Anything Like Me

by Kimberly Knight

  Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Grandma!

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “So, what are we doing tomorrow?” Blake asked, falling onto the opposite side of our sectional couch.

  “I think I’m hanging out with Ryan tomorrow,” I said, looking at Brandon.

  “Ryan? Bro, you let her hang out with other dudes?” Blake asked, pointing his finger alternatively between me and Brandon.

  “Ryan’s a girl, you idiot,” Brandon said, throwing a pillow at his brother.

  “Oh, well, is she single?”

  “No, she just got married. Are you single?” I asked Blake, pointing back at him.

  “Yes––no. I don’t know!”

  “Dude, you never change,” Brandon said, getting up from the couch and walking out of the room.

  Blake sighed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that look, Spencer,” he hissed.

  “Sorry. I know it’s none of my business, but you should talk to Stacey. Don’t do this to her because you’re scared of commitment.”

  “Not you too,” he said, groaning.

  “Blake, I like Stacey. I think you two are perfect for each other, but you can’t just run when you’re scared. She would do anything for you. Don’t you want that?” I asked, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

  “I told you on Wednesday that I was never getting married.”

  “So you just want to be lonely your whole life?”

  “Trust me, Spencer, I’m not lonely. I get plenty of attention,” he said.

  I tried very hard to mask my look of disgust before responding with, “So you’re a man whore?”

  Poor Stacey. She should take Blake’s leaving as a sign to get the hell away from him––forever, and to find her own Brandon, because apparently, only one of the Montgomery boys was a real man.

  “Did you just call my brother a manwhore?” Brandon asked, walking into the living room with three beers.

  “Yeah, I sure did. I’m sorry, but I can’t just sit here and have him cheat on someone who I consider my friend,” I said as I stood up, wanting to storm out of the room.

  “You don’t even know her,” Blake spat, taking a beer from Brandon.

  “Stacey and I have been talking since Christmas. Didn’t she tell you that I got her in touch with my friend Audrey in L.A.?” I asked, starting to raise my voice.

  “She mentioned it, but I didn’t know you two were buddy buddy now.”

  Brandon was still holding my beer, waiting for me to take it. My hands rested on my hips. “You know what? If you break her heart again, I will kick you in the balls for her!” I hissed, then stormed off towards the stairs.

  Just as I turned the corner to walk up the stairs, I heard Blake say to Brandon, “Your woman is feisty.”

  Yeah Blake, I am feisty. Why couldn’t men just tell us how they feel? Everyone gets over heartbreak eventually, and if Blake would leave Stacey alone, she would probably find someone a whole lot better––someone who would treat her how she is supposed to be treated, unlike Blake.

  How were Blake and Brandon brothers? When it came to women, they were the total opposite. Brandon always let me know how he was feeling. Blake was a coward.

  I slammed the door to my bedroom, my blood boiling. Just as I fell face first into the mattress, I realized I stormed off without grabbing my beer. Fuck, I needed that beer to calm my nerves.

  “Babe?” I heard Brandon come into the room.

  I rolled over so I was lying on my side facing the door. Brandon sat down on the edge of the bed, setting my beer on the nightstand. Thank God he brought the beer!

  “Are you mad at me?” I asked.

  “Why would I be mad at you?”

  “Because I just yelled at your brother.”

  “Babe, my brother is a handful. Always has been. He doesn’t use his fucking head and he gets in a lot of trouble. Trust me, I’ve said worse to him,” he said as he lay on his side so we were facing each other.

  “Yeah, but that is your brother. I barely know him.”

  “That’s true, but you know what I love about you?” he asked, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.

  “Well, I hope there is more than one thing,” I teased.

  “There is definitely more than one thing, but I love that you don’t take shit from anyone––not even my brother, especially when it involves one of your friends.”

  Brandon was right. I always thought that Ryan was the fiery one––the one who didn’t take shit from anyone, but that is why she and I got along so well. We were two peas in a pod and if you fucked with us, we would fuck your shit up––just like I wanted to do to Max when I saw him at Fog City Diner with his sister, Melissa, who I thought he was dating at the time.

  “You’re right. He just needs to stop dragging her along. This is going to crush her.”

  “Who said he was going to break up with her?”

  “No one, but he is asking if my friends are single. Someone who is dating someone else shouldn’t be asking that question and shouldn’t be running away.”

  “Babe, don’t worry about Blake. He is a big boy. When he is sixty and alone, he’ll regret it.” Brandon kissed my lips softly. “So you’re hanging out with Ryan tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, we are meeting for lunch. She wants to give me all her old bridal magazines and stuff.”

  “Good, you better hurry up and plan this wedding so I can marry your ass,” he said, rolling on top of me, making me squeal.

  “Oh hell no. I’m not planning this by myself,” I said, reaching between us to pinch and lightly twist his nipple.

  “Ouch!” he hissed. “Alright, alright, I’ll help you!”

  “See, if I can kick your ass, I can kick grandma’s ass.”

  “Grandma?”

  “Mrs. Robinson.”

