Brother's Best Friend is Back Page 3

  “Then why the hell are you acting like you don’t know what’s going on?” I laughed.

  “I just wanted to hear you admit it.” Raina grinned and splashed some water at me.

  I shrieked. “You bitch.” I giggled as I tossed water at her too, soaking both of us.

  “There might be something between us,” I admitted a few moments later after a little silence.

  “Oh yeah?” Raina drew up her sunglasses to glance at me.

  “Maybe,” I said dreamily and looked down at the water. “He is so fucking sexy. I helped him bring Jack home last night.”

  “Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Jack was hammered.”

  “Yeah, a little too much. Anyway, I don’t know. I felt maybe…a spark or something with Adam.” I shrugged, trying to play it cool.

  “Cute or not,” Raina said sternly, “I think he’s off limits.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked as we both jumped off our floats and toweled off. I laid my towel down on one of the pool deck chairs and she plopped hers down beside me.

  “Well…you know about the bro code and all.” Raina shrugged and ran the towel through her wet hair.

  “No,” I shook my head. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  Raina hesitated.

  “Well spit it out then,” I said in frustration. “Why can’t I have Adam?”

  Raina scoffed. “You act like he’s some prized possession you won.”

  I sat up in the chair. “Are you jealous or something?”

  Raina belted out a prideful laugh. “What the fuck do I have to be jealous of? It’s not like you’re in serious relationship with him, or in any relationship at all with him for that matter.”

  “Well then what did you mean by ‘bro code?” I asked, doing air quotes.

  Raina sighed. “Chrissy, I love you and you know that, but sometimes you don’t look at the facts.”’ She tossed me a hard glance. “No guy who has any sense whatsoever is going to date their best friend’s sister, and his little sister at that.”

  I scoffed. “What the hell are you talking about? I’ve never heard something so lame.”

  “It’s true!” Raina sat up too. “It’s almost like… incest or something.” She tossed her long, straight dark brown hair over her shoulder in disgust.

  I stared off into space for a moment. Could she actually be right about this? “No,” I shook my head. “That kind of shit isn’t real. That’s like movie stuff.”

  “Believe me, it is.” Raina nodded adamantly and then sat back on the deck chair.

  We sat in silence for a few minutes while I stewed over this new information and tried to digest it.

  “So are you saying he doesn’t like me?”

  Raina glanced over at me and her expression softened. “No babe, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m just saying that Adam would probably be too hesitant about the bro code to actually act on anything with you. He wouldn’t want to risk Jack’s friendship.”

  She raised her arms over her head and sighed as she looked back over the edge of the pool. “I’m just trying to look out for you, that’s all. You know I’m always a hundred percent on your team.”

  “Yeah I know,” I said and watched the floats skirt across the pool from the soft breeze. Raina and I had grown up together too, and now we were college roommates. We spent so much time together it was ridiculous, and I needed her by my side as my constant cheerleader.

  Suddenly I had a revelation that could work in my favor. “Well none of this will matter anyway,” I said proudly.

  “Oh yeah? Why is that?” Raina scratched her leg and didn’t look back at me.

  “Because,” I pressed on. “Did you not forget that Jack is about to go out to sea for a really long time? He won’t even be here to know whether something is going on between Adam and me.”

  I thought I had it all figured out, a perfect fool-proof plan in order to have my cake and eat it too. With the protective big brother out to sea, that gave me plenty of time to have fun with Adam while it lasted.

  “I’m not saying I want to marry the guy,” I said. “I just want to have some fun with him.”

  “Fun is overrated.” Raina laughed, ever the sensible one.

  “Oh, what do you know anyway?” I teased.

  “Even if I had all the answers it’s apparent that you aren’t going to listen to me or heed any of my advice.”

  “What advice have you given me?” I asked, perplexed.

  “None I guess.” Raina looked over at me. “But I think you should leave this one alone. I know he probably seems even more attractive because he’s a challenge, but trust me, it’s not worth the trouble.”

