Boy vs. Girl

Chapter 2-2

Kiana hadn’t heard back from Ginny by the time I left work that afternoon. I was on edge, trying to figure out another option. We all were.

I sent Alvin, Ada’s brother, a text before I pulled out of the parking lot. We bonded over our shitty luck with women and our love of all things alcohol. We’d gotten in the habit of getting together a few times a week. He’d bring the drinks, I provided the food.

I’d just put chicken and pineapple skewers on the grill when there was a knock on my front door. Alvin knew enough to let himself in so I brushed sweet teriyaki sauce on while I waited for him to join me.

“Smells good,” Alvin said, handing over a beer mug that did not appear to have beer in it.

“Chicken and pineapple, asparagus, and potatoes in the oven.”

“How in the hell do you not have better luck with women than I do?” Alvin joked.

“Because they said you get to a man’s heart through his stomach, not a woman’s.”

Alvin nodded. “True.” He batted his dark eyelashes at me and puckered his lips. He tossed his curly ponytail over his shoulder and tilted his head to the side. “I do love a man who cooks for me.”

I snorted. “You wish you could find a woman who fed you half as well as I do.”

Alvin tipped his head back and laughed. “That is the truth. I’d starve if it wasn’t for you and take-out.”

I grinned and turned the skewers. “It works out for both of us.”

“Did you try it yet?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. What is it?”

“Bourbon, cherries, lime and lemon juice, a little club soda. What do you think?”

I took a sip and hissed. “You staying here tonight?”

Alvin laughed. “Was thinking about it.”

“Damn. If you have more than one of these you’re gonna need to.”

Alvin grinned and settled onto one of the two chairs on my tiny deck. He stared off toward the mountain and took a deep breath.

I knew the feeling.

“Ada said the wedding this weekend wants a special drink, just for them. What kind of food are you making?”

I closed the grill and joined him at the table. I stretched back, lacing my fingers together behind my neck. “Casual stuff. Sliders, fries, cookout food.”

Alvin ran a hand down his face and leaned forward. He sipped his drink and gnawed on his cheek.

I let him think and finished cooking dinner. Inside, I put potatoes on plates and carried them outside. Three skewers went on each plate with a healthy addition of asparagus. I set one in front of Alvin and he finally nodded.

“I’ve been thinking up all kinds of fancy s**t. How many weddings do we do with burgers?”

I laughed. “I know. But Kiana ran it past the bride and she loved it. She needs an easy one right now.”

Alvin groaned. “s**t, I heard. Sawyer’s brother? I guess not everyone realizes how complicated weddings are.”

I nodded. “That’s the truth. It sounds like they’re all pretty laid back. From what Sawyer said, most of them got married in a lot less time than two months so they didn’t know they needed that kind of notice.”

“Where’s it going to be?”

I shrugged. “No clue. She called someone named Ginny, but it sounds like that’s not going to work out.”

“Ginny? No s**t. Damn. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. I think she was at a wedding a few months ago. She’s hot as hell.”

I nodded and shoveled food into my mouth. The last thing I needed to do was let on that I thought she was gorgeous. Alvin was single. He wasn’t recovering from a divorce from hell after the marriage from hell. He was a good guy, someone stable and emotionally available. Because as much as I’d love to tell myself I was, the truth was, I wasn’t. I wasn’t willing to get involved with another woman. Any woman. It didn’t matter what she looked like, who she was, or how perfect she was for me. I couldn’t do it.

Once upon a time, I thought Jane was the perfect woman. We made sense. We worked. Until we didn’t. By then it was too late. And if I didn’t see it coming with her, I wouldn’t see it with anyone else. So I took myself out of the game. Every game. Dating, relationships, hell, even friendship was off the table.

“Do you know her?” Alvin asked, obliviously to my internal turmoil.

I shook my head. “She was at Opposites Attract today, but we only talked for a minute.”

“She was a couple years behind me in school. Felt like jailbait when I was younger, but now?”

“You should go for it,” I forced out, telling myself there was no reason he shouldn’t.

Alvin shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. Hell, she’s got enough s**t going on right now. I wouldn’t be any good for her anyway.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, man,” I said. “You should go for it.”

He eyed me for a long moment before he smiled and popped a chunk of potato in his mouth. “You should get to know her. You need to get back out there more than me.”

I huffed. “Uh, no.”

Alvin shrugged again. “Whatever. We’re both too screwed up for a woman like Ginny.”

I snickered and stared at my almost view of the water. Alvin was definitely right about that one.