  “Oh God, you’re still hung up on her?”

  “I saw her today when I was leaving to go back to work.”

  “Babe, you know she is a member of the gym.”

  “I know. There is just something about her. She wants to put her cougar claws in something that isn’t hers.”

  “Me?” he asked, eyeing me like I had lost my mind.

  “Yeah, you.”

  “I barely even see her anymore. I think she has finally acknowledged that I am taken,” he said, leaning down to kiss me softly again.

  “Well after today, I hope that announcement is loud and clear.”

  “So that’s why you kissed me like that today?”

  “Yeah––staking my claim.”

  “This is all the claim you need,” Brandon said, holding up my left hand to show me my ring.

  *~*~*

  The boys decided to go mountain bike riding for the day while I met with Ryan in the city for lunch. After Brandon and I had our talk and he calmed me down, we walked downstairs and I apologized to Blake. He told me I was right and that he would call Stacey on Sunday and let her know when he was coming home so they could work everything out.

  After we watched the Giants game, we all called it a night and headed to bed. I had a wedding to start planning––we just needed a date.

  Ryan and I hadn’t seen each other since her wedding and I couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around her in a big hug. We had so much to talk about.

  “Let me see!” were Ryan’s first words when I walked into the restaurant and stood next to her by the hostess stand.

  I held out my hand, just as she had done to me when Max proposed to her.

  “Oh my God, Spencer, it’s gorgeous!”

  “I know you helped pick it out,” I said, nudging her shoulder. “You don’t need to act so surprised.”

  “I did, but it looks so much better in person,” she said, still holding my hand.

  The hostess took us to our table, rattled off the daily specials and told us that our server would be right with us.

  “Wow, look at you; you are so dark now,” I said, motioning to the tan she got from her honeymoon.

 
; “I know, right? Max and I laid out almost every day on the cruise. Some of our excursions were spent at the beach, too. I loved it.”

  “I saw your pictures on Facebook. I’m jealous. I love the sun. Too bad San Francisco has so much fog.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “It’s not like I can enjoy it much anyway with being so busy. Now that we are back, Max will be working late hours again. I don’t know what I am going to do with my nights since you live so far away.”

  “Aw Ry, we can still hang out. I promise.”

  A lot had happened in a year. Ryan and I went from spending almost every night together, even when I was dating TravAss, to maybe seeing each other once a week. We both knew that at some point it would come to this, but we didn’t realize I would live so far away.

  “I just wish we lived closer,” she said, giving me a sad look.

  “Me too. I miss stuffing our faces with Chinese food and ice cream.”

  Our server finally came and took our order. While we waited for our food, Ryan and I spent some time reminiscing about the good ol’ days. It was good to catch up. Ryan told me all about her honeymoon. They went on a cruise to Mexico for seven days and she swore she gained at least ten pounds with all the food they served on board.

  “Can you believe we are both going to be old married ladies?” she asked.

  “Not really.” I laughed. “I’m still trying to process everything. These last few months have been a whirlwind.”

  We talked about everything from Christy to the Trevor/Michael thing.

  “When is the trial again?”

  “July––they are combining the charges and prosecuting them all at the same time.”

  “Are you going to go?” Ryan asked, taking a bite of her Chinese Chicken Salad.

  “Of course, the DA wants both Brandon and me to testify. I think he may need you, Becca and Jason as witnesses. Maybe Max, too.”

  “Oh shit, are you nervous?”

  “Yes!”

  I was really nervous…nervous about getting up in front of an audience and telling the awful stories again while they all sat and watched me. The trial in July would be against the three of them for attempted murder and against Michael and Colin for kidnapping.

  The defense attorney was seeking an insanity plea for Christy and trying to settle for a plea bargain against Colin. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it all. Christy was crazy, but would going to the nuthouse be enough? And Colin was Michael’s accomplice, so should he get less time because he wasn’t the mastermind like Michael was?

  I was trying not to think about it really. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if they weren’t found guilty. It’s not like we could move. Brandon’s business was huge, and apparently Michael could find Brandon anywhere since he tracked him to San Francisco and Vegas.

  “Don’t be nervous. You’ll have us all there, even if we don’t need to testify. But, if I do, they all better watch out because my claws will come out.”

  “I know.” I laughed. “Thank you. Let’s talk about good news. Show me what you brought me,” I said, clapping softly.

  Ryan reached in her bag and pulled out at least ten bridal magazines, a mini address book and five brochures for wedding venues.

  “Holy shit! I don’t remember seeing all this stuff,” I said, wide-eyed.

  “You were a little busy.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “No, Spencer, that’s not what I meant. I meant you were busy with Christy and Michael.”

  “Oh,” I said, grabbing the first magazine. “I have a shitload of reading to do.”

  “Yeah, what colors were you thinking? Do you know where you want to have it? Are you having an engagement party? Oh my God! I get to pay you back for your bachelorette party. Be prepared to wear everything penis!”

  “Whoa, slow the fuck down! We just got engaged three days ago.”

  “Spencer, we both know you have had this wedding planned your whole life.”

