by J. S. Cooper
“Oh, tell them I said hi.” I smiled. Tyler’s parents were the sweetest people I’d ever met.
“Mom says she hopes to see you this Christmas if you come back to Florida.” He glanced up at me. “What shall I tell them?”
“Oh, I don’t know my plans yet. I wasn’t really planning on going home for the holidays. It’s kinda busy at the office where I work right now, and I’m not sure I’d be able to get away.”
Which was a little bit of a lie. The office was busy, but I knew Tate would let me have a week or two off if I asked. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to go back home and be inundated by questions from family asking why I didn’t have a boyfriend or a husband. Then would come the questions asking if I was a lesbian. And soon after I’d be whisked off to church for the pastor to pray over me. And I wasn’t sure that I had the patience or the energy to deal with any of that right now.
“Don’t you miss the beaches? We could go down to Key West.”
“That’s a long drive from Palm Bay.” I wasn’t sure the three of us would survive a long road trip together. At least, I wasn’t sure that my sanity would survive.
“How about Melbourne Beach?” His blue eyes sparkled and I was reminded of how handsome he was. He could have been an actor in Hollywood if he wanted. Not that I would tell him that. His ego was huge enough.
“You know I prefer Indianatlic Beach.”
“Well, we can go there, then. I’ll bring my surfboards.”
“I hate surfing. And I don’t want to get my leg chewed off by a shark, thank you very much.”
“Then we can go to the mall.”
“Yay, I don’t know how I survived without going to Melboring mall.”
“Ha ha, I forgot that Melbourne was nicknamed Melboring.”
“I didn’t.”
“We could go to Disney, then.”
“I prefer Universal.” I laughed. “I know, I know, I’m being difficult. I just don’t know if I will have time to come.”
“Well, I’d love to show you my house and stuff if you did decide to come.”
“You’re in Orlando now, right?”
“Yup, Winter Park.”
“Oh, nice. How big is your law firm?”
‘It’s pretty big. Though I might end up in an even bigger office. The partners want me to transfer to the New York office.”
“No kidding?” My eyes widened. “You said you’d never leave Florida.”
“You said you always wanted to live in New York,” he retorted.
“Yeah, true. I suppose things change when you get older.”
“But you love it here?” He cocked his head to the side and studied my face. “You really love it?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I like my friends.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Not technically.” Not technically? Where the hell had that come from? I should have said not at all. But for some reason, I didn’t want Tyler to think I was a big loser. “What about you?”
“No, no boyfriend. I’m still straight.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not what I mean. Seeing anyone?”
“Not really. I’m a busy lawyer, remember?”
“Yeah, how could I forget?”
“You guys done yapping?” Derrick interrupted us. “I’m hungry and I’m ready to order.”
“Then let’s order, boss,” I replied. “I’d hate for you to stay staaaarrrrving for even one second more. God knows you don’t have any fat to sustain you while you wait for food.”
“Very funny, Olivia.”
We all laughed as the waitress approached us again to take our orders. As I sat back and looked around, I realized how nice it felt to have my brother and his best friend here. I missed our camaraderie. I missed the way we could tease each other so easily. And even more than that, I missed being able to look into Tyler’s handsome face and daydream about what it would feel like to kiss and touch him. Not that I would ever act on it. No way. No how. That would just be a disaster waiting to happen.
Chapter 4
Tyler
* * *
“Why don’t we go to a bar?” I suggested.
We were walking out of the burger joint and I was loath to let the night end. And not just because neither Derrick nor I had asked Olivia if I could spend the night on her couch. Not that I really wanted to sleep on her couch, but there was no way in hell that I’d let it slip that I wanted to sleep in her bed. Derrick would kill me. I snuck a look at the side of Olivia’s face and for the second time that night, I was struck by how beautiful she was. She’d grown into a beautiful swan, even with her frizzy hair.
Olivia made a face. “I don’t know. I have to work tomorrow.”
“Since when did you become such a bore?”
“Since when did you care?”
“I have an idea!” Tiffany started jumping up and down, and for a few seconds, I thought her breasts were going to pop out of her top.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” I hid a smile as I saw Olivia rolling her eyes. I bet she thought she was being discreet, but her face gave away her every emotion.
“Why don’t we go to a karaoke club?” She turned around to face Derrick and kissed him on the lips. “Can we go singing, honey?”
“Sure.” Derrick had a huge grin on his face and I knew that there was absolutely no chance that I’d be sleeping in the same hotel room tonight. “Olivia, do you know a place?”
Olivia pursed her pretty lips. “I guess there are some Japanese bars in the Tenderloin. We can see if we can rent a room.”
“What will you sing?” I walked over to her.
“What’s your best guess?” Her brown eyes rested upon my face and she smiled, that sweet familiar smile that reminded me of summer picnics, skateboarding, and sleepovers. It was strange to be looking at Olivia in a different city, as adults, as two people who could do whatever they wanted without anyone finding out.
I had to get my mind out of the gutter, though. She was still Derrick’s younger sister and still forbidden fruit. “‘I Want You to Want Me’ by Cheap Trick? Or maybe that song by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs?”
