Womanizer

Alabama won, 41-7.

“Three and oh!” Megan enthused. “What the fuck now?”

“But who have they played?” Brian said. “No—“ He broke off when she faced him.

She poked a finger into his muscular chest. “Brian Elwin Haner, Jr.—“

“Megan!” he protested, glancing around. He really wished she would stop using his middle name.

She ignored him. “—if you try to kill my victory buzz, I will kick your ass!”

Brian raised his hands in a gesture of submission. “Calm down. I was teasing.”

“Yeah? Well don’t.”

A chuckle nearby caused Brian and Megan to look up. John was at the edge of the field, watching them with an amused expression.

“She’s a feisty one,” he commented, flashing a devious grin to ensure that Brian caught his double meaning.

Megan rolled her eyes. “Syn wouldn’t know.”

John’s eyes flicked to Brian’s face. He was obviously surprised. Brian wondered who else had made that assumption about Megan and him. Did they look like a couple, or was it just because they were so often together that people guessed they were, well, together?

“I like the hair,” John told Megan.

She smiled, pleased. “Thanks.”

John gave a sigh of regret. “I’ve gotta go soon. I just wanted to see if there was any chance you guys will be at the Arkansas game?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Brian mused aloud.

“It’s in Arkansas,” Megan replied. There was a hint of resignation in her voice, as if she already knew they weren’t going.

“So?” Brian said. He looked at John. “We’ll be there, man.”

“Great! Maybe we can go celebrate after the game. I’ll have to sneak out, but—“ John raked his gaze down Megan’s body, making Brian grit his teeth. “—it’ll be worth it. I’ll see y’all then.” He turned and jogged in the direction of the locker rooms.

“Bri?” Megan lifted an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

Brian forced himself to relax, jaw slowly unclenching. “Yeah.”

“You sure?”

Brian nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.” He led the way out of the stadium, to his car. “Hungry?”

Megan lifted a shoulder. “A little.”

“What do you want?”

“You’re the one that’s all picky about food. You decide.”

“Excuse me for caring about what goes into my body.”

“Maybe you should care less about what goes into your body and more about whose body you go into,” Megan said.

Brian glanced at her. She was flipping through her CD carrying case, brow furrowed as she considered the best method of torture for him.

“Are you my mother now?” he asked.

Megan turned, eyes held wide in feigned innocence. “What?”

“Why do you care whose body I get into?”

“I don’t.” Her attention went back to the CDs in her lap. “I just think it would be a shame for your cock to rot off after you’ve worked so hard to maintain your body in order to attract girls. That would a perfect example of irony.”

“I’m careful,” Brian defended himself. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“You’re right. It’s not my business. I mean, it’s not like I’m ever going to fuck you.” She grinned and slid a disc into the CD player.

“Oh no!” Brian groaned dramatically when Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” pulsed from the speakers.

Megan giggled and started singing along. Brian waited to feel annoyed by Megan’s choice of CDs, but, just like with the Pussycat Dolls, he just couldn’t manage it.

**********

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway broke the silence of the night. The room was briefly illuminated by the vehicle’s headlights. Zacky lit another cigarette, listening to a car door slam and Megan’s giggle.

Minutes passed, then the front door opened. Megan tiptoed inside and shut the door softly behind her.

“Have a good time?” Zacky asked as Megan passed the living room on her way to the stairs.

Megan jumped. “Zack? What the hell? You nearly gave me a heart attack.” She walked into the living room. “Why are you sitting here in the dark?” She switched on the lamp in the corner.

Zacky took a sip of his JD. “Can’t sleep.”

Megan’s brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

Zacky didn’t say anything.

Megan frowned. “Zee?” She sat beside him.

“I’m just stressed.”

“About the baby?”

Zacky nodded. “Yeah. And a few other things.”

“Like what?”

“Well…” Zacky leaned forward to stub his cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table. “You know how much I love Janine.”

“Umm, yeah.”

“And you know how much she loves you.”

Megan smiled. “Yeah.”

“She loves you more than her own sister, and I will protect anything that is important to her.”

Understanding cleared Megan’s expression of all worry. “Don’t you fucking start, Zee.”

“Brian’s a good guy. He just—“

“I don’t need to be protected from him!” Megan got to her feet. “We’re not like that. We’re just friends.”

"You’ll think that until the day you realize you’re in love with him and by then, it’ll be too late! He does that to every girl he tries to be ‘just friends’ with.”

Megan crossed her arms over her chest, glaring. “What are you saying? That I shouldn’t hang out with Bri anymore?”

“No, I’m not saying that.” Zacky sighed and looked at Megan seriously. “I just want you to be careful.”

Megan rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know. I’ve already received this lecture from Janine.”

“Just promise me you’ll back off if you even think you might be getting a crush on him.”

“Fine. I promise. Goodnight, Zee.”

“Night, Megan.”