Oh god!
No. Please let this be a dream.
I don’t understand why or how but Dean is standing right in front of me. A very shirtless, sweaty Dean. My eyes can’t help themselves and are scanning over all of his abs and down to his carved legs in nothing but running shorts and sneakers. I swear the way the sweat glistens over his chest makes him look like he walked straight out of a magazine.
Brian’s arm tightens around me and it snaps me out of my gawking, and I turn to look at him. He is looking at me with a puzzled look, and I realize no one has said anything for a few seconds as we were all just staring at each other.
Dean stretches out his hand and says “Nice to meet you Caroline. I would give you a hug but I am all sweaty.”
I slowly move my hand into his and awkwardly shake it. I am too caught off guard by the way he said my name to act normal. It was all deep and gravely, and I am so glad I did not tell him my name that night at the bar because there is no way I would have been able to walk away if he had said it like that.
I look down to our hands that are still joined and pull it back quickly like he burned me.
I still can’t believe this is happening.
Maybe he doesn’t recognize me. Or maybe he will think I was so drunk that I won't recognize him and so he will play it cool. Maybe I actually was that drunk and it isn't really him.
Yeah that’s it. There’s no way this is the same guy as the guy at the bar. What would be the chances of that? And Dean was way too young to be Brian’s dad. That’s right I have just been spending too much time thinking about that night and am projecting onto Brian’s very hot dad.
Oh shit. That’s probably why he’s looking at me funny because I was totally checking him out right in front of his son.
Brian interrupts the silence “I gotta pee. Be right back babe.”
“I’ll go grab the rest of our bags.” I say as he walks toward the main floor bathroom.
Brian’s dad says “I’ll help.”
Oh great. I was trying to escape and have a moment to myself.
Brian yells out as he is shutting the bathroom door “Be there in a sec.”
I quickly head toward the door and out to the car. I can hear footsteps following behind me but I don’t dare look back.
I am leaning into the truck grabbing my bag, when Brian’s dad stops behind me and softly breathes out. “Birthday girl.”
I can’t tell if he is asking or telling, but my mind has gone into overdrive. He knows it’s me. Not only does he know, but he also just confirmed out loud that he knows so there is no way for me to deny it.
I turn around so fast and look at him with my mouth hanging open not knowing what to say. “I-- I don’t--”
A smirk appears on his face as I stutter over my words and I turn outright angry. Does he think this is funny? He really thinks kissing his son’s girlfriend is something to be laughing about? I glare at him and raise one eyebrow asking those very questions with my facial expression. It only makes his smirk grow even more.
Brian is suddenly rushing out of the house to come help, so I turn toward the trunk again and grab more bags so he doesn’t notice the tension between me and his dad. Dad? How can Dean be his dad? There’s no way he is old enough. He must’ve been even younger than I thought when Brian was born.
I reach for the last bag, but Dean grabs it from my hand. “Here I’ll take that.”
I look down to where his hand is on mine taking the bag directly from my hand. I let it go quickly so I don’t have to be touching him. I nod and I want to act polite in front of Brian so I say “Thank you Mr. Douglas.”
Brian laughs out loud at that. “Jesus Care! Do not call him Mr. Douglas. Just call him Dean. You are going to be here for a while.”
I look to Dean pretending to seek permission to call him by his first name, but I really just want to look at his face again to take in the fact that he really is here standing in front of me. Confirmed even once again by Brian calling him by his first name.
Dean just nods his head and smiles like he is saying of course you can call me Dean.
We start to walk back towards the house and Brian has to open his mouth “Or you know if you don’t want to call him Dean, you can just call him daddy.” I cough, choking on my own breath. He did not just say that. I glare up at Brian in disbelief but he just keeps going. “Isn’t that right Daddy-O?”
Dean gives a small laugh. “Sure whatever is fine.”
But when I look back at him his smirk is even bigger and more sinister than it ever was before. I turn away and blow my hair out of my eyes. How am I going to survive living here for a month?