“I thought I would surprise my two favorite people in the world.”
She definitely surprised me. I had to be nice. She was my sister and normally I would be happy to have her stop by for a visit. I just wasn’t thrilled it was today. Of all days, today. “How have you been?” I asked casually.
“Fine. Busy. How are things going here?”
“Good,” I said and took a drink from the bottle.
“Good?” she repeated. “That doesn’t sound convincing. Are you guys getting along?”
“Yes,” I said. “We get along very well. She’s busy with classes and work and I’ve been busy with work. We don’t argue, if that’s what you are asking. She’s great. We’re friends. We hang out when we have time.”
I didn’t get to say much more before Lily walked through the door. She looked from Tamlyn to me, and then back to Tamlyn. She had the pizza box in her hand. “Tamlyn?” she asked with surprise in her voice. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Your parents?”
Tamlyn rolled her eyes. “You guys are a bunch of gloomy people. Why does there have to be something wrong for me to visit?”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming,” Lily said.
“That would take away from the idea of a surprise,” she complained. “I am here to check in on you two.”
Lily deposited the pizza on the counter next to the bag of Thai food. She looked over at me and silently asked the question that had been on my mind. It started with what the fuck? I gave her a very slight shrug.
She sat on the couch next to Tamlyn and gave her a side hug. “I’ve missed you,” she told my sister.
“I’ve missed you. Let’s go out.”
My spirits deflated. Of course, Tamlyn would want to take Lily out. That meant they’d go out and party and I would be at home alone. So much for our Tuesday tradition. I tried to hide my disappointment.
“You guys have fun,” I said.
I got up and was going to go shower when Lily stopped me. “Wait,” she said. “We kind of had plans.”
“You guys had plans?” Tamlyn asked with disbelief. “Like actual plans? I better write this down. This is some kind of miracle.”
“Very funny,” I grumbled.
“We have a Tuesday tradition,” Lily said proudly.
“Tuesday tradition?” Tamlyn repeated.
“Yes,” Lily answered. “We do Tino’s and Thai on Tuesday nights. It started by accident. I brought home pizza after a bad day. The following Tuesday, I bought a pizza for the hell of it. Thomas came home with Thai. We decided to make it a thing.”
Tamlyn stared at Lily before turning to look at me with her lip curled. “Are you kidding me?” she asked.
“No,” I answered. “Why do you look like that?”
“You’re supposed to be showing her a good time,” she complained. “You’re not supposed to turn her into a recluse like yourself. Shame on both of you.”
“Me?” Lily exclaimed.
“You’re on the last leg of your journey in college,” she said. “You’re supposed to be enjoying one last hurrah. Staying in and eating pizza and Thai is not fun.”
“We enjoy it,” I said. “Don’t we?”
“Absolutely,” Lily said. “I like staying in.”
Tamlyn sighed. “We have to go out. I did not come down here to eat pizza. I can do that any day of the week. Let’s go out. All of us.”
“I’m not interested,” I said. “I’m long over partying on a weekday. I’ve got a lot of stuff going on at work. The last thing I want to do is drag my ass in hungover. I’m the boss. I can’t set a bad example.”
“You’re twenty-two,” Tamlyn shot back. “You’re supposed to be a bad example.”
“You guys have fun,” I said.
“Party pooper,” Tamlyn said and stuck her tongue out at me.
That was just like her. I walked away and headed for the shower. My evening had just gone up in smoke. I couldn’t necessarily be mad at my sister. I was glad to see her, but I was feeling the sting of being let down. This was why I never got too excited for anything.
I stepped into the shower and tried to let go of my disappointment. There would be next Tuesday.
19
Lily
I felt torn. I wanted to please them both. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to stay in and hang out with Thomas. I had been looking forward to our Tuesday tradition all day. My small group of friends knew I was not available on Tuesdays.
“Do you guys seriously do this every Tuesday?” Tamlyn asked.
“We do,” I said. “It’s fun. I like it.”
She groaned and shook her head. “I should have known this would happen. You guys are both prone to hiding from the world. You never want to go out until I drag you out. Then you have a blast.”
“I went out a few times with my friends,” I said.
“I was hoping you guys would somehow be the two negatives make a positive thing,” she said. “You’re here in a fun city. You should be having a blast.”
“I’m having fun,” I argued.
“Real fun,” she said. “Yes, this is a nice place, but you need to get out and expand your horizons. You have so much life to live. Don’t live it in this apartment.”
“You have to understand you and I have different ideas of fun,” I told her. “You are all about the noise and people. My kind of fun is sitting right here eating pizza with Thomas .”
She shook her head. “Not happening. Not while I’m here. Come on, we’re going out. We don’t have to go to a club, but we are getting out of this apartment.”
“But I just got home,” I complained.
“You’re not an old lady.” She slapped my thigh. “Go get changed.”
I looked down at the outfit I thought was plenty decent. “I’m fine,” I argued.
She looked me up and down. “Fine. Let’s go.”
