by J. L. Drake
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Well, if you ever need anything...” He paused again, awkwardly. “Here, let me give you my number. That way you can just shoot me a text or call me.”
I programmed his number into my cell. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. I should get going. See ya around.” He waved and jogged off.
I walked up onto my property and saw Seth standing on the porch, watching me and drinking a cup of coffee.
“Hey.”
He waved, meeting me halfway down the stairs. “How was your run?”
“Great, but it’s getting hot.” He handed me his mug. “When did you get here?” I asked.
He ignored my comment and watched Travis running in the distance. “What did he have to say this morning?”
I rolled my eyes. “He was letting me know that if I ever needed anything, I could call him.”
“Mmm…I bet.” He laughed.
“He’s new, and he’s trying to be a good neighbor. Be nice.”
“So. I’m here to try out my new key.” He held up his keys.
“Oh no!” My hand flew to my mouth.
Seth’s face dropped.
“I gotta let Jamie know he can’t move in,” I joked, sipping the coffee. Yikes, it was hot!
Seth raised an eyebrow, taking his coffee back. “Nope, you’re stuck with me.”
“I think I’m all right with that.” I glanced down at his open shirt and had to turn so he wouldn’t catch me gawking.
Car tires and an engine caught my attention, drawing my overactive mind to a halt. A red car rolled up, and Garrett hopped out wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and a ball hat. “Morning, beautiful.” He flashed his cheerful smile. “Seth, I got your text, and I’m free today.”
“Great. Thanks, man.” I looked at Seth, wondering what he meant. “Garrett’s going to help me move my stuff in.”
“Oh, nice.” I walked up the stairs to open the door. I tried desperately to hide my excitement. Not only was I happy that Seth was moving in, but I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders at not having to live with a stranger.
The guys came in with some boxes, weights, and some other workout equipment. “Where do you want this to go, Em?” Garrett asked.
“The third bedroom on the left can be his workout room.”
They worked for a few hours. Boxes came and went. I offered to help, but they seemed to have a good rhythm going without me. I tried desperately not to gawk, but there was something to be said about Seth in shorts and nothing else.
“Like the view, McPhee?” Garrett called over his shoulder as he set the box on the floor. He wiggled his butt in the air, laughing. “Or am I in the way?”
“Shut up.” I laughed, knowing I had just been caught red handed sneaking a peek at the sweaty muscle that had walked by a moment ago. I heard my cell ring and walked back into my room before Seth could see the color of red I was sporting.
Erin: Twenty mins, Huntington Beach?
I looked up and saw Garrett grinning as he walked by my room. Yes, the beach sounded like the perfect place to cool off.
Emily: See you there.
I changed into a white bikini with a gold-colored robe cover up and a pair of matching gold wedge heels. I threw on some light makeup, found my purse, and hurried down the stairs, not wanting to get in the guys’ way. I opened the door to the kitchen for a bottle of water and found the guys taking a break and drinking a beer. When I walked over to the fridge, they stopped their conversation. I turned to see them both staring at me.
“Wow,” I heard Seth say.
“How’s the move going?” I asked.
“Good. Where are you off to?” Garrett asked, smirking.
Damn you.
“The beach with Erin. You guys are more than welcome to come.”
Seth shifted. “Just you two?”
I shrugged, opening my water. “Yeah.”
They looked at each other. “Maybe we’ll join you later,” Seth said.
I spun my keys around my finger. “Okay. Bye, guys.”
***
Seth
I watched as Emily walked out of the kitchen. My chest was tight as my eyes scanned her long legs in her gold shoes. My eyes flickered over to Garrett, who was wearing a wicked grin.
“Screw off.”
Garrett raised his hands, laughing. “I didn’t say anything.” He paused. “Why don’t you go with her?”
I pretended to ignore my partner’s question. I would love nothing more than to spend some time with Emily, but I needed to get settled. I had to be back at work the next day, and I hated living out of a box. I tossed Garrett his work gloves. “Come, let’s empty my trunk.”
