by Terry Towers
“Oh.” Sam looked from me to Eric and back again. “I see.”
Did I see a flash of jealousy in his eyes? I was certain I did, though why, I’m not sure, he'd just gotten back from a date with some new chick. “Didn’t you have a date?”
“Yeah,” He looked down at his watch, “but it’s two in the morning.”
“Exactly, finished a little soon.” Now it was my turn to be jealous, and as I stared at him, my eyebrow cocked. I know I had no right to be jealous—I was just in the lap of his brother, after all. But I was.
He shrugged as he approached the table and sat down. “I wasn’t really into her.”
“Why not?” I asked pulling up another chair and sitting down.
“I don’t know. No chemistry. Just...wasn’t into her.” Grabbing an empty beer bottle that was sitting on the table that Eric had just finished drinking, he turned it to its side and gave it a spin. It stopped with the head pointing to me.
Looking up from the bottle to meet his gaze, he gave me a seductive little half-smile and shrugged.
Laughing, I stood and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Clearing his throat, he looked back to Eric. “What made you change your mind? I thought you were hardcore against the idea. Wasn’t it, to quote you, ridiculous?”
“When it comes right down to it, it's Andrea’s call. If the ship is going down, and she wants to make a crazy effort to save it, then I just decided that we can cross our fingers, hold on, and hope not to sink.”
“So do I get to interview the applicants?” He winked at me. “I’m a pro at picking out good performers.”
I groaned out loud, giving his arm a swat. “You’re so nasty, Sam.”
A cocky grin spread across his lips as he leaned into me, his lips so close to my ear that I could feel his breath on the bare skin of my neck, and it sent a shiver through me, reminding me of our moment together a few days ago. “Isn’t that what you love about me?”
I pulled back a little, shifting uncomfortably in my chair. “Well...” We stared deep into each other’s eyes and shared a moment. Oh shit, what in the hell was I doing? I shifted my gaze over to Eric, who was staring at us intently. Did Eric know something had happened between me and his brother the other day?
“So if we’re doing this, we need to figure out what changes we’re going to need to make with the club. We need new hires. There’s a lot to do and not much time to do it.”
“Yes, I know.” Putting my hand over my mouth, I faked a yawn. “Maybe I should get home and get some sleep. We can start early tomorrow on plans, and I can place an ad in the classified section for dancers in the morning.”
Both brothers nodded their agreement.
As we left, I realized I had more than one really big decision to make, all of which would affect me for the rest of my life.
Chapter 13
Sam
“What in the hell was going on with you two when I walked in?” I hit Eric with the question as soon as Andy retired to her bedroom and we were alone in the living room, each of us having a drink before going to bed ourselves.
“What do you mean?” Eric responded.
He was lying, he knew damned well what I meant. “You know what I mean. You and Andrea. What in the fuck is going on with you two?” I honestly don’t know how I felt about the situation. Something between Eric and Andy had changed, just as it had with myself and her. I wanted—no needed—to know exactly how.
Had they kissed? Fooled around? Had they had sex? Anger filled me. I had to know the answer. Was she into him? Into me? Both of us? She’d been avoiding me since our experience at the bar a few nights back—was it because it was Eric that she really wanted, and I’d been the substitute?
Eric’s expression went stone blank. Did he seriously think I couldn’t read him like a book, we were identical twins for god’s sakes!
“Do I need to have this conversation with her? You're my brother, man. I deserve to know.”
With a loud huff, Eric sat back on the couch and threw up his arms. “I honestly don’t know. Things got a little heated tonight, and that’s it. I don’t know anything other than that. It could have been a heat of the moment, or maybe it was something. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her and flush out what exactly it was.”
My eyes narrowed as I looked into dark eyes identical to mine. “What do you mean by heated, specifically?”
“Fuck, man, I really don’t feel comfortable talking about this.”
My jaw clenched. So she’d messed around with both of us only a few days apart. Humph. I guess that meant it was time to put all the cards on the table and see what we come up with. I took a breath. “A few days ago, Andy and I fooled around after you left the bar to go home.”
His mouth dropped open, shock in his expression. A moment passed, and he snapped it shut again. “What do you mean by fooled around?” I could hear the anger in his tone, and it gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction. Good, I’m not the only pissed one. Misery loves company and all that, you know.
“I mean, we were intimate.”
He leaned forwards, I could see the anger rising up within him, but I didn’t give a damn. “Intimate how? Did you have sex with her?”
A little self-satisfied smirk touched my lips. “I put my hand places. I know what she sounds like when she comes.”
To my surprise, he gave a smile that mimicked mine. “Guess I have you beat brother, I know how she tastes.”