  “I don’t know what exactly you mean by trouble,” I said.

  Raina went silent for a moment. “There’s one aspect, and it’s a big one, that you seem to forget here Chrissy.”

  “Oh yeah and what would that be?” I said, slightly annoyed now.

  “Um…your father?” Raina looked at me as if I were stupid.

  My heart collapsed through my toes. Shit. My father. She was right.

  Still, I had to save face. “I’m not gonna worry about it. I can handle my dad.”

  Raina peered at me as if she were trying to dissect my emotions and peel off the layers. “Okay,” she said. “If you say so. But I know that Mr. Gary Monroe is not a force to be trifled with.”

  She was right, but I just bit my tongue and lay back in the chair, making up shapes and animals from the white fluffy trees. I needed anything as a distraction.

  Chapter 4 – Adam

  I’d just hung up the phone after a long but pleasant conversation with my mother. She’d been giving me one of her famous pep talks, trying to flesh out advice on how I should behave on my first day on the job tomorrow.

  “Now Adam,” she’d said, “you want to try to impress the bosses so work as hard as you can.”

  “But mom, I am one of the bosses.” I’d tried to explain to her my job description as one of the lead developers. “Trust me, no one wants me to succeed more than I do right now.”

  “I’m not sure about that, sweetie,” Mom had chuckled into the phone. Of course, I knew she was my biggest fan.

  “I’ll be fine, Mom,” I told her. “Top dog in no time, you’ll see.”

  If there was anything I lacked, it certainly wasn’t confidence.

  I was sitting at my office, staring blankly at my laptop. My thoughts were all on Chrissy at the moment, her beautiful long silky hair and her bright blue eyes that twinkled when she talked about something she cared about.

  Granted, she was still five years younger than me and she was after all, my best friend’s little sister. You just didn’t lust after your best friend’s little sister; it was just the rules or something.

  But Jack was leaving, headed off to the deep blue sea, and he would be none the wiser to anything I started up with his precious little sister. I couldn’t help but wonder how we’d be as a couple, and the thought actually thrilled me. I couldn’t get her, or her sexy body, out of my head.

  I sighed and leaned back in my chair, ran my hands through my hair and rubbed the stubble on my face. I already felt bogged down with the pressure from the new job and I hadn’t even it started yet.

  Chrissy sure had grown up over the years, and matured into her body. I shut my eyes and imagined what it would feel like to have my fingertips graze her soft thighs.

  I had to stop this, push it all to the back of my mind.

  But she wasn’t a little girl anymore, and if I wanted to fuck her and she wanted to fuck me, then who was going to stop us? It certainly wasn’t a crime.

  She had been flirty with me at the party and the fact that she wanted to tag along to take Jack home also must have meant something. I pounded my fist on my forehead.

  Luckily, my phone dinged with a text message, distracting me at least for the moment.

  Want to get a drink after work? Celebrate your new job?

 
It was my friend Chad. During college and even after, every time I’d come back into town we’d met up at our favorite neighborhood bar.

  Did I want to go out on the eve of starting my new job? I could just go for a beer or two and head home with no harm done. And I wanted to catch up with Chad.

  My phone chimed again, alerting me that Chad had texted me again. There should be some hot college girls there; I heard it was some kind of college night. $2 mojitos or something.

  I could see Chad’s mischievous grin in my mind. He was always up for a challenge and was almost constantly on the prowl for the next hot chick.

  This unfortunately made me think even more of Chrissy, and how she was a hot college chick…and one I wanted to have as my own, badly. I’d have to make sure to keep her away from Chad and Steve.

  I text Chad back after a couple of minutes. Sure, I’ll meet you there in half an hour. Can’t wait.

  I sat at my desk for a few minutes more, finishing up the initial paperwork I’d have to present to the human resources department tomorrow. Then I showered and shaved, and put on a pair of jeans and a button down collared shirt. I looked one last time in the mirror at my reflection before heading out.

