Her Best Friend's Brother (7 page)

“New York is great Libby; I just remember how excited you were about Florida. You even had me thinking of spending some time down there in the sunshine.” Libby was confused, but undeterred. Tonight was their night she was sure of it. She scooted a little closer to him and moved her hand to his thigh. “I want to come to New York. You are in New York.” Going al out, Libby wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his mouth. She hadn’t kissed Tony in a year and a half. Not since his cousin’s wedding. She was not disappointed.

Any chil she had been feeling earlier in the evening disappeared immediately. Her skin was on fire.

His mouth was insistent and firm on her own, his tongue was sliding against hers, and unlike the kisses of her memory she no longer felt he was holding back. Tony wrapped one arm around her waist and dragged her closer to him. Groaning into her mouth at the feel of her breasts crushed against his chest, he tunneled his other hand into the hair at the nape of chest, he tunneled his other hand into the hair at the nape of her neck tilting her face for a deeper kiss. Encouraged by his reaction Libby dragged her hands between their bodies and with shaking fingers she began to undo his shirt buttons.

Al she could think of was touching him, feeling his skin beneath her fingers, tracing those muscles she had spent years studying. His hands joined hers and for one fleeting moment she thought he was going to help her find that skin she was so desperate to feel. But then he closed his fists over her wrists, and puled out of their kiss so abruptly that Libby was pretty sure she whimpered her protest.

“Libby. Stop. What are you doing?”

“I told you. I want to be with you.” Libby tried to lean in again and resume the kiss, but Tony held her in place.

“We can’t do this Lib. Not now. Not like this.” Tony tried to keep his voice calm; al the while his body was screaming its objections.

Libby recoiled from him. Humiliation settling in her chest. “You don’t want me? You don’t want to be with me?”

“Of course I want you! Where were you three seconds ago? You are so beautiful. You are the most stunning thing I have ever seen. Dressed the way you are tonight every man at this party wants you—I can’t help but want you, but that isn’t to say … we aren’t… together...” Tony stumbled trying to explain. He had a plan. Why was she messing with the plan? Why wouldn’t his brain pul it together so he could make sense out of al this? Only, he knew why— it was because most of his blood had drained southward the moment she had touched his leg.

“But that’s it? That was just your physical reaction to the way I look?” Libby scooted further away snatching her hands back.

“Christ, Libby! It isn’t like that.” Frustrated in more than one way Tony dragged his hand through his hair.

“You’re seventeen!”

“Eighteen.” Libby chewed on her lip.

Tony’s eyes narrowed on her. “Mel is seventeen.”

“My birthday is in January, hers is in December. I am almost a year older.” Libby’s whisper was barely audible, because it took al her remaining energy to keep from crying. Had she ever felt so smal?

Tony nodded. He knew that—he just hadn’t been thinking clearly. “Eighteen. Okay, but you stil just graduated high school. I don’t know if the actual number makes a difference. And— not now Libby. I can’t do this with you.”

Libby nodded. She couldn’t trust her voice.

“What about Parker? For crying out loud Lib

—you are here with someone else. I am not about to snake another man’s date.” Now Tony was just talking. He thought if he could keep talking than he could take the pain out of her eyes. If he could keep talking he just might be able to convince himself he was doing the right thing.

“It isn’t like that.” Libby’s voice shook slightly.

“Lib. He’s here like once a month. Do you have any idea what it costs to fly to and from New York?

Trust me—it’s like that.” Libby started to walk away.

“Wait. Let’s just… Can we talk? We’re stil friends…we can go back to when you first walked back here…” Tony jogged after her until she spun on her heels to face him again.

“I’m sorry Tony. I think I have neglected my date long enough.” Libby turned and fled back to the party as fast as she could. Tony was left dumb founded staring after her. Eventualy he headed back towards the house.

Angry and hurt and lonely and wishing he was stil stuck in that damn airport.

Libby focused on being angry. Angry that Tony could flirt with her and kiss her and touch her and not realy want to be with her. Angry that she wasn’t enough. Angry that she had wasted her time on him. Angry that she had ever thought they could be more than pen pals. Angry was better than sad. Better than devastated. Better than that lump of insecurity she felt growing heavy in her stomach.

She found Parker easily enough in a crowd of guys stil discussing some sport or another. Puling him along with her Libby went straight into the house, and into Mel’s empty bedroom. She didn’t have a clear idea of what she was doing. It just suddenly seemed paramount that she prove, at least to herself, that she was a desirable woman. So she least to herself, that she was a desirable woman. So she kissed him.

Parker kissed back. Expertly. He parted her lips with his tongue, he drew her hips into his, and he trailed his fingers up and down her spine. Libby’s heart sank straight to the floor. “Wait.” She puled away.

“It’s okay.” Parker whispered puling her back and trailed kisses down her throat. “I’m prepared.” What was he talking about… OH! The meaning of his words sank in and snapped Libby back to reality.

“No.” She said taking another step back. “I’m sorry-- this was a mistake. I know it was my idea but…” she let the sentence trail into nothing, because she didn’t have an excuse. Tony was at least right about this. She had treated Parker terribly.

“Hey. It’s alright Libby. We don’t have to do this. To be honest I was pretty surprised. I mean I have thought about it, us more than casualy dating, especialy since it looks like you wil be at NYU with me next year.

But it’s not the end of the world and wel—at least now we know.”

Wel that decided it-- no way could she be at NYU with Parker next year. Florida State wins… hands down. “I am sorry Parker; I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Stop apologizing Libby. Just friends. That’s cool.” He puled her back towards him but it was a light friendly hug, and Libby realy needed a friend. “So friend, can I ask you a favor?” Libby looked up at him. “John and Mel left in our rental car about an hour ago… so…”

“So you need a ride to your hotel?” Libby smiled at her friend. “Come on, I need to get out of here anyway.” Parker threw a companionable arm around Libby and pressed a light reassuring kiss to her temple as they headed for the front door.

