Match Me Up

by Parker, Weston

  “They weren’t my type,” he shot back and grabbed another box.

  I bit back my laugh when Tamlyn stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re an idiot.”

  He was already walking away. “You are the world’s biggest flirt,” I told her.

  She handed me a lamp. “They hit on me first,” she said. “And besides, did you see the tall one? I’m not usually into the cowboy thing but those Wranglers looked damn good on him.”

  “How are you not into the cowboy thing?” I asked her with disbelief. “What’s not to like?”

  She rolled her eyes. “A lot. Mostly, they’re cocky. And they always call me ma’am.”

  “You are drawn to the cocky type, and being called ma’am is respectful,” I said. “You know that.”

  “Yes, but it makes me feel old.”

  I grabbed a duffel bag stuffed with more of my clothes and flung it over my shoulder. “You know, I get the feeling me and Thomas are doing all the work here.”

  She winked. “I’m manning the truck.”

  “You’re flirting with boys,” I called out over my shoulder as I headed back in the building.

  “And I’m damn good at it!”

  I stepped off the elevator just as Thomas was coming out of the apartment. “I wasn’t sure you were coming up,” he grumbled. “I thought maybe you went out for a drink with your new boyfriend.”

  His animosity was palpable. “I wasn’t aware I had a boyfriend.”

  He said nothing as he walked by me and headed back downstairs. I carried my things into the bedroom and took a minute to look around the apartment now that I was all alone. It was a really, really nice place. I couldn’t even begin to guess what the rent must be. A lot. It was five times what I could have afforded. I couldn’t even pay half. I walked across the living room and opened the balcony doors. It was a big balcony. I was expecting the standard balcony that gave you just enough room for two chairs. This was a nice outdoor space. It was devoid of furniture. I wondered if he would let me fix it up. I was an amazing deal finder and was confident I could find something to fill the space.

  I headed back downstairs to find Tamlyn and Thomas arguing about something. I felt guilty for interrupting and hoped like hell they weren’t arguing about me. I wasn’t sure exactly how much she had to beg him to let me stay. I hoped it wasn’t going to be a point of contention between them.

  “What’s up?” I asked. “Is this about me? Thomas, if you’re really not comfortable about me staying here, I can find an apartment.”

  “I want you to stay here,” he said in a gruff voice. He was saying the words, but it certainly didn’t sound like he wanted me around.

  I looked to Tamlyn for answers. I could feel the tension. She waggled her finger at him. “He doesn’t like when I flirt with strangers on the street. I tried to tell him that’s how you meet people. Everyone is a stranger until you say hi.”

  “You’re not in some Podunk town anymore. You can’t just pick up guys off the street.”

  Tamlyn put her hands on her hips. “It’s not like I propositioned them or vice versa. They were down the street eating at some hoity toity café. They weren’t dealing drugs or buying them. Look around you! You’re not living in the slums. This is a great area to pick up guys!”

  “You’re not going to come up here and act like a prostitute on the streets,” he growled. “I don’t need you making me your pimp.”

  I slapped my hand over my mouth. It was utterly ridiculous, but this was how they always fought. Tamlyn shook her head and walked into the back of the truck. She pushed more boxes to the edge of the truck. “Two more loads and it will be done,” she said.

  Thomas took several boxes in his arms. “Stop fucking hitting on my neighbors,” he growled.

  I waited until he was inside the building before I finally released my laughter.

  “I swear, he thinks he is my father,” she said. “He acts like I’m out here walking the streets. He is such a prude.”

  “He cares about you and wants to keep you safe.”

  “He is being ridiculous,” she growled. “This is why we cannot live in the same city. I would never get a date. He’d scare them all off. I could just see him following me around with a baseball bat ready to knock out any guy that looked at me with a hint of interest.”

  “I think it’s cute that he cares about you,” I said. “I kind of wish I had a big brother. Or sister.”