  Chrissy and I would look good together. I was tall with dark hair and she was short, voluptuous, and had blonde hair. We were the perfect yin and yang couple.

  Maybe if I had sex with her I could get it out of my system. I jumped in my car and sped down the highway with the windows down, relishing the warm summer breeze.

  A few minutes later I parked the car and walked into the bar. The sound of loud classic rock filled my ears and the smell of beer and wings filled my nostrils. In the distance in the far back of the bar I could hear the clink of pool balls.

  “Adam!” I heard someone call my name and looked to my right. Sitting at the bar were Chad and Steve, waving me over.

  “What’s up man?” They both greeted me with a handshake and a slap on the back. “Long time no see!”

  “Pull up a chair.” Chad scooted down a few inches.

  “Thanks,” I said and joined them.

  “It’s great to see you, dude.” Steve grinned. “Glad you could come out, what with the new job and all. Figured you’d already be deep into the all-work-and-no-play routine.”

  “Yeah,” Chad said. “We thought you’d be sitting at your computer putting the final touches on your first six proposals or something.”

  “That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing,” I said, laughing at how well they knew me. “It’s great to get some fresh air and socialize.”

  “I heard you are going to be a big shot working for Gary Monroe.” Chad raised his glass in my direction.

  “You heard correct,” I said and ordered a draft.

  “Damn, man, you’re really moving up in the world.”

  “Well what about you guys, opening up your own accounting firm? That’s pretty hot shit too.”

  “Yeah.” Steve and Chad high fived each other. “It’s been pretty rad actually.”

  “That hits the spot,” I said, taking the first drink of my beer. “It’s been a stressful week. How come you guys weren’t at Jack’s going away party yesterday?”

  Steve and Chad exchanged glances. Then Chad laughed ruefully. “Yeah, we were not invited to that,” he said. “See, one of our new clients—”

  “One of our biggest new clients,” Steve corrected.

  “—is Cartwright A&C—“

  “Oh, shit.” I understood instantly. Cartwright was a major competitor of Monroe in California, and even though they were based in Sacramento, they had been making major inroads into the LA market.

  I took another swig of beer. “That’s stupid, though. That’s business. Our friendship with Jack is personal.”

  Chad snorted into his beer, and Steve shook his head. “Oh, naïve young Adam,” he said pityingly. “For Gary Monroe, business is about as personal as it gets.”

  Damn. They weren’t wrong, of course. All the more reason to stay away from Gary Monroe’s delicious daughter.

  I grimaced and took another swig of beer. I didn’t even want to pursue that line of conversation. I let my eyes wander around, appreciating the view from the bar.

  “God bless the summer time,” Steve said, leaning casually, but enough to give him a good view of some fine co-ed asses. The crop tops, short shorts, and heels of almost every woman in the bar was, indeed, a gift from above.

  “Wait a minute,” I said and pointed. “That’s Chrissy.”

  “Drill Sergeant Monroe’s daughter?” Chad let out a laugh that sounded more like a snort. “Trust me; keep it in your pants, dude. That bitch is trouble with a capital T. You don’t want to get mixed up with her─especially if you’re going to be working for her father.”

  “Don’t call her a bitch.”

  Chad held up her hands. “Figure of speech, dude. I just meant she’s trouble. My bad.”

  I kept Chrissy and her party in the corner of my eye, but turned toward Chad. “Why do you say she’s trouble?”

  Steve guffawed. “Hah! Because she turned him down cold!”

  I turned back fully in their direction. That was interesting.

  “Did she?”

  “Yeah,” Chad said, shaking his head. “But only after Jack threatened to use my ass to swab the decks on his aircraft carrier. And then her dad tried to ruin our business. So, by the time she got around to rejecting me, I was already running for the hills.”

  “Pussy.” I sneered at him with fraternal humor. But Chrissy deserved more than an accountant who was that easily intimidated.

