"Late night last night?" Toby asked with a laugh as Chris strolled into a sandwich shop in downtown Boston.
"Uh, yeah," Chris said with a nod as he pulled off his coat and sat down.
"What'd you do? I left the bar at like ten. Where'd you go?"
"Nowhere," Chris answered. "I hung out with your cousin actually."
Toby just stared at him, as if he'd just claimed to see the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. "Are you serious?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah. I, um…hung around the bar and afterward we went to my place, had a few drinks, played some video games."
"Are you trying to fuck my cousin?" Toby asked.
Chris laughed. "I don't know if I'd say that…"
"You are! You're totally trying to fuck my cousin. What the fucking hell, dude!?"
"What?!" Chris exclaimed with a laugh. "She's a cool girl, man. She's hot and funny and a total smart ass. She's really chill. I kinda like her."
"You're an idiot."
"Well fuck you too, bro," Chris laughed.
"Dude…you do not want to get involved with her. Trust me on this."
"Why?" Chris asked. "She seems…pretty incredible from my viewpoint."
"Look, I love Kyle like a little sister, but the girl is a train wreck, especially when it comes to her romantic outings."
"Ouch."
"I'm serious."
"Seems to have her shit together to me," Chris stated, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.
"Yeah, her career, sure, but her personal life is a big fucking mess," Toby stated. "She is not good in relationships."
Chris chuckled. "I did just meet her yesterday so maybe we could table the relationship talk for a bit. Wasn't planning on marrying her quite yet."
Toby sighed, frustrated that Chris didn't appear to be taking his warnings seriously. "She is going to eat you up and spit you out dude."
"You seem pretty willing to shit talk your family here, dude."
"I'm not shit talking her, I'm being serious. She dated the same guy in Italy for four years. When she decided to come back here, he was all about coming with her and starting a life and she just…bailed on him. Told him she wasn't interested and left."
"Maybe it wasn't working out."
"After four years?"
"Man I don't know! Were you there?" Chris asked. "Do you actually know what happened or just what you've been told?"
Toby sighed. "I know what I've heard."
"Exactly and ya know what…people say a lot of shit about me too, doesn't make any of it true," Chris stated.
"I'm just trying to look out for you, man."
"I get that and…thank you but…I'm gonna see how this one plays out."
"Alright man. Just don't come to me when you get your heart busted up."
"Not real worried about that at the moment," Chris said with a smirk. "As for now…I'm just gonna swing by Nosh and…see if she wants to go to the game with me tonight."
"Really?" Toby asked with a scoff.
"Yes, really," Chris answered. "I asked her last night and she said no…but I think…I could convince her. I hope so."
"So now she gets my Celtics ticket?"
"Your ticket? When was the last time you paid for a fucking ticket to anything?" Chris asked. "Shut the fuck up."
"Bros before hoes, dude."
"Will Amanda even let you go?"
"No. I've got some stupid fucking work Halloween party I'm being forced to go to," Toby stated. "Hopefully I'll be about three shades passed drunk by the time the game starts."
"So you just guilt tripped me for no fucking reason?" Chris asked as Toby simply smirked. "You're a dick. A real fucking dick, ya know that?" He shook his head and continued scanning the menu. "Fucking asshole."
"Well hello, gorgeous."
Kyle glanced up from the bar and pushed up the glasses that were slipping down her nose as Chris strode toward her. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a laugh. "Didn't I just see you?"
"Ya know, I think perhaps. I had a bit to drink though, so it's all kind of a blur," Chris said with a grin, shoving his hands into his pockets. Kyle just smiled and went back to slicing her lemons. "I'm sorry about last night, by the way."
Kyle looked up at him, a confused expression on her face. "For what? You didn't do anything."
"I can get carried away when a ton of beer and a beautiful woman are involved."
"Its fine, Chris. Really. I'm not offended."
"Then why did you leave so suddenly?"
Kyle set down her knife and sighed. "Because…I don't want lines to start to blur. You…are a really, really sweet guy and you are obviously super attractive, I just… I don't date. I don't do that whole aspect of life."
"A girl like you? I imagine that involves a lot of broken hearts."
"I try to prevent that as much as possible," Kyle said with a laugh. "I'm not very good at it sometimes and I've made a lot of messes and I really don't want to do it again. Especially not with my cousin's best friend."
Chris's eyes narrowed. "Is this coming from you or Toby?"
Kyle shook her head slowly. "I haven't talked to Toby. What did he say?"
Chris realized he'd probably just made things awkward between the cousins. "Nothing, I just…"
"Chris, what did he say?"
"He just rattled off…the same shit you said basically. That you don't do relationships, you're not good at them…shit like that."