  “No, you don’t, trust me,” she said with disgust. “He acts like I’m this innocent little thing that needs to be protected. If you want to change your mind and back out, tell me now. I’m sorry I got you into this.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” I told her. “I don’t mind a little protection. I am a fish out of water here. This city is huge. I am naïve.”

  “Don’t let him kill your social life,” she said. “You’ve done a good enough job doing that yourself.”

  “Hey!” I protested. “Don’t be mad at me.”

  “That guy was hot,” she said. “Call him. Don’t let Thomas scare you away. You are a little fish in a big pond. The bigger the pond, the wider the selection. You’ve got a big selection. You need to sample the goods.”

  That was so not my style. “Yeah, I think I’ll stick to getting my degree. I’ll worry about sampling later. I’m staying focused.”

  “You’re only young once!”

  6

  Thomas

  I needed a shower for more than one reason. I was hot and sweaty on the outside but watching Lily work and sweat was making me think all kinds of things. Things I had no business thinking about when it came to my roommate and my sister’s best friend. It wasn’t like it would ever go anywhere. She was Lily from school. She thought I was a major dork. I didn’t think she even saw me. Like actually saw me.

  She still saw me as Tommy. As a teen kid with acne and clumsy as hell. It was for the best. Anything more would cause problems for our living situation. It was best to stay friends. Not that we were friends, but at least friendly.

  “That’s it,” Tamlyn declared. “Let’s get this truck back.”

  “Done with two hours to spare,” Lily said before she sucked down a bottle of water.

  “Let’s go,” Tamlyn said. She looked as fresh as a daisy while Lily and I were red-faced and breathing hard.

  “Can you get it back on your own?” I asked.

  “We got it here on our own,” Tamlyn snapped.

  I was too fucking hot to get in a war of words with her. “Fine. I’m taking a shower.”

  “Good, because you stink,” my lovely sister said and made a big show of pinching her nose.

  I flipped her off. Lily raised her arm. “Oh god, I need a shower too.”

  “Once we get back,” Tamlyn said and clapped her hands. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”

  She should have been a coach. She had the personality to coach a burly NFL team. I had no doubt in my mind the men would jump to do what she asked. I headed for my master bedroom with the adjoining master bath. I kicked the door shut behind me and stripped off my sweaty clothes as I walked to the shower. It was going to take some getting used to remembering to close the door when I stripped. And no more breakfast in my underwear.

  I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about showering while the ladies returned the truck. Tamlyn wanted to be a big badass. She could go for it. After my shower, I grabbed one of the premade smoothie packets and dumped it in my blender. I wasn’t a health nut, but I did try and eat right when I could. The healthy shakes gave me an energy boost.

  I went back into my office to do some work. I expected Tamlyn would be on her way after she brought Lily back. Lily would be busy settling in and I could focus on the updates to the app. I was about thirty minutes in when I heard them come back.

  “Tommy!” Tamlyn shouted.

  I rolled my eyes at the use of the name I went by in school. I hadn’t been Tommy in years. “What?” I shouted back.

  “Let’s go out!”
<
br />   “I thought you were going home?” I groaned.

  She appeared in my office. “Lily’s showering and changing and then we want to go out. You’re our official tour guide. Show us around.”

  “I’m working.”

  “You can work later,” she shot back. “Come on. I’m only in town for a little bit. Show us around. If you don’t, we’ll go out on our own. Just two wide-eyed girls from the sticks in the big ol’ city. We’ll be naïve and vulnerable, just like I was down at the truck. You don’t want that, do you?”

  It wasn’t hard to see right through her. “You do not get to flirt and collect phone numbers like you’re out clubbing.”

  She grinned. “We’ll see. I’m hungry. What do you have to eat?”

  She wasn’t actually expecting me to answer. She was gone from the doorway and went into the kitchen to raid my fridge. I closed down the computer and followed her. She held up one of the smoothie pouches. “What’s this?”

