Chapter 10
SIENNA
I’m relieved when we finally pull up to the lake house. Since Theo’s hand left my knee, the air in the Mustang has been cold, and it’s not just because of the AC.
As we drive down the long, winding road into the driveway, I take in the stunning views of the house and the lake behind it.
Given that Theo had said it’s been here since he was at least six years old, I wasn’t expecting something so grand.
It’s dated, sure, with older stone and traditional lines used on the pillars in the entryway, but it’s gorgeous.
The dark tones of the wood contrast with the evergreens surrounding the lake.
After parking, Theo gets out of the car as I help Beth out of the back seat, both of us fighting the front seat as she squeezes through the opening.
Once out, we stretch our limbs, looking around the side of the house to steal a view of the lake.
The late afternoon sun reflects off the deep blue water, making it sparkle.
As birds fly across, they just barely tap the water as they go.
In the far distance, the trees perfectly frame the snowy peaks of Mount Hood.
The summer wind blows, ruffling my T-shirt as I take a deep breath of the fresh air.
If I refuse to take one thing for granted, it’s the air quality of the Pacific Northwest. That, and our tap water.
“Theo, it’s been too long.” A man slightly shorter than Theo approaches, holding his arms out. He wraps them around Theo’s shoulders, and Theo lets out a laugh.
“We saw each other a few months ago. It hasn’t been that long.” Theo rolls his eyes.
Waiting for an introduction, but not wanting to intrude on their catching up, I move to help Beth grab the bags from the trunk of the car.
The trunk is empty once she pulls her bags out, and I look around for mine.
Looking down, I see my bag by Theo’s feet, next to his.
He must have grabbed it when he first got out of the car.
Turning to me, Theo wraps his arm around the man’s shoulders. “This is my brother Leonardo. Leonardo, this is Sienna, my girlfriend. And her friend Beth.” He gestures to both of us, and I accept Leo’s offering to shake my hand.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you,” he says with a smile almost as heart-stopping as Theo’s.
“You’re too kind. It’s nice to meet you, Leonardo,” I respond. I have to suppress a laugh at his politeness, considering I know there’s no way he could have heard that much about me.
“Please, it’s just Leo. Theodore here likes to use my full name just to fuck with me.” He wraps his arm around Theo’s neck and pulls him into a playful chokehold. It’s when he decides to rough up Theo’s hair a little bit that I decide I quite like Leo.
While Beth and Leo make their introductions, I notice the classic green Mustang parked next to Theo’s.
Considering it’s the only other car on the lot, I’d assume it’s Leo’s.
It seems fitting given his appearance. Medium brown hair with a small amount of wave, similar to Theo’s, but chopped a little shorter.
A loose light blue button-down T-shirt that brings out the blue of his irises, and tan shorts slightly shorter than Theo’s.
With his toned but slimmer build, clean shave, and dashing smile, he looks very fitting for his Mustang.
I’m analyzing Leo’s outfit when fingers brush the inside of my wrist. My eyes are pulled to Theo, who has gently wrapped his hand around my wrist to get my attention. He opens his mouth to say something, but a loud noise cuts through the air before he gets the chance.
A high-pitched whine abuses my ears as the sound travels down to the lake from atop the winding road. Beth and I are quick to cover our ears as the noise grows louder.
When we see a red blur come into view, Beth yells over the noise, “Is that a car? How could anyone drive a car that sounds like that?”
I look at Theo and Leo to make sure they aren’t offended by Beth’s unfiltered question.
Judging by the two Mustangs sitting in the driveway and what I can now see is a red Mustang headed toward us, I’d assume this is a family hobby.
Not sure how easily I can secure a job if we offend the guys on day one.
To my relief, Theo and Leo are laughing, quite hysterically, at Beth’s comment.
“That’s Alex for you,” Theo says, shrugging.
As if right on cue, the whining, bright red Mustang pulls into the driveway right behind Leo’s green Mustang. Something resembling a WWE belt hangs out of the driver’s side window as music blares through the open windows of the car. The bass is turned up so high that I can’t make out the song.
Alex pops out of the driver's side window, his body half hanging out of the car as the music continues to play.
He raises the belt above his head, yelling, “Ready to lose to me again this year, motherfuckers?”