“What about Thomas?” I asked. “We had plans. I don’t want to abandon him.”
“He can come if he wants to, but we both know he isn’t going to want to.”
“I’ll check,” I said and got up. I gently knocked on his bedroom door. It took him a minute to answer it. When he did, I almost wished he hadn’t because I was never going to get the image of him standing in nothing but a towel and wet hair out of my head.
“What’s up?” he asked.
My mouth was dry. I licked my lips. “We’re going to go out, something casual and laidback. Do you want to come?” I said the words and immediately regretted my word choice.
If he noticed what I said, he didn’t show it. “No,” he practically growled. “I’m not going out.”
“Not even for a little bit?” I pressed.
“No,” he said again.
I leaned in close, which was a dangerous mistake. I could smell his shampoo, which smelled like the ocean. “Please?” I whispered.
His brown eyes darkened as he looked into mine. The intimate moment sent heat racing down my spine. “Go out with her,” he whispered.
“But I want to have our Tuesday tradition,” I whispered.
He offered a small smile. “We can do something tomorrow,” he said.
I stared at him for several seconds. How in the hell had I not noticed him all these years? I offered him a small smile. “I’m sorry.”
He smirked. “Don’t be. I’ve got work to do. You guys go out and have fun.”
“I’ll see you tonight or tomorrow morning,” I said and left him alone.
I felt so guilty for abandoning him, but I was not going to drag him out. I knew he didn’t want to go and peer-pressuring him into doing something he didn’t want to do was not kind either.
“Let’s go,” I said with zero enthusiasm.
“Don’t sound so excited,” Tamlyn said with a laugh. “Have fun party pooper!” she called out loud enough for her brother to hear.
“Where are we going?” I asked her.
“I would ask you where the good spots are, but I’m gu
essing you don’t have a clue.”
She wasn’t wrong. “I don’t go out a lot,” I said. “Does that really surprise you?”
“Nope, which is why I’m here. I’m saving you from yourself. Let’s find somewhere fun.”
I wasn’t going to argue with her. To argue was futile. I would go along with it and let her show me around. We landed at a restaurant similar to Applebee’s. We ordered a plate of appetizers and drinks.
“So, how has it been going?” she asked.
“It’s been good,” I told her. “I know you don’t believe it, but I’m happy. I feel like I’ve settled in. School is good. I love my job. And believe it or not, I like hanging out at the apartment. Sometimes we work out together or go swimming. We went to a social in the building. We’re not always in the apartment staring at the walls.”
“Any men I should know about?” she asked.
“No.”
“Come on,” she prodded. “You haven’t met anyone?”
I shrugged. “I got the phone number of a guy,” I said proudly. “He’s a lawyer and hot.”
Her eyes lit up. “Good for you! Have you gone out with him?”
“No. He works a lot, and with my schedule, things are difficult.”
She stared at me. “Is this guy for real or are you just making him up to get me off your back?”
“He’s real,” I said with a laugh. “We danced together and had drinks. I’m sure we’ll go out soon. He’s working on a big case right now and pulling long days.”
“I’m going to follow up on this,” she said as she shook a cheese stick at me.
“I am not promising you a relationship,” I said firmly. “I’ve told you a hundred times, school first. I’m not going to be one of those women who gets within sight of the finish line and then gets waylaid by a man. I want to finish my degree before I get caught up with the demands of a relationship.”
“You can do both at once,” she argued. “I know plenty of women who have boyfriends and go to school.”
“I’m not looking for love,” I told her.
“Fine, what about my brother?” she asked.
Guilt slammed into me. Did she know? Did she see me staring at him? “What?” I squeaked.
“What does my brother do for fun?” she asked. “Does he go out?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not with him all the time.”
“Does he have a girlfriend?” she pressed.
“No,” I said, slightly defensive.
“We need to find him a woman,” she said.
Heat flooded through my veins. I quickly identified the affliction. It was jealousy. I had no business being jealous, but I was. “Why?” I asked.
“Because he needs to get a life,” she said. “I hate the idea of him being alone.”
“I’m here,” I snapped.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re aiding his reclusive nature,” she said. “He needs a girlfriend that will get him out of the house. He needs someone that will make him happy. Right now, he’s married to his job. That is no way to live.”
“He doesn’t work that much,” I said. I felt like I needed to defend the guy.
“He works a lot,” she argued. “I hate that he is here and I can’t keep an eye on him. I don’t want him to completely withdraw. I always worry he’s depressed.”
“He’s not depressed,” I assured her. I knew she cared about her brother. They had a deep connection that went beyond the standard sibling relationship. “He seems happy enough. He likes his job. He works out and I think he’s doing very well.”
“But does he date?” she questioned. “Does he even talk about women?”
“I think you’re the only one that is convinced dating equals happiness,” I told her.
“He’s in a great place in his life when it comes to his career,” she said. “I’m so proud of him. Now is a great time to start looking for a woman. I don’t want him to meet a woman after he becomes a millionaire. Then he’s going to have to worry about a woman wanting him just for his money.”