An hour later, everything was moved in and tided up. We were sipping beers out on the steps when I noticed Garrett kept checking his phone. “Everything all right?”
He sighed. “Mom wants us to stop by for dinner.” Garrett had a hard relationship with his parents, and ever since his younger brother Phillip came out several years back, things had gotten worse. Phillip was three years younger and was unplanned and unwanted, but an abortion in the O’Brian family was forbidden. He was never welcomed like the other boys. Phillip announcing that he was a homosexual had isolated him even more.
I could see the idea of his family picking on his little brother was bothering Garrett. Garrett was extremely protective of Phil and always had been.
“Come on, we’ll go for a few hours and then grab a case of beer on the way home.”
The O’Brian house was perched up on a cliff in Laguna. The home was massive, sprawling over the entire length of the property.
Garrett’s parents were very well off. His father was a chemical engineer, and his mother was CEO of some company that worked with lead. I could never remember what it was. It didn’t matter one way or another. Miranda O’Brian always made sure everyone knew how important she was.
Garrett parked the car and gave me a look. “You sure you wanna walk into this hell?”
“Trust me, Gar, it’s no worse than my own.”
The house smelled like curry chicken. It made my mouth water. The housekeeper greeted us and said everyone was gathered out on the back patio.
Joseph noticed them first. “About time you showed up, boys,” Garrett’s father said gruffly.
“Would it have killed you to wear something other than a t-shirt?” Miranda rolled her eyes as she stumbled toward them. Garrett’s mother had a bit of a drinking problem. I had no doubt she’d be on about her fifth drink by now. Her hands picked a non-existent piece of lint off Garrett’s shirt, and she made a nasty noise.
“Mother, I wear a button-up shirt every day to work. When I’m off, I’ll wear whatever I want.” Garrett glanced around. “Where’s Philly?”
“It’s Phillip.” Her eyes narrowed. “There’s no need for you to make him any more feminine than he already is.”
“Don’t start, Mother.”
“The pixie is in the kitchen,” Garrett’s oldest brother Tag hissed as he strolled by, not bothering to say hello to either of them. Tag had gotten a scholarship to play football in college and now played for USC. There was talk that the New England Patriots were interested in him. He’d been one cocky bastard since the day I met him. As far as I could tell, he had zero respect for Garrett or for Phillip.
“Screw off,” Garrett shouted over his shoulder. He turned back to his mother, who was trying to fix his hair.
“Garrett, I really wish you had worn something a bit more appropriate. Stacy’s here.”
Garrett flinched at her name. Stacy and her friend, Rosie, were nasty little leeches who draped themselves over the two of them constantly. Their families were friends with the O’Brians, and Miranda and Stacy’s mother would have loved nothing more than to get Garrett and Stacy into wedlock.
“As I’ve I told you repeatedly, I’m not interested in her,” Garrett said. I rarely saw my partner angry, but the way his face was scrunched together, I
knew he was pissed.
Miranda stepped a little closer, and I could smell the vodka dripping from her pores.
“Need I remind you that her family is a huge part of my company—?”
“Spare me, Mother.” Garrett waved her off, making her scowl.
I glanced around the crowd. There must have been about twenty people there. Three girls were hanging off Tag, and a few were with the second oldest brother Gabe. Gabe was a sport rehab specialist and had a huge ego to go along with it. Though all four brothers looked alike, they were each very different.
“Who ordered the pigs?” Gabe shouted across the lawn. Tag laughed.
Garrett clucked his tongue, trying to keep his cool. He nodded toward the kitchen for me to follow.
“I said take it off.” Garrett’s father’s voice was low and stern. “Do you hear me? I said take it off. You’re embarrassing me.”
Garrett picked up his pace and rounded the corner to the kitchen to see his father inches from Phil’s face. Joseph was a much larger man than his youngest son and knew how to use his weight to intimidate him.
