by t. h. snyder
“Well that was interesting to say the least,” she whispers.
“Yeah, I didn’t think I’d get comments like that thrown at me on my first night here.” “Don’t mind Pete, he’s really harmless,” she says.
“He seems like a total dick. How do you guys know him anyway?”
“Nah, he’s not normally like this. He’s just…well, I don’t really know what’s gotten into him tonight. I’ve known him forever. He works for my dad and is the head of building design for Taylor & Sons Contracting. He works on the lead crew with Dad, Riley and two other guys.”
“Ahh, I see,” I reply, giving her a questionable smirk.
“Really, he’s a good guy. If he wasn’t, I don’t know that Riley and Derrick would hang out with him. He just got out of a really bad relationship a few weeks ago. The girl he was dating was a complete bitch and he found out she was cheating on him with some guy she worked with. It was pretty bad for a while. That’s why Riley wanted him to come over tonight. Pete’s been laying low for a bit and we thought it would be good for him to chill with us.”
“Well. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt tonight, but if I catch him pimping me out to Derrick again I’ll have to smack him upside the head.”
Char lets out a laugh, “I’d pay to see that.”
I gulp down the last sip of my wine. Damn, this is going down way too smooth and I’m beginning to feel it already.
“You want another glass?” Char asks.
“Yeah, I’ll have one more. Then I think I’ll call it a night; I’m getting pretty tired.”
“Hmm, I wonder why. It’s not every day you take a fourteen hour road trip.”
“True, and I don’t plan on making that trip again anytime soon.”
“Well, let’s go fill up our glasses and I’ll show you the upstairs.”
Char and I move to the kitchen for a refill and head up the stairs.
The room I’ll be staying in is already furnished from when Riley was staying here. Derrick’s even set it up with new curtains, bedding and a few pictures of Boston.
It looks so welcoming in here. The colors are awesome; I don’t know that I could’ve done a better job myself.
“Geez, Derrick really went all out in here,” I say, looking around the room.
The walls are painted in a crème color, and there is dark brown wooden furniture set up throughout the room. The curtains are a deep purple that match the crème and purple bedding. It’s perfect.
“You can’t give him all the credit. I did a final sweep to make sure it looked okay,” she says with a smirk.
“Well, you both did a great job. I can’t thank you guys enough for doing all of this for me.”
I don’t know if it’s because I’m so tired, or the wine, but I’m beginning to feel a little emotional. I sit down on my new bed and stare at the wall of pictures featuring my new home.
“Hey girl, what’s wrong? You look like you’re about to cry. What happened to the happy-go-lucky Em?” she asks, sitting down next to me.
“I don’t know, Char, it’s just a lot to take in right now. I thought I had my whole life planned out for me and now I have no clue what direction I’m going.”
She wraps one arm around my back and leans her head onto my shoulder.
“I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. I mean, I dealt with an ass of a boyfriend before I met Riley, but it was nothing like what you’re going through right now. Just know that between the guys and me you’ll have all the support you need. It won’t be easy, but we’ll try our best to make this feel like home to you.”
As much as I’m trying to contain the tears, they begin to fall down my face.
“I just want to be me again, Char. It’s been so long since I was happy and did things that I wanted to do.”
“I know, girl—but don’t worry—everything happens for a reason, right? You were meant to be in Boston with us, and starting tomorrow your new life will begin. I have a whole day planned for us to tour Boston. I’ll show you all best place to eat, shop and relax if you want. You’ll see; it’s going to be great.”
“I love your optimism, Char. I promise I’ll snap out of this funk soon enough.”
I look to her and smile, wipe away my tears and give her a hug. I never had a sister to talk to, but if I did, Char would be my choice.
“Good. Now, dry your eyes and let’s go back downstairs to harass the guys.”
“Sounds like a plan. Thanks again, Char,” I say with another smile.
She leads me out of my bedroom and toward the bathroom next to my room, grabs a washcloth from the linen closet and runs it under the water in the sink.
Without even asking her for help, she’s taking care of me. No one other than my mom has ever cared enough to help me like this.
I watch in the mirror as she wipes the dried tears from my cheeks and removes the trail of mascara around my eyes.
“There, now you’re good as new. No more tears, lady. The new Em doesn’t cry over stupid shit anymore; she’s way too strong for that. Besides, I think you need a little banter between the guys to pick up your spirits.”
I let out a laugh, “Yeah that sounds like exactly what I need to bring a smile back to my face.”
“Then let’s get our asses downstairs,” she says, tossing the washcloth into a basket next to the sink.
As we walk down the stairs I see the guys standing around in the kitchen. Once we’re in their sights Riley strolls over and scoops Char into his arms.
“There you are. I was about to send a search party up there for you,” Riley says, pulling Char into his side.
She nuzzles the side of her face into his chest as he leans down to kiss her forehead.
“Could you two please contain your public display of affection? You have three broken hearts watching here and it’s no fun,” Derrick chimes in.
“Umm, speak for yourself, Derrick. There’s no broken heart in this girl; I’m happy to have said good riddance to that asshat.”
I look over to Pete as he spits his beer out of his mouth. The four of us burst out laughing at him.
