Road To Me

by Erica Andrews

  Nine

  Kelly

  1. Men were just grown boys who still like lightsabers.

  2. Sometimes it was good to have men to help.

  3. I really liked Baileys in my coffee.

  Finally finished with putting the important things up today like my bed and books. I lounged on the sofa, waiting for Dean to come back with the Chinese while enjoying the weirdest reality show ever—Kasper and Damon can’t hook up television and internet. It was slow going, but I wasn’t ready to vote either out of the house yet. Watching them was far more amusing. The living room was a giant tornado, with all the things the boys had strewed everywhere. In the many attempts of building my entertainment center and setting up the TV and Wi-Fi. While Damon laid on his back holding a ton of cords out to Kasper. And Kasper trying to reach around the TV to grab one of many of the cords that Damon was holding.

  “Grab the cord!” Damon yelled.

  “That’s not the right one,” Kasper yelled back.

  “The hell it isn’t!” Damon grunted out.

  Kasper raised his eyebrows. “Clearly, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  Lifting his head up to get a better view of Kasper, Damon said, “Listen, if I can work on cars, then I can hook up a damn TV, with Wi-Fi and whatever else the hell she needs on this stupid thing.”

  The door slammed shut, and the sweet smell of my honey chicken drifted through the air. Yay, Dean was home. Hands full of bags, Dean came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the disaster zone. As a look of horror transformed his face, he said quite dramatically, “Princess, what do you think you’re doing?”

  Wasn’t it obvious? “Oh, ya know, we were just getting ready for the giant orgy we would have on top of the cables, and wires.” Moaning loudly I added, “Please, yes, that wire, yes use that one. Yes!” I dearly hoped he picked up on my sarcasm. “What does it look like, Dean? Damon and Kasper are setting up the TV.”

  Dean wore an expression of pity like I didn’t understand the whole situation. After passing me the food, he patted my leg.

  “Princess, these two dunderheads can’t plug a radio in an outlet.” He was already on his way over to the guys. “Let the master show you how it’s done.”

  “Hey.” Damon grunted, and then pulled back when Dean tried to reach for the wires.

  “Oh, shut up,” Kasper said. “You and I both know we suck at this, just let Dean do it or we’ll never get to watch a show with Kelly.”

  Apparently coming to the same conclusion, Damon chucked the cords at his brother. Then he stood and made his way to the recliner by me. “But I don’t wanna hear you complain if you need any help.”

  Dean just ignored his brother and winked at me. “Oh I don’t think I’ll complain at all.”

  In five minutes, Dean had everything set up and ready to go, no one mentioned the thirty minutes it had taken Kasper and Damon just to untangle and argue about cords. Grabbing the remote, Dean then proceeded to make a giant dive on the couch right beside me. After moving around to get comfortable, he tossed the remote to me. We all got sorted and settled in with our Chinese food. Exhausted as I was, it was the good kind of exhausted.

  “Any requests, boys?”

  Damon rolled his shoulders as if to say whatever and slouched deeper in the chair eating his Mongolian beef. Kasper, setting his egg roll down, said, “You have the remote butterscotch, why don’t you pick?”

  Waiting on Dean to swallow his dumplings, I wanted to make sure he was on board with that decision. He motioned toward me with his chopsticks. “Go ahead, I was fine with whatever.”

  “Just to clarify, I can pick any show and y’all are fine with it?” All three nodded, so I picked the one show I knew that would make waves with this group: Supernatural.

  A few hours later, and about four or five shows in, we’d all grown extremely comfortable with each other. Somehow my feet had wound up in Dean’s lap and he had been massaging them on and off while watching the show. Damon had moved the chair enough where he could lay his head on the arm rest of the couch, and Kasper had taken every pillow and laid them down on the floor to make a giant pallet. It was almost like having your best friends over for a play date. Except we weren’t kids, and a play date could be taken in a whole other context with these guys. A very dirty concept that I may or may not have been into. It would depend on which anatomy you asked. Certain parts of me were very slutty. At least when I was around them.

