Double Trouble (CC, AU, Adult) - Part 11 - 3/12/09
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:41 pm
chanks_girl: We’re glad you like Alex and Isabel here – expect to see a lot more of them throughout the fic. While her upbringing has been less than ideal, Brooke has developed an interesting and unique approach to life. Scheming is a good word to use when it comes to Tess and Brooke working together!
nibbles2: LOL, well, as always, Michael and Maria will provide more than enough drama! Who knows… maybe Alex and Isabel will be a good example for them. Brooke doesn’t want to see either of her brothers hurt, but she does have a very close relationship with Michael, so it may appear as if she is cheering him on without considering Brendan. Your theory may prove to be valid.
Alien_Friend: Well, Maria isn’t going to give in easily… well… yet, anyway, lol! Alex and Isabel will be the stability in the group. LOL, interesting observation about Brendan and Sean! That theory may hold water. You’ll get a glimpse of Brendan’s reaction in the next chapter. Max’ appearance is getting closer!
destinyc: Don’t worry, we promise that Brendan will find his perfect fit.
tequathisy: That is quite possibly a very true assessment.
begonia9508: Oh, Maria’s recognized her attraction to Michael, and that is what’s making her fight it so hard!
Buddha-boy: Female logic… don’t try to understand it. It was a selfish request (well, more of a demand, really), but it wasn’t made with the intent of being selfish. She’s fighting the attraction because she honestly believes that if she can avoid Michael she can avoid the inevitable – which we all know is futile.
loviedovie: We’re glad you like Brooke! She and Michael have a very close relationship and it will be an important part of the story. Max will fit in… well, not saying how or where just yet, but we think the readers will love him and his fit in the story! Look for him to appear in just a few more parts.
Part 11 – When Twins Collide
Maria ignored Tess as they drove back to their apartment and as soon as the car stopped she grabbed her things and bolted.
“I don’t know why you’re pissed.”
She paused on the landing at the top of the first flight of stairs, cursing their decision to take an apartment on the second floor. She turned to glare at her best friend and slapped the wrought iron railing as hard as she could. Ow, that hurt! “You knew he was gonna be there, didn’t you? You knew he was on the football team last week when – “
“Don’t get pissed at me because you couldn’t keep your eyes off of him.” Tess shook her head when Maria started to deny it. “You’re attracted to him on a very primal level and you’re not doing anybody any favors by pretending that attraction doesn’t exist.”
“How many times do I need to remind you that I’m dating his brother?”
“Key word… dating. Have you slept with him? No. Have you made out with him? No. He’s been the perfect gentleman and yes, it’s nice when guys actually have manners and they know how to use them, but – “
“I’m not arguing about this with you anymore, Tess. Obviously you can’t or won’t support my decision to – “
“Do not start in on your decision to change. I know all about the losers you’ve been involved with, Maria, but you can’t just control who you’re attracted to. It’s not that simple; if it were you’d be screwing Brendan. I’ll bet my entire trust fund that you could put them in a room together and have them dressed and groomed identically, down to the smallest detail, and you’d still be drawn to Michael.”
“Did you know he was gonna be there?”
Tess shrugged. “Yes, of course I knew. And the fact that you would avoid going because he’d be there should tell you something.”
“Why are you pushing me towards a guy who’s just like every other guy I’ve been with?”
“Just forget it, Maria.” Tess was frustrated with her friend, the situation, and her non-existent sex life. She brushed past the other girl and continued on to the second floor. She was grumbling under her breath as she dug around in her purse for her keys when she suddenly felt like she was being watched. She turned around, wincing when she saw the couple sitting on the steps that led up to the third floor. “Um, hi… I don’t suppose there’s any way you didn’t just hear every word…” She trailed off when Alex and Isabel both shook their heads. “No, of course not. Right. Well, that’s just the icing on the cake, isn’t it?” She shoved the front door open and went inside, slamming it after her.
“I’d better go talk to her, Alex,” Isabel said and leaned in to kiss him before standing up. “If the two of them get into it and it gets outta control it’ll be hell living with them.”
“I can imagine,” Alex laughed and released her hand. “Take your time, Iz, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
She was smiling as she went inside, knowing that his words were meant for more than just the present time.
Alex had been grappling with the choice of whether to get involved in the situation between his brothers and Maria, but the girls’ argument had made the decision for him. He waited patiently for her to come up to the second floor and his thoughts drifted to the evening ahead. He usually put in an appearance at the parties but he never hung around very long, so he had been happy to learn that Isabel was the same way.
He had set everything up for the evening and if the weather held out as promised it would be perfect. She had told him earlier that week that she had never seen a sunset over the ocean and he had promised to show her one she would never forget. He had made arrangements to take her sailing so she could see a perfect sunset, followed by a candlelit dinner on the private beach behind his house.
He had called in a favor from a friend who he now owed a major debt to for putting together the meal he had requested and ensuring that dinner would be flawless. What happened after dinner was Isabel’s call; he had no intention of rushing things between them.
Movement to his left caught his attention and he smiled and waved when Maria turned to face him. Her expression was carefully controlled and he was sure she was trying to ignore the fact that he had overheard her argument with Tess.