Phil had always been the smallest. He was several inches shorter than Garrett and was very skinny, unlike the rest of his brothers, who were more muscular.
“What the hell?” Garrett wedged his body between the two, blocking Phil from their father’s rage. “Back off, Dad!”
Phil glanced over at me with sad eyes. Knowing what he was going through shredded me. At least I could hold my own with my family, but the rest of the O’Brian family picked on this poor guy daily.
“Tell him to change or to go home. He’s not welcome looking like a flamer.” Joseph’s face was red as Garrett took a step toward him. “You got something to say, son?”
“Yeah—”
“No, he doesn’t, Dad,” Phil spoke up in a small voice. “I’ll change.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Phillip.” Moving toward the freezer for some ice, Miranda rolled her eyes. “That shade of green should be illegal.”
Phil looked down at his bright green shirt and shook his head.
“Oh, Joseph, the Hills are here.” Miranda peered back over to Phil, who hadn’t moved from behind his older brother. “Change now before anyone sees you, or you can leave. Either way, I don’t care. Just do it now!” She filled her drink—seventy percent vodka, thirty percent soda—chucked a mint leaf in, and walked out, plastering a smile on her half-plastic face. Christ, that woman was a bitch!
Joseph glared at Garrett. “Phil is your responsibility for tonight.” He snickered as he walked out to meet his wife at the door.
“You all right, Philly?” Garrett asked as he turned to see his brother’s glassy eyes.
“Yeah, sure.” Phil turned back to the oven and pulled out a tray full of crème brûlée. “Lucky these little guys didn’t burn.” He sniffed and shut off the oven.
“Those look good.” I said, stepping closer and getting a good look. Phil wanted to be a chef. He was always baking and making up meals for them to try. Perhaps that was where Garrett had gotten his secret barbecue sauce.
Dinner was painful, but luckily, the tables were spaced out around the back yard, so the three of us tucked ourselves away from Garrett and Phil’s parents. Unfortunately, Tag joined us after a little bit, saying he needed a break from his female guests.
“How’s the pig life treating you?” he asked me, smacking my shoulder and belting a large laugh. Stacy and Rosie walked through the door and spotted us right away.
“Shit,” Garrett muttered. “Philly, how’d you get here?”
“Mom sent her driver. She didn’t want me to drive my car. I guess eco-friendly cars are frowned upon up here.”
“We’ll drive you back to your dorm.”
“Or it’s because you have a frigging rainbow sticker on your bumper,” Tag chimed in.
“Hello, boys.” Stacy batted her eyes at Garrett and me. “It’s been a long time.”
Not long enough.
Tag ran his eyes from her ridiculous high heels to her over-bleached hair. “Lookin’ fine, Stacy.”
She smirked down at him and rolled her eyes as though they’d seen one another intimately. She tossed her hand in his direction and turned her attention back to me and Garrett.
“Which one of you boys wants to get Rosie and me a drink?”
Neither of us moved. Tag started laughing and yelled out, “Burn!”
I had always wondered how Tag could be Garrett’s older brother when he was so incredibly immature. Stacy’s face flushed with anger, and she snapped her fingers at a caterer, demanding two glasses of white wine. She slipped into the seat next to Phil, and Rosie sat next to me. The girls started chatting about nothing. I tuned them out and checked the time.
“Connors, I heard you moved in with the hot little piece of ass.” Tag grinned and crossed his arms. “You tap that yet? Because if not, I’m going to.” I sucked in a deep breath and tried like hell to count to three to calm down. Instead I leaned forward in the metal chair, slid the leg so that it hovered directly over Tag’s foot, and then dropped all my weight back down. Tag screamed out in pain.
I waited a moment before I shifted it off him with a shrug. “Sorry, dude, did that hurt?”
“What the fuck?” Tag shouted as he jumped to his feet. “Yeah, that fucking hurt!”
I leaned over so only Tag could hear. “You don’t ever come near her. And if you do, just remember what I do for a living and how many interesting people I know.”
