4
It was a little after nine when Anna arrived at the Cohen's. She was running behind her schedule, but she'd run into unexpected delays including her parents who felt that a major talk was in order. At least it was concluded now. Clothes had been an issue too, most of what she owned was packed, or in Pittsburgh. Finally Anna had made it out of the house not looking like someone's little brother. She would have liked to look nicer, sexier, but she hoped Ryan wouldn't care. Not dressing like a sex-kitten would actually probably be an advantage today. Anna peeked into the pool house at Ryan's mostly-nude form. Or not.
Anna knocked. No answer, obviously, but the door was unlocked. Anna entered and was surprised to see Seth passed out on the couch. The boys must have started the awkward talking last night. She supposed it made life a tad easier, still, it put a damper on her waking-up-Ryan plans.
Geez. Anna was turning into that obnoxious girl. The conceited self-absorbed one nobody likes. She would stop *now*.
Anna sat at the foot of Ryan's bed, accidentally-on-purpose sitting on one of his feet. He woke more quickly than she thought he would.
"Anna!" Ryan sat up and hugged her from behind. She felt her stomach flip-flop. He pulled her back onto the bed with him. "Hey."
"Hi," Anna kissed him chastely, reminding him, "Seth's on the couch."
"Oh," Ryan had evidently forgotten that tiny detail. "And I have morning breath."
"Minor detail," Anna kissed him again. Ryan sat up.
"I'm gonna brush my teeth," he practically yelled as he headed to the bathroom.
"Fine," Anna called back. "Why are we yelling?"
"I'm yelling so that Seth will wake up. You?" Ryan asked. Anna would have replied, but Seth had begun to stir.
"Morning Seth," Anna said pleasantly.
"Anna. Anna?" Seth looked around confused. "You did just get here right? And I am in the pool house?"
"Seth, you know champagne goes straight to your head!" Anna chided. "How much do you remember from last night?"
"I wasn't that drunk Anna. Not even drunk really. Tipsy. A tad bit tipsy. I remember you," he pointed at Anna and then at the bathroom door, "and you hooked up."
Ryan came out of the bathroom, now sporting pants and a wife-beater. Anna groaned softly. Ryan pretended not to hear her, "Close dude. Anna and I didn't hook-up last night. You just found out about it last night."
"Coffee, I need coffee," Seth wandered out of the poolhouse.
Ryan sat next to Anna and traced her face with his finger, "Hey there girlfriend."
"Hello to you too," Anna kissed his cheek.
"Last night I had to pull the car over because you were practically mauling me with your eyes, and today, in my private pool house, you kiss my cheek? What's up Anna?" Ryan asked.
"Seth."
"Seth? Seth was in the car. Seth is in the kitchen," Ryan pointed out.
"I know. I just want to do this tactfully," Anna explained. Ryan kissed her.
"That's why you're such a nice person."
"I feel no need to be nice tonight," Anna assured Ryan, whispering promises in his ear.
"I'm back!" Seth said loudly, knocking on the pool house door.
"It's fine Seth," Ryan told his brother. "It's not like we're all over each other the second anyone turns their back."
"Oh really? 'Cause I'm suddenly a lot clearer on last night," Seth sat on the couch facing Anna and Ryan. "I think maybe we should talk."
"That's the plan," Anna wanted to take away the hurt in Seth's eyes so badly. "So, um…"
"When did this start? Were you with me when you started sleeping with my brother?" The question ripped out of Seth like an explosion and he looked shocked that he had asked The Big Question.
"No," Anna answered. "This happened after."
"Right after," Ryan added. Anna elbowed him.
"You know, it doesn't really matter," Seth realized. "I love you guys, and you love each other. If you hurt each other I'll kill you both."
"That was easy," Ryan grinned and Anna knew he was as relieved as she was. He kissed her and then looked guiltily at Seth.
"I'm gonna invite Summer over and then we can all just enjoy ourselves with limited awkwardness. Sound like a plan?" Seth asked as he dialed Summer's number on Ryan's phone. "Summer? Come over. You won't believe what's going on here.