“You think he’s going to be a millionaire?” I asked.
She gave me a duh look. “Don’t you?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess I never thought about that.”
“He’s going to be one of the most eligible bachelors in Texas very soon,” she said. “I want to make sure he has a solid woman in his life to keep him from being preyed upon.”
I did not like the idea of him being preyed upon. I didn’t like the thought of women throwing themselves at him. I hated the idea of him kissing women. The green-eyed monster was alive and well inside me. I had no business entertaining fantasies about him. He was destined for great things. He was going to have gorgeous models with connected families knocking down his door. There was no room for someone like me.
“I don’t know,” I murmured.
“Do you know anyone at school that you could set him up with?” she asked. “He needs a good, solid woman to keep him grounded. I don’t want him getting swept away with the money and free-flowing champagne.”
“You’ve already got this planned for him,” I said with a nervous laugh.
“Come on,” she said. “Beyond that geeky exterior, he’s an attractive guy. I’ll have to kill you if you tell him I said that. He doesn’t know he’s good looking. He’s going to get taken advantage of by some woman wanting to sink her claws into him. I don’t want to have to come down here and kick some ass.”
“I guess I never thought about it,” I said.
“I have. A lot. You’re here. You can keep an eye on him for me. It would be even better if we could pick his girlfriend and possibly his future wife.”
“How are we going to pick?” I asked. I was not thrilled with this conversation. I was actually very displeased to be having this discussion at all. My stomach was sour.
“You pick the girl,” she said. “I’ll vet her. Then we set him up with her. That way, we know he’s getting a good one. I trust your judgment.”
I was very cranky. “I’m not interested in picking a woman for your brother.”
“I’m not suggesting you hold auditions,” she said with a laugh. “Just keep your eyes open. He’d probably do best with a techy person that could understand him. Scour the library. If you see someone that you think might interest him, get her number.”
“How am I supposed to know if he’d be interested?”
“You know him better than I do at this point,” she reasoned. “You live with him. You know his routines. You know what shows he likes and stuff like that. I haven’t lived with him in a long time. I don’t know him like you do.”
I couldn’t let my hackles get up. I couldn’t let Tamlyn see how irritated I was at the very suggestion I hook Thomas up with another woman. Disgusting.
“No thanks,” I muttered.
“Come on,” she begged. “We’ll find you a man too.”
“Tamlyn, I’m not trying to find a man. I’m not interested in finding Thomas a woman. I think you should just let nature take its course.”
She raised an eyebrow. “He’s not a butterfly or caterpillar or whatever. Thomas needs a little help in the love department. Tell me, have you ever seen him with a woman?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean he’s struggling. Maybe he is private.”
“Not even in high school,” she complained. “I don’t want him to be a consummate bachelor. What happens when I get married and have my own family? He’s going to be alone.”
I understood her concern, but I thought she was panicking just a little. I didn’t think he was headed for forever-bachelor status. He had time. And quite frankly, I didn’t want him with anyone else.
20
Thomas
I was hoping to get up and get out of the apartment before Tamlyn and Lily got up. Last night, I had heard them come in but didn’t get up. I didn’t want to hear about the men they met and how many numbers Lily got. She told me about the other guy, Gage or some shit
. I had no right to be jealous, but I was hoping like hell she lost that number. I hoped Gage turned out to be a loser and went on his way.
That was wrong. I should want her to be happy. She deserved to find a good guy that would support her and treat her right. I should want that for her. That’s what a good friend would want. But I was not a good friend. I wanted her all for myself. I wanted her to want me or, at the very least, explore the idea of possibly wanting me.
I opened my bedroom door as quietly as possible to keep from waking them. I doubted they would hear the door open, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I saw Lily at the kitchen counter with her back to me. I considered dashing back in my room and pretending I was still sleeping, but it was too late. She turned around just as I took a step backward.
“Hi,” she said in a soft voice.
I looked toward the couch. “Where’s Tamlyn?”
“In my bed sound asleep,” she answered with a smile. “Want some coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
“You already went for your workout this morning?”
“I did.”
I didn’t mean to be short with her, but I kind of felt like she betrayed me. I shouldn’t feel that way, but it was like I got tossed to the side once my sister showed up. Lily and I had been forging a friendship but I had a feeling it was because I was the only person around. I was essentially the last man on earth. She didn’t have a choice but be my friend or be alone in a new place. It wasn’t exactly an ego booster.
“Thomas, I’m really sorry about last night,” she said. “I wanted to keep up our Tuesday tradition. I had no idea she was coming and I didn’t feel like I could say no.”
“It’s fine,” I said and brushed it off. “She likes to go out and it’s probably good she got you out of here. I know I’m not exactly the life of the party.”
“Hey, I’ve had plenty of fun hanging out with you,” she said. “You know I’m not about the party. I am so bummed I missed out on pizza.”
“There’s always next Tuesday,” I said and took my coffee.
“I am sorry,” she said again.
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