Without Claire: The Hastings Brothers Series

by Mallory Funk

  My thoughts have been consumed with Claire since I laid eyes on her. I have been with my fair share of women, but they never had stuck in my mind like these thoughts of Claire do. Did Trevor feel that instant need or want when he first met Paige and, if so, how in the hell did he manage to last two whole months before anything happened between them? I don’t think that I could go that long without making a move. Shit, I haven’t even waited that long. The taste I had of her yesterday morning did nothing to quench my thirst. If anything, it made me want her more.

  When I get to the backyard, Paige is dry heaving off of the porch. She looks like she’s about to be sick all over the grass beside the deck. I look at my brother who is sitting on the deck looking like he could care less that his woman is about to puke her guts out. I notice that he doesn’t have a coffee in front of him this morning. Odd.

  I raise an eyebrow at him in question. “Why are you sitting there like a dick while your girl is getting sick?”

  That’s when I really look at him, and see that he is trying to hold in laughter.

  Just when he is about to speak, someone rushes quickly by, bumping into me, and knocking my coffee on the ground. “Don’t Sam!” the moving figure says. I am about to glare at the asshole, otherwise known as my brother Liam, when Cole comes up behind him handing me a to-go cup of coffee, and then handing one also to Trevor who nods at him.

  “What the fuck is going on?” I ask again taking the coffee to my mouth, and having a healthy sip from it.

  “You… are… dead…” Paige says in between gags.

  Noah, Kyle, and Luke come in before I can find out why Paige is gagging and no one seems to care. Her brothers have also come in with to-go cups of coffee.

  “Seriously, someone better tell me why the fuck Paige is sick?” I ask in a growl. Yes, I really growled.

  “Oh, great, you got my coffee,” Derek says with the other girls behind him. He grabs his cup, and stands by Trevor. He’s not going to sit in his usual spot. Seriously, did I miss a prank?

  When the girls come out and notice all the guys standing around, they shrug their shoulders and look at us sceptically before they sit down.

  They take a sip of coffee right when Paige yells, “FUCKING DON’T!”

  And that’s when I realize what happened. They fucked with the coffee. That is a dangerous move all on its own. These girls aren’t happy people when their coffee is messed with. They need it right after they wake up to even function.

  I look at all of the brothers, and notice that they are all holding back laughter when Tara and Courtney start gagging. They run to join Paige with their heads over the deck.

  “Okay, seriously, what the fuck did you guys do to the coffee?” I ask crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Let’s just say that we added some extra flavour to the creamers. No matter which one you pick up,” Liam says with a smug smile.

  “What kind of flavour?” I ask loving this more and more by the second.

  “Well, you could say it has multiple tastes. Like maybe some peppermint extract, hot sauce, and coconut juice,” he says no longer able to hold back his large grin.

  I bark out a laugh. “How the hell did they not notice when they made their coffees this morning?”

  “Well you should know by now that they never make their own cups anymore.” I look back at the girls who are all glaring at us. All of them are holding a hand over their mouths trying to control the gagging.

  We all start laughing. The girls seem more pissed by the minute.

  I notice that Paige has stopped gagging, and is chugging a glass of orange juice. She is holding her phone in her hand that is not holding the cup. As soon as she puts the glass down, she presses a button on her phone and it starts to ring. I know she has it on speaker phone because the ringing can be heard by everyone.

  We are all looking at her curiously trying to figure out what she’s doing.

  Then the person she is calling answers. I hear that sweet voice, and I perk up.

  “Hey Paige, how’s it going?” Claire says.

  “The guys just fucked up the coffee! They put peppermint, hot sauce, and coconut juice in it!! We need reinforcements,” Paige yells into the phone.

  “Well, I have some ideas-“ Paige cuts Claire before she can say anymore.

  “Don’t say anything! You are on speaker! The enemy can hear you! I repeat, the enemy can hear you!” I can’t help but snort. Sometimes everyone talks like we are actually going to war. The seriousness of this prank war has gone crazy.

  “Oh, okay then. Do you girls want to come for coffee and talk strategy? I have a French press-” Claire is once again cut off by Paige and, guessing by the look on Paige’s face, I would say that she’s is damn excited about a French press whatever that is. What’s wrong with plain old coffee? You don’t need that fancy shit.

  “Honey, you had me at coffee. We will be there in ten!!” Paige hangs up the phone. The girls all look like they are about to kick some ass. They also send us smug smiles.

  “Now, hold on a minute! What makes you think that you can just recruit Claire? How do we even know that she’s willing to date that ugly beast, Sam?” Luke says glaring at the girls. I narrow my eyes at him.

  Courtney holds her hand out to me, and says, “Phone.” With the look she is giving me, I am scared to ask any questions. I unlock my phone, and hand my phone to her.

  “They have texts already from last night. Firstly, she slept in his bed the other night. Secondly, she gave him her number. Thirdly, there are texts here of him telling her that he wants to see her again. Fourthly, I am going to guess that you guys have kissed more than when you were on the back deck that night.” When I nod, she grins. The girls are smiling wide like they had just won the lottery. The guys are all glaring at me. I am not really concerned, however. With Claire, there are only four girls to our eight guys. We still double their numbers.

