Claire
“Let me get this right,”Isaac asked as he rocked back on the plastic chair, peeling the label off his beer bottle. “You want me, your big brother, to come with you on a date tomorrow?”
When he said it like that it sounded dumb.
“Please tell me you’re joking, Claire,” Alfred begged, staring at me like I’d grown an extra head.
“Come on, Isaac. I need help.”
“Obviously,” Alfred muttered under his breath.
“Ask Warner,” he redirected.
“Ask Warner what?” he asked, appearing with the tray of meat ready to toss on the barbeque.
It’d turned into a tradition around here. I guess it was our version of family dinner. On Friday nights, whoever was home, we barbequed. The boys were in charge of the grilling, and because I was the girl, I got to make the salad and boil the potatoes. Last week, just to be a bitch, I’d picked up the tongs and turned a sausage, one sausage and I thought Jason was going to have a fit. I mean, I was more than capable of doing it, but I guess the fact I was missing an appendage meant I had to go back to the kitchen. At least it was the only thing they were sexiest about.
“To go on Claire’s date with her tomorrow,” Isaac explained.
“What? You asked Isaac to chaperone?”
“No! No, I asked him to help me.”
“Help you on your date?” Warner clarified.
“Geez! It’s not a date!”
It was no wonder they were all single. They were annoying as fuck. Once they got an idea in their heads, they didn’t let up even if it was the wrong idea. They were like a freaking dog with a bone.
“Sounds like a date to me,” Isaac mumbled as he got up and grabbed another beer from the esky at his feet.
“It’s not a date. A friend of mine…”
“A male friend?”
“Yes, a male friend. He’s learning to surf, and I could use a hand teaching him because I know as much about surfing as that rock over there,” I finally got out, pointing to the boulder in the back yard.
“Does this friend have a name?” Alfred piped up, leaning forward in his chair and pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Yes. Of course.”
“And would you care to tell me what it is?” Alfred invited.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me. It was a standoff. They weren’t going to help me unless I handed over his name. Some days I wanted to bang their heads together. No, most days I did.
Knowing it wasn’t a battle I could win, I conceded defeat. My plan for the epicness of a date depended on them helping me. I couldn’t afford to hold my ground on this one. With a sigh, I snagged a beer and sunk down onto the step. “Seth.”
“Seth?” Isaac repeated.
“Yes, Seth.”
“And does this ‘Seth’ have a surname?”
Alfred was already tapping away at his phone. I had no doubt that as soon as he had enough information to go on, he’d be doing a full background check. Give him twenty minutes and he’d be able to give me his driving record history. Give him an hour, and I’d have a copy of his current playing contract, salary details, and measurements – something I absolutely did not want.
“Masters. Seth Masters. Happy now?” I sulked, taking a swig of my beer. As soon as the liquid touched my tongue, I remembered why I didn’t drink the stuff. It was gross. Give me my sugar-filled, girly drinks any day.
“Seth Masters? Are you fucking kidding me?” Jason boomed.
