The Men Next Door

Ch 2 - Brooks

A convoluted game of tug of war.

That's what I was convinced I'd volunteered myself for by the time I parked Cam's moving truck in a spot marked 'returns.'

She certainly wasn't some prize or trophy to be won, but Luca and I were clearly both eager to get to know our new neighbor. Why else would we have agreed to squish into a three-seater cab and journey through the concrete jungle on a whim? And there may have been plenty of time to get to know her, but she only had 24 hours in a day and a million more important things to worry about than hanging out with the men next door.

Maybe that was for the best, though. Sure, she'd caught my attention, but for all I knew, she was going to run with the rope and leave us both in the mud. Did I really want to put myself through that? To put Luca through that?

I didn't think he'd felt the first tugs of tension yet, but maybe he was just better at shaking it off. I mean, I was standing there thinking about the flowchart to my future while he'd already found a fresh dose of entertainment out on the main street. The slew of slow-moving cars wasn't all that exciting, but I could see why the flashes of color might keep his mind occupied... and a few seconds later, a glossy yellow passerby jogged my memory.

Someone had to call a cab to get us home.

And it wasn't going to be me.

"Nose goes!" I yelled the second that Cam reappeared from inside the dingy, brick rental shop. Driving took enough brainpower; I'd done my part. She probably had too, now that I mention it, but Luca conveniently kept his distance until our new neighbor had answered.

"Smart move." She tapped her temple with one finger as she padded across the blacktop toward me. "You catch on quick."

I gave a theatrical bow in response, and Luca shot me a knowing smirk as he drifted over to join us. The meaning wasn't obvious, but I knew him well enough to recognize the subtle call out. And he knew me well enough to recognize that a bow like that in front of a near-stranger was out of character. I was usually more uptight around new people, but with Cam? Well, something told me to let my personality shine through.

"I'm on to you," Luca mouthed silently. "May the better man win."

I shook my head and let out a small sigh.

Campbell was a beautiful woman, and I wasn't shocked that my best friend thought so too. But I was shocked that he took less than a day to make a challenge out of it. In hindsight, I probably should've expected that — he was definitely the most competitive person I knew — but you know what they say about hindsight.

I would've done a lot of things differently if I could press rewind.

"They should be here in a few minutes," Cam stated, waving her phone in the air to indicate she'd requested a taxi. "Thanks for tagging along; I appreciate the company."

I gave her a nod in acknowledgment, but that was about all I could offer. I was still lost in thought after Luca's lip-reading games.

Meanwhile, he was full steam ahead.

"Hey, what else do you have planned for tonight? Brooks is a great cook; I'm sure I can convince him to feed us."

Thanks, Luca, I thought sarcastically. I'm glad I always keep my place clean.

~~~

Back at my apartment, I whipped up some shrimp alfredo while Luca gave Campbell a tour. It felt a little strange to have them wandering around without me, but hey, I wanted Cam to feel comfortable and at home in a new building. And presumably, a new city.