  “Some yes. Okay, for the colors, I’m thinking teal and silver.”

  “Oh, teal is really pretty. You should do a colored dress.”

  “What? I am not wearing a colored dress,” I said, taking a sip of my iced tea.

  “No, not the whole thing. Look…” Ryan flipped through one of the bridal magazines and showed me a whole collection from Alfred Angelo.

  “Wow, those are beautiful.”

  Ryan and I ordered dessert while we flipped through some of the magazines. I really liked the colored dress idea and couldn’t wait to go shopping. I’d kissed a lot of frogs in my life and finally my prince was whisking me away.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next few days flew by. Blake was still with us. He rode into the city with us every day for work and did his own thing until we drove home after the gym. He said he was really enjoying California, and when he talked to Stacey, he told her that he would be home by the following Friday; however, his one week turned into almost two.

  The Tuesday of Blake’s second week, he called a house meeting. I looked at Brandon, questioning what the hell was going on. Last I checked, Blake was just a guest––not a tenant. That quickly changed.

  “I’ve gathered you both here today,” Blake started to say.

  We all started laughing.

  “What are you a preacher now?” Brandon asked him.

  “Far from it, Bro,” he said, winking at us.

  “Alright, so what’s up?” I asked.

  We sat around the dining room table. I fiddled with the label on my Honeycrisp Apple Wheat Shock Top.

  “Please promise me you will listen to everything I have to say before you make your decision,” Blake said. I could tell he was nervous, but I had no idea what he was talking about.

  “Okay?” Brandon questioned.

  “First, I would like to tell you both that I am thankful for you letting me stay with you these last few days. I know I said only a week and well, it’s been thirteen days, but who’s counting, right?” Blake flashed his Montgomery smile.

  “Spill it,” Brandon said, taking a sip of his beer.

  “Okay so…you know how I am a bartender back home?”

  “Yeah?” Brandon questioned again.

  “Well, I think San Francisco would be an awesome place to bartend and maybe even open my own bar.”

  “Okay?” Brandon questioned again.

  “So…I was hoping that you guys would let me move in permanently––well until I get a good job and can move into my own place in the city.”

  I sat there stunned. I didn’t know what to say. Brandon and I didn’t need a roommate, and we were going to be newlyweds soon. But this was Brandon’s brother, and family does stuff for each other, so there was no way I could say “no”. It would have to come from Brandon.

  Brandon and I excused ourselves and went up to our room to discuss what Blake had propositioned. After we talked it over for only five minutes, we came to the conclusion that Blake could stay with us, but needed to be out before we got married. That also reminded us that we hadn’t picked a wedding date.

  “I wanna marry you tomorrow,” Brandon said.

  We had just come back upstairs from telling Blake he could move in––temporarily. Brandon and I were in the shower together, talking about our day and now our future before calling it a night.

  “We just told your brother that he could live with us, but has to move out before we get married. I think that might be a little short notice,” I said as I turned around in the shower and started rinsing the shampoo from my hair.

  “I know, but I don’t want to wait anymore. I want everyone to know that you’re Mrs. Brandon Montgomery.”

  “Tell me something––how did you stay single for so long?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  We switched places in the shower.

  “You’re like the perfect guy. How did someone not snatch you up before me?”

  Brandon stopped lathering his body and gave me t
he look that I never wanted to see––the look that doesn’t smile. The look that tells me I said something wrong. The same look I got when I told him once that I didn’t believe he had a boring sex life before me.

  He backed me against the white tiled wall of the shower, his arms stretching out to rest on the wall on each side of my body, caging me in. His brown eyes darkened as they looked into my own brown eyes.

  “How many times do I have to tell you that you aren’t like all the other girls I’ve dated? You’re the one. My soulmate. My better half. Whatever you want to call it. We are getting married and we are going to be together until one of us is no longer breathing. I never felt that with any other girl before. So stop doubting anything that is in your head.”

  I looked back into his smoldering eyes. “Okay,” I whispered.

  “Spencer, I’m serious. It’s you and me forever and I want forever to start tomorrow.”

  “We can’t elope. Do you know how much our families would hate us? How much Ryan would hate us? She is looking forward to paying me back for all the penis attire,” I said, blushing and biting my bottom lip.

  “You mean this penis attire?” Brandon asked, nudging his hardening cock in between my legs.

  “No. We aren’t showing that penis off in public,” I said, reaching my hand down between us and grabbing his length.

  Brandon’s body tensed as I stroked him from root to tip.

  “We can’t get married tomorrow, but I’m sure we can get married soon. I have enough materials to plan a wedding overnight, thanks to Ryan.”

  “Fine, we’ll get married this weekend.”

  “Did you forget the part about Ryan wanting to pay me back for making her wear everything penis?”

  “Yes, I’m definitely not thinking about Ryan right now,” Brandon said, looking down at my hand that was stroking him.

  “Well, that’s good,” I chuckled. “You know, I’ve always wanted to get married in the fall.”

  “Fine with me. Pick a date in October and tell everyone.”

  “This October?”