37. My Brother And My Best Friend
My Brother And My Best Friend
Doug
‘Ey, look what the cat dragged in.’
Leo looks up from the tattoo he’s working on as I walk into his shop. I give him a chin lift and walk over to get a look at the piece, saying hey to the customer and openly admiring the Elvis portrait on his chest. My best friend is one talented fucker.
‘Take a seat, brother.’ Leo nods to the empty station, and I sit on the stool, putting my helmet down on the tattoo chair and taking off my jacket. ‘I’ve got about an hour left here.’
I glance around the shop. There’s a guy getting a nose piercing at the back. Shelby, the body piercer, glances up and says hey before pushing the needle in. Other than that, the shop’s quiet.
‘Where is everyone?’ I ask Leo, and he glances up too.
‘Gus and Fi are on vacation.’
‘Together?’
‘Oh yeah, didn’t I tell you? They’re madly in love.’ He rolls his eyes, but I see the smile. August was the first apprentice Leo had, and he’s a fantastic artist. Fiona moved up here from Savannah a couple of years ago, and Leo is training her up the way he did with Gus.
‘You’re soft, letting them take the same time off.’ I can’t help but grin, messing with him.
‘What can I say? I love love.’
The guy under him laughs, and I can’t help but do the same.
‘What brings you all the way up here without an appointment?’
‘I was wondering what you were doing tonight.’ He waits for me to say more. ‘Thought maybe we could hit a club.’
He stops what he’s doing, straightening to look at me.
‘You, in a club, without it being a special occasion? What the fuck?’
I shrug. ‘Thought it would be fun.’
‘It would be fun. Now tell me the real reason.’
Jesus, I’ve known him too long. I should have invited Nick instead.
‘The girls are hitting Red Brick tonight, and what can I say? I’m being an overprotective brother.’
Bree told me that, even though I was refusing to elaborate on my comment the other night, she thought I’d like to know which club and bars they were going to. Leo laughs loudly and turns to face me fully.
‘Your sisters don’t need protecting, and you know it. Try again.’
I glare at him and shake my head.
‘Cara will be there.’
‘Ding ding, there it is. You don’t want dudes hitting on the girl you like but are too chicken shit to do anything about.’
The half-smile, the raise of one eyebrow lets him know the truth… or some of it.
‘Holy shit, you fucked her,’ he lowers his voice as the nose-piercing guy comes out to pay, one eye watering a little. ‘Wow, brother, you did it. I bet it didn’t last long after the break you’ve had, but good for you, man, so, what now?’
The Elvis guy suppresses a laugh, and I smirk as he winces when the tattoo machine starts up again.
‘It wasn’t a one-time thing,’ I admit, and Leo flicks his gaze to me. ‘It’s um,’ I swallow and release a deep exhale, ‘it’s a the one , kind of thing.’
The buzz of the machine cuts out, and Leo looks up at me, his eyes wide and his mouth open a little.
‘Are you serious?’ I nod, yes, and he puts down the machine, standing and opening his arms to me. I stand to meet him in a hug and can’t fight the joy I feel. My mom knows I’m seeing Cara, but my best friend knows I never want to stop.
‘Fuck me.’ I groan as we walk into the club. It’s packed out. The music is loud and not in the way I like.
‘Beer first.’ Leo says, throwing his thumb back toward the bar. ‘You stay here and look for your girl.’
Man, I love hearing someone else call her that.
I scan the club, but not knowing what any of them are wearing tonight, it’s hard to know what I’m looking for. I can’t see them, and my heart is beating a little faster than I would like. What if Bree played me, and they’re not even here?
‘Is that Zoe?’ Leo says beside me, handing me a bottle and pointing the neck of his up to the back wall.
I turn to look and, yes, that is my sister dancing on the table. Fuck me.
‘Holy shit, is that her ?’ He nudges my shoulder, and I look where he’s looking.
‘No, that must be Missy. I haven’t met her.’
Where is she? I can’t see Bree either, so maybe they went to the bar or the bathroom. I start to head in their direction when Leo grabs my arm.
