Chasing My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 3

James woke up the next morning still feeling guilty about what happened with Bianca. He was trying to figure out how to contact her without going through Jen because she would make a bigger deal out of it than it was,when he remembered that Jen had put Bianca's number in his phone. She had told him it was in case he ever needed to get to Jen and she wasn't answering, then he'd be able to call Bianca because they were usually together. So he grabbed his phone and fired off a text telling her who it was and asking if she wanted to grab a coffee before work. When she didn't respond after a few minutes he decided to get up and get ready. Honestly, it would serve him right if she decided to ignore him. When he checked his phone again after getting ready he saw she had texted him back agreeing. He asked her to meet him at this little place that was almost directly in between their office buildings. Then he finished getting ready and headed to the coffee shop.

Once he got there he ordered a coffee and found a table in the back of the shop that was free, and thankfully, wasn't inundated with sunlight from the enormous windows the shop had. His scars were still sensitive to sunlight, and he didn't think that would ever change. It was one thing to be walking through the city with the sun on his face, it was another to sit in direct sunlight intensified by it shining through a window. He waited about five minutes and then he saw her walk into the shop. He stood just for a moment so she could see him and waited for her to get a coffee and come over.

"Hi," she said hesitantly and not in the exuberant way she normally would. God he was a d**k.

"Hey, thanks for meeting me. I would have ordered you a coffee but I wasn't sure what you liked."

"No problem, and for future reference, I like regular coffee with a splash of cream and two sugars." He couldn't help the smile that crept up on his face at her implication that he would be ordering her coffee again.

"Got it. I wanted to have a chance to talk with you about the club last night."

"It's fine really, it was a super charged night and I think emotions were high all around, especially after that creep tried to get handsy."

"He put his hands on you?" James asked in a low voice, the thought of some a.sshole trying to touch her pissed him off.

"No not me, Jen. I was actually glad you and Shawn came down, even if he was being a jerk most of the night."

"No one should be putting their hands on either of you when you don't want them to."

"I agree wholeheartedly, but I'm assuming that guy wasn't what you wanted to talk about and I kind of cut you off so go ahead."

"I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. It was out of line. You were just trying to be a good friend, I was pissed and I took it out on you. That's a s.hitty excuse but that's where we're at."

"Well thank you. I appreciate your apology," she told him giving him the sweetest smile he had ever seen. "And I know how you can make it up to me."

"Oh yeah, and how's that?"

"You can take me to dinner."

He lost his smile as he looked at her. He shouldn't have been so harsh with her at the club but that didn't change the fact that he was still very much telling the truth. She shouldn't have a crush on him, she shouldn't have anything to do with him. He was f.ucked up on so many levels and he wasn't about to drag her into that s.hit. "Bianca, I really don't think that's a good idea. I am sorry for what I said to you, but not the general idea of it."

"James, I didn't ask you to take me to dinner then elope. I didn't even say it was going to be a date. Friends go out to dinner together all the time and I'd really like us to be better friends. Jen is one of the most, if not the most, important person in both our lives. I don't want us tiptoeing around each other every time we're together. It could be nice to just go out and talk. We don't even have to go to a restaurant, we can grab some hot dogs from a food cart and eat them in the park. That's even less date-like."

He guessed she had a point but he was still pretty sure she was conning him into taking her out under the guise of getting along better for Jen's sake. "Alright fine, do you want to grab something tonight?"

"Sorry I can't I already have plans with Jen but I'm free tomorrow night. Want to meet at the hot dog stand on 33rd? It's almost directly across from the park, we could grab some food and head over."

James chuckled and Bianca gave him a wide-eyed stare. "What is it?" He asked her.

"Nothing, I just, I don't think I've ever actually heard you laugh." She said looking down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's a really nice sound, you should do it more."

"I have a feeling if we're going to start hanging out I will be laughing more," he told her sincerely. "I was just laughing because I didn't realize you were actually serious about picking up hot dogs from a food cart."

"Oh shoot, do you not want to do that? We can do something else."

"No that's kind of perfect." He told her then checked his watch, "I'm going to be late if I don't get going. Thanks again for meeting with me even though I was incredibly rude to you last night. I'll meet you tomorrow on 33rd."

"Sounds good, I'm looking forward to it."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was looking forward to it too.