Her Best Friend's Brother Page 6

  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?

  “I have caler ID. Why do you sound weird?” Tony’s was talking too fast, and he sounded strange.

  “That would be because I am drunk.” Drunk!

  Tony didn’t get drunk; at least she didn’t think he did. But she supposed that at 22 and after four years of colege this probably was not his first foray into adult beverages. “The family left hours ago the guys and I have been celebrating.

  I’m home now. In my apartment I mean, not home in North Carolina. I wish you could have been here Lib.” Libby chuckled quietly. Tony drunk was just as charming as Tony sober. “I wish I had been too, but I had a late exam. I’l be home tomorrow night. Home in North Carolina.”

  “Why are you stil awake?”

  Libby laughed loudly at that. “You’re awake too! I was just going to bed actualy. I had more packing left than I thought, and then I needed a shower, and then I got a phone cal!” There was a long pause. “Tony? Are you stil there?”

  “Yeah I’m here” his voice sounded a little deeper and thicker than before. “I interrupted you between the shower and your bed?”

  “Umm yeah. But don’t worry about it.” Man, he was weird sometimes. “Tony? Helo?”

  “Stil here Lib. Just trying to decide if I am drunk enough.”

  “Drunk enough for what?”

  “Tel me what you are wearing.” Libby’s hear leapt. This was definitely not in line with their new, if unspoken, rules of engagement. She would put a stop to it.

  Tel him to take his tipsy butt to bed and sleep it off.

  “A towel. I am wrapped in a red bath towel.” What had made her say that? Except it was true, but she hadn’t realy meant to tel him.

  “I like red. Is your hair stil wet?”

  “Umm yeah?” Was wet hair sexy?

  “I have dreams of you with your hair wet wearing a pink blanket.” Yep, apparently wet hair was sexy.

  “You dream about me?”

  “Wil you get into the bed?”

  “The towel wil make the sheets wet.” Libby was surprised he could hear her voice over the sound of her heart pounding.

  “You could always take the towel off.” She could hear Tony’s breath with each word.

  Tingles danced across her skin at the thought of him picturing her slipping the towel off and climbing between her sheets. “That does seem to be the sensible solution.”

  “Libby?”

  “Yes, Tony?”

  “I wish I was drunker.”

  What the hel? Wow he realy sucked at this.

  “Wow you realy suck at this.”

  Tony laughed loud and warm, and the sound gave her more tingles.

  “Sorry Lib. And here I thought I was being so smooth.” He paused. “I was out of my mind last summer Libby, I couldn’t take it
if you cut me out again. I need you in my life and this is a bad idea.”

  “You’re right.” Libby sighed but she was sure that in the morning she would be glad he had a caled a stop to things. “I wish you were drunker too.” That earned her a groan.

  “Are you in the bed?”

  “Yes”

  “Pul the covers up Lib. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.” Libby did as she was told. “Go to sleep Libby. Good night.” And then he hung up. Libby threw her phone across the room.

  Chapter Seven

  “You’re dropping out!” Libby felt badly that she had just announced Mel’s less than excelent news to everyone in the bakery. “What are your parents going to say?” Mel and Libby had been al but inseparable over the summer and while Libby knew Mel wasn’t exactly looking forward to the start of classes she certainly hadn’t expected this.

  “They already know Libby! They agree with me. I am not exactly the colegiate type you know. And if I withdraw now they can get a most of their tuition back. I’m not an idiot I have given this a lot of thought. If you promise to actualy listen I wil explain it to you.” Libby felt bad for yeling. “Of course.”

  “Do you remember the tie I made for John last spring when Frank got married?” Mel’s cousin Frankie had gotten married the spring before. Melanie had found what she proclaimed was the perfect dress in the perfect shade of lilac, but she had been extremely disappointed when John hadn’t been able to find a tie that matched her dress. This had seemed, to Libby, a tad ridiculous— but that was just Mel’s way. So, Mel had taken it upon herself to make John a tie that went perfectly with her dress.

  “John got so many complements on it, and a couple of his frat brothers even offered to buy it off him. Not that he would sel it of course. When his Fraternity threw their end of the year formal I designed at least a dozen new ties for them. Mom and Dad agreed to loan me the amount the colege refunds them for this year’s tuition, and I am going to move in with John in New York.”

  Libby was reasonably sure that some piece of vital information had been lost somewhere, but years of patience had taught her how to coax the information out of her friend. “Okay. So what is the money for?”

  “Supplies sily.”

  Okay maybe she was little out of practice. Libby silently counted to ten. “What sort of supplies?”

  “Oh mostly silks, and some satins. And I wil need a better sewing machine. And John has a friend that is going to set up a web site for me, so I wil have to pay him…”

  “You are quitting school to make neckties?”

  “Not just neckties. Scarves, and pocket hankies.

  And I am looking into a leather working class to decide if I want to try my hand at belts. I am starting with men’s accessories because I think there is more room in that market. Plus John’s mom is a surgeon and she promised to talk me up to her surgeon friends, and most of them are men. When the brand get’s going I would like to do something with women’s accessories.”

  “You’re moving to New York!”

  “Catch up Libby.” Mel’s was smiling again. “I love John, and I am tired of only having one weekend a month together. It’s going to be great. You are in Florida most of the time anyway. We can probably see each other even more with John’s airline hook up. I want to do this Libby. I finaly found something I am good at.”

