Page 25 of Reckless Chances
“Ha. Ha,” Charlie laughed. “They’re linguini arms now.” Where Charlie was tall, his brother Jason was stocky. Charlie’s childhood nicknames had always referenced something skinny, usually a string bean, or some kind of noodle arm.
“Looks like someone else is getting bigger too.” He slapped his brother’s beer gut with the back of his hand and Jason practically spit out the sip of beer he had just taken. “That six-pack looks more like a keg.”
“Enjoying life.” Jason patted his belly over his golf shirt.
“What are you doing here?” Charlie asked and perched on the barstool beside Jason. He glanced at his only other table in the bar, the volunteer Search and Rescue crew. Satisfied that their pitchers were full, he knew he had at least another ten minutes before he had to do any refills.
“What, I can’t just surprise my little brother?”
Charlie raised his eyebrows. His brother never showed up unannounced. He hated staying at Charlie’s, and usually rented a house or stayed up in one of the suites at the ski resort. “Bahaha,” he guffawed and slapped Charlie’s arm again. “I’m here to check out some wedding stuff for Adam. You know, best man stuff.”
“Right, that’s coming up soon,” Charlie rubbed his beard.
“Yeah,” Jason replied. “The end of the month. Did you RSVP yet, you ass?”
“I’m going to, but I need to talk to you about something first.” Charlie wanted to make sure that it was okay for him to bring a date to the wedding.
One of the Search and Rescue guys approached the bar with empty pitchers in his hand and Charlie slid off the barstool. “Another round?” he asked, pretty much rhetorically. Ethan, the youngest SAR member flicked his shaggy hair and grinned. “What kind of question is that?”
“Coming right up.” Charlie took the pitchers, slipped behind the bar, and refilled them. “Another?” he asked Jason.
“Nah, I have an appointment with Adam’s wedding planner soon.” He checked his watch. They both squinted as the door to the tavern opened and Stacy and Pamela sashayed back into the tavern. They sidled up to the bar, both of them glancing sideways at Jason.
“Maybe I do have time for one more.” Jason finished his drink and set it down heavily on the bar.
Charlie popped the cap off the bottle and set it in front of his brother. He met his eyes and hoped he was conveying a brotherly,don’t even think about it with those skankslook.
“Charlie,” Stacy purred. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” The two women sat cross-legged, angling their cleavage towards the fresh meat in the bar, Jason.
Charlie knew that introducing his horn dog brother to one of the town bicycles was a recipe for disaster. “Oh, trust me. You don’t want to know this guy,” he laughed.
“Jason.” He thrust out his hand towards Pamela. As she shook it, Charlie could see her chest going beet red. “I’m the good-looking brother, Jason winked.
“Brother?” Stacy leaned her elbow on the bar and rested her cheek on her knuckles. She looked from Charlie to Jason. “You two must have different fathers,” she slurred and pointed at both of them.
They didn’t. And while Jason was the outgoing fun guy who was popular in high school, Charlie was the one with the looks.
Stacy reached in front of Pamela; her fingers outstretched toward Jason. “Stacy.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Stacy,” Jason shook her hand awkwardly in front of Pamela’s chest. “Can I buy you ladies another round? Looks like you’re almost ready for one.”
“We were thinking shots,” Stacy said.
“Shots it is.” Jason slapped his palm on the bar.
“Didn’t you say you have to be somewhere?” Charlie didn’t move to pour any shots.
Jason grinned at his brother. “Yeah. Here. And it’s wedding stuff, not rocket science, I don’t have to be sober.”
Charlie rolled his eyes at his brother. He was going to kick himself when he saw how cute Jenni, the wedding planner was. She was like an expensive wine, and the two women he was about to get wasted drunk with were cooking sherry.
“What’s your poison?” Jason drummed his hands on the edge of the bar and grinned widely at his new drinking buddies.
“Polar bear?” Pamela seemed to be asking Stacy for her approval.
“Nah, let’s go with something harder.” Stacy hadn’t taken her eyes off Jason.
“Blow jobs?” Pamela tried again.
