by E. L. Todd
Scarlet and I both dashed into the room. Standing near his desk and fixing her hair was Cassandra. She wore a loose dress with a blue cardigan. Her hair was messy but she was slowly putting it back together. Scarlet and I both looked at each other then turned back to them.
“You guys are back together?” I blurted.
“Yeah.” Mike put his arm around her waist. “You didn’t know that?”
“No,” Scarlet snapped. “Why would we?”
Mike shrugged. “You guys are notorious for invading other people’s privacy.”
“But we don’t break into your apartment and watch you,” I said.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “Or do you…?”
Scarlet stepped closer to them. “Mike, is this for real? Like, you two are back together?”
Mike pulled her closer to him. “She’s here to stay.”
Scarlet gasped and smiled at the same time. Her hands moved to her chest and a huge grin spread across her face. “That’s so wonderful.” She wrapped her arms around Cassandra and hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” she said as she returned the embrace.
Mike was watching the two of them whisper to one another, a grin on his face. I came to him then clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back to normal.”
“Yeah…I fell pretty far there, huh?” he said quietly.
“It’s water under the bridge, man.”
He kept staring at Cassandra. “You doing anything after work?”
“Just fucking my wife.”
He shook his head slightly. “Dude, you need to get a hobby.”
“What do you think fucking my wife is?”
“So no, you don’t have plans.”
“Depends, “I said with a shrug.
“I need your help with something.”
“You know I’m always there.”
“That’s what I was hoping.” He kept his eyes glued to Cassandra, pure love and adoration on his face.
I watched him for a long time, seeing the look that was so similar to mine. “I’m happy for you.”
“I am too.” He finally looked at me. “Make sure Scarlet doesn’t come. I just want it to be us.”
Suspicion overcame me. “We aren’t going to a strip club, right?”
He glared at me.
“Okay. Just making sure.”
After Scarlet and I had lunch, she headed back home. I wondered what my brother wanted to do after work. He was so secretive about it. It was odd. Mike never had tricks up his sleeve.
There were a lot of things I wanted to know about their reunions. How did it happen? Why did it happen? I knew Scarlet was just as curious as I was. But I didn’t want to ask when Cassandra was standing there. My wife and I would be vultures at the next opportunity.
When the workday was finally finished, Mike came into my office.
“When Cassandra walks in, tell her you need me to come with you to get something for Scarlet.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because I can’t lie to her. But you can.”
“Why do we have to lie at all?”
“Just do it,” he snapped.
Right on cue, Cassandra walked in with her purse over her shoulder. “Ready to go, babe?” Her arm hooked around his waist and she gave him a kiss in the corner of his mouth. Mike melted right before my eyes.
“Mike’s coming with me to get Scarlet something,” I blurted, remembering my line.
“What?” she asked.
“Umm….” He didn’t tell me what to say. “Lingerie.” I couldn’t think of anything better.
Mike glared at me, giving me a look that clearly said, “you’re a moron.”.
“Oh okay.” Cassandra didn’t seem to find it odd. She gave Mike another kiss. “You better get me some too then.”
“I definitely will,” he said.
“I’ll see you at the apartment?” she asked.
“You’re going straight to my place, right?”
“I’m going to swing by my apartment and get a few things.”
“No.” His voice sliced through the air. “I’ll go with you when I’m finished here.”
“I can manage on my own.” Her voice was confrontational.
She reminded me of Scarlet.
He stood his ground. “We can talk about this later. Do as I ask.”
Cassandra put her hand on her hip, giving him attitude. “Do as you ask?”
“Just this one time.” He gave her a desperate look. “Please. I hardly ask you to do anything and you know that.”
She loosened up. “Fine.”
“I won’t be long.”
“Okay.” She cupped his face and kissed him before she walked out.
I leaned back in my chair. “It’s like you two were never apart.”
“You ready to hit the road?”
I grabbed my phone and keys and left the office with him. “She has the same attitude as Scarlet.”
“Yeah. I love it,” Mike said with a smile.
That made two of us.
We left the office then headed to the garage.
“My car or yours?” I asked.
“My car is better.”
“My car is more expensive.”
“Well, my dick is bigger.”
This could go on for a while. “Let’s just take yours.”
“Pussy.” Mike smiled as he unlocked all the doors.
We left the garage then drove a few blocks. Mike stopped when we reached Tiffany’s. I stared at the store and noticed the teal boxes they had in the window. It was their company’s biggest marketing tool and platform. “What are we doing here?”
He turned to me. “I’m getting Cassandra a ring.”
My heart accelerated. “What?”
He nodded. “I want you to pick it out with me.”
A full minute passed and thoughts swirled in my head. “Whoa…don’t you think this is a little soon? You’re rushing this.”
“No, I’m not,” he said calmly. “I know we both want this.”
“But you’ve only been together for a few months…”
“And you knew Scarlet for ten years. That makes you look worse. You should have married her the moment you saw her, not wasted years of your life being a fucking idiot.”
