Sibling Rivalry

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

AIMEE’S PHONE VIBRATED on her desk and without even glancing at it, she pressed the silent button. She didn’t need to look. She knew who it was, the same person who had been blowing up her phone since her dinner date. Mitch texted several times last night and a few that day. He wanted to explain, wanted to make it up to her. He said he was sorry. That it wasn’t what she thought. Isn’t what I think? How can the fact that he f****d my sister be misinterpreted? She ignored every text that came through. The funny thing was that she had not heard from her sister at all. Not even a concern when Aimee hadn’t returned home last night. Funny, but not unexpected. Karla didn’t like confrontation unless she was the one causing it.

Instead of having to deal with her sister’s obnoxious attitude, Aimee decided to crash at her mother’s house. Of course, Betty Harper tried her best to figure out why she wasn’t going home, but Aimee just told her she needed some peace and quiet for the evening. Betty didn’t push too hard. She knew her daughters had bouts of disagreements and once in a while needed space. It was one of the reasons she maintained a spare room and that the twins possessed keys. They even kept extra clothes there, which was good because Aimee wasn’t even in the mood to go home to get ready for work.

“Slept at your mom’s, huh,” Ginny said, as she handed Aimee some files. “I need these notes typed up.”

Aimee glanced at her, her brows bunched in confusion. “How did you know I slept at my mother’s?”

Ginny smiled at her. “The perfume you’re wearing. You only wear it when you sleep over there.”

Aimee lifted the collar of her blouse and sniffed. She shrugged a little as she shifted in her seat. “I guess you’re right. I never thought about it.”

Ginny winked at her before turning around and walking away. “I’m quick at picking up on those type of things, like how you keep ignoring your phone.” She pointed at Aimee’s cell phone, which was vibrating again.

Aimee just shook her head as she watched Ginny’s door close. The woman’s powers of perception were uncanny. It was probably why she was so great in the courtroom.

The day continued on a quiet track, a few nut cases on the phone, but otherwise quiet. Aimee preferred those days. Furthermore, she needed it after the night she had, and it didn’t help that she wasn’t sure what to expect that evening when she did go home. And she would go home. Two nights at her mother’s was one too many. Plus, Betty would be even more suspicious and interrogate her as if she was in an old POW movie and she wasn’t in the mood. Not tonight. Tonight, she needed a cup of hot tea, some soft jazz, and her balcony overlooking the ocean as the moon rose into the night sky. She didn’t want to think about Mitch Greenway, Clint Asher, or her sister. She only wanted to think of herself.

She heard the front door open as her mother walked in carrying a small brown bag. Aimee’s brows pinched together in confusion as Betty walked over to her desk, a warm smile making her face shine. She worked close to the law firm, so Aimee was used to her drop ins. Occasionally, they even met for lunch. Today was not one of those days. Aimee had a sinking feeling her quiet day was about to be shattered. “Mom, what brings you by?”

“I wanted to bring you some sandwiches. I figured if you didn’t go home last night, then you didn’t make a lunch for yourself today. Knowing how you’re hurting financially after having to get your car repaired, I figured I could make you a small lunch and bring it to you. I’d stay, but I have a luncheon to attend.” She set the brown paper bag on the counter in front of Aimee. “No need to be hungry all day, right? Or to spend money you don’t need to.”

Aimee couldn’t help but smile up at her mom. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“That’s what moms do. Now, I need to scoot before I’m late. Have a great day, baby.” She blew her daughter a kiss as she turned to walk out.

Aimee pulled the paper bag down as her mother passed through the door. Inside were two peanut butter and banana sandwiches wrapped in wax paper and a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips. She smiled as she pulled the contents out of the bag. Her mother knew her daughter was hurting without knowing the reason and she did what she always did. She attempted to soothe Aimee’s pain without pushing, to let Aimee know she was there for her without being intrusive.

Betty Harper sliced a banana into small circles before laying them gently on top of the peanut butter she had spread on top of white bread. After placing the two pieces of bread together, she cut the crusts off, and then slid the sandwich plate in front of her daughter who sat crying at the kitchen table. Aimee wanted to smile at her mother, but she couldn’t, the pain was just too much. Her mother didn’t say anything. Instead, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk, pouring Aimee a tall, cold glass to go with her sandwich. Setting the glass in front of her daughter, she took the seat beside Aimee and folded a napkin in front of her. Aimee took it and dabbed the tears from her eyes. Her mother just sat there, munching on her own chips as she gave her daughter room to get her thoughts together.

