Page 83 of Totally Played
“You know the guys you see down the block outside that bar no one goes to because it’s filled with bikers and big burly tattoo guys?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Brent.”
“Seriously?” Ash asks.
“No,” I say, shaking my head again. “I mean, sort of. He has tattoos, he’s a tattoo artist. But he’s not scary. Tony is just messing with you.”
“Funny,” Ash says, and he hugs me to his side.
“It’s actually been years since he’s been home,” I say as the commentators start talking up their predictions for the season, and I hit mute. “I can’t wait. Cosmo has been desperately waiting for him to come out, too. He’s got this idea in his head that Brent can give us all matching tattoos.”
“You want a tattoo?” Ashley asks, and I shrug.
“Maybe. Would you mind?”
“No way. I thought about it for a while but could never decide on something I liked enough to make permanent.”
“You could get a portrait of Calvin, you seem pretty set on making that permanent,” Tony laughs, and Ash kisses me on the forehead.
“As much as I honestly believe what we have is forever, I don’t think I’d want a portrait of anyone on my body. If I want to look at Calvin, I’ll just look at Calvin.”
“What then?”
“I don’t know, that’s the problem. What is the brothers’ tattoo Cosmo was thinking of?”
“Five dots with a circle in the spot that represents where we are in the order, so Brent would be the first circle, then four dots for me, Tony, Rach, and Cosmo. I would have the second spot, being the older twin,” I say, and Tony turns totally sideways to face us.
“You are not the older twin. Mom doesn’t even remember who was firstborn. She said she just picked one of us when we were four because it was the first year we had separate cakes and we wanted them to sing to us both on our own, so she said you were born first.”
“The birth certificate shows my birth time is two minutes before yours,” I reply, and he grabs a Snickers from the bowl and turns back.
“Whatever.”
“Aww, don’t be sad, little bro. You are still my ride or die.”
That brings a smile to his lips, and he relaxes back on the couch. “Alright, enough of this shit, turn it up, Cosmo’s about to be on.”
I unmute the television just in time to hear them announce Cosmo Parks, and when the camera pans to him, he winks into the camera.
“The crowd loves him,” the commentator says, and the shot goes to the multiple fans cheering and wearing his number.
Ash is practically bouncing in the seat beside me.
“Do you want to put your jersey on?” I ask, nudging his side.
“You don’t have a Cosmo jersey, do you?” Tony asks, and Ash keeps his eyes on the television, the corner of his lips picking up in a smirk as he pats Storm in his lap.
“Leave him alone. It’s cute that he’s a fan,” I say, squeezing Ash’s leg. “He has one of mine, too. “
“What about me?” Tony whines as a knock sounds on the door. Ash lifts Storm into my lap and goes to check it, returning a moment later with a large square package wrapped in brown paper.
“What is that?” I ask.
“No idea, but it’s addressed to you,” he says, lifting off the card and handing it over. I slip out the note and read aloud.
“Dear Calvin. Thank you for truly seeing my brother. He’d want you to have this. Happy housewarming. Yours sincerely, Lynette.”
