by Susana Mohel
Oh, Joel, why do you make this so hard?
It would be so much easier if I didn’t want everything you have to offer.
I start heating up last night’s dinner for our breakfast. Granted, it’s not your typical morning repast but why let good food go to waste, especially when I put a lot of time and effort into its preparation. Joel helps by setting the table, but he keeps brushing against me, touching my hand as he puts out the cutlery, that kind of thing.
Anticipation is the best kind of foreplay, and breakfast preparation becomes a sensual game of cat and mouse.
But our little game is interrupted when my phone vibrates in my pocket. I scream with delight when I see the name on the screen and hastily take the call.
“Fermin! Why haven’t you been replying to any of my texts?” I’d vented some of my frustration to him yesterday and had actually been pretty hurt when he hadn’t responded.
“Sorry, babe, my stupid phone went and died on me, but I got your messages eventually. Anyway, I’m on the case now, better late than never and all that. So, what I want to know is why there’s no welcoming committee at the door,” the voice on the other end of the line demands.
“Where exactly are you?” I ask, frowning. Last I heard he was touring Europe, visiting his huge extended family, with no plans to return any time soon.
“At your front door, of course,” he laughs. “So hurry up and get your cute little tushie over here to let me in.”
Joel can’t help but overhear this conversation since Fermin is always pretty loud, so he looks at me in askance.
“Just an old friend,” I mouth.
“Exactly what kind of ‘old friend’?” he asks, frowning, but I shake my head at him. He’ll just have to wait to find out, seeing as he dropped Cassandra-the-bitch on me without warning yesterday, lecturing me just now about how it was perfectly okay to have platonic friends of the opposite sex.
“Okay, Fermin, I’m just coming,” I reply excitedly as I terminate my call.
“Who the hell is Fermin?” Joel scowls as I get up from the table to run to the door. Surprise, surprise, now the boot is on the other foot, seems he’s not that thrilled I also have a platonic friend of the opposite sex.
“The cavalry,” I call back over my shoulder.
“Huh?” Joel grunts.
“Yesterday, you ordered me to paint the house by the end of the week. Correct?” I tilt my head at him and he nods. “Then you should be delighted that I’ve got reinforcements and should have it completed on time.”
Then I skip happily to the door with a confused Joel trailing behind.
“Fermin,” I yell excitedly, as I fling the door open to find my best friend standing there. He greets me with a kiss to each cheek, European-style. “When did you get back? Why didn’t you call me?”
“I told you, I had phone issues, and anyway, I only got back yesterday, and my mother insisted I had to go see her immediately, give her all the juicy family gossip from the old country, and you know what a drama queen she can be if she doesn’t get her own way,” Fermin rolls his eyes dramatically. Pot, kettle, comes to mind. “Sugar, I thought I’d never get away, but thankfully when I heard about your predicament, you provided the perfect excuse for my escape. You know my sweet old momma still harbors dreams of us giving her some of those cute grandbabies she craves, so she practically shooed me out the door to get to you. Anyway, sweetness, are you going to offer me something to drink or am I going to die of thirst standing here?” he groans, fanning himself with his hand, in one of his overly theatrical gestures.
As I open the door wide for my friend to enter, I don’t miss the look Joel throws him as he raises his eyebrows—not an unusual reaction to Fermin, since he’s quite the character. He observes my friend from the tip of his fine Italian moccasins, past his white skinny pants, to the neck of his perfectly ironed starched floral shirt.
“Be prepared for a fashion show, darlin’, ‘cos I’m warning you,” Fermin says. “I’ve brought all kinds of gorgeous things from the best designers that’ll look simply divine on you. Don’t take it personally, but those rags you’re currently wearing are disgusting.”
I just laugh. Typical Fermin.
I take his arm as we walk down the hall to the kitchen, and Fermin nods toward Joel, who’s still glaring at him.
