by Anthology
It had been over a year since Lon had seen his brother. Merritt was an engineer and contracted out of the States most of the time. Even when Merritt was home, he didn’t go out as much. He liked the comforts of being a homebody, or doing outdoor activities on the weekend. But tonight Lon was determined to show him a good time and coax him into letting his hair down, maybe even help him get laid. Lucky for both of them that Merritt insisted on staying at a hotel and not with Lon.
Allyea pushed on his shoulder rocking Lon out of his thoughts.
“Are you going to stand there like an oaf or are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Allyea smirked.
Lon noticed a sparkle in her eyes that were now fixed on his brother. Why was she staring at Merritt? Maybe because he and his brother looked so much alike? They both had blue eyes and blonde hair with similar builds, though Lon was taller and leaner, while Merritt was stockier. But something in her coy smile told him that wasn’t the reason.
“Hey this is my brother, Merritt. Merritt, this is Allyea.”
“Oh my gosh! You’re the brother!” Allyea jumped a bit and clapped her hands, then threw her arms around his brother.
“Oh.” Merritt staggered back a step then steadied.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you! I’ve heard so much about you.” Allyea rested her hand on his forearm as she spoke.
“It’s nice to meet you too, the infamous Allyea.” Merritt said taking Allyea’s hand off his arm, holding it in a gentle handshake.
Lon grimaced at the blush creeping across Allyea’s cheeks and how she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. He shrugged it off because Allyea typically became friendlier after a couple of drinks.
“Well, we have a table over here.” Allyea motioned towards the booth. “Why don’t you guys sit and I’ll get drinks?”
“No, you won’t,” Merritt said. “I owe the big brother here a beer. May I buy you a drink too, Allyea?”
Lon looked back and forth between Merritt and Allyea who seemed to forget that he was even standing there. He was beginning to feel like the third wheel, which had never been the case, ever.
“How sweet,” Allyea said, placing her hand on Merritt’s forearm. Of course, I’ll take a blue moon with an orange slice.”
Merritt nodded and headed to the bar.
Allyea slipped her arm through his and guided him to the table.
This is more like it.
“So, your brother is fucking hot.”
“What?” Lon was blindsided by the blunt comment.
“Your brother. He. Is. Hot.”
“Yeah. I heard you.” Lon tried to hide the disgust in his tone. He guessed his brother was okay looking, he never really thought about it. Something about Allyea pointing out his brother’s hotness made him cringe.
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“You know. Would you be okay if I chatted him up?”
Is it okay? Lon was confused. Sure, he had watched Allyea take home her fair share of men, but his brother was a different story. Merritt was a different kind of man; he’d never been the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. Could she really be interested in his brother? This is a trick. Allyea had to be fucking with him since he’d gone through many of her friends with no regard to what she thought. Lon was stuck. He’d feel like a jerk if he said no, but saying yes would leave a bad taste in his mouth.
Looking away, Lon ran a hand through his short hair. “I guess, if you want to.”
When Allyea squealed and gave him a kiss on his cheek, he regretted his answer. Even though Friday nights were their night out, he never held her back from chatting up dudes, but his brother wasn’t a dude, he was…he was his brother. And Allyea was attracted to Merritt in a way that she obviously wasn’t to him. Before now, he’d never been concerned about her being attracted to someone else. This was the first time he saw someone as a threat to their friendship.
They arrived at the table where their friends were sitting and he shook it off. Merritt wasn’t going to be in town long, and this would all be over soon enough.
***
Allyea was disappointed when Lon pulled her away from Merritt, saying he was ready to go. Since Friday nights were their night out, they walked home together whenever one person or the other was ready. When Lon had some arm candy with him, neither Allyea nor the other woman was ever fazed. Lon insisted on walking Allyea home because a tipsy woman walking home late at night could be seen as a target. He was being protective, but she was okay with that because she was smart enough to not put herself in a risky position.