“Parker?”

“Hmm?”

“How much does it cost to fly down here?” Parker barked out a laugh. “Just a little humiliation.” Libby must have looked confused because after they were settled in the car Parker explained. “John’s grandfather owns an airline. You know— corporate charters, but John works off the price of his flights, mostly as an air steward, and it doesn’t cost the old man anything extra if I tag along so realy it only costs John a little humiliation.”

“An air steward? Like a flight attendant?”

“Yeah except the old man is kind of old fashioned --- he prefers
air
steward
, and since that term makes John turn red as an apple I have to say I like it too.” They shared a good laugh, and Libby was satisfied that her friend hadn’t been spending next year’s tuition on plane tickets.

She was leaving. With Parker. Tony stood slack jawed in the halway. He had come to find her, and to beg her for another chance. He was such an idiot. She had offered him everything he had wanted for what seemed like forever and he had thrown it al back in her face. Al because he was a little uncomfortable with her age. They could have worked it out--maybe started slowly he could have taken her on dates. Isn’t that what Mel had said he should do? He could have taken her to Broadway, and the empire state building. But never in a milion years had he expected to find her wrapped around Parker and headed out the door. It was probably his fault. He had driven her into someone else’s arms, but that didn’t take away the sting.

Chapter Six

They promoted me this year. Instead of coffee bitch,
now I actually get to write something! Just the obits,
but my name will be in next week’s issue. And I get to
send the interns out for coffee.

I am so sorry about everything.

-t-

How’s Florida? It is already getting cold here, and I
am thinking of you warm, and tanned basking in
sunshine.

I hope you are enjoying school. Mel tells me you
like going to class—naturally she is appalled. I think
she is planning on majoring in parties at NC State.

-T-

Mel says you made the cross country track team.

That’s great Lib. I know that must make you happy.

I know how busy you are, but maybe you could just
let me know how you’re doing?

-T-

One of my short stories was run in a local literary
magazine. I wanted to send you a copy, but Mel won’t
give me your address. She says she thinks you’re mad
at me. I know she’s right.

PS: Maybe you could give me an idea of how to
make you less mad?

-t-

This year for Halloween I am thinking of renting an
apple costume and riding the subway all day. You see, I
used to get such a kick out of the characters I would
meet on the train that I think it is only fair I give back
to the community.

PS: I miss you like crazy Lib.

-t-

I heard a joke today and thought of you… Where
do cookies sleep?.... Do you give up? Okay I will tell
you… A cookie sleeps under the cookie sheets.

-t-

For the first time in almost five months Tony had made Libby smile. She was tired of ignoring him, and tired of feeling humiliated. It was hardly his fault. Besides, as it turns out she was realy happy at Florida State. So… she clicked reply.

That was so lame! You know why the cookie went to
the doctor right? Because he was a little bit nuts.

I do love school. I am making lots of friends, and I
miss you too

-L-

What did the big bucket say to the little bucket? -----

----------------- You look a little pail!

Sorry my baked goods humor is limited.

Thank you

-t-

Happy as she was, Libby struggled to feel wholy comfortable in Florida. She knew of course that colege would be different than high school, but knowing and experiencing were two very different things. Libby and her roommate, Suzy, threw themselves into campus activities. There were parties, and trips to St. George Island, and Libby had quite falen in love with cross country running. She missed Mel, and her other friends, but there was a freedom in not being surrounded by people she had known since she was six years old.

At thanksgiving Mel flew down to Talahassee, and Libby went home for Christmas and spring break. John and Parker had visited at Christmas too. Seeing Parker again was more pleasant than Libby had imagined.

Perhaps, she thought, she was coming to terms with that awful party. Maybe this is what closure felt like. Closure was good, because Libby was quite certain that she could not go on waiting for Tony to love her back. As Tony and Libby eased back into their friendship, both avoiding al mention of Mel’s graduation party, they were careful to keep things light and friendly. Libby was determined not to miss his flirty teasing, because of course she knew, now, that those moments weren’t leading anywhere she wanted to go.

They stil wrote and texted and they had the occasionaly telephone cal. Once he even convinced her to try and talk him through baking cookies again.

Unfortunately they got very involved in debating the latest John Grisham novel, and Libby’s sincere belief that Mr.

Grisham was the exception to the rule of the book being better than the movie. Some things just translate better on the big screen. Nicholas Sparks was that way too, but Tony declined to comment on Mr. Sparks; stating that no respectable man had ever sat through
The Notebook
let alone read the book. But he said it in a way that made Libby suspected he had indeed seen the movie, and perhaps even read the book. They weren’t able to agree on a conclusion regarding John Grisham however because the forgotten cookies had burnt up, smoking Tony right out of the apartment. Libby seriously considered sending him a replacement batch of cookies, but she was unwiling to risk faling back into old and unhealthy habits with him again.

After the last of her final exams Libby turned slowly surveying her now basicaly empty dorm room. Suzy had left the night before so one whole side of their tiny room was barren. The other side was piled with boxes to be loaded into the smal U-Haul she was picking up in the morning.

How strange she thought—to be going home in the morning. Actualy make that later this morning Libby mused as she noticed the time— it was after 2:00 am. She was excited to see Mel, and her mom, and even Stuart-- her mom’s boyfriend. But stil it felt a bit strange to think of staying in her old bedroom in the apartment again. The phone rang-- shaking Libby out of her reverie. Tony’s name blinked on her caler ID. He had graduated from Columbia that afternoon. Libby flipped her phone open.

“Congratulations! How did it go?”

“It was great. The whole family was there. Lot of photos. Very embarrassing. How did you know it was me?