I knew he wouldn’t change his mind about this. “You’re sure?”
“A hundred percent.”
I stared out the window before I turned back to him. “Then I’m happy for you.”
“Good.” He left the car so I stepped out as well.
We walked inside and the women behind the glass counters immediately noticed us. I saw their instant attraction to both me and my brother. I had a large white gold wedding band on my finger. It was pretty damn hard to miss. I wish people respected it more. I hated to imagine how many guys still stared at Scarlet, hoping she wanted to have an affair. I tried not to think about it so my rage wouldn’t get to me.
Mike looked down at the rings. They were all shiny, big, and expensive. But that wasn’t a problem for the Prestons. “What do you think?”
“What does she like?” I asked.
“I don’t know. She’s not picky.”
“Then get her something simple. Scarlet’s ring is pretty ordinary, but that’s what she wanted. If I got her a huge rock, she’d chuck it at my head then reject my proposal.
“How romantic,” he said sarcastically. “I hope Cassandra and I are as happy as you someday.”
“Let’s see if she even says yes first,” I teased.
“If we weren’t in the store right now, I’d punch you.”
“And I’d punch you back.”
He shook his head then looked at the rings again. “How about that one?” He pointed to one in the corner.
“It’s nice,” I said. “But how about that one? It doesn’t have diamonds in the band, but it is a princess cut.”
“Princess cut?” Mike asked.
“It’s w
hat Scarlet has.”
He clearly knew nothing about rings. “I just want something nice.”
“I can help with that.” The sales associate came to us. She was blonde and young. “What does your girlfriend like?”
“She’s pretty simple,” Mike said.
She opened the case and took out a few. “This is really popular right now. It has two rings, one with diamonds in the band and one with just the ring.”
He shook his head. “That’s too much bling for her.”
“Bling?” I asked with a laugh.
He ignored me. “What do you recommend?”
She pulled out a plain band with a single diamond in the center. “This diamond isn’t huge by any means, but it’s of the highest clarity and it’s an exceptionally rare diamond. That’s why the price is so high. It’s clean and sleek, so it’s simple but nice at the same time. One look at that diamond and all her friends will know how expensive the ring was—if you’re looking to pay that much.”
Mike picked up the ring and inspected it. Rainbows flashed in my eyes every time it moved. It definitely was high clarity. “How much?” I asked.
“Thirteen thousand.”
Pocket change.
Mike stared at it for a long time. “I’ll take it.”
Her eyes widened slightly but then her reaction faded. “Excellent choice, sir. Ring size?”
“Umm…” He looked to me for help.
“Scarlet and Cassandra are about the same size, so I would go with a size six.”
“Okay,” she said. “Anything else?”
“Yeah. Can you engrave it?” Mike asked.
“Sure. What do you want it to say?”
Mike blurted out a date.
I raised an eyebrow. “What’s special about that day?”
“It’s the day I fell in love with her—the day I met her.”
I smiled. “That’s awesome but you’re still a pussy.”
He smiled. “I don’t care. I love being a pussy.”
The woman looked uncomfortable by our choice of words. “After you purchase it, you can pick it up tomorrow.”
“Can you take care of that for me?” Mike asked. “I don’t want her to suspect anything.”
“Of course.”
Mike paid with a credit card and we walked back to the car.
I suddenly realized something. “Why didn’t you want to bring Scarlet? I thought you turned to her for everything? She would have been perfect for this.” I wasn’t offended he preferred my wife over me. I let it go a long time ago.
“You’re my brother. I wanted it to be you.” He gave me a serious look then started the car.
My heart squeezed at his words. The last time we got mushy-mushy was when he protected Scarlet and risked his own life to keep her safe. Everything that he did to me in the past was forgotten. And now he did it again. “That means a lot to me.”
“I know I act like I hate you all the time, but actually, I…I love you. Most of the time.”
“I love you too.” I clapped his shoulder. “And congratulations.”
“Thank you. Now Cassandra and I will be two idiots in love just like you and Scar.”
“The four of us are a recipe for disaster.”
“You can say that again.”
Scarlet had dinner on the table when I got home. “What did Mike want you for?”
My dad was sitting at the table, and he looked at me as he waited for a response.
Mike didn’t tell me to keep it a secret, but he didn’t even know Mike and Cassandra were back together. I assumed Mike wanted to break the news to him. “He wanted me to help him pick out new rims for his car.”
“Didn’t he just get new ones?” my dad asked.
I shrugged. “You know Mike. He’s always changing his mind.” I grabbed Scarlet’s waist and gave her a kiss. “I like your apron.”
She smirked then glanced down. “You like catfish?”
“I like you.”
“I think she looks cute in it,” my dad said.
“She looks cute in anything,” I said.
We sat down together and ate quietly.
“Dad, I have good news.” I inhaled my spaghetti then wiped my face with a napkin.
“Oh?” He sipped his wine.
