Some Like it Hotter

For the first time Ames’s usual pleasure over Mike’s happiness was tainted with a new emotion, a darker one—irritation or...envy?

An image of Eva came into his mind, her lips parted, her body held tight, seconds before it released into orgasm. Then Eva again, smiling into his eyes as he stroked her belly, swelling with their unborn—

Good God, what had they put in his beer? He’d had that fantasy once before, about six months into a promising relationship, which had ended abruptly when—

“Yo, Ames. What is up?”

“Huh?” He started, coming back to the bar and to his brother, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming. “What? What are you talking about?”

Mike stared at him suspiciously. “You got this really goofy look on your face.”

“I did not.”

“Dude. Big-time. What’s that about? You seeing someone? That woman I met last time is history, right? The icy brunette—what was her name?”

“Taylor.” He shoved in a handful of French fries, washed it down with beer. Yeah, Taylor was brilliant, unbearably sexy, but icy was a good word. Mike had uncanny instincts. Kind of like Eva. “No, I’m not seeing her anymore. There’s no one.”

“There is someone. C’mon, I know you better than that. What’s up with her? Trouble?”

Ames sighed. His brother wouldn’t give up, and he might as well talk these weird feelings out with someone he trusted.

“I met this woman. Eva. She’s...I don’t know, a little crazy. Not in a bad way—maybe unusual is a better word. Certainly she’s not like any woman I’ve ever dated. Not that I’m dating her.” He laughed, then realized there was nothing funny about what he was saying; he was just babbling like a nervous dork, so he shut up. “She seems to get that I’m not interested, but she keeps showing up and getting me to do things I have no intention of doing, like playing mini golf in a bar where there were these huge plastic zoo animals everywhere. Can you imagine me doing that?”

“Nope.” Mike was smirking. Ames hated it when Mike smirked. “If you told me any of your women demanded dinner in Paris, yes, but mini golf with zoo animals? Nope. Tell me more.”

“First of all, she’s not my woman. But anyway, she shows up at my condo with dinner one night—uninvited, this is, like, the third time I’ve ever seen her—and then she just walks in while I’m taking a shower, and...well, you know.” He shoved in more French fries, feeling guilty, as if he’d betrayed Eva by talking about it, which annoyed him, because he owed her nothing. Not as if they were dating.

“Ooh.” Mike’s eyebrows rose over his smirk. “A naked, willing woman in the shower. What a nightmare.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Ames gulped more beer. Somehow this was not coming out the way he’d intended. “Well, it was weird. So I told her that was it, it was just that night.”

“And she’s been stalking you?”

“No.” More French fries. More beer. And another fry. Or two. “She was fine with it.”

“So...you meet a woman who isn’t your type, you tell her to go away, she does, and...” Mike held out his hand. “I don’t get it. What’s the problem?”

Ames gritted his teeth. “I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Sorry?” Mike put a hand to his ear, speaking too loudly, enjoying himself hugely. “I’m sorry, what was that? You can’t what? Can’t stop thinking about her? Was that what you said? You weren’t quite clear.”

Ames forced his jaw to relax. “You heard me.”

“Ooh.” Mike was having way too much fun. “It sounds like this woman has you a little off balance, maybe? A little confused? Don’t know which way is up? Eating French fries uncontrollably?”

Ames took back his hand, which had been reaching for more. “It’s not a big deal.”

“No, no, of course not.” Mike nodded with exaggerated slowness. Still smirking. “I have a theory, but it will piss you off.”

“Then I don’t want to hear it.”

“Okay. Then I’ll be kind and simply say go with your feelings, Ames. You feel like seeing her? See her. You don’t? Don’t. You’ve been honest with her. Keep doing that, but also be honest with yourself and you can’t mess up.”