Waiting for the girls to get back from the bathroom, Justin and I are sitting in Three Muses on Frenchmen Street with live jazz playing to our right.

The bluesy beat is a step up over the headliner who followed Simone. I usually don’t produce pop music. I prefer rap and hip hop. Simone was an exception for obvious reasons. And while I can respect some male pop singers like Andy Grammer, Jager Barris wasn’t Andy.

Nails cutting into my brain was what listening to Barris felt like.

But even that was a hell of a lot more comfortable than the tense conversation going on since the four of us left the Civic Theater.

Glancing to Justin I ask, “You about done tearing that napkin to shreds?”

“You about done with fucking twats like Simone?”

I lean back in my chair. “You heard her tonight and you’re still going to badmouth her?”

Justin leans back, too. “Just because she can sing doesn’t mean she’s worth your time, Jason.”

I stare at him, then slam my beer bottle on the table. “I’m fucking tired of this!”

His eyes narrow on me. “I’m a dick because I’m telling you the truth? No! Don’t interrupt.” He jams his finger at me. “You know what I’m never gonna do with you, Jason? Lie to you! When I say you deserve better—”

“—Which you say about every girl I date!”

“I said, don’t interrupt!” he growls. “And I say it with every girl because you have terrible taste in women.”

“Oh, and your taste is so much better? You date sluts and…” I seal my lips because I was about to say prostitutes, which would have been incorrect and self-damning.

Bernie Lancaster, the cocaine-addicted model I was truly in love with, became a high-class hooker in order to feed her habit when I stopped dating her. I hung around a long time as her bodyguard because I had to protect her, even if it fucking tore my heart out every night to watch her disappear with those other men.

But at least she’s still alive.

He knows what I was about to say, and why I stopped.

“Jason,” he grates. “I don’t fall in love with them. That’s the difference between you and me.”

“What’s the difference between you two?” Simone asks as she walks up with Sarah just behind her. Sliding down like a cat onto her chair, she looks between my brother and me with disdain. “Because I really don’t see one except for your personal style.”

“The difference is—” Justin begins.

I cut him off. “—that I have incredible taste in women.”

I glance to Sarah as she sits down and for some reason that makes Simone’s spine lock up like someone just shoved a pole up her ass. Knives shoot out of her eyes as she stares at me. I’m getting fucking sick of it, because she’s been like this with me since the dressing room. Glancing back to Sarah, her usual purr becomes a growl. “Oh you have incredible taste in women? Yeah, I saw you two holding hands, so I guess you do.”

Almond-colored eyes drop down.

I stutter, “She took my hand because you were so good.”

Simone huffs, “Give me a fucking break.”

Justin is watching me. “Go on, keep shoveling your grave. Maybe then she’ll stop digging it for you.”

Simone snarls, “Justin, fuck you. You are such an asshole you know that? Why are you even here?”

That’s it.

No one fucks with my brother.

I start to laugh. Both girls look at me as I pick up my bottle. “Fuck it. You know what, Princess, think what you want. I’m done with your childish, fucking fits for one night.”

Justin glugs down the rest of his beer at the same time I empty mine. We hit them on the table together and rise up, with both girls stunned and watching us.

From their faces I have a feeling this is the first time any guy has ever walked out on Simone. Her gorgeous blue eyes flash. “You’re leaving?!”

I bend so we’re face to face, her head tilted up. “Yeah. You’re gifted. We get it. But if you ever talk to my brother like that again, we’re done.”

“As if I care,” she sneers.

“Oh I don’t mean the sex, babe. I mean the music. You can hire someone else to finish that remix, and the one for Time Doesn’t Fly, because I won’t be there.”

With retracting claws Simone grabs my arm. “I’ve been under a lot of stress, Jason!”

Tugging my arm free, I mutter, “We all have stress. Grow the fuck up.”

Locking eyes with Sarah for a hot second I dip my chin. “Goodnight.”

She nods.

