Chapter Four
Tanya fumed as she chugged down the rest of Bryce’s beer on the table. She glared at his retreating back on the other side of the dance floor as it disappeared through the door.
"Damn him," she said, and picked up another glass.
"Looks like I'm not the only one with troubles."
Kelly took the seat next to her. Her eyes darted around, likely looking for Reece, wherever that idiot had fled to sulk like a child.
"Relax, he knows who you are now," Tanya said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm sure he's off to pout in some corner like the man child he is."
A small blush spread across Kelly’s cheeks. "I can't really blame him," she said. "I suppose I have changed a bit since the last time we saw each other."
"Whatever," Tanya said. "He's the idiot who never saw what you were before. Maybe the walking penis should realize that women are more than just a warm body."
Kelly shrugged. She nodded her head in the direction of the door.
"I see you're still chasing Bryce," she said cautiously. "I thought maybe you might've given up on that."
Her friend was right, of course. Tanya should have given up on him a long time ago. There was just something about the man that attracted her. It didn't all have to do with the fact that he was a walking Greek statue.
No, Bryce was a mystery to her. He kept every part of himself so locked away that she wondered if anyone really knew him.
It seemed so lonely. To live a life like that to never have anyone to lean on. Maybe she was silly for wanting to be that person for him.
"Nope, still chasing him around even after two years," Tanya said. She shrugged.
She turned and watched as Kelly nibbled on her lip. She really was very pretty. The soft sort of beauty that if you took the time to appreciate was really quite amazing. Reece really was an idiot.
"He seems like he's interested in you," Kelly said. “I’ve never seen you two together before, but from your descriptions, you made it seem like he didn’t know you existed. I know not existing. What I saw was like the opposite.”
Tanya shrugged. She wasn't exactly the queen of reading signals. She sighed and leaned her elbows on the table, her shoulders sagged in. "Sometimes I think he's really into me, and then others he’s just distant."
Kelly seemed to think over what she said for a moment before speaking. "You know, there is quite an age difference between you," she said. "Maybe he's afraid your brother will be angry."
Tanya scoffed at the idea. "Nobody should care what that idiot has to say."
"Yeah, but they work together," Kelly said patiently. “Maybe he’s worried about messing that relationship up, and their line of work is pretty dangerous.”
That did make sense. Maybe Bryce was worried that it was just puppy love. Christ, she hated the phrase being applied to an adult woman, especially when what she felt for him ran so deep that sometimes just being near him hurt.
"Have you ever made a move on him?" Kelly said.
Tanya stared at her friend. “Uh, no.”
"Maybe you should be direct with your actions and just kiss him."
Tanya felt silly blushing but couldn't seem to stop. For as mouthy as she might be at times, she was actually very shy when it came to the big moment. In fact, the big moment hadn’t been a common thing for her ever really.
Tanya looked over at her friend and smiled widely at her honesty. Maybe it was the alcohol pumping through her veins, but she was glad to have her good friend back in town. She wrapped her arms around Kelly and pulled her in for a big hug.
"I love you, Kel," she said, and squeezed her tightly.
"Oh shit, how many drinks have you had?" Kelly asked. "You’re not going to start belting out love songs, are you?"
Tanya snorted and pulled away from her friend. "No really, I mean it," she said. "I'm just glad to have you back and out of college."
Something flashed across her friend’s face. Tanya couldn't quite place the look, but it seemed like sadness of sorts. Kelly still hadn't told her the particulars of why she was back, but Tanya knew her friend would tell her in good time.
Kelly glanced at her watch and then sighed. "Look, I hate to do this, but I have to get out of here," she said, standing up. "You going to be okay if I bail on you early?"
Tanya nodded. "You want me to find Reece and see if he'll take you home?"
Kelly shook her head. "I'm the opposite direction of you all. I'll just catch a cab. But you should see if he'll take you home."
Tanya was going to open her mouth to object then closed it when Kelly leaned in for another hug. "You are amazing, and if Bryce can't see that, he's crazy," she whispered in her ear.
The words warmed Tanya and made her feel like she really was as special as her friend seemed to think she was.
"Be safe getting home," Tanya said quietly.
Kelly nodded before making her way past the dance floor and then out the door.
Tanya sighed to herself. She supposed the only thing to do now was to find her idiot brother and have him drive her drunk ass home before she decided to drunk dial Bryce.
* * *
Tanya sat quietly in the car as Reece babbled mainly to himself. For some reason, the whole thing with Kelly had really thrown him for a loop.
They had all known each other through junior high and high school. She met Kelly in the lunch line. She asked to cut in front of the new student so Tanya could be with another friend and instead made a new friend for a lifetime.
Tanya and Kelly had been joined at the hip all through school. Staying at one another's houses nearly every weekend.
When Kelly had decided to go to college out of state, Tanya had cried for weeks. Of course, she wanted her friend to do what was best for her, and the full ride that she'd gotten meant Kelly would be able to actually go to school. Her grandmother hadn't been able to put away much money for her education, so it was really her only chance.
"I thought she had another two years left of school," Reece said.
Tanya shrugged. To be honest, she didn't really know much about her friend’s degree other than she had been in a PhD program for something biology related. If she thought about it, she supposed it was a bit early for her to finish up the degree.
"Maybe she decided she didn't want to go further with her studies.”
She looked over as her brother stared out the front windshield, his face pensive.
"I didn't even know you knew she was in grad school," she said.
Reece shrugged trying to appear nonchalant, but it didn't really come off that way. "Sometimes Mama talks about her.”
Tanya couldn't help but smile at the mention of their mother. She was the most loving woman she'd ever known. She was fairly certain if her mother could she would try to solve all the world’s problems by giving them a nice hearty meal at a sit-down dinner.
"You coming to dinner tomorrow?" Tanya asked.
Sunday, without fail, was family dinner night. It was that one night of the week where they mostly tried to be available. Since their father's death, their mother had pressed the importance of family on them both.
"That's the plan," he said. Each of them grew quiet as he neared her apartment. "So, um, is Kelly going to be there for dinner?"
Tanya couldn't hide the grin if she wanted. "Why? So you can flirt with her some more?"
They came to a stop outside of her apartment. Reece turned to glare at her. "Is it so wrong to want to chat with an old friend?"
She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up. "Old friend is it now? I think back in the day you didn't even hardly notice she was there despite how much she wanted you to."
His brow shot up in surprise. "She had a crush on me?"
Tanya sighed as she opened the door. "Had being the key part. That was about six years ago now. I'm sure she has long since gotten over it.”
She reached in and grabbed her bag from the floor then smiled at her brother. "Thanks for the ride. Be safe getting home. You might be an idiot, but I still love you."
Reece groaned loudly. "Oh God, you’re not going to sing love songs, are you?"
Tanya huffed loudly. One time. One time she sang love songs, and nobody would ever let her forget it.
"Not tonight, but you better leave before I change my mind."
She closed the door and gave a small wave before opening the door of her first-floor apartment. She didn't even bother to place things were she normally would.
Tanya dropped her purse and keys to the floor. She started stripping clothes off as she made her way to the bedroom. The booze from earlier had settled in nicely, and if she timed it just right, she’d be able to get a good amount of sleep before she needed to get up to work.
With nothing but her panties, she climbed into the satin sheets and sighed as soft fabric enveloped her. Thoughts of Bryce drifted into her head just as sleep claimed her.