"You know for as little time as I've known you, I can already tell you're a terrible liar."
Chris scoffed, his smile shining brightly as the afternoon sun crept in the windows of the restaurant. "He said something about some guy you left in Italy."
Kyle sighed. "Antonio. Yes. I figured as much there."
"Look ,I didn't come here to hash out your past or…anything of the like…I came here…to issue you a second chance at the Celtics game tonight," Chris stated.
Kyle laughed. "I can't. I have to work."
"She does not," said a petite red head, bursting out of the kitchen, carrying a case of beer in her arms. "Don't listen to a fucking word she says."
"Hello? What am I doing?" Kyle asked with a laugh, waving the paring knife in her hand in the air. She turned back to Chris. "Chris Evans, my business partner and the enormous pain in my ass, Margo Underwood."
"It's nice to meet you," Chris stated with a grin, leaning over the bar and extending his hand to shake.
The girl sat down her case of beer and did the same. "Don't believe what she tells you. She knows Monday is our slowest night and that me and the rest of the staff are perfectly capable of handling things."
"I like her," Chris said, propping an elbow on the bar as his eyes moved to Kyle. "I think she's on my side." Kyle just simply rolled her eyes.
"Ky, come on. He's gorgeous. Go to the damn basketball game. I think I've got this covered."
"She's right. I am gorgeous."
"And modest too," Kyle laughed. She sighed and set down the knife yet again. "What time is the game?"
"Eight. I'll pick you up here at six."
"Why six?"
"Because we can't go watch the Celtics on an empty stomach. What's wrong with you, woman?" Chris beamed.
Kyle shook her head. "You're not going to let me say no, are you?"
"Me or her?" Chris asked.
"Either."
"I'm not," Chris said shaking his head. He turned to Margo, also shaking her head. "She's not either. Looks like you're stuck."
"Fine. FINE!" Kyle exclaimed as she began laughing. "I'll go to the stupid game, alright? But this is not a date."
Chris shook his head wildly. "No. Not a date. Wouldn't dream of it. You're not really my type anyway."
"Careful. She has knives," Margo said out of the corner of her mouth.
"On that note, I bid you ladies adieu. Until later."
"Bye, Chris! Nice meeting you!" Margo called as the movie star began for the door.
"You too. Kyle, I'll see soon."
"Get out."
Chris just laughed and issued a wave as he headed out onto the cold and snowy streets. The second he was gone, Kyle spun to Margo, eyes wide.
"What the fuck are you doing?" she cried.
"Helping my best friend get some. Is that so wrong?"
"I don't want to get some! Not from him!" Kyle exclaimed. "Do you have any idea who that is!?"
Margo appeared befuddled. "Um…I know he's insanely attractive…"
"That's Chris Evans. Like…Captain America Chris Evans."
"Well…he can Captain my America…"
"I don't even know what that is supposed to mean," Kyle said shaking her head. "Point being: I don't want to get involved in that. Because…when things go up in flames, like they always do, I don't need them to make national news as the slut that ripped out Captain America's heart."
"Why are you thinking that far ahead? It's just a basketball game."
"I have to think that far ahead. Plus he's Toby's best friend."
Margo made a disgusted face. "Why would anyone admit to being Toby's best friend? Gross."
Kyle laughed. "Chris…is a really sweet guy. I don't want to lead him on."
"I don't think you are because…I know my best friend well enough to know what that sparkle in her eye means…"
Kyle shook her head. "Don't do that."
"Do what? Ky, come on! We opened this place two years ago, and in those two years you have not once taken a day off, you've never called out sick, you've never so much as taken a couple hours to go to a damn salon which you desperately need to do by the way…"
"Fuck off," Kyle laughed.
"Just take a night and go out with a gorgeous guy, who is obviously interested in you. At least in having your company," Margo stated. "Just have fun. I'm not saying sleep with guy, though I don't think anyone would blame you if you did."
"It's not happening."
"You really should. Just to take one for the team."
"Shut up, Margo."
"God its cold out there," Chris sighed, rubbing his hands together as he and Kyle headed into his favorite pizza joint in Boston.
"LA has made you soft."
Chris just smiled. "Are you sure pizzas okay? We can go somewhere else…"
"Pizza's perfect, Chris," Kyle assured with a smile. "This is actually one of my favorite places."
"Mine too!" Chris exclaimed. "Look at all the shit we have in common."
"I know. We both like pizza," Kyle mocked, raising her eyebrows.
Chris chuckled. "You're an asshole."
"I think we have that in common too."
"Let's get a table, jerk."
"So tell me about Italy," Chris began as dinner was winding down. "How long were you there?"