  “You are good at lots of things.” Libby chewed on her bottom lip while she processed everything Mel had said. “I think it’s great, but you might want to take some business classes, design classes. Make sure you are realy prepared to succeed.” That was Libby’s plan anyway. She wanted her degree in business so she could open her own café and bakery.

  “Nah. I am kind of making this up as I go. Tony has a friend in law school that can probably point me in the right direction while I am getting set up. But now that I figured out what I want to do I don’t want to wait another three years to get started!”

  Libby nodded dumbly. “When did this happen?”

  “Weren’t you listening? My cousin got married and…”

  “Not that Mel. I was actualy talking to myself. I was just wondering when I got left behind. You are going to be in New York with your career, and Tony is in New Jersey with his career, and I am left behind.”

  “Geez! Pity party much? Mel tossed her crumpled napkin at Libby. You aren’t left behind you are going back to Florida next week, and you have lots of friends there, and you actualy like school. Libby I was miserable last year.

  You were in Talahassee, and John was in New York. Can you please try and be happy for me? “

  “I am Mel. If I were a man I would buy al my neckwear from you.”

  “Okay good. Now that that is settled— do you want to help me move? John and Parker are going to be here tomorrow morning, and we are renting a truck and driving back. You could spend the weekend. Parker is.”

  “I’d love to Mel, but I have a lot to do before Monday. I wil come by in the morning and help you pack though.” Libby wanted to say yes. That she would love to help Mel move, and see the fabulous town house where John lived. But she needed to start back to Florida on Monday, and Tony was going to be home for the weekend.

  He had told her so himself.

  “Wel I suppose I should have given you more notice.” Melanie seemed to be studying Libby’s face. She blew her bangs out of her face and started talking again.

  “Tony is coming home tomorrow night.” Libby wasn’t sure how to respond, so she decided to play it cool and ignore her nosy interfering friend. Mel was completely undiscouraged. “You never realy told me what happened with Parker.”

  “What? Nothing happened with Parker. We went out those few times with you and John, and now we are just friends.”

  “And with Tony?”

  “Nothing ever happened with him either. We are just friends. It is better this way. You were right he is too old for me anyway.”

  Mel nodded thoughtfuly. “So you aren’t going to tel me what you fought about last year?”

  “Parker and I never fight. We get along realy wel.” Libby purposely misinterpreted her question.

  Mel nodded again. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you are being left behind a little bit, but you are doing it to yourself. When was the last time you went out on a date Libby?”

  Libby sighed in surrender. For the first time in twelve years Mel was obsessing on someone else’s love life. She had realy crappy timing. “I go out Mel. As you just pointed out I do live in Florida, so that is where I do the majority of my going out.”

  Relief spread across Mel’s face. “Okay! So dish.

  Who are we dating?”

  Damn. “Wel it isn’t serious but Brian and I spent a lot of time together last semester.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. Brian had sacrificed most of his Thursday nights helping her pass freshman accounting. And it wasn’t serious, mostly, because Brian was hopelessly devoted to his girlfriend. Not that she was disappointed seeing as Brian was a bit dul. He would probably make a briliant accountant one day, but he was stil dul.

  They chatted a little longer with Libby being as diplomatic as possible when the topic of Brian came up.

  When Mel hopped up and announced she was going home to pack Libby was glad to have some time alone with her thoughts. She needed to think. It wasn’t enough that she wasn’t in love with Tony anymore, which she wasn’t. Mel was right. Libby needed to date more. She had plenty of opportunities, but she always seemed to have more excuses.

  Not anymore. Starting next week Libby McKay was in the market for Mr. Right. Or at the very least Mr.

  Right Now.

  The next morning Libby arrived bright and early at the Marchetti house bearing a carry-out tray ful of iced cappuccino and a box of muffins from her mom’s bakery.

  Sometime last night it had occurred to her that she had been less than supportive of Mel’s new life plan. Now she was determined to make up for it. She found Mel, John, and Parker stil taping up boxes. This didn’t realy surpr
ise her.

  Mel might have put a lot of thought into moving, but she had clearly left al the packing for the last minute. No complaining though—Libby silently joined the effort. They didn’t work quickly. Every 90 or so seconds Melanie felt the need to stop and play ‘remember when’. Caught up in her friend’s nostalgia Libby usualy joined in reliving the moments of their youth. These trips down memory lane provided no end of amusement for the guys. Before long Parker and John were sharing increasingly outrageous fictitious memories of their own.

  “John do you remember that time you saved al those kittens from the burning barn?”

  “That was nothing compared to the time you carried that old lady with a broken leg ten miles to the emergency room.”

  “Wel it isn’t as though I had much of a choice. I would have driven her but if you remember you had borrowed my car to go on that safari”

  “A safari in New York?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous Libster—the safari was in Canada that was probably why I needed a car.” John was grinning like a ten year old at the idea.”

  “Sure! If I remember correctly they were hunting the ever elusive Canadian unicorn.”

  “What makes a unicorn Canadian?” Mel stopped giggling long enough to interject.

  Parker made a face. “The live in Canada.”

  “Yeah.” John looked excited. “And they don’t have that pansy spiral horn these American unicorns are sporting. Nope they each have a great big moose antler in the middle of their heads.” John opened one hand, planted his thumb in the center of his forehead and childishly galoped about the room a few times.” The four friends erupted into laughter.

  “Did you catch one?” Mel managed when she caught her breath.”

  “Of course he did!” Parker piped up. “And you know if you catch a unicorn they have grant you a wish.”

  “I thought that was leprechauns” Libby stood up and began to gather the remnants of their breakfast to take out to the trash.