“I’m so tired of boys,” Aimee said through her sobs. “They never want to be with just me. All they ever want to do is use me to get to know Karla. Why can’t they just like me for me? Why does Karla have to always try and take them away?”

“I’m not sure why boys do what boys do. It’s not anything new, though. They’ve always been idiots when it comes to pretty girls like you and your sister.”

Aimee didn’t feel pretty. Not when Karla swooped in and wiggled her ass. “But why does Karla encourage them?”

“It’s what boys and girls do in middle school. Their bodies are changing, and they don’t know how to handle it. I’m sure your sister doesn’t mean to do it.”

“She always means to do it. She just can’t let me have one boy. Not one!” Tears exploded from her eyes again as a sob wracked her chest. All she wanted was for just one boy to like her without Karla getting involved. However, Karla always got involved.

Her mother reached out and touched her arm. “I’m sorry, baby. Karla is just going through a phase. I think she’s really just jealous of what you do have. You’re a lot more confident than she is. Your sister thinks she needs to flirt and behave silly in order to get a boy’s attention. You don’t have to do that. People notice you for who you are. I’ll talk to her. Promise. Now, eat your sandwich.”

Aimee picked up her sandwich as she stared at it. Karla was never jealous of anyone and always knew what she was doing. Aimee wiped her tears with the back of her hand before taking a bite, the peanut butter-banana taste calming her nerves just a little.

Aimee unwrapped the wax paper and took a deep breath of the sandwich’s aroma. It had been her comfort food since middle school, and it always soothed her nerves. Perhaps the day would remain quiet, after all. It was already getting better.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Karla’s day did not go as she had wanted outside of getting the bartender job at Sand Dune. Of course, there was really no doubt that she would be hired. Short skirt, low-cut blouse, and a few winks and the job was hers. Paul gave her several insinuations about some afterhours requirements, but she was always able to handle him, leading him on and only giving in when it suited her needs more than his. No, her day was bad because she still dealt with the aftermath of last night and her little drama at the restaurant. She tried to talk to Brad, but he was too busy pouting at the way she used him and wasn’t ready to surrender yet. He would. Of that she had no worries. It was just a matter of when and what it would cost her. Men were such babies when it came to their egos.

Mitch ignored her, as well; still pissed more than likely, and she wasn’t even sure why it bothered her. The car was fixed and while she didn’t like burning bridges, especially ones she knew she would need again, she rarely chased after people. If they didn’t approve of her or what she did, they were more than welcome to walk away. She didn’t look back and she didn’t do regrets. Yet, for some reason, Mitch’s being mad at her really bugged her. She more than wanted to make things right with him. She needed to make things right. How she would do that when he wouldn’t even answer his phone was the question, however.

Yet, the worst part of her Wednesday was that she had not heard from Aimee all day. She assumed her sister had crashed at their mother’s by her absence when Karla made it home. It was standard fare during a sibling squabble. First one to Mommy won. Of course, she had not reached out to Aimee, either.

It was odd, neither of them texting the other. Usually, their phones burned up more than when they texted their boyfriends. Well, when Karla had a boyfriend. Aimee had been single for way too long. Almost since she had been back from Gainesville. Perhaps that was part of her sister’s current problem. She hadn’t been out in a while and now she had two dates and didn’t know how to handle the attention. It was, after all, more than she was used to. Still, that was no reason for her to start breaking the rules. It was a betrayal to everything they held dear. Or at least to things Karla held dear. Obviously, Aimee no longer had a sense of boundaries, something she always claimed of Karla.

“Are we going to get coffee or are you going to stand here and stare at that tree?” Sandy Elantra hugged Karla, their breasts pressing together as the other woman gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

Karla smiled at her friend as they pulled apart. “Sorry. Just lost in thoughts.”

“What’s his name?” Sandy gave her a wink as she tucked a strand of her ash-blond hair behind her ears.

“C’mon, I’ll tell you over coffee.”

Karla had met Sandy during her stint at Classic 105 under the desk of Lee Emerson who worked in sales and promotions. Sandy was the receptionist for the station and the two of them hit it off in an explosive manner. Quite often it included Lee, but not always. The two ladies remained close friends even after Karla grew bored of dealing with clients who wanted to play grab ass without fulfilling their end of the bargain and moved on to other pastures. When no one else was around and the women needed that quickie, they never hesitated to give the other a call. The clubs were never the same when the two of them walked in, and it wasn’t just the men who were the targets.

