Waving at her, of course, in the most awkward way possible, he went to the bar where Jayden was. He’d seen the whole thing and was laughing.
“Dude, she wanted the D. Shit. I just sound like my little brother.”
Benji scoffed. “Yeah, no.”
“No? She was basically humping your leg with her eyes,” Jayden commented, shaking his head as the bartender placed a plate of wings in front of him.
Taking one, he put it in his mouth as Benji said, “Actually, I’m good. Which is why I wanted to talk to you.”
Chewing, Jayden’s face scrunched up. “Talk? About what?”
“Um,” Benji said, leaning on the bar as a grin pulled at his lips. “Your sister.”
Jayden stopped eating. “My sister? Lucy?”
He nodded, facing his friend. “Yeah, er, well, I’m kinda into her.”
Jayden’s face took on a look of horror as his head tilted to the side. “Lucy? My sister? You’re into her? Wait, am I drunk? Is this real life?”
Benji scoffed. “You haven’t even had a drink tonight.”
“Yeah, but surely I’m hearing you wrong. My sister, Lucy? Angry brunette who could start a fight in an empty room?”
He nodded, a grin pulling at his lips. “Yeah, but she isn’t that bad.”
Jayden didn’t agree, his eyes still wide. “Are you sure? She doesn’t like guys. I think she might be a lesbian. Who wouldn’t be after Rick?”
“No, no, she’s not,” Benji laughed which made Jayden’s brows come together. “We’re actually talking.”
“Talking?”
Benji met his gaze. “Yeah.”
When Jayden didn’t say anything, Benji looked away and sighed. “Listen, I respect you, dude, and I know she means the world to you. We aren’t together or anything yet—”
“Yet? So you’ve already decided this is going somewhere?”
Benji scoffed. “Dude, I’m thirty-two years old. I lost my family twelve years ago. I don’t have time to just fuck around. I want to be happy.”
Jayden sucked in a deep breath. “Man, I hear you and I respect you, you know that. But my sister is tough. She’s been burned bad.”
“I know, but I just wanted to make sure that you know I won’t burn her. I won’t hurt her.”
Jayden nodded slowly. “I wasn’t even worried about that. Really. But she could hurt you.” Benji paused as Jayden’s eyes searched his. “I haven’t seen her with anyone since she and Rick divorced, and it worries me. I want my sister to be happy.”
“Me too,” Benji said. “I’m not one of those guys who—”
“Dude, you don’t have to sell me on you. You’re one of the most stand-up and honest people I’ve ever met. My sister deserves the best. I know, as her brother, I’m supposed to be like, no one is good enough for my sister. But, really, you are. Seriously.”
Benji’s heart warmed as the emotion choked him. He’d never thought he was much of a man. He tried hard to be honest and good to the people he knew, but to hear that from Lucy’s brother meant the world to him. Maybe he was doing something right. Meeting Jayden’s gaze, he nodded. “I would be the luckiest man on earth if I was loved by Lucy and Angie. But like I said, it’s new, only a week, but I wanted to be honest with you.”
“And I appreciate that, I do. Though, remember, Lucy is harsh. But the fact she’s even talking to you and you feel like this could go somewhere means something and, dude, that’s awesome. I miss her smile.”
That was clear and it made Benji’s heart hurt. What did that jackass do to her? It wasn’t Jayden’s place to tell him, and he didn’t want to hear it from him, but he needed to know. When Jayden looked back at him, he didn’t smile as he asked, “Does she know about Leary and Ava?”
Benji swallowed hard as he shook his head. “Not yet. I’m waiting for the right time to tell her.”
“And I assume she hasn’t told you about Rick the dick?”
Benji shook his head. “No, but I’ve met the dude and wanted to punch him in the face.”
“Yeah, he has that effect on people,” he laughed and then shook his head. “Well, I’m rooting for you two. I hope it works out. Just know it won’t be easy. Nothing is easy with Lucy.”
“Funny, she said the same thing.”
“Yeah, ’cause she makes it hard as hell,” he said, exhaling a breath. “She’s headstrong, very do-it-herself. I mean, you know about the shop and shit?” Benji nodded and Jayden threw up his hands. “I told her, stay with us till you get things figured out. She wants to rent a hotel when I get home Friday. She’s fucking insane.”
“A hotel?” he asked and Jayden shook his head.
“Yeah, she’s driving me up the wall. I almost want to rent her an apartment just so I know she’s good, but she would kill me.”
“Yeah, she doesn’t take handouts well.”
Jayden scoffed. Hard. “Dude, you have no idea. She’s got everyone so stressed out because she’s so stressed. I’m about to glue her ass to my house.”
Benji smiled. “I offered my house, but apparently, that’s weird.”
Jayden laughed. “Yeah, it is.”
Benji grinned. “Well, I just want them to be safe.”