“Well then, this girl has her priorities straight,” Pete says, wiping the spilled beer off of his shirt.
I give him a wink and take a sip of my wine.
Char is right; my new life starts now and no longer am I going to cry over the pain of the past.
Stupid putz!
I can’t seem to keep my alcohol in my mouth tonight when Emma’s around. If she didn’t think I was an ass before, she sure as hell will now.
She’s kept her distance from me ever since she overheard me talking to Derrick out on the deck. I don’t want her thinking I’m a dick—well, it’s probably too late for that—but still, I’d like to get to know her if she plans on sticking around here for a while.
I can’t help but watch her every move.
She’s a tiny little thing, but there’s something about her that I can’t quite figure out. Her smile is contagious and the way her eyes shine when she looks at me—fuck, it’s hot as hell.
If only I could catch her alone for a few minutes, I could apologize and set the record straight. I’m really not the kind of guy to act like this; I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. I’m a thirty-seven year old single guy. I should really get my shit together.
“Hey guys, I know I have a kitchen to die for, but you think we could move our little party into the living room?” Derrick asks, nodding his head toward the other room.
“Yeah sure, come on, Em,” Char says, pulling Emma by the hand.
Once again, my eyes dart toward her and watch as she walks away.
“I can tell that I’m never going to see my girlfriend again now that Em’s here,” Riley says with a pout.
Char turns around and blows Riley a kiss. These two really know how to make a guy’s stomach churn.
“Could you two get a room?” I ask with a scowl on my face.
“Aww, are you jealous, Pete?
Is someone getting more action than you?” Emma asks me with a cute smirk.
“Oh shit! She told you!” Derrick says with a laugh.
“Well at least she’s talking to me now,” I say giving her a wink.
“I’d have no problem talking to you as long as you’re not trying to hook me up with my new roommate. No offense, Derrick.”
“None taken. Em. You’re going to be the sister I never had, so no worries about it,” he says, plopping down in his leather recliner.
“Glad we got that cleared up, but what about me?” I ask.
“What about you, Pete?” Emma asks.
“Well, we have the lovebirds over there, you and Derrick are roomies. Where does that leave me?”
“I’d say that leaves you out of the loop and shit out of luck pal,” Riley says, taking a seat on the couch next to Char.
I watch Emma as she covers her mouth trying not to laugh.
“Thanks, ass, I know when I’m not wanted.”
“Aww come on, Pete, these three have taken me in. I’m sure they have enough room in their big ol’ hearts to give you a little bit of love, too.”
“Thanks, Emma, I feel all warm and fuzzy now. I think I’ll take a break from this bonding moment and step outside for a bit,” I say as I walk out the patio doors and onto the deck.
Manny trails behind me and I take a seat on a chair next to the chiminea fireplace. I stare off into the dark woods behind Derrick’s house.
A lot of shit has gone down for me in the past few weeks—but Emma’s right—I do have some amazing friends that are here to help cheer me up. It drives me nuts to think about what Kathy did to me. After three years, I don’t understand how she could’ve gone and done the things she did.
I don’t know if I’ll ever want to trust another chick again, let alone let myself open up like I did with Kathy. I gave her everything but a stupid fucking ring on her finger and she moved on without me. No communication, no signs, not one single thing that led me to believe she was having an affair.
I sit back on the chair and close my eyes. I need to move on from the pain she’s left me in—at least try to move on. I’m not some pansy-ass that’s going to dwell on the past, but shit, this still kind of hurts.
I hear the door creak and I open my eyes.
“Would you mind some company?” Emma says in her sweet southern voice.
I sit up in the chair and pull out the one next to me for her to sit. It’s dark outside, but with the light of the chiminea I’m able to still see her.
“Thanks,” she says, sitting down.
“No problem.”
I look back toward the woods, trying to think of the right thing to say to her. I wanted a moment alone, and now that I have it, I don’t know what the hell to say.
“I don’t judge you for what you said earlier,” she says.
I look over to her. She’s curled up on her chair and has her feet tucked beneath her.
“Are you cold?” I ask.
“Ehh, just a little.”
I take off my fleece and lean over to wrap it around her shoulders.
“Thanks, Pete,” she says, grabbing for my hand.
I let her hand rest on mine for a second, but quickly draw it back.
“Damn, Emma, you shocked me.”
She sits up in the chair. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry, Belle, it just caught me off guard.”
She lets out a giggle, “What did you just call me?”
“I called you Belle, you know, because you’re a sweet southern belle.”
“Well thanks, Pete, no one’s ever given me a nickname other than Em. My parents always called me Emma, and as for Riley, well that depends on his mood. Sometimes I’ll be Em and others he’ll call me Emma. But I like Belle; it’s different.”
“Yeah, that’s me—different.”
“Don’t be so down on yourself, Pete,” she says, reaching her hand on top of mine.
Zap.
“Shit, you shocked me again.”
“Oops, sorry. I’ll keep my hands to myself. It must be from the cold weather and your fleece.”
We laugh together for a second.
