I hand him a glass and then sit across from him. “Good to see your arm is still attached.”
“It’s still here but sore as a motherfucker. Ran to Doc Burns’s office this morning and got an antibiotic and checked my Tetanus shot records. Mom was on my ass, so I did it to appease her.”
“You did?” I nod approvingly. “That’s good. Is it infected?”
“Nah. Burnsy was madder than hell that I didn’t come in when I cut it, though.” He lifts his sandwich to his mouth. “Not the first time he’s been mad at me. Won’t be the last, I’m sure.”
I consider pointing out that I now know that money wasn’t what was keeping him from the Urgent Care like he insinuated but decide to let it go. Instead, I take a bite of the chicken and nearly moan in delight. The meat is juicy, the aioli tangy, and the slaw perfectly crunchy. It’s the perfect sandwich.How did Astrid not mention this?Seems like a necessary thing to share with your best friend.
“Jasper said that you and Markie got along well last night,” Brooks says.
“Yes. Markie is adorable and so fun. They make the cutest couple.”
“She’s all right.” He takes another bite. “Her sister, Mira, used to date Hartley.” He pauses while he chews, seeming to reconsider his statement. “I don’t know if they dated, now that I think about it. But Hart has had a thing for her as long as we’ve been alive.”
I take a sip and wonder what the story is between them. “So, she’s not into him?” I nibble the end of a fry. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Fuck if I know if she’s into him or not. They’re not together, so my guess is no.”
“Come on,” I say, pointing a fry at him. “Where’s the small-town gossip?”
He takes another bite of his sandwich, watching me over the top of it with crinkled, amused eyes.
“You’re not nearly as good at this as Lisa,” I say, chomping off the end of the fry.
“My apologies. The next time I’m with Hart, I’ll ask for a full breakdown of his relationship with Mira and then report back.”
“That would be appreciated.”
He shakes his head as he takes a drink. “It’s not that big of a deal, I don’t think. Mira’s just … Mira. She comes and goes as she pleases. The girl doesn’t have a mean bone in her body but she’s … feral, I guess, in a way. I doubt that works well for Hartley.”
Probably not.
My spirits sink as I imagine Hartley pining for a woman he can’t have. I have tragically been there and done that, and it sucked. And I hate that he might be feeling that, too.
We sit quietly, enjoying our lunch and the sun streaming through the windows. There’s a warmth settling over the kitchen, and I wonder if it’s coming from the sunshine … or him.
I’ve only known Brooks for a short time, yet I can take a full breath when he’s near. There’s no pressure to be anything I’m not, or an expectation to act in a certain way. I don’t have to be the sweet Audrey that everyone knows and that’s liberating. In fact, I might have uncovered a bit of sassiness and snark—or, at least, it’s found its way to my lips instead of lying dormant.
Best of all?There’s no mental blowback from doing or saying things I’d never normally do or say. I’m not embarrassed or worried after the fact. When the world quiets, so does my head. And that’s the truly beautiful thing about this.
“You know why I didn’t bring you home last night, right?” he asks, resting back in his chair. The sun filters over his features, casting shadows and highlights in all the right places.
I pick up my glass and settle back in my chair, too. “I have theories.”
“Are they Aristotelian or Stoicy?”
I laugh.
“Tell me about this party you have to go to,” he says, as if he’s changing subjects. Something tells me he’s not, that this is tied into him sending me home with Jasper.
I don’t want to discuss this at all—not just because it’s with Brooks—but because I don’t want to tell him about how small I feel around my parents, or how humiliated I feel around Seth, or how angry and scared, quite frankly, that I am around Lewis Lemon. I don’t want to discuss any of it. But Brooks knows about the whimsy list, and he didn’t make me feel awkward then. And sharing that with him, even if accidentally, did help …
I blow out a breath as my stomach tightens so much that I wince from the pain. “It’s for my dad’s birthday. My mom is throwing it, so it’ll be exceptional, I’m sure. Jessica Van is known for her epic parties.”
“Sounds like a good time.”
“Sure. If you like conversations about banking and couture, appetizers that you can’t pronounce, and that everyone present will discuss and analyze your appearance and life choices in the following weeks, then it’s a splendid time.”
