‘If you had four brothers you would do wicked, wicked things to maintain your sanity and status within the pack too, I’m telling you.’
I left her in the library to research the intricacies of British politics for her historical novel and met my brothers outside. Despite the extortion, they were both in good moods, with college finals over and less than two weeks left before the summer break started at the end of June. I still warned them they better not dump the flyers and when they gave me their word they wouldn’t, I promised I’d keep their sordid secrets and bring my special white chocolate and honeycomb cookies when I saw them at Daisy’s softball jamboree at the weekend.
Then I went home, just like I’d told Keisha I would, with every intention of getting down to some work on my novel.
I opened my front door and it was like wading through soup to get to my A/C unit and try to get it working. I swore the make-up was melting off my face. By the time I’d given up and was pushing open my window instead, trying to get some of the stuffy air out, my cell phone rang.
‘Oh my God, Elle, talk to me,’ my eldest sister Lucy said as soon as I answered. ‘About anything that isn’t babies or diapers or sleep deprivation.’
‘Are you OK?’ I waved to Mr Biggins and flicked my blind down. It really would have been nice to be able to keep it open and get some more air in the place, without having him there, watching.
‘Yeah. Brigid’s gone down for a nap and I have about forty-five minutes to be a person and not a mom.’
‘Moms are people.’
‘Worn-out people. And this is not what I asked you to do. Have you no mercy?’
‘OK, OK. What d’you want to talk about? What have you been watching on Netflix?’
‘You can do better than that. Tell me, what’ve you being doing in your young, free and single life, on this glorious summer’s day?’
‘I’ve been to the library.’
‘Well…that’s pretty dull.’
‘You asked. I mean, at the weekend I began a mission to try and track down a long-lost family friend, if that’s a little more interesting?’
‘Who? One of ours?’
I laughed at the thought we could ever lose a family friend. They were around at my mom and dad’s house every weekend and all the major birthdays and national holidays in between. I explained to her what had been happening.
‘Isee. So, who exactly is this guy you’re helping out?’
‘I met him in the UK last Christmas. He’s Beth’s boyfriend’s brother.’
‘Oh right. Is he handsome?’ she asked, slyly.
Having so many siblings I’d always found the best way to deal with any of their attempts to tease me was to take away their ammunition. Emotionally, it was hard to always follow through with this tactic, and it was in those instances I resorted to blackmail and threats.
‘Without a doubt. He looks a bit like, erm…’ I tried to think of someone she would know. ‘That actor who played the Darkling.’ Especially now he had the beard. It wassoStephen — long enough that it wasn’t a douchey little goatee and showed that he could grow a proper one but nottoolong. It highlighted his assets - sharp jaw and cheekbones, sexy lips, amazing smile - rather than hid themandI had no doubt it was clean. I wondered what made him decide to grow it?
Damn, it was possible I was getting a little obsessed.
‘Wow.’ Lucy hummed. ‘Does he kiss like he’s starving, too?’
A shiver went down my spine at the thought, but I reminded myself I was boiling hot and went into my bedroom to grab my fan and set it up on my desk. ‘I would not know because I have not and will not be engaging in anything of that description with him.’
‘You’re such a spoilsport sometimes. If he’s so hotwhyaren’t you interested in doing the horizontal tango with him?’
‘I’m too busy – I’ve got my book to edit,’ I said, which was half the truth and half a lie. ‘And handsome men are completely overrated. They think the world owes them admiration and coddling or something. I’m tired of going into things thinking I’m just going to have some fun, then they want more but don’t want to givememore. It’s so…it’s such a waste of energy.’ I jammed the plug from my fan into the outlet in the wall andswitched it on, but now I was too overheated to feel anything from its meagre breeze.
‘It’s not always like that. Quinn’s not like that.’
‘No. You and Quinn fit. It’s getting a man who fitsmethat’s the issue. I’m beginning to think I am a square peg trying to squeeze into a round hole. Maybe I’ll be better off staying single.’ I said it lightly, like I was joking. Not like I was genuinely considering celibacy. There was nothing wrong with consciously choosing to stay single, though. Think of the freedom. Think of the extra space in the bed.
‘We’ll see, but since youaren’tbusy dating right now…I was wondering if you’d be able to babysit for us one evening soon? So we could get out. Not for long, neither of us can stay awake much past ten anyway.’ She snorted.
I went over to my fridge and opened it to stare at the contents, letting the cool air wash over me. ‘I don’t know. My deadline is looming.’
