Brother’s Best Friend

by Kaylee, Katy

  “I do like it when you take your clothes off.” Then wanting to make sure she was okay; I rubbed my hands up her back. “No regrets this time?”

  “Not for me. How about you?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Does that mean we can do it again some time?” She wiggled her ass and my dick took notice. Yep, this marriage arrangement with benefits was getting better all the time.

  13

  Sofia

  For once, having sex with Jake was exactly as I’d dreamed it would be. Not that the times before were bad. The actual act was very, very good. But afterward, we seemed to bungle it all up. This time though, there were no regrets or awkwardness. Instead, once we got the whole birth control issue out of the way, Jake switched our positions and we started all over. He went down on me and holy cow, what that man could do with his tongue, and then he fucked me and had me writhing underneath him.

  With his goal accomplished, I wondered how much longer I needed to be his wife, but since spending time with him was so great, not just naked but hanging out as well, I decided not to worry about it. It would be suspicious if we split up right after getting his partnership, plus I didn’t have a place to live yet.

  So our marriage of convenience went on, only better. Jake got up when I did, went running and then was back before I had to go to work. He often tried to entice me to take a shower with him, and sometimes he succeeded. Because he was up earlier, he went to work earlier and then was home for us to have dinner together. He’d often help me with my baking orders. We had a lot of sex, but that wasn’t all we did. We watched movies on TV or took a walk in the park. The truth was, all my teenage fantasies about Jake had now come true.

  The only problem was the call I got about my brother Tony’s birthday party. Jake was invited too. The issue wasn’t whether we’d both go, but if we’d go together as friends and if we could hide that we’d been spending time together.

  “We both live in the city and we’re friends, it makes sense that we go together,” Jake said the day before, while we rode the elevator back to the apartment after getting some groceries to make dinner.

  “I’ve been here for years and never mentioned you. Won’t that be weird?”

  “We can tell them the truth; your friend Gina brought you to a party I was at.”

  That made sense so I agreed, but as I rode next to him in his car toward home, I still worried. “You’re not concerned Tony will figure us out?”

  “I am a little,” Jake said. “But we remembered to take the rings off and leave them at home and chances are, none of our friends in New York will be there. As long as you can keep your clothes on and hands off me, we should be okay.” He gave me a playful grin.

  “Have you given the same lecture to your dick?”

  He laughed. “He’s a hopeless cause around you. But I think with your family around, he’ll behave.”

  We arrived at my parents’ restaurant where all the family celebrations took place a half hour early, since I was bringing the cake and a few other baked goodies and needed the time to set them out.

  “Ready?” Jake asked as he turned off the car after parking.

  “I hope so.”

  We walked into the restaurant together.

  “Sofia!” my mother exclaimed as she rushed to me and gave me a hug. It was like she hadn’t seen me in a really long time. Granted, it had been several months, but still.

  “Jake, thank you so much for bringing our Sofia home to us. I worry so much about her being in the city all by herself.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Jake said.

  “Mama, help me put the cake and cookies out,” I said, wanting to create some distance between Jake and me.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Hey, there’s the big man of the city.” My brother Tony came in from the kitchen.

  “Tony, happy birthday,” Jake said, handing a box of cookies to my mother.

  “Happy birthday, Tony,” I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

  “You bring me something sweet?” he asked, looking at the boxes.

  “Of course.”

  “You didn’t steal any sweets from my little sis, did you, Jake?”

  Jake choked. “No. I’d never do that.”

  I hurried to the kitchen to arrange my food on platters and get Tony’s cake displayed. When I came out, more people had arrived. Most were friends of Tony’s since we were kids.

  “How is the big city?” Vera asked as I got a glass of wine ready to enjoy the festivities.

  “I love it,” I said.

  She sighed. “It must be very exciting.”

  I studied her, wondering if she was dissatisfied in her life. She and my brother had been married for several years and had a few kids. As far as I knew, that had been her goal in life. She came from a traditional family as I did.

  “It is.”

  “Don’t you ever get lonely?”

  “In a city with millions of people? No. I like my boss. I have friends. There’s always something to do.” I took a sip of my wine.

  “What about love and family?”

  “I still have time for that.” I scanned the room looking for Jake. Donna Danielli was talking to him. I narrowed my eyes as she ran a finger down the front of his shirt. I wanted to rip her extensions out and whip Jake with them for letting her touch him. That might have given Jake and me away, so I downed my wine. I got another glass and continued to mingle with my brother’s friends, all the while hyperaware at how women were falling all over themselves to get to Jake.

  “Sofia!” Mary rushed over to me.

  “Mary, I didn’t know you’d be here!” I gave her a hug.

  “I’m so glad you made it. I hear life in the city is fabulous.”

  “I do love it.”

  “I heard you came with Jake,” Mary said, pointing toward him where another woman had him cornered.

  “I did,” I answered, tightly.

  “Anything between you two? I know you always had a crush on him.”

  “That’s long gone. Who wants to be with a guy who can’t make his mind up about women?”