Allyea was tempted to send Lon on home and ask if Merritt would walk her home. She wasn’t sure how that would go over with Lon, and something about Merritt told her he wasn’t the one-night stand type. Allyea toyed with a strand of her hair as she thought about seeing Merritt again. The possibility of having something more than a fling with him gave her a rush.
She’d spent most of the night seated at the bar talking with Merritt. Lon interrupted them a few times. He’d even offered to get rid of his brother if he was bothering her. Allyea thought his protectiveness so cute, but she’d assured him that she was having a good time, and that he should enjoy the night too.
Reluctantly, Allyea agreed to leave, saying her good byes.
They walked the six blocks home in silence as Allyea replayed the night. The thought of Merritt put a silly smile on her face, but she blamed her giddiness on a couple of beers and the long-beach cocktail, not the fact that Merritt asked to see her again. Not asking to call and set up plans, but making plans right then. A date tomorrow. A real date, with a nice guy was something that she hadn’t had in months.
Less than a block from the apartment, Allyea looked over and noticed the scowl on Lon’s face. She felt bad that she hadn’t realized they'd been walking in silence for the last ten minutes. Actually, she hadn’t talked to him much at all tonight. Which made sense as to why he might be pissed off. Fridays were their night and she’d spent this one with his brother. But he’d given her the “okay.” Shit. He’d given her the okay to chat him up, not spend the whole night, and not to accept a date with him. Oh shit. Fuck. A date with his brother! He’s never going to talk to me again. Oh god, what was I thinking? Then she gave herself a mental slap. Screw that! He sleeps with all my friends; I can certainly go on one date without feeling bad.
Allyea let Lon sulk as they made their way down the hallway to their apartments. But when he unlocked his door without even saying goodnight, she was over his bad mood.
“Did I do something to upset you?”
When Lon faced her, he seemed to have pulled himself together, oozing his trademark confidence.
“I didn’t like how my brother was talking to you.”
Allyea scoffed, “What? He was being a perfect gentleman, not like some of your douchy friends who hit on me. So don’t worry.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Lon said.
His tone was gruff, and his blue eyes darkened as they focused on her. Allyea narrowed her eyes. What is going on with him?
He ran his hands through his short hair, and his jaw clenched.
Allyea wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what was about to come next. “You’re drunk,” she said, brushing him off.
“Maybe a little. But I’m sober enough to know I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you went home with my brother.”
Allyea rolled her eyes. Why would he have an issue with her having something with his brother? He’d never respected her boundaries by messing around with her friends. With the liquor in her system, she was feeling almost brave enough to tell Lon to fuck off and let her see where things went with Merritt. She’d really hit it off with him.
“Damn it, Allyea. You’re not getting it. I want to be the guy at the bar who has your undivided attention.”
“Don’t be a jerk. You are my best friend. You get my attention all the time. I’m allowed to have a social life without you getting all butt hurt,”
Allyea said almost shouting.
“I want out of the friend zone with you,” he barked, pacing with his hands clenched at his sides.
Allyea felt the blood rush from her face. What the fuck? Another minute passed before she snapped out of her stunned state and figured out what was really going on. Lon was jealous. He was used to having her all to himself, and tonight, their night, he hadn’t gotten it. Now, he was making a drunken and desperate attempt to get her attention, acting out like an errant child.
“Lon, I’m sorry I ignored you tonight, on our night, and don’t take this the wrong way, but FUCK YOU.” Allyea said standing her ground. “You gave me the go ahead with your brother, but if you’ve changed your mind then just say so. But don’t say stupid shit about not wanting to be in the friend zone. We aren’t about that!”
She was shouting at the top of her lungs. Then she wasn’t. Lon’s lips were crashing against hers. She should be pushing him away, but the softness of his lips and the demand of his tongue enthralled her. As he ravaged her mouth she was acutely aware of his masculine hands; hands, she’d touched and held before, now felt different as they cradled her face. They were gentle and kind, but held her with strength and desire. It was also those hands that startled her out of the trance, as they moved down her body to pull her towards him. Awkwardly she jerked out of the embrace.
