was afraid he’d lose the puppy that hung on his every word? “We aren’t as tight as we used to be. That’s just how life works. You’re with Brenda and one day I’ll have someone too.”
There was the sound of movement from the phone, followed by silence.
Had he dropped the phone? “Hello?”
“Give me a minute here.”
Some more noise s came from the phone. She waited.
“Listen to me. Brenda isn’t my best friend, Indy. This thing with her it isn’t all that. No one could ever fill your role in my life. Even though you seem to believe I’m replaceable.”
“I never said that.” The man was being a moron. “But we’ll both be busy with our jobs, our significant other and kids. We ’re drifting apart. It’s been happening since we went off to school. We say we’re best friends but we barely talk any more. It happens.”
“Not to us it doesn’t. First time I ever saw you, I was staring at you between the wooden fence posts. You were getting out of the pool and stuck your tongue out at me. The first time we played together you let me touch your curls.”
“I thought you were kind of a freak for asking.”
“I’d never seen curls like yours. They were so soft.”
Whenever he got all sentimental it was usually the drink talking. “Are you drunk?”
“Yeah, and fucking hard as a rock and high as kite.”
“Shit, Liam why do you have to be so vulgar all the time?”
“I’m fucked. I did some serious-liquor-mind-fuck . Even mixed in some cannabis. Brenda’s peeps are serious old school hippies. I’m standing outside in the freezing cold to talk to my best friend. I don’t like how I’ve been acting. And you’re right. Things have been off for a while. Rather than have this pull us apart let’s use it to make things between us stronger. Before we meet up with the gang New Year’s Eve, let’s have dinner. Just you and me?”
“Won’t Brenda be put off?” His signals were all over the map.
“This relationship with her is some fun. Nothing more. She isn’t the best in the sack either.”
She got it. The woman was someone to let him stab the box, do the kinky shit he was into and get high out of his mind with. Indy , on the other hand, wouldn’t touch the stuff and didn’t let men use her body. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“I’m telling you what’s going on with me. I’m not explaining. It’s the same reason I want to understand why you ’re suddenly hanging out with Saint Tim.”
“Can you not call him that? It doesn’t make me want to open up to you when you attack him. He ’s been really nice to me.”
“He’s my brother . It’s a bad habit,” he grumbled into the phone.
“Tim and I ’ve been hanging out. That’s all.”
“Has he come on to you?”
Maybe. It was hard for her to know if his getting off in the hall was a come on or a convenience. “Liam, that’s none of your business.”
“So you came on to him while you were tipsy and he didn’t even bat an eye?”
“I wasn’t making a move on him. You assumed that’s what happened. I was my usual mouth-with-no-filter self and Tim seemed to take it in stride like he always does.”
“And you wonder why I think he’s a saint. Thankfully, though, he is.”
“What’s that supposed to mean ?”
“I’m not going to act like I want you to hang with my brother, because I sure as hell don’t.”
“Let’s drop this. I’ve gotta jet. Lisa is having a meltdown man problem and wants me to go over.”
“I think that will be real good for both of you. You know how she gets when she’s dumped,” he said.
Why did she sense there was more to his encouragement than him wanting her to help out poor Lisa? “Right.”
“Are we cool?”
“Coolish…” That wouldn’t go away after one call. She also needed time to figure out things with Tim and her. If there even was a Tim and her. “I’m still annoyed with how you’ve acted.”
“I’m sorry, Indy. You know I care
There was the sound of movement from the phone, followed by silence.
Had he dropped the phone? “Hello?”
“Give me a minute here.”
Some more noise s came from the phone. She waited.
“Listen to me. Brenda isn’t my best friend, Indy. This thing with her it isn’t all that. No one could ever fill your role in my life. Even though you seem to believe I’m replaceable.”
“I never said that.” The man was being a moron. “But we’ll both be busy with our jobs, our significant other and kids. We ’re drifting apart. It’s been happening since we went off to school. We say we’re best friends but we barely talk any more. It happens.”
“Not to us it doesn’t. First time I ever saw you, I was staring at you between the wooden fence posts. You were getting out of the pool and stuck your tongue out at me. The first time we played together you let me touch your curls.”
“I thought you were kind of a freak for asking.”
“I’d never seen curls like yours. They were so soft.”
Whenever he got all sentimental it was usually the drink talking. “Are you drunk?”
“Yeah, and fucking hard as a rock and high as kite.”
“Shit, Liam why do you have to be so vulgar all the time?”
“I’m fucked. I did some serious-liquor-mind-fuck . Even mixed in some cannabis. Brenda’s peeps are serious old school hippies. I’m standing outside in the freezing cold to talk to my best friend. I don’t like how I’ve been acting. And you’re right. Things have been off for a while. Rather than have this pull us apart let’s use it to make things between us stronger. Before we meet up with the gang New Year’s Eve, let’s have dinner. Just you and me?”
“Won’t Brenda be put off?” His signals were all over the map.
“This relationship with her is some fun. Nothing more. She isn’t the best in the sack either.”
She got it. The woman was someone to let him stab the box, do the kinky shit he was into and get high out of his mind with. Indy , on the other hand, wouldn’t touch the stuff and didn’t let men use her body. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
“I’m telling you what’s going on with me. I’m not explaining. It’s the same reason I want to understand why you ’re suddenly hanging out with Saint Tim.”
“Can you not call him that? It doesn’t make me want to open up to you when you attack him. He ’s been really nice to me.”
“He’s my brother . It’s a bad habit,” he grumbled into the phone.
“Tim and I ’ve been hanging out. That’s all.”
“Has he come on to you?”
Maybe. It was hard for her to know if his getting off in the hall was a come on or a convenience. “Liam, that’s none of your business.”
“So you came on to him while you were tipsy and he didn’t even bat an eye?”
“I wasn’t making a move on him. You assumed that’s what happened. I was my usual mouth-with-no-filter self and Tim seemed to take it in stride like he always does.”
“And you wonder why I think he’s a saint. Thankfully, though, he is.”
“What’s that supposed to mean ?”
“I’m not going to act like I want you to hang with my brother, because I sure as hell don’t.”
“Let’s drop this. I’ve gotta jet. Lisa is having a meltdown man problem and wants me to go over.”
“I think that will be real good for both of you. You know how she gets when she’s dumped,” he said.
Why did she sense there was more to his encouragement than him wanting her to help out poor Lisa? “Right.”
“Are we cool?”
“Coolish…” That wouldn’t go away after one call. She also needed time to figure out things with Tim and her. If there even was a Tim and her. “I’m still annoyed with how you’ve acted.”
“I’m sorry, Indy. You know I care
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