Page 11 of Demitrius

Chapter 5

Demi hated himself. He hated the way he’d spoken to Mandy. He should have been kinder to her with his words. Something that he’d never…she loved him. When did that happen, or even how? He’d not really spent any time with her, and now she was saying that she loved him.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong? You’ve been mumbling to yourself for the last ten minutes. Something about Mandy and loving someone else.” He looked at his brother Knox. “Well? Spill it or not, but you’re here to help me not take your mood out on me.”

“She loves me.” He told him congratulations. “No, you don’t understand. I don’t love her. I like her…I told her that I like her all right, but I don’t love her. I don’t want to love her.”

“So don’t.” Demi told him it wasn’t that easy. “Sure, it is. I’m assuming that you told her that you didn’t want to love her, and she’s all right with that? If she is, then you’re off the hook. Go on the way that you are.”

“I’m afraid that she’s made it awkward now. How am I supposed to be around her when she has this thing for me?” Knox told him that he was reading too much into it. It looked like the two of them were getting along just fine. “But she loves me. How am I supposed to let that go?”

“You don’t let it go, but you don’t dwell on it either. You’re the one who is making it awkward, not her. She’s still the same person, and so are you. What has you tied up in knots over this? You’re being stupid.” He thanked his brother for being so understanding. “I think that you’re protesting too much. I think that you really do love her, but you’re saying this now because she told you first. That’s what I think.”

“Now, who’s being stupid? I don’t love her, moron. I like her, but I don’t…don’t you think that I’d know if I love her or not? I’ve seen love on our brothers. I don’t feel that mushy around her. Nor do I want to…you’re just wrong.” He told him that he didn’t think that all love was the same. “So the three brothers that have wives, all of them treat them the same way too—but they love their wives and are mushy around them. I mean, there are times when I find them to be slightly sickening. Don’t you?”

“No, not at all.” Knox sat down in the chair that was across from his desk. “Think about how you feel about her. I mean, don’t just say that you like her, tell me what it is that you like about her. I’m assuming that you have something that you find likable about her. What is it?” Demi leaned back in his chair and thought about what he was asking. “Don’t think too hard on it, big brother. Just tell me what you like about her.”

“She has beautiful eyes. Not only that, but they shine when she’s happy. I find myself figuring out something to say to her to make them shine. And when she’s deep in thought, you can almost see when she gets something. Understands what it is that she’s thinking about.” Knox told him to go on. “Her skin is flawless. I mean, if there is a scar or any other blemish there, I’ve never seen it. It kinda glows, too, when she’s out in the sun. Like the sun has kissed her and brought out the freckles dancing across her nose.”

“Really? And you don’t love her? I think you’re more sappy than the others are.” He asked what he was talking about. “Dude, you just waxed poetry about her freckles, dancing freckles, I might add. What else are you not in love with her about?”

“I’m not telling you anything more. You’re just looking for reasons to think that I’m in love.” Knox told him that he really wasn’t. “All right. Her laughter is the highlight of my day. No matter too if she’s laughing at me or with me, I lo—like it.” He thought about the last time he’d heard her laugh. He didn’t think he’d heard her since she’d told him that she loved him. Demi looked at his brother when something else occurred to him.

“What? What’s happened?” Demi said that he’d really hurt Mandy. “I would say that’s true. Idon’t imagine many women go around telling someone they love them only to be told that you like her all right. Seems like you were sort of cruel to her.”

“I didn’t mean to be.” Knox said that he didn’t think that he had. “I don’t know what to do about this. I enjoyed our friendship. I enjoy being around her, too.”

“Yeah, I got that. Demi, I think that if you really were to think about her and you, you really do love her. You just haven’t caught up with her yet. I bet that if you really think hard about her, you’ll see that she’s perfect for you. I mean, you already love the kids, it’s only another step or two before you’re madly in love with her too. And it sure would make it easier on her if you did love her in order for her to raise those boys as her own.” He asked his brother if he was suggesting that he marry her for the kids. “No. I didn’t say that at all. I’m thinking that you’re also looking for someone to have a fight with over this. I’m not who you should be talking to. And like I said, you seem to be in love with her already, but that could only be me.”