"Five years," Kyle answered. "At first I went to get away from my mom and college and such, and then I just fell in love with it. The people, the cities, the food obviously. I don't know if I would've left if my dad hadn't gotten sick."
"I've never really spent much time in Italy. Press junkets here and there. No time to really enjoy it though," Chris stated.
"You should. It's beautiful."
"I'm guessing from the last name, you're Italian."
Kyle laughed. "Yeah. Half. Half Italian, half Irish."
"Great. So you're just one big ball of fucking fire, huh?"
"You catch on quick," Kyle smiled.
"So what else do I need to know about you?"
Kyle pursed her lips and shook her head. "There's really not much to know. I've led a pretty boring life in comparison to yours."
Chris scoffed and shook his head. "Hollywood isn't as interesting as you'd think. I love the business, I love the work but the rest…the rest I could most definitely live without."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. Some days I think I would rather disappear into the woods never to be seen again."
"You have the beard working for you."
Chris laughed. "Someday, I'm going to walk away from all of this. Live a normal life again, out of the public eye. Just me, a couple dogs, hopefully a beautiful girl by my side and some little ones."
"A family man?"
"I'd like to be," Chris stated, nodding his head. "Can't be a swinging bachelor forever."
"You could try."
"Eh," Chris said with an expression that only showed disdain for the idea. "I'm kind of over all of that, honestly. When I first started working, a lot, I moved to LA, I did the whole….going out and scoring with as many girls as I could thing. I grew out of that phase. Not what I want any more."
"So you don't invite every girl back to your apartment for beer and video games?" Kyle asked with a grin.
Chris chuckled. "No. No definitely not…and I certainly don't offer just anyone my courtside seats."
"Well I guess I should be flattered."
"You really should." The duo just stared at each other for a moment, before Kyle's eyes took a bit of a flush and she looked away. Chris chuckled and glanced at his watch. "We should get going. Wouldn't want to miss tip off of the season opener."
"Absolutely not," Kyle agreed. "And…I'm going to warn you now, I tend to get a little rowdy when it comes to basketball."
"I can't wait to see it."
"That last call was horseshit," Kyle growled, tying her hair up into its usual messy bun. "Oh my God, it was awful."
"You were not kidding about getting rowdy," Chris stated with a laugh. "I'm not entirely sure if I was more entertained by the game or you."
"I'm sorry," Kyle said with a laugh. "I warned you."
"You did. You did," Chris laughed. "Still not sure I was prepared for what I actually witnessed. Pretty sure we almost got kicked out of the Garden, but it was fun."
"Sad part is, I'm not even drunk."
Chris laughed. "We should change that. Let's go get drinks."
Kyle sighed as they arrived to his car. "I should really get home."
"Drinks at your place then."
Kyle smiled. "You are…nothing if not persistent."
Chris nodded. "I'm a pretty patient man."
Kyle sighed. "Okay. One drink."
"Three."
"Two."
"Four?"
Kyle laughed as she opened the door and crawled into his SUV. "You can't go up. That's not how bargaining works."
"You can't blame a guy for trying."
"Jesus…" Chris practically gasped as he walked into Kyle's apartment. It was a complex called Park Lane Seaport, right on the water, yards away from the Bank of America Pavilion onsite restaurants a fitness center like the likes of which he'd never seen. The apartment had a foyer for God's sake. This girl was doing well for herself. "I think your place is nicer than mine."
Kyle laughed. "I can't take credit for this place. Not gonna lie, my dad bought it for me. I think…he felt bad for everything that happened between him and my mom and this was his way of making up for it. I tried to say no, but…"
"It's incredible. The view…" Chris said, walking toward the giant windows in the living room. "Wow."
"You should see it in the summer when everything comes alive," Kyle smiled. "I can hear all the concerts, there's…seating and shit on the roof and fountains and barbeques…it's kind of insane."
"Can I move in?"
Kyle laughed. "You'd have to ask my roommate to be sure."
"You have a roommate?" Chris asked, eyebrow cocked.
"Give me a second," Kyle said, disappearing into what he could only assume was the bedroom. Within seconds the door opened and out bounded a young, not yet fully grown pup.
"Oh my God!" Chris exclaimed, instantly kneeling down as the excited pup ran up to him. "He's amazing! What's his name?"
"Caesar."
"Hi Caesar," Chris said as the American bulldog fell to the floor, exposing his belly to be pet. "Oh my God. You're adorable. How old is he?"
"Four months. He's just a baby."
"Oh my God I want to steal him," Chris stated, completely enamored with the rambunctious puppy on the floor in front of him. "I had a bulldog. His name was East…he was my best friend in the whole damn world. He died last year."
