Brother's Keeper
1326 Words
POV: Brigail
"Jerry!" Brigail squealed as she opened the door to her tiny apartment and saw her brother staring right at her, grinning like a loon. "Holy s**t! You scared me half to death!"
Jerry pulled her in and caged her in his arms. "I missed you, Sook!"
"How? How are you here? Where did you get the money to buy the ticket?" Brigail drew back from him to check if he were real. She still couldn't believe her brother was in Las Vegas with her. "Tell me you didn't sell the house or spent all your money just to check up on me! 'Coz if you do, I swear, I'm gonna lose it. You know we can't afford—"
"Chill, Sook! Damn!" Jerry cut her off, cradling her face with his hands. "Before you go batshit on me, hear me out first, 'kay?"
Brigail bobbed her head.
"I'm here with Alcide. JV, your boss, called him up and asked him to handle the renovations for that restaurant you're working at. And guess who's the lucky guy he brought with him?" Jerry asked with his two thumbs pointing at his chest, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
Brigail let out a sigh of relief as she stared at her brother. "Oh, s**t! That's awesome, Jerry!"
"Ya, it is!" Jerry agreed as he waltzed into the living room and slumped onto the small couch in front of the television. "Sweet crib you've got here, Sook!"
Brigail locked the door behind her and followed him. She squeezed herself beside him and propped her legs on top of the coffee table that went with the sofa.
"Where's Alcide?" Brigail asked as she massaged her legs through her jeans. "And how did you get in here? Don't tell me you've rigged the locks. The landlord will kill me!"
"I didn't! Will you please relax? Barry gave me your address and the landlady let me in after I showed her my ID."
Brigail shook her head in derision. Her brother's charm with women was truly legendary. Jerry was attractive with his short, tousled blonde hair that was the same shade as hers, brown eyes and athletic physique, which he'd developed from playing quarterback in high school and lifting cement bags at work.
Jerry knew his asset was his toned upper body and he wasn't ashamed to flaunt it by wearing body-hugging shirts and singlets, like the one he was wearing now.
Brigail recalled all the times she would groan in disgust when a woman fell for Jerry's tedious antics and pick-up lines. "If only you could use your charms to pay off our debt."
"Maybe I still can. It seems my devilish good looks also work with the ladies here. Maybe I can sideline on the Boulevard. If you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows at her mischievously.
Brigail slapped him hard on the shoulder.
Her brother's arrogance reminded her so much of Eli Michealson and she didn't like it.
"Ow! What's that for?" Jerry cried as he rubbed his shoulder blade, where Brigail's palm left a red mark.
"For being such a smug SOB," Brigail snapped. "So, are you gonna tell me where Alcide is?"
Alcide Herveaux was the son of the owner of Herveaux Contracts, where Jerry and her father worked. He and Jerry were really close since they both shared a passion for football, monster trucks, and lager.
Unlike Jerry, Alcide wasn't a ladies' man, although he wasn't hard on the eyes with his russet skin, thick jet-black hair, and green eyes. His ripped muscles that would put Jerry's pecs to shame didn't hurt either.
But Alcide's good heart was his most appealing asset to Brigail. He would always drop by the Havens farmhouse to check on Brigail every now and then, especially after her Gran died.
Alcide would hang out at the farmhouse, bringing meat and corn to barbecue. Brigail wasn't sure, but she thought it was Alcide's way of helping them out without making it look like charity. Alcide knew Brigail was too proud to accept handouts.
Brigail wouldn't admit it to anybody, but she always had a crush on the scruffy guy. But she wasn't about to flirt with Alcide. She was too busy trying to live her life as normally as she could to bother herself with trivial things such as infatuation.
Or worse, love.
"He's meeting with JV and the new top dog. They want the renovation to start tonight when they close up at midnight. I think we'll be pulling an all-nighter. Alcide brought four more guys with him so we can work in shifts. He gave me tomorrow morning's shift so I can spend some time with you first since we'll only be here for less than a week."
"I wonder why the new owners didn't just hire a local contractor? Not that I'm complaining," she added immediately when Jerry gave her a look of protest. "It just sounds impractical, is all."
"I think we have JV to thank for that. I heard it was Alcide's dad who built that restaurant, so JV requested if the same contractors could do the renovation since the Herveaux's had the original blueprint. Plus them Vegas builders cost an arm and a leg. Alcide's the much cheaper choice."
JV and Tara had really helped Brigail in ways they could not imagine, and she promised to say an extra prayer for them to have a safe trip to Europe.
"Hey Jerry, do you wanna go and see the Strip?" Brigail asked her brother.
The blessings she'd received that day put her in a merry mood. She still had her winnings from the poker game she played at the Obsidian Ace and she'd already paid Barry the three-hundred-dollar buy-in he shelled out for her.
That left her with five hundred dollars more. Brigail smirked as she thought of that night. She really did a number on those sharks, and if it weren't for Eli Michealson's meddling, she would have cleaned them out easy.
"Let's go out and have a nice dinner. My treat. What do you say?" she asked Jerry again, who thought she was only joking.
Jerry didn't even take his eyes off the television screen as he browsed through the local channels. Brigail didn't have cable. "Stop kidding with me, Sook. I know you don't have the money. At least not yet."
"I'm freakin' serious, you twerp! I've got money, see." She took out her wallet and showed him the bills tucked neatly inside.
"Bumblefuck! What did you do?! Where did you get that much money?" Jerry's eyes widened at the sight of a few hundred dollar bills.
Brigail snorted at Jerry's reaction. Man, we really are as poor as dirt.
"The less you know, the better," her voice dropped low, almost conspiratorial. But the roguish glint in her eyes gave her away.
Jerry seized her in a headlock as he ruffled her hair. Brigail struggled against his grip as she tried to punch him on the chest.
While she was fighting her brother off, Brigail couldn't help the laughter that escaped her lips. Probably the single most genuine laugh she'd had since she came to Vegas.
That moment transported Brigail back to the happier days. The days when they were still oblivious to the real world that had done nothing but kicked them in the gut.
When she and Jerry would fight over silly things like the TV remote or the last slice of their Gran's pecan pie.
Brigail wished for those days back.
But as she looked at her brother's smiling face, she realized maybe, just maybe, things were finally looking up.
"Come on," she said, grabbing her keys. "Let's go blow some cash before I change my mind."
Jerry whooped and jumped off the couch, following her out the door.
Neither of them noticed the black sedan parked across the street.
Or the camera lens pointed at Brigail's apartment window.
- Writer