  Mary looked over to Jake. “He’s like a light that draws the moths.”

  “I noticed Donna was all over him earlier.”

  “Yes, well she’s recently divorced from Carlo.” Mary picked up one of my cookies. “God, these are so good.”

  “Thank you. What about her?” I referred to the unknown woman who laughed at something Jake said and took the opportunity to step closer to him.

  Mary looked back at Jake. “That’s Theresa Peters. She’s new in town. She’s been here about six months.”

  “I guess she’s single?”

  “No, but her husband works in the city and isn’t home a lot. The rumor is that she’s gotten to know most of the men in town, if you know what I mean.”

  I watched as Tony approached Jake and Theresa, putting his hand on her lower back and leaning in. I got a weird feeling.

  “Tony too?”

  Mary didn’t say anything so I turned to her.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “But maybe?”

  She gave me a sad look. “Maybe. There are rumors.”

  What? “Does Vera know?”

  “You know how it is, Sofia. Everyone knows all the gossip, true or not.”

  I immediately wanted to invite Vera to the city with me so she could live a little, but of course, she couldn’t do that while married to my brother.

  “Do my parents know?”

  She shrugged again. “I don’t know.”

  I watched my brother, Jake and Theresa converse in the corner. It became clear that my brother didn’t like her attention on Jake as he maneuvered to create space between them. That, of course, gave Donna the in she needed to get back near Jake. He smiled at her and answered whatever question she had.

  He sipped his drink, his gaze catching on mine. He winked and then gave his attention back to the group.


  I needed air. “Mary, I’m going to check on the cake.”

  “Yeah, sure. Hey, Sofia. About Tony. I don’t know anything for sure. It could all just be a rumor.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” I gave her a smile, even though inside I was furious and sad all at the same time. I went into the kitchen and checked the cake. It was fine, of course. Being away from the crowd gave me the opportunity to go out back.

  I leaned against the wall and sucked in the warm, humid night air. I wondered what the fuck was wrong with my brother. I knew infidelity wasn’t uncommon, but I’d never have thought my brother would cheat. How could he justify that?

  “Hiding?” Jake’s voice came from the back door.

  “Just needed air.” I looked around him to see if anyone was watching. “Escape from your harem?”

  His eyes narrowed as if he wasn’t sure if I was kidding or serious. “You okay?”

  “Did Donna get her talons in you?”

  He came to stand in front of me. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were jealous.”

  I didn’t respond, which I supposed was a confirmation.

  “I thought we agreed that we needed to hide what we’re doing.”

  I nodded. “You’re doing a good job.”

  He sighed. “I got caught watching your ass, Sofia.”

  “What?”

  “I told Tony I was looking to see what food was out, but he was right. I was watching your ass. So yes, I’m letting Donna hit on me, but I’m not hitting back. She never was my type.”

  “You have a type?” I quipped, wishing I could control my jealousy.

  “Yes. Petite brunettes with feisty attitudes and sassy mouths.” He rested his hand on the wall beside my head and leaned in slightly.

  I stared into his blue eyes.

  He frowned and used his other hand to push a wisp of my hair away from my face. “What’s made you so sad, Sofia?”

  “Is Tony cheating on Vera?”

  His stare was blank, and then he sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Jake.”

  “I swear, I don’t know.”

  “He’s your friend,” I said.

  “That doesn’t mean he tells me who he’s screwing.” Jake looked toward the door and then back at me. “Remember how I told you he usually comes to the city once a month and we hang out?”

  I nodded.

  “He didn’t come this last month, at least not to see me. But I did get a call from Vera.” He looked down. “I covered for him, Sofia.”

  “You what?” I hit him lightly with the palm of my hand on his chest.

  “I know. I hated doing it. I called him and he wouldn’t tell me what was going on—”

  “But you suspect he’s cheating?”

  “I didn’t want to. I talked myself into thinking it was something else.”

  “But…” I prompted him.

  “But he sure didn’t like that woman, Theresa, talking to me.”

  I covered my face with my hands.

  “Hey.” Jake took one hand from me and held it.

  “Why do men do that?”

  “Women do it too, Sof.”

  “Why does anyone do it? Why can’t people be honest and true?”

  He shook his head. “When I did divorce cases, I remember sitting in a room with men and women who at one time loved each other so much that they decided to spend their lives together, and somehow ended up despising each other. I don’t know how that happens, Sof, which is why I plan to stay away from marriage.”

  I couldn’t blame him.

  “Come here.” He pulled me from the wall and wrapped his arms around me.

  “It’s hard to think that someone I love and admire would cheat.”

  “I know.”

  “Sofia?” I heard my mother’s voice calling from the kitchen.

  Jake immediately released me and took a step back from the wall, putting space between us.

  “Yes, Mama. I’m out back.”

  The door opened. “What are you doing out here?” She looked at me and then Jake.

  “Just getting air,” I said.

  “Me too,” Jake added.

  “The ladies crowding you too much, Jake? You used to like that,” my mother teased.