“Hey, Maria, can I talk to you for a minute?”
She sighed and held one hand up in a silent request for him to wait. When he nodded she went inside and dropped her things off, snagging a cold soda from the refrigerator before going back outside. “You wanna talk about your brothers,” she guessed, leaning back against the railing that bordered the walkway.
“Yeah. Look, I’m not tryin’ to stick my nose in your business or tell you what to do here; I’m just concerned that you’re gonna drive them even further apart.” He winced as he mentally went over his last statement. “Okay, that came out a lot harsher than I intended. I wasn’t tryin’ to say you’d come between them intentionally; their relationship is already strained and there’s a lot of animosity there so the last thing they need is another reason to hate each other.”
“I’m not trying to come between them.”
“No, I know that. But the day you came over to the house with Brendan… let’s just say the temperature in the room went up several degrees the second you and Michael noticed each other. And it happened again later that night when we ran into you and the others at the club.”
Fuck! Was there anyone who hadn’t noticed it? Maria wondered, annoyed. This was all Michael’s fault! If he weren’t so damn hot… sexy… fuckable… Her gaze shot to Alex when she felt heat suffuse her face, thankful when he didn’t comment on the flush that she knew had turned her face a revealing shade of pink.
“Brendan likes you, Maria, and I think you like him, but more in the capacity of a friend than anything else. If I’m right – and I’m not askin’ you to tell me either way – but, if I am right, don’t let him get anymore involved than he is now.”
They looked up when the door opened and Isabel paused with one foot over the threshold. “Am I interrupting?” she asked as she glanced between them.
“No, I think we’re done here,” Alex said as he stood and dusted his jeans off.
“Is this casual enough?” She bit her bottom lip uncertainly. “You wouldn’t tell me what we’re doing, so…”
Alex let his gaze slide down over her, taking in the black jeans that fit every curve to perfection, and the red shirt that was unbuttoned over a black tank top. He shook his head and whistled appreciatively under his breath. “Beautiful as always,” he murmured, “and, yes, you’re dressed perfectly for what I’ve got planned.”
Maria smiled when Isabel beamed under his praise and she took the opportunity to slip away undetected. Once she was inside the apartment she gathered her things together and carried them down the hallway to her bedroom and piled them on her bed. She turned around when Tess called her name and knocked on the door.
“You gonna talk to me anytime soon?” Tess asked, pausing on the threshold. “Or are you gonna stay mad at me for a while?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Okay, but you’re still goin’ to the party, right?”
“Yeah, because I made plans with Brendan earlier this week; if I thought I could back out without hurting his feelings, I wouldn’t be going tonight.”
“So, you’re gonna be mad for a while?”
“Ding, ding, ding, looks like we’ve got a winner!” she snarled irritably.
“Seriously? Just because I pointed out – “
“Stop pointing things out, Tess! I might as well have a sign stuck to my forehead telling the world that I wanna fuck Michael Guerin!” She stomped around her room, waving her hands in the air in an erratic manner. “Why don’t you just rent a billboard and post it for the world to see?” She froze as she realized what she had just said and she whirled around to look at Tess, her expression one of warning. “No! Don’t even think about it!”
Tess just smiled and backed out of the room. “See ya at the party tonight, Maria.”
Maria huffed indignantly and made a mental note to keep an eye on Tess for the next few days. She wouldn’t put it past the other girl to rent a billboard right off the freeway and have that slogan plastered across it for the entire world to view.
*****
The party was in full swing by the time Maria arrived and she immediately went in search of something alcoholic to drink. After arguing with Tess she had been in no mood to ride with her to the party so she had waited around and caught a ride with Liz and Sean, who were only going because they had volunteered to be designated drivers. Which was nice, Maria thought. Nice and boring. What was the point of going to a party if you weren’t going to drink and engage in some form of depraved activity?
She quickly located the tables filled to capacity with every imaginable type of alcohol, easy enough to do since there were plenty of people milling about in the area. She braced her hand on the edge of one of the tables and was leaning over to reach the iced tub filled with the brand of beer she liked when a very male body pressed against her back and reached around her to grab two bottles. She knew it was Michael before he spoke and she couldn’t stop the shudder of awareness that raced down her spine when she felt his breath gust against her neck.
“It’s a crime to drink alone,” he growled.
Her breath locked up in her throat when his arms came around her so he could use the bottle opener on his keychain to pop the tops off. He pressed one of the bottles into her hand, tapped his bottle against hers, and disappeared into the crowd before she could turn around.
She cursed her body for reacting to him as she lifted the bottle to her lips, tipping it up and draining half of it in an effort to cool down. The ice-cold liquid did nothing to erase the memory of his big body pressing right up against her; she could still feel every heated inch of him at every point where their bodies had made contact.
Why couldn’t she just be attracted to Brendan? God, her life would be so much simpler if she was attracted to the nice guy for once. And if that wasn’t bad enough it was apparently obvious to the entire universe.
“Hey, Maria.”
