Within seconds, the heat from the picante sauce on his tongue began to penetrate my own, which was now burning. Even though it felt like my tongue was about to fall off, I didn’t ever want to pull away.
I’d never been kissed like this.
Then, just like that, he ripped his mouth away from mine.
“Don’t you know by now not to fuck with me?”
He walked away, and I stayed panting in the corridor with my hand over my chest.
Holy shit.
My mouth was on fire along with every other orifice. I was throbbing between my legs. When I finally gained enough composure to walk back out, I realized they needed their check at some point.
I decided to get it over with and took the leather bill binder to their table, placing it in front of Elec without making eye contact.
I overheard him telling Leila to meet him out front and that he’d take care of everything. He reached into his pocket and slipped something in the folder and soon after, he took off.
He probably didn’t even leave me a tip. I opened it and gasped when along with a twenty-dollar bill was my favorite black lace thong and written in pen on the check:
Keep the change, or rather, change into these. I’m guessing your current ones are a little wet.
CHAPTER 4
Elec and I never spoke of the kiss even though it ran through my mind constantly. I was pretty sure it didn’t mean anything to him, that he was just trying to make a point. Still, the sensations I experienced were the same as if the kiss had been based on real passion. Knowing what his lips felt like on mine and how he’d tasted wasn’t a memory that could so easily be erased. I craved that feeling again. It made the battle between my mind and body much more difficult than before.
It was a curse having a crush on someone you had to live with, particularly when he brought girls from school back to the house.
One afternoon, while our parents weren’t home, he’d brought Leila over, and they were in his room messing around. Another afternoon, it was Amy. Then the next week, it was a different Amy.
I’d be in my room covering my ears so that I didn’t have to hear the sound of his bed squeaking or the stupid girl giggling. The particular day that Amy number two exited his room to go home, I texted him immediately after.
Really? Two Amys? Will Amy #3 be coming tomorrow? What are you thinking?!
Elec: I’m thinking you’re wishing your name were Amy…“sister.”
Greta: Step! Stepsister.
Elec: Scramble the word step, you get PEST. step=pest.
Greta: You’re a moron.
Elec: You’re a pest.
I got up from my bed in a huff and walked right into his room without knocking. He was playing a video game and didn’t even look at me. “I really need to get a lock on that thing.”
My heart was racing. “Why are you such a fucking jerk?”
“Nice to see you, too, sis.” He patted the bed next to where he was sitting at the edge with his eyes still fixed on the game. “If you won’t leave, by all means, have a seat.”
“I have no desire to sit on your dirty bed.”
“Is that because you’d rather sit on my dirty face?”
My heart nearly stopped.
His mouth spread into a devious smile as he continued to play the game. He had rendered me speechless. In fact, I had rendered myself speechless, because as soon as the words “sit on my dirty face” came out of his mouth, I had the urge to cross my legs to curb my arousal. My vagina was a hopeless fool. The cruder he was, the stronger its attraction to him.
Instead of dignifying his question with a response, I looked around the room, headed straight for his drawers and began rummaging through his things. “Where’s my underwear?”
“I told you, they’re not in here.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I continued searching around until I stumbled upon something that caught my eye. It was a binder with a large stack of papers inside. Printed on the front were the words Lucky and the Lad by Elec O’Rourke.
“What’s this?”
For the first time, Elec stopped his video game and practically flew off the bed. “Don’t touch that.”
I flipped through it as fast as possible before he ripped it out of my hands. There was dialog and some lines were crossed out and corrected in red pen. My eyes widened. “You wrote a book?”
He swallowed and for the first time since I’d met him, Elec looked truly uncomfortable. “That’s none of your business.”
“Maybe you do have more going for you than your looks,” I joked.
My eyes wandered to the tattoo of the word “Lucky” on his right bicep, and the wheels began turning in my head. The tattoo was connected to the story he apparently wrote.
Elec gave me one last death stare before walking over to his closet and placing the binder on the top shelf. He sat back down on the bed and resumed his videogame.
Desperate to connect with him in some way, I sat next to him and watched as he destroyed his virtual enemy in combat.
“Can two people play?”
He stopped for a moment and froze, then sighed in exasperation, before handing me a controller. He changed the setting to two players, and we began battling it out.
It took me a while to figure out how to play the game. After multiple wins on his part, my character finally killed his off, and he turned to me with a look of amusement and dare I say…admiration. He cracked a reluctant but genuine smile, and I felt like my heart was going to disintegrate. That one little gesture, and I was a lost cause. What would I have done if he were actually really nice to me: lose my mind altogether and start humping his leg? Upon that thought, I decided it was time for me to go back to my room.
I spent the rest of the night trying to figure him out and concluded there was definitely more to stepbrother dearest than met the eye.