“Mike and Cassandra got back together.”
He didn’t react for a moment then a wide grin stretched on his face. A beacon shined in his eyes. “That’s…absolutely wonderful. I’m so glad to hear that.” I could tell my dad was genuinely happy. “I knew it would work out.”
“He seems pretty happy,” Scarlet said.
‘This is great.” My dad finished the rest of his spaghetti, still nodding. “Really. That girl made him more into a man than I ever did.”
“That’s probably because she has tits and a pussy,” I said.
He shook his head. “I’m too happy to berate you for the language. Mike deserves to be happy. I’m glad those two found their way back to each other. How did it happen?”
“Actually,” Scarlet said. “We haven’t had a chance to talk to him.”
“And I don’t suspect we will for a while,” I said with a grin.
“I’m staying away from his apartment…” My dad cringed and smiled at the same time.
We fell into a comfortable silence. Scarlet nibbled on the garlic bread and my dad had another glass of wine. Ever since I was little, my dad had two glasses every night. That never changed.
“Your wife and I had a talk the other day,” he said while he swirled the wine in his glass.
“She’s taken, Dad.”
He smirked. “She invited me to stay here permanently. And I’m considering extending my stay for a while, maybe a year, unless you aren’t okay with it.”
“Okay with it?” I asked incredulously. “Dad, you can stay as long as you want. We both love having you here.”
“That’s very generous of you,” he said.
“You don’t even need to ask. This is your home, man.”
His cheeks tinted. “Thanks.”
“Besides, I like knowing Scarlet isn’t alone on most days. You can keep an eye on her.”
“Keep an eye on me?” she asked with irritation.
“You know what I mean,” I said. “Like, go to the store with her and stuff like that.”
“You want me to babysit your wife?” he asked with a laugh.
This was going south. “Dad, I want you here as long as you want to be. We both love you, and not just because you help Scarlet. Stay as long as you want. But I do expect you to babysit on Friday night so I can take my wife on a date.”
“Babysit?” he asked. “I’m going to be partying, man.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
I laughed. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
We finished dinner and I helped Scarlet with the dishes. We did everything as a team, even housework. That was my motto. The last thing I wanted was to alienate her to do wifely chores, like that was her role. I knew she was a feminist.
We sat together on the couch and watched a movie. Scarlet cuddled in my side and rested her head on my chest. I used to party all the time, even a Tuesday, but this was so much better, hands down. I didn’t realize cuddling with a wife under a blanket could be so thrilling.
My dad fell asleep on the couch, snoring in front of the TV.
“I’ll get him to bed,” I said.
She moved off me and kept watching TV.
I shook my dad. “Pops, time for bed.”
He stopped snoring and opened his eyes. “Sorry. Pasta puts me to sleep.”
“It’s okay. I just don’t want you to hurt your back.”
He yawned. “I’m going upstairs.”
“Good night.”
My dad moved like a sloth up the stairway. I came back to Scarlet then ran my fingers through her hair.
“What were you really doing with Mike?” she asked.
I s
miled. “How’d you know I was lying?”
“I know when you lie, Sean.”
“But I never lie.”
“That’s exactly why.”
My hand rested on her neck. “I picked out an engagement ring with him.”
“Are you shitting me?” She sat up, eyes wide.
“Nope. He had it engraved and everything.”
“Wow…that was quick.”
“I said the same thing but he sounded sure.”
She smiled. “That’s great. Mike deserves his happily ever after.”
“Yes, he does.”
“That was really sweet that he took you.”
I felt the emotion in my throat. “It was.”
“He’ll turn to me for certain things, but I’ll never beat you, Sean. You’re his brother.”
“I guess he does love me after all,” I said quietly.
She kissed my cheek. “He adores you.”
I shrugged. “He’s alright…”
She snuggled into me again.
“There’s something I need to tell you but I didn’t have a chance.”
“What?” she whispered.
“I arranged a lunch date with my parents but my dad wasn’t interested in something more.”
“I’m sorry, Sean.”
“But my mom told me something…”
“What?”
“She went to the doctor and found out she had a brain tumor. It’s benign and not cancerous but it was the culprit for her mood swings and anger. She’s on medication now. That’s why she’s been so different.”
Scarlet sat up again. “Is she going to be okay?”
“She’s fine. It’s nothing to worry about.”
She slapped her forehead. “Everything makes sense now.”
“It does,” I said. “Now I feel guilty for yelling at her so many times.”
“It’s not your fault, Sean. No one would have known that.”
“I guess.”
“Does your dad know? That would change everything. He would go back to her right now.”
I sighed. “She doesn’t want him to know. He isn’t in love with her anymore and she wants to win him back on her own. She says she doesn’t want him out of obligation.”
“But…I’m sure Andrew still loves her.”
“I know he does. But my mom doesn’t think so.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
I shook my head. “It’s not my secret to tell.”
“Well, what if they never get back together? He’ll never know.”