“I need to apologize for the way I talked to Derrick about you earlier. That really isn’t me; I was just being a dick. Lately the things that come out of my mouth are more brash than I’m used to, so I’m sorry.”
“Thanks for that, it means a lot.”
“So can we be friends now?”
“I’d say that’s a good start. Not knowing anyone or anything about Boston, I need as many friends as I can get.”
“Good deal, Belle, now I don’t feel like the loner in the group.”
“You’ll never be a loner when I’m around, Pete. I got your back.”
“I think that’s the cutest things I’ve ever heard, in a weird sort of way.”
For the next few moments we both lean back in the chairs and just stare up at the sky.
I’m glad that I had a chance to talk to her on our own. She’s right, having as many friends around as you can is a good thing.
It’s only been two days living in this new place and already I feel like it’s home to me.
I will say, I’m not used the amount of attention I’ve been getting from Derrick, Char and Riley, but it’s still nice to know that they’re all here to make me feel loved.
Char wasn’t joking when she said we were going to tour all of Boston—well, at least the shopping district.
I got to see so much of the city and I think that I’ll start to know my way around in no time. I just need to get myself lost in order to find my way back home again.
The day started with Riley and Derrick waking me up to go for a nice long run around Pier Park. It was cold as shit, but Char was sure to give Riley some cold weather running gear for me to use. It wasn’t exactly what I’d planned to do at seven-thirty on a Saturday morning, especially after downing a bottle of wine, but the scenery was beautiful.
After the run with the guys I came back, showered and got dressed for a fun filled day roaming the streets of Boston.
Char took me for breakfast at a cute little coffee shop and then we were off to shop. We took a break and stopped for lunch—my treat that time—and afterward we did some more shopping. Since it’s a lot colder up north I was in need of a real winter coat, boots and a shitload of other stuff. Once we were done buying out the stores we came back to Derrick’s house for some more food.
The guys cooked us up spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I was a little apprehensive when I heard Riley was involved in the cooking process, but Derrick assured me that he manned the stove and left Riley in charge of setting the table.
It was another nice, quiet night amongst my Boston family.
I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made to leave North Carolina. As much as I miss my dream house and the warm weather, I know bigger and better things are to come for me.
Now I’m lying in my nice warm bed, not having the least bit of motivation to get my ass up. It’s only seven, but I have a feeling the guys will be in here any minute to rain on my relaxation parade.
I hear the front door slam shut and Manny’s nails scratching along the wooden steps. I turn over in my bed to see his little black nose sniffing under my door. I laugh and throw my blankets off of my warm body.
“Hang on, boy, Aunti Em is coming.”
I start to walk toward my door when it bursts open with Manny rushing for me and Riley close behind.
“Well good morning to you, too, Manny. You need to tell daddy that he needs to stay at his own house until at least midmorning; you’re lucky I’m not a grouch before my first cup of coffee,” I say, giving Riley a look.
“I can’t help it, Em. It’s been forever since we lived this close to one another. Besides, Char is still sleeping so I had to find someone else to bother. She is a grouch before her first cup of coffee so I let her go until she comes to me.”
“Nah, I can’t im
agine Char ever being a grouch,” I say, sitting back down on my bed with Manny.
“Give her time, Em, you’ll see the real Char soon enough,” Derrick says, walking into my room in a pair of grey sweatpants and a Harvard Law hoodie.
“Geez, can’t a girl get any privacy this early on a Sunday morning?”
“Nope,” both Riley and Derrick say in unison.
“Thanks, guys, next time I’ll just lock the door so y’all can’t come in.” I stick my tongue out at them.
“Go ahead, we’ll just pick the lock and get in anyway,” Riley says, bending down to tie his shoe.
“Any who, what’s the plan for today? Or do I get a day on my own to explore the city?” I ask, looking between the two guys.
“You sure you want to go out alone?” Riley asks.
I look over to him and give him a questionable smirk.
“Let me remind you, little brother, I’m a thirty-eight year old woman. I think I can handle a big city on my own.”
“Holy shit, you’re thirty-eight. You’re even older than Pete and that’s old,” Derrick says, taking a seat on the desk chair.
My head whips in his direction and I give him a death glare.
“Okay, you two out of my room….now,” I say pointing toward the door.
“Oh shit, now you did it, Derrick,” Riley says, backing out of my room.
Derrick just sits on the swivel chair laughing.
“Umm, that means you, too, Derrick. You want to call me old then get the hell out of my room. I don’t come barging into your room at the ass crack of dawn and insult you.”
“But Em, you look amazing for thirty-eight,” Derrick says through his laughter.
“Derrick, I know I just met you, but if you don’t get out of my room, so help me God I’m going to kick you in the balls.”
“Okay…okay,” he says with his hands in the air. “Damn, she might even be worse than Char without her coffee. Get your ass downstairs and make her a mug of coffee before she cuts off our balls.”
“You two really know how to make a girl feel like shit,” I say, slamming my door in their pitiful faces.
I really need to get out of this house.
Reaching into my suitcase for a bra and panties, I make my way over to the bags of clothing I just bought. I dig out a pair of jeans and a brown sweater with a white camisole and lay them down on the bed with a pair of socks and my new boots.