Without a second thought, Theo and Leo move toward Alex in an ambush, yanking him out of the car through the open window.
Tackling Alex to the ground, they wrestle the belt away from him.
Theo begins walking toward us with the belt, but not before Alex catches up to him.
He catches Theo off guard and wrestles the belt back from him.
They walk over to us, Alex with Theo in a headlock, the belt hanging over his shoulder.
Leo yells from the driver’s side of Alex’s car, “You two enjoy the feel of the belt in your hands while you have it ’cause I’ll be the one going home with it this year.”
I note that Leo hangs back to ensure the red Mustang is properly in Park and the keys are removed from the ignition. My ears thank him when the thumping bass finally stops.
“In your dreams!” Alex says to Leo over his shoulder.
Still holding Theo with one arm, Alex sticks a tattooed hand out toward me, and I tentatively take it. When Theo had said Alex was shorter than the rest of them, I wasn’t expecting him to tower over me as much as he does.
Theo finally pushes free of Alex. Standing, he adjusts his clothing as he introduces us. “Alex, this is Sienna, my girlfriend.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say to Alex.
Compared to Theo and Leo, Alex has a darker, more chaotic presence.
His hair is a shade darker brunette than the other two, with no waves to be seen.
Despite the sun shining down on us, he’s in dark clothing.
A loose-fitting T-shirt in a distressed dark gray with a red logo I can’t quite make out scrawled across the front of it.
He smiles, and while it’s reminiscent of Theo’s smile, Alex’s has a hint of danger I find slightly off-putting. Unfortunately for Beth, he’s her type to a T.
Given Beth is only five-foot-one, he has to lean down slightly when he offers her his hand to shake.
“And you are?” As Beth takes his hand, he adds, “Single, I hope.”
Smooth, but if I know Beth…
“Annoyed with your shitty-sounding car, nice to meet you,” Beth responds, shaking his hand firm and only once, then letting go. I hear Theo snicker beside me.
Alex smirks at her response. When their eyes lock on each other, refusing to break contact, I step in. Beth did say she’s sworn off men after all, and I don’t need Alex complicating my chances at securing a job.
“Beth. Her name is Beth.” I smile and wrap my arm around Beth’s shoulders. I squeeze her slightly, hoping she’ll get the hint from me to play nice.
“It’s nice to meet both of you.” His smile is devilish in a way that makes me wonder where Theo stands on the spectrum of sweet and dangerous, where Leo and Alex seem to be on opposite ends.
Alex looks at Leo. “Where the hell is Roman?” I can’t help but wonder the same thing as he is the reason I’m here in the first place.
“He’s at the grocery store. I was prepping for dinner and realized I needed a few things. He should be back soon. We can head in and wait for him. I made a few appetizers to hold us over until dinner is ready.”
Alex and Leo start to turn toward the front door of the lake house when Alex stops in front of Theo’s Mustang.
“Whose car is this?” Alex continues to stare at the Mustang in front of him.
“It’s mine,” Theo answers, a touch of pride in his voice. “It’s the 2009 GT.”
Alex looks at Theo then. “You didn’t.” I can’t say for certain, but I catch almost the faintest glimmer of disappointment flash across Alex’s face.
“What? I couldn’t afford the Cobra like you have. Plus, this is the same—”
“We know what it is, Theo,” Leo says, with a slight bite to his voice.
“Roman’s gonna kill you, man.” Alex pats Theo on the shoulder, then walks off into the house with Leo.
The prideful look on Theo’s face falters at his brother’s commentary. I feel a strong urge to reach out and comfort him, but I resist.
Without thinking, I ask, “What was that about?”
“It’s nothing. Come on, let’s get inside. I’m not sure about you, but I’m starving.”
His smile has returned, but the light in his eyes remains dim. I’m so caught up in thoughts of how to make Theo feel better that I almost miss it when Beth brings up an important question.
“So is anyone going to explain the giant-ass belt he’s carrying?” Beth asks Theo, pointing at Alex.
Theo’s face lights up. “Oh, did I forget to mention that? Come on, I’ll tell you all about it inside.” Grabbing our bags, he takes off toward the front door.
Beth and I exchange a fearful look, questioning what we just got ourselves into.