“You’d better introduce me to this handsome cowboy, otherwise I might just drop dead from the toxic glare of his stink eye.” Fermin smirks, looking between the two of us.
“Fermin, I’d like you to meet my husband, Joel Sadger. Joel, this is Fermin Carrillo, my best friend in the whole world.”
It takes a lot to shock Fermin, but his eyes widen in disbelief and his mouth sags. Joel, on the other hand is looking at Fermin as if he was a fair ground freak.
“Husband, hmm?” Fermin quickly recovers his composure and grins back. “I sure am looking forward to hearing how that came about, and why, as your best friend in the entire universe, I wasn’t invited to the wedding.” For a whole variety of different reasons, neither of us fitted in at school, which is how we came to forge such a close bond as we supported each other through some pretty shit times. Dear Lord, how I’ve missed him while he’s been away.
I quickly set another place for Fermin so we can all sit together to eat.
“This some new kind of exotic Texan breakfast?” Fermin teases, seeing the baked ribs and cornbread.
“It’s from last night, actually. We got caught up and didn’t get around to eating it.”
“Caught up how? What could possibly have distracted your cow-fucking-boy to make him forget his chow?” Fermin waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
“Don’t go there,” I warn, noticing Joel’s unamused expression. Since I had to be civil to his uninvited guest yesterday, I call him out now on his less than welcoming attitude to my guest. “Joel, where are your manners? Aren’t you going to welcome our guest?”
“Welcome to Redlands,” Joel mutters, scowling.
Fermin chatters away while we eat, regaling us with tales of his adventures in Europe. Joel doesn’t join in, he just eats in silence.
Once we’ve finished, as I clear the plates away, Fermin looks over at Joel.
“Well, thanks for the meal and the great company,” he says. “Now, if you don’t might, I have a lot to catch up on with Tara, and since you must also have all kinds of cowboy duties to catch up on, please don’t let us detain you any longer.”
Joel shoots a glare at Fermin, before giving me a kiss on the forehead, muttering something about finishing our talk later and announcing he’ll be nearby in the den should I need him.
As he walks away, I stare at his broad shoulders, remembering the sensation of those rippling muscles beneath my fingertips, the warmth of his body...
“Phew, that sure is some sizzling chemistry you two got going on. So, fill me in on exactly how you ended up marrying that hot cowboy? And worse still, not even inviting me?” Fermin interrupts my erotic musings.
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure it is, sugar, so come on, spill everything to your Uncle Fermin.”
I sigh, not even knowing where to start.
“It’s a long story,” I say at last.
“Just as well I’m here all week then,” he says laughing, pulling me into a big hug, and it’s such a relief to know I finally have someone here that I know I can trust implicitly.
ღ
“And that, my friend, is the whole sorry story,” I sigh. Fermin and I are drinking coffee, sitting outside on the porch swing. I stare off into the distance to avoid Fermin’s intense scrutiny—he’ll know I’m being less than frank. But some details are too painful to share even with him, so dark I can’t bring myself to say them out loud. I don’t want him to judge me, nor do I want to see pity in his eyes.
“For God’s sake, Tara,” he exhales in frustration as he leans back in the swing. “Why the hell didn’t you just reach out to me? I’m your best friend aren’t
I? You know I would’ve married you in a heartbeat, if that’s what you needed. Or I would’ve just given you whatever money you needed to sort this shit out. All you had to do was ask.”
Fermin comes from a very wealthy family, and even though his father has disowned him, he’s still loaded. Hence his no expenses spared grand tour of Europe.
“Fermin, that’s really sweet of you, but it’s not just about the money. I needed someone with practical experience, someone prepared to help me get Redlands back on its feet. You’re a good friend, but let’s face it, you haven’t the first clue about running a ranch.”
“True, and I have no inclination to learn either,” he admits. “But we could’ve contacted the right people to source an experienced ranch manager, without you having to do something as drastic as marrying them.”
“I couldn’t drag you into my problems, Fermin. Redlands is my responsibility, and I needed to grow up, face up to things, to find the best solution.”
