Tempted - First & Forever Stories

By the time Casey joined us almost an hour later, Eden was pulling a golden brown Stromboli from the oven, and I was putting the finishing touches on the bar I’d set up on a side table. As Eden brushed the roll of baked pizza dough with garlic butter, my brother frowned and muttered, “I know what you’re both trying to do, and it won’t work.”

He was standing in the doorway, and I said, “Come in and close the door. It was finally getting warm in here. Would you like a beer? I got you a case of PBR. There’s also plenty of stuff to make mixed drinks, if you want something stronger.”

Casey, bless his stubborn heart, remained right where he was and asked, “Did you hear what I said?”

I turned to look at him. “Yes. You know what we’re doing, and you’re right. We’re plying you with one of your favorite foods and a lot of booze, so you’ll stop being mad at us.”

He met my gaze and said, “I’m not mad at you, Seth.”

I went over to my brother and pulled him inside. Since he was as big as I was, he had to cooperate in order for me to do that. Then I shut the door behind him and grabbed him in a hug. His arms remained at his sides, and he sighed dramatically. It was like hugging a giant redwood.

When I let go of him, I said, “I’m sorry I went speeding off when you first arrived. I shouldn’t have done that, but both you and Eden were really pissing me off. The good news is, I used my time in San Francisco well before Eden came and got me. Come sit down, and I’ll tell you all about my new job.”

Casey knit his brows and asked, “Does that mean you’re done being a gigolo?”

“I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure a gigolo is someone with female clients. I was a sex worker, and yes, I’ve retired from that profession.”

He stood near the fireplace and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the new job?”

“I’m the new assistant manager of a sex shop called Buckingham Phallus.”

The corner of his lips quirked up in a smile before he could stop himself. But then he tried to look serious as he said, “You’re kidding.” He really was determined to keep his guard up.

“Nope. I start next weekend. As a bonus, my friends and family get twenty percent off all the merchandise. So, if you have any lube, sex toy, or sexy underwear needs, come on by. Our dildo selection can’t be beat.” It seemed like he was trying to decide if I was serious.

Eden announced dinner was ready, and my brother helped himself to a beer. Then the three of us sat down to a completely awkward meal. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Casey was sulking. He just seemed unhappy and wasn’t interested in making conversation.

When we finished eating, I offered to clean up and Eden said, “I think I’ll go for a walk.” It was cold and dark so he couldn’t go far, but I knew he was trying to give Casey and me a chance to talk.

Once he was gone, I turned to my brother and said, “Thank you for letting Eden use your car to come and talk to me.”

“To be clear, that was for your benefit, not his. You were obviously upset, and I figured you’d want to hear from your boyfriend.”

“I wish you’d stop acting like Eden did something wrong,” I said. “Do I really need to point out, for the millionth time, that I’m an adult and can make my own choices?”

“I’m not questioning that. I’m just not okay with the choice he made to turn your relationship sexual.”

“It’s so much more than that, Casey. I plan to build a future with him.”

“Good luck with that,” he muttered. “He was with Sarah for years and just strung her along without ever actually making a long-term commitment.”

“That’s not fair. You know as well as I do that both of them tried to make it work, but they always felt like something was missing. Breaking up was a mutual decision. You can’t pin that on Eden.”

He shrugged and said, “All of that’s according to him. But maybe he was just trying to make himself look good.”

I studied my brother closely as I asked, “How can you say this stuff about your best friend? I know for a fact that you love Eden.”

What I’d meant was that he loved him as a friend, but Casey met my gaze with panic in his eyes. Suddenly, it all made sense. “You’re in love with him,” I whispered.

“It doesn’t matter.” Casey went to the sink, turned his back to me, and started rinsing the dishes.