by Brent, Amy
“You wouldn’t believe how much parents’ party helped despite them full-on embarrassing the shit out of me,” I said.
“I can only imagine. How many clients have you snagged so far?”
“Seven who need me immediately, two retainers, and four potential in the future when the need arises.”
“Holy shit! Sounds like Beverly Hills and Silicon Valley are full of criminals.”
“And it lines my pockets even while I’m asleep,” I said, grinning.
“Well, does the hotshot lawyer have time to eat?”
“I think I could spare some time for the one guy I’ve known since middle school.”
“Thanks. How quaint,” he said flatly.
“Hey, once you take over your father’s record label, you’ll be just as busy as I am.”
“That’s one of the many things we’re going to talk about. That date might be coming sooner than we think.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, really. Like I asked, you up for lunch?”
“I am now.”
“And you weren’t before?”
“Did you just hear my work load?” I asked.
“Fair enough. Ron and Don’s?”
“Done and done.”
I shut down my office for my lunch hour and drove to meet my best friend. I wasn’t sure what he had meant by the fact that the day is coming sooner, but I hoped nothing was wrong with his father. I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and walked in before I was promptly flagged down by Brandon.
And he looked rough.
“Hey there,” I said, clapping him on the back.
“I got us a couple beers,” he said.
“Can’t drink while I’m on the clock. If someone sees me, it’ll look bad.”
“More for me.”
“Brandon, what’s going on?”
“So, you know how I’ve been a little absent the past week?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary. We’re men with jobs.”
“Well, Dad’s not sick, but he announced a few days ago that he’s retiring.”
“Oh shit. Really?”
“Yeah. Like full-on packing up and moving with Mom to an island.”
“What? Where are they going?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I care. Mom’s always had dreams of retiring on a small sector of Hawaii, and yesterday I heard her and Dad talking about beachfront properties on Molokai.”
“How do you feel about all this?”
“I mean, I’m ready. I just didn’t think I’d have to be really ready now. I figured I’d at least get to thirty before he tossed me everything.”
“Maybe it’ll take them a couple years to make plans. People don’t just buy property and move two weeks later.”
“Maybe you’re right, but it’s happening. He’s already started the official paperwork to hand the place down to me.”
“So I take it you’ve been sitting in with him on a lot of stuff then.”
“Oh yeah. Every recording session, every new artist meeting, and every set meeting.”
“Set meeting?”
“Where a random person off the street comes in and says, ‘Hey! Listen to my shit!’”
“Ah, the Taylor Swifts of the world.”
“Except not as good or as hot.”
“Got it,” I said.
“I don’t like judging people by their looks. Music is about talent. Am I wrong in that?”
“No. And that’s the thing about this opportunity. You can make it whatever you want. I know you’ve had some issues with your father’s work in the past. You get the chance to change all of that now.”
“I don’t want to tank his legacy, though. He worked hard for the standard he puts out. And that includes what the artists look like. But he’s turned away some really good talent over the years. People I’m thinking of trying to track down.”
“Then go with your gut. When you get the paperwork, let me look it over, make sure he doesn’t have looming responsibilities left.”
“You’d do that?” he asked.
“Hell yeah I would. Pro bono. We’ll set up a meeting and I’ll look it over, and if I see anything that sounds fishy, we’ll rewrite it and pass it off. If he’s going to pass the baton to you, he needs to cut ties altogether.”
“Thanks, Ty. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
“So, enough about me. That’s my shit and there it is. What have you been doing since I dropped off the face of the planet? And please tell me she has a name. Unless she doesn’t and you’re into that kinky shit.”
“Really? We go from serious to sex?”
“Is there any other way to do it?”
“No wonder you can’t keep a girl.”
“Hey, maybe I don’t want to keep one,” he said.
“I hope not, if that’s how you’re acting with them,” I said, grinning.
“So?
“So what?”
“Does she have a name?”
“Actually, I’ve been seeing Ana lately.”
Our beers were set in front of us and I promptly pushed mine in Brandon’s direction. I wasn’t sure how he was going to react, but I didn’t expect the silence. I ordered a water from the waiter and he disappeared, leaving my best friend of many, many years eyeing me with a dead stare.
“You gonna say something?” I asked.
“After all the boo-hooing you did over that woman your freshman year of college, you’re dating her?”
“I don’t think we’re dating. Not officially.”
“Have the two of you slept together?”
I kept my mouth shut.
“Then you’re together.”
“We’re not. I don’t think.”
“Think? Ana’s usually very straightforward. Everyone knew where she stood once she blossomed into her own in high school.”
“Right? So I’m not the only one who thought that. I can’t figure her out right now, and it’s killing me. I know she’s hiding something, but I’ve got no idea what.”
“Hiding something? Like a husband or a cat she isn’t supposed to have?”
“I don’t know. Maybe?”
