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Forty-five minutes later, we pulled out of the driveway and headed downtown.
“Tell me you’re taking me to that new seafood restaurant that opened down by the river.”
“If that’s where you wanna go, that’s where I’m headed.” I made a left at the next light, turning down the road that would take me in that direction. “So, did she-who-shall-not-be-named give you a reason?”
Carly shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s always the same thing. It’s not you, it’s me, but then they go on to list all the things I did wrong, which feels a lot like me and not them.”
I frowned, not seeing my brother’s fault in it. “Like what?”
“Like, sometimes they say I’m just not assertive enough or that I don’t initiate intimacy. It honestly doesn’t occur to me because I’m just not a very sexual person, I guess. As long as we’re having a nice time, it doesn’t cross my mind.”
“So, you’re not sleeping with these women?”
“Sometimes, but not really. I mean, if they try to kiss me, I kiss them back or try to remember to hold their hand while we walk, but I don’t want to invite myself inside after a date just to put the moves on them and get them into bed.”
I turned into a paid parking lot and parked the car, getting out to feed the meter. “So, are you just not into these girls? Or is it more than that? Maybe you’re asexual, Carly? There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Carly shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s it. To tell you the truth, I jerk off enough for two people. It’s just that, when I’m with these girls, I guess they want me to be all alpha, and I just don’t see myself as this slick move-maker. What’s wrong with one of them taking the initiative and putting moves on me?”
I laughed and shrugged. “Yeah, most girls aren’t like that. They’re submissive, for the most part.”
In high school, my brother told me he was attracted to both men and women, but I’d never seen him date a man or even look twice at one. I wanted to mention that might be the problem, that if he was attracted to men, he should try dating one and see how that felt, but he seemed so far out of his comfort zone as it was, I didn’t want to step on his toes. The whole point of this evening was to cheer him up, not dump more shit on him, so I wisely kept my opinions to myself.
Our waiter seated us outside on the deck, overlooking the river. It was a beautiful evening; the breeze getting cooler as the sun set. Bold splashes of orange, gold, and magenta streaked across the sky, painting the horizon with an artist’s brush.
I ordered a burger topped with a crab cake while Carly chose the seared Ahi tuna steak, seasoned citrus potatoes, and a side of asparagus sautéed in a lemon-butter sauce. He was such a foodie. In our family, Gordy did all the cooking. Nobody could touch his culinary skills, but Carly was a connoisseur, he loved to try new dishes and decide what paired best with what.
“So, how come I haven’t seen you go out much lately? No clubs, no hookups. What gives?”
I took a big bite of my burger, taking my time to chew and swallow as I considered what I wanted to say. How best to answer? “No reason, just busy with work.”
“No more busy than you ever were. How’s your friend Ryan?”
“Fine, I guess.” I wiped my mouth with my napkin and looked up at my brother. I could tell by his satisfied smirk that he was up to something. “No, Carly. Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is no.”
“What? What am I thinking? I was just asking about your friend.”
“Bullshit. You’re being nosy, and I’m not gonna answer your questions, so drop it.”
He agreed to let it go, for now. “I was thinking of having some kind of drink naming contest this weekend at the bar to drum up revenue. Alcohol related events always bring in a crowd.”
“That sounds fun. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not sure. Maybe we can come up with some new drinks, and they can choose which ones they like, and they can name them. The winner gets a gift certificate. That way, they put the money they win back into the bar, and if they bring a date, which they likely will, we make money off of that dinner and drinks.”
“It’s scary the way your mind works, always thinking about how to fleece people out of their hard-earned money. It’s brilliant.”
We wrapped up dinner and headed back to my car. “Where do you want to go next? Because I’m not taking you home yet just so you can put that stupid movie back on.”
Carly shrugged, hands in his pockets. “Then take me to a real movie.”
We arrived late, sneaking into the theater during the opening promos. Carly dug into his box of candy, already smiling and looking happier. My attention caught on the row in front of us where two men were cuddled awfully close, their heads almost touching as they shared a bucket of popcorn. My double take revealed a silhouette suspiciously similar to Ryan’s perfectly styled hair. I squinted and sat forward, peering at his profile.
Carly tugged my arm. “Hey,” he whispered, “isn’t that Ryan?”
Fuck me, it definitely was! The little snake had duped me, telling me he was getting ready to watch a movie when I’d texted earlier. I’d assumed he meant at home. Alone! But no, instead, Ryan was right here, on a date! I lifted my arm, intending to tap his shoulder, but my brother shoved my hand away.
“Don’t you dare!” he whispered, frantically shaking his head. “He’s on a date.”