They ordered their coffee and slid into a booth by the window so they could watch the poor souls pass by who actually possessed careers. As she waited for her steaming mug to cool enough to enjoy, Karla filled the other woman in on her past few days, giving her the CliffsNotes version of the drama that had become Karla Harper. “Now everyone is pissed off and no one is talking to me. Yet, that’s not the worst part. The fact that I actually care that they’re mad is, however.” She took a sip of her coffee with just a smidgen of cream. “I’m getting soft in my old age.”

Sandy laughed. “I doubt that. A couple of bad asses like us can have a soft moment now and then.” She c****d her head and offered Karla a s**t-eating grin. “So, you have this rule. Does that mean you and your sister have never tag-teamed a man before? Seems like that might be just a little hot.”

“In a back hills sort of way.”

Sandy laughed. “Since when did you have a moral code? We’ve tag-teamed plenty of men. Why would it be wrong for you and your sister to do the same thing? I don’t mean the two of you have s*x with each other, of course. But the two of you sharing the same guy. Could make things a lot easier in this case.”

Karla gave a shake of her head. “I’ve gone down on a boy when Aimee was in the same room, but that’s about the extent of our sharing.”

“I bet that was a fun story.”

“Not according to Aimee, although I’m sure she rubbed herself off while she listened. My sister is a closet perv, I’d wager.”

“Well, somehow you need to make it right with her. Otherwise, living together is going to become a pain in the ass.”

Sandy was right, Karla knew, but she wasn’t ready to just surrender. While her actions may have been over the line, Aimee was actually the one in the wrong here. They didn’t share men. It was the one constant rule they had, and Aimee seemed to have forgotten it. Karla would make sure she remembered, though, and hopefully, Aimee would get over it.

After thirty minutes of chitchat and a promise to hook back up soon, Sandy had to get back to the station, leaving Karla sitting there staring at an empty chair. She tried texting Mitch again, but still no answer. It was too early to hit a club, even for her, so what was there to do? She turned her gaze out the window as the traffic flowed by. Perhaps a walk on the beach would cool her head. She took a deep breath. She knew what she really needed, but no one was answering their phones. It was definitely a sad day when a girl couldn’t get laid in the middle of the day.

She downed the rest of her coffee and headed for her car. Hopefully, the beach will cool more than just my head.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Aimee wished Ginny a goodnight, leaving her to pore over files for some upcoming case that would see her in court tomorrow, and then made a quick escape. The day was over, and she really just wanted a glass of wine and a hot bath. While the day had remained quiet and peaceful, it still had the normal stress that came with working in a law office. Combined with the tension her body felt from her personal life, her body was a wad of knots that needed massaging.

As she rounded the corner into the parking lot, she spotted Mitch leaning against her car, hands in his pockets as he watched her approach. She felt her body ball up into a tight knot as she forced herself to take each step. She did not need this right now.

He smiled as she stepped closer, opening his mouth, starting to say something, but she quickly cut him off. “Mitch, I don’t have anything to say. While I do not agree with my sister’s behavior or the way she handled the situation, she was right. We don’t sleep with the same men.”

“Um…hello? That wasn’t much in the way of a greeting, was it? And who said anything about sleeping together?”

She folded her arms across her chest, her purse dangling from her elbow. “It wasn’t actually said, but if things continued, I have no doubt you would want it to lead there and I can’t allow that to happen.” The truth was, she probably would have allowed it to happen if he had not seemed so sneaky about what he did with Karla, rules be damned. This wasn’t high school, after all.

“Well, just to set the record straight, I only asked for dinner, a dinner you walked out in the middle of I should point out. Furthermore, we did have a deal and I upheld my end of it, so I think you still owe me. I’ll concede that you don’t owe me an entire dinner, but at least dessert should still be in play.”

“You f****d my sister. I think you enjoyed dessert already.” She didn’t feel she owed Mitch Greenway a damn thing. The deal did not include sloppy seconds from her sister.

“Look, I am not saying that what I did was the smartest move, but you know your sister better than I do. All I’m asking is that you give me a chance. If not tonight, then this weekend. I’ll be at the Wet Spot Saturday night having a drink. I invite you to come join me, listen to what I have to say and then decide if you want to give me another chance or not. One drink. It’s not dinner or dessert. Doesn’t that sound like a fair compromise?”

She took a deep breath. “I think I’ve been compromised enough, thank you.” She moved to unlock her car, and then the fact that he was at her place of work dawned on her. She turned toward him, her face a mask of confusion. “How did you know where I worked, by the way?”

He shrugged. “You told me last night before your sister’s intrusion. I Googled it and wahlah, here I am.”

“Well, now you can forget you know it and go away.”