  Jake laughed. “Out of practice, Mrs. Bellini.”

  “Well, come in. We’re ready to eat dinner.” My mother disappeared back into the building.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Jake asked.

  “Yes. I’m just very disappointed in my brother.”

  “I understand.”

  “Jake?” I said as he turned to go into the restaurant. “Would you ever cheat?”

  “No.”

  “How do you know? Did Tony know he was the type to cheat?”

  Jake sighed. “Would you cheat, Sofia? Is there a circumstance where you’d think it’s okay?”

  I couldn’t think of one. “No.”

  He rubbed his hands on my arms. “We don’t know what’s going on with Tony and Vera, which is not to say it’s okay if he’s cheating. But we can’t ever know what’s really going on with people, can we?”

  “I guess not.”

  “Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving for your mother’s dinner and your sweets.”

  I let him lead me back into the restaurant. I put on a brave face, smiling as I celebrated my brother’s birthday. But inside, I wondered why people got married or stayed married if they weren’t going to be faithful.

  I supposed in some ways, this wake-up call was a good thing. For one, it would keep me from thinking that Jake’s and my marriage of convenience could become something more, which admittedly I had moments of thinking about. And it could provide a good reason to end the marriage when the time came.

  14

  Jake

  I wasn’t as surprised as Sofia was about the possibility of Tony cheating on his wife. Disappointed? Yes. Pissed that I was put in the position of having to cover for him to his wife or answer for him to Sofia? Yes. But Tony’s relationships had always been a little fluid, at least in high school. He also let his family dictate his life instead of pursuing his own. He was destined to take over the family restaurant, marry a local Italian girl and have babies from the day he was born. He accepted that, apparently. He wasn’t like Sofia, who had her own hopes and dreams.

  I didn’t know if Tony had hoped for more. He never said anything about hopes or dreams. I always thought he was a little lazy, which was how he ended up in a life he seemed not to like. I couldn’t imagine not yet being thirty and being stuck with a life that didn’t bring me joy or excitement or passion. I supposed that was what he was looking for if he was fucking that Theresa woman. But I was of the opinion that having excitement and passion shouldn’t be at the expense of others, in this case, his family. I hated to see how devastated Sofia was at the possibility that her big brother, a man she loved and admired, was falling short in a big way.

  It was a reminder to me to always try to be my best. It also made the need to find a bakery for Sofia more urgent. She needed to live her best life too.

  Over the next few weeks, I took some of my own time to research options for Sofia, as our realtor wasn’t quite hitting what Sofia wanted, although my searches weren’t yielding anything much better. That was until I found a perfect spot. It was a block from the park on 7th avenue, putting it in a great spot for people who went to Central Park, Carnegie Hall or Broadway. But what made it perfect was that it had a studio apartment above it that went with the business location. It wasn’t cheap, but based on the quality of Sofia’s baked goods and her solid business plan, I thought after my initial start-up help, she’d be able to support herself well there. Perhaps I’d even continue to be involved as a silent partner, as it could be a good financial investment.

  I called our agent, Jane, and asked her to make arrangements for Sofia and I to see the place when Sofia was off from her job. When I got the confirmation of the appointment, I te
xted Sofia and told her I had a surprise and gave her the address to meet me.

  Then I went to meet with Val on a case we had that looked like it would end up in court.

  “How’s married life?” She asked me when I took the drink she offered and sat on the couch.

  “Not bad,” I admitted.

  She cocked her head. “Perhaps it will take root?”

  I was shaking my head before she finished. “Sofia and I get along, but I’ve seen where marriage leads and I’d hate to end up resenting her or having her hate me.” I thought of Tony and how he was probably fucking up his marriage.

  “You know that in divorce law, all you see are the bad ones.”

  “Yes, and I also know there are plenty of bad ones that never make it to divorce.” I shivered at the thought of living an unhappy life in silence.

  “Surely there are some good ones?” She said.

  I frowned. “Since when are you into fairytales?”

  She shrugged. “I like Sofia. I like you better with her in your life.”

  What did that mean? Not wanting to hash out my relationship with Sofia with my mentor, I changed the subject. “What’s the plan if Jorgensen doesn’t take this deal?”

  She smirked at me, clearly knowing my ploy to get off the subject. But thankfully, she didn’t press me. We spent the next hour talking about the case. When I was done, I reviewed my work for Lipman and checked in with my secretary, letting her know I’d be out for the afternoon.

  I ordered a car to take me to midtown to meet Sofia. I was excited about the prospect of this building for her, and hoped it was as good in reality as it appeared on the Internet.

  I was waiting outside when Jane showed up.

  “This has an apartment with it,” she said. “You don’t need that do you? I haven’t been looking for that.”

  Not wanting to give away Sofia’s and my situation, I said, “I thought it would be a good investment opportunity. Or perhaps one of Sofia’s employees would need a place to stay.”

  “If that’s what you’d like me to consider, I’ll add that to the list of features.”

  I noticed Sofia walking toward us.