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Chapter 6
Zander
Jogging through Central Park, Zander told himself he needed to lay off the takeout food and start cooking like an adult. Sweat poured down every inch of him, and his breathing was that of a man about to collapse. The back of his white T-shirt was sticking uncomfortably to his back, urging him to return home immediately and take a shower. He thought about the air conditioning in his apartment and the comfort of his couch. He thought about how it would’ve been so much better if he had stayed home and watched Netflix like he’d desperately wanted to. Still, he pushed on, telling himself he needed to clock at least another half mile to justify the hot wings he’d down when he got home.
Zander stopped to catch his breath, the heavy metal band he loved since high school screaming in his ears. When did he get so out of shape? Was it just him, or was the same run he’d done for years getting harder?
He peeked at his phone, deciding to change it to “The Eye of the Tiger” to give himself some inspiration—he would never admit that the song inspired him, at least not in public—when he realized he had an incoming call.
It was his brother, Ian.
Finding a bench to rest on, Zander picked up the phone. “Hey, what’s up?” he said, although it came out more like a wheeze.
“Are you okay, brother? Sounds like you’re having a heart attack or running a marathon.”
“Sorry. I’m in the middle of a run. What’s up?”
“My brother, the runner? What’s going on?” he teased, and Zander shook his head.
Ian had been the sporty jock type in high school, muscles rippling and girls falling over themselves to get to him. Zander, on the other hand, had been the theater nerd with thick glasses who usually got picked last in gym class. They’d come from very different high school experiences, and Ian still liked to tease him about it.
“Very funny. I’m surprised you can take a few minutes from your life in the spotlight for some boring peon like me. What’s going on? Have you decided to hang up your life on the edge and move to the suburbs?”
“You know better than that. Listen, I am actually calling to extend an invite.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I have a couple of weeks off in between filming, so Anne and I are going on a vacation. We’re thinking Germany. The director of the film I’m working on has family there, and they’ve offered us a place to stay. Wanted to see if you could spare some time and come hang out with us, third wheel a bit. It’s been forever, brother. And although I hate to admit it, I miss the heck out of you. We’re leaving in two weeks. Do you still have your passport?”
Zander sighed, leaning back on the bench and looking up at the sky. It had been a while. Too long, if he were being honest. Ian had moved out to California a couple of years ago to chase his crazy dreams. With his filming schedule and work, he rarely made it back home, even for holidays. Zander hadn’t seen him in person since Ian’s Las Vegas wedding. It would be good to see him. Even though they were wildly different, Ian had always been one of Zander’s best friends. They’d had their typical sibling rivalries and tiffs, but that hadn’t got in the way of their bond. Zander still talked to Ian on the phone often, but it wasn’t the same. He missed seeing his little brother on a regular basis, even if it did mean more jokes at Zander’s expense.
The wilder side of Zander told him to go for it, to throw caution to the wind, pick up, and go on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with his brother. It would be nice for once to just have fun and ignore rational thought. And he did still have his passport from the family’s trip to Niagara Falls a year ago, so he could make it all work if he wanted to.
But then Zander thought about work. The school year was winding down, but they still had a while until graduation. In a few weeks, there would still be classes. He couldn’t just take a week or two off to go gallivanting through Germany on a whim. He couldn’t just leave behind everything, his apartment and responsibilities. He had bills to pay and a job to consider here. He couldn’t just hop on a plane for an international trip because he wanted to. Responsible, rational adults didn’t do that.
Ian had never been rational. Responsible, somewhat, but rational wasn’t how he lived. Of course, in his line of work, that was an asset.
“That sounds fun, but I can’t. I have work and things to take care of here. I can’t just get off from the school for a week or two with this little notice.”
“Come on, Zander. Live a little. When’s the last time you got out of the city? When’s the last time you went on an adventure? Call in sick. Take a leave of absence or something, I don’t know how it all works. But come on, do this. It’ll be something we’ll remember forever.”
It was tempting, and Zander took a moment to think about it. He wished he could be like Ian, ignoring what he was supposed to do in favor of what he wanted to do.
But he couldn’t. He knew no matter how bad he wanted to say yes to this one, it had to be a no.
“Sorry, brother, but some of us have more traditional roots laid out. We can’t just pick up at the drop of a dime. Thank you for the offer. I really do wish I could go, but I just can’t swing it.”
“You’re single, and from what I’ve heard, you’re somewhat attractive. Don’t let that go to your head, and know I’d never admit it out loud. But seriously, Zander, come on. Life is for living, not sitting around some New York City apartment working on lesson plans. Take some time off. Come with us. It’ll be fun. And who knows, maybe you’ll meet some herrlich frau. That means gorgeous woman. I’ve been brushing up on my German. I know some swear words, too.”
Zander shook his head, grinning at his larger than life brother whose grasp of the German language was shoddy at best. Of course Ian wouldn’t see any problem with jet-setting around the world at the blink of an eye or learning German or just picking up and leaving work behind. Ian’s life was different than Zander’s. Way different. Fast cars, parties with the up and coming, life in the fast lane. And even though Ian was married, he’d hardly settled down. Anne was a model with a love for living a life of adventure as much as Ian. They just didn’t get what real life was like.
“Listen, I love you for inviting me. It sounds like fun, it does. But I can’t pull it off. Maybe over the summer, I’ll make it out to California to see you, okay? You can show me around.”
“Sure, brother. That’s what you’ve been saying for the past two years. I’ll believe it when I see those pasty pale legs of yours in the California sun.”
“I’m sorry. I miss you, I do. But… I have to think about the life I have here. You know? I have responsibilities.”
“That word is so boring,” Ian replied, and Zander could imagine the signature Ian eye roll happening.
