My Best Friend's Girlfriend

How To Deal

Andi's POV

I remember the first time I laid eyes on Brian. I was sipping a pina colada at my Uncle's bar in Huntington Beach with some of my friends who had stopped in for Happy Hour. One of the regulars decided he wanted to slap my ass as he walked by and I couldn't turn around quick enough to want to punch him in the face. Like a Knight in shining armour, Brian appeared trying to keep me from smacking the guy and making an attempt to flirt. His brown eyes were warm and full of mischief and I couldn't help but smile back.

I'd heard from my friends, when he first walked in bar, that he was in a band...Avenged Sevenfold and apparently was a killer musician. Everyone was staring at him like he was the sun after a rainy day. I thought he was going to be cocky and arrogant but as we sat together and talked, I found he was smart and funny and a genuinely nice person.

When he stuck around and helped me close up, I admit I was smitten. And when he called me the next day and we talked for hours, I was hooked. 

He'd told me all about his failed relationship with Michelle. She'd broken his heart and we took things really really slow. He seemed content at that. Every day we made little steps. He dropped by my bar on days he was out of the studio. He talked about their new album and his bandmates. I told him about my family and my college days. I introduced him to my friends and he introduced me to his. Zacky was as sweet as his girlfriend Gena was beautiful. Johnny was funny and Lacey was gorgeous and off the charts smart. And Jimmy and Leana...they were kindred free spirit souls. Everyone was great. Except...well except his friend Matt seemed to hate me.

It was my fault really...I shouldn't have mentioned his relationship with Val when it was none of my business that day in the studio. Damn..I don't know what I was thinking. Matt has these gorgeous hazel eyes that you can just drown in. I'm sure you know them. And that dimpled grin...I can only imagine the number of girls that have melted at the sight of them.  I think that's why I felt so comfortable asking him about Val because he was just so inviting to talk to. But that backfired on me...big time.

Or at least I thought...okay so I admit that day  I swung by to pick up Brian's wallet, I had an ulterior motive. I wanted to talk to him. To beg...plead for him to forgive me for whatever I did so that Brian wouldn't talk so much about missing him. It was starting to make me feel like Yoko Ono. He wasn't happy to see me or at least I thought that was the case. Imagine my surprised when I bumped the desk and his monitor woke up to display my picture from the New Years Party. And when he ran his fingers across the monitor, I could literally feel my heart beating against my chest. I took his hand because I wanted him to know that it was okay...that I understood but when I made contact with his skin, I felt sparks.

It was a good thing that he backed away from me. It was a good thing that I got out of there without making a fool of myself. On the drive back to Brian's, I decided to put it out of my mind. Not think of the warmth of Matt's skin. I opened the door and I could hear Brian talking to someone. I looked out of the window and didn't see any cars so I guessed he was on the phone.

"No, Jimmy said that Leana wasn't mad," he laughed. "That was the last time we went to Vegas with them, remember?"

Pinkly saw me and jumped off the couch ran over excitedly and jumped at my feet. 

"I've gotta go," he said quickly "Yeah Andi is here. Okay...okay...talk to you later."

I listened as I bent over to scoop her up in my arms "Hey sweet girl...did you miss me?" 

She licked my face as I walked into the living room where Brian was sprawled on the leather couch flipping channels his phone strewn beside him.

"Hey babe," he said happily. "Everything go okay?"

I dumped my purse on the table. "Of course, why wouldn't?"

He shrugged "Well...because you think Matt doesn't like you."

I tossed myself down on the opposite side of him as I showed him his wallet "I got it and I managed to make it out alive so mission accomplished."

"And he was nice?" he asked "I specifically told him to be nice and if he wasn't, then I'll kick his ass."

I thought back to those hazel eyes and his warm touch. The way he gently touched the picture on the screen. The moment I was sure he was going to kiss me. "Yeah he was nice."

"Good," he said pulling me closer and leaning in to press his lips to mine. 

"So who were you talking to when I walked in?" I asked nonchalantly.

I saw his eyes widen for half a second and then narrow. "Just Jimmy."

Lie. "Oh really? What does Jimmy have to say?"

"He asked if we wanted to join Leana and him for dinner to tonight?" he said smoothly.  "What do you say?"

I took a deep breath as I tried to process the fact that Matt had a crush on me and Brian had just lied to me about who he was talking to. I didn't really know how to deal with either fact so I just said the easiest thing.

"Of course."