“And Joel was the best solution you could come up with? No other possible reason you can think of why you’d want an excuse to track down this hot, sexy new hubby of yours?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Gah! You know, sometimes I don’t like you very much, Fermin, not when you think you know me better than I know myself.”
He smirks. “So I am right, there was unfinished business between the two of you. Well, as I always say, save a horse, ride a cowboy, especially a smokin’ hot one.”
“Since when were you into cowboys,” I scoff.
“You know me, always open to new experiences.” Fermin waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
“Be serious. I need a solid friend right now, not a flaky one.”
“Which is precisely why I’m here,” he grins, standing up. “So, as you seem hell bent on proving some kind of point to your brand-new husband by refusing to let me bring in contractors, let’s get started on this painting. I’m more into creating masterpieces on canvas, but I guess the house is kind of like a big canvas. This could even be fun, although I don’t intend spending any longer than necessary out here in this sweltering heat, sweating like a pig. And once the job’s done, I’ll tell you about the little surprise I’ve got planned.”
“Oh? What kind of a surprise?”
“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it? Let’s get on with finishing the house, then I’ll fill you in later.”
Many hands really do make light work, and it’s so much easier with two of us. With music blaring, we laugh and joke while we work, and manage to finish the painting by late afternoon. We head inside to get a cold drink and start the dinner preparations.
“So, about your surprise, Tara. First off, I’m arranging for all your disgusting old furniture to be disposed of,” Fermin announces as we walk into the kitchen. “Then I’m going to totally refurbish your house from top to bottom, as my wedding gift to you.” Fermin is a very talented interior designer with impeccable taste. He’s also incredibly kind and generous to his friends, but I’d never want to be accused of taking advantage of our friendship.
Joel must have heard us come in, because he’s appeared from the den to follow us in. He looks at me in bewilderment, but I have no clue what Fermin’s talking about either.
“So what exactly were you thinking should be taken away?” I ask. “Most things are okay, or at least they’re serviceable.”
“Sweetness, the house itself has great potential, but as far as fixtures and fittings go, there’s practically nothing worth keeping,” Fermin wrinkles his nose in disgust and shakes his head. “I can’t bear to see you living here with threadbare carpets, moth-eaten old drapes and skanky sofas a minute longer than necessary, so I’m making it my personal mission to get this place up to a decent standard.”
“I can’t possibly let you Fermin, it’s way too much. And anyway, it’d give my mother a heart attack to see what she considers her treasured heirlooms thrown out,” I protest, while stirring together the ingredients for the chili I’ve quickly thrown in the pot, hardly daring to look at Joel to see what he’s making of Fermin’s plans. I can’t imagine he’s thrilled.
“Who cares what Monique thinks? Let’s face it, she’s the one responsible for letting it go to rack and ruin. Open your eyes and look around. This place is little better than a house of horrors—it only needs a few more cobwebs hanging from the ceiling to complete the picture.”
I roll my eyes, but ignore his disparaging remarks as I serve up the meal.
“We’ll talk more about this later, Fermin. It’s very kind of you, but sorting the house interior isn’t our top priority at the moment.”
“Which is precisely why I’m going to take care of it for you,” Fermin smiles serenely. “Just leave it all to me.”
My dear friend has always been very stubborn, always has to have the last word, and hasn’t changed one bit.
The three of us sit round the kitchen table while Fermin regales us with stories of his travels, and even Joel can’t help laughing at some of his outrageous escapades.
“So, how did you two meet?” asks Joel.
Fermin and I look at each other, restraining ourselves from bursting in laughter before he can explain. “Your feisty wife got in the middle of a fight defending me, because according to the boys at school, it’s a deadly sin for a nine year old boy to wear skinny pink pants.”
Oh my gosh, I’m cracking up at the memory.
“Remember?” I’m in tears from laughing so much. “Even then you liked your tight jeans.”
