“Yeah, well, are you sure you’ve never done that before?” He tried for some accusation but barely found some grumpy. He had so many happy chemicals swirling through him right then it was a wonder he wasn’t singing about puppies and rainbows.
“Pretty sure I would remember doing that, and no, I haven’t. Are you sure you’ve had a blowjob before? You seemed really . . . surprised for a lot of it.”
“It’s not my first time. Just surprised you did it. And how good you were. Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Andrew shrugged and pulled him off the counter, then held him up when his legs quivered. “I just did what I like feeling.”
Brian considered that, then sighed. “Your reasoning is sound.”
“Think you might want to try it yourself?”
“I suppose. Your dick’s smaller than mine, should be easier.” Brian pulled away and headed for the stairs.
“Thicker. Yours is thicker. Mine’s longer!” Andrew called after him.
About to retort, Brian was stopped by a knock at the door.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice, and familiar.
Brian spun around, wide-eyed, and checked the kitchen for signs of sex. Andrew brushed past him, whispering, “I cleaned up while you were zonked.”
“Tell her to go away,” Brian hissed. He wanted to prove to Andrew about whose cock was easier to blow.
“I can hear you two,” their visitor said, sounding amused. “What’s thicker and what’s longer?”
“Oh shit,” Andrew growled and while Brian sprinted upstairs, he went to the door and opened it. “Hello, Simone.”
“What are you doing here?” Andrew asked dumbly as his sister squeezed past him with her camera bag and a midsized roller suitcase.
“Passing through, mostly. Didn’t mum tell you I was coming?” She heaved her big camera bag onto the single chair closest to her, parked the suitcase beside it and dropped onto the couch. “I’m exhausted.”
Simone was only a year older than him and they’d been mistaken for twins a lot growing up since they’d always been similar in size. She was blond like him, though her hair was currently artificially lightened to white-blond with streaks that went from black-purple at her scalp through all the shades in between to end in pale pink. It was long enough to reach her butt.
She looked around curiously. “Didn’t I hear Brian before?”
Andrew scowled at the staircase. Lucky bastard escaped before he could. “He got home from work not long ago. Wanted a shower.”
His sister shrugged. “How are you doing? Mum told me you got given the all clear.” She bounced up and caught him in a hug. “I’m so proud of you. Though you could have told me yourself.”
Andrew huffed as she thumped his back and hoped like hell he didn’t smell of come, his clothes or his breath. “Sorry. It’s just that I never know if you’ve got coverage or not. You could call or message me, too, you know.”
“Meh. What am I going to tell you? On another trip through Kakadu. Hope I see a crocodile.” She rolled her eyes.
Simone was a freelance photographer currently working for several different travel companies. She was slowly gaining a name for herself in scenic and wildlife photography, which to look at her right now with her on-trend hair, designer jeans, strappy heels and silk blouse, seemed unlikely. But Simone had absolutely no issues with hiking boots, big hats, flies and trekking through swamps to get a picture of a butterfly in flight perfectly reflected in a pool of still water. She’d won a national nature photography award for that one.
“Want a drink?” Andrew asked.
“Water. I’ve only had coffee all day.” She trailed him into the kitchen and leaned right where Brian had been splayed out minutes ago. “Mum really didn’t tell you I was coming? I asked her to message you this morning when she dropped me off for my flight to Melbourne.” Their parents were in Adelaide for mum’s work.
“You went from Adelaide to Melbourne to here in one day?”
“Thus my exhaustion. Had a meeting in Melbourne.” She grinned excitedly. “I might be getting a contract with a company that runs African safaris.”
Andrew put her glass of water down and hugged her again. “That’s so great.” She’d only been after it her entire life.
She jittered, maybe from excitement, maybe from caffeine overload. “I know. It’s between me and one other person. They were very impressed with my portfolio though.”
“I’m sure you’ll get it. How long would you be over there?”
“Six months is the initial contract. If they like what I do, it could be extended.”
“Dad’s going to shit bricks.” Their father was convinced Simone was going to get eaten by a crocodile or fall off a cliff.
“If you can beat cancer, I can survive this.” She looked him over and when she met his gaze again, her eyes were shining with tears. “You look really good.”
The last time she’d seen him, he’d been skinny, pale and wishing he was dead.
“I’m working construction again, so that helps.”
“What about finishing your qualifications to be an architect?”
Andrew stared at the spot where he’d blown his best friend and couldn’t help but wonder at how quickly and easily things changed. Even big, life-altering things.
“I don’t know. It didn’t seem important while I was sick and . . .” He shrugged, still not quite able to articulate why he’d given up his dream job.
“But you’re all good now. You could go back to it, get qualified and one day build that eco-friendly, aesthetically-pleasing, award-winning tower in the middle of the Gold Coast like you always wanted.”
And here they went. The same speech, the same questions. It wasn’t like the cancer had been a slight detour that, once gone, left him exactly where he had been before. It had created a new road, a whole new fucking map for him to decipher on the run. No one seemed to understand that.
“Leave him alone about that,” Brian said, tone a little sharp, as he trotted back down the stairs. “It’s his choice, he’s made it and he’s happy.”
Correction. No one understood but Brian.
He had showered and had on fresh shorts and a T-shirt, the ends of his hair damp. His cheeks were a little pink, maybe from the hot water, maybe from the fact that Simone was still touching the blowjob spot.
“Okay!” Simone threw her hands up in defeat. “I won’t mention it again.” Her arms came down around Brian’s neck. “Hello, Bri Bri.” She kissed his cheek loudly.
“Hi, Moanie,” he returned, giving her a quick hug. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“No one did apparently. Mum must have forgotten to tell Andy.”
Andrew threw a tea towel at her. “Don’t call me that.”
“Grandma calls you Andy.”
“Yeah, well, she’s grandma. You’re not. How long are you imposing?”
“Just tonight. Heading off to New Zealand in the morning.” She kept one arm around Brian and leaned on him, running her fingers through his hair.
Andrew’s feelings might have caused her and Brian to split all those years ago, but they hadn’t stopped them from remaining close and rather touchy, which never used to bother Andrew. Now, it did. He turned away and opened the fridge.