Ryder snorted, his good humor suddenly gone. “This is not some two-bit hooker you picked up at Starlight Express.” Starlight Express was a bar renowned for having an anonymous and vast array of * for hire. “This is a friend, your best friend’s family, Decker, don’t you dare fuck her around. Bradley will beat the ever loving shit out of you, and I’ll stand right by his side and watch.”
I was slightly surprised by the venom in Ryder’s voice. He didn’t even know Andi, yet he was prepared to stand up for her. I was impressed at his loyalty; it’s why we got along so well.
“I’m not fucking her around. I don’t know what this is. I like her, my dick fucking loves her, but we haven’t exactly put a label on it. It’s too new to know where it will go.”
Ryder still looked pissed. “So what? You’re going to play this thing out and leave The Bishop on the sidelines just in case it isn’t what you hoped? That’s not cool, Decker.”
“I’m not playing with her!” I said, my temper finally snapping.
“Sure as hell seems that way to me. If you really wanted to give Andi a chance, you’d be on the phone to The Bishop right now, telling him you’re no longer available. There will always be porn, Decker.”
“This is The Bishop! I’ve been waiting to work with him for fucking years! I’m not going to toss that blindly aside over something that might not even start!”
Ryder sat back in his chair, his angry brown eyes glaring at me. I didn’t back down though. Theoretically, I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I wasn’t working right now, and I wasn’t exactly dating Andi.
“Seems to me like you’ve already started something. Don’t be a dick, Decker. You made those rules of yours up for a reason. Either stick with them or call The Bishop.” He got up and left, bastard just fucking walked away from me, in the middle of work.
I wanted to punch something. I was frustrated and more so by the thought that maybe what Ryder was saying was right. Bullshit, I closed down that line of thought immediately. Andi had only been in my life for a little less than a month, and I wasn’t fucking anyone else at the moment, only her. But in another two weeks’ time, I was supposed to start filming on The Bishop’s set. Was two weeks enough time to know what I truly wanted? I wasn’t doing anything wrong though. I was just giving us time to explore this, see where it went. In two weeks, if I still felt the way I did today, I’d call The Bishop and quit. If I couldn’t see a future with Andi though, if she couldn’t see a future for us, I’d let her go. No harm no foul. Then why the hell did I feel like the world’s biggest asshole?
My cell phone rang, and without looking at the screen, I answered the call.
“Decker! Why am I only just now finding out that Bradley’s little cousin has moved to New York?”
“Hello to you too, Mom.” She sounded pissed. Was it pick on fucking Decker day?
“You know how I found out?” She ignored my hello. “Joyce McNally, that old gossip knows everything. Did you know Andrea’s father passed away?”
“Andi.” I collapsed back in the chair, flicked the pause button off, and the slapping sound of flesh filled the air.
“Andi who? And turn that filth off while you’re talking to me!”
I shook my head and hit the mute button. I, unfortunately, knew my mom and dad weren’t as opposed to porn as they make it seem. I wish I could erase that nugget of information from my brain.
“Andi, she prefers to be called Andi now. And yes, she told me that her father passed away from pancreatic cancer almost a year ago.”
Mom took a long calming breath. “Why didn’t Bradley tell you about her father?”
“I don’t know, Mom, perhaps because Andi’s life had nothing to do with me. It’s not like we were friends. I haven’t seen her since she was a teenager. It wasn’t my business?”
“Poor thing. She must be so lonely, no family or friends here. Have you seen her?”
I almost snorted out laughter. Ah, yeah, I’ve seen her alright. Right down to her sassy Tink tattoo, rosebud nipples, and sweet wet *. “Yeah, Mom, I’ve seen her a few times. I’m surprised Dad didn’t mention it; he knew she was here.” I could hear a faint growl start low in my mom’s chest.
“Good question, which your father will be answering tonight while I make up the spare bed for him.”
I chuckled at my mom’s harmless threat. No way would she toss Dad from the bed. She would be over her temper tantrum in the next five minutes.
“Bring her around for dinner this Saturday.”