“More like the no, no, no’s.”
“‘Genie in a Bottle,’ then. I know how much you like to dance and sing at the same time.”
“‘I’m Alright’? Maybe you can sing that. ‘Or maybe you can sing ‘Oops, I Did It Again.’ Like you did when we were kids.”
“I think I remember making fun of that song, not celebrating it. Though Britney Spears was hot.”
“You think anyone is hot.”
“Do I?”
“Guys, stop bickering.” Derrick’s hands were around Tiffany’s waist now and she was snuggling up to him. Olivia shook her head in that disapproving way that I knew so well. “Sis, where’s this karaoke bar? Drinks will be on me, and we can sing a few songs.”
“We’ll need to catch an Uber, then,” Olivia stated. “It’s too far to walk to.”
“I’ll get the Uber.” I pulled out my phone and opened the app. “You can’t call me cheap now, can you?” Olivia just rolled her eyes and laughed without responding. I couldn’t stop myself from making another comment. “Though there are many other things I wouldn’t mind you calling me instead.”
“Like what?”
“Hot, handsome, unbelievably sexy, gorgeous, the smartest man you’ve ever met.”
“In your dreams, Tyler.”
“Are you psychic? Do you live in my mind?”
“Are you ever serious?” She pressed her lips together. They were a light pinky purple. I wasn’t actually sure. Were they pink or purple? I didn’t think she’d be happy if I moved in closer to look at them.
“I’m a lawyer, so I think the answer is yes.” Most of my life is serious Olivia, let me enjoy these light moments with you. Let me laugh.
“I’d have to see you in the office to know if that was true.”
“The Uber’s nearly here.” I held up my phone. “Come on guys, looks like he's going
to meet us on the corner.” I let Derrick and Tiffany walk ahead of us and then turned to Olivia. “You’re welcome to come and observe me any time.” I shook my hips a little bit. “If you’re lucky, I’ll even put on a little show.”
“Uh huh, okay, Tyler.”
“Or if you’d rather, you can put on a little show for me.”
“Never going to happen.” She looked me up and down and then started walking a little faster, her long lithe legs teasing me as she hurried away from me. I could feel a tightening in my pants that needed to get under control before someone noticed. I was almost thirty years old and still hadn’t gotten over my childhood crush on her. Not that she’d known. Not that anyone had known. At least I didn’t think so. And that was the way I was going to have to keep it.
“So, my daddy was saying that when I get married, I better make sure that it’s nowhere near the date for the Alabama vs. Ole Miss game.”
Tiffany was definitely drunk on the girly cocktails she was drinking and she was flirting up a storm with Derrick, myself, and every other man in the bar. “I said, ‘Daddy, I need to find me a husband first ‘cos when I was in college I didn’t get the proper degree.’”
“Proper degree?” Olivia asked as she sipped her rum and coke, a drink she seemed to be rather enjoying.
“I got my bachelor’s degree instead of my MRS.” Tiffany threw her head back and laughed. “My mama was not happy.”
“I guess she was even less happy when you were dancing on the pole?” Olivia asked sarcastically but Tiffany didn’t respond.
“I told my daddy that instead of a wedding cake, I want some good ol’ peach cobbler.” Tiffany licked her lips. “And we’re going to get them from Clanton, not Georgia. ‘Cos Clanton, Alabama, has the best peaches. The absolute best.” She took another gulp of her drink. “I still consider myself an Alabama girl, even though I’m in California.”
“Well, Alabama does make the best girls in the world.” Derrick was laying it on thick.
I couldn’t help smirking. “So, Olivia,” I held my glass up. “Having fun?”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged and looked around the bar. The private karaoke rooms were all booked, so we were hanging out in the public area with the locals. We’d all signed up for a song, but our names hadn’t been called yet. “Not exactly where I expected to end my night.”
“Yeah, but your dreams can still come true.”
“What dreams?”
“Your dreams of ending the evening in my bed.”
“You don’t have a bed,” she scoffed. I smiled and her eyes narrowed. “What did I say that was so funny?”
“Well, I’m thinking you’re picking up on the vibe between Derrick and Tiffany?”
“Vibe!” She snorted. “They’re practically hooking up right here in the bar.”
“Yeah, exactly. So that leaves me in a bit of a pickle.”
“What’s the pickle?”
“Derrick and I were sharing a room.”
“And?”
Was she really not getting this? Or was she going to make me beg? “So I don’t really want to be in the bedroom with the pillow over my face while Tiffany and your brother go at it.”
“Eww.” She made a face. “Okay, what does that have to do with me?”
“Can I stay at your place?”
The expression on her face suddenly changed as she realized what I was asking. “No way, Tyler. Sorry, but that’s just not going to be possible.”
“So, you’re going to make me sleep in the streets?”
“You’re not going to be sleeping in the streets. Just get another hotel room.”
“I already split the cost of the room with your brother.” I raised an eyebrow. “I’m already out a few hundred.”
“You’re a lawyer. You can afford it.”
