Carly quickly looks away.
“I’m takin’ her out tonight,” he says.
“No, you’re not,” I fire back.
“Huh?”
“You have a girlfriend,” I say.
“Nope. Ended it Tuesday.”
He sits down.
“You move fast.” I remain standing. Glaring.
“It wasn’t a big deal. Only dated her three weeks. No waiting period required with a three-week thing, Aid.”
I take a step closer and look down at him. “Make an excuse. Don’t go out with her.”
“Why?” He looks at me like I’m crazy.
“Huh?” I ask.
“Make an excuse? For what? Carly’s a fox. Just had lunch with her. She’s not only a fox, she’s cool. Somethin’ I don’t know? She psycho or somethin’?”
“She’s…” I stop and I’m momentarily lost for words.
“You want her?” He looks at me with unguarded surprise.
I glare at him.
“Shit. Didn’t see that one comin’.” He gives his head a scratch as his smile goes so wide he’s in danger of splitting his own lips.
“I didn’t say that,” I defend.
“You wanna fuck her or you like her, man? ‘Cuz if you’re just after gettin’ laid, that’s outside bro rules...”
“Just back off, Austin.”
I haven’t thought this through. I just reacted. That’s not like me.
“You like her.” He gives me a smile, a smile that’s about to become one brother ribbing another for liking a girl.
Austin knows I don’t do more than hookups. We haven’t been after the same girl since we were in our teens and we devised a loose understanding about calling dibs. It didn’t happen often, since I’m two years older, but it has happened a couple times.
“Don’t start bustin’ my balls, man. It’s been less than a week, but she’s in my apartment, skimpy clothes, fuckin’ barefoot and braless, and I have this view of her all day long, and have you seen her ass?”
He smiles. “Yeah. Why do you think I asked her out?”
My brother is definitely an ass man.
I roll my eyes. “Cancel the date.”
“Alright,” he waves his hands. “Didn’t know you were callin’ dibs.”
“Didn’t know you were single,” I point out. “So, didn’t realize I had to.”
“Well, we don’t talk much these days,” he says, and his expression drops.