Aubrey groans. “I’m thinking about this too much.”
“Yep.”
“I just want it to be perfect. If I end up treating Finn like I have all the other guys, I don’t know what I’d do with myself.”
“You can’t honestly think you’ll be rude to him. The guy’s been your best friend since you were young enough to not have to wear a bra. You need to give yourself some credit here.AndFinn. He’s not like the guys you’ve gone out with in the past, and you’re not going to suddenly turn into a mega-bitch for no reason.”
Despite her history with men, I mean every word. Aubrey’s the type of woman who can take one look at a person and find their biggest flaw before they’ve managed to introduce themselves. I’ve always chalked that up to her being one of the most cutthroat lawyers in Vancouver.
That’s been her biggest downfall when it comes to dating, which is why she sought Finn’s help. Only apparently, getting dating lessons from your best friend isn’t the smartest idea if you’re not wanting to fall in love with them.
“You’re right. I just . . . want this to go well,” she admits, voice heavy.
“And it will. Plus, you’ll know where to find me if you need anything. Once you’re done, you can give me a full debrief at the concert tonight.”
“Remind me to thank your brother for inviting you.”
“I will. Considering my own best friend didn’t,” I poke.
“Don’t think about putting the blame on me, Elle. You know I would have if Wes hadn’t beat me to it. Not to mention that I heard through the grapevine it was supposed to be a guys-only thing until Wes invited you.”
I crack a smile, feeling my heart warm. That tracks, honestly. Wes and I are close, and more often than not, he’s the one who invites me to team events. Aubrey doesn’t let that stop her from doing the same, but she’s always just a bit too late.
I’m not much of a rock music fan, yet I didn’t turn down the chance to attend the show with everyone tonight. Not only did it sound like a great opportunity to finally get out of the house, but it also gives me the chance to find someone to bang my brains out afterward.
The lobby of my building is quiet today as I stand by the door and eye the street, watching for my brother’s car. While the place isn’t overly high-end, it’s still safe enough to keep my brother from insisting I move in with him. I did put my foot down whenit came to apartment hunting when he attempted to buy me a place that had its own security guard manning the doors. That seemed a bit extreme.
Instead, we agreed on this place, and with my After Hours side gig, I can afford the rent myself. Wes may not agree with me continuing to rent when he can “easily buy me a place of my own,” but this is what I wanted to do. I’m too old to be having my brother paying for my life. He already did more than enough when he lent me the funds to start Soft Body.
And look what I’ve done with it, I think bitterly.Absolutely nothing.
“I know. I’ll see you after your date, Bree. Go get your man.”
“Alright, alright. See you.”
I lower my phone and swipe to my conversation with my brother. He should be here any minute?—
A car honks seven times, and I roll my eyes before shouldering open the door and stepping outside. A pink and orange sunset paints the horizon as I grip my purse strap and start down the sidewalk. Wes is parked around the corner from my building, with the front end nearly inside the ass of a much larger SUV.
“One of these days, someone is going to smash your windshield with a baseball bat,” I warn after tugging the passenger door open.
My brother turns to me, his brown eyes already rolling. With his messy hair hanging floppily across his forehead and curling behind his ears, he looks more like a teenager who just rolled out of bed than a professional baseball player. His lack of facial hair and constant half-smirked smile keep him looking like the baby in the family instead of the oldest sibling.
“I encourage someone to. I’ve been wanting a new car for a while now.”
“And you can’t just buy one? What’s with the need for violence?”
His eyes tighten at the corners as he takes in my outfit, his easy expression replaced with a firm scowl the longer he looks. “You’re not wearing that.”
“What?”
“Go back upstairs and change.”
Disbelief has me unable to form the proper response, so I repeat the same question. “What?”
“You heard me the first time, Brielle. I’m not taking you to a rock concert wearing that. This is a team thing, and I can’t be getting into a fight on your behalf.”
Eyes open wider than normal, I drop them to where my pink skirt cups the middle of my thighs. The fabric I searched for weeks for has the softest, subtle shimmer to it that I know will reflect just right off the arena lights. I cut the skirt and matching top from it just last week and have been counting the days until I could wear it out for the first time. There was no better debut than the most anticipated concert of the year.