It was a little after nine when Anna arrived at the Cohen's. She was running behind her schedule, but she'd run into unexpected delays including her parents who felt that a major talk was in order. At least it was concluded now. Clothes had been an issue too, most of what she owned was packed, or in Pittsburgh. Finally Anna had made it out of the house not looking like someone's little brother. She would have liked to look nicer, sexier, but she hoped Ryan wouldn't care. Not dressing like a sex-kitten would actually probably be an advantage today. Anna peeked into the pool house at Ryan's mostly-nude form. Or not.
Anna knocked. No answer, obviously, but the door was unlocked. Anna entered and was surprised to see Seth passed out on the couch. The boys must have started the awkward talking last night. She supposed it made life a tad easier, still, it put a damper on her waking-up-Ryan plans.
Geez. Anna was turning into that obnoxious girl. The conceited self-absorbed one nobody likes. She would stop *now*.
Anna sat at the foot of Ryan's bed, accidentally-on-purpose sitting on one of his feet. He woke more quickly than she thought he would.
"Anna!" Ryan sat up and hugged her from behind. She felt her stomach flip-flop. He pulled her back onto the bed with him. "Hey."
"Hi," Anna kissed him chastely, reminding him, "Seth's on the couch."
"Oh," Ryan had evidently forgotten that tiny detail. "And I have morning breath."
"Minor detail," Anna kissed him again. Ryan sat up.
"I'm gonna brush my teeth," he practically yelled as he headed to the bathroom.
"Fine," Anna called back. "Why are we yelling?"
"I'm yelling so that Seth will wake up. You?" Ryan asked. Anna would have replied, but Seth had begun to stir.
"Morning Seth," Anna said pleasantly.
"Anna. Anna?" Seth looked around confused. "You did just get here right? And I am in the pool house?"
"Seth, you know champagne goes straight to your head!" Anna chided. "How much do you remember from last night?"
"I wasn't that drunk Anna. Not even drunk really. Tipsy. A tad bit tipsy. I remember you," he pointed at Anna and then at the bathroom door, "and you hooked up."
Ryan came out of the bathroom, now sporting pants and a wife-beater. Anna groaned softly. Ryan pretended not to hear her, "Close dude. Anna and I didn't hook-up last night. You just found out about it last night."
"Coffee, I need coffee," Seth wandered out of the poolhouse.
Ryan sat next to Anna and traced her face with his finger, "Hey there girlfriend."
"Hello to you too," Anna kissed his cheek.
"Last night I had to pull the car over because you were practically mauling me with your eyes, and today, in my private pool house, you kiss my cheek? What's up Anna?" Ryan asked.
"Seth."
"Seth? Seth was in the car. Seth is in the kitchen," Ryan pointed out.
"I know. I just want to do this tactfully," Anna explained. Ryan kissed her.
"That's why you're such a nice person."
"I feel no need to be nice tonight," Anna assured Ryan, whispering promises in his ear.
"I'm back!" Seth said loudly, knocking on the pool house door.
"It's fine Seth," Ryan told his brother. "It's not like we're all over each other the second anyone turns their back."
"Oh really? 'Cause I'm suddenly a lot clearer on last night," Seth sat on the couch facing Anna and Ryan. "I think maybe we should talk."
"That's the plan," Anna wanted to take away the hurt in Seth's eyes so badly. "So, um…"
"When did this start? Were you with me when you started sleeping with my brother?" The question ripped out of Seth like an explosion and he looked shocked that he had asked The Big Question.
"No," Anna answered. "This happened after."
"Right after," Ryan added. Anna elbowed him.
"You know, it doesn't really matter," Seth realized. "I love you guys, and you love each other. If you hurt each other I'll kill you both."
"That was easy," Ryan grinned and Anna knew he was as relieved as she was. He kissed her and then looked guiltily at Seth.
"I'm gonna invite Summer over and then we can all just enjoy ourselves with limited awkwardness. Sound like a plan?" Seth asked as he dialed Summer's number on Ryan's phone. "Summer? Come over. You won't believe what's going on here.