“And I will keep liking them ‘til the day I die, ‘cos this butt was meant to be showcased.”
“How come I never saw you around when I worked at Redlands all those years ago?” Joel asks.
“My father and his stupid ideas,” Fermin replies with a snort. “He got it into his head that a military academy in England was what I needed to straighten out my exotic personality.”
“Mission impossible,” I add still laughing.
When we’ve finished eating, Fermin pushes his chair back.
“After the day you’ve put me through, girl, I need to unwind. So, you can pay your debt with tequila, or better yet, let’s all go out dancing!” Fermin declares, clapping his hands on the table.
“Fermin, I’m too tired to go out, I just want an early night,” I plead.
“Uh-uh, no excuses. How old are you? The answer is far too young to be acting like a sad old lady. Besides, you owe me, since I missed all the fun of your wedding.”
“From what you’ve just been telling us, you don’t need us tagging along in order to have a good time,” Joel comments.
“Yes, but where’s the fun in that? I want to go out with my friends, and I won’t take no for an answer. Be ready to leave at ten,” he orders. “Now, move your ass, Tara, you seriously need to sort out your rats-nest hair. Oh, and wear the gold dress I got for you.”
Did I mention that as well as being loyal, kind and generous to a fault, Fermin is also brutally honest.
“It’s not exactly great timing for this friend of yours to invite himself to stay,” Joel grumbles as he buttons his jeans. “How long is he planning on staying?”
From where I’m standing on the other side of the room, I watch him getting changed, and I can’t help myself, my eyes are drawn to his body, his broad back, his muscular arms... I give myself a mental shake and get on with brushing the tangles out of my long dark hair.
“I don’t really know. Fermin hasn’t said and I haven’t gotten around to asking. It’s not a problem though, is it?” I answer.
“It’s just that we’ve been married such a short while, and we need time on our own to get used to each other, figure out how to make things work.”
“So, let me get this straight, Joel. Yesterday, on our very first day as a married couple, it was perfectly okay for you to set me to work and then disappear all day with your friend. But when my friend arrives, prepared to muck in and help, you don’t like it so much.”
“
Unlike your friend, Cassandra only visited and didn’t invite herself to stay. And yeah, there’s a lot to do, so we’ve both been real busy during the day, but that’s precisely why I want to have my wife to myself the rest of the time, not entertaining uninvited house guests, who not only want to turn our house upside down, but also demand we go out gallivanting and clubbing all night.”
“Oh, come on, that’s a bit harsh,” I protest.
“I’m just saying that Fermin is an added complication to an already complex relationship that we don’t need right now.”
“Joel, you have your friends and I have mine. Fermin is my very special friend…”
“He’s special, that’s for sure,” Joel mutters.
“…He’s like the brother I never had, and now he’s dropped everything to come back from Italy and help us out. So I think your attitude is ungrateful to say the least.”
Joel stares at me, no doubt conflicted at the truth in my words against his wish to have me all to himself.
“He’s a guy. You’re a beautiful woman. He even talked about his mother expecting the two of you to have kids, so that brother and sister shit won’t cut it.”
“Oh for God’s sake, Joel, surely you’ve worked out for yourself that Fermin’s not your average Texan macho man…” I look at him.
“Oh… you mean…”
“No, he’s not gay, but even so don’t you dare judge Fermin. His teenage years were a really difficult time for him, it took a lot of courage, knowing the expectations his family had for him, believing he was going to disappoint them ‘cause he always wanted something different. That’s why I did everything I could to support him through it. His father subsequently disowned him, while his mother chooses to believe it’s just a phase he’s going through, and that by spending time with me, I’ll somehow ‘cure’ him. Anyhow, all this means I can assure you he is not interested in me in the way you’re suggesting.”
“Okay, I’m not judging him.” he finally agrees, and I can hear he’s telling the truth. “Well, I suppose I can get used to the idea that you and Beau Brummell are just friends.”