It was late on a Thursday afternoon in the middle of September. I was busying myself around the small town home I rented preparing for house guests. My college girlfriend, Mandy, and whoever was her flavor-of-the-month boyfriend would be here shortly. They were on their way from Dallas, where Mandy moved for a job after graduation. They were spending the night and then were accompanying my boyfriend Nick and I to the beach for the weekend. My uncle owns a camp right on the beach on Dauphin island near Gulf shores. The camp isn't on the nicest or most groomed beach but the sands are white and it is secluded and peaceful. I had been going there for years and It was one of my favorite places in the world to go.
I was certainly looking forward to seeing Mandy. We got together pretty regularly after school but careers and life in general had gotten in the way recently. I hadn't seen her in a year, the longest time away from her since graduation. We texted more now than anything else. She was one of those friends, though, that no matter how long it had been since we had seen each other, we fell right back into the comfortable patterns of old friends who used to live together.
My cell phone rang. It was Mandy just as I was thinking about her.
"Where y'all at?" I answered.
"About thirty five miles north of I-10," said Mandy, "I can't wait to see you!"
"Same here, it's been way too long. By the way, tell me your current boyfriend's name, I can't ever keep them straight," I said in a teasing voice with a touch of sarcasm.
"His name is Brett. You know his name, I've told you about him before. I have been with him for almost a year, remember?" she replied. The tone in her voice was sincere and with genuine disbelief that I has asked the question.
"Oh, right," I recovered, "I'm sorry, I'm just distracted. I'll call Nick and tell him when we plan to meet him for dinner and I'll see you soon." We said goodbyes and hung up. I stood in the kitchen in shock.
Brett...Brett...Brett... I racked my brain trying to remember. Had she really been with him that long? The truth is she always talks about her boyfriend but she always has a boyfriend and I quit paying attention to them a long time ago. Mandy attracted men but had a philosophy that men should be like Kleenex: soft, strong and disposable. It was rare for her to keep a boyfriend more than six months. I certainly can't remember when she had a relationship lasting longer. Nearly a year!? I have to admit I was actually curious to meet this one. Mandy had zero-tolerance for supplicating men enchanted by her looks but also would not put up with an abusive asshole with no respect for her. In thinking about it, maybe that's why she never kept a man around as she ultimately decided he fell into one of those two categories. Let's face it, men in between are hard to find. Okay, now I really want to meet him.
Of course, that just made me think about my man. Where did Nick fall on that spectrum? Honestly he wasn't worth classifying. If Nick were a dress, he'd be the one that fits pretty well in the store, looks okay, is maybe worn once and then spends the rest of its life in the back of your closet. The truth was, he was good enough to keep around until something better came along. He wasn't a complete asshole, was pretty good looking and had a decent job. I had dates on the weekend and regular albeit not very good sex. I knew this relationship wasn't going to go anywhere long-term. If for no other reason, I was a rebound for Nick who had broken up with his off-and-on girlfriend of three years. They had broken up six months ago and we had been together for three months. He was still hung up over her, a girl can just tell. For now, anyway, he was justly slightly better than being alone, even if I wasn't proud of that fact. I am a strong woman and certainly don't need a man...I guess I reconcile it in my head with the idea that it's my choice to stay with a situation that is comfortable, if not ideal.
I picked up the phone and called the subject of my pondering and told him to be over at my house at 6 o'clock. I finished making up the guest room and picking up the house. I was mostly packed and my suitcase lay open on the floor of my bedroom. I got cleaned up and changed into jeans and a blouse. I was just finishing my makeup when I heard a car pull up out front. I opened the door and saw a large black pickup truck with Texas plates stop curbside as it was hauling a trailer with what appeared to be a covered single-person watercraft, like a Jet Ski.
Mandy hopped out of the passenger and headed briskly toward me. I was instantly reminded why she was so successful turning men's (and not a few women's) heads. She was gorgeous. She was tall, 5'7" brunette beauty that looked a bit like a more natural looking Megan Fox. She had shoulder length hair currently in a loose ponytail. She had long legs and curves and boobs I would kill for. I am an attractive woman, I don't mind admitting it, but even I felt a little plain standing next to her. No matter that, she was one of my best friends and I was really glad to see her. She strode up to me in her light blue sundress and embraced me in a tight hug.
"Jane! I missed you so much!" She said in my ear and then released me with a kiss on the cheek. "Come meet Brett." She took my hand and led me toward the car as her boyfriend had exited the driver side and was rounding the hood of the truck, heading in our direction.
