Leave the Door Open

“The hunters return!” Dylan clapped excitedly as Danny walked through the back gate with beer in hand, Anna followed with the bags of mixers. He walked towards the buckets of ice and she made her way to the kitchen to put the mixers in the fridge. The trip had been uneventful, they’d chatted a bit, she’d found out a few things about him, but that was where it ended. She sighed noticing an open bottle of whiskey on the counter and glasses around. She poured herself one, she had no idea what she had thought would happen on a beer run but she felt as if she wanted to know more about the new guy. He was hot.

“Hey where were you?” Her brothers voice cut through her thoughts, she took a sip of the whiskey before turning and passing it straight to him. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing taking a big gulp. “You didn’t answer me,”

“Beer run with Danny,” George pushed his sunglasses up his head and narrowed his gaze at her.

“What? The girls wanted mixers and I wanted to stretch my legs,”

“He’s replacing Deuce, he’s been touring with us and shit, it works.” George tended not to beat around the bush, today was no exception.

“Why?”

“Shit went down, things are changing,” She knew better than to question it. “We aren’t announcing it yet, just trialling stuff. So he’ll be around quite a bit,”

“That’s fine,”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah I’m going back to college George, it makes no difference to me, remember,” George just nodded but did not hide the relief on his face. Anna knew what he was going to say next. “I’m not going to do anything,” George didn’t bother answering that. “So how long are you staying around at home?” He shrugged.

“Jordon is looking to rent somewhere new, so I’m gonna team up with him for a few months,”

“I’m guessing you and Carla really aren’t getting back together then?” George laughed and shook his head. The laughing alone suggested he knew nothing about her current situation; if it even was a situation. Carla was his ex, he’d cheated on his previous girlfriend with Carla; they weren’t a great mix.

“When have you ever known me to get back together with a girl?” Anna noticed Taylor walking into the kitchen, unnoticed by George.

“Umm when you got fucking off your face and got back with Teresa, and only remembered the next morning that you broke up with her cause she caught some STI, so you and Jordon spent the whole day at the clinic!” Taylor just burst out laughing making George turn quickly to see who was behind him.

“That is fucking hilarious, you are such a fucking dickweed,” She muttered to George who just shook his head.

“Oh I’m sorry I’m the dickweed, not your current fuck toy,” Anna’s eyes went wide hearing George talk to Taylor in that way was completely new. And from the anger boiling up on Taylor’s face she guessed Taylor hadn’t expected it either.

“Shut the fuck up,” She growled at him her eyes alight with fury; Anna had only seen Taylor like that once before and it had not ended well. “I told you to fucking drop it,”

“Yeah well I tend not to listen,” He replied downing the whiskey and walking out of the kitchen to the garden leaving Taylor glaring at his retreating figure and Anna standing there starring in amazement.

“Umm I think you’ve forgotten to mention a few things since I’ve been home,” She said simply looking towards Taylor who shook her head but the anger was still there.

“Your brother is such a fucking idiot,”

“Preaching to the choir darling,” Anna joked pouring two large whiskeys’ and nodding towards the empty sofa outside. “Catch me up? Cause you are leaving some big things out,”

“I think we’re gonna need that whole bottle,” Taylor said simply grabbing the rest of the whiskey and leading Anna towards the sofa. The sofa was empty as Sarah, Dylan and Matty had started a game of beer pong, while Danny, Jay, Jordon and now George were crashing on the opposite side of the table, smoking, drinking as they were meant to be watching the BBQ, though there didn’t seem to be much watching going on!

“So one who is your fuck toy?” Anna asked quietly taking a sip of her drink as she curled her legs under her body and got comfy on the sofa. She heard Taylor sigh, she was quite a private person and didn’t like to share anything personal; the fact George knew and Anna didn’t suggest something wasn’t right.

“Remember Jack from school?” Anna scrunched her face up trying to remember a Jack. “He played on the football team, too cool for us mere mortals,”

“Shit Jack Kingston?” Anna asked in amazement; he was King of the jocks.

“The one and only,”

“You fucked him?” She nearly choked on her drink in amazement. “You are joking me right?”

“I don’t think he knew who I was at first, I went to a beach party with some of the old volleyball team, loads of random people were there, and for some reason we got chatting, next morning I was leaving his bedroom,” Anna tried to read her emotions, was this a good leaving his bedroom or an awkward walk of shame. “I thought it was a onetime thing and that was it, but he kept calling seeing when I was free. I guess I text back a few times, said when I’d be around here, not at college, and well we met up and fucked, nothing else,”

“So how does my brother know about this?” Taylor cringed and poured herself another whiskey. Without any food this was going to turn nasty quickly.

“One time we met up and I decided I was ending it, I wasn’t up for this fuck and walk off shit, he wasn’t even that great at it, and I’m not gonna lie,” Taylor sighed. “I felt shit after it,” Anna raised her eyebrows.

“Oh Tay, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I thought I could deal with it, so I told him and he laughed,”

“Laughed?”

“Oh yeah, in my face and said whatever, he had another girl he’d call,”

“What the fuck?”

“Mhmm,” She sighed, she didn’t look sad or angry just completely apathetic; Anna guessed it had all happened a few weeks or so ago before she’d got back from college.

“Oh Taylor seriously! What a fucking douche, you should have told me,”

“Yeah maybe but I do have some pride, or at least I thought I did, basically I told him, and this is why your brother knows,” She took another sip of whiskey to numb the embarrassment. “The douche left me at the dinner we’d met up, it was 9pm, late date and all that shit, I had no way home, not enough for a taxi, and some fucking shady guys hanging round, I guess he wanted to meet there so no one recognised him, with the high school looser!” Anna hated when Taylor put herself down but she knew it was a running joke. “So I phoned the only person I knew who wouldn’t give me loads of shit for it, or so I thought,”

“George?”

“Mhmm,” She looked towards her best friend and gave her a half-hearted smile. “I knew he would come, is that bad?”

“No of course not Tay, Jesus I’m glad you called him! I trust him with your life! Let alone mine!” Anna laughed putting an arm over her shoulder and pulling her into a hug. “I suppose he didn’t let you off that easy, that is why he’s in a shitty mood with you?”

“Pretty much, he played 20 questions before he even allowed me in his fucking truck, though he did buy me a milkshake!” She smiled this time. “I basically told him everything, well not all the gory details but enough for him to be pissed,” Anna sighed and leant back on the sofa her eyes staring into the evening sky, the sun was starting to go down and for a January evening they were lucky it wasn’t too bad.

“He’s always liked you Taylor,”

“As a friend,” She said it too quickly but Anna ignored it.

“It doesn’t matter, he cares alright, don’t be too hard on him, that’s my job,” Taylor just laughed and gazed towards the group of boys, Jordon had picked up a guitar which had to lead to some loud singing from the group of men.

“I hear that the new guy might be their new singer,” Anna just nodded looking over to Danny and watching him howl through sweet home Alabama with the others. “He seems alright,”

“Yeah seems cool,” Anna nodded keeping it cool; she knew where Taylor would go with this. “Hey guys the BBQ is smoking,” She raised her voice so someone near the BBQ might here. Jay looked up and nodded going over to tend to it.

“You went on the beer run with him,” Anna just nodded.

“Nothing interesting, we brought mixers and alcohol, discussed him living with Jay and that was about it,”

“Huh,” Taylor looked back towards the boys who were stilling singing, minus Jay. “He seems cute,”

“Taylor don’t start,”

“Okay, I won’t! God! At least tell me, is there anyone at college?” Anna shook her head and finished her whiskey. “You know you can’t be a nun for ever,”

“And why not?”

“You ain’t religious,”