“I’m sure.” I rub my hand over my jaw. It’s time to be the bigger man. I mean, I’m the better man of course. “So since you guys are going to be married soon, I thought it would be good if we got together and, I don’t know . . . just talked. Maybe get some grievances off our chest that we might have and start on a clean slate. I feel like there’s been some tension between us. Or have I been reading the situation wrong?”
“Nah, things have been weird,” he admits. “I think it was after that chatter about the stocks. Things went downhill from there.”
Well, hell, I didn’t expect him to be so honest and upfront. Got to give the man credit for that.
“Yeah.” I twist my glass on the table, the condensation collecting on the wood. “That was when things got weird.”
He leans back against his booth seat and undoes the buttons of his jacket. “I’ll be honest. I felt intimidated by your friendship with Lia and of course your success with your brothers, and I went about it in all the wrong ways. I’m sorry about that.”
Huh . . .
This is, well, this is not what I anticipated. I expected him to maybe place blame on me, or say nothing was wrong, or even pick a fight, but this . . . yeah, I don’t know how to handle such honesty.
I grip the back of my neck. “Thank you for the apology. That, uh, that means a lot, man.”
“Yeah, I should have done it a while ago, maybe things wouldn’t have been so awkward between us and we could have hung out more, but pride is a funny thing.”
“I get that. I probably should have approached you earlier too.”
“Why are you approaching me now? Besides the wedding coming in close.”
I shrug. “Just thought that maybe it would be best for everyone. I think Lia sensed the tension between us, and she’s already stressed, so I didn’t want to stress her out even more. I thought if I could remove a stressor for her, it might ease her mind.” I want to say ease her apprehension, but fuck would that open a door I don’t want to walk through with Brian.
“Thoughtful,” he says with an edge. Now that was the kind of tone I was expecting, not the happy-go-lucky guy I was just talking to. In seconds, I watch his posture stiffen, his expression grow hard, and the smooth edges of his jaw become jagged.
Sound the alarm . . . the man is on alert and ready to strike.
And here I thought he was going to be mature.
*Mentally rubs hands* This is what I was waiting for.
Keeping an easy-breezy tone, I say, “And with you guys getting married, I don’t want to lose her. I know things will change because she will be your wife, and I’m going to respect that. I won’t be able to drop in all the time as I do now, and I know our friend dates will be few and far between. I just don’t want any awkwardness to get between us.”
Brian nods. “I can understand that.”
It’s all he says.
He doesn’t reassure me.
He doesn’t offer up a plan that could solve my anxieties over losing Lia.
Just a simple understanding. My suspicions were correct. Once they get married, it’s going to be hell on earth to hang out with Lia. And let’s be honest. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t want the best friend to crowd my marriage either. Especially if I was marrying Lia—which would be weird—but I wouldn’t let him near her.
Our drinks and salads are delivered at the same time, and as we set our napkins on our laps and pose our forks, I can’t help but wonder why he’s so defensive about my relationship with Lia. We’ve never, and I mean NEVER, given him a reason for concern. So why the fuck does he hate me so much?
“You know, I’ve always admired your friendship with Lia.” He looks up at me. “That’s all it’s ever been, right?”
Jesus . . .
Okay, so that’s why he hates me.
“Yes,” I say, looking him dead in the eyes. “She’s my best friend, that’s it, nothing more. You don’t need to worry about anything other than us just being friends.”
He slowly nods. “Well, if that’s the case, I’m supposed to have Lia all to myself this weekend, but I would love to go out on a double date with you.”
“Oh, that would be cool, but I’m not seeing anyone at the moment, so your double date would sort of be a third wheel situation.”
“I’m aware of your dating status. That’s why I have the perfect person for you.”
Errrr . . . what?
“You have someone for me to go out on a date with?”
Brian nods. “Yeah. Her name is Birdy. She is my buddy’s sister, and she’s been having a hard time finding a genuine guy. He was telling me about it last night, and I thought, you know, I might have the perfect person for her. And since, you know, you don’t have any romantic feelings for anyone else, this might be the perfect chance to meet someone new.”
Any romantic feelings for anyone else? That’s a specific way to say that.
I feel like this is a test.
This isn’t an act of goodwill or a way to get closer to me on a friend level. This is a test, and if I fail, he won’t believe me when I say nothing is going on between Lia and me. This is him trying to see if an ounce of romance exists between his fiancée and me.
“A double date.” I smile up at him. “Sounds like fun.”
Can you hear the lies dropping off my tongue? No one, and I mean NO ONE, likes to be set up, let alone on a double date where you get to be stared at the entire time by an established couple.
If you’re looking to spend your evening in horror, that’s the way to do it.
But I would do anything for Lia, so . . . it looks like I’m a double dater now.
“Great.” Brian beams, his rabid expression vanishing. “I’ll set everything up and have Lia relay the info to you.”
“Sounds great,” I say as I take a bite of my salad.
Go be friends with Brian.
Get to know him better.
Clear the air . . .
Yeah, Kelsey and Lottie can go to hell with their advice.
Lia: Uh, earth to Pickle, earth to Pickle, are you there?
Breaker: I don’t want to hear it.
Lia: A DOUBLE DATE?? Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?
Breaker: Maybe I left him back in New York.
Lia: Do I need to borrow your private jet to fly myself back and see if I can find him?
Breaker: Not sure the greatest SWAT team out there could find him at this point.
Lia: I can’t believe you said yes to a double date. Frankly, I’m a little disappointed in you. You don’t conform to social engagements.
Breaker: But Brian asked, and I felt obligated to say yes. Who knows, maybe this girl will be the love of my life.
Lia: Birdy and Breaker, it does have a nice ring to it.
Breaker: We clearly would need to name all of our children with B names.
Lia: Bertha, Bernard, and Barabbas . . . Auntie Lia is coming for those snuggles.
Breaker: Watch out, Barabbas is still wetting his pants when you squeeze him too hard.
Lia: I thought Birdy took him to the pediatrician to see what the squeeze pee was all about.
Breaker: Weak urethra, just going to have to give him time. Squeeze gently.
Lia: Barabbas is getting a head pat. Bertha and Bernard will be squeezed.
Breaker: Don’t you DARE treat Barabbas differently. He’s human like the rest of us.
Lia: You’re right . . . you’re right, that was wrong of me. I’ll just squeeze gently and wear old shoes.
Breaker: Now there’s a good aunt.
Lia: For the record, Birdy is a blonde, and blondes aren’t your favorite. So curb your displeasure.