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Authors: A.P. Hallmark
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barbecue off to the right. It's hot, so be careful. She has the patio lined with chairs. It doesn't look like Jessie and Laura are here yet. The patio is covered with a lattice terrace, so you are not in the direct sun, all right?"
"Thank you, Matthew," I say as I sit in the seat he guides me to.
"What would you like to drink? A wine cooler?" he suggests.
"How about a soda? Any kind will be fine. Thank you."
The moment Matthew walks away, Brian comes bounding over and takes the seat next to me.
"Joy, how the hell are you? How is it you are mixed with this motley crew?" he asks, laughing and taking my hand.
"Well, funny that you ask," I giggle, explaining how Matthew and I met, then about Laura and Jessie, and now, him and Maddie, “We are all somehow intermingled with each other.” We are both laughing as footsteps approach.
"Brian, are you going to sit there, or do I need to go get myself another chair?" Matthew asks.
"Um, no, sorry. I just wanted to play catch-up with our girl here," Brian says. "Joy, I'll talk to you later, all right?"
"Okay, it was good to see you, Brian." I wave at him when I hear him get up from his seat.
"Here’s a Pepsi for you. I put it over ice, and there's a straw there as well," he explains.
"Matthew, are you upset again?” I don't know what’s made him so offended, but I don't like it. “Do I need to ask for a ride home?"
"No, I'm sorry," he says apologetically. "I just…"
"He's jealous, Joy," Maddie whisks by, stopping long enough to admonish Matthew's behavior.
"What the hell is up with you, Matthew? Why are you being so rude to Brian?"
"Maddie, just drop it," her brother says, sounding annoyed.
"What did he do to you for you to talk to him that way?" Maddie presses for an answer.
"Joy, will you excuse us for a moment? I'll be about eight steps behind you. I won't be far," he says, bending down so that I can hear him.
I hear them arguing with Maddie behind me and don’t like that Brian is staying away from me. Matthew has been extremely rude to him.
"He keeps putting his hands on her, Maddie."
"They are old and dear friends, Matthew,” Maddie explains. “Oh, my God! You ‘re falling for her!"
"She's mine, Maddie, and I don't want your boyfriend kissing her or putting his hands on her."
"They have been friends forever! Who are you to keep them apart? If there was something between them, it would have happened long before now. Joy isn't Emma, Matthew."
CHAPTER FIVE
Even the sound of her name sends cold chills down my spine.
"I know she's not Emma. She’s nothing like her," I acknowledge, looking back at Joy. She looks so abandoned sitting there by herself. Brian is giving me a heated glare when notice him looking from me then to Joy. He begins to stomp over to me, clearly pissed.
"Davis," he growls, lowering his head in an attempt to keep his own voice down. "I don’t give a shit who you are, so out of respect for Maddie, I won't kick your ass for leaving that girl over there, sitting alone in a place she is unfamiliar with. If you do it again though, I won't hesitate. Now get your stupid ass over there, before I take her home," Brian hisses at me before storming off.
He's right. I am an ass for leaving her sitting there alone and keeping her from her friends. This is a party, for crying out loud. Looking at Maddie, I can see that she’s upset with me as well.
"Who do I think I am, Maddie, bringing this beautiful woman here and then behaving this way?" I run my hands through my already unruly hair and walk back to Joy.
"Hey, beautiful," I say, scooting my chair closer to her. "I'm sorry for leaving you here all alone, and what's more, I'm sorry about Brian. I have no excuse for being rude to him," I say quietly, taking her hands in mine.
“Matthew…” she begins.
"I really am sorry." Still close to her, I inhale her sweet perfume.
Taking my hand into hers, she gently traces each one of my fingers. When she turns my hand over and does the
"Thank you, Matthew," I say as I sit in the seat he guides me to.
"What would you like to drink? A wine cooler?" he suggests.
"How about a soda? Any kind will be fine. Thank you."
The moment Matthew walks away, Brian comes bounding over and takes the seat next to me.
"Joy, how the hell are you? How is it you are mixed with this motley crew?" he asks, laughing and taking my hand.
"Well, funny that you ask," I giggle, explaining how Matthew and I met, then about Laura and Jessie, and now, him and Maddie, “We are all somehow intermingled with each other.” We are both laughing as footsteps approach.
"Brian, are you going to sit there, or do I need to go get myself another chair?" Matthew asks.
"Um, no, sorry. I just wanted to play catch-up with our girl here," Brian says. "Joy, I'll talk to you later, all right?"
"Okay, it was good to see you, Brian." I wave at him when I hear him get up from his seat.
"Here’s a Pepsi for you. I put it over ice, and there's a straw there as well," he explains.
"Matthew, are you upset again?” I don't know what’s made him so offended, but I don't like it. “Do I need to ask for a ride home?"
"No, I'm sorry," he says apologetically. "I just…"
"He's jealous, Joy," Maddie whisks by, stopping long enough to admonish Matthew's behavior.
"What the hell is up with you, Matthew? Why are you being so rude to Brian?"
"Maddie, just drop it," her brother says, sounding annoyed.
"What did he do to you for you to talk to him that way?" Maddie presses for an answer.
"Joy, will you excuse us for a moment? I'll be about eight steps behind you. I won't be far," he says, bending down so that I can hear him.
I hear them arguing with Maddie behind me and don’t like that Brian is staying away from me. Matthew has been extremely rude to him.
"He keeps putting his hands on her, Maddie."
"They are old and dear friends, Matthew,” Maddie explains. “Oh, my God! You ‘re falling for her!"
"She's mine, Maddie, and I don't want your boyfriend kissing her or putting his hands on her."
"They have been friends forever! Who are you to keep them apart? If there was something between them, it would have happened long before now. Joy isn't Emma, Matthew."
CHAPTER FIVE
Even the sound of her name sends cold chills down my spine.
"I know she's not Emma. She’s nothing like her," I acknowledge, looking back at Joy. She looks so abandoned sitting there by herself. Brian is giving me a heated glare when notice him looking from me then to Joy. He begins to stomp over to me, clearly pissed.
"Davis," he growls, lowering his head in an attempt to keep his own voice down. "I don’t give a shit who you are, so out of respect for Maddie, I won't kick your ass for leaving that girl over there, sitting alone in a place she is unfamiliar with. If you do it again though, I won't hesitate. Now get your stupid ass over there, before I take her home," Brian hisses at me before storming off.
He's right. I am an ass for leaving her sitting there alone and keeping her from her friends. This is a party, for crying out loud. Looking at Maddie, I can see that she’s upset with me as well.
"Who do I think I am, Maddie, bringing this beautiful woman here and then behaving this way?" I run my hands through my already unruly hair and walk back to Joy.
"Hey, beautiful," I say, scooting my chair closer to her. "I'm sorry for leaving you here all alone, and what's more, I'm sorry about Brian. I have no excuse for being rude to him," I say quietly, taking her hands in mine.
“Matthew…” she begins.
"I really am sorry." Still close to her, I inhale her sweet perfume.
Taking my hand into hers, she gently traces each one of my fingers. When she turns my hand over and does the
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