She ran across the front lawn and launched herself at Nate, while I tried to collect myself, and reorganize my thoughts.
“I missed you, you big knucklehead,” she said, wrapping him in a huge hug.
“Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to get sick of me,” he said, hugging her back. “You having a good summer before college starts?
“The best,” she said, then turned to me as I popped open the passenger side door to the car.
Remember what I said about love at first sight? I’m not going back on my word. It wasn’t love. But there was a moment when we locked eyes and just looked at each other. I swear I could feel time slow down in those seconds, to become nothing more than the heady possibility of two people who maybe, possibly, just might feel some kind of spark. She gave me this look, her dark brown eyes meeting mine, then trying not to look at me, and the thought that she could potentially feel some kind of attraction too nearly knocked me out. I was trying not to be too obvious about checking her out in her purple tee-shirt, jean shorts and flip flops. She had that Ivory Soap feel to her her, the kind of girl who didn’t need makeup, who could wake up in the morning and look gorgeous from the second she rolled out of bed. Her eyes sparkled and she radiated happiness with a smile that could light up a room.
Or in this case, a driveway.
“Bryan, this is my sister Kat.”
I set down my duffel bag and extended a hand, quickly realizing she wasn’t a handshake kind of girl, so I wrapped her in a friendly hug. Nothing inappropriate, but damn did she feel good, even down to the metal of her necklace pendant that pressed into my chest. Warm and snug, she smelled like oranges and sunshine. I pulled back before my mind started drifting to tawdrier shores. “I feel like I know you already. Nate says you’re a huge movie fan,” I said, trying to keep the conversation on friendly topics. Topics that would remind me how I knew her – through her brother. “That when you’re not making necklaces you’re at the local theater. I’ve always said there’s nothing better than skipping class for a matinee.”
She flashed a smile at me. “Matinee and popcorn. Doesn’t get any better than that.”
“But what kind of popcorn?” I wasn’t ready to let go of the moment. “Regular? Buttered or kettle corn?”
She rolled her eyes, parked her hands on her hips. “Is that some kind of trick question?”
I arched an eyebrow. She was playful. Kill me now. My kryptonite was a woman who liked to banter. “Maybe it is.”
“Obviously. The answer is kettle corn.”
We were only discussing popcorn. I knew that. Still, I felt like Hugh Grant in Love, Actually when he meets the woman he falls for on his first day of work, and knows, just knows, that he’s a goner.
I’d be fighting a losing battle resisting her. Just like he did.
Chapter Two
She’s your best friend’s sister.
She’s heading to college. You’re out of college.
You’re starting a job in three weeks.
But honestly, only one of those three reasons was truly compelling because the age difference between us was mostly insignificant. So she couldn’t drink? So what? She was out of high school and on her way to university. Even the job part wasn’t a real issue.
But there’s just an unwritten code. You don’t mess with his sister unless you’re prepared to marry her.
Right?
Because if you break her heart, you’re the ass who broke your buddy’s sister’s heart.
I tried to shake away the thought as we finished our pizza on the deck later that night, chatting about movies.
“What’s your favorite movie?” She asked.
“Office Space. Hands down. Best movie ever,” I said, smacking my palm on the table in emphasis. “I can watch that over and over.”
“Yeah, we're going to need to talk about your TPS reports,” Kat said, quoting the boss character from the film.
“That’s just a straight shooter with upper management written all over him,” I said, tossing her another line, and she laughed too, flashing me a smile that was damn near addictive. Her smile was like a gage on a thermometer; it made the heat rise in me.
“Okay, those are good. And that movie is a classic. But best ever? For me, it’s a total toss-up between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Shakespeare in Love,” she said.
I was about to ask why when Nate stood up. “I’ll get us more beer,” he said, then looked at Kat and wagged a finger. “But none for you.”
She held up both hands and laughed. “I haven’t even touched the stuff. I’ll have a Diet Coke though.”
“Keep it that way.”
“I’m going to switch to water or something. Or if you have another Diet Coke that’d be fine,” I said.
“Lightweight,” Nate muttered jokingly.
“Copycat,” Kat added.
“Fine, you caught me on both accounts,” I said, as crickets chirped and the warm night air surrounded us. Why did it have to be a perfect summer night? Everything was colluding to make me fall for her. Like a damn conspiracy.
Once Nate was inside, I turned my focus back to Kat, trying my best to ignore how hot she looked with the moonlight playing on her face, from her pretty lips to the bare skin on her shoulders since she wore a tank top. Sister, I kept telling myself. She’s his sister. I decided to focus on my own sister to keep my mind clean. “My sister Jess is into movies too. She’s kind of a walking encyclopedia of Hollywood. She lives in L.A now so she can tell you pretty much anything about any celebrity.”