  I also think that if Claire is in on the prank war then she will be around more. I will then have a better shot of making her mine. Not that she isn’t already mine, but it will give me a better chance at convincing her that I really want her.

  “Speaking of which, I’m calling dibs.” I look them all in the eye, and they are all smirking at me.

  I see the Johnson brothers pass my brothers twenties. I look at them, and shake my head. Dicks. I know what they bet on.

  “God, you guys are ridiculous,” Courtney grumbles.

  “Just some entertainment, sweetheart,” Cole says winking at Courtney.

  “You’re a dick,” she states glaring at him. What is that all about? There is some serious sexual tension going on between those two.

  He blows her a kiss. The girls leave the backyard to head to Claire’s, but not before Tara kisses Derek, and Paige kisses Trevor. I grab my phone from the table, and text Claire.

  Me: Are you sure you want to join the girls’ side?

  Claire: Are you scared?

  Me: Fuck no. Just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into.

  Claire: It’s okay to be scared. I would be if I were you.

  Me: I sure hope you’re not all talk, darling.

  Claire: You would be surprised at what I could do.

  I am smiling so much it hurts while I am texting Claire. When I look up, everyone is staring at me. “I know I’m hot as fuck, but this is just getting weird, guys,” I joke.

  “You’re already half gone for this girl!” Liam says in disbelief while shaking his head at me.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I like her, but I don’t know her enough to be far gone,” I tell him finishing my coffee. I know, I already said I was gone for this girl, but they don’t need to know that.

  “Doesn’t take much brother, trust me. I was half gone for Paige when she said, ‘first of all, I’m not your sweetheart,’” Trevor says in a high-pitched voice to mimic Paige’s voice. That makes us all laugh.

  “You do that a little too well, little brother,
” Cole says laughing at Trevor.

  “I know how to make my voice sound like a pussy since I have been mimicking yours for years,” Trevor tells him smugly leaning back in his chair.

  We all burst out in laughter when it’s clear that Cole has nothing to come back at Trevor with. That’s the thing about Cole though; he’s usually good for one or two insults, but then has nothing left after that.

  We talk and relax for a couple hours, and then we get up and get ready for work. Don’t ask us why we all get up early just to have coffee with each other. It isn’t something that I can see us stopping anytime soon, if ever.

  Chapter Seven

  Claire

  I am so nervous that I am shaking. I have never had people come over to my place before. What if they don’t like it? I have never really spent a lot of time decorating my space, since it was pretty much only me seeing it.

  I have a black fabric couch and love seat with a wooden coffee table in my living room. I have laminate floors throughout my apartment. I have a guest room that has never been used, but has a queen size bed and bedding that I change a lot. There are also two nightstands and a dresser in there. Across from the guest room is my office. I have my desk in there, and the walls are covered with books. When I am not writing, I am reading. When I really love a book, I tend to buy the paperback copy. Now I don’t think there is room for anymore, so I started having to put books in my bedroom. I hope that they deem my apartment acceptable, but I know in my heart that they aren’t judgemental and that I shouldn’t worry.

  My bedroom has a king size bed. I love having all that room, but last night it felt cold and lonely. I know it had something to do with a certain Hastings brother, but I am trying not to think about it.

  My kitchen isn’t anything special since I don’t cook much. I will make a meal here and there when I am tired of takeout, but since it’s always been just me, I usually end up ordering. I don’t see the fun in cooking just for me, and I always end up making too much.

  I am running around making sure everything is tidy when there is a knock at the door. The door man, Thomas, must have let them in. Thomas, the only constant in my life until two days ago. I did head down prior to, so that he knew who to let in. He couldn’t hide the surprise from his face when I said, “I have company”. I quickly stuttered out that I was expecting women, and not a man. I could hear him laughing when I was making my way back to my apartment.

  I open the door and, before I can even blink, the girls are shoving their way inside. “Coffee,” Paige grunts looking a little out of her mind.

  “She’s addicted. If she doesn’t get her cup the minute she wakes up, all hell breaks loose,” Courtney tells me since my mouth doesn’t seem to be working.

  “Well, let’s get you girls some coffee then.” I head toward the kitchen hoping that the girls will follow me. I hear footsteps behind me, so I know that they are.

  I make everyone coffee. Paige looks ecstatic that I have three different coffee creamers. I picked some more up on my way home yesterday. I liked the idea of having a selection after spending the morning at her house yesterday. She grabs them all, and sets them in front of her looking like she has a hard decision to make.

  “I don’t care what kind of coffee you make me or I have, I have to use creamer. I love creamer as much as I love coffee. Those assholes better replace all four before we get home from work tonight,” Paige passionately declares.