***
Several weeks passed before I’d accepted Bentley’s offer to take me out on a date. I’d finally conceded that a.) there were no better alternatives at the moment and b.) a distraction from my unhealthy obsession with my stepbrother would be most helpful.
My attraction to Elec was at an all-time high. Almost every night after dinner, I’d go to his room and play that videogame with him. It was a harmless way for us to take out our frustration toward each other without anyone actually getting hurt. The surprising thing was, he seemed to be the one initiating it now. The one night I decided to stay in my room and read, he’d sent me a text.
Are you coming to play or what?
Greta: I wasn’t going to.
Elec: Bring some ass cream too and put extra Snickers in it.
That message would have seemed really odd to someone on the outside looking in. The text had made me giddy, though.
That night, we shared another bowl of ice cream and played the game until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I even managed to kill Elec off two out of the 17 times we played. Even though he didn’t really open up to me, the gaming sessions seemed to be his own special way of saying he didn’t find my company deplorable anymore and that maybe, he even enjoyed it
But in typical Elec fashion, just when it felt like we were finally connecting, he had to go and ruin it.
***
It was a couple of days before my Friday night date with Bentley. Victoria and I were hanging out in the kitchen when Elec walked in and did his usual drinking out of the milk carton routine.
Victoria’s eyes fixated on Elec’s shirt riding up as he lifted the milk. The two shamrock tattoos on either side of his rock-hard abs were exposed.
She was practically drooling. “Hey, Elec.”
Elec grunted in response through the carton before putting it back into the fridge. He then began rummaging through the snack cupboard.
Victoria dipped a pretzel in some nutella and spoke with her mouth full. “So, have you decided which movie you’re going to see with Bentley Friday night?”
“No, we haven’t d
iscussed it.”
From across the kitchen, I couldn’t help but notice that Elec stopped sifting through the cabinet for a moment and froze. It seemed like he was trying to listen to what we were saying. He glanced over at me for a fleeting moment with a troublesome expression.
“Well, I think you should see that new Drew Barrymore romantic comedy. Make him suffer through a chick flick. What do you think, Elec?”
“What do I think about what?”
“What movie should Greta see on her date with Bentley?”
He ignored her question and looked at me. “That dude’s a fucknut.”
He started to walk away, but Victoria called after him. “Hey, Elec…”
He turned around.
“Would you want to join? I mean…we could go with them. It might be fun. Like a double date.”
He chuckled and just stared at her for the longest time with a look that screamed, not a chance.
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He turned to me with a malicious grin. “Why not?”
Why not?
“Because it’s my date. I don’t want anyone else tagging along.”
“It would really upset you if I went?”
“Yes, actually.”
He looked over at Victoria. “In that case, I’d love to go.”
The look of satisfaction on her face sickened me. She thought this was her big chance to make a move on him. Meanwhile, he’d basically admitted he was just doing this to torture me.
“See you Friday night,” he said before disappearing.
Victoria opened her mouth in a silent scream then tapped her feet excitedly on the floor, and it made me want to vomit. I now had to gear up for what would surely be one of the most awkward dates of my life. But nothing could have prepared me for what actually transpired that night.
CHAPTER 5
Elec was supposed to be meeting us at the cinema. He had taken a part-time job at a bike shop and would be going home to shower first after work.
Victoria, Bentley and I got his ticket before they sold out.
“Victoria, are you sure your date’s showing up?” Bentley laughed.
“He’ll be here.” She looked over at me with uncertainty. Truthfully, I had no clue whether Elec was actually planning to show up and prayed he didn’t. When Victoria texted him that we planned to go inside the theater early to secure seats, he’d never responded.
As we waited in the concession line, Bentley put his arm around my shoulder, causing me to stiffen. It seemed a little forward since we were just getting to know each other. He did smell nice and looked really good in jeans and a black dress shirt. His short light brown hair was spiked with gel. I remember I used to think Bentley was really cute. Nowadays, every single guy seemed to pale in comparison to Elec on the physical attraction meter. I wanted to crush that meter with a sledgehammer.
Victoria was under strict instructions not to tell Bentley that Elec was my stepbrother. Since Elec never spoke to me at school, most people still had no clue that we lived together. I preferred it that way.
Relief set in when the theater darkened, and the previews began to play. I put my phone on vibrate. Maybe he wasn’t going to show after all. My body started to relax while Victoria checked her phone every two seconds and looked around for him.
The opening credits to the movie started. I sank deeper into my chair and kicked my feet up on the empty seat in front of me. Bentley gestured for me to have some of his popcorn. I’d been munching on it for a while and was actually enjoying the movie until I nearly choked on a whiff of clove cigarettes mixed with cologne.
Then, there he was.
My knees trembled as he slid past them in the darkness making his way to the empty seat on the other side of Victoria.