‘Well fuck me, brother.’ I turn to him and then follow his line of sight to see Bree, and, oh, my god. ‘ That’s your woman? That is the Reynolds girl?’
Yes. Yes, it fucking is.
She steals the breath from my lungs. She’s wearing the red dress, and it hugs every goddamn curve on her body. Her long legs are on display, and she has on heels. I’ve never seen her in heels. Her hair is styled into loose curls, and she has on makeup—dark eyes and red lips, and if I don’t get my hands on her soon, I’m going to burst.
I start to head in their direction when he stops me again, and I turn to glare at him, making him laugh.
‘Okay, calm down. I just wanted to check if they know we’re comin’. Girls are protective of their girl time.’
‘I don’t give a fuck,’ I snap, then walk away.
Knowing I’m a liability, Leo steps in front of me to charm them into submission before I open my big mouth.
‘Evening, ladies. Can I get y’all a drink?’
‘Leo?’ I hear the surprise in Zoe’s voice, but my eyes are drinking in my girl, and when I meet hers, the joy in them fills me up. ‘Doug, what the fuck…’
‘You look beautiful,’ I say to Cara, silencing the group as she smiles, and I step forward into her space. I reach out and use my hand on her back to pull her close, pressing our bodies together, not caring about the questions my sisters and Missy must have. Cara gazes up at me.
‘They can see us, you know that, right?’
I smile and nod, then press my mouth to hers.
‘Hold the fuck on…’ Zoe squeals.
I pull away from Cara and tuck her against my side as I turn to face my sisters.
Bree smiles softly. Zoe and Missy stare open-mouthed.
‘You two…’ Missy starts but doesn’t finish, and I hold out my hand.
‘You must be Missy. Nice to meet you. I’m Doug.’
She takes my hand and smiles.
‘Y’all are fuckin’?’ Zoe, with the subtlety of a brick, questions loudly.
‘No, Zo. We’re not fuckin’.’ I roll my eyes.
‘Well, we are,’ Cara says, surprising all of us, and all eyes are on her as she laughs. ‘But that isn’t all it is.’
I pull her close and kiss her temple, breathing her in.
‘So, you’re together,’ I nod, ‘and you didn’t tell us?’
‘I couldn’t, Zo. I was running scared. You know that.’
She’s hurt. I can see it in her eyes, and I feel the tension in Cara. She doesn’t like upsetting the first real friends she’s ever had.
‘Okay. I’m getting us some drinks—then we’re dancing.’ I say, trying to appease the beast. ‘Zo, can you give me a hand at the bar, please?’
She huffs and stomps toward the bar, and I catch Cara’s eye and wink, letting her know I’ve got this, and follow my sister.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘I’m your sister, Doug, and I’m her friend.’
‘I know, and you know how it’s been with Jessie. I was afraid.’ We lean against the bar waiting to be served.
‘I would never do anything to hurt you, Doug—you or Bowie. I wouldn’t have said anything.’
Stepping forward, I wrap my arm around her shoulder. ‘Zo, it wasn’t you I was worried about. If you guys had known, I wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet anymore. Your happiness for me would have been too infectious to ignore. I had to keep this under wraps.’
‘So you made Cara keep something so big a secret, knowing how things have been for her in the past.’
‘It was my idea.’ Cara’s voice beside us surprises us both, and we turn to look at her as she reaches out for Zoe’s hands. ‘It was either have him in secret or not at all, Zo. Not at all wasn’t an option.’
Her honesty and frankness make me swallow hard, my feelings threatening to burst out of me.
‘So you’re like, together, really together?’ she asks, softer now, and I know she’s getting over the shock.
‘Really.’ Cara answers, smiling, and Zoe’s smile widens as she gazes up at me with tears in her eyes.
‘Oh, my god.’ My sister reaches up to wrap one arm around my neck and one around Cara’s, pulling us into a hug and squealing like a damn pig in our ears. ‘My brother and my best friend. I’m so happy.’
I laugh at the turnaround, then order some drinks. It’s going to be okay.