Taking a deep breath, she covered her mouth and looked at the ground. She was confused by how her body had responded to the person on the other side of the kiss. It reacted in a way she never experienced before. Panic seared through her like lighting. The consequence of her reaction to Lon’s kiss could be catastrophic.
Nothing made sense anymore. She took a deep breath and found her voice. “Go to bed Lon. Sleep it off. And if you want to talk about this tomorrow, fine. But right now, I’m going to give you an out and pretend this never happened,” Allyea said, unable to meet his eyes.
Without another word, Allyea unlocked her door, and stepped into the sanctuary of her apartment leaving Lon in the hallway. She leaned against the cool metal door and massaged her temples. She’d given Lon an out on the kiss they had shared. Now she needed to figure out how to give herself an out on the surprising feelings running wild throughout her body. Allyea tried to convince herself that everything would blow over tomorrow, that it would all be one big joke, and they would fall back to the way it used to be. But there was still one thought that circled inside her fuzzy head, a thought that made her queasy and nervous: what if he doesn’t take the out?
Chapter Three
Around noon Lon waltzed in Allyea’s apartment. Arriving unannounced was nothing new, but after last night she instantly felt uncomfortable.
“Hey, I come bearing coffee,” Lon said with a big smile.
“Someone’s awfully chipper this morning,” Sauvvie said from the couch where she was sitting.
Allyea had texted Sauvvie last night after Merritt asked her out and made Sauvvie promise to go shopping with her before the date to find a cute new outfit. By the time Sauvvie showed up this morning, Allyea had talked herself out of the date with Merritt. If one date had the potential of ruining a friendship, going out with Merritt wasn’t worth it. She planned on calling him later to cancel, but still take Sauvvie up on some retail therapy.
“I didn’t realize you’d have company…”
“Oh yeah. This is Sauvvie. You two didn’t get a chance to meet the other night.”
“Nice to meet you, Sauvvie. Please, take my coffee.”
Allyea watched as Lon gave Sauvvie his best smile, and her friend swooned over the beautiful man. Taking a deep sigh Allyea thought about how she got the best of Lon without all the complications of sex. She often told him that he had boyfriend duties without the perks. And until last night, he’d never made a pass at her. Nothing more than a comment on how she looked nice.
“I hate to interrupt you, ladies. Allyea can I talk to you? In the hallway, maybe?” Lon nodded towards the door.
After everything that happened last night she wasn’t sure how to proceed, and now that he wanted to talk to her privately, her heart pounded in alarm. She prayed that he wanted to apologize for last night, but after the things that were said and done, she wasn’t sure if anything could go back to normal.
“Um… Yeah… Sure,” Allyea answered. Taking a deep inhale, she gathered her thoughts then called out to Sauvvie, “I’ll be right back.”
Her friend nodded back with enthusiasm.
Once outside Allyea didn’t know what to say. She hoped Lon would go first.
“Looks like you have plans today,” Lon said.
“Yeah, we’re gonna go out to lunch and do some shopping.”
“And after shopping?”
“I had plans, but they were recently cancelled.” Allyea paused then gave Lon a playful push, “I’ve had an eventful weekend, I think a Saturday night in is exactly what I need.”
“Allyea, can I take you on a date tonight?” Lon asked rocking on his heels.
The bluntness of this question startled causing her to choking a bit on her coffee, trying to keep from spitting the hot liquid everywhere. She’d hoped and prayed that he would have taken the out she had given him. And that this whole episode was because he felt competitive with his brother.
“Like, you want to go meet up with some friends for dinner?”
“No.” Lon laughed.