“Are you really going to treat me that way, Olivia? Your favorite childhood friend?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” She folded her arms. “Fine, you can stay one night, but you’ll be sleeping on the couch.”
“That works for me.”
“And you have to wear pajamas.” She pointed at me. “I don’t want you walking around in the nude.”
“Fine, but I just want to let you know that I don’t mind if you walk around in the nude.”
She slapped my arm but I thought I caught a glimpse of a smile.
Euphoria spread through me. I was finally going to be alone with Olivia. At night. And we were both consenting adults. Anything could happen.
But she doesn’t know everything, Tyler, said an annoying little voice in my head. I tried to ignore it. I didn’t want to think about anything other than having fun and doing a little work this weekend.
“You make sure my little sister gets home safe, you hear?” Derrick gave me a hug before turning to Olivia. “Love you, sis. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She hugged him back. “Hopefully with no other company?” I heard her say quietly.
“I can’t promise that.” He grinned and stood back and took Tiffany’s hand. “You ready to go?”
“I’m ready to see that fancy hotel room of yours. I put on my tiger print underwear special for the occasion.”
“Well, I can’t wait to make you roar.”
“Derrick!” Olivia shouted. “This is so inappropriate!”
“You got to learn about the birds and the bees someday, Chubby Checker.”
“Tyler, come on, we’re out of here.” Olivia grabbed my arm and pulled me down the street with her. “Has my brother gone absolutely crazy? I mean, I know he’s a guy and guys have no standards, but is that really the best he can do?”
“I’m taking it that you’re not really into her then?”
“Understatement of the year. I mean, she seems sweet enough, but can she be any dumber?” Olivia was still holding onto my arm as she huffed and puffed and I quite liked the feel of her hand pressed into me.
“I’ve met dumber girls then her, so yes, she could be dumber.”
“Figures that if anyone could date a dumber girl than my brother, it would be you.”
“Hey now, spitfire, I never said I dated the girl, just that I knew a girl that was dumber.”
“And you didn’t date her?”
“Well, define date for me, please.” I grinned down at Olivia’s pert little nose. “Do two dinners at Red Lobster and Olive Garden count?”
“Well, were the dinners dates? Did you sleep with this girl?”
“I plead the Fifth. Let’s just say that I didn’t consider them dates.”
“So you slept with her and took her to dinner so you wouldn’t feel bad about it?”
“Judging me harshly, are you?”
“I’m not judging you at all, Tyler. You can do whatever you want to do. It’s your life.”
“And you’re just a player in it?”
“What?” She frowned.
“‘The world is a stage and we are all just merely players’? Something like that.”
“Oh, you mean Shakespeare? The quote actually goes, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players.’ It’s from As You Like It.”
“Yeah, well, you knew what I meant.”
“Yes, I suppose I did.”
“Do you live close to here, Olivia? Or should we catch an Uber?”
“I’m about a ten-minute walk from here.”
“That’s not bad.”
“But it is going to be all uphill as soon as we make a right on Mason Street.”
“Aww, do you think I can’t handle it?”
“I don’t know what sort of shape you’re in.” She poked me in the stomach, and I grabbed her hand.
“I think you’ll find I’m in great shape.”
“You’re feeling a little bony.” She giggled. “I thought you were all muscle.”
“I am.”
I was. I’d been working on building up my muscle and I was surprised that she’d noticed that I’d lost some of my definit
ion. She was the only one who had noticed and said anything to me. But then again, Olivia had always been an observant woman.
I changed the subject. “So, thanks again for letting me stay. I know it probably goes against your better judgment.”
“I wouldn’t say it went against my better judgment, but my space is small. You’re a big man. And Derrick’s even bigger. If you’d both been there, we would not have gotten on very well.”
“Then I guess I’m happy that Derrick can no longer come.” It was weird being here with just Olivia. It had always been the three of us. I’d never really had more than a few moments around her alone. And even then Derrick was always somewhere in the background.
“I’m glad he’s not staying, but I can’t believe it’s because he’s spending the night with Trailer Park Tiffany.”
“Now, now, Olivia, be nice. If your brother likes her, you should at least give her a chance.”
“I know, I know.” She let out a deep sigh. “But it’s like, really? You come to visit me and yet you’re spending most of your time with some girl that’s looking for her MRS degree.”
“That’s an important degree in the South.”
“Well, she lives in California now.”
“Maybe she wants to leave.”
“Maybe.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s not talk about her anymore. We’re nearly at my place. And I consider it my sanctuary, so no negative vibes allowed.”
“Roger that.”
Chapter 5
Olivia
* * *
I was nervous about Tyler seeing my apartment. There'd never actually been a man inside it before, and for some reason, I was worried about what he would think, not just as a man but also as my longtime friend. Would he like the way I'd furnished it? Would he like the fact that I had a photograph of him, Derrick, and me when we were kids at Disney, or would he think that I was living in the past, that I hadn't grown up and moved on past our friendship?
"This is it," I said as I fumbled with my keys on the landing. "Don't have too high expectations. It's really small."
"Hey, Olivia, you know I don't care about that sort of stuff. I'm just happy to see where you live and even more happy that you're letting me stay the night."