  “Exactly what it says it is.”

  She slapped her hand against my stomach. “So, this is your secret, huh?”

  “No. It’s a smoothie.”

  She was reading the back of the packaging. “I thought maybe you were taking steroids. Good to see you’re just a protein junkie. Make me one.”

  I grabbed the dirty blender and cleaned it before mixing one up for her. I didn’t add the extra muscle-building powder I put in my own. “Here.”

  She took a sip and wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”

  “You better fucking drink that,” I scowled. “Those aren’t cheap.”

  “Like you can’t afford it.”

  “Not the point,” I shot back.

  She took her drink and went out on the balcony that overlooked the pool below. “Have Mom and Dad been here?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Why don’t you invite them over?” she questioned.

  “I have. They always say they will as soon as they get time. Dad’s always busy fixing a tractor or fencing.”

  She nodded as she sipped on the drink. “I bet they would get a real kick out of this place. You’re uptown.”

  “Dad would say I got too big for my britches, and Mom would want to make it country,” I said.

  She laughed and patted my arm. “You’re right. Do you know she gave me a bunch of her rooster décor? She said my kitchen needed character.”

  “Exactly. I like my boring décor just the way it is.”

  It wasn’t long before Lily joined us. “I feel so much better,” she said with a sigh. “That shower is amazing. Actual water pressure and hot water.”

  “You didn’t have those before?” I asked.

  She laughed softly. “Not all the time.”

  “Tommy is going to take us out,” Tamlyn declared.

  Lily looked at me with those wide blue eyes. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose. If you have stuff to do, I understand.”

  “He doesn’t,” Tamlyn answered for me.

  “We can take my car or just walk if you want,” I said.

  Lily looked at Tamlyn. “I think walking around is good. Then I can get a feel for the lay of the land.”

  “Good idea,” Tamlyn said. “Show us the way.”

  The ladies grabbed their purses, and we were off. I had not technically done a lot of exploring on foot. I knew where the basics were but preferred to drive. The Texas heat was unforgiving as we made our way down the sidewalk. My building was in a newly developed area that was home to tech people. It was all modern and filled with niche shops and plenty of coffee shops and cafés that catered to just about every trendy diet fad.

  “A theater!” Tamlyn exclaimed. “A bar, a restaurant and an ice-cream shop. Seriously, you never have to leave your block.”

  “There’s an internet café around the corner,” I said. “They specialize in kombucha, if that’s what you’re into.”

  Lily wrinkled her nose under her dark sunglasses. “I’m not that hip. I’ll stick with coffee and soda.”

  “Do you drink that stuff?” Tamlyn asked with a disgusted look on her face.

  “I’m not that cool,” I said. “I’ve tried.”

  There was a vintage clothing shop that both girls went crazy for. “We have to check this out!” Tamlyn said. “I hope it’s actually thrift store prices and not boutique prices.”

  “You’re kind of in an area where things tend to be just a little higher priced,” I warned them as we walked in.

  I smelled what I thought was pachouli as I stood near the door and waited for them to browse. I preferred my clothes to come with tags and in plastic or at least unworn. The girls came back empty-handed.

  “What about grocery stores?” Lily asked. “I don’t eat out a lot. I save money making food at home.”

  “There’s a place about a block away, but I usually just use a delivery service,” I told her. “Just let me know what you need and I’ll add it to my order.”

  She offered a nervous smile. “It’s going to take me a while to get used to all the conveniences of a large city like this.”

  “Trust me, once you start getting used to it, going back to the way we grew up feels like going back to the fifteenth century.”

  “Ignore the city boy,” Tamlyn said. “He’s a big shot now.”

  “I think it’s cool,” Lily said in defense of me, which I really appreciated. “I like that you’ve really made something of yourself. Don’t listen to Tamlyn. Be proud of yourself.”

  Tamlyn made a gagging sound. “Give me a break,” she complained.

