Lawrence was a thirty-minute drive away from home, and I was looking forward to seeing Dominic again. The two of us had always gotten along great. Dominic had never teased me like everyone else about my singing career. I needed the boost.
Dominic was already waiting for me at the café when I arrived. He stood up, and I saw the people around him look up at him. It was hard not to notice someone like Dominic. He was larger than life, and the perfect person to play as a linebacker for the college football team. Most of the men in our family were big, but we all looked small in comparison to him.
“Silas! Good to see you. It’s been so long. Thanks for coming all the way out here.”
I chuckled. “It’s only thirty minutes away. I actually don’t know why we don’t see each other more often, to be honest.”
He sighed. “Yeah. Life, I guess. I ordered you a beer; I hope you don’t mind,” he said as I looked down at the glass in front of me.
“Do I mind? Of course not! Thanks, man. I’ll only have one because I’m driving, but I cannot tell you how much I feel like this right now.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Oh yeah? In celebration or . . . ?”
“Ah,” I frowned. “I just really want to drink.”
“Uh-oh. Things not going so well? I thought you had a gig the other night?”
“I did. But, one gig in a tiny pub is not exactly the sort of thing that’s going to give me the confidence I need. I don’t know, Dominic, I’m starting to worry that I’m not cut out for this after all.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re so talented. Since when have you become so negative about all of this? You’ve always been the positive one in the family.”
I sighed. “Since I’m not getting ahead. I’m doing better in my construction work than I am in my singing career. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this. Everyone told me that I was crazy to go into this business. Maybe I should’ve listened to them.”
“No. You will prove them wrong. I have absolute faith in you. Come on, don’t give up.”
“I’ll hold on a little while longer, but I can’t help but feel like I’m looking for something that is never going to happen.”
Dominic shook his head. “Nope. I’m not going to listen to you talk like this. You’re going to be fine. I know it.”
“Thanks, bro. How are things going with you?”
I sat back and listened to my brother talk about his football. He always got so animated when he talked about the sport, and even though I wasn’t in love with the game like he was, I couldn’t help but feel interested when he spoke about it. We placed orders for burgers and spent some time eating and catching up.
“Oh, I forgot to ask you about your new place,” Dominic said suddenly. “I’m glad I remembered now. I’ve been wondering how the big move went.”
“You will not believe the house I am living in. I have photos,” I said and got out my phone. I’d walked around that first day snapping photos of the place because I knew that I would want to show people. I handed him the phone and laughed at his shocked reaction.
“You live here? Seriously? This place is insane, Silas. It’s like you’re living in a mansion. Is it really this big?”
“Yeah, it’s huge. And absolutely magnificent. It feels like you’ve stepped inside a movie. Riley, that’s the girl that owns it, inherited it from her grandmother. She keeps saying she wants to change the décor to something more modern but so far, she hasn’t found herself able to do it. It’s just too amazing to change.”
“I don’t blame her. It looks incredible. I don’t really like old-looking places, but I don’t think I’d want to change a place like that. It just suits it.”
“That’s exactly what Riley said.”
“And what is she like, this Riley girl? Do the two of you get along?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Uh-oh. What does that mean?”
“She’s beautiful,” I said. “And really, really nice. Very sweet girl. And so talented. You won’t believe what an incredible illustrator she is.”
“Sounds like someone is smitten. Did something happen between the two of you? Because it sounds like something did.”
I sighed. “Yeah. Last night.”
“Why the sigh? Wasn’t it good?” he asked.
I almost laughed at that. It had been one of the best nights of my life. “It was great. Amazing, really. But she feels weird about it because we are living together. And I guess I understand. We’re just going to carry on like we were before. I just hope we haven’t ruined things because I really don’t want to have to move out. You won’t believe how cheap the rent is. I’m saving so much money by staying there.”
“Yeah, be careful man. I know you like her, but you really don’t want to mess things up. And what if you meet someone else? Will she be jealous?”
“Jealous? Nothing to be jealous about. I mean, we’re not going out or anything.”
“Women always get jealous.”
“Nah, it’s not like that. She’s a great girl. She wouldn’t let things get awkward between us.”
“Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying.”
I nodded. “I am. We are. Hopefully, we can just go back to the way things were before.”
I wasn’t sure though. It hadn’t even been a full day, and already I had thought about Riley without her clothes on more than occasion. It was going to be tough living with her as friends when I knew how she felt, her skin against mine. But I couldn’t afford to ruin the good thing we had going between the two of us. I was simply going to have to put my thoughts aside.
“Trust me,” I said. “Riley has a very level head. Things are going to be fine between us. There’s no way I’m going to move out.”