Tag went to say something but decided against it. He hobbled inside with Miranda asking him what had happened.
“Lord, I’ve missed you guys,” Phil laughed out. “Oh, Garrett.” He tapped his brother on the arm. “I have that bake-off at school in a few weeks. You think you can make it?”
“Yeah, of course I’ll be there.”
Phil’s eyes lit up with love for his older brother.
I moved my attention over to him. “What have you decided to bake?”
“I’m thinking maybe a butter cream layered cake. I found this lemon recipe that is just amazing, but I was also thinking—”
“The three of you—out!” Joseph shouted, pointing his finger at us. I stood and tossed my napkin on the table. “And you—” Joseph came right up in my face. “Do you have any idea what kind of damage you can do? You could have ruined his career.”
“No, his personality will do that,” I mumbled.
“What did you say, boy?”
“No, I’m not your boy, and I feel sorry that these two are. Perhaps someday you’ll see them for what they are.”
“You will show me some respect.”
“No, I only give it where it’s deserved.” If the man had been anyone but Garrett’s father, I would have punched him.
“Get out and take that,” Joseph pointed to Phil, “with you.”
“That, right there, is why you’ll never get respect from me,” I muttered and shoved past him.
“Or me,” Garrett chimed in.
Once they hit the freeway, Phil broke out into a loud laugh. He had to hold his sides while he gasped for air. “That was the highlight of my week, Seth. The look on Dad’s face was just priceless. Garrett, did you see Mom? Oh God. I can’t stop laughing. I swear the Botox was going to squirt right out of her forehead.”
I looked at Garrett, and we joined in on the laughter all the way to Phil’s dorm.
“Thanks for the ride, guys, and for getting me through that.” Phil leaned forward, giving Garrett a hug from behind. “Love you, big brother.”
“Love you, too.”
“Take it easy, Phil,” I shouted through the window.
“You too, Seth. I hope I get to meet Emily soon.” He waved and headed inside the building.
Garrett let out a long sigh and rubbed his face.
I glanced over at him. “Beers and John?”
“Yes.”
***
Emily
I waved, walking up to Erin. “Hey,
girl!” I laid my towel down on top of my chair. We chatted for a while, watching people surfing across the wavy water. She was very pleased to hear Seth was moving in. I caught her trying to hold back a smile, but it wasn’t working. I pretended not to notice.
I checked my phone a few times to see if Seth had texted. He had, letting me know the move was going well. I felt a slight butterfly sensation as I tossed the phone back in my bag. How was I going to live with Seth and control my feelings for him? The very idea of him walking around in a towel…No! Don’t go there! I shook my head clear.
I looked up to see a bunch of guys who had been playing volleyball walking over. They started talking to us. They said they were from a college up north, and hung out with us for the remainder of the afternoon. Later, they wanted to know what we were doing for the rest of the night. Erin informed them she was spending it with her boyfriend, and that my new roommate was waiting for me to get home.
Jacob, one of the guys, seemed to be interested in me. At first it was all right—he was just talking—but he got a little touchy as the evening went by. I’d made it clear more than a few times that I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, but he wasn’t listening. His hand always seemed to find some reason to rest on my upper leg. I shifted, making him move, but I could tell he’d had a lot to drink and wasn’t really getting my hints.
Erin leaned over. “You think it’s time to go?”
I nodded. “I’m not sure how well this is going to go.” We stood and started to pack up our things, since it was obvious Seth and Garrett weren’t coming. “Thanks, guys, for the fun day, but it’s getting late, and we should get going.”
Jacob stood, blocking my way. “You should stay. We’re going to build a fire and have a few drinks.”
I held up my hand. “Sorry, but I need to get back. Enjoy your time down here.” Erin and I walked away. A few of them called out after us, but we kept moving.
“Okay, that wasn’t fun,” I hissed at Erin. “I just want to get the hell home.”
“Check in, okay?” Erin said, hugging me. We always checked in with one another when we were home safely.