  “What’s that noise?” Lily asked and cocked her head to the side.

  “It’s probably a concert in the park,” I answered.

  Both Tamlyn and Lily looked at me with wide eyes. “What?” Tamlyn shrieked. “Free?”

  “Usually.”

  “Is it country?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “I think it’s different every week.”

  “Oh my god! Let’s go!”

  Tamlyn grabbed Lily’s arm and was dragging her toward the source of the noise. I’d only been to one of the concerts in the park. It was a little loud for my tastes. Not to mention the beer garden that churned out stupid drunks by the dozen. The drunks eventually found themselves at the bar across the street that catered to hipsters. There were lots of TVs indoors and outdoors with more loud music and a very hip vibe. It wasn’t my scene.

  Tamlyn rushed ahead while Lily and I took our time walking through the grassy area. “This is a nice park,” she commented.

  “Yeah, it caters to joggers, dog walkers and people that want to feel like they aren’t in a concrete jungle.”

  “I don’t see a lot of families,” she said.

  “There are a few, but this area is filled with twenty-somethings.”

  “Many students?” she asked.

  I laughed and shook my head. “No. I’m sure there are a few, but this is a little out of their price range. There is some student housing close by, which is where the bulk of the people here are from.”

  Tamlyn happened to hear the last bit and quickly picked up on it. “Oooh,” she cooed. “Hot, young men abound. I might just have to take your other room.”

  “When hell freezes over,” I shot back.

  She ignored my comment and grabbed my hand. Like usual, Tamlyn was diving in feet first and pushing us right into the middle of the crowd. Her hands were up as she danced around. This was the way it was with her. It didn’t matter who it was or where it was; she could always have fun. She brought the party wherever she went.

  I glanced over at Lily who was playing along but didn’t look very comfortable. I felt her pain. I was feeling a little out of place myself. Tamlyn always got along with everyone and people liked to be around her. It was people like me and Lily who tended to find ourselves on the outside looking in.

  “Having fun?” I asked her.

  She nodded and smiled. “This is fun.”

  Tamlyn was in the crowd dancing with several men at
once.

  “I think she’s definitely having a blast.”

  “When doesn’t she?” Lily asked with a laugh. “I think that’s why people are drawn to her. She’s like a magnet for fun.”

  “You’re not?”

  She gave me a dry look. “She’s covered in honey. I’m a natural repellent.”

  I looked around our little bubble that did in fact seem to repel people. “I guess I’m also a natural repellent.”

  “I don’t mind,” she said. “I like to watch people. I enjoy seeing their fun. I live vicariously through them.”

  “I’ll go in if you go in,” I said.

  She looked up at me with a huge grin. “Let’s do it,” she said.

  I took her hand and led her into the fray. Tamlyn grabbed us both and hopped around. It was hard not to get into the music. We all danced together with the crowd in general. When the concert was over, the crowd broke up.

  “I’m hungry,” Tamlyn said. “Treat us to dinner, little brother.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. She always called me her little brother. Minutes didn’t count, especially given the fact I was twice her size.

  “I know a good place,” I said.

  She threw an arm around my waist and hugged me. “Thanks, Tommy.”

  “Call me Tommy again and you’ll be lucky if I give you my doggy bag.”

  7

  Lily

  I felt horribly guilty and was so going to lecture Tamlyn about imposing on her brother. He didn’t seem to mind, and judging by where he lived, he could afford it. But that didn’t mean he should feel obligated.

  “Get whatever you want,” he said as we scanned the menus.

  It was a trendy restaurant with a lot of vegan choices, which was kind of rare where I was from. There were also a lot of healthy choices. I felt like I needed to eat like a girl and not like the ravenous person I usually ate like.

  With our meals in front of us, Tamlyn carried the conversation as usual. “You have to take her out,” she ordered Thomas. “Show her around the city. Take her to the touristy spots and all of that. Do not let her be a recluse.”