Chapter 5
Familiar Lines
Part One
The very next day
"No, no, no—you gotta go!" Drake said entering his room upon seeing the sight of Josh
checking his daily emails.
"Why?" Josh didn't look up to see Drake grab a black hooded sweatshirt off the dusty
rose toned colored sofa.
"Don't you want to go to the antique fair with Mom and Dad?"
Megan was at a friend's house.
Josh stopped typing long enough to see Drake put the sweatshirt on over his head and
went over to his array of aftershave bottles.
"Oh—whom did you invite over?"
"Lucy. We're going to finish our wrestling match but this time I have a few tricks up my
sleeve."
"Need I remind you the last time you guys did that? You broke the door in here and
totally trashed the living room."
Not to mention almost ruin the evening with Mindy and her parents, but Josh didn't want
to bring that up. Besides it all worked well in the end.
"No, I don't need you to remind me—I had to give Mom and Dad two of my paychecks to
cover the damage—besides if it all goes well—well you're a guy, Josh—fill in the
blanks."
"Oh, Eww."
Couldn't Drake ever find a meaningful person? Sure Lucy was nice and had a good
personality with a flair for sports and rough housing due to being the only girl in her
family, but she was just another conquest for his brother.
How sad it all was to the one brother that had found his romantic soulmate at an early
age.
"Four spritzes will do."
"It smells like a cologne factory in here—Less is more, Drake."
"Josh, I know that," Drake smiled a little, "I'm just trying to get Lucy in the mood. So
please go away."
"Not because you said 'please', but you forgot I have my own plans." Josh stood up and
went to get his denim jacket that was on his bed.
"Oh—the Creature."
"STOP calling Mindy names."
"Sorry—I don't like her. And you are already aware that she's not exactly fond of me
either."
"I just want peace."
Drake didn't want to fight with his brother over the uptight and quite frankly borderline
crazy Mindy Crenshaw. As long as she made Josh happy then that is all that really
counted.
"See ya, Josh." Drake would have fixed his hair, but after looking in the mirror he knew
that it was perfect like it always was and there was no need.
"Later, bro."
There was nothing left for Drake to but play a little guitar while waiting for Lucy to come
over.
Denise sighed as she tried to force down a small cup of coffee at a local diner. Her best
friend Leticia was being unfair and was sick of lying to her mother. All she had to do
was mail a pre-addressed and written once-a-week postcard so that she wouldn't worry
and it would give the impression that she was still in New York State.
This wasn't something she wanted to be rushed on. It was difficult enough just being in
San Diego and doing sneaky things like phoning the house and hanging up.
Friends were supposed to stick by you. If Leticia even thought of telling her mother
about any of this it would make meeting Drake impossible.
"Would you like anything else, Miss?" asked her waiter, an older gentleman with salt and
pepper hair.
"No thanks, just the check. Please."
Drake jumped up when he realized he fell asleep on the sofa his acoustic guitar still
strapped to his body. He was out like a light for an hour. Shit. He hoped he didn't miss
Lucy. Rather than pick up the telephone he just rested his guitar on Josh's bed and ran
down the stairs.
Oh-oh. He was going to have to pile on the charm as Lucy was leaving his house. There
was no time to waste.
"Hey, babe."
She stopped in her tracks but did not turn around. There was a light rain and she was
grateful for the hood on her pink sweatshirt.
"I'm sorry. I just fell asleep."
She walked a little more.
"Lucy, I think I can make it worth your wile if you turn around. I'll be more than willing to let
you pin me to the floor," Drake touched her shoulder and was ready to spin Lucy around
for a kiss.
Drake was taken aback.
What in the Hell?
"I'll go." Denise swallowed the lump that was in her throat.
"No. You can come in. If you want to?"
"I'd like that."
It didn't need to be said. They were the female and male versions of each other. It was
obvious as a three year old in a room full of candy. Sometimes things didn't need to be
said. Except for one thing.
"What's your name?"
"Denise P-," she paused because it wasn't really and she was too young to remember
when it was, "Roberts."
"You're the mystery girl," She was almost afraid to walk in the nice middle class house.
"Come in. No one is home. Thanks for the CD's, Denise."
"You're welcome, Drake."
There was a blinking red numerical display to indicate that there was indeed a
message from Lucy stating that she couldn't come over because one of her brother's
was in the emergency room decided to do something stupid with duct tape and her
parents wanted her there.
But Drake Parker did not notice. He briefly forgot about the devious Megan when his
brain joyously thought—
I have a sister!
Author's Note: To be continued…