Chapter 8 #2
“You going to talk about it then?” Tristan asked, and I knew we were no longer talking about him and Taryn.
“Not yet. I need to think.”
“Good. Think. And then tell us. Because whatever the hell’s been going on with you for the past couple of weeks is freaking me out.”
“Well, God forbid I freak you out.”
“It’s true. I am the center of the universe.”
I laughed as Brandi, my client for the day, walked in. “Well, two handsome men laughing as I walk in. I hope you’re telling a dirty joke, and it’s not about me.”
“I promise it’s not about you. Come on down. We’re working on your back today.”
“Are we? I thought we were just working on the sketch.”
She gripped her hands in front of her, her teeth tugging at her lip.
I leaned forward and patted her arm. “If you’re not ready, we can just finish the sketch today. I can even put the stencil on your back to see how it looks. We don’t have to make a single mark today if you don’t want to.”
Brandi let out a breath. “Thank you. I know it sounds weird. I’ve been ready for this for years. I know exactly what I want, and we’ve been talking about it forever. But I think I want to show my sister.”
“Really?”
“I know it’s insane, but we tell each other everything. I haven’t told her about this, and it feels weird. I don’t like secrets.”
Tristan gave me a look, and I shuddered. It was coming at me from all angles today.
Brandi stared at me. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“You have that guilt face.”
“What’s the guilt face?” I snorted, tilting my head as I stared at her. “My sister called it a frowny face earlier.”
“It could be called that, too. My family called it guilt face. Now, what did you do?”
“I kissed someone,” I blurted.
She blinked as Tristan whistled between his teeth. Oh, my friend knew exactly who I was talking about.
“You kissed who?”
“A girl I wasn’t supposed to.”
“Why weren’t you? Is she someone else’s? Is she of age? Talk to me.”
“She’s no one else’s. She’s single. Completely of age. But off-limits.”
“Why is she off-limits? Does someone else love her?”
I shook my head, running my hands through my hair and feeling frustrated. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just said I wouldn’t go near her. They told me she was off-limits, so I didn’t let that happen.”
I explained a little bit more about her, but not too much. Brandi didn’t need to know all about May. And, frankly, I was getting exhausted trying to explain this corner I found myself in.
Brandi blinked at me. “Okay. You aren’t a jerk dude who lets other people say who’s off-limits. She’s the one who decides. Other dudes don’t get to piss around her and claim her as their territory because they think they need to protect her. That’s not how this works.”
Tristan laughed. “You’re my favorite person now.”
“I’m everybody’s favorite person.” She turned to me. “Leo. Are you serious right now? Are you terrified of what others will think, or are you afraid of what you could do?”
“I have no idea what that means. And I don’t know the answers.”
“Then think about it. But you’re clearly all worked up yet smiling at the thought of this woman. You should see what happens. Fix it. Apologize. Make sure she knows that you’re not a jerk. That means you can’t be a jerk.”
“What if I screw up?” I asked, my voice low.
“With who I think you’re talking about, you won’t,” Leif said.
I froze, then looked at my boss. I hadn’t even realized he’d come in. What the hell was wrong with me? “What?”
“With May? You’re not going to fuck it up.”
“May? That’s her name?” Brandi asked, a weird look on her face. Then she shook her head. “Seriously, though, just talk to her. All you need to do is talk to her.”
“I agree.” Leif glared at me. “I see the way you two act around each other. How you look at each other. Fix it, or I’ll fix you.”
I blinked. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked, my voice a growl. “What is going on right now?”
“What’s going on is that you need to figure out what you’re thinking. What you’re feeling. And talk to May,” Tristan put in.
“Talk to her,” Brandi whispered.
“And before? What I said about her being off-limits? I meant treating her like your past women—not that you ever would,” he put in.
“I meant sleeping with her and walking away. Because I don’t need broken hearts all around us.
But then I realized, thanks to Brooke and me, that it’s not my place.
I’m not that jerk either, Brandi,” he said, telling me Leif had been listening for a while.
“You weren’t a jerk,” I growled.
“I’m not. But I had no right to tell you not to date May.
To say she was off-limits. I could have said, and what I should have said, was that you two are both good friends of mine, and I don’t want things awkward.
But that’s selfish of me. You guys would probably be great with each other.
So, I’m just going to ignore what I said. Like you should ignore me.”
“Leif.”
“No, I have nothing to do with this. I meant at the moment, weeks ago. I didn’t mean for you not to date her. I was being a growly asshole.”
“You are a growly asshole,” I said with a laugh.
“We all are. Now, go fix it. That way, Brooke can stop yelling at me.”
I looked around and wondered what the fuck had just happened and what the hell I was supposed to do.