“Well, if it’s a cat you’d be sneezing your ass off. So, it’s not a cat.”
“Ha, ha. Very funny.”
“I thought so. But it doesn’t surprise me. People change. For all you know, you’re not the only guy she’s seeing. Or sleeping with.”
“I didn’t say we were sleeping together.”
“You didn’t have to.”
The waiter sat my water down and we gave our orders. I sipped on the cold drink as Brandon ordered what I figured would be lunch and dinner for him. I eyed him carefully as he finished rattling off his order and then told the waiter to put half of it in a to-go container. He didn’t care which half.
“Long day at the office?”
“For the rest of my life,” Brandon said.
“You were saying?”
“It doesn’t surprise me on both fronts that you’re seeing Ana again, especially after we ran into her and Kristi at the bar—who’s looking mighty fine by the way.”
“Don’t you dare fuck things up with her best friend and ruin me.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t have the time to fuck things up right now. But that’s beside the point. Why in the world are you still pursuing this woman?”
“Because I still love her, Brandon.”
“That’s insane. It’s been eight years. People change. For all you know, she’s married and cheating. Or baiting you for some trap to get revenge over that stupid fight. Or she’s got four kids and a llama running around somewhere.”
“Four kids and a llama?”
“Kids like llamas.”
“Idiot. And to answer your question, I’m pursuing her because she’s an incredible woman.”
“She was a decent girl in high school. That’s about it. You don’t know her now. You don�
��t have a clue.”
“And you do?” I asked.
“No, and that’s my point. It’s been years since the two of you have even talked. How many times have you seen her in the past week?”
“Twice.”
“Does she seem like the same girl to you?”
“Yes and no.”
“See, the mere fact that you crept that no in there means there are things that are different. If you feel she’s hiding something, then you need to tread lightly,” he said.
“But she’s also a lot of what she used to be. She’s sassy and intelligent. She’s got her own business and it’s flourishing. That’s sexy as hell. She’s more beautiful than the day I first laid eyes on her.”
“Trust me, we all are. High school is good to no one.”
“And her wit still matches mine. That was the part I loved about her the most, and it’s still there, Brandon. Maybe some small things have changed, but the big things? The things that drew me to her all those years ago? They’re still there. My Ana-bear is still there.”
“Don’t tell me you called her that. Please don’t call her that.”
“The hell is it your problem for?”
“You’re a grown-ass man with his own business. She’s a grown-ass woman with her own business. Call her honey, or princess. Not Ana-bear.”
“Like you should be giving advice on relationships.”
“I’m not giving relationship advice. I’m giving ‘don’t look like an idiot’ advice. I’m a professional in that realm.”
“You sure about that?” I asked, grinning.
“The point is, it’s obvious you still have a lot of feelings for her, despite the fact that I thought you got over her years ago. It sounds like you’re still in love. But I can almost guarantee you that after what happened with you two, she isn’t still in love. I don’t want to see you get hurt. You calling me at two and three in the morning crying? It’s not happening again. You were the worst I’d ever seen you during your freshman year of college. You almost fucking flunked out. Don’t do that to yourself again.”
“I am still in love with her,” I said. “No doubt about it.”
“Then tread lightly. Don’t rush it. And for fuck’s sake, find a new pet name.”
He was right. Not about the pet name, but about everything else. I needed to tread lightly, especially since Ana didn’t me she loved me back that night. Nor did she bring it up in conversation over lunch a couple days ago. It bothered me that she hadn’t said it or mentioned it. Was she acting like it didn’t happen? Was there a possibility she hadn’t heard me?
No. She’d heard me. Her eyes had widened before I’d kissed her.
Oh, shit. Had she not brought it up because she didn’t want me to say it?
“You’re panicking.”
“I’m not panicking,” I said.
“I know when you’re panicking. You’re my best friend. You’ve got panic written all over your face.”
“I do not!”
“Stop it.”
“Stop mentioning it and I will.”
“Why are you panicking?”
“Why is it any of your business?”
“Because you’re my best friend and I care about you.”
“Then drop it.”
Fuck. My mind was rolling a million miles a second. I twirled my water on top of the table as our food was set in front of us. I picked around and took a few bites, but I had to get a pretty big to-go box in order to take it with me. I shook Brandon’s hand and told him to call me once his father got him the official paperwork to sign over the record label to him. Then I headed back to the office.
I had a hell of a lot to think about and even more phone calls to make.
Ana
“Brody! Don’t stand too close to the water, sweetheart. Okay?”
“Yes, Mom. I promise.”
“And make sure you wear your life vest. Dad?”
“What?”
“Don’t let him take off his life vest,” I said.
“I promise he’s in good hands,” he said, chuckling.
“Oh, and Brody, take a snack with you. You always get hungry just before lunch, and I don’t want Papa dealing with your hungry nature.”