She cringed and amended her previous thought. It was apparently obvious to the entire universe with the exception of one genius. Alex was right and there really wasn’t any way around it; she couldn’t make herself have feelings for Brendan and if she let things continue he was only going to get hurt in the end. Why did he have to be so damn nice? It was so much easier to break up with guys who were jerks because they didn’t get hurt when things ended. They either cussed you out or shrugged it off, but they were chasing after another woman before the sheets on your side of the bed had even had time to cool off.
“Maria?”
Damn it! Now it was gonna seem like she was preoccupied or ignoring him. She carefully schooled her expression and turned to face him. “Hi, Brendan!” She winced internally when her voice took on a high-pitched, squeaky quality.
“Hey, you weren’t waitin’ very long were you?” He was relieved when she shook her head. “I had a flat and I had to wait for someone to come out and fix it.”
“Why didn’t you just change it?”
Brendan frowned. “Change what?”
“The tire.”
“Well, that’s what I pay the auto club for.”
He was completely serious and it took a major effort on Maria’s part to not laugh at him. “You want a drink?”
Brendan nodded and accepted the bottle that she handed to him. Normally he kissed her when they met up, but he hadn’t been able to shake off what Sean had told him the night before and he knew he needed to talk to Maria. Just not yet, he thought, glancing at the people scattered around the beach, engaged in various activities. “You wanna…?”
Maria glanced up at him when he gestured out towards the party-goers, nodding enthusiastically when she realized that mingling with the others meant not having to have a conversation she wasn’t ready for.
For the next couple of hours Maria and Brendan both managed to avoid the thoughts weighing so heavily on their minds. Several times throughout the night Maria felt Michael’s gaze burning into her even though he didn’t approach her again. Around eleven Brendan asked her if she was ready to go and she nodded, telling him she needed to find whatever was passing for the ladies room before leaving.
“Well, well, well…”
Brendan turned to look at his brother when Michael joined him, wary of the taunting tone and the challenging expression he was wearing. “I saw you, y’know,” he said, his posture rigid as he stared his brother down. “Hangin’ all over Maria like you think you have any right to – “
“Get over yourself.” Michael took a drink of his beer and his insolent gaze swept over his brother dismissively.
“Stay away from her, Michael.” He shook his head. “You’re the type of guy who uses women like they’re some sort of disposable commodity. All the women in the city and on campus aren’t enough for you? You’ve just gotta go after the one girl I’m interested in? What d’you think you’re doin’ anyway?”
“What am I doin’?” Michael repeated. “I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?”
“What?”
“You’re seriously gonna stand here and get up on your soapbox an’ preach to me about usin’ women when that’s exactly what you’re doin’?” His forefinger jabbed the center of Brendan’s chest with every other word. “Has it completely gone unnoticed that she’s similar to Karen in several unmistakable ways? And if you say yes, you’re a fuckin’ liar.” Michael nodded when his brother shoved him away. “So, not as clueless as you look, huh?”
“I’m not getting into this with you, Michael. Maybe there are a few similarities, but I’m not like you; I don’t use women.” Brendan’s entire body tensed and he took several steps that brought him mere inches from his brother. “I know the truth about you, Michael, and I know why Karen broke up with me.”
“You’re goin’ out with Maria because of those similarities. And I don’t know what you think you know, but I didn’t have anything to do with you an’ Karen breakin’ up. If you’re feelin’ guilty because you’re in love with one fuckin’ woman while datin’ another one – “
“Whoa!” Maria’s voice drew their attention and the argument she had overheard kept her from noticing the similarities and differences between them. “What’s going on here? Brendan? Is what he just said true?” When he averted his gaze she knew Michael had been telling the truth. She nodded and backed away, holding her hands up and shaking her head when he moved to follow her.
“Look, Maria, I can explain – “
“Huh-uh, no, we’re done!” Part of her was relieved that she had been provided with a reason to break up with him because she just hadn’t been able to figure out how to do it without hurting him. “Don’t even bother trying to talk to me again!” She would have to talk to him about it eventually; even though this was a convenient reason to break up with him it wasn’t the real reason.
Michael reached out to grab his brother’s arm when he saw that he intended to go after her despite her wishes to be left alone. He wasn’t prepared for it when Brendan rounded on him and swung wildly, his fist coming into contact with Michael’s jaw and knocking him backwards. He reacted purely on instinct and his own hands curled into fists as he launched himself at Brendan.
*****
Maria was sitting in the dark, curled up in one corner of the couch, when the front door opened a little after midnight. She blinked rapidly when she heard the light switch being flipped and light from the lamps at either end of the couch flooded the room. She used the sleeve of the old tee shirt she was wearing to wipe away the tears on her face.
“Maria?”
“Hey, Iz. Boy, that light’s bright, isn’t it?”
“Give it up, Maria; I know you don’t think I’m that blond. You’re sitting in the dark, crying, instead of living it up at a beach party, so spill already.”
Maria chuckled to herself and shook her head. “You’re starting to sound like Tess.”
“I am not! And don’t change the subject.”
She sighed and picked at a loose thread on the cutoff shorts she had changed into when she had gotten home. “Me? What about you? Shouldn’t you be out with Alex, or over at his house? In his bed, maybe?”