"I'm sorry. I can't imagine. I've only had this little guy for two months and I already treat him like he's my kid," Kyle stated, sitting on the floor in front of him. "You can come play any time you want. He seems to like you."
Chris laughed. "Well good. I like him…and his momma." He glanced up at Kyle as her cheeks flushed and her dark eyes focused on Caesar. "You know…if you don't want guys to fall for you, you should really stop becoming more amazing by the second."
"I'm just me," Kyle laughed. "Nothing special."
"I beg to differ," Chris said simply. "I'm really glad I met you."
Kyle just flushed even further. "How about that beer?"
Chris laughed as she stood and headed into the nearby kitchen. "You really don't take compliments well, do you?"
"I don't…at all…" Kyle agreed with a laugh. "I am habitually terrible with them."
"I'm picking up on that," Chris said with a laugh. He rose to his feet, picking up Caesar in his arms. "But you should probably get used to it. I don't picture it ending any time soon."
Kyle cracked open the beer bottles in her hand and handed him one as he approached. She pulled herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. "You barely know me."
"I know enough," Chris stated. "Besides, this guy alone is enough to keep me hanging around." He tickled the pup's chin before taking a sip of his beer. After a moment he set the dog down and leaned up against the counter beside her. "What's with this not dating thing? Honestly. Just…lay it all out there."
Kyle sighed and took a drink. "Well, I am also habitually terrible at relationships. The second things get serious…I freak out. I can't explain why. If I could life would be a lot easier."
"But you dated the guy in Italy for like four years."
Kyle nodded. "Yeah but when he offered to move across the world for me, I lost it." She paused and shook her head. "My parents divorced when I was a kid. My mom turned into one of those…men hating monsters. I don't remember the last time she said anything complimentary about any guy."
"She didn't remarry?"
Kyle took another pull from the bottle. "Uh, no, actually, she became a lesbian. I have a stepmother…"
"Well there's a turn."
"Yeah that was weird, but she seems to be happy so, good for her. Her wife, Marion, is…the sweetest lady I've ever met in my life so…"
"And your dad?"
Kyle laughed. "My dad…is a great man. He was not, however, a great husband. He routinely cheated on my mom but…he worshiped me so when they split I…I just became angry. Their divorce was…bitter at best and my mom did everything she could to keep me away from him. To the point that when I got old enough to run away, that's exactly what I did. I got mixed up in some bad shit in Miami for awhile. Moved in with a boyfriend who was old enough to be my father because, daddy issues, and then when that got to be too much I packed it up for Italy…on my dad's dime because I was an asshole and felt like he owed me."
"I don't think anyone can blame you for that."
"I blame myself enough for everyone around. Trust me."
"You're here now though, taking care of him."
Kyle sighed. "I try. If I'm not at the restaurant, I'm in Concord. They put him in hospice the other day so we're all just kind of…waiting…I guess. Cancer fucking sucks."
"It does. I should really get up there. I'd like to see him."
Kyle looked at him and smiled. "He'd love that."
"Me too. So…let me know the next time you head that way and…I will tag along."
"Deal," Kyle grinned. "Come on. Let's find something better to do than talk about depressing shit." She hopped off the counter. "Where's Caesar?"
"Oh shit."
They had gotten utterly lost in conversation, talking about everything from their childhoods to their hopes and dreams for the future. Caesar had grown tired of them and passed out between their bodies on the sofa as they continued to laugh and carry on.
"Jesus," Chris said, glancing at his watch. "It's five o'clock."
Kyle yawned, as if him announcing the time had instantly made her tired. "We're really good at this staying up all night thing."
"We really are," Chris laughed. "I should get going. I'm supposed to meet my mom in Sudbury at noon."
"Well, I'm sorry I kept you out so late," Kyle apologizing, rising from the couch in unison with the movie star.
"Don't be," Chris argued with a perfectly white smile. "I'm not."
Kyle laughed lightly as she followed him to the door. "Once again, I had a lot of fun."
"Me too," Chris said nodding his head. He stopped in front of the door and just stared at her. His heart was beginning to pound in his chest. "I know…this wasn't a date…but I um…I really want to kiss you right now."
"Chris…" Kyle began, but her words were cut off as he did exactly that. Her brain kept screaming at her to fight him as he pressed his lips against hers, but she didn't. She couldn't.
It felt like an eternity had passed before he stepped back, once again a smile glowing. "I'll call you," he said softly, before brushing his fingers against her hand and giving it a quick squeeze.
She just smiled and nodded as he walked out the door and she bolted it behind him. She leaned up against it and sighed as Caesar came trotting toward her. "Don't look at me like that. This isn't supposed to be happening," she said with a sigh before clicking off the light switch. It was definitely bed time, if she could stop her head from running long enough to fall asleep.