Next Song I Sing (NEXT TIME AROUND) by Donna McDonald

sipping his coke as Sam laughed again.
    Max walked in and slid onto the stool next to Jasper. Sam fetched another coke with a broad smile still on his face.
    “What’s so funny?” Max asked, feeling a bit left out.
    “We were discussing the current condition of your brother’s balls,” Sam said, sliding Max’s coke in front of him.
    Max laughed, sneaking a sideways look at his brother’s laughing face. Chloe deserved a reward just for putting that wicked look on it.
    “Why? Has Chloe raised your awareness?” Max asked his brother, keeping his tone as serious as he could around the urge to laugh.
    “Yes she has, along with raising pretty much everything else I own as well,” Jasper said dryly, listening to both Sam and Max laugh loudly at his crude joke. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here with you clowns making high school jokes about my sex life.”
    “It’s called having fun, Jasper,” Max said easily. He reached over and patted his brother’s arm. “I know you don’t recognize it, but just trust Sam and me on this. You’ll get used to it again soon. Chloe must have some magic.”
    “I wouldn’t know. All I’ve done is kiss the woman,” Jasper told him sharply.
    “Yes, I saw a demonstration of your expertise a few hours ago,” Max admitted, smiling at Jasper’s obvious discomfort at being confronted about it. “Nice job by the way. So how great is she? I only got a cheek kiss last night because you were watching, but even that was promising.”
    “Touch her and die,” Jasper told his younger and still disreputable brother, grinning when Sam laughed loudly again.
    “I think Jasper’s trying to tell you Chloe is off limits, Max,” Sam told him.
    “Yeah? Well, that just sounds like a challenge to me. Want to make another bet about Chloe kissing me for real?” Max asked Jasper. “I did pretty well last night. Two out of three were on the lips. I’m all for trying again. Double or nothing, old man.”
    “I believe I’ll just go see how the front desk is doing this evening before Chloe and her friends arrive for dinner,” Jasper said, ignoring Max and sliding off the stool. “It will be more productive than killing my brother. Plus I’d hate to have to explain Max’s demise to our parents. It would interrupt their jet-setting to have to come home for his funeral.”
    Jasper was smiling as he walked out leaving the two men snickering behind him.
    ***
     
    Max watched Jasper saunter away, one hand in a pocket, practically whistling. He was trying to remember the last time he’d seen his brother so pleased with life or himself. Max thought it was probably when he had still been in high school.
    “Rayonna has informed me that she’s going to hook Jasper up with one of her friends,” Max said, confiding in Sam, which was something he frequently did nowadays.
    Sam was practically family, had been for years, but Max was starting to really appreciate the long term friendship between Sam and his brother. He wished he had a friend that close.
    Sam rolled his eyes. “Jasper is smitten. Unless Rayonna produces a friend with breasts bigger than Chloe’s and a voice sweet enough to make angels jealous, your brother won’t even notice. The woman wears a double D. Those are damn hard to compete with, especially challenging for small breasted models. Push-up bras can only fool a man for a short time.”
    “Double-D? Are you sure? And if you are, tell me how you know Chloe’s breast size?” Max asked, truly amazed at how glibly the fact had rolled off Sam’s tongue.
    Sam grinned. “It’s a gift of age and experience.”
    “What kind of experience?” Max asked, grinning back.
    “The kind a man doesn’t openly brag about to young players who think they’re God’s gift to all females,” Sam told him. “I could tell you the size of both her friends too. Want to know about the one you like?”
    “No—I like surprises,” Max said, sighing and looking at the bar. “Plus I think my