The Anti-Boyfriend(67)
She was right about that. I’d avoided Minnesota like it was my job.
I sighed. “You’re right. It does have to do with a woman. But it’s not what you’re probably thinking. I was the one who broke her heart, not vice versa. But I’m not ready to get into it.”
My grandmother’s brows drew together. “Do you plan to stay here indefinitely?”
“No.” I paused. “At least I don’t think so.” Pointing a can of Pringles at her, I said, “Why? Are you in a rush for me to leave? I thought you liked having me here.”
“While at times I like having my grown-ass grandson here, your gram needs her space once in a while.”
“For what?”
She looked at me like I should have known, but it didn’t compute.
“I have a friend I haven’t been able to have over since you got here.”
Virtually scratching my head, I still didn’t get it. Until I did.
Oh.
Oh
Well I’ll be fucking damned.
“I’m messing up your game, Gram?”
Jeez. And I’d wondered where I got it from all these years.
“I’m not saying you can’t stay here. But you might want to share the love with your brother one or two nights a week.”
“Here I was thinking I was helping out my sweet little granny, keeping her company, doing her shopping. Now I come to find out I’m just a cockblocker.” I shook my head. “Well, thanks for enlightening me.”
*
Once I got a clue that I was intruding on my grandmother’s booty calls, I hit up my brother for an alternate place to stay a few days a week.
Whereas my parents and grandmother lived in the suburbs, Alex lived in downtown Minneapolis. With my backpack hooked over my shoulder, I arrived at his building. Looking up at the high-rise, I felt a pang of longing for city life.
Well, it was less about the city and more about what I’d left behind there.
After taking the elevator up, I knocked on my brother’s door.
He opened. “Hey, dude.”
“Hey.”
We shared a manly hug, patting each other on the back. Dropping my bag, I looked around. The furniture looked new. The place smelled great. My little bro had come a long way from the way I remembered him when I left home for California back in college. He was just under me in height, but had really grown to resemble me more with age.
“I’ve barely seen you since you’ve been home,” he said. “I’m glad Gram kicked you to the curb.”
“So what’s the plan tonight?” I asked.
“Lindsay’s coming by after work and we’re all gonna go to dinner.”
“Sounds good. I can’t believe I’ve been here for three months and haven’t met your girlfriend yet.”
He cracked open a beer before handing it to me. “Are you okay?” he asked as he opened a bottle for himself.
“Yeah. Why?” I took a sip.
“Everyone is wondering why you’re here.” He let out a slight belch. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that we don’t want you home. But something seems off. We’ve been trying to figure it out. You know you can tell me anything, right?”
So he and my parents had been talking about me. Fucking awesome. “Yeah. I do. And I will. Just not now.”
“Okay. Well, tonight is about having fun anyway—getting your mind off things. And I’ve got my guitar room set up for you.”
“Cool. Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. Had I known our grandmother was a freak, I would’ve come to stay here a long time ago.”
“Worst kept secret in the world.” He laughed. “But I’m glad she threw your ass out.”
Alex and I kicked back on his couch with our beers for the next half-hour, taking a trip down memory lane with stories from our childhood.
The doorbell rang, interrupting our conversation.
When Alex answered the door, two women entered the apartment.
“Linds, you finally get to meet my big brother,” Alex said, kissing her cheek. “I thought we were gonna have to fly to New York for this, but he came home.”
Lindsay was short with long, black hair, which was interesting because Alex typically went for blondes, from what I could remember. There was a lot I didn’t know about my brother now, and I regretted that.
“It’s so great to meet you,” she said, extending her hand to me. “You’re like this mythical character no one ever gets to see. I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
She turned to her friend. “This is Hallie. I figured we’d make tonight a foursome so you didn’t feel like the third wheel.”
Great. This is a setup? Alex must have been in on this.
“Really nice to meet you, Deacon,” she said. “You look so much like Alex.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
With long, brown hair and large eyes, Hallie was attractive. The blind date might have been a pleasant surprise for the old me. But under the current circumstances, it was unwelcome. Now that my brother had put me in this position, I’d have to suck it up and try to enjoy the night.
We ended up walking to a nearby, high-end steakhouse. Being in a crowded restaurant in the city felt like I’d been transported back to Manhattan.