Was it the smile he gave me as if to say he beat me out? Or maybe it was the thought my brother got a taste of her while I didn’t. Hell, the alcohol I had in my system, while not a lot, was enough to stir the demons within me, enough to make me act before thinking. Whatever it was in me, it made me spring into action. I leapt from the arm chair I’d been sitting in and rushed the sofa. Drawing my arm back, my fist shot forward and made contact with Eric’s chin, catching him off guard and sending his body back against the sofa.
~*~ TT ~*~
Andrea
What in the hell was I doing? I asked myself that as I paced back and forth in my room. After leaving the bar and getting home, I just couldn’t face either of the brothers. I didn’t know what to say, so I took the coward's way out and made a run for it. I came into my room, changed into my pajamas, and tried to sleep. Of course, I couldn’t.
Honest to god, I didn't know what was wrong with me. I’d made out with both Sam and Eric in a matter of less than a week, and now what? Was I a complete pervert or just some sort of tease? Maybe I was just so needy for attention that I needed to pursue them just to get the attention.
It was none of those things. I knew that. Deep in my heart, I knew.
The real truth was more black and white. The answer was right in front of my nose, but I didn’t want to admit it. I was in attracted to the brothers—both of them. But it was even more than a simple attraction, I loved them. Not love as what a sibling would love other brothers and sisters, but I was in love with them. Both of them.
What in the hell was I going to do?
My ponderings were interrupted when I heard a crash coming from the living room, followed by yelling. I couldn’t make out what was being said, but I knew it was Sam and Eric.
I didn’t miss a beat as I raced from my bedroom, and as I reached the top of the stairs I heard another crash, then the sound of something breaking, then one of the brothers calling the other a “fucking prick.”
Flying down the stairs, I reached the bottom landing in time to see Sam fall backwards out of the living room. He landed on his back on the floor, and Eric jumped on top of him, his arm pulling back and landing a punch straight into Sam’s face.
I screamed, running over to Eric and grabbing his arm before he could get another blow in. But I could see from the faces of both the brothers that they’d both taken a bit of a beat down already. Sam’s nose was bleeding, and Eric was already developing a black eye and had a cut lip.
“Stop!” he tried to jerk his arm out of
my grasp, but I used all of my strength and pulled him back off of Sam. “Stop it, both of you!” I attempted to keep Eric pinned while shooting a glance in Sam’s direction. Sam got up and looked like he was going to charge Eric. I’d never seen such hate and anger in him before. Not even when he kicked Tommy Grant’s ass for sleeping with his girlfriend in his senior year of high school. Sure, he’d kicked his ass, but there wasn’t the same raw anger I saw in his eyes now, and it scared me.
“Sam! Stop!” I put my hand up, stepping between the brothers. Eric began to stand, but when I glanced in his direction, I could see the tension begin to ease from his body.
Thank goodness for small favors.
I glanced back at Sam. “Stop. Just calm down.” The tension in Sam’s body also started to quell as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand, smearing blood all over the back of it and across his cheek.
“I think you broke my nose, you fuck,” he growled, but I could see the fight had left him. He was just venting.
“Good on you, you were the one to throw the first punch, asshole.”
What have I done? Tears formed in my eyes. This was all my fault, I didn’t need to ask them what this was all about. I’d played with fire, and now, my ass was going to get burned.
“What’s going on, you two?” I looked over at Eric and watched as he worked his jaw back and forth.
“Take a guess, Andy.” Sam growled, causing me to turn my attention back to him, “Why do you think we might be fighting?”
“I’m…” Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! “I’m...so sorry.”
I looked back at Eric to see him glaring at me.
“So, so sorry.” Tears began to stream down my cheeks. I’d been selfish, I hadn’t thought about the blowout that would occur when this happened. Even worse yet, I hadn’t thought enough to care. “Both of you. I have no excuse. I just…”
“Who do you want, Andy?” Sam demanded.
“Yes, Andrea. Did you actually want either of us, or were we some pawns in a game you were playing?” Eric spat.
“I’d never…” I placed my hands on the sides of my head and raked my fingers through my hair, fisting the strands. “I love you both. You guys know that.” I looked from one brother to the other and back again, hoping to see some understanding—hoping they’d believe how much I cared. “I fucked up, guys.” The tears came harder, and a sob caught in my throat. “Please…”
“I don’t know what to believe,” Sam said before turning his back to me and making his way into the kitchen.
“Eric?” I looked up into his eyes, pleading with him to understand.
“Did you sleep with him, Andrea?” Eric asked through clenched teeth, his large hands balling into fists at his side. “Were you just trying to get off, or do you actually feel something for me?” he jerked his chin in the direction of the kitchen. “Or for him?”
“Everything is so damn complicated, Eric.”
“How is it complicated, Andrea? Either you slept with him or you didn't!”