Justin and I get the hell out of there.

After we’ve walked up Frenchmen Street in silence for a while I glance over to him. “What’s that face for?”

“It’s your face. What, you don’t like it anymore?”

Can’t suppress a smile at that. “You know what I mean.”

“I really don’t,” he casually mutters, scanning the body of a woman who saunters past him. She turns her head to meet his challenge, but he lets her go.

“You were thinking something,” I pry.

“What? I have a brain. I think about things. I’m not just a pretty face.” He winks at me.

This time I don’t smile. “Are you surprised I stood up for you? Don’t know why you would be.”

“Wasn’t thinking about that,” he argues as we ignore the double-takes of strangers passing us. People always do that, for obvious reasons.

“Then what?”

“Nah.”

“What!?”

“You’re not ready to hear it.”

I stop walking. “Just fucking tell me.”

Justin runs a hand through his hair as he stares into the distance, deciding.

“Don’t make me guess.”

He meets my eyes and says, “Fine. You know what I was thinking? That you picked the wrong friend.” Off my blank stare he leans in. “Didn’t occur to you yet?”

“You mean Sarah? Are you fucking nuts? One, she despises me.”

“Does she?”

“And two…” I don’t have an answer for two so I lamely offer, “She’s not my type at all.”

A triumphant spark lights his eyes. “Exactly. And if you haven’t felt the chemistry you guys have then your head is up your ass, and you’re going to miss out on something that could be pretty fucking awesome.” Throwing his arm around my shoulders he starts us walking again. Even though he’s just punched my psyche in the nuts he asks, “I’m getting laid tonight. You?”

I don’t even hear him. I’m thinking of Sarah for the first time in a real way, because before when these thoughts came up about her, I’d shove them down as impossible and even wrong. I’m dating — or was dating — her best friend.

That’s not a line you cross.

But now that he’s pointed out the pink elephant in the room I have to admit to myself for the first time that it’s not just the chemistry Justin sees, that draws me to her. It’s deeper and locked in with who she is.

I’ve watched her. With all the time we spent, I couldn’t help but watch her. Sarah’s one of the good ones. She’s grounded, loyal, self-sacrificing, fights for what she believes in and who she cares about. Those aren’t common qualities. On top of that, she’s not afraid. Also uncommon. I can picture her handling any situation head on, and that’s the kind of woman I’ve always wanted by my side. She’s funny as hell. She’s goofy sometimes, which I dig. She keeps me on my toes. The way she smells is insanely addictive. I sometimes stand too close to her when we’re fighting just so I can get a whiff.

He repeats it. “Jason. Laid. You. Me. Couple of hot chicks. Yes or no?”

Staring into the distance I mumble, “Not in the mood.”

“Fuhhhhhhck. Go back to her then. Can’t give up after all that work you’ve put into her, huh? You know what Jason, you’re so ready for marriage and kids it’s disgusting. Now I know why Jaxson picked you for that surprise.”

Grimacing I argue, “Are you kidding? There’s no way I want to marry Simone.”

He laughs, “Then what the hell are you doing with her?”

We stare at each other. “Fucking her.”

“But you want more than that.”

“Yeah.”

“So why do you keep chasing bitches? You have some sort of block in here?” He punches my chest.

“Ouch!”

“Good. Maybe I got through.”

He heads off with me not far behind. “Sarah and I don’t get along.”

“I know,” he smirks. “It’s very entertaining.”

“Then why are you trying to plant romance in my head?”

From the corners of his eyes he looks at me. “It’s already there. And if you don’t know that, you’re in deeper shit than you think.” Looking up he spots a bar. “Let’s go in here.”

Before I have a chance to reply he’s walked up to a woman lighting a cigarette outside. She smiles. I take the chance to have a moment to myself, leaning against the building and letting my mind travel back to earlier.

I spread my fingers out and turn them over, closing them slowly with Sarah’s touch on my mind. So fucking cute how nervous she got and how she reached out for me.