  “Agreed. Who do they think they are? Why would they mess with our coffee? I swear, Derek isn’t going to get sex for a week. I don’t care how much he begs, I will not give into him. Nope. Even if he does that thing I like with his tongue... He can get used to the feel of his hand for seven days. I will show him that he can’t mess with my coffee,” Tara says with a nod at the end. I look at her with wide eyes. When I look at Courtney and Paige, I notice that they are trying their hardest not to laugh at the look on my face which is probably a look of pure horror. Did she really say that out loud?

  “Claire, hun, that’s just Tara. She tends to ramble or rant a lot. Usually when she’s nervous, stressed, or excited. So, pretty much all the time. You will get used to it. Sex is usually our go to topic when it comes to our guys. Because they are F.I.N.E!” Paige says. Paige glances at Courtney, but I don’t really know why. I can’t even begin to guess what the look on her face means.

  “They are pretty good looking,” I admit with a blush.

  Tara looks at me with surprise. “Pretty good looking? Did she just say pretty good looking?” she questions turning to Paige and Courtney. They nod. She then looks back at me like I have grown two heads.

  “Wh-hat’s wrong with that?” I look at her scared to hear the answer.

  “Hun, they are more than just good looking. Those guys are like Greek gods! Seriously we could make our own hot guy calendar from pictures of them!” Courtney says as she drinks her coffee looking completely serious.

  “Oh, wow. Okay, they are fucking hot. I will admit that.” I pretend that it pains me to say it.

  They chuckle. “Okay, let’s get down to business. How do we get the men back? It has to be something awesome!! So, Claire, you said you have some ideas. I would love to hear them!” Paige says eagerly.

  That is when they all decide to sit at the table in front of me like I am about to give them a presentation. I shake my head at them, and tell them all of my ideas that we could use on them. They look more and more excited with every suggestion. Hey, I am even getting more and more excited! This is going to be awesome!

  We talk for a couple hours until we have everything figured out.

  “Okay, we have to go to work soon. So, tell us about you and Sam,” Tara suggests looking at me and waggling her eye brows. Wow, she isn’t very good at that. I start laughing. Paige and Courtney laugh too. I can tell that they are both laughing at the same thing that I am.

  “Why does everybody laugh when I do that?!” Tara grumbles crossing her arms over her chest, and slumping back in her seat.

  “Because, sweetie, you suck at that,” Courtney tells her while patting her hand lightly.

  I clear my throat. I look down so that I don’t have to look them in the eyes. “Well, I’m not sure what’s going on between us honestly. He kissed me yesterday when we woke up, and I asked him if he was still drunk because, well, look at him, and then look at me. There was no way a guy like him could be into someone like me. Then he told me that we were doing this thing between us, him and me. He would go as slow as I wanted to, but he was very adamant that we were going to give this thing a shot.”

  When I look up, they are all looking at me with their jaws dropped, and shock written all over their faces.

  “Oh, wow. Go Sam,” I hear Paige mumble.

  “Sweetie, what do you mean look at you? You’re fucking stunning! How you don’t have a man already is crazy to me. You are beautiful! It’s Sam who is the lucky one to be seen with you,” Courtney says with a serious face.

  “I don’t know. I guess maybe it’s because I’m not smaller? I don’t know. He could have anyone he wants,” I mumble.

  “And he wants you, sweetie! Who cares if you’re not skinny? That’s not his type anyway. I have seen him hook up with women, and they were never skinny. Not to mention that not once has he ever wanted to try more than a hook up, so get that look off your face! He gave you the same look yesterday that Trevor gave Paige a few months ago. The same one Derek gave me. They may have slept around before they met us, but once they knew that they wanted us, they didn’t hook up with anyone else. I think that this thing with Sam would be worth a shot. The worst that could happen is that it won’t work out, and if that ever happened then you would still have us as friends. No matter what, you’re our girl now!” Tara states, and I see Paige and Courtney nod in agreement.

  My eyes fill with tears, but I can’t stop them. Wow, these women are amazing. They are welcoming me with open arms, and I can’t help but be even more thankful for bumping into them that day at
the grocery store.

  Before I know it, they are hugging me. When the tears subside, I pull out of the hug. “Wow, I don’t even know what to say. I’m thankful that I met you ladies, and that I have friends now.”

  “Of course. Before you know it, we will be the best of friends,” Courtney says with a wink.

  “One day, I hope that you will trust us enough to tell us why you spent the last six years alone. Just know that we won’t judge you for anything. We will only be the ears that listen to you,” Tara adds with a small smile.

  All I can manage is a nod. I know that one day everyone will want to know the story of my past. I will tell them eventually. I just need to get used to the fact that I have friends now.

  “Okay, enough of the sad. We have to go to work, and you are coming with,” Paige says.

  “Why…” I ask cautiously.

  “When was the last time that you have been to a salon?” Courtney asks standing up.

  “Umm… probably six years. I usually just snip off my split ends myself. No one sees me anyways, so I never bother spending the money on something like that,” I tell them. I am embarrassed. They all work in a salon doing hair, nails, waxing, you name it; and I haven’t even had a proper haircut in years.