“I ate a big breakfast,” he said.
“Take a snack with you, keep your life vest on, and keep yourself safe near the water.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Oh, and one more thing—”
“Ana.”
“Yes, Dad?”
“He’s in good hands.”
I looked over at my father and watched him put his arm around Brody. He was taking his grandson fishing for the first time, and Brody was excited. I was worried. Brody had never been a strong swimmer, and one too many hiccups in the bathtub had made him weary of swimming lessons and learning tips to keep him safe near the water. So, the idea of him being in a boat surrounded by it made me paranoid.
“Just make sure he’s safe, okay? Brody isn’t the best swimmer,” I said.
“Trust me. We’ll be fine. I’ve got his life vest, and the two of us will be coming home with dinner for us all to eat tonight,” my father said.
“If Papa lets me go swimming, can he help me?” my son asked.
“You want to go swimming? I can come with you guys,” I said.
“No. I want Papa to do it.”
“Papa’s the best after all,” my father said, grinning.
I rolled my eyes before a grin slid across my cheeks.
“If Papa wants to take you swimming for a little bit, then yes. But don’t you dare take that life vest off. Do you hear me?” I asked.
“Yes, Mom,” Brody said.
“Yes, ma’am,” my father said.
“All right. You two have fun.”
“Yes. Now get out so I can spend some time with my daughter,” my mother said.
I watched the two of them leave from the window, and my hands began to shake. I was so weary about where Brody went around town nowadays. I watched my father’s car disappear over the horizon before I turned toward my mother, and I saw she had a piping hot cup of coffee for me.
“You saint.”
“You need it,” she said, giggling.
“Water is the one thing that boy hasn’t conquered yet,” I said.
“You didn’t conquer it until you were much older. Almost twelve if I’m not mistaken.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. You had an incident in the kiddie pool at one of the public pools around here when you were six. Got in over your head, literally. It scared you for the longest time, and you wouldn’t go near it. I had to wipe you down with wet wipes for weeks before you finally got back in a bathtub.”
“So Brody will be okay then?”
“Your father’s good with kids. Believe it or not, he raised one.”
“Oh, you’re so funny. Whatever will I do?” I asked flatly.
The two of us went outside and sat on the porch. Quiet mornings like this were few and far between in my world, so when I got the chance to enjoy one, I made sure to soak it in. But now that my mind was no longer on Brody, it had drifted to someone else.
And the more I thought about him, the more I felt terrible for lying to my parents about it.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Can I admit something to you?” I asked.
She looked over at me as I turned my body in the wooden rocking chair.
“Of course you can. You can always talk to me,” she said.
“I may have lied to you and Dad a little.”
“About what?”
“Remember that date I had with the guy I met when I went out with Kristi?”
A grin crawled across her face, and I groaned.
“How do you know, Mom?”
“I’m your mother. Are you really questioning this?” she asked.
“Yes, I am. There’s no possible way you could have known.”
“Not at that second, no
. But when the gossip about his mother started working its way around the community, I realized he was back in town. I figured you were being so nonchalant about it because you had gone out with Tyler.”
“I’m nonchalant about things.”
“Pfft. You are nonchalant about nothing. You’ve always been uptight and you’ve always been a planner. It’s what makes you such a good businesswoman. But the second you started shrugging your shoulders and brushing it off, your father and I knew something was up.”
“And yet you still let me go?” I asked.
“Let you go? You’re a grown woman with a child and a business. You can do whatever you want. Were we worried? Oh yeah. We didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Does Dad know it was Tyler?”
“He does. He’s actually the one who mentioned it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even though Brody was supposed to stay the night with us that night, you came by after the date. Now, I know I wasn’t feeling well, but your father would have gotten him up in the morning just fine. When you came to pick him up, you had this look in your eyes. It was a look we haven’t seen since your younger days with Tyler. He looked at me and wondered what the chances were.”
“I’m sorry for lying to you guys,” I said.
“We understand why you did it. With him being back in town, I can’t imagine how confusing things must be for you right now. Have you seen him since then?”
“I have. I got Kristi to babysit a few nights ago.”
“How did things go?”
Images of his hands all over my body and his cock hovering above my lips flashed in my mind.
“As good as it could, I guess,” I said.
“I’m glad you finally came clean to me, though. Thank you,” my mother said.
“Were you ever going to tell me you knew Tyler was back in town?”
“I wasn’t sure. Your father wanted to mention something, but I didn’t know if it was a good idea. But now that we’re all caught up on the ins and outs of this issue, you know what I’m going to ask next.”
“I know. It’s something Kristi’s been harping on, too.”
“And for good reason. That man is Brody’s father.”
“I don’t know, Mom. I mean, part of me wants to, but part of me really doesn’t,” I said.
“Do you want to talk about the whys of both parts? That always seems to help you.”