“I’m not blind. I know he’s attractive. I can see the way women look at him, but you don’t know him like I do. To me, he is just Drew. He’s family.” I shrugged and returned to my computer, typing up a quick e-mail.
“You sure about that?” Wiley asked, giving me an I-don’t-buy-it look.
I looked away and pursed my lips. “Well, actually, I did have a really intense dream about him last night.”
“Really?” She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “Spill!”
I sat up and faced her. “I don’t remember all of it. Just pieces, like flashes of his hands and him kissing my neck. It was weird.”
She jumped off my desk, surprising me.
“I knew it!” she said, a little too loud. Slapping her hands over her mouth, she glanced at the door to Madeline’s office and leaned in to me, lowering her voice. “I knew you were into him.”
“What? No, I’m not.”
“You so are. I knew you wanted him. You don’t have sex dreams about people you don’t want to have sex with,” she whispered.
“It wasn’t a sex dream!” I said though clenched teeth. “There was no sex.”
“How do you know? You don’t remember it all.” Her face morphed into a haughty expression.
“Trust me, I know. At most, it was foreplay.”
“Ha!” She thrust a finger at me. “That qualifies. Admit it! You want Drew.”
I put my hands up in defense, looking at her from the corner of my eye. That’s what you do with crazy people. Show them you are unarmed and don’t make direct eye contact.
“Whoa, chill,” I said, trying to calm her down. I pulled my chair closer to my desk and farther away from Wiley. “I didn’t say anything about wanting him.”
I tried to distract myself by typing up another e-mail. Did I want Drew? Yeah, he’s sexy as hell, and I do remember checking him out last night, but was my subconscious really trying to tell me something? I doubt it. Besides, even if I did want Drew, it’s not like he would want me. He has a Barbie Bimbo fetish. I’m not even close to his type. This whole thing was ridiculous. Nothing happened. The dream was a product of too much tequila and not enough sex. What I really needed was to get laid.
“Tell you what. Tomorrow night is trivia night at The Den. Come with. You can meet Drew for yourself; see just how much we annoy each other. Then you can put this crazy idea to bed.” I ushered her away from my desk so I could get back to work. She rolled her eyes.
“You say annoyance, I say sexual tension.” She waved at me over her shoulder as she headed to her office. I shook my head and returned to my desk. God, I hope she doesn’t bring this up around Drew.
***
I was just walking through my front door when my phone rang. I dropped my keys on the hook by the door and set my bag on the barstool to rummage for my phone. My bag had this little pocket for my cell phone conveniently sewn into the lining to eliminate this whole little dance of frantically searching for it before you missed the call, but I’d be damned if I ever used it. Just one more genius invention that goes unused, like portable purse hooks.
I finally located the phone and slid my finger across it to answer.
“Hey,” I said, sounding a bit out of breath.
“You should get a smaller purse, then maybe you would be able to find your phone faster,” Drew replied. I could hear the smirk in his voice.
“No can do. I can’t fit everything I need in this one.”
“What do you need with all that stuff anyway? That bag is dangerous. It should be labeled a weapon of mass destruction.” He chuckled.
“Hey, I’ll remember that the next time you ask me to sneak candy into the movie theater for you.”
He took a breath and continued. “So, last night, you passed out on me.”
“Yeah, sorry. Guess I’m a cheaper drunk then I used to be. I woke up with the worst hangover. No more Tequila Mondays for me, okay?”
“Okay,” he said, sounding a little confused. “You don’t remember anything?”
“Not really. Why? Did I talk in my sleep? I didn’t say anything stupid, did I?”
“No,” he said, “you were fine.”
“Good.” I started to unload my bag, taking out the concept drawings I brought home. “Oh, I invited a friend from work to trivia tomorrow.”
“She hot?”
“No!”
“No, she’s not hot? That’s not very nice, Red,” he scolded.
“No. She’s great, but no screwing my work friends! It creates too much drama for me when you stop returning their calls. She is off limits, got it?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. I got it.”
“Good.” I nodded. “Well, I would love to shoot the shit with you, but I have some work to do. See you tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” He dragged the word out a bit. “Red?”
“Yeah.”
“You really don’t remember anything?”
I panicked. Shit! Did I say something about him in my sleep? Oh God, what did I say? Play dumb. He will let it go. “Nope.”
Drew stayed quiet and I started sweating. Dear God, please let him just let this go!
“Okay, I’ll see you at The Den.”
I let out a big sigh of relief and rushed to get off the phone before it got awkward. “Okay, see you then. Bye.”
I hung up and placed my phone on the counter, leaning against it for support. I didn’t know what was up with me, but I needed to get it under control, and fast.
***
The Den was only a few blocks down from my apartment. It was a tiny little English pub, owned by Drew’s dad, Jack. Our little group affectionately called him Papa Jack. Papa Jack was a broad, burly, bear of a man, but his eyes gave away his sweet and gentle demeanor. His mess of dark hair was just like Drew’s, but gray was beginning to pepper through the dark strands. A scruffy beard covered most of his face, making his expressions a little hard to read and slightly more intimidating. Those of us he loved always knew where we stood with Papa Jack. Once he claimed you as one of his own, he would always have your back.
Drew and his brother, David, got their looks from their mother. I only met her a few times in college before she passed, but she was kind, beautiful, and the most genuine person I have ever met. Drew is so much like her. His kindness, compassion, and thoughtful charm all came from her. His sarcastic nature, sharp wit, and sense of humor was all Papa Jack.
I asked his mom once how she handled being around so much testosterone. She smiled, wrapped her arm around my shoulder, and said, “I treasure every gray hair they gave me. You’ll understand when you have a Collins boy of your own.”
She was always convinced Drew and I belonged together. I wish I’d had more time to get to know her, but, then again, to know her was to know her boys.
The air in The Den was always heavy with the smell of beer and fried food, making my heart full and my mouth water. Papa Jack made the best fish and chips in the city. Of course I was a little biased.
I made my way through the bar and headed to our usual table in the back, smiling at Papa Jack as I passed him in his usual place behind the bar. I swear the man never leaves this place.
Papa Jack looked up at me from the sink where he was washing some glasses and said, “I’ll send Bridget with your usual, Alex.”
“Thanks, Pop!” I shouted to him over my shoulder as I dropped into my usual chair facing the door.
A few minutes later, Bridget dropped a Bud Light and a basket of fish and chips in front of me with a nod and took off to deliver some more drinks.
“Papa Jack! My man!”
I lifted my head as Sean came through the bar. He slapped his hand against Papa Jack’s and made his way to me. Sean, Drew, and I stayed close after college. Now, Sean and Drew work at the same graphic design firm downtown. Sean and I had our differences over the years, but he was someone I could always count on. The man was in a class all by himself. He’s larger than life and always the one to stand out, but he is fiercely loyal.
Sean dropped down in the chair across from me, grabbed a fry from my basket, and popped it in his mouth.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said with a wink. He pursed his lips in my direction. He always was a shameless flirt.