I was shocked. This was unlike any of the pretty-boys and bow-hunks whose arms Mandy typically adorned. The first thing I noticed was his age. Mandy and I are in our late twenties and he had to be at least in his early forties. He wore jeans that fit well and boots and a short sleeve button-down simple white linen shirt. He had dirty blonde hair with noticeable gray. He was good looking but not like I was used to when it came to Mandy. He reminded me of a celebrity but I couldn't place which one. He approached me with a crooked but warm smile and shook my hand.
"Pleasure to meet you, Jane. Mandy has told me all about you, especially in the last hundred miles," he said with a chuckle. His voice was a nice baritone with a hint of Texas drawl.
The first thing I thought was that Mandy had simply up and found herself a sugar daddy. He clearly was far from broke, based on his truck and clothes and toys. However, two things convinced me otherwise. The first was the way Mandy was behaving around him. He stood there, loose and relaxed while she hung on his arm and kept glancing at him. The only word I could think of to describe the look she gave him was "adoration." It was a little unsettling as I had never seen Mandy act this way around one of her boyfriends. The other thing that convinced me was the first thought I had to admit I had when he was strolling toward me: Where can I get me one of those?
We went in the house. I told them Nick was on his way and then we could go to dinner. Brett declined to sit as he had been sitting for the last several hours. I offered them a drink and they accepted. I showed Brett the bar and he fixed all three of us a drink. Mandy and I chatted it up and Brett just mainly listened. My phone beeped and Nick said he would be there in five minutes.
Nick rang the bell a few minutes later. I answered it and in came my boyfriend. He was Mandy and I's age. He was wearing jeans and a red polo shirt. He had dark hair and sharp features. He was pretty good looking but he had a goofy way about him. I introduced him to Mandy and Brett and watched as his eyes went wide when he saw Mandy. I am used to it by now but it doesn't help a girl's self-esteem when your boyfriend does it in front of you. Nick and Brett shook hands. Pleasantries exchanged we headed out to dinner. Brett said he would drive and led the way to his truck. Nick and I followed him and Mandy. I noticed Nick eyeing Mandy's swaying hips and long legs and I was about to give him an elbow to the ribs but I couldn't really blame him. First, she was really that hot and second because I was watching Brett's ass the whole time so I wasn't exactly innocent.
We went to a local casual seafood restaurant where the food is really good but their service is a little slow. We drank and talked as we waited for our food to get there. Brett really was a quiet one but I gathered he was an entrepreneur that owned several business involving construction or something. Frankly Mandy I and were talking mostly among ourselves as we hadn't seen each other in a while.
Nick was starting to annoy me, however. First, he was being clingy and always touching me; my hand, my arm. He walked me to the table with his arm draped over me. I had noticed him do it before but it was never this bad or at least didn't annoy me as much as it was tonight. It was like he was having to announce to the world that I was his. It made me want to push him away. Then I suddenly realized what it was. He was intimidated by Brett. I started paying attention to their conversation and listening as Nick kept changing subjects, trying to get Brett to debate him on this, that or the other. Brett, however, dodge and deflected if not flatly refused to engage him. I watched Brett who looked on at Nick with bemused indifference, like Nick was something he had to endure but wasn't worth complaining about. I was embarrassed for Nick that he couldn't see it. Brett looked at him like a kid.
We arrived back home and Mandy and Brett brought in overnight bags. Nick kept a few things at my place as he had stayed over before. The boys watched the NFL game while Mandy and I continued chatting. Nick had planned on returning home as he hadn't brought his luggage with him. He didn't leave however saying he was engrossed with the game. I wondered if he thought Brett was going to steal me or something. The thought of this older hot guy dumping my gorgeous best friend to try and steal me three hours after meeting me was silly. Surely he didn't really think that, but I was beginning to wonder if his insecurities did in fact run that deep.
It was late and Nick casually mentioned that he would just crash here and leave early to finish packing and we could pick him up from his place. Even an idiot could tell he was broadcasting his desire to get laid. I frankly wasn't much in the mood. I was tired from cleaning and packing and his antics of the evening were certainly no a way to get a girl in the mood. Brett and Mandy seem nonplussed and announced they would be retiring. I showed them to the bedroom. When I returned I found Nick on my bed in his boxers. He patted the bed next to him in invitation.
"You know we have to get up early in the morning, Nick." I said looking for a convenient excuse rather than tell him I was just not in the mood.