp. My hand digs around in my bag, and I pull out my journal to work on a graphic design project. The topic is wealth and money, and we can explore any opinion about it as long as we convey the message with a dominant image and use two different fonts.
My journal is filled with sketches, some in black ink and others in watercolor marker. I’ve decided to explore how money corrupts, taints what might be otherwise innocent. I draw dollar signs and other images associated with wealth.
On Monday when I show Professor Zin my sketches, he’s delighted and points out his three favorite, which I have to perfect for my formal submission after break. He starts to walk away after reviewing my work, but stops and leans down to me.
“I know you’re only a junior, but I might have a full-time job here for you at some point. Let’s keep this between us for now. I’ll be able to tell you more in December when I get my budget for the new fiscal year.”
“Wow, Zin. That would be amazing. Thank you for considering me, sir.”
He chuckles and fixes his tie. He’s such a grandpa. “I want to call you my star student, Dani Hart, except I’ve never had you for class. Maybe we can change that too for second semester. Check out the course listing in my office after your shift and let me know what you might want to take.”
I’m beaming all the way home despite the B I get on my marketing assignment. So I had difficulty feigning enthusiasm for marketing dog food. Sue me.
Wednesday morning comes too fast, and my roommates scurry around our suite, packing and preparing for the long weekend.
Clem gets to the door with her bag in hand and looks like she might vomit. “Holy shit. I can’t believe I’m going to meet Gavin’s family. What if they hate me?” This would be comical except that she actually gets panic attacks every once in a while.
“Not possible,” Jenna says.
I chime in. “Gavin adores you. His family will too. Just relax and have fun.”
“Shit.” Clem rubs her forehead. “I feel like I’m forgetting something.” She stands in the hallway and checks to make sure she has her wallet and cell phone before she shrugs. “Whatever it is can wait, I guess. Wish me luck, girls.”
Jenna and I hug Clem before she leaves. Jenna is the next to go. She and Ryan are taking off to see his family in Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, I still have several hours before my flight, but I get ready anyway and call Travis to chat before he leaves for Cape Cod.
“What are you wearing?” Travis asks, using his sex voice.
“Pasties and a thong.”
He laughs, and I brush my hands over my favorite pair of faded jeans that fit just right.
“Dani, you could meet the perfect man on your flight. Romances always happen on airplanes. Aren’t you glad you beautified this weekend?”
“You mean, am I glad that I had my privates glazed and de-furred by a German woman I swear was a Nazi in a former life? I don’t know that any man is worth the effort. Besides, I thought we were still operating under the assumption that Brady is the right guy, and once I get Jax out of my system, I’ll come to my senses.”
Travis sighs, and I can almost see him shaking his head. “I love Brady, I do, but if you’re not feeling any chemistry after hanging out with him for the last month,
he might not be the one.”
“Don’t say that. He’s perfect for me. He’s artistic, sweet, funny, thoughtful. I have a list here somewhere.”
“You and your lists. Look, that’s how you ended up with Reid. You thought he was the right kind of guy, and you dated him despite the lack of connection.”
“Ugh, you’re depressing me.” My phone clicks with an incoming call. “I gotta go. Clem’s calling me. Be safe on your drive, and I’ll call you when I land in Chicago.”
“All right, sweets. Miss me.”
“Miss me more.”
I switch over to Clem. “Hey, what’s up? Trouble in paradise already?”
She ignores my question. “I need a huge favor, Dani.”
“Okay,” I say slowly.
“Remember when I said I had forgotten something?”
“Yeah.”
“I just figured it out as Gavin and I are caught in gridlock traffic.” I wave my hand at her as though she can see me urging her to spit it out already. “I have my brother’s driver’s license. He forgot it when we went climbing last weekend, so I grabbed it, and it’s sitting on my desk. I know you said your flight isn’t for several hours, right?” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. “Could you possibly drop it off to him?”
“Sorry, Dani,” Gavin calls out in the background. “It’s probably my fault she forgot. I’ve been distracting her this week. A lot.”
I hear a smack, and he laughs before mumbling, “What? You’re the one who bought all those toys.”
She muffles the phone, and I can’t help but laugh at the two of them. I clear my throat. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you discussing vibrators. Clem, I don’t have to get to Logan until 6:30, but if I drop off his ID, do you think Jax can give me a ride to the airport? I don’t think I’ll make it there in time otherwise.”
“Thank you! Yes, I’ll text him now. I’m sure he’ll give you a lift. He has to. My idiot brother has been driving around town for the last several days without his ID, but he’s going to Maine, and I don’t want him to leave without it.”