  I turned my attention back toward her. I didn’t think she’d seen me yet. She was sitting with a group of friends. I only recognized the one, Raina, because she’d been around a lot when I used to practically live at the Monroe house.

  She was animatedly telling a story while all the girls around her paid attention and laughed from time to time.

  “I think I’m going to go say hi,” I said and stood up.

  “Are you kidding me dude? Did you not just hear me?” Chad said and threw his arms up in exasperation.

  “Yeah, I heard you,” I said absentmindedly.

  I walked over to Chrissy’s table, almost entranced. It had to be some sort of sign from the universe that she was here right now—about ten seconds after I’d been warned away. I mean, what were the chances of us showing up at the same bar, on the same night? Los Angeles was a big city, it had to be fate. And I was never one to believe in fate or signs from the universe, but I sure felt the magnetic draw toward her right now.

  “Hey Chrissy.” I stood next to her and smiled with my hands in my jeans pockets. “Sorry to interrupt girl’s night.” I flashed a smile while all her friends stared at me with their mouths gaping open. “I just wanted to say hi.”

  Chrissy stared at me in disbelief. “Um, hi Adam!” She grinned, obviously taken aback by my presence, but the sparkle in her eyes told me she didn’t mind.

  We stared at each other for a moment or two and then Chrissy broke the trance. “Um, would you like to join us?” She offered me an empty seat next to their table. “We can scoot over to make room for you.”

  “Well, I’m actually here with some of my guy friends,” I said and pointed over to Chad and Steve who were not even pretending to be remotely subtle from their stares in our direction.

  “Oh, yeah, Steve and Chad.” Chrissy smiled, but I thought she maybe looked a little disappointed. A guy could hope, right? “Well, maybe next time.”

  “Unless, maybe we could all come over and put two tables together?”

  “That sounds great.” Chrissy bounced in her chair. I noticed one of her friends tried to protest but she was shot down by glares from her friends. Chad and Steve were attractive guys and they were single to boot.

  I jogged over to the bar and retrieved Chad and Steve, who were thrilled to sit next to a flock of hot chicks.

  I sat down next to Chrissy and she beamed. “Hi again,�
�� I said. I was trying to be cute, but it probably came out awkward.

  “Hey you.” She bumped her shoulder against mine. “How weird is it that you are here tonight?”

  “I know,” I laughed. “It’s a crazy coincidence.”

  “Or is it maybe something else? Like fate?” Her expression was filled with daring energy.

  “You might call it that,” I said softly, completely captivated by her feminine sexy presence. I wasn’t kidding—this whole night felt like it had been arranged for Chrissy and me to be here together.

  “So is this what Adam Gardner does for fun?” she said, biting her lip. “Goes drinking with the guys?”

  “Actually, not really.” I laughed. “Chad and Steve invited me out and I figured it would be a nice way to unwind before work tomorrow.”

  I immediately wished I hadn’t mentioned work, because that brought the spectre of her father right into the crowded room with us. I had to lighten things up, or I’d lose her.

  “I also like to surf, believe it or not,” I laughed. “You know, for fun.”

  Chrissy’s eyes lit up. “Do you really?”

  “You know it. I’m a Cali boy through and through.”

  “Well, I don’t love to surf, but I love to watch hot guys surfing.” She winked at me. “I do love the beach though.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I said.

  “Well I love anything that has to do with outdoors or water in the summer.”

  “I agree,” I said and we toasted our glasses together.

  “So how’s college life?” I asked, making small talk.

  “It’s good, but I’m happy for the break,” she admitted.

  “I’ll bet. So what is your major?” Smooth, Gardner. You sound like a middle schooler.

  “Right now it’s biology.” She blushed a little. “I’m hoping to go to veterinary school after graduation.”

  “Wow,” I said. Now it was my turn to be impressed. “That’s an awesome goal to aspire to.”

  “Yeah well, I love animals.”

  I loved every moment of getting to know Chrissy better. One thing I observed was that she had a huge heart but also a feisty wild side. I was drawn to both aspects of her personality.