“No. No, I didn’t.” Releasing my hair from my grasp, I sighed. “I didn’t sleep with him. I mean, my feelings towards you two, they're...it’s complicated.”
“Did you forget I wasn’t Sam?”
“No, of course not! Of course I knew it was you. Don’t be an ass!”
“So I’m an ass now? You’re playing around with both me and my brother, and I’m the ass?” He shook his head in disgust. “You’re a fucking piece of work, Andrea.”
“Eric?” I reached out to touch his arm, but he shook off my hand.
“Don’t touch me, Andrea. I’m taking off for the night. Don’t wait up.”
I put out my hand to stop him as he stormed past me, but he didn’t even slow, refusing to look at me. A moment later, I heard Eric start his car and squeal off down the road.
Dammit.
I was tempted to run back into my room and close myself away, but I had another brother to answer to and beg forgiveness from. I made my way into the kitchen and gasped as Sam turned to face me. He looked horrible. His nose didn’t look right and was still bleeding, saturating the piece of paper towel he had up it, and black circles were forming under his eyes.
“Yeah. I my thoughts exactly,” he groaned, wincing as he touched his nose again.
“We need to go to the hospital!”
“It’ll be-”
“You won’t be fine. We’re going.” I grabbed his free hand and pulled him from the kitchen. He hesitated a moment, but finally gave in under my insistence.
“Fine. I guess we should go.” He pulled the piece of paper towel from his nose and looked at the blood. He sighed. “Let’s go.”
Fuck, this is all my fault. All my fault. Grabbing my purse and car keys, we made our way to my car, a little compact power-blue Ford.
We drove several minutes in silence. I had no idea what to say or where to start. It was Sam who finally broke the silence. “So is it Eric that you want?”
Shit, shit, shit. I knew this conversation was going to happen, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be this soon. But of course he needed an explanation. They both deserved it. I just didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure I could explain these feelings I was having for not just one but both of the brothers.
I looked from the road to meet Sam’s gaze for a brief moment. “Yes,” I said, putting it bluntly.
“Fine.” I could hear the hurt in his tone
“It’s not that easy. There’s a lot more to it than that.” I looked over at him again to see him staring at me. “I’m attracted to you too, Sam. I...I love you, and not in a sisterly way.”
A hint of a smile touched his lips, but just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared again. “Then why did you get with Eric tonight?”
“You were on a date,” I was quick to parry.
“Because you were avoiding me, even though I tried to talk to you after out little… encounter.”
I sighed. “Fine. I know I handled that wrong.”
“And if you wanted me, then why with Eric? Why not talk to me? I don’t understand what your angle is here, Andy.”
Damn, this was getting so awkward. How could I give him answers to something I didn’t know the answer to myself? The only thing I could do was answer his questions honestly and hope for the best, he deserved as much. They both did. “I’m attracted to both or you.”
“So what are you saying?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know what I’m saying, Sam. I love you both. I’m attracted to you both.”
“Fine, but who do you want, Andy?”
Tears began to fill my eyes again as I turned into the hospital parking lot. “That’s the problem. I don’t know what I want. I can’t lose you two, and I’ve fucked up. I may have ruined everything.” Luckily, I found a spot near the emergency room doors and pulled into the slot. Turning off the car I sat there a moment, trying to gather my thoughts, but the problem, was there was so much going through my head that I couldn’t think straight.
I looked over at him, and my heart felt like it was being torn in two, looking at his beautiful face, bloodied and broken. It was all my fault. “I’m so sorry, Sam.”
He didn’t reply. Grabbing the door handle, he opened the door and got out without acknowledging my apology. Placing my head on the steering wheel, I let the tears fall freely.
Chapter 14
Eric
Parking in the driveway, I took a moment before getting out of the car and entering the house. I couldn’t go back to the house last night—there was too much drama, and I had way too much to think about, so I spent the night at a motel a few miles away. I really had no idea what to expect when I entered the house, or what I was going to do or say when I saw Andrea or Sam. I was still processing the past twenty-four hours, so I decided just to wing it.
With my hand on the door handle, I paused, took a deep breath in, and slowly released it. Regardless of what had happened, they were still my family. Like it or not, that was the bottom line.
Opening the door, I entered and took a step in. I stopped just inside the door and listened for any movement. It was still early morning, 8am, so considering how late of a night it was, I doubted either one of them would be up.
I was right and said a silent ‘thank you god,’ as I crept up the stairs to the second floor. Part of me wanted to avoid both of them, but it was time to face this head-on. I made it a point to face all my problems that way, and I refused to change that with a topic that was this important. Dealing with Sam was my first priority. I needed to know what his feelings were for Andrea, and then I’d focus on her.