“Okay, we can change the subject for five minutes,” Isabel agreed, eager to share the events of her evening.
Maria pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them as she rested her chin on her knees. She could see and hear how happy Isabel was as she recounted her date, but she couldn’t help teasing her just a little bit. “So, if things were going so great, why aren’t you still over there?” She stretched her right leg out and nudged the other girl with her foot. “The guy impressed you with an amazing sunset and a fancy dinner and you’re telling me you spent the rest of the night talking?”
“We both agreed that we wouldn’t rush into a sexual relationship and his little sister’s around a lot too…”
“Uh-huh. She wasn’t home tonight though; she was spending the night at a friend’s house.” Brooke had divulged that bit of information while they were watching the football team’s practice. “So, you’re telling me all you did was talk? You didn’t make out at all?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Isabel hedged.
“That’s good,” Maria said, laughing. “I was about to be very concerned.
“Why?”
“Because when you left earlier tonight you were wearing a black tank top under that shirt and now you’re not.”
Isabel’s gaze shot down to verify what Maria was saying and within seconds her face was nearly as red as her shirt. “Well…” She shrugged and grinned. “Okay, I don’t know if we would’ve gone all the way tonight or not… we were both definitely ready to, physically, but like I said, we agreed that we wouldn’t rush it.”
“Then what made you get dressed fast enough to forget your tank top?”
“Ah, well, that brings us back to your evening.”
“What? You’re saying I’m responsible for your evening being cut short?”
“No. Not directly anyway.” She straightened up and shifted closer to the end of the couch where Maria was sitting. “He got a phone call and had to go down to the police station to bail his brothers out of jail.”
“Are you kidding? Michael, maybe, but Brendan?” Maria shook her head. “There’s no way.”
“No, I’m not kidding, I’m completely serious. He wasn’t happy when he got that call either, and not just because we were… busy.”
They looked up when the front door opened and Tess came inside, looking anything but happy. She quickly went off on a rant and they had to listen closely to follow.
“I can’t believe that I’m the one who encouraged you to get your hands on Michael Guerin’s ass! However, if you had done as I suggested and dumped Brendan so you could screw his twin, Michael would’ve been otherwise occupied and not getting into a fight that my boyfriend just had to try and break up.”
“Wait, so Michael and Brendan were both involved in a fight?” Maria asked.
“Yes, they were involved in a fight… with each other! Kyle just had to get involved because he was sure he could break it up and do you know what he got for his efforts? He got punched in the nuts; don’t ask me how that happened because I don’t know. It was like watching one of those ultimate fighting matches; fists were flying everywhere, they were screaming at each other, and when Kyle tried to put a stop to it, one of your boyfriends punched him… in the nuts,” she growled through clenched teeth.
Maria bit her bottom lip. She wasn’t going to laugh… she wasn’t. “I’m sorry, Tess.”
“Did he get arrested too?” Isabel asked, certain that Alex hadn’t said anything about his brother’s roommate when he had explained what was going on. She stood and walked to the kitchen to get a drink and hopefully not laugh out loud.
“Arrested? No, I’m sure it would’ve been preferable to falling to his knees and crying in public though.”
“He cried?” Maria’s bottom lip was trembling because she was trying so hard to keep from laughing. Tess was already pissed and laughing would only make it worse. “I mean, I know that’s gotta hurt, but most guys don’t fall down and cry.”
Tess huffed indignantly. “He was hard, okay? We were making out when the fight started. And because I saw that he probably won’t ever talk to me again! Guys don’t want their girlfriend’s to see them cry like a little girl.”
“Well, that definitely falls under the category of extenuating circumstances – “
“Isabel, you’re not helping! Instead of spending the night getting blown he’s gonna spend the night with an icepack on his nuts and praying his dick isn’t permanently damaged. Do you know what he said when I drove him home?”
“No, what?”
“Nothing!” she yelled. “Because I didn’t drive him home! Liz took him home because he didn’t want me to take him anywhere. Liz, who wouldn’t know what to do with a dick if it came with an instruction manual.”
“Well, it’s not like he got a ride from her so she could help him with his problem,” Maria muttered. “She was doing the designated driver thing and it was probably just the fastest and most convenient way for him to get home.”
“He probably just didn’t want you to see him like that, Tess,” Isabel said sympathetically. “You know how sensitive guys are about their packages. And if he got punched while he was hard…” She shook her head. “The poor guy’s probably gonna be bruised and swollen for a few days, and he’s not gonna be a lot of fun to be around, so maybe he just didn’t want you around for that.”
“So it’s better for him to suffer all by himself?”
“How many guys do you know who would want their girlfriend to see them in that state? And he’s probably feeling a little self-conscious about crying in front of you too.” She rushed on when Tess glared at her. “Even though he had a perfectly acceptable reason for crying.”
“Just let him have a few hours on his own and then go over there in the morning and see how he’s doing,” Maria suggested.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’ll make him feel much better since not only will he not be having sex anytime soon, but he’ll also be missing tomorrow’s game now.”
“Well, it couldn’t hurt, right?”
“Uh-huh, and who will you be going to see in the morning? Brendan or Michael?”