  Still relaxing to the exotic touch that was Dean’s hands on my feet, I sighed. “So, what did you think of Supernatural?”

  “I’m Dean. Get it? He’s Dean. I’m Dean. We’re both Dean. It was a no brainer. How can I not like a show where there’s a Dean involved? “

  Damon, doing his signature eye roll, again lifted his head off the end of the couch. “Dean, you’re nothing like Dean. More like Bobby, though at least that Dean knows his music.”

  How did Damon know Bobby? He wasn’t in any of the episodes we’d just watched.

  “Music? Dean wouldn’t know good music if it bit him in the ass,” Kasper interjected.

  Dean pointed to himself. “Who me Dean or TV Dean?”

  “TV Dean, of course,” Kasper verified.

  “Yeah, of course.” Dean nodded, like he knew that.

  Looking at Kasper, I asked, “What did you think about it?”

  Clearly considering it, he took a moment to answer. “I don’t think I would have ever watched it, but now that I have. I like it. I like the whole brother duo team thing.”

  “I was glad you liked it, most guys I don’t think give it a chance. But it was really good.” I loved that they liked it. Damon had gone quiet and slouched in his chair. No I hadn’t forgotten his little slip up about the show. “How do you know about Bobby? He wasn’t in any of the episodes we watched.”

  Damon actually blushed and dropped his gaze to the floor. Holy shit. I didn’t know grown men could. Kasper and Dean seemed to regard him with equal parts of amusement, their grins hidden behind their hands.

  Since Damon didn’t budge with an explanation, I decided to push for one. “So, you watch Supernatural, that’s actual kinda cute.” And it really was.

  His head snapped up as if he’d just been punched. “I don’t watch Supernatural.” I swore he said it as if I’d just caught him watching the Golden Girls.

  Liar. “Okay, then how do you know about Bobby?”

  He turned to the TV, ignoring us, or me more specifically, like a petulant child. “I might read graphic novels, on occasion.”

  Dean barked out a laugh as he continued to massage my feet. “Sometimes, that’s all he reads, unless it has to do with cars and motorcycles. He’s got posters, memorabilia and all sorts of shit at home.”

  That side of Damon was something I hadn’t seen yet. “So, you collect comics? That is adorable, absolutely adorable.”

  Damon stared daggers at Dean for letting the cat out of the bag then proceeded to turn that same stare on me.

  “It’s graphic novels, not comics. There’s a difference and I’m very picky of what I read.”

  Raising both eyebrows, I pursed my lips. He could have the win tonight. “Yeah, sure okay.”

  Kasper had gone quiet. I combed my hand through his hair. The dark strands slipping easily through my fingers. I was at the perfect eye level with him sitting on the floor, that I could see a smattering of silver amongst the dark. In a few years, Kasper was going be a silver fox, and I couldn’t help but think how hot an older Kasper would be.

  “Kasper, I’m jealous of your hair. I swear only men could pull off having silver like this in their hair.”

  He grabbed my hand and chuckled. “So you like my hair?”

  Yeah, he might be fishing for a compliment, but I went ahead and gave him one. “Yes, I’m actually jealous of all three of you. Why can men have such great hair and us women have to work for it?” Putting my hand across my forehead for dramatic effect, I deepened my accent for flare. “It’s truly a tragedy
against humanity.”

  At the sound of their laughter, my heart squeezed. I hated how I could adore the sound of their mirth so much. Not wanting to spend too much time in that thought process, I jumped up and started picking up the cups and bowls left over from watching TV. Just when I’d thought I was about done picking it all up to take to the kitchen, Damon was there, grabbing up the rest of the bowls. “I’ll just help you with these.” Turning he looked at the guys. “Why don’t you two make yourself useful and pick up in here?”

  Shocked that not only was he helping, but also dishing out orders—which was kind of hot—I was almost at a loss for what to say. Almost. “They don’t have to do that.”

  Kasper waved us toward the kitchen. “It’s fine. Dean and I can handle a little pick up. Go.”

  Shrugging my shoulders while holding the cups, I headed toward the kitchen.

