Reid
Zoey and I finally talked and cleared the air. She said she wished me well in the future and was sorry it hadn’t worked out between us. It had been a mutual decision to call off the wedding, we both knew we didn’t really love each other, and a relationship without love just isn’t worth having. I still feel bad about things, specifically because she and my parents had put so much money into everything and wouldn’t get some of that money back. I’ve been busting my ass and taken a second job so I can pay them back at least some of what they are out of pocket. We sat down with our parents and told them why we were calling things off, and though they were upset that it wasn’t going to work out, they agreed with us that it was probably for the best. It was our parents who set us up in the first place. At first I thought Zoey was kind, funny, smart and attractive; all things I looked for in a woman. But after a little time, I realised we didn’t have that chemistry. The sex was good, she was an amazing person, I just didn’t feel that fluttering of butterflies or that spark of electricity when she touched me, whereas every time I so much as looked at Kara, she made the hairs stand on the back of my neck. She was wicked-smart, gorgeous, funny, a little self-deprecating, and I couldn’t help the feelings she stirred in me. She was a woman with desire, passion, a real go-getter. I always knew she’d go far in life. I knew she didn’t feel the same about me, but that didn’t mean I could go through with marrying Zoey, not when I couldn’t give her my heart. My heart had already been won over and held captive by Kara. But I had to move on with my life, so I put Zoey and Kara behind me and tried to move on. Now here I am, back in town, and still as much under Kara’s spell as the day I left.
I know it’s not okay to date your ex-fiancée’s best friend, but she’s under my skin, burrowed into my heart, and I can’t do anything, don’t want to do anything about it. I just have to find a way to make her see me the way I see her. I need a plan. Jase and Liam have been trying to get me to date other women and get over this ‘obsession,’ as they call it. But how can I do anything like that when my heart isn’t in it? It’s not right to string someone along, make them think there could be a future with me. So I haven’t been dating, I’ve been living with Jase and sulking. Now he and Liam have brought me out to see some places for rent or sale so I can get out from under their feet. They may well love me, but I’m cramping their style, and to be honest, I can’t put up with their sex noises for one night longer than I have to. I wouldn’t mind, but Jase is my brother. Who wants to hear their brother going at it hammer and tongs with his boyfriend? I have to plug in my earbuds and turn up my iPod every time.
The house we’ve just pulled up in front of is gorgeous. It’s detached, so I don’t have to worry about having paper-thin walls and hearing the neighbours’ sex noises. I think I suffer from misophonia, because I really can’t stand the noise people make. Or maybe it’s just jealousy because I’m not getting any myself. Either way, this house being detached from my neighbours is a good start.
We all jump out of Liam’s car and head up to the front door, where the estate agent is stood. She greets us all with a warm smile, and I see the way she looks at Liam. He’s a good looking guy, so I don’t blame her, but she’s barking up the wrong tree there.
“Which of you fine gentlemen is Mr. Marks?”
“I am.”
I hold my hand out for her to shake, which she does before turning and unlocking the door.
“Right this way, Mr. Marks.”
The three of us follow her into the hallway. It’s open and airy. I like that it’s not cramped and lacking natural light. I look up and see the high ceilings where there’s a beautiful chandelier.
“You said openness and natural light was a must, Mr. Marks,” she comments as she leads us into the lounge.
“I did, and please, call me Reid.”
I look around the lounge. There’s a large bay window that lets in plenty of daylight. The room itself is large enough, but not overly so. I don’t want somewhere that feels close and cramped, but I don’t want anywhere that feels too big for me to rattle around alone in.
The estate agent points out some features of the room which I take a quick glance at, but I knew that it came with some original fixtures and fittings such as the cornicing and the ceiling rose.
“If you’d like to follow me, I’ll show you to the open-plan kitchen-diner.”
We all followed her and looked around the property. It was just what I wanted. Large but not too grand-scale. Open, light, airy, and most of all, it felt homely. The boys agreed that it seemed like a really good prospect, so I made an offer straight away. We drove to the estate agent’s to complete the paperwork, then made our way to Starbucks for a much needed caffeine fix.
“So, bro, how does it feel to be a homeowner?” Jase asked.
“I’m not, not quite yet. I still have to transfer the money.”
“Well, you know Mom and Dad set up a trust fund for you when you were younger and you haven’t touched it, so now is as good a time as any, don’t you think?!”
“You just want your house back to yourself,” I said, nudging him in the ribs.
“We do, but you don’t have to move out right this second. It’s a bloody good house with a really good price though,” Liam chimed in.
We talked a little longer about what we all liked best about the house. The boys liked that it was quaint but also contemporary. It had a great kitchen that was made even more perfect by the range cooker and the modern appliances. They certainly weren’t ‘original’ features of the house, but they brought it a bit more up to date without feeling too at odds with the rest of the house. There was also an orangery around the back and that had tipped it over into being the best property we had seen. There was space and light, comfort, and with a little redecoration to my taste, it would be the perfect home for me and maybe one day a family of my own.
***
The boys and I decided to go out for a meal to celebrate, so here we are in the Lakeside Lounge. They serve the best food in town here and I always love their steak. We all have bottles of Budweiser in hand and are waiting for our meal to be served. The waitress smiles a flirty smile my way and I take a good look at her. She’s cute as a button; red hair, blue eyes, long legs that look like they go on for miles. A little younger than me, maybe, but age is just a number. I smile what I hope is my best smile at her. Still feeling on high from buying my first home, I feel like tonight could be a good night. I could take her home with me and celebrate…but I don’t have a house yet and the boys won’t exactly want to hear her screams. I decide that I’ll come back another time and see if she’s around.
After our meal, the waitress hands me the bill and I see her name and number scribbled at the bottom. She winks at me and I pocket the slip of paper. Molly gives me a toothy grin and I feel my dick twitch. It’s been a while since I’ve had sex. It hasn’t been at the forefront of my mind, if I’m honest.
Jase calls a taxi and we wait outside the restaurant so I can have a smoke. The cool night air clings to my skin as we stand under the awning of the smoking shelter and I look up to see the full moon shining brightly, as if it reflects my mood.
Once we’re home, the boys set up the X-Box to play Deus Ex. I grab three bottles of Bud from the fridge and plonk my arse down on the one couch while the boys take up all the room on the other. For once, Liam is game for playing with us instead of reading or sitting on his laptop. I don’t know what he does on that thing, but he sure types a lot, and he closes the laptop if I pass by. I almost want to ask him about it, but I respect his privacy. We’re all entitled to our secrets.
“So, you gonna call that waitress?” Jase asks as he pops the top off his bottle.
“How did you…”
“I’m gay, not blind, dude,” he answers.
“Perception isn’t a straight thing, Reid. We all have eyes, and we both saw the way she looked at you,” Liam chimed in as he clinked his bottle with Jase’s.
“I wasn’t saying it’s a gay or straight thing…”
“I know, we’re just taking the piss, chill out,” Jase remarks as he goes back to playing the game.
“But you’re gonna call her, right?” Liam asks.
“Maybe, but not until I’m in a house of my own.”
“Oooh, he doesn’t want us to hear her screams.” Jase laughs as he sees the look on my face.
“Knock it off, boys, let’s just play the game, yeah?”
We play for a couple of hours before the boys head up to bed, leaving me to ponder whether or not to call Molly. I’m not up for a relationship, but maybe something casual wouldn’t hurt. She’s no Kara, but she’s pretty enough. I take my phone out and tap out a text. The ball’s in her court now.