“I broke up with Brendan tonight.” Maria told them what had happened leading up to her and Brendan breaking up and before long Tess forgot she was mad as she rushed to console her best friend.
nibbles2: LOL, well, as always, Michael and Maria will provide more than enough drama! Who knows… maybe Alex and Isabel will be a good example for them. Brooke doesn’t want to see either of her brothers hurt, but she does have a very close relationship with Michael, so it may appear as if she is cheering him on without considering Brendan. Your theory may prove to be valid.
Alien_Friend: Well, Maria isn’t going to give in easily… well… yet, anyway, lol! Alex and Isabel will be the stability in the group. LOL, interesting observation about Brendan and Sean! That theory may hold water. You’ll get a glimpse of Brendan’s reaction in the next chapter. Max’ appearance is getting closer!
destinyc: Don’t worry, we promise that Brendan will find his perfect fit.
tequathisy: That is quite possibly a very true assessment.
begonia9508: Oh, Maria’s recognized her attraction to Michael, and that is what’s making her fight it so hard!
Buddha-boy: Female logic… don’t try to understand it. It was a selfish request (well, more of a demand, really), but it wasn’t made with the intent of being selfish. She’s fighting the attraction because she honestly believes that if she can avoid Michael she can avoid the inevitable – which we all know is futile.
loviedovie: We’re glad you like Brooke! She and Michael have a very close relationship and it will be an important part of the story. Max will fit in… well, not saying how or where just yet, but we think the readers will love him and his fit in the story! Look for him to appear in just a few more parts.
Part 11 – When Twins Collide
Maria ignored Tess as they drove back to their apartment and as soon as the car stopped she grabbed her things and bolted.
“I don’t know why you’re pissed.”
She paused on the landing at the top of the first flight of stairs, cursing their decision to take an apartment on the second floor. She turned to glare at her best friend and slapped the wrought iron railing as hard as she could. Ow, that hurt! “You knew he was gonna be there, didn’t you? You knew he was on the football team last week when – “
“Don’t get pissed at me because you couldn’t keep your eyes off of him.” Tess shook her head when Maria started to deny it. “You’re attracted to him on a very primal level and you’re not doing anybody any favors by pretending that attraction doesn’t exist.”
“How many times do I need to remind you that I’m dating his brother?”
“Key word… dating. Have you slept with him? No. Have you made out with him? No. He’s been the perfect gentleman and yes, it’s nice when guys actually have manners and they know how to use them, but – “
“I’m not arguing about this with you anymore, Tess. Obviously you can’t or won’t support my decision to – “
“Do not start in on your decision to change. I know all about the losers you’ve been involved with, Maria, but you can’t just control who you’re attracted to. It’s not that simple; if it were you’d be screwing Brendan. I’ll bet my entire trust fund that you could put them in a room together and have them dressed and groomed identically, down to the smallest detail, and you’d still be drawn to Michael.”
“Did you know he was gonna be there?”
Tess shrugged. “Yes, of course I knew. And the fact that you would avoid going because he’d be there should tell you something.”
“Why are you pushing me towards a guy who’s just like every other guy I’ve been with?”
“Just forget it, Maria.” Tess was frustrated with her friend, the situation, and her non-existent sex life. She brushed past the other girl and continued on to the second floor. She was grumbling under her breath as she dug around in her purse for her keys when she suddenly felt like she was being watched. She turned around, wincing when she saw the couple sitting on the steps that led up to the third floor. “Um, hi… I don’t suppose there’s any way you didn’t just hear every word…” She trailed off when Alex and Isabel both shook their heads. “No, of course not. Right. Well, that’s just the icing on the cake, isn’t it?” She shoved the front door open and went inside, slamming it after her.
“I’d better go talk to her, Alex,” Isabel said and leaned in to kiss him before standing up. “If the two of them get into it and it gets outta control it’ll be hell living with them.”
“I can imagine,” Alex laughed and released her hand. “Take your time, Iz, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
She was smiling as she went inside, knowing that his words were meant for more than just the present time.
Alex had been grappling with the choice of whether to get involved in the situation between his brothers and Maria, but the girls’ argument had made the decision for him. He waited patiently for her to come up to the second floor and his thoughts drifted to the evening ahead. He usually put in an appearance at the parties but he never hung around very long, so he had been happy to learn that Isabel was the same way.
He had set everything up for the evening and if the weather held out as promised it would be perfect. She had told him earlier that week that she had never seen a sunset over the ocean and he had promised to show her one she would never forget. He had made arrangements to take her sailing so she could see a perfect sunset, followed by a candlelit dinner on the private beach behind his house.
He had called in a favor from a friend who he now owed a major debt to for putting together the meal he had requested and ensuring that dinner would be flawless. What happened after dinner was Isabel’s call; he had no intention of rushing things between them.
Movement to his left caught his attention and he smiled and waved when Maria turned to face him. Her expression was carefully controlled and he was sure she was trying to ignore the fact that he had overheard her argument with Tess.
“Hey, Maria, can I talk to you for a minute?”