  I sat the cups and bowls in the sink then moved over so Damon could do the same. I turned to head back to the living room, not comfortable with the silence stretching between me and Damon or the fact that he had decided to be helpful. Before I could even get two feet away, a hand encircled my wrist. The giant paw belonged to Damon. He always managed to make me feel so small.

  I opened my mouth to ask him what, but the words died unspoken. He shifted his weight, and his expression wasn’t hostile—just discomforted. Taking a big breath, he rubbed his fingers gently over my wrist sending a wave of goosebumps to trail up my arm.

  “I didn’t mention the thing. Ya know, that thing between me and you to the guys.” Clearing his throat like the words were hard to get out, he continued, “And if you want, we won’t speak of the underwear incident again, all right?”

  Surprised, relieved, and maybe disappointed. Better to not think what that last emotion meant. I stopped thinking, I just jumped. Literally. Into his arms.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  After the fourth thank you I finally realized what I’d done and that maybe not thinking was a bad idea. Get a grip! I dropped back to my feet and pulled away. “Sorry.”

  “For what?”

  I nodded my head toward him. “For, you know, jumping on you.”

  He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head up. With his free hand, he grasped mine and caressed his thumb across my palm. Tingles shot up my spine reminding me how deprived I’d been lately. And how I had three available men in my house. The only problem was I wasn’t supposed to be this available. Never stopping the motion of his thumb, he tugged me closer and whispered in my ear. “Don’t ever apologize for just being you, because that’s usually when you’re the best you.”

  I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say, but I had to say something, anything. Somehow this seemed like a special moment between us two, and I didn’t want to ruin it. Before, I could say anything I might love or regret later, Kasper poked his head in. The tension was so strong I was sure he could connect the dots. “Everything all right in here?”

  Reality crashed our moment. Damon dropped my hand and stepped away from me like I’d burned him. I thought right then my ego took a dive when he focused on Kasper. “Yeah, great. Just telling Kelly bye.”

  Then he was gone, the front door echoing his departure.

  Wow. Hopefully Kasper didn’t read too much into that. Hopefully I didn’t read too much into it. His smile, however, surprised the hell out of me. Walking over to me, he placed his hands on my arms. The coarseness of his palms as they dragged up and down my arms brought back the tingles Damon had induced earlier. I really needed some self satisfaction.

  “Don’t mind him, he really is a bear, but more like a Pooh Bear when you get to know him. But you already know that, am I right?”

  I moved my head to hide my smile and the telling signs of what his hands were doing to me. “Yeah, I kinda figured that’s how he was, but I wasn’t for certain. Now? I am, he’s most definitely a Pooh Bear.”

  Laughing Kasper turned me around and looked at me. “Well let’s not tell him that?”

  Not wanting to see what would happen if I did tell Damon, I nodded my head in agreement. We needed to change the subject.

  As if reading my mind, Kasper said, “Hey, how about this weekend I take you for a picnic, just me and you? I can show you the parks around here.”

  Not wanting to pass up an opportunity to get to know Kasper more, I replied, “Sounds good, what time?”

  As he turned his head up to the ceiling in deep thought, the muscles rippled across his throat as he swallowed. When he met my gaze again, I played it cool. No, I hadn’t just been seriously lusting after his neck like an anorexic vampire. Dude, seriously deprived here.

  “How about around three?”

  I nodded. “Okay. Three on Saturday?

  Smiling, he looked down at our hands. “Affirmative.”

  Gah, I loved when he talked like that.

  “All right.” Before I could contemplate his intention, he dropped a kiss on my cheek. Fireworks exploded. Brushing his fingers against the cheek he’d just kissed, Kasper yelled for Dean, like my whole world hadn’t just been shaken. Okay, maybe not my whole world, but for sure certain body parts.

  “Dean! You about ready?”

  Almost instantly Dean popped around the corner likes he’d been waiting just out of sight. Wait. Had he been waiting just out of sight? “Ready. Kelly can we call you later?”

