he went to Saint Andrews and I went the public route; he went Ivy League for college and law school while I commuted to the state college 45 minutes from my house; oh, and I’m a total dweeb who spends her days at the library surrounded by books and her nights in her childhood bedroom surrounded by books while he probably has a very busy, very wild social life that includes a veritable buffet of sexual partners.
With that thought, I slam down my soap and step out of the shower. I wrap myself in a thick terrycloth robe and pad quietly to my room across the hall just in case my dad has any more questions he wants to ask me tonight. I care about catching the criminal and bringing him to justice. I really, really do, but right now, given the choice, I’d much rather dwell on Ben and the fact that more than likely, our paths won’t ever cross again.
I throw myself onto my bed dramatically.
I’m an idiot.
I should have written my number on that ice pack.
5
Ben
“Community service? Are you serious?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Are you doing this for chicks? Because, man, I know like four women who would cut their right arm off to sleep with you. I know because they made that perfectly clear to me the other night at Nick’s barbecue. The last one gave me her number to give to you and I threw it in the grill out of spite. It’s these goddamn cheekbones.” Andy releases the bench press bar long enough to stroke my cheek goadingly. It tickles and I flinch, jerking away. “Do you sharpen them or what?”
I politely tell him to fuck off and he shrugs and looks away, bored. “I need a beer.”
I finish my last rep and sit up, pointing out the obvious. “We’re in the middle of working out.”
He throws my towel at me. I drag it down my face then hang it around the back of my neck.
“Yeah, about that—why did I let you talk me into this? My whole shtick is that I’m kind of chubby but charming nonetheless. Women love it—well, the women who don’t want you love it.”
I shake my head, careful to ignore him. On a good day, Andy is unbearable. Most days, he’s fucking ridiculous. He’s the brother I never had, and we’ve been friends since kindergarten. We went to the same law school then followed through with our plan to move back to Clifton Cove after graduation and start our own firm. I could have easily taken a position with my father, going for the easy hours and raking in the cash, but Andy and I had our own ideas. Besides, it’s better this way. I don’t like answering to anyone, not even Andy, which is why I own 51% of the firm and he owns 49%.
I glance over to the mirror to see him checking out one of the women across the gym. Arianna—he’s been in love with her for as long as I can remember. She waves before I motion to him to come spot me again.
“When do you start?” he asks as I lie back and grab the bar.
“Friday, after work.”
He looks crestfallen. “We’re supposed to get drinks after work on Friday.”
“Rain check.”
He drops the bar and walks away.
“Andy!”
He ignores me. No doubt he’s going over to talk to Arianna.
Out of the two of us, he’s more easily distracted by the opposite sex. I’m pretty sure he loves women more than life itself, and it shows. On paper, Andy is more of a ladies’ man. He dates. He Tinders. He swipes on every available app and prowls the gym every time we’re here on the off chance his soul mate is within reach. Tonight, he’s in luck. She’s actually here.
As for me, I’m not really interested in dating at the moment. For the last few years, women have served a singular purpose in my life. I’ve been happy with nights spent with tourists I’ll never see again. It’s easier than the alternative: sleeping around with women in Clifton Cove. We all grew up together, and I’ve watched them become the debutantes their parents always wanted them to be. There’s a mold they all adhere to, and while it’s not a bad mold, it is a boring one. Even though I know it would make my dad happy to see me settle down, I can’t seem to want a single one of them.
Just because I don’t want to