She sighed and held one hand up in a silent request for him to wait. When he nodded she went inside and dropped her things off, snagging a cold soda from the refrigerator before going back outside. “You wanna talk about your brothers,” she guessed, leaning back against the railing that bordered the walkway.
“Yeah. Look, I’m not tryin’ to stick my nose in your business or tell you what to do here; I’m just concerned that you’re gonna drive them even further apart.” He winced as he mentally went over his last statement. “Okay, that came out a lot harsher than I intended. I wasn’t tryin’ to say you’d come between them intentionally; their relationship is already strained and there’s a lot of animosity there so the last thing they need is another reason to hate each other.”
“I’m not trying to come between them.”
“No, I know that. But the day you came over to the house with Brendan… let’s just say the temperature in the room went up several degrees the second you and Michael noticed each other. And it happened again later that night when we ran into you and the others at the club.”
Fuck! Was there anyone who hadn’t noticed it? Maria wondered, annoyed. This was all Michael’s fault! If he weren’t so damn hot… sexy… fuckable… Her gaze shot to Alex when she felt heat suffuse her face, thankful when he didn’t comment on the flush that she knew had turned her face a revealing shade of pink.
“Brendan likes you, Maria, and I think you like him, but more in the capacity of a friend than anything else. If I’m right – and I’m not askin’ you to tell me either way – but, if I am right, don’t let him get anymore involved than he is now.”
They looked up when the door opened and Isabel paused with one foot over the threshold. “Am I interrupting?” she asked as she glanced between them.
“No, I think we’re done here,” Alex said as he stood and dusted his jeans off.
“Is this casual enough?” She bit her bottom lip uncertainly. “You wouldn’t tell me what we’re doing, so…”
Alex let his gaze slide down over her, taking in the black jeans that fit every curve to perfection, and the red shirt that was unbuttoned over a black tank top. He shook his head and whistled appreciatively under his breath. “Beautiful as always,” he murmured, “and, yes, you’re dressed perfectly for what I’ve got planned.”
Maria smiled when Isabel beamed under his praise and she took the opportunity to slip away undetected. Once she was inside the apartment she gathered her things together and carried them down the hallway to her bedroom and piled them on her bed. She turned around when Tess called her name and knocked on the door.
“You gonna talk to me anytime soon?” Tess asked, pausing on the threshold. “Or are you gonna stay mad at me for a while?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Okay, but you’re still goin’ to the party, right?”
“Yeah, because I made plans with Brendan earlier this week; if I thought I could back out without hurting his feelings, I wouldn’t be going tonight.”
“So, you’re gonna be mad for a while?”
“Ding, ding, ding, looks like we’ve got a winner!” she snarled irritably.
“Seriously? Just because I pointed out – “
“Stop pointing things out, Tess! I might as well have a sign stuck to my forehead telling the world that I wanna fuck Michael Guerin!” She stomped around her room, waving her hands in the air in an erratic manner. “Why don’t you just rent a billboard and post it for the world to see?” She froze as she realized what she had just said and she whirled around to look at Tess, her expression one of warning. “No! Don’t even think about it!”
Tess just smiled and backed out of the room. “See ya at the party tonight, Maria.”
Maria huffed indignantly and made a mental note to keep an eye on Tess for the next few days. She wouldn’t put it past the other girl to rent a billboard right off the freeway and have that slogan plastered across it for the entire world to view.
*****
The party was in full swing by the time Maria arrived and she immediately went in search of something alcoholic to drink. After arguing with Tess she had been in no mood to ride with her to the party so she had waited around and caught a ride with Liz and Sean, who were only going because they had volunteered to be designated drivers. Which was nice, Maria thought. Nice and boring. What was the point of going to a party if you weren’t going to drink and engage in some form of depraved activity?
She quickly located the tables filled to capacity with every imaginable type of alcohol, easy enough to do since there were plenty of people milling about in the area. She braced her hand on the edge of one of the tables and was leaning over to reach the iced tub filled with the brand of beer she liked when a very male body pressed against her back and reached around her to grab two bottles. She knew it was Michael before he spoke and she couldn’t stop the shudder of awareness that raced down her spine when she felt his breath gust against her neck.
“It’s a crime to drink alone,” he growled.
Her breath locked up in her throat when his arms came around her so he could use the bottle opener on his keychain to pop the tops off. He pressed one of the bottles into her hand, tapped his bottle against hers, and disappeared into the crowd before she could turn around.
She cursed her body for reacting to him as she lifted the bottle to her lips, tipping it up and draining half of it in an effort to cool down. The ice-cold liquid did nothing to erase the memory of his big body pressing right up against her; she could still feel every heated inch of him at every point where their bodies had made contact.
Why couldn’t she just be attracted to Brendan? God, her life would be so much simpler if she was attracted to the nice guy for once. And if that wasn’t bad enough it was apparently obvious to the entire universe.
“Hey, Maria.”
She cringed and amended her previous thought. It was apparently obvious to the entire universe with the exception of one genius. Alex was right and there really wasn’t any way around it; she couldn’t make herself have feelings for Brendan and if she let things continue he was only going to get hurt in the end. Why did he have to be so damn nice? It was so much easier to break up with guys who were jerks because they didn’t get hurt when things ended. They either cussed you out or shrugged it off, but they were chasing after another woman before the sheets on your side of the bed had even had time to cool off.
