I shook my head. “No, I wasn’t here last year. However, I’ve been in Cali for almost a week. I was very surprised when you didn’t stick your head in the door as soon as I arrived.”
“I was working, Beautiful. I was actually in your neck of the woods, consulting on an acquisition and merger for a friend of mine. I sure hate I’ve missed spending some extra time with you. Eric texted me, told me you guys were down here at the beach.” He was staring so hard, with such open admiration in his eyes it made me blush. He smirked at me, putting his dimples on full display. “If its okay with you, I’m gonna be bold for a second, and —”
I smiled, holding up a finger to interrupt him. “B, three years ago you cornered me in the bulk bins at a Whole Foods and asked me — very eloquently, so I give you credit for that— to let you give me oral sex. I hardly think you need to ask my permission to be bold.”
He cupped a hand over his face as he chuckled. “Come on, TK, why you gotta bring that up? I can’t try to be a better man? I’ve grown from that point.”
“Have you?”
“I have.” He at me for a moment before he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, then leaned slightly in my direction with a lowered voice. “You know… that offer still stands if yo—”
“Brandon!”
He held his hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay. I should probably get back to my point, huh?”
“You should,” I nodded.
Instead of saying anything, there on the beach, in front of the fire, with fireworks from a distant show decorating the sky, Brandon kissed me. It was a wonderfully romantic setting, Brandon was gorgeous, and it was actually a nice kiss, but… he just…
Isn’t Avery.
“Now,” Brandon said, grimacing as he pulled away, “I’ve been waiting like eight years to get up enough courage to do that, and I just knew I was gonna blow you away, but you are looking at me like you got kissed by a cousin.”
“Oh! B, no, it’s not like that. I’m sorry if—”
“Don’t apologize. You’re not the one who gave somebody a bad kiss.”
I shook my head, placing a hand on his shoulder as I laughed. “It’s not like that either. It’s just…”
“You’ve already got a little boyfriend, huh?”
“Little?”
“Any guy with a woman I want will always be her lil’ boyfriend to me. Not her man, her lil’ boyfriend,” Brandon insisted, barely holding back a laugh.
“You’re a dang fool, you know that?” I asked, giggling as I took a sip from my water. “No, I don’t have either of those, but I’m… getting over something, and I’m not prepared to embark on anything of a romantic or sexual nature right now.”
He nodded, slowly. “Meaning… someone has your heart, but he’s not yours.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Yes.”
“Say it ain’t so, TK. You’re not out here robbing women for their men, are you?”
“No!” I scoffed. “I am completely respectful of the fact he has a girlfriend, and I would never try to insert myself into someone’s relationship! Like I said, I’m just still getting over it. Until then, I can’t get involved with someone new. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”
A triumphant grin spread over his face. “Well that puts me in the clear then, I’m not new. We’ve been flirting back and forth for almost ten years, Beautiful.”
“B, you know that’s not what I meant,” I said, laughing. “By someone new, I mean—”
“Someone who isn’t him?”
I nodded, and even though disappointment showed in his eyes, he smiled. “I guess I can understand that. So you’re hoping you can get back together?”
“Well, we were never together, so it wouldn’t be getting back together anyway, but still… no, I wouldn’t say I hope so. It’s more like… it’s complicated.”
“Complicated enough that I don’t have a chance?”