Chapter 4

"She's here! I heard the doorbell! Brady, go hide!!" Belle ran to the door and put her hand on the knob. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I am, but I'm gonna feel like an ass if this doesn't work."

"Don't worry! It'll work." Belle flung open the door. "Hey Chloe! I'm so glad that you are finally here. Come in."

Chloe raised her eyebrows at Belle's overly enthusiastic attitude but decided not to comment on it. "So where should I put my bag?"

"Just set it down there, we can take it up to my room later. But first…" she led Chloe to the couch where they sat down, "there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Uh, oh. What is this Belle? The sex talk? Cause I already know. Plus, who exactly I would be having sex with, I don't know."

'ME!' Brady thought from his place in the kitchen. 'I'm willing.'

"Chloe!" Belle laughed. "That's not what I meant…you are so weird!! Wait. What about Philip?"

"Hey, I'm Ghoul Girl, remember?" Chloe smirked at her little joke. "Philip and I are NOT ready for sex. I don't even know…never mind. I'd rather not talk about him."

"Whatever. I wanted to ask you about Brady."

"FINALLY!" Brady whispered from his hiding place. He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and legs. 'It's really too cold to be wearing something this…REVEALING.'

"Brady? What about him?" Belle saw the dreamy look that crossed Chloe's eyes.

"You know what about. How close are you guys? REALLY." Belle raised one eyebrow at Chloe, giving her the patented John Black Attack look, which she had perfected in all of her years of knowing her father.

"Just friends…" Chloe avoided Belle's gaze.

"But do you want more?" Belle gave her a knowing look. "I can tell this a mile away Chloe, remember all my years of loving my best friend?"

"Well…is Brady here? I don't want him to overhear this embarrassing conversation you are forcing me to have." Chloe stood up and started walking around, looking for Brady.

'Shit!' Brady thought. 'She can't see me now. I have to walk sexy and stuff!'

Belle quickly pulled Chloe back down on the couch. "I don't know where he is, but he's not like, spying on us or anything, Chloe." Belle laughed nervously. "He's not like that."

"Ok whatever."

"Now answer the question. Are you attracted to Brady?"

"Of course I am. I hope you wouldn't know since you are his sister but Brady is definitely good looking." Chloe blushed at her statement.

"Good looking?"

"Okay!! Hot, sexy, gorgeous, he's all of it."

'I'm gonna get a big head here!' Brady thought to himself. 'She probably thinks I'm listening or something though…or does she really think all of that about me?'

"So is there a lot of sexual tension between you two?"

Brady knew that was his cue to walk out there. He had perfected his strut the night before, and he stepped out of the kitchen, wearing only his Calvin Klien boxers. "Hey, Belle. Chloe."

Belle had to bite her lip as hard as she could to keep herself from laughing at Chloe's reaction. As soon as Brady walked into the room her jaw had dropped. Belle could practically see the drool hanging from her mouth.

"So Chloe, I hear you're spending the night." Brady walked up to her and she stood up and met his gaze. He stood about a foot away from her.

"I…um, well yeah. Yeah. I um yeah I am." Chloe shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She didn't know why she was acting like this, but when she saw Brady it was like he was moving in slow motion. 'He's just so sexy! UGH! He's Brady! Not sexy, Brady.'

"Uh, um, uh, you sound like Porky the Pig." Brady laughed at his own joke.

"Ha. Ha. Brady you are so damn hilarious," Chloe told him, regaining her mind. She put her hands on his chest and lightly pushed him. When she realized where her hands were and that Brady had realized it, too, and was looking down at them, she turned bright red and put her arms down at her sides, avoiding his eyes.

Brady smiled at her. "It's okay. I don't mind." He moved her hands back to his chest. They were so warm on his cool skin, he could feel the handprints even after she removed them a second time. This was starting to get awkward. For her, anyway. Brady was having a good time.

"So, guys! Um, whats up?" Belle said from her place still on the couch.

Brady and Chloe's heads both snapped to Belle's face, and they both had guilty looks on their faces. They had forgotten she was there.

"Uh, Belle! Why don't we go upstairs now?" Chloe asked her, thankful for the distraction.

"Okay, get your stuff and head up there. I'll get us some snacks."

Chloe grabbed her bag and headed upstairs, setting it on Belle's bed. 'Maybe coming here was a bad idea. I'm with Philip. I can't be thinking about Brady all the time.'

*****

"So do you think it worked?" Brady looked uncertain, but he hoped that Chloe felt what he did when they touched.

"Hell yes it worked!"

Brady raised his eyebrows, he wasn't used to hearing his innocent little sister swear so often. 'Note to self: kill Shawn for whatever he did to my baby sister on that island.'

"Okay…so what now?"

"Phase Two, of course. Brady don't you remember this part of the plan?" Belle smirked at him.

"Of course I do, it's the best part!" Brady smiled, remembering what he and Belle had planned earlier. "How pissed do you think Chloe is gonna get when she realizes we planned all of this so she would fall for me?"

"Hey, we are doing it for good reason. You should be with the girl you love. And I really don't think that she loves Philip the way that she could love you. You guys have such a connection. This is definitely a good cause. BUT…"

"But? I don't like buts. Unless…" Brady remembered who he was talking to and decided not to finish that sentence.

"This isn't really a bad but. I was just thinking…considering Chloe is still with Phil, we might have to get her a little bit tipsy for this one…how about spiking her water?" Belle giggled, this was going to be fun.

"Belle, I don't know about you, but I would definitely notice if vodka was in my water. It might taste a little different." Brady rolled his eyes. Sometimes she was just such a dumbass. "Plus, I want her to be sober for this. Now that I think about it, are you trying to insult me?? Are you saying that she wouldn't do it if she was sober?"

"Naw, I know Chloe. She won't back down. Forget the vodka." Belle walked toward the stairs. "Oh, and Brady?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you should put some pants on."