He reached out and touched her shoulder, stopping her from sliding into the driver’s seat. He took a step closer and the scent of him filled her senses. In her anger, she forgot how strong his presence was, and it gripped her, bringing her to a stop. “Look. Last night was f****d up. I know that. Just consider my offer. I’ll be there. I hope you will, as well.”

“Mitch…”

He placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. His eyes held her still as he soaked her in, his smile making her have to wet her lips. Before she knew what was happening, he leaned in and softly kissed her lips, causing her breath to catch in her chest as her heart skipped. When he pulled back, he was smiling again. “Just think about it.” And then he turned and walked away.

She stood there, her mouth open, the warmth of his lips still on hers, as she watched him return to his car, his hands in his back pockets. He kissed me. That cocky son of a b***h kissed me. A grin spread over her cheeks. He kissed me. The fact that he had s*x with her sister no longer registered in her mind. He took time out of his day to come over to her place of work after researching where it was and asked her out again. And he kissed me. Just like that. He kissed me.

She didn’t remember sliding into the driver’s seat or starting her car, but she found herself pulling out of the parking lot and into the flow of traffic. She should still be mad at him, but with everything that happened in the past couple of days, she couldn’t bring herself to hold on to her anger. She hadn’t been ready to give up on Clint, but it looked like he was just as bad as everyone else. He had another girl already, which meant he only wanted to hang out with her when no one else was available. She deserved better than that.

Mitch had made an effort. He may have an ulterior motive, but from what Aimee could tell, he was pretty upfront about what he desired. He wasn’t denying he wanted to sleep with her, but he wasn’t downplaying his goals, either. It seemed like with him, what you saw was what you received. She preferred that to the games.

She pulled into her parking space at Sea Breeze Condominiums, gathered her purse and briefcase, and locked the car after sliding out into the afternoon humidity. The sun was beginning its glaring descent into the west, calling attention to the fact that another day was ending. As she stood against her car, soaking in the bright oranges and reds of the setting sun, she made up her mind, and before she could change it, she pulled out her cell phone and sent Mitch a text. “Saturday night sounds fun. I’ll be there.” As she dropped her phone back into her purse, she thought, One kiss and I’m all forgiving. I need a life.

“Aimee!!!”

Looking up, she saw Abigail running toward her, her tiny arms outstretched. Behind her was the woman Aimee saw with Clint the night before at the pool. So now he is having her babysit for him, as well. I’m such a fool. Still, she couldn’t take it out on the little girl. She opened her arms as best she could while holding her purse and briefcase and gave Abigail a tight hug. “Hey, girl. How are you?”

“I’m great. Aunt Katie took me to the zoo today.”

Aimee looked up at the other woman, now dressed in jeans and a peach T-shirt with a sunset ironed on the front. Aunt Katie? The other woman held out a thin arm, offering a hand to shake. “Hello. So, you’re the famous Aimee.”

“Excuse me?”

“Little Abbey here and my brother sing your praises. Apparently you’re a much better sandwich maker than I am.” She laughed as she tousled her niece’s hair.

“We’re heading out to meet Daddy at Papa and Grammie’s for ice cream..”

“That sounds fun.” Aunt Katie? “I didn’t know Clint had a sister.”

“Well, I’m visiting our parents for a couple of days, so I’m not around much. I live in North Carolina. I appreciate you helping my brother out though.”

“Oh, I’m happy to do it. Abigail is precious.” He sings my praises? She wanted to groan. And I just accepted another date with Mitch. Damn. Damn. Damn. “How long are you in town for?”

“I have to head home tomorrow. Work calls. I’m glad I got to meet you, though.” She then reached down and put her hands on Abigail’s shoulders. “Come on, Squirt. Your grandparents are waiting for us.”

Abigail squeezed Aimee goodbye and then ran to a small brown Toyota. “Ice cream!”

Both of the women laughed at her. Aimee turned and shook Katie’s hand again. “It was a pleasure meeting you, as well. Tell your parents I said hello.”

Katie walked off and Aimee watched as she buckled Abigail into her car seat before getting into the car herself and driving off. Aunt Katie. I am such an i***t. She turned back to the condominium and continued to make her way inside, mumbling to herself the whole way. Karla’s view of the world was tainting her own. She would have given Clint the benefit of the doubt a couple of years ago, but after living with Karla she just assumed he was playing games. She wrote him off without even knowing the real story.

And now she had agreed to go out with Mitch again. Oh god, what am I going to do? She thought she had escaped the whole mess only to find herself right back in the middle of it. The knots in her stomach tightened.