Snow:Not even once. Show starts at 7.
Me:I thought you didn’t do dates
Snow:This is not a date. Just a group of friends hanging out to support another friend.
Snow:Definitely not a date.
Snow:No no no nope.
Me:You trying to convince me, or yourself?
Snow:Shut it, Cole. See you at 7.
Me:When can I have that date, Snow?
I watch the gray dots appear and disappear over three times before she finally replies. I don’t want todatedate her. I just want to take her on one.
Snow:I’ll think about it.
Sliding my phone back into the pocket of my jeans, my smirk turns into a wide spread grin as I sink into the black leather couch when Tate barrels through the door.
“Alright so. We need a game plan about the next time we hang out with our new friends,” he says, sitting directly beside me. Our knees touch slightly, and I shuffle over to make space. His tone has shifted almost completely from our little interaction earlier, and I know he’s switched work mode off.
“Wedon’t need shit.Youare the one who can’t keep it in your pants when you’re in the same room as them.” I laugh, leaning back into the cushions. “AndIam seeing them later tonight at Olive’s gig.”
“Dammit,” he shouts. “I have a meeting on zoom that I can’t miss. Will you tell them I said hey?” he asks, and I shake my head in disbelief that we have the same parents. “What do you think my chances are with Bea? I reckon I have a shot.” He changes the subject, pulling his phone out of his pocket, because no matter what, he can’t seem to stay off the thing.
“She’s married, Tate. To Laney, a woman, who was at games night,” I remind him. “You met her.”
“What about Lizzie or Olive? Or even Jenna?”
“You really don’t know how to read a room, do you?” I ask him, and he turns to face me, eyebrow slightly arched. “There’s not a chance in hell that Cassandra’s sisters would be into you even if you were the last man on earth, and Jenna is…” I hesitate. Because realistically, she doesn’t belong to me, and she can do who and whatever she pleases. And Tate has made it clear that she and I shouldn’t be doing whatever it is that we’re doing.
“Jenna is what, Cole? Are you going to say it or are you going to make me?” he asks, his face deadpan. My brother knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s pushing to see what he can get out of me, and right now I need to remind myself that what I do in my personal life, is the business of nobody else.
Brother and manager included.
“She’s off limits.” I rise from my seat, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably. It shouldn’t be news to him. She literally shoved him out of our apartment while she looked like the devil and an angel wrapped in one. She told him to leave so she and I could do whatever the fuck we needed to do. “What do you think she and I did last night, Tate? Gossip and have a pillow fight?” I ask, frustration evident in the tone of my voice.
“So you admit it.” He locks his phone, eyes finally on mine.
“Admit what?” I shout, moving to the other side of the room to create some much needed space between us, my hip resting against the tiny kitchen countertop. My arms are crossed over my chest so he can’t see my clenched fists.
“That something is happening between the two of you.”
“If by ‘something’ you mean sex, then yes,” I say, and he sighs. “Why does that sigh sound disapproving? It’s sex. It’s something people do all the time,” I tell him, knowing whatever is about to come out of his mouth is something I don’t want to hear. “You should try it sometime.”
“I just don’t want you fucking this up, Cole. I’ve worked too damn hard to get you this job. I put you through classes, got your foot in all the right doors.” He rises, and we’re eye level now, eyes honed in on each other.
“It’s fucking sex, Tate. It won’t interfere with what we have going,” I assure him—and myself—and he nods, but I’m not sure he believes me. Hell, I don’t know if I believe me, either. “She and I have already had ‘the talk’. This ends when shooting does.She isn’t a distraction. My head is in this career, Tate. You know it is. Ineedthis.”
“Then don’t let your heart wander, brother.” He pats me on the shoulder as he makes his way out of my trailer, leaving me alone and wishing he’d never even shown his face.
I love my brother. He’s my best friend and always has been. But he always seems to think he knows what’s best for me, that he can predict my next move. Based on what he just said, he thinks I’m going to not only let Jenna distract me from producing the best work, but he thinks I’m going to fall in love with her.
I can’t let either of those things happen.
Iwon’t.