I wanted to smack the look of joy off of her face. When Elec leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, my appetite for the popcorn transformed quickly into nausea. I handed Bentley the bag and pretended to be interested in the movie. In all honesty, I was staring straight at the screen, but Drew Barrymore might as well have been speaking Mandarin Chinese.
All I was really doing was ruminating and breathing in Elec’s scent. His presence had made me angrier than I anticipated it would.
At one point, Bentley grabbed my hand and wrapped it inside his. I froze.
Victoria, who had downed a giant Diet Coke before Elec arrived, whispered in my ear that she was going to the bathroom.
My heart began to pound faster once she left because there was no longer anything blocking my view of him. I could feel from the corner of my eyes that he was looking at me. Despite laughter erupting around me from the audience, the weight of his stare seemed to drown it all out. I wouldn’t look at him or even move.
Just keep staring at the screen, Greta.
My phone vibrated on my leg.
Are you practicing to be a store window mannequin?
I couldn’t exactly respond to the text because Bentley would have seen me. I did, however, look over at Elec and regretted it. His normally unruly hair was gelled and styled. He was also more dressed up than normal in dark jeans and a leather jacket.
His mouth spread into a rare genuine smile that made me feel as if something were squeezing at my heart. Then, he chuckled, causing me to laugh at myself, too. He was right. I had been sitting there stiff as a board tonight. I was acting ridiculous.
Victoria interrupted my moment with Elec when she slid past my legs and sat down, once again obstructing my view. She leaned into him, and that was my cue to stare back at the screen.
I wanted to be the one with him.
It didn’t make sense, but it was proof that desire and logic were two very separate things.
What if Victoria tried to kiss him tonight? What if he responded? I couldn’t deal with this jealousy already, and nothing had even happened yet. His dating girls from school had become something I’d forced myself to accept. I mean, he was my stepbrother, supposedly disliked me and would be moving back to California after graduation. The reality was, nothing could ever happen between us. Despite that, his messing around with my best friend would not be okay for me. She’d tell me every last detail and wouldn’t hold back.
Somewhere in the midst of my thoughts, the movie finally finished. Drew Barrymore was smiling, so it must have been a happy ending.
Bentley’s hand rested on my lower back as we exited the theater. In the bright florescent lights of the crowded lobby, Elec looked even more stunning. Victoria grabbed onto his arm possessively. I wanted to hate her for it, but she had no clue about my feelings for him.
This situation was overwhelming me. I needed to be alone for a few minutes. “Guys, I’m just gonna go freshen up. You should decide where we’re going to eat.”
Upon entering the safety of the bathroom, I let out a deep breath. After I peed and washed my hands, I was reluctant to head back outside, so I stayed staring at myself in the mirror.
Anger and frustration coursed through me the more I thought about this fucked up date. I picked up my phone and texted Elec.
Why are you really here? Do you even like Victoria?
I immediately regretted that impulsive move. My phone vibrated.
Elec: What if I do?
Wishing I’d never said anything, I had no answer and just stared at my phone. He texted again.
Elec: I don’t.
I hadn’t realized I was holding in so much breath until a massive sigh of relief escaped me.
Greta: Then, why are you here?
Elec: To get a rise out of you.
Greta: Why?
Elec: Because I get off on it.
Greta: Why?
Elec: I can’t answer that question any more than you can tell me why you look at me the way you do even though I’ve treated you like shit.
Oh. God. Until now, I hadn’t realized how obvious my feelings were, how stupid and desperate I must have looked to him all this time.
Elec: Have
some self-respect.
What. The. Fuck. Now, he’d seriously pissed me off. Wow.
Greta: Don’t worry. I won’t be looking at you anymore.
I just couldn’t believe he’d said that to me. My eyes started to water, but I was determined not to let him see me upset. It took a few minutes to compose myself before walking back out to the lobby. As hard as it was, I refused to look at him. Refused.
“What the heck took you so long?” Bentley asked.
“I ran into a little glitch. But it’s over.”
Victoria put her hand on my shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“Yup. Let’s go.”
Victoria and Elec walked in front of us. She was still hanging onto his arm while both of his hands were in his pockets.
The four of us packed into Bentley’s Prius and drove to an all-night diner. Avoiding my stepbrother became a much bigger challenge in the confines of a small booth where he was sitting right across from me. Still, I kept to my word. I’d focus on his sleeve tattoo or play with the salt shakers but never looked up. I pretended to enjoy being immersed in conversation with Bentley, who was sitting to my left.
We ordered our food, and so far, I’d been successful in not making eye contact with Elec.
“So, Greta, there’s this party next Friday at Alex Franco’s house. I wanted you to come with me,” Bentley said.
“Sure. Sounds like fun.”
“Good.” He leaned in and lightly kissed the side of my face.
Elec was mindlessly playing with some sugar packets. If I were Victoria, I’d find it peculiar that my “date” wasn’t even talking to me. But what did I know?