“It is only you. As I’ve said several times already, I don’t love her. She’s just a good friend to me.” Knox nodded but didn’t look convinced. “Go away before we get into a fight. I don’t want to knock you around because of a woman.”

After Knox left him, Demi worked on the order he’d been going over for the restaurant. His new chef, Margo, had put the order together, and he couldn’t find anything wrong with her calculations. Demi was ready to turn it over to her as soon as she had another couple of busy nights under her belt. He was ready to move on.

His computer had gone to sleep when he realized that he’d not been thinking about Margo or the restaurant at all. His mind had been centered wholly on Mandy and the boys. They were, he knew, a package deal, and for some reason that made him feel good about liking her. Because he did. He liked Mandy very much.

They were friends. Just last night, she’d made dinner for the four of them. It was good too. Teddy had said that she could cook all right with a recipe. But nothing on her own. Maybe he’d show her how to cook more creatively. Having them all living with him was going to be hard to let go of when she moved back to her house, he only just realized. He loved having them all around all the time.

Getting up after sending the order on its way, he began putting together some of the things that were going to go into the soup he wanted for the evening. People loved his odd soups. Like last week, he’d had salad soup. It had been a big hit with the creamy lettuce, bacon, and tomatoes with just a pinch of cheese on it before serving. Then there was the loaded baked potato soup that he’d made a couple of nights ago, served with a couple of slices of crusty bread. It was an easy way to get rid of too many baked potatoes, too. He found himself wondering if Mandy would enjoy it as well.

“Damn it.” He couldn’t seem to keep his mind on track without thinking about Mandy. He didn’t love her, but he was thinking about her a great deal, and that was driving him crazy. “Focus, Demitrius. Focus on what’s going on right now.”

“Did you say something?” Margo came into the room with him and smiled. “I have to have a good talk with myself, too, sometimes. Especially when it feels like something more is going on. Who is the non-focusing person on your list today?”

“A woman.” She nodded and told him they were the worst kinds of people to get out of your head. “I didn’t know you were with someone. I thought that you said you weren’t married or something along those lines.”

“I have a girlfriend. She’s cool. We’ve been seeing each other for about ten years now. So we’ve been there, done that sort of relationship.” He told her congratulations. “Thanks. But if you ever want to talk, I’m here for you. Like I said, we’ve been through it all from breakups to makeups and everything in between.”

They did talk, but nothing about Mandy. He told her about the boys and how much he loved being around them. He did mention that he had a roommate now that there was trouble brewing for her, and how he was protecting her from a brother and sister.

“Mandy Wilson, right? I heard about her and Samuel. Those boys, they’re polite as can be whenI’ve seen them out and about. Mandy is doing a good job of keeping them on the straight and narrow, too. You two should hook up. She’d be good for you.” He asked her why she’d say that. “I’m only making an observation about the two of you. I see the way you two look at each other. It’s very hot.”

“I don’t look at her like that.” She just laughed but didn’t say anything more. “I like her just fine, but I don’t love her.”

“If you say so. But let me ask you this, would it bother you to have her date one of your single brothers? I kind of think that one of them will ask her out if you don’t stake your claim soon.” For some reason that bothered him. Would she date someone else, loving him the way she said? That would be just…he didn’t like that. He caught himself rubbing his heart while thinking of which brother he was going to have to beat up for…he looked at Margo when she said his name.

“You got it bad, don’t you? I mean, you’re really in love with her. That’s wonderful for you both.” Was he in love or just jealous of his brothers dating her? Something was seriously wrong with him if he was in love with her. But he didn’t know what it was. Looking at Margo, he suddenly wanted to go home and see Mandy. “I’ve got this if you want to go. And if I run into trouble, which I don’t see happening, I know how to call you.”

“Thanks.” He grabbed his shirt and was pulling off his smock as he was going out the door, nearly running Mandy down when she was just opening the door to the back of the restaurant. “I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

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