Author's Note: Thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for writing "Brian, The Matchmaker." The story left things a bit open at the end, so here's what I came up with to fill that in. :)
Joe sighed as he realized the meal was over. "Thanks for dinner, Helen. It was great."
Helen grinned. The one good thing about growing up in the south was that she'd certainly learned her way around the kitchen. Casey might never have found use for those skills, but Helen sure did. "Thanks." She couldn't help blushing.
"OK, now that we got that out of the way, come on. Tell me the truth."
"The truth about what, Joe?"
"Why you asked me to dinner. You really expect me to believe it was Brian's idea?" Joe laughed at the thought of his little brother, who'd never even had anything close to a serious relationship, giving love advice.
"I know it sounds crazy, but it really was his idea. I think you're wrong about him and Alex. I've known Brian almost as long as you have. I know what he's like with women, and this time really is different." Helen could hardly believe she was even saying this. But something about Brian's actions this morning had really stuck with her.
"What did he say that's got you so convinced?"
"He said that he actually thinks he and Alex could get serious. And that...if I had feelings for someone, then I should act on them." She said the last part hesitantly.
"Ever since you came back from New York, we've been friends, nothing more. All of a sudden you've got feelings for me?"
"This started way before I went to New York, Joe, and you know it. There hasn't been anyone since Gail. I'm not blind."
Joe sighed. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't deny what Helen was saying. The feelings were all still there. "Before things went bad, we did have a few good times." Even now, Joe could still picture kissing Helen up at Indian Point. They'd been surrounded by hormone-crazed teenagers, and yet they did nothing more than kiss once. Joe could tell by Helen's expression that she was thinking of that night, too. Suddenly, he grinned and stood up.
"What are you doing?" Helen asked in surprise.
"I'm going to take care of the dishes," Joe said, picking up several of the plates. "Then, I thought maybe we could...relive that night at Indian Point."
Helen knew she should protest. Joe was a guest in her home. But she also knew it would be useless. He was just too good of a guy to let her lift a finger after she'd made dinner. She knew Roy and the others at the airport thought Joe was uptight, too straight-laced to ever have fun. But none of them knew this Joe.
As Helen watched him make several trips back and forth to the kitchen, she remembered when she first fell for him all those years ago. Sure, he wasn't exactly the coolest guy back then, either. But there was something to be said for a nice guy. Joe might not have dated as many girls as Brian, but Helen knew he always treated those he was with well. For a while, she'd seen that firsthand. Their breakup had been the most painful experience of her life. Now, it was like none of that had ever happened. They'd made a fresh start.
They'd started off slow, rebuilding their friendship. That part had been easy, since they'd been in each other's lives since the beginning. This dinner apparently marked a new chapter in their relationship. It was silly to go around pretending to not have feelings for each other.
When Joe returned to pick up the last of the dishes, Helen stood. Before he reached the table, she went over to him. The kiss they shared made Indian Point pale by comparison. "Thank you, Joe," Helen whispered as the kiss ended.
"That was for doing the dishes?" Joe asked in surprise.
"Not just for that," Helen replied with a wink. "It's also for giving us a second chance."
Joe kissed her again. All of his life, he'd done the right thing, the responsible thing. He'd seen Brian do the opposite, and more often than not, it ended in disaster. But every once in a while, Joe wanted to just let go and follow his feelings. Maybe, for once, Brian's way made more sense.
The End