Page 20 of Enemies with my Bestie’s Brother
I get up and round the island, washing my hands and drying them before opening the pantry. “What do you want out of here?”
“Peanuts. And there should be some long and kind of thin egg noodles. There’s also a jar of peanut butter and an unopened thing of chili oil.”
I grab the ingredients and put them on the counter. Though she’s made her chicken Pad Thai for me thousands of times — it was one of our staples in college — I still can’t remember everything that goes into it.
“So,” Penny says as she drops the slices of chicken into a sizzling pan. “Back to you moving here. Have you thought any more about it? I know that I’m being pushy.”
I smile and shake my head. “You’ve always pushed for what you want, Penny. I don’t know about moving out here, though. I want to be close to you again, but Keene is where my business and my family are.”
“And they want the best for you. I’ve met your mom. She thinks you’re being held back in that small town, or did you forget that?”
I roll my eyes. “Now the pair of you are ganging up to lecture me?”
Parker laughs as he walks into the kitchen with Baby J balanced on his hip. “I don’t know what the two of you are talking about right now, but yes, I’m sure that Penny is ganging up on you.”
Penny gasps as she clears away the cutting board and knife she used. “I can’t believe that you’re taking her side.”
He laughs and puts Baby J in his playpen. “You would take her side too.”
Penny narrows her eyes at him as she grabs a wooden spoon. “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”
She brandishes the spoon at Parker like a sword. He quirks an eyebrow before charging around the kitchen island and scooping her up in his arms. She’s shrieking with laughter as he spins her around.
Both of them wear matching grins on their faces as Parker sets her back on the ground.
As happy as I am for my best friend, there is a tiny part of me that envies what she has.
“I’ll think about making San Francisco home,” I say as I grab a clean cutting board and knife for the peanuts. “But, I just don’t know if it’s the right place for me.”
Penny starts to say something, but Grayson walks in then. My breath hitches as I look at him. When he glances at me, I try to focus on the peanuts.
I’ve been doing a good job of only texting him when it involves work. I haven’t agreed or disagreed to go to dinner with him. I’m taking the coward’s way out.
“So, how is the painting looking?” Parker asks as Grayson goes straight to Baby J and picks him up.
My heart skips a beat as Baby J giggles and reaches for his uncle. The pair of them are adorable together. He holds him close, bouncing him softly as he moves around the living room.
“Looks good. They still need to do second and third coats in some of the rooms, but it’s coming along well,” Grayson says, twirling Baby J in a slow circle.
The baby boy laughs and bounces, his tiny fists pounding against his chest.
When I see him like this, it’s hard not to picture what could have happened if he didn’t leave me that morning.
I’m not naïve enough to think that we would have begun a relationship then and there. Both of us knew what we were doing that weekend.
Maybe we would have kept in contact with each other, though. We might have started talking, and in time, found ourselves visiting each other. Letting that chemistry grow and blossom until there was something real between us.
“So, Whitney tells me that she’s been doing a ton of shopping,” Penny says as she crosses the room to hug her brother quickly. “But, she won’t show me any of the designs. She insists that it’s got to be a surprise for everyone other than you.”
Grayson looks at me and arches an eyebrow. I shrug. Though I do want to surprise her with the transformation, it is his house and he can tell her whatever he wants to about the place.
“Well, if she wants it to be a surprise, then I’m obligated to keep it that way,” he says, giving Penny a smile.
She sighs and heads back to the kitchen with exaggerated stomps. Unable to keep up with the charade, she erupts into giggles.
“Do you need any help with anything?” I ask as I sidle up next to Penny in the kitchen.
Anything is welcome to keep me busy and away from potentially awkward situations with Grayson.
