Page 15 of I'd Never Date my Brother's Best Friend

“I was going to wash the dishes,” she says, standing beside me at the sink.

“Well, I beat you to it.”

She ignores me and starts to rinse the dishes after I wash. “You don’t have to do that,” I tell her. “I’ll do it myself.”

“Just shut up,” she says.

“Oh, I just love how calm and gentle you are,” I tell her. “You’re so fun to be around.”

“Don’t start with me, Sean.”

“I haven’t said a word to you at all tonight.”

She looks up at me, and our gazes clash, causing her to look away immediately. “I was enjoying the quiet,” she grumbles.

“How’s the writing coming along?” I ask, ignoring her jab and sliding the last plate into the sink for her to rinse.

Jessica sighs. “I’m dealing with writer’s block. But I’m sure I’ll get over it soon.”

I start to dry off the plates as Jessica continues to rinse. The joint effort makes the chore faster and more enjoyable.

“Maybe the game is a good idea, then.” I arch my brows. “A game like trivial pursuit will relax your mind and put you in a good mood. Plus you know you love the competition.”

Jessica smiles up at me, and I know she’s about to throw a petty jab. This squabble has been happening between us for ages; I know all the signs.

“Of course, it will put me in a good mood,” she says. “As long as I’m not paired with you. I'd like to win, thank you very much.”

A bubble of laughter escapes my lips, and I shake my head at her. “Well, it’s not like I’m looking to be paired with you either. Games are meant to be fun, and everyone knows you’re not familiar with that word.”

I pat dry the last dish and hang the towel back on the rack before wiping down my hands. She’s about to respond when Evelyn shouts from the living room.

“Sean! Jess! Come on, guys. We’re waiting!”

Jessica smirks as she pushes past me. “Let’s see how much fun you’ll have when you lose. I’m going to make sure of it.”

When she’s out of the kitchen, I chuckle and shake my head. This isn’t the first time the O’Connell's and Stewart's have played Trivial Pursuit together. We have been in each other’s faces for over a decade. Everyone knows that if you want to win, join Jessica’s team. It is fun to watch her play any kind of game because of her competitive streak and sharp focus. I’m going to have a swell time with her tonight. I no longer want to ignore her.

“Sean!” Evelyn calls.

“Coming,” I say as I hurry out of the kitchen.

In the living room, the board game is spread out on the large center table while everyone sits around it. I join them, sitting between Lenny Stewart and Jamie while Evelyn sets it up.

“Are we playing individually or as a team?” My mom asks.

“As a team,” Evelyn answers. “That way, we can play in a group of four teams.”

“Oh, let’s split up then.” My mom stands. “Evelyn with Jamie. Jessica with Sean. Mark and I. Lenny and John.”

While our parents swing into action, the rest of us are somewhat paralyzed. Jessica is staring at me like I’ve grown two heads, and from the corner of my eye, I see Evelyn and Jamie exchange a coded stare. Even though I don’t know what the look between them means, it’s interesting to see. I can tell that something is going on, even though neither of them knows it yet.

“Kids, you’ve got to move fast,” Lenny says. “Form a pair with your partner. Let’s go. Chop, chop.”

Jamie moves to Evelyn’s side, and I do the same by crossing over to Jessica. She sits stiffly beside me, and I nudge her, enjoying this turn of events.

“What were you saying about being paired with me?” I whisper, and I see her shoulders stiffen which makes me chuckle.

“So, we all know the rules of this game,” Evelyn says, as each team grabs a wedge of a different color. “We’ve been playing this forever. You roll the dice and whatever category you land on is the question you have to answer correctly. If you answer the question right, you get to go again and we continue until you have a wedge full of pie pieces in six different colors for a full pie. The first team that has a full pie and answers the last question correctly wins.”

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