Page 4 of The Fast Lane

Two little ticks appeared between his eyebrows. “Only if chocolate is involved.”

“Well, duh.” I patted him on the cheek, the scruff there cool and surprisingly soft. “I know you like the back of my hand.”

“I might have secrets.”

I huffed a laugh and stepped away. “Sure.”

Theo tilted his head, a fleeting sly glint in his eye. My stomach dipped, but by the time I blinked, the look had passed, replaced by thoughtful Theo. “You know, you might be surprised.”

“You have a packet of gum in your left pocket.”

He reached a hand into his left pocket and…pulled out a pack of gum. “How did you…?”

“Because you always have gum in your left pocket. Never your right. You had an orange for breakfast today and yesterday and the day before yesterday.” I gave his chest a poke and caught a whiff of citrus that always followed him. “Because you have one for breakfast every morning.”

“Fine. Yes.” He frowned. “But I’m not that predictable.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“I’m not.”

“I’ve known you since I was six. You’re basically my brother.” I was pretty proud of myself for saying that with a straight face. Theo had never been and would never be “basically my brother.” Or I was going to hell for my very un-sisterly thoughts about him.

He scowled, and I knew what he was going to say before he even said it. I knew it because I knew everything about Theo. I knew he was exactly five feet ten and a half inches tall. I knew when he let his hair grow out, it became unruly curls. I knew he loved being outdoors and he’d rather hike than spend time in a gym. I knew he favored faded t-shirts under long-sleeve plaid shirts with snap buttons that were never snapped. I knew he loved black licorice, hated olives, and could recite the lyrics to every Rush song ever produced. I knew he could be incredibly patient, he never forgot a birthday, and he could rattle off stats for hundreds of baseball players.

With a grin, I walked backwards. “I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll meet you at your car.”

“Fine.” He waited until I’d flipped around and had my back to him before he said, “But, Alicia, I am?—”

“Not your brother,” I yelled. Without turning, I waved a hand in the air. “Knew you were gonna say that.”

I knew because while a lot of things had been changing the last year, I could always count on Theo to be exactly who he was—a little predictable, comfortable—and I liked that about him.

Some people had comfort food; I had a comfort person. And I’d been two-thirds in love with him for half my life.

TWO

Note to self:

Online dating is a real MEAT market.

Think about becoming a vegetarian.

Monday, three weeks minus a day before the wedding

“Alright, spill.” Ellie Sterns leaned on the counter, a bright-yellow apron with the words “Sit-n-Eat Café” embroidered across the front hanging from her neck. It was a little after one o’clock and the lunch rush had died down to a handful of regulars. “I heard you almost got arrested.”

“My reputation precedes me, I see.” I stuffed another bite of chili in my mouth. “This is amazing. I can’t believe Ollie let you make something new.”

The Sit-n-Eat Café was a Two Harts staple. The owner, Ollie Holder, a curmudgeon of a man somewhere between seventy-five and a hundred and seventy-five years old was very clear that the menu never, ever changed. Mondays were always fried chicken day, chicken-fried steak on Tuesdays, and so on. The café was not open on weekends, and it only served lunch. There were no exceptions.

Once I asked if he had leftover tamales on a Friday. Not only did I not get an answer, but he also refused to talk to me for two weeks. Which was awkward because that was the summer I worked for him.

“I’ve been bugging him for months. I think he got tired of me asking.” Ellie flipped her long braid over her shoulder and frowned. “Actually, I’m a little worried about him. He left early today because he wasn’t feeling well.”

“Ollie?” I said around a mouthful of cornbread. My table manners were on point. “I’m pretty sure he’s indestructible. He’s like Chuck Norris but shorter and with crazy eyebrows.”

She huffed a laugh. “You’re probably right. You’ve known him longer.”

---