Womanizer

“We’re home!” Megan called from the front hallway.

“It’s about time,” Zacky responded. “Damn, Gates, did you get lost?”

“Megan drove,” Brian said, entering the kitchen with Megan on his heels.

“That explains it.”

Megan flipped Zacky off. “There was some road work outside of Birmingham. We had to take a detour. Besides, Bri’s rental is a piece of shit!”

Brian punched her arm playfully. “Is not.”

“Is, too!”

“How was the game?” Janine asked.

“It was awesome!” Megan sat at the table with Janine and Zacky. “Alabama fucking owned, and Clemson was number nine! I bet we’ll be ranked after this weekend.” She grabbed a piece of pizza from the Dominos box at the center of the table. “This is our season. I feel it.”

“So, Syn, how much of the game did you see?” Zacky questioned with a knowing smile.

“All of it.” Brian got a beer out of the refrigerator and joined the others around the table.

“Liar.” Zacky looked at Megan. “How much did he see?”

“I’m not sure. He was there the whole time, but his eyes weren’t on the game.”

“Cheerleaders?” Janine guessed.

Megan nodded.

Janine rolled her eyes. “Well, of course. Brian will check out anything in a short skirt.”

“Only if that skirt is barely covering a nice ass and exposing some long, slender legs,” Brian returned.

Janine and Megan shot him identical looks of disgust.

Zacky chuckled. “C’mon, Syn. Let’s get you outside before the ladies decide to get creative with the pizza cutter.”

Brian winced at the thought of a pizza cutter anywhere near something vital. “Good idea.” He and Zacky left the kitchen.

“Did Bri really stay with you the whole time?” Janine queried.

Megan nodded, reaching for a second slice of pizza. “He said he was responsible for me and that you would kill him if anything happened to me.”

“Wow. I’m impressed. I didn’t know he could follow directions.”

Megan laughed.

Janine lapsed into a thoughtful silence and Megan continued eating.

“Meg?” Janine said just as Megan finished her second slice.

“What?” Megan picked up Zacky’s unused napkin and wiped the grease off her fingers.

“Did Brian try anything with you?” Janine asked.

Megan frowned. “No. Why?”

“I just wondered. I’ve never known Brian to go twenty-four hours without being involved in some sexual act. I figured since he didn’t pick up a girl at the game, he might’ve tried you at the hotel.”

“No, he didn’t. He joked a little bit, but I’d made my opinion of him clear.”

Janine seemed to have more to say; however, she swallowed the rest of her words. There was no reason to tell Megan that Brian’s “jokes” weren’t always jokes.

Megan hopped up and went to the fridge, retrieving a strawberry Sunkist. “We had so much fun. In fact, we’re doing it again next weekend.”

She breezed out of the room, not seeing Janine’s expression, which said clearly “Uh-oh.”

**********

Zacky lit his cigarette, then handed Brian the lighter. “You really made it through the entire game without so much as a hand job from some hot college girl?”

Brian nodded. “Yep.”

“And no piece of cheerleading ass?”

“A cheerleader? Zack, even I’m better than that.”

“I don’t know, man,” Zacky said teasingly. “I've seen some of the girls you’ve picked up.”

“You’re just jealous,” Brian retorted. “I’m a free man, and you’re attached to a ball and chain.”

“Don’t call Jani that.”

“Sorry. You know I love her.”

“Yeah, I know.” Zacky took a long drag on his cigarette. “Now, let’s get back to solving the mystery of you not having sex for almost two days.”

Brian rolled his eyes, blowing out a perfect smoke ring. “There’s no mystery, Zee. I was having a good time. Sex didn’t even come to mind.”

Zacky narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

“Okay, okay.” Brian dropped his cigarette and ground it out with the toe of his sneaker. “I considered one of the cheerleaders for about two seconds.”

“I think you considered someone else, too,” Zacky commented.

Brian’s brow furrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Zacky finished his cigarette and faced Brian. “I’m talking about Megan.”

Brian’s eyes met Zacky’s. “Megan?”

“I wouldn’t blame you for getting a few ideas when you look at her. She’s fucking hot.”

“Really?” Brian dug out another cigarette. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Sure,” Zacky scoffed. “You always notice hot girls. You have, like, built-in hot girl radar.”

“She’s Janine’s younger cousin who I was babysitting. I don’t look at her that way.”

Zacky studied Brian’s face. “You sure?”

“I’m positive.” Brian’s expression was serious. “Megan’s a sweet girl and we got along great, but she’s just friendship material.”

Zacky plucked the cigarette from between Brian’s fingers. “Good, ‘cause I really don’t need my best friend to die at the hands of my future bride.”