"Nice. Is she willing to share this dessert, or is it just for you?" I chuckled and started up the grill as Daniel walked out onto the patio.
"Are you guys talking about a real dessert or sharing a girl in bed? You know that never goes over well for you, Brody." He adjusted his glasses and handed me the salt shaker. "Don't forget to season the meat."
"Thanks, buddy." I sat the burgers and salt down, ignoring his comment as Derek stepped in to give him hell. The serenity of the water across the road from us called to me, and I tried to access the calm I needed so badly, but found myself stuck in my angst.
Going over to Cora's that night was sure to be a disaster, and part of me wanted to chicken out and just let the rest of the guys go without me. I could find someone to hang out with, and taking the boat out by myself wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
"You not with us anymore, bro?" Clay patted my back as I opened the grill and started to lay out the burgers.
"Hmmm?" I glanced over at him. "Sorry, I was reliving the quickie I had with our lovely waitress from the Burger Barn."
"It's called Jaspers, and her name was Lisa." Daniel chuckled and moved up beside me. "The water looks great. We should just invite the girls to come over and spend the evening on the boat."
"Speaking of..." I bent down to turn up the heat a little. "I'm thinking I'll just let you guys go tonight. I'm not much for cock-blocking, and seeing that I'm the sexiest among us…"
I laughed as the two of them started pushing at me playfully.
"Emily's only got eyes for me, buddy. You lost your chance with that hot little number." Clay smiled, his eyes lighting up in a way that I hadn't seen in a long time. Maybe this chick was more than a quick roll in the sheets for him. Good. He was the long-term kinda guy.
"She is a pretty girl." I glanced over at Daniel. "And you? You going for the lovely leader of the pack?"
"Cora? Heavens no." Daniel pulled his glasses from his face and started to clean them with his t-shirt. "I honestly think I might try to grab Dedra's attention. My parents were rather against me dating a black girl, but I just don't feel the same. She's beautiful, isn't she?"
"Very." I internally sighed with relief. It looked like Cora would be playing odd-man out with me. Good. She wasn't interested, or was working hard to hide it, and I was fighting against the need to get in her face and make my point. I wasn't the guy that had her turning her nose up at men for life, though I'd most certainly been that guy for a few girls in my time.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure the sexy brunette that keeps denying you only wants the attention of one man." Derek let out a chuckle from behind us.
I turned and lifted my eyebrow at him. "Did you see her with someone in town yesterday?"
"Nope." He pulled his hat from his face. "I've only seen a few girls in my time get pissy so fast, and having three sisters, I'm telling you that she's interested. She's pissy because she doesn't want to be interested in you."
"Interested in me? No. I don't believe it." I turned back to the grill and nodded as a large gaggle of barely-clad women walked in front of the house, stopping to turn our way. I pulled my t-shirt off and winked at one of them as they started with their cat-calls.
"We're taken men," Clay called out to them, shrugged and puffing out his bottom lip.
"They're taken." I motioned toward my friends before lifting my watch to my face. "I'm free...well, look at that...for the rest of the night."
"Nope, you're not." Daniel blocked my view and tilted his head to the side. "Why don't you just try a different approach? Not all girls are into the 'drop your panties and let me use you for an afternoon' attack, right?"
"What?" I rolled my eyes and flipped the burgers. "I'm not having this conversation, guys. Cora is one girl with a bitchy attitude and a great rack. Big fucking deal. I'm not interested. It's plain and simple."
"Oh, you're interested for sure." Derek laughed, and the other guys joined in.
I nodded. "Alright. I'm telling you that I'm not, but whatever."
"He's getting sensitive. Leave him be." Daniel pushed at Clay. "He's just flesh and blood like the rest of us."
"Nope." I looked over my shoulder as I flipped them off. "I'm boners and attitude. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Dumb. Just ask the girl out, Brody. Shit." Clay dropped down in a chair beside the grill.
"Dude. I'm not interested. I'd fuck her, yeah, but I'd fuck a lot of these girls. Shut up about it already, shit." I turned back to the grill, hating how close they were coming to my thoughts. I wanted to ask her out, to work on getting to know her a little, but the truth of the matter was simple. It couldn't have much to do with her. I wasn't that deep of a guy. It was the challenge of getting her to relent, to break down and submit to me. Once I'd reached my goal and won the prize, I would move on. That wouldn't work too well if she didn't hold up all summer.
My friends seemed to be interested in her friends, which meant that I was stuck with the possibility of seeing her for the next few months. Using her and walking away would only leave everyone pissy with me. I wasn't about that life. No thanks.
She wasn't worth that.
And yet, I was nervous as hell about going to hang out with them later that night. There was no way to talk myself out of trying to get her attention, even though I knew it was damning from the start.