He flashed his sexy smile, and a shiver went down her spine, as shameless need rolled through her body. Feelings that she’d never felt for this man were popping up left and right, and she couldn’t make sense of any of them.
“I meant what I said last night,” Lon said as he took a step towards her. “The time and place probably wasn’t the best, but it was all true. Those feelings…they just hit me and I had to tell you.”.
“It just hit you? Like out of nowhere?” Allyea asked, throwing her arms in the air.
“Not out of nowhere. I just mean we’ve always been close; it just took me a little bit longer to realize what that meant exactly.” Lon shrugged his shoulders, giving a lopsided smile
“It took you longer or it took your brother being interested in me?”
Allyea wasn’t about to go easy on Lon, because he sure as hell wasn’t going easy on her. He’d spouted off that he had feelings for her and now, he expected her to jump at the chance. Who in the hell does he think he is? God’s gift to women? Ha! Had he considered that she might not like him like that? Or how badly she’d be crushed to have to reject him?
“I didn’t like seeing you with him. But that’s not the only reason.” Lon ran his hands through his short hair.
At least he had the decency of looking embarrassed. Now, she was going to call him on how ridiculous he was being. “Come on, Lon. Let’s be real here—”
“Yeah, let’s be real here for a second,” Lon said. “Tell me you didn’t feel a connection last night when we kissed? That’s not how friends kiss. I’ve never had a kiss feel like that.”
Allyea smiled at the blush that spread over Lon’s face. She couldn’t stay upset with him when he was blushing. And he was right. She’d never had a kiss like that either. Even if the kiss was just a kiss there was no going back to what they were before. Their friendship was never going to be the same. The only options now, would be moving forward or moving away.
“Okay” Allyea smiled, nervously pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ll text you when I get home from shopping with Sauvvie and we can figure it out.”
“Great. It’s gonna be great.”
The sparkle in Lon’s blue eyes and the optimistic smile he flashed, made her breath hitch. Allyea wanted to convince herself that the butterflies in her stomach were nerves, but seeing how happy she’d made Lon by agreeing to go out, did make her feel something more.
Lon placed a chaste kiss on her cheek then she returned to her apartment.
Allyea ignored Sauvvie’s pestering questions and picked up a pillow from the couch. She pressed
the silky cushion against her face and screamed as loud and hard as possible. Her body was filled with all types of emotions, battling one another and seeking release. She tossed the pillow aside and fell onto the couch. She stared at the celling and tried to wrap her head around the fact that her world was now forever changed.
“That must have been one hell of a talk!” Sauvvie fell back against couch, wrapping her arms around her body and laughing.
***
Lon had just hopped out of the shower when he heard his cell phone ringing. Picking it up, he was disappointed when his brother’s name flashed on the caller ID, and not Allyea’s.
“Hey bud, what’s up?” Lon asked.
“Nada. My plans got cancelled tonight. Wanna go grab a beer later? We can find a place to catch the game.”
“Can’t tonight. I have plans with Allyea.” Lon tried to rein in his excitement.
“What?”
Lon was startled by the shocked tone in his brother’s voice. He heard Merritt clear his throat.
“Where are you guys going? I could meet up with you?”
“Not tonight man. I... ugh… it’s like a real date, date.”
“Since when are you interested in her? I thought you guys were just friends? Did you guys hook up last night or something?”
“Since when do you even care?” Lon shook his head. What is he getting at? “We’ve been friends for a long time. It just took me a while to figure out that she might mean more to me than just friends.”
“Fuck you, dude. You knew she was into me. She said you gave her the okay. You only want her now because I’m interested in her. That’s not cool.”
Merritt’s harsh tone was filled with irritation.
“Don’t be a jerk,” Lon countered. “That’s not why. Besides you’ve known her for like two days. I’ve known her for two years. Allyea and I owe it to ourselves to see if there is more between us.” He was beyond irritated at his brother’s pissy attitude.
“You know what, fuck you dude! You’re such a dick.”
