Page 60 of My Undead Heart
“God! Stop! My dick is fine,” I say a little too loudly and draw the unwanted attention of my clients gathering for my next cardio kickboxing class. A few women giggle at my outburst.
“Keep telling yourself that, buddy.” He nods, a sympathetic frown taking over his lips, though his laughter threatens to take over with a smile.
“Always a little brother.” I shake my head and it’s then he really does laugh.
“So, tomorrow. You’ll be there? Bring the girl. Or guy. Whatever. I’m excited you can make it.”
“Yeah, yeah. See you Sunday.” We hug and I pat his back once before he’s out the door and on the way to his office. Now I have to break the news to Mia.Or maybe I don’t. She’s already agreed to a date with me. I’ll pick her up and explain the entire sob story. Enlist her help at surviving a dinner at Nikki and Danny’s. Can’t be any worse than zombie apocalypse training, and she’s into that. Yeah. This will work out perfectly.
“You want me to meet your brother?” she exclaims so loudly I think she might jump off my bike. We’re cruising through the mid-day traffic so I’m not going that fast. She’d probably still break an arm, though.
I wait until we’re stopped at a traffic light before I continue. “I’m asking for your assistance. I can’t do this thing alone. I suck at parties. Small talk. Formalities.”
“You have got yourself the wrong girl, Matt! I’m no good at that shit either.”
Speeding ahead, I weave through the final two streets, pull to the curb, and park my bike in the empty space. “So, we’ll go down together. Sounds like fun.” I take off my helmet and she does the same standing beside my bike.
Her hands go straight to her gorgeous hips. “Not one bit of this sounds like a good time.” Even though she’s pissed, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
I slide her hand in mine and begin walking. I take it as a good sign she doesn’t pull away. That or she’s so wrapped up in her own head she doesn’t realize what she’s doing. Wracking my brain, I try to come up with something to sell this stupid party. “They stock craft beer and have a refrigerator just for wine.”
“Okay, only one part of this sounds tolerable,” she grumbles.
We march up the stairs to my brother’s brownstone and I stop to kiss the top of her head. “Thank you, Mia.”
“I haven’t agreed! When is this stupid party, anyway? I might already have plans. To wash my hair.”
I reach forward and knock at the door, a giant grin on my face. She’s gonna kill me but instead of being scared, it only makes me laugh under my breath. “Oh, but we’re already here.”
“Wait, what? I thought this was your place!”
The door swings open and Danny greets me with a smile. “Brother!” He steps outside and gives me a hug. “You came!” He sounds surprised and a sliver of guilt wedges its way inside. I hate that I’ve let him down enough that he second guesses my support for him.
I return his embrace and then step back to loop my arm around Mia’s waist, thankful she doesn’t shove away. “Thanks for inviting us. Danny, this is Mia.”
“Mia, it’s so nice to meet you. Come on in. We’re just watching the end of the game. Nikki’s still getting ready. Honestly, I’m not sure what women do for so long. She doesn’t look any less beautiful after two hours in the bathroom, but let’s keep that between us. Mia, you probably understand better than we can.”
“Actually, I suck at being a girl. This right here took me fifteen minutes.” She motions down her body and I’m actually jealous when my brother looks because his jaw drops open.
“Liar,” he says.
“Swear to God.” She holds up one hand.
“Sorcery, woman. Fucking sorcery.” Danny shakes his head and we follow his lead inside. We pass a group of twenty-somethings glued to the television. A few of them half-wave because we’ve met before, but their attention is centered on the football game. Danny glances back over his shoulder. “What can I get you two to drink? Mixed drinks, beer, pop?”
Mia’s phone chimes from her back pocket, a song I’ve come to learn is the opener toThe Walking Dead. She’s so obsessed with the show that I had to sneak a few more episodes in this past week. I’m almost at the end of the first season. Of course I had no time to be doing so, but the damn show had me up until two every morning.
She pulls her cell out and looks at the screen before lifting her gaze. “Sorry, I really need to take this. I’ll just step out front ...”
“Sure. Or there’s a balcony right out that way.” My brother points to the sliding door just beyond his living room.
“Thanks.” Mia ducks her head, holds the cell to her ear, and strides over to the back doorway where her words are lost in the chorus of my brother and Nikki’s friends who shout at the TV.
“Drinks?” Danny asks.
I nod, following him the rest of the way to the kitchen. It’s been a few months since I’ve stopped by his place and only a week or so since Nikki moved in but I can already pick up on the added feminine touches. Most notably, those little potted plants found in every hipster restaurant now litter his kitchen countertop. I pick one up and tilt my head when he opens the fridge. “These are ... cute?”
“Shut up.” He chuckles. “They’re succulents. And you should probably set that down before Nikki finds you messing with it. Took her thirty minutes to arrange them on the counter. I know you want water, but what about Mia?” He tosses me a plastic bottle from the fridge.