  “Yeah sure, but you don’t have my number.” Before I could pull my phone out of my pocket Kasper and Dean handed me theirs. After putting my number in both their phones, I returned them. They both typed something in immediately, then two pings echoed from my pocket. After tugging out my phone, I swiped my finger across the screen. Instantly the first text appeared.

  Hey princess, it’s your prince.

  Dean. Something about his easygoing ways must’ve rubbed off on me because I added him as Dean Winchester under my contacts. My secret

  The second text had to be Kasper’s. Butterscotch, don’t worry about Saturday, I’ll handle everything.

  Even if I didn’t know, the practicality of the text would have let me know it was him. So, I clicked on contacts and added Superman to my list. Another small secret that I could smile about whenever they texted. I’d have to think of some good ring tones for each of them later. Though when I got Damon’s number, I already had his ringtone ready. “Thanks guys, this means a lot.”

  Dean caught my free hand. “Hey, we’re friends, right? This is what friends do. Do you want Damon’s too? I’d understand if you said no. The dude’s an ass.”

  The little red devil on my shoulder was all in. “Oh, yes, give me Damon’s. I have the perfect ringtone for him.”

  Ten

  Dean

  I rose early to work on some of the cars in the shop, because the parts that I had on order finally came in. Thank fuck for two-day shipping. Damon, whose snores usually woke the dead, followed me down the hall as I left the house. Hopping in my small truck, I cranked it and drove the two miles to the shop. I let Damon sleep in today so I could have the garage for myself. Plus, I wouldn’t have to listen to his heavy rock crap blaring through the speakers. At the garage, I unlocked the doors and switched the closed sign to open. I always loved coming in and taking a deep breath every morning. The smell of oil and grease together always calmed me.

  Probably sounded crazy, but the smell reminded me of our dad. When he came home from work, he always smelled like the cars he worked on. I never asked Damon, but he probably felt the same. In the office, I opened the packages with the parts I needed. I really should’ve done this earlier, but I had wanted Kelly to get her car back as fast as possible. Then we ended up spending all day at her house. Which I would do again. Even if it meant having to watch some weird show she picked. So what if I was a little behind? I was just glad Kasper was helping like he usually did during the summer. It made work easier, but also gave me more time with Kelly.

  After putting the parts by the car I needed to work on,
I paused. What if she didn’t want to hang out with me? It hadn’t occurred to me earlier, but what if she didn’t? I wasn’t a man whore like Damon or Kasper, but I’d had a good deal of female interaction.

  Not that I’d say that to Kelly. But I hadn’t really got the chance yet to lay the ground work for something more with her. She said yes to Kasper’s invitation to the park. Maybe she just wanted to date Kasper. I meant, he was hot in his own way, I guessed. Not that I went around rating the hotness of men in town or anything. Maybe I needed to be not so dirty minded? Or, more like Kasper? Ugh.

  No, I didn’t want to be like Kasper. The dude was way too serious. Hot or not. Maybe baby steps, yeah small things.

  What was I thinking? I swore I kept saying we could stay friends, but last night was my chance to let her know that maybe we had the possibility of more. I knew Kasper did, asking her to go on a picnic. He hadn’t wasted any time after our talk to dive in.

  Ping!

  I checked to see who messaged.

  Hello, Mr. Dean. You plan on watching anymore Supernatural?

  I couldn’t keep the smug smile off my face as I typed back.

  No, I can only watch it with you.

  The three little dots indicated she was already typing a reply, and I tried to not let it go to my head.

  Are you saying, you want to watch it again with me?

  Yes!

  Why, princess, are you asking me to come over next Friday and watch the series with you? I’d be delighted.

  I sat against the car like a teenage boy waiting on his first crush to say yes or no to a date. Pathetic? Didn’t really care at this point.

  Okay, you can come over. Can you stop and pick up Chinese again?

  Of course, princess, see you next Friday.

  “Who is princess? Some new chick? I thought you were interested in Kelly?” Still holding my phone like an idiot, I failed to hear Damon until he was right behind me. Putting my phone back in my pocket, I turned and crossed my arms. “I am. I mean, that is Kelly, me and Kasper got her number and we gave her ours.”