“Maria?”
Damn it! Now it was gonna seem like she was preoccupied or ignoring him. She carefully schooled her expression and turned to face him. “Hi, Brendan!” She winced internally when her voice took on a high-pitched, squeaky quality.
“Hey, you weren’t waitin’ very long were you?” He was relieved when she shook her head. “I had a flat and I had to wait for someone to come out and fix it.”
“Why didn’t you just change it?”
Brendan frowned. “Change what?”
“The tire.”
“Well, that’s what I pay the auto club for.”
He was completely serious and it took a major effort on Maria’s part to not laugh at him. “You want a drink?”
Brendan nodded and accepted the bottle that she handed to him. Normally he kissed her when they met up, but he hadn’t been able to shake off what Sean had told him the night before and he knew he needed to talk to Maria. Just not yet, he thought, glancing at the people scattered around the beach, engaged in various activities. “You wanna…?”
Maria glanced up at him when he gestured out towards the party-goers, nodding enthusiastically when she realized that mingling with the others meant not having to have a conversation she wasn’t ready for.
For the next couple of hours Maria and Brendan both managed to avoid the thoughts weighing so heavily on their minds. Several times throughout the night Maria felt Michael’s gaze burning into her even though he didn’t approach her again. Around eleven Brendan asked her if she was ready to go and she nodded, telling him she needed to find whatever was passing for the ladies room before leaving.
“Well, well, well…”
Brendan turned to look at his brother when Michael joined him, wary of the taunting tone and the challenging expression he was wearing. “I saw you, y’know,” he said, his posture rigid as he stared his brother down. “Hangin’ all over Maria like you think you have any right to – “
“Get over yourself.” Michael took a drink of his beer and his insolent gaze swept over his brother dismissively.
“Stay away from her, Michael.” He shook his head. “You’re the type of guy who uses women like they’re some sort of disposable commodity. All the women in the city and on campus aren’t enough for you? You’ve just gotta go after the one girl I’m interested in? What d’you think you’re doin’ anyway?”
“What am I doin’?” Michael repeated. “I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?”
“What?”
“You’re seriously gonna stand here and get up on your soapbox an’ preach to me about usin’ women when that’s exactly what you’re doin’?” His forefinger jabbed the center of Brendan’s chest with every other word. “Has it completely gone unnoticed that she’s similar to Karen in several unmistakable ways? And if you say yes, you’re a fuckin’ liar.” Michael nodded when his brother shoved him away. “So, not as clueless as you look, huh?”
“I’m not getting into this with you, Michael. Maybe there are a few similarities, but I’m not like you; I don’t use women.” Brendan’s entire body tensed and he took several steps that brought him mere inches from his brother. “I know the truth about you, Michael, and I know why Karen broke up with me.”
“You’re goin’ out with Maria because of those similarities. And I don’t know what you think you know, but I didn’t have anything to do with you an’ Karen breakin’ up. If you’re feelin’ guilty because you’re in love with one fuckin’ woman while datin’ another one – “
“Whoa!” Maria’s voice drew their attention and the argument she had overheard kept her from noticing the similarities and differences between them. “What’s going on here? Brendan? Is what he just said true?” When he averted his gaze she knew Michael had been telling the truth. She nodded and backed away, holding her hands up and shaking her head when he moved to follow her.
“Look, Maria, I can explain – “
“Huh-uh, no, we’re done!” Part of her was relieved that she had been provided with a reason to break up with him because she just hadn’t been able to figure out how to do it without hurting him. “Don’t even bother trying to talk to me again!” She would have to talk to him about it eventually; even though this was a convenient reason to break up with him it wasn’t the real reason.
Michael reached out to grab his brother’s arm when he saw that he intended to go after her despite her wishes to be left alone. He wasn’t prepared for it when Brendan rounded on him and swung wildly, his fist coming into contact with Michael’s jaw and knocking him backwards. He reacted purely on instinct and his own hands curled into fists as he launched himself at Brendan.
*****
Maria was sitting in the dark, curled up in one corner of the couch, when the front door opened a little after midnight. She blinked rapidly when she heard the light switch being flipped and light from the lamps at either end of the couch flooded the room. She used the sleeve of the old tee shirt she was wearing to wipe away the tears on her face.
“Maria?”
“Hey, Iz. Boy, that light’s bright, isn’t it?”
“Give it up, Maria; I know you don’t think I’m that blond. You’re sitting in the dark, crying, instead of living it up at a beach party, so spill already.”
Maria chuckled to herself and shook her head. “You’re starting to sound like Tess.”
“I am not! And don’t change the subject.”
She sighed and picked at a loose thread on the cutoff shorts she had changed into when she had gotten home. “Me? What about you? Shouldn’t you be out with Alex, or over at his house? In his bed, maybe?”
“Okay, we can change the subject for five minutes,” Isabel agreed, eager to share the events of her evening.
Maria pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them as she rested her chin on her knees. She could see and hear how happy Isabel was as she recounted her date, but she couldn’t help teasing her just a little bit. “So, if things were going so great, why aren’t you still over there?” She stretched her right leg out and nudged the other girl with her foot. “The guy impressed you with an amazing sunset and a fancy dinner and you’re telling me you spent the rest of the night talking?”
“We both agreed that we wouldn’t rush into a sexual relationship and his little sister’s around a lot too…”
“Uh-huh. She wasn’t home tonight though; she was spending the night at a friend’s house.” Brooke had divulged that bit of information while they were watching the football team’s practice. “So, you’re telling me all you did was talk? You didn’t make out at all?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Isabel hedged.
“That’s good,” Maria said, laughing. “I was about to be very concerned.
“Why?”
“Because when you left earlier tonight you were wearing a black tank top under that shirt and now you’re not.”
Isabel’s gaze shot down to verify what Maria was saying and within seconds her face was nearly as red as her shirt. “Well…” She shrugged and grinned. “Okay, I don’t know if we would’ve gone all the way tonight or not… we were both definitely ready to, physically, but like I said, we agreed that we wouldn’t rush it.”
“Then what made you get dressed fast enough to forget your tank top?”
“Ah, well, that brings us back to your evening.”
“What? You’re saying I’m responsible for your evening being cut short?”
“No. Not directly anyway.” She straightened up and shifted closer to the end of the couch where Maria was sitting. “He got a phone call and had to go down to the police station to bail his brothers out of jail.”
“Are you kidding? Michael, maybe, but Brendan?” Maria shook her head. “There’s no way.”
“No, I’m not kidding, I’m completely serious. He wasn’t happy when he got that call either, and not just because we were… busy.”
They looked up when the front door opened and Tess came inside, looking anything but happy. She quickly went off on a rant and they had to listen closely to follow.
“I can’t believe that I’m the one who encouraged you to get your hands on Michael Guerin’s ass! However, if you had done as I suggested and dumped Brendan so you could screw his twin, Michael would’ve been otherwise occupied and not getting into a fight that my boyfriend just had to try and break up.”
“Wait, so Michael and Brendan were both involved in a fight?” Maria asked.
“Yes, they were involved in a fight… with each other! Kyle just had to get involved because he was sure he could break it up and do you know what he got for his efforts? He got punched in the nuts; don’t ask me how that happened because I don’t know. It was like watching one of those ultimate fighting matches; fists were flying everywhere, they were screaming at each other, and when Kyle tried to put a stop to it, one of your boyfriends punched him… in the nuts,” she growled through clenched teeth.
Maria bit her bottom lip. She wasn’t going to laugh… she wasn’t. “I’m sorry, Tess.”
“Did he get arrested too?” Isabel asked, certain that Alex hadn’t said anything about his brother’s roommate when he had explained what was going on. She stood and walked to the kitchen to get a drink and hopefully not laugh out loud.
“Arrested? No, I’m sure it would’ve been preferable to falling to his knees and crying in public though.”
“He cried?” Maria’s bottom lip was trembling because she was trying so hard to keep from laughing. Tess was already pissed and laughing would only make it worse. “I mean, I know that’s gotta hurt, but most guys don’t fall down and cry.”
Tess huffed indignantly. “He was hard, okay? We were making out when the fight started. And because I saw that he probably won’t ever talk to me again! Guys don’t want their girlfriend’s to see them cry like a little girl.”
“Well, that definitely falls under the category of extenuating circumstances – “
“Isabel, you’re not helping! Instead of spending the night getting blown he’s gonna spend the night with an icepack on his nuts and praying his dick isn’t permanently damaged. Do you know what he said when I drove him home?”
“No, what?”
“Nothing!” she yelled. “Because I didn’t drive him home! Liz took him home because he didn’t want me to take him anywhere. Liz, who wouldn’t know what to do with a dick if it came with an instruction manual.”
“Well, it’s not like he got a ride from her so she could help him with his problem,” Maria muttered. “She was doing the designated driver thing and it was probably just the fastest and most convenient way for him to get home.”
“He probably just didn’t want you to see him like that, Tess,” Isabel said sympathetically. “You know how sensitive guys are about their packages. And if he got punched while he was hard…” She shook her head. “The poor guy’s probably gonna be bruised and swollen for a few days, and he’s not gonna be a lot of fun to be around, so maybe he just didn’t want you around for that.”
“So it’s better for him to suffer all by himself?”
“How many guys do you know who would want their girlfriend to see them in that state? And he’s probably feeling a little self-conscious about crying in front of you too.” She rushed on when Tess glared at her. “Even though he had a perfectly acceptable reason for crying.”
“Just let him have a few hours on his own and then go over there in the morning and see how he’s doing,” Maria suggested.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’ll make him feel much better since not only will he not be having sex anytime soon, but he’ll also be missing tomorrow’s game now.”
“Well, it couldn’t hurt, right?”
“Uh-huh, and who will you be going to see in the morning? Brendan or Michael?”
“I broke up with Brendan tonight.” Maria told them what had happened leading up to her and Brendan